New windows, a dead car, and strep throat for all!
Today was quite the day, let me tell you. It began with my daughter refusing at the top of her lungs to use the toilet. 
Not gonna happen, no way, no how. We had a little power struggle, which she won. I finally said, “Fine! Wet your pants! See if I care!!” (a very mature Mommy reaction) 
Then she refused to eat. Now this wouldn’t be a big deal normally, except my children wolf down breakfast as if I’m planning to snatch the plates from under their hands. You don’t dare touch their food unless you want to come away with bloody nubbins as fingers. Little cannibals. 
Anyhoo, my beloved daughter decided she wanted to be Mischa Barton (or Mary Kate Olsen, pick your anorexic Hollywood woman–you have plenty to chose from) …for the day. She also did not eat lunch or dinner the previous day. Goldfish crackers and chocolate were fine, but nothing resembling regular food. I finally scrounged through my pantry and found 1/4 cup of Quaker’s Oatmeal. No, I do not know how old it was. Chances are, it dates back to the pre-children age. But enough about my lack of organization. She turned up her nose, and then ate it finally.
I cleaned up in preparation for the window-installers and informed the children that we were going to the grocery store, as I did not think a stick of butter and frozen bagels would make for a very good supper. I gave my daughter the steely eye and said, “You need to go to the bathroom or we’re not going to the store.” She emitted a chirpy, “Okay!” and sat down and did her business. 
Man, I should have thought of that one earlier.
So, I load the children into the car and hear a weird clicking noise instead of a roaring engine. Uh oh. I turn off the ignition and try it again. Click, click, click. This is bad. Dead car battery. And I have a 12:20 appointment with the pediatrician to find out why my daughter is trying to lose one-fifth of her body weight by refusing meals. Darling husband to the rescue! (Oh, come on. We all know he really wanted to watch the contractors install the windows. How many men will stay at work when someone is ripping twenty-six windows out of their house?)
Amazingly, the windows went in without too many problems (they saved the Naked Window for last). The Naked Window is the large window in our two-story foyer where the entire outside world can see you scuttling upstairs in search of a towel. I have visions of crashing windows and glass everywhere. But that’s for tomorrow.
At the pediatricians, I found out that my daughter had strep throat. Could have told you that a few days ago when she had a fever and wasn’t eating. To make matters even better, she gave it to my son, too. Both will be guzzling Amoxicillin for the next ten days. They are both medicine addicts, so the merest shake of the bottle will send them both flying toward me, their little tongues hanging out with glee. 
And we won’t discuss the time I had to call Poison Control because I caught my youngest guzzling Children’s Tylenol like it was Kool-Aid. (There was actually more on her and on the counter than in her, but it was pretty scary that the childproof bottles were not so childproof.).
So, as we enter this joyous holiday season, I have new windows, a broken car, and two children with strep. But life is good because the kiddos will be well and truly drugged. 
Michelle posted in Writing @ 9:12 pm | Viewed 1520 times
Amy K. Says:
Um, yikes. Merry Christmas? Hope the young’uns are better soon and the car fixes itself.
Bonnie Ferguson Says:
(((Michelle & Family))):confused2:
Peggy Says:
Hugs on the car and sick kids, Michelle. Been there this week too.:cry:
Melissa Says:
Oh wow, Michelle! You had quite the day! But hopefully the kiddies will recover in time for Christmas.
Tori Lennox Says:
Never a dull moment at your house!
Rene Says:
Oh wow, what a day. One of our holiday traditions when I was growing up was me being sick, usually with strep throat with a pneumonia chaser. I hear you with the medicine. My daughter got a hold of a bottle of abuturol and guzzled some. I called the doctor’s office. They said if she had any kind of cough it would be gone and she might be a “little busy.” I kept an eye on her for an hour or so then hustled her to a babysitter. She’s busy as it is, I let her run off the abuturol high somewhere else.
Michelle Says:
Rene–Yikes on the albuterol. Scary, but LOL on sending her elsewhere. Too funny.
Thanks for the good wishes Amy, Bonnie, Peggy, Melissa, and Tori! I think they’re on the mend now. Thank goodness!
And the baby has been accident-free so far today on the toilet training…:crazyjumping:
beth Says:
Yow! I feel your pain on the car, my battery died last week (maybe it’s something in the air?) - I got a new car battery, brakes and tires for Christmas.
Hope the kiddos get better - but hey, maybe they’ll be like me and get strep so much that after the 4th grade, they’ll never get it again. Or not. Cause I don’t imagine my mom was overly happy with that happenstance.
I just want to add that I am desperate to put all these smilie things in this comment…but I will hold off.
This time.
Emma Sinclair Says:
Hope the kiddo’s feel better and you’re able to have a relaxing holiday!
As for the medicine, I used to be the same way…I loved my “magic pink medicine” and used to tell my mom that she forgot to give it to me so that I coudl have more.
Mary Says:
Take care of your family. Hope all is well by Christmas.
MaryF Says:
{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}
BUT at least a battery is realtively cheap/easy to fix and you know why your daughter isn’t eating.