Pete Pages: What a difference a day makes

Thursday, April 10, 2008

What a difference a day makes

Well, there's nothing quite like the stomach flu to stop you in your tracks. First the baby (he had it the worst), then me, then the three-year-old (you get the idea)... Whenever I'm sick I can't help but wish that I (and all moms) could take a true "sick day." You know, someone to actually step in and take over everything I usually do (laundry--lots of laundry when it's the flu, the cooking, the cleaning, reading to and playing with kids, etc. etc.) so our household could continue on without missing a beat. Seriously, where is Mary Poppins when you need her (well, I guess she didn't even have to cook or clean anything besides the nursery)? My husband is a great sport about picking up the pieces when I'm sick (along with great neighbors who help me out in many ways). Last night Rob got pizza on the way home from work and then spent quite a bit of time cleaning the kitchen and doing other things I just wasn't up to doing yesterday. I don't think that Burke (my almost six-year-old) minds so much when I'm sick; for him it means being able to watch TV and help himself to cold cereal (at least that's what seems to happen anyway). I did overhear Burke helping his little brother several times during the day- taking off his shoes, getting and peeling a banana for him, etc... he was also cheerful about cleaning up the toys and helping load the dishwasher after dinner. I interrupted his cleaning to read with him before bed and he said, "OK Dad, you just keep at it" as if he were the one in charge. Being sick mostly reminds me of how grateful I am for very good health (my kids and husband included) and for life's luxuries like the dishwasher, the washing machine (even if mine is so "old school" I still have to prewash, JA) and other things I take for granted everyday. Today things seem to be returning back to our happy chaos/normal which is something else to be thankful for. I forgot that today was school picture day. Burke put on a hat and his suit coat just before school (he was being an "undercover cop").

Burke undercover

The hat of course messed up his freshly combed hair, but I'm usually not too fussy about those things. We'll find out when the photos come back if some volunteer was there ready to fix his hair with a little black comb... The other photos I took after dinner tonight (yes, happy chaos)

Notice Tosh's tongue in this pic at the piano with Rob (one of his very fav things)- so cute!

7 comments:

The Laundry Queen said...: So glad you're feeling better! I have been thinking of you and wanted to call, but didn't want to interrupt if you were by chance able to grab a little rest time. I know exactly what you mean about the true "sick day". Whenever I am sick I find myself thinking of when the kids are all out of the house and how nice it will be to be able to stay in bed when I'm sick.; April 11, 2008 at 9:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Tosh is so yummy! Glad you're feeling better.; April 11, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Sara and Company said...: Yikes....I am so sorry you all have been sick. That can be so miserable. I'm glad you are feeling a little better.; April 11, 2008 at 3:08 PM
jalynnie said...: well..we all got it too! the day after we got home from utah.. both brothers and i..so it must have been in the air...; April 13, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Andi said...: No fun! But I'm glad you survived... barely.

I think Tosh got the tongue thing from Rob...; April 14, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Michelle said...: Sorry you guys have been sick. Looks like the flu bug is going around- we have it at our house now. Ella's the only one who hasn't gotten it yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've been having fun reading your blog!; April 14, 2008 at 9:20 PM
SP said...: Tamsen: I laughed so hard when I saw Burke in that undercover cop getup. What a cutie. We hope you all are feeling better.

Lots of love,
The Palmers; April 15, 2008 at 7:47 AM

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Pete said...

Hewitt was just telling me about a new game he created where you can't touch the ball with your hands or feet. He said, "You can only hit the ball with your leg or foot-wrist." And so I clarified, "You mean your ankle?"
(10/8/09)

Me to Hewitt: Whatcha doin?
Hewitt: Arting. It's making art.
(10/2/09; Hewitt's 5th b-day)

Two jokes by Burke:
What does a storm wear?
Thunderwear!

What do you call King Kong's feet?
Big Foot!
(9/26/09)

I had the following conversation with Tosh:
Me: Are you a boy or a girl?
T: Boy
Me: Is Livvy a boy or a girl?
T: Baby
Me: Yes, but is Baby Liv a boy or a girl?
T: Girl
Me: Is Daddy a boy or a girl?
T: Big boy
Me: Is Mommy a boy or a girl?
T: Mommy a babe!
(Not prompted, I promise! 9/3/09)

Hewitt had set up a bunch of toy figures and Tosh was trying to play with them... Hewitt was telling Tosh not to touch them and I asked him to share the toys or to go and get some more figures for Tosh to play with. Hewitt said, "These are not toys! They are art!" (9/3/09)

