Ok, here’s a snapshot of
January 27, 2004
Ok, here’s a snapshot of my day. Raphael had been falling asleep on my lap, so I was carrying him up the stairs to his crib. It was early for his nap, but he’d been so miserable and sick all day, I figured an extra hour of sleep wouldn’t hurt. Halfway up the stairs he realized what I was doing.
“Nooooo,” he wailed, “ah don’ wanna go sweep! But two minutes!” This from the child whose eyes had been rolling back in his head just moments before.
“No honey,” I said, “it’s time for your nap.”
“Nooooooooo!” he wailed. This caused him to start coughing again. As I watched him cough the words, “And then he gagged on his coughing (something that is sort of an issue for Raphael)” flashed before my eyes.
Sure enough.
Before I reached the top of the stairs both of us were wearing his lunch. Did I mention he’d had spaghetti with meatballs? No? Well he had. I started requesting one of the other boys go get me a towel. Max did while Tre danced around anxiously.
“You know,” Tre said, “when I see something gross [gag] like that, it sort of [gag] gives me this feeling in my throat [gag] like I might throw up too.”
I suggested Tre should leave the room until he felt better. I laid Raphael down on the floor and started mopping us both up, stripping off dirty clothes. As I wiped his face he cried, “Whass da wrong wif me? Whass da wrong wiff me?” I comforted him the best I could, gave him water to drink and dressed him in clean clothes. After all that he seemed ready for a nap and went down without complaining. I gathered up the soiled towels and clothes and went to my room to change my clothes. Tre came in to check on me and started inspecting the dirty clothes.
“You know [gag] it sort of looks like [gag] blood,” he remarked helpfully. I ordered him out yet again. I gathered up yet another load of laundry and went on with my day.
Now, take that scene and repeat it…oh…a thousand times. There’s my day. I’m tired.