real love

At 1:30a.m. in the morning here is what I do not like to hear:

TanMann: Mom, I can't stop throwing up.
Mom: (sleeping) mmmhmmm...WHAT? Are you sick?
TanMann: sadly shakes his little head yes
Mom: takes a breath (holy cow, what is that smell!) Did you get sick in your bed?
TanMann: again with the sad shake of his head

A smell permeated my house that two days later I am still trying to get out of my head or my nostrils. Many loads of laundry, a couple of showers and it is still with me. This is round 3 for me with the good ole stomach virus. I should not complain, it is TanMann's second trip down this road in less than 2 weeks and I am sure it is much less fun for him than me. Maybe. He didn't have clean up duty at 2 in the morning. On Valentines day no less, as the MadSci happily snored his way through the excitement and the smell. Do you detect sarcasm there? Good, you should. You see the MadSci forgot Valentines Day. No card-nuthin. It wouldn't be a big deal but it ticked me off that he isn't teaching my boys to what? I don't know..spend money to show your love. Ugh....

My ticked off feelings were made even worse when I stopped at the florist to by my Mother her carnations from the boys. She loves those flowers..and I know it and I NEVER forget. As we stood there I watched at least 20 guys come in with their kids. I was trying hard to keep control of my feelings. When we got back to our car I let out a lecture to my boys that they should never forget their Mom on Valentines Day-even if their Dad who apparently is very busy forgets. "See", I told them, "I am 44 years old and I still go home with Valentines for my Mom and Dad."

T-Dogg pipes up with. "Doesn't Grandpa always buy you chocolate for Valentines Day, Mom?"
Why yes he does son and it is a good thing too. I can always, always count on good ole Dad. And my Mom too I suppose. I am sure she is the one who makes him get up out of his chair and go buy his four daughters our Valentine. The point is, every year I get my little box of chocolates and I can count on it the same as I can count on the sun coming up every day.

So we spent Valentines day at my folks. It was a good day. A bit like Christmas for the boys though. They had been holding out on Thomas' birthday gifts since he had the dreaded flu on his birthday and they weren't coming within 5 miles of our house then. So between birthday gifts (both boys come out ahead on birthday-Grandma doesn't want the other one to feel left out-so they both get gifts) and all of the Valentines they give my boys the living room floor was strewn with clothes, toys and candy. The Mad-Sci called and said come home early and I'll take you out to dinner. Too little-too late..you missed the moment and it is no big deal. Yeah, right. LOL I was still ticked.

Later when the boys and I finally got home (well after 8 p.m.) Thomas surprised me with a brown paper bag that he had decorated with hearts. Seems he and my Mother conspired to put a gift together for me. It was very sweet of both of them and he was rewarded with hugs and kisses from me which he promptly tried to brush off. So I did get a valentine from someone other than my Dad. Sadly, it irked me more and I wanted to squish a chocolate in the mad-sci's face. But would I waste perfectly good chocolate? Not a chance!

All of this was rounded off by being waken up with a sick child in the middle of the night. I'll say this, it is a dang good thing I don't always act on my feelings. Otherwise the Mad-Sci would have found his happy snores interpreted by a pile of flu-germ ridden bed linens off of my child's bed, right on his head. But I maintained and trudged up and down the stairs to the laundry room, a bandanna tied over my face, carefully removed each time I had to stop and hold my baby as he was sick yet again. Any idea how much chocolate a 5 year old will stuff himself with on Valentines Day?? Oh, man I am sure I have made my point here. But my chocolate cravings are at a halt-probably until next year. And that, was my Valentines day.

Today there is no school. And yet again the flu threw a wrench in our gears. The boys and I had planned on taking the Mad-Sci to work, going out for breakfast and then I was to drop them off for a day with my niece. I was to be with my folks and my sisters as my Dad checked in for surgery today. Today my Dad is having his defibrillator put in. Not a huge surgery, not many risks but I am very sad I am not there. And worried. I hate being far away and I hate sitting here waiting for the phone to ring and keep me updated. Which my 3 sisters and my Mother will do. They know that I am way worried by not being there. It is just so much easier to be standing next to my Dad and seeing his eyes when he has surgery.

I was forced to make an adult decision. Stay home, make sure TanMann who is almost recovered gets better. That and exposing my Dad or my Mom to whatever lingering germs we have would not be good. So I am stuck here, my thoughts always with my Dad, trying to not let the kids know that I am worried because I have explained to T-Dogg over and over that his Papa is going to be fine and to TanMann again and again how the machine is helping Papa's heart work. In the mean time, T-Dogg is totally irritated that his brother being sick screwed up his plans for a fun day out of the house. Ahh to be a Mom...or is it to be a daughter..I don't know ......life sure can get tricky though.