I Thought She was Possessed

Abby has been coughing mildly for about a week.  It kept her up during nap time at school on Wednesday, so we decided to give her medicine before bed, partly to calm the cough but also partly to get her a better night of sleep.  This is not the first time we've used this, and won't be the last.  But she might not get it again tonight. 

Last night at 11:30ish I was awoken by Abby.  Right at midnight on the clock in her room she woke me up again.  At that point, I could not sleep.  I was completely freaked out.  I feared that we had given her too much medicine and that she was hallucinating scenes from her new love, Sleeping Beauty.  We skip the scene toward that end that Anny has deemed "too scary" but there is still some spooky stuff in there.  Since I don't care for the movie particularly, I was very much inclined right about midnight to find out copy and break it in half.

The first time I went into her room, Abby was sitting straight up with her eyes wide like she had just had a sip of coke for the first time.  (An assumption, of course...)  She, as usual, was calling "MOMMY!" which is funny because mommy almost never gets up with her. 

Through her wide, scary eyes she was reciting what could have been a mantra, and the first time I chalked it up to a song from school:

"I am listening and I can hear... It's cold in here... Dally I don't like the fire anymore... Daddy, turn off the fire please..."  Over and over.  If you're a parent, you know that voice that is as much whine as concern?  Yeah, that was the voice she was using.

Again, the first time I figured she was just startled, but when she did this again at midnight, on the nose, I began to freak out a bit.  She asked me to turn off her humidifier, and she calmly drifted back to sleep.  In an effort to combat the cough, I turned it back on once she was out.

But not me.  I laid awake trying to figure out what medicine we had given her (which I genuinely did not know, I was at a meeting.) and how much and whether or not she was having a bad acid trip.  Since Anny is not feeling 100% either, she took medicine and has no recollection of the nights activities, which I realized was the case as they were going on so I could not rely on her for help or insight. 

So I laid there.  Helplessly thinking about what we may or may not have inflicted on our beloved daughter.  I finally could not stand it anymore, so I got up and went into her room.  I felt for a fever.  Nope.  I checked her pulse, which was normal for her.  I woke her up just enough to know that she was conscious again.  I was so concerned that I gave her the riot act - what is your name, who am I, give me a kiss - things that she all did, and probably thought it was a game.  To me, it was not a game.  I needed answers.

She looked again with the big eyes and asked for a "colder pillow" so I flipped hers.  That worked.  She laid her head down and once again started with "Dally I don't like the fire anymore... Daddy, turn off the fire please..."

This time she pointed, though.  This time, she put my mind at ease. This time, you see, she was able to tell me what the problem was.  It seems that Abby, in her deepest of sleep, could not use a five syllable word. The whole conversation would have been different before if she could have, but it never occurred to her or to me that she might be saying:

"I am listening and I can hear...
It's cold in here...
Dally I don't like the HUMIDI-fire anymore...
Daddy, turn off the HUMIDIFIER please..."

Stupid cow humidifier that puts out a bit of fog that can be taken as smoke in the head of a 2 year old.  She was not scared.  She was not concerned.  She was genuinely being bothered by her humidifier and wanted it turned off.  The wide eyes were surely because it was just too dark and she was looking for the noise.

I turned off the humidifier, she laid down and was out almost instantly.  

And I laid awake again.  This time frustrated that I did not ask the right questions. 

Wordless Wednesday: Ain't Nobody Gonna Hold Me Down

Climbing to the TOP!
Originally uploaded by armonroe
More WW entries at www.wordlesswednesday.com.

(And for the words that accompany this photo, check out my last post...)

A Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Fun Fun Fun Day!

Over the last week the weather folks have been telling us it would snow.

