We're all mixed up

I just got all of the shorts folded into the bottom dresser drawer and it's snowing.  It's so rare for us to have snow any time in March and it's sticking.  The potted plants are doing a little "now we're out of the shed-now we're close to the house"-dance and our last several days have been full of bad cold accoutrements.  We have Pedialyte and Christmas tissues (because he chose the shiniest, fanciest tissue box he could find), the steamer, our little hot water bottle, orange juice and nothing is working to make it better. 

This stuck-at-home/lack-o'-sleep-thing is making our world a little hazy and off-kilter.  He looked at me yesterday, giant tears rolling down his cheeks, orange popsicle juice mixing with gunk between his nose and lips, and said, "Happy, Mama. I'm happy."  I'm averaging one moment of comfort for every 80 thousand moments of little boy sobs and it's so hard, you know?  It's so hard to know you can't just fix everything and Vick's rub-a-dub-dub away the crud.  We're trying all of the snuggles and stories and special pillowcases and made up songs that we can.  Essential lesson in parenting number 823: You can't always make it better but you try but you can't always make it better but you try but...  I don't imagine that feeling ever goes away, any time life throws things off a bit for your child. 

I do know the snow will melt, the nose will dry and we'll clean the tissues from the floor before heading out the door.  I also know he knows I'm trying. 

Comments

[melissa]

Oh, I am SO right there with you. My boy has been sick since Easter Sunday. Throwing up. High fever. His little private parts got all swollen. Went to the ER. Tonsillitis, nothing else conclusive, but short trip. At home, fevery, watching more tv than he's ever seen in his life. Tired, tired. "I love you, mama." "you're a good mama." "Mama sleep with me!" Too high fever, sleepless night, so back we go
to the dr's office this morning. "mama carry me!" Double ear infection, vomiting, high fever.
You're right, they do know we're trying to make them feel better.

[pinky]

take care of him and yourself, too. He knows you're trying.
Blessings to you both. I know how slowly time can pass when they're sick.

[shawn @ between the lines]

This is a beautiful post. Being sick is just awful ... and those days when my girls are under the weather are so very hard on me, too. Hope your baby's better soon! I love your blog ... so thank you.