Perils of Parenting

The title came over me like a wave of icy snowflakes enters into the soft top folds of your winter boots. I was trudging at the time. When the northern climate decides that it has lulled you into a false sense of security, it lets loose the clouds and scatters snowflakes gleefully deep in the back alley. So, I trudged. I trudged a path from my back deck, along the back alley (thank you to the skier that left tracks) and to the bus stop to collect Ailish. The wind whipped some color into my cheeks and then, I waited for the bright yellow school bus. I shivered and tried to catch my breath, keeping an eye on my youngest who was refusing to trudge and waited in the green way.

Ah yes, the perils of parenting. At this time of year, anything can happen and everything does. We had such a glorious weekend in Edmonton shopping for toys with their birthday money and seeing the Nutcracker. On the way home, I was sensing that they were spoiled rotten and actually did wind up taking all their birthday toys away. We had whiney voices, snarky voices, mumbles and complaints. All I wanted was quiet.

Turns out, the youngest was developing pink eye. So, the school naturally didn't want anything to do with her. So, I took her to the eye doctor at Emerg to get it checked out. (For the record, in the Mac after hours there is no such thing as a walk in clinic, nor did my doctor have anything available). A scratched eyeball he stated, and no she is not contagious. Good news! But then, she started to snuffle and huffle, whine and run a fever. Off to her specialist appointment we went and came home with antibiotics for the sinus. She is now miserably sick, been off school all week and will miss her Christmas Party. I am so not looking forward to having to break the news on that one.

As you can imagine, I have had to call my boss. I am not coming in and why. Now, she is fabulously understanding and I don't get any grief from that but there are deadlines that need meeting so now I add in some work from home after the wee folk are abed. However, it also means calling the dance studios, the teachers for child check and the lists go on. My phone gets a hefty work out.

I am tired from being up all night and up all day. Of course, my eldest is feeling like a second class citizen because she is healthy at the moment. She actually wanted to get sick as she wanted to be treated specially too. Ack! So, I had to stop and find some time to help her understand that she still had to go to school and do her things as she had a responsibility to be there. Also, she would miss her parties and things at school if she stayed home. Truth be told, I do want her out of the house so that she doesn't get ill. Ack! Snuggles and cuddles and the girl will be fine but it is so hard when one is sick and needs you, while the other isn't sick but needs you too. Perilous!

So, work is done and the clock tells me that it is past midnight again. I am feeling less stressed for having accomplished something. I am within the time to go check on the fever status. But, I am pondering.

Why don't they come with manuals?