• On Monday it was "hey folks, snow to the south, nothing here.
• Tuesday brought "we can't be sure, but it's likely just going to be a dusting"
• Wednesday and Thursday the projection went to "maybe an inch or two around town"
• On Friday it because "big storm in the NC and Southern VA, but at most two inches around the beltway"

Well when all was said and done, we ended up with about five inches of snow!  Insanity.  We didn't even get to play outside because it was way too powdery, but it sure made staying home on Saturday evening easier.  (I heard that pizza places around the area had thrown in the towel and stopped delivery!)

Turns out that Anny and I both left the house with different destinations just as the first flakes fell.  Not a big deal when you're expecting an inch - but surely made our trips slippery.  We got out and back safely, thank goodness!

While Anny went for groceries and a haircut (and an "it was right beside the Hair Cuttery" trip to Michaels for craft stuff"), I took Abby to Columbia to a classmates fifth birthday party.  It was held at the AIRMania Fun Zone, which I had heard about but never gotten a chance to go to.  Their "public sessions" are from 10 to 2 during week days - so we're not exactly going to have a chance to play with their stuff often.  The set up is pretty amazing - they have eight inflatable moon bounces, all inside and split into two zones of four.  Abby was a bit hesitant, as is her routine when we enter someplace new.  Because Anny has never been on a moon bounce, she would be content that Abby never be on one.  Ever.  For her whole life.  Yeah, it takes daddy-daughter time to crush that, right?  :o)  (Anny was supposed to take her, but I was able to at the last minute.  Thank goodness!)

After about two minutes of staring at the mammoth jumping houses - she grabbed a friend and they took off.  It's funny, I don't know if she could tell from the outsides, but she picked them in progressively harder stages.  She started off with the standard moon bounce - square with mesh to keep them in.  They worked together, Abby and Abbie (yes, really.) helped each other up onto different pieces, and followed each other all over the place.  It was really fun to watch them!

I was really proud of Abby for working her way up and challenging herself to do things she did not think she could.  

I really should have gotten her a snack about halfway through but didn't think about it and payed the price.  She got really whiny when another party showed up and they were "restricted" to zone 2.  The pieces are about the same, just with different looks.  She was trying to be stubborn about it, but I can be even more stubborn - especially when it means not ruining someone elses' party!

The hosts also had pizza and cake for the kids (and parents, too) which was fun. 

I got to talk with some of the other parents about parenting in general and each of our children as individuals.  One dad asked if I volunteered at the daycare.  I was a little caught off guard, to be completely honest.  He had noticed that all of the children were approaching me (one little girl even dragged me around to help her find someone else) and many knew my name, or at least knew me as "Abby Monroe's Daddy!"  I told him that I hardly ever even pick Abby up, but when I do I am sure to get on the floor and talk with them and sing whatever they are singing and do their silly dances.  It makes a world of difference, let me tell you! 

And yes, I realize this will probably only be a good way to get to know her friends until she hits elementary school.  Then it's going to be catch as catch can, right?

I drove very, very slowly on the trip home while Abby slept to recover from all of the fun.  It was a great time!

Wordless Wednesday - Sharing Spaghetti

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Awkward Moment: Mall Edition!

Setting the scene, before I give you the awkward moment.  Trust me, it's worth reading to the bottom, only if you can point and laugh at my humiliation.

On Monday we had a holiday off - which will only happen a few more times during the school year.  On Sunday we mentioned during Sunday School that we were looking for something to do, and ended up making plans with friends to hang out with the kids at Columbia Mall.  That place is a favorite of ours, mostly because they have a great play area and a cheap Carousel/Merry-Go-Round!  Recently they have added both Five Guys and Chipotle to their food court, so I could basically live there for a month and be happy.

It amazes me how little time we spend with the dozens of other parents of young children that we know.  Our best friends live a half hour away and their boys are practically brothers for Abby, but we are lucky to see them twice in a month.  Our trip to the mall was the first trip with that family in over a year.  I need to fix this.  (And I apologize for the unannounced aside.)

So, we got there a little early, and they got there a little late - no biggie.  That's the exact reason that we planned to meet AT the playground!  Abby didn't know they were late, and we were having fun and didn't really notice until they arrived and said "sorry" for the lateness...  oops!  We should really wear watches.

