Kids Again

I came down with a cold yesterday. I feel pretty wretched. I wish I could take a sick day, but I can't. Moms don't get sick days. We also don't get a government-regulated break or even a guaranteed lunch hour. Or a salary. We get paid in kisses and hugs and sticky little fingers.
The fingers have been real sticky lately, and so have the noses.
All the children have had colds, too. This morning Bart turned on the tears to convince me he and Skylar were too sick to go to school. I was too sick to care. So I told the three big kids to go down and flip through our like two hundred channels until they found Spongebob. Then I went back to bed.
We basically just laid around today and watched TV. We recently got rid of of cable and switched over to satellite instead. We get a ton more channels and DVR for the same price. Now I'm never at a loss as to what to watch. Right now I'm watching Mermaids, that movie with Cher, and Winona Ryder. We used to love that movie when I was younger. I remember one weekend my mom, my sister, and I rented Mermaids, Steel Magnolias, and another chick flick (I can't remember which one). Those are still two of my favorite movies. I like Mermaids because the two sisters remind me of me and Elsie.
Speaking of Elsie, it's been almost eight years. It seems like a million, though. It's a hard time of year. My mom's birthday was today, my grandma's is Monday and then Elsie's anniversary is Tuesday. I guess February is not a great month for celebrating.
Mom and Mimi came over yesterday and I made a cake forMom's birthday. While we were eating, two or three cop cars pulled up next door and stayed there for quite a while. I'm not sure what was going on there. Who knows with them.
I've been wanting to do some planning and writing on a new project I've been enthusiastic about, but I've been too miserable today. It's taking me forever just to type this post and it's pretty random. The only time today that I felt like writing, Lucy would not cooperate with me.
Lucy is so fascinating at this age. She wants to get everything and put it in her mouth. She's been saying "Muhmuh" when she's upset and whiny, and I can remember that's how Drake started out saying Mama. She is so smiley, still. She is the smiliest baby I've ever seen, and everyone who knows her or meets her thinks so, too. She is just irresistible. Her smile lights up a room. I've been giving her pureed baby food over the past few weeks, but she really likes to chew. She likes tiny pieces of bread that she can chew on best.
Drake was so adorable today while Lucy was taking a (brief) nap. I was lying on the sofa wrapped up in a blanket, feeling yucky. The kids and I were watching the last part of the Water Horse. Drake came and climbed up on the sofa with me and let me snuggle him - which he NEVER does these days. Just before Lucy was born, we used to snuggle upstairs in the glider before naptime and bedtime every day. Now, it's impossible to get him to snuggle with you. He'll give you plenty of kisses and hugs, but it seems like he just doesn't want to be tied down long enough to snuggle. Anyway, I was delighted that he wanted to snuggle. He kept wiggling around and giving me kisses. It was just so sweet. He hasn't been feeling real well, either, lately. He's had this same cold thing we've all had, and he's been a little whinier than usual. I had to yell at him a little earlier, so I was really happy to have some sweet time with him, to let him know how much I love him, even if I lost my temper earlier.
Lately, when he gets in trouble or I reprimand him, Drake immediately runs to me and puts his arms around my legs, saying "Awww...." And then he wants to hug me and he says "Mama pretty." In fact, if he thinks he's going to get in trouble for something, he immediately says, "Mama pretty", and he's even said "Daddy pretty" a few times, too. It's pretty cute.
I think he may have learned that charm from Bart. Bart used to say "Thank you, my darlin' " when he was two or three years old and it was the most adorable thing. Bart is being such a good helper lately. He can be a really thoughtful boy at times. I'm very proud of how well he is reading. He's going to be a great student, like Skylar, I think. I don't know if I mentioned that he earned a Terrific Kid award at school on Friday or not. He was so proud of that award, and I was proud of him for earning it.
Lately Bart's been taking a page from Drake's book and saying "Mama's pretty" if he thinks I'm displeased or that he might get in trouble. It's pretty funny.
Poor Skylar hurt her ankle at dance class on Monday. She's been hobbling around with a brace on her ankle, looking pitiful. I made her go to her ballet class today, just to sit and watch, so she wouldn't get too far behind. This is the same ankle she sprained on our trampoline just at the end of the summer two years ago. It's never gotten all its strength back. She has a competition coming up at the end of the month in which she'll be doing two dances. I really don't want her to have to miss it. She really enjoys performing, I think. Now, if we can just keep all the lessons and practice fun for her. I guess that's the real test. She says she wants to be a dance teacher, and I think she will make a pretty good one if she sticks with her dancing. She's really good with kids and she's a good teacher. Plus she's patient (except with her brothers) and loves kids.
I guess I've got some pretty good kids. I know I love them dearly. They're the only treasures I have in the world.
Well, I guess I'd better be getting off to bed now. Although it's really hot in the house. It's not even Valentines Day yet, but it's been 70 degrees over the past few days. Crazy. Unless you're used to NC weather, in which case it makes perfect sense. We pretty much only have two seasons here: Summer and Spring. I've actually been very suprised that we've had snow four times this year, and twice it actually stuck to the ground. It's all very odd, but I'm not putting up my sweaters and heavy socks just yet. It could very well be 25 degrees tomorrow.
Kind of exciting, huh?