We were driving along a road near our house (a rather quiet highway, really) and Hewitt suddenly exclaimed, "Mom! I just found the road to our old house! Keep driving straight!" I looked up and realized there were some big mountains in the FAR distance. Hewitt clearly thought he was staring at Utah. (8/28/09)

Hewitt brought home a little "Groundhog's Day" craft that he had made at preschool and kept calling the groundhog a bear. When I tried to tell him it was really a groundhog he looked at me like I was very silly and said, "It's a BEAR Mom, not a CORNDOG!" (2/2/09)

I explained to Burke about the recent airplane crash into the Hudson River and knowing that he would be very concerned, I quickly told him that all of the passengers were just fine. He looked at me with a worried look and said, "What about the birds? Are they okay?" (1/15/09)

I have a trunk full of old performing costumes from when I was a kid. Hewitt saw the trunk in the basement and told Rob that he wanted to open up the "treasure chest." Rob asked him if he knew what was in the trunk/chest and Hewitt replied that it was full of clothes. When Rob told Hewitt that he didn't want him to make a big mess Hewitt said, "I won't make a mess, I will just get out one clo." I guess that "clo" would be the singular form of clothes... (1/13/09)

Burke is always mentioning how he wants us to have lots more babies because he wants "hundreds" of brothers and sisters. I was explaining to him this morning about how it gets harder and more dangerous to have babies as a woman gets older...he looked at me and said, "Well, you look young Mom, like 19!" Then he leaned in closer and said, "Well, I do see some indents in your skin around your eyes (those would be wrinkles--thanks for noticing)." (12/26/08)

Hewitt blew his nose and must have accidentally gotten some snot or tissue in his mouth because he said, "Yuck! That tastes like cow dung!" (12/24/08)

Tosh got to Hewitt's cup of water at the table today and dumped it all over Hewitt's lap and onto the floor. Rob asked Hewitt, "Are you a little wet?" and he said, "I'm a BIG wet!" (12/24/08)

Rob was playing "Memory" with the boys and when Burke got a few matches in a row Hewitt said, "Wow Burkie, you're on fire!" (11/08)

We just bought some sod for our park strip and while Burke and I were looking at the pallet, I mentioned that some of the pieces looked like crabgrass and that we needed to find the best pieces of grass to buy. Burke looked at the sod for a little while and said, "None of it looks like crap grass to me!"

While I was flossing Burke's teeth he said, "Wait--I need to tell you something." I paused flossing and he said, "You sure know how to be a good mom!" (now there's a treasured compliment!)

Hewitt watched Rob kill a fly in our kitchen and then asked, "Did he cry? Did he want his mommy fly?"

I told Hewitt that I was going to get Tosh a snack and asked if he would like one. He paused and then said, "I'll take a milkshake." What am I, a drive-up window?

Hewitt was asking for toast today and when I pulled out the bread he said, "No, the 'letter O' toast!" I finally figured out that he wanted a toasted english muffin.

Burke came down for breakfast and said, "Mom, it might not look like my bed is made and you might not like it, but it's really stripes that I did as a design on my bed."

Hewitt has really liked eating plain tortillas lately. When I asked him if he wanted one he said, "Oh. Sure. I'll have a mamma mia."

Hewitt understands things very literally. When Rob told him that he "needed to fly" this morning (go to work), Hewitt asked, "Where is the fly? In the house?" When Rob asked him if he had a runny nose he said, "No. It's just boogers."

When Rob was leaving for work he hugged the boys and told them to "be good for Mommy and do exactly what she says." Burke said, "OK bye Dad, you be good at work and do exactly what your boss says."

We were discussing prophets in the scriptures for Family Home Evening and when Rob asked Burke which prophet(s) wrote the Book of Mormon Burke said, "Nephi, Jacob, Enos..." and continued to name the books in order. Rob and I were pretty surprised and couldn't help laughing.

I was just eavesdropping on Hewitt while he was playing with his toys and heard him say, "Ladies and jumpingmen..."

Burke was heading off to a neighbor's house to play and stuck his head back in the door and called, "I'll be traveling by bike."

When the garage door opens for us to drive in, Hewitt will pretend to be scared and say, "Oh no, it's the garage mouth! He's going to eat us!"

Hewitt got distracted and starting playing with his toys during lunch and when I reminded him to please keep eating he said, "But Mommy, I'm working."

Pete Pages

Thursday, April 10, 2008

What a difference a day makes

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