After playing in the playground, we made the journey past the pet store over to the Carousel.  Abby could hear it about halfway down the hall and got giddy - but then, she announced "we are at the mall to ride the horses" before we got to the parking lot...

We went to the food court and ended up with food from three different places - and it would have been four if the lines were shorter.  Abby was getting a bit restless when the little guy with us had to use the potty.  She was up and walking, then she was laying down on the bench.  We were talking with our friend about potty-training strategies - and started with the one that works for a lot of folks - just going straight to big girl pants.

**Here is the Awkwardness**
Me: Hey Abby, do you like to wear big girl pants?
Abby: giggle, giggle
Me: Abby, April wants to know if you like to wear big girl pants
Me, noticing a mother at the table that is practically touching ours: Oh, I'm sorry.  I'm sure this is not the conversation you want to hear at lunch.
Other Table Mom: No, my daughters name is Abby. (points at daughter, sitting beside my Abby.)
Me:
Me: (in my head: CRAP. CRAP!)
Me: Well, that was completely inappropriate of me then.

Then I turned bright red, and shut my mouth in an effort not to insinuate to another five year old girl in the mall that I had interest in her underpants.

Wordless Wednesday - Ready to Fly!

More participants at www.wordlesswednesday.com

(and a friend participating this time around!  Check out the new teeth on Nicholas HERE!) 

Set Up by My Wife

I got set-up by my beloved wife on Saturday in the worst way. I don't know if she just wanted to make me miserable, or planned out the perfect "mama love fest" with our toddler, but either way, she "won" the contest of best parent - because it's the score at the end of the day that counts.

Imagine if you will - an early Saturday morning in a suburban home of three people and numerous animals. One of the people, let's call her Abby for the sake of story reality, wakes up at 4:30 am (0430 for you military folks out there). I shot up to try to soothe and get some more sleep. No dice. Dutifully, I got up and did TV time and breakfast before mamabear woke up at, let's say for the sake of the story, 6:45 am. Still early? Yes.

The day goes along swimmingly until nap time - which Abby skips completely. She put up a good fight, and ultimately we settled for some Willy Wonka and rest time instead of actual sleep.

Since it looked like mamabear needed a break, I took the girl-child to a local museum for an hour or so in order that mom have a few minutes to herself to chill out. That did the trick! Everyone happy and glad to be back under the same roof, we ordered pizza and watched some playoff football.

While I was trying to steal a few minutes to check in on the devils time vacuum Facebook and upload new pictures to Flickr, mamabear in the clan decided to be "subtle" (her words, not his) and begin to run a bath. She pretty quickly ahemed toward me, to which I jumped into his normal bath routine, but with a goal of having hair washed this time. (We typically do this in the shower on Sundays - but she's been fighting that of late.) After a good long while of Abby playing in the tub, I grabbed some shampoo and began the torturous necessary process of washing a little girls hair - a process that takes less than a minute.

It was at that point that he picked up a cup of water from the tub and realized that the water would have been suitable for drinking with the addition of one ice cube, or two on a summer day! That lady set.me.up.

It turned out I was dealing with a child who, on top of hating the idea of nice-smelling, tangle-free hair, was freezing cold.

Abby screamed her head off and would not let me come near her - not to empty the tub or once I got her out, would not let me dry her off. Then, right on cue, the gallant knight-ess rode in to save the day - even went back for some couch-cuddle time. I even got stiffed on a goodnight kiss!

I understand it was simply an issue that "just happened" but DAMN! I feel like I got set up.

New Rule: If I'm doing bath time, I am doing it start to finish. I'm not dealing with the choices of someone else to run my program.

Wordless Wednesday

 

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The Upside

I rag on the idea of being married to a teacher from time to time, but when it all boils down I can not imagine being married to someone who is not!  (Okay, so it's a stretch for me to imagine being married to anyone other than Anny, so I'm confined in my thinking!)

After our big snow storm that hit right before Christmas, I know a lot of people who were scrambling to figure out what to do with their children - they had planned all of their vacation days down to the hour, and use or lose had been used.  With schools closed, folks were forced to figure out which parent would take time off - for three extra days.  That's much harder than the occasional one day off.

But I didn't have to worry about that.  When Abby's school is closed, Anny's is too.  When Abby's school is delayed, I can still get to work on time (-ish, I still had to clean off cars!) and not worry about the ramifications.  It was a blessing to have that knowledge.

The summers-off thing is hard sometimes - and I do my fair share of complaining, I promise.  In the same breath I usually say that it's mostly because I'm jealous that the two of them get so much one-on-one time while I'm stuck doing the same thing I do for the rest of the year (now without windows in my office!) every day.  This summer Anny went out of her way to come to the office, with Abby of course, about once a week, though it is pretty far out of her way.

It is also wonderful to know that even if Anny is grading papers, we will all be home, every day for dinner and family time.  In reality, she's around more than I am because I fall asleep by 8:30 9:30 most nights.

An advantage that we have just begun to realize is access to a variety of events that are free for teachers.  We have been to more high school hockey games than I can count, as well as numerous basketball, soccer and football games!  Abby and I have perused the Science Fair projects in past years while Anny was working the room, and no matter what event we go to, our little one gets showered with attention.  That's a plus in my book any day!

As the new year has begun, I've begun to realize just how good I have it, and I believe that a lot of that comes from being married to Anny!

2009 Blog Review

I did this Meme a few years ago, and it seem a good way to review a year of my blog.  So, taking the first sentence from the first post of each months, here is my blog from 2009:
(Okay, now I see that I did several "Wordless Wednesday" posts on the first of the month.  I am skipping past those.)

January: "I guess I should start with Christmas and will blog about other subjects..."
February: "I am forbidden from making a "Things To Do Before I Die" list"
March: "At about six months [old] Abby had an obsession with putting things in her mouth - toys, coins, food, fingers... everything."
April: "In our house we are gearing up for a trip!"
May: "While I have neglected my duties just a little bit for Anny's special day, I wish all of you moms out there a Happy Mother's Day."
June: "I do not have official 24 month statistics just yet, we will have that appointment the week after school lets out, but last night I got Abby to stand on a scale and she came out at 29 pounds."
July: "Abby has successfully completed the "Bubblers 1" swimming class at the same pool that I took all of my swimming lessons at so many years ago!"
August: "Today I'm writing about our time in Iowa."
September: "There are lots of blog posts on the internet about all of the God-Forsaken quizzes you can take on Facebook, and trust that there posts about them for a reason."
October: "Yesterday was my six-month appointment with my nephrologist"
November: "We did something strange last year - we grabbed two [Halloween] costumes from another teacher at Anny's school at a very good price."
December: "There is almost literally no way for me to capture all of the awesomeness that was our Thanksgiving this year - Anny's parents came from Wyoming and Paul and Sarahlynn and the girls made the trek to our house too!"

2009 was filled with family and travel and enjoying the things we have, and wanting a little bit for the things we don't have.  The year started off with a bit of a downer, the realization that we did not have enough equity in our house to make selling it viable for a move to Saint Louis.  I am excited to say that Anny and I have decided to go ahead and pan for a move this summer!  We will list the house some time this spring and begin applying for jobs even sooner.  (Do you know how long it takes to get a government job?!?) 

Goodbye, 2009.  Welcome 2010 and all of the hopes and challenges that lay ahead.

Oh, and I didn't really tell the internet world, but on New Years Day last year I resolved to not eat a doughnut for the whole year.  I am glad to say that I stuck to that goal!  (And no, Apple Fritters do not count, they don't have holes but do have fruit. That's not a doughnut!)  We are going to a friends for a New Year's Brunch today, so my doughnuts will wait until tomorrow.  Watch out, old friends, I am surely coming for you!