Three

I kept Edward out of school again today. Technically he has probably recovered sufficiently from his surgery to yet again be a functioning member of preschool society but something about the way he climbed into our bed at 6:30 and started making demands like a junkie waving a gun around made me think he might benefit from another day at home. He wanted me to wake up! Wake up now! Make the sun come up! Make him breakfast! Waffles! Waffles with syrup! Waffles with syrup and milk! Waffles with syrup and chocolate milk and he wanted to eat them on the couch while he got to watch a little something and he wanted me to sit there with him!

I extended both hands towards him - palms down - in the universal gesture of "hey man, chill, I just work here" and opened one eye. Steve blinked at me from his side of the bed.

"Morning, George," he said.

"Well?" I asked. "Do you have any irrational demands that you would like to make before I open both eyes?"

"Juuuuuuliiiiiiiaaaaaa, I want a blo... ."

I got up and made waffles.

+

I think Edward has always suspected that all the good stuff happens at home as soon as he leaves for preschool and the past few days have done nothing to dispel this notion.

The ENT told me that he should be allowed to eat when and what he wanted and that the main challenge is to keep him quiet and rested for the week post-op; so this morning after the waffles he had two popsicles. Then he took off his pants, climbed under a blanket on the couch and looked expectantly at the remote control. What more does any reasonable person want, really?

Detoxing him from all this recovery is going to be painful.

+

Caroline has cheerfully left Edward on his couch while she has continued about her very busy business. She returned to swimming class (no comment,) attended a week's plus of preschool, accompanied Steve on a variety of home improvement related errands and played Scarlett O'Hara at Patrick's school picnic. Since Edward has asked about her every hour on the hour I thought it might be nice to remind her about her other self when we got home from preschool today.

I suggested she should go see how Edward was faring in the living room. 

She agreed and a few moments later I heard her say, "Hey little buddy, how are you doing?" Then she said, "Great!" She followed this up with, "Are you feeling better?" (pause) "Oh. I'm so sorry, honey!"

I unpacked her school bag in the kitchen and thought, oh my god, how sweet is this and how amazing that they are two little proto-people who have their own relationship and wow she has lungs that carry to the cheap seats doesn't she and how terrific that my children have their own ways of nurturing and caring for each other and isn't it all just so amazing... I was feeling fond and foolish when I tiptoed into the living room a few seconds later to peep at their interaction and discovered...

Caroline on the floor playing with Edward's brand-new-too-new-to-share get well soon Batcave and Edward sound asleep in a puddle of drool on the couch.

She looked up as I walked into the room and said, "Edward still isn't feeling well and he wants to watch something. Something with fairies." And she smiled at me in a saintly, lady with the lamp kind of way.

Comments

[Karishma]

can y'all adopt me? no, really. wait, what? that's creepy? ....oh. :)

[ksmaybe]

My first thought with these sorts of stories, is "Caroline is awesome." Then I think of my daughter and how I describe her as 'feisty', 'something else', etc. Then I think about being Caroline's mother....and well, she's still awesome, but I don't know if that's really what you want to hear! :)

[Veronica]

Oh my gosh, Caroline always makes me laugh. Detoxing from recovery is always vaguely nightmarish. We did a month of flu here and my 5yo is still having trouble turning off the TV again. I even unplugged it. *sigh*

[Jessica]

Caroline is so smart it's a little scary.

[Noelle]

Heh. Caroline is making it all work for her, isn't she? She's hilarious. :-) Good luck on the detox, especially the TV detox. I feel your (eventual) pain.

[bethany actually]

Annalie is still detoxing from the year or so when she got to watch just about all the TV she wanted while I was pregnant, then mothering a newborn while being horribly ill with a variety of upper-respiratory infections.

[carrie]

I was going to use the word 'awesome' to describe Caroline too!

[Shannon]

I wish I could see Caroline in action. She sounds almost too amazing to be true. Love that girl!

[DJH]

Teebee boken! That's what my 3yo would say when she was TV detoxing and I had left the teebee on a "white noise" channel. She could turn it on and off by herself but the 'mote was off limits. Later when she got a little more savvy to my tricks, I would unplug the teebee and "lose" the 'mote.

[mizasiwa]

I just knew that was going to happen - sounds just like her, if nothing else life will never be dull with her around! Good luck with everything

[Rach]

Seriously, you need to write a book. I would read it once a year and the pages would be dogeared and tear stained and I would give it to every woman I know.

[Betsy]

At the risk of sounding very, very creepy: I love Caroline so very much. Every time I get to read about how the world all pretty much falls in place for her (with her help) I just smile huge. Please never stop writing about your three lovelies.

[Tine]

DJH up yonder is a genius! That might even work for my 5yo and 8yo. (*filing away for future use*)

[Abby]

At least your husband knew that was an irrational request.

Caroline is awesome.

[Kate]

You are saintly, or, leaving out parts ;)

[Olivia]

My daughter makes demands like that every morning and after daycare. She has not had surgery of any kind to blame it on.

[brenna]

Caroline is a hoot and a half. She would get along well with my eccentrics. Or they would duel...

[Txtingmrdarcy]

I agree with Rach. Please write a book. Your everyday anecdotes are freakin' hysterical, without managing to seem everyday or anecdotey at all.

Also: Caroline + Theater = OMG WINNING. (As soon as you mentioned Scarlett O'Hara I saw her as a swooning Blanche DuBois.)

[Dawn]

There are no flies on that girl, are there? She's going to go far!

[Val]

Oh, I love your kiddos! :)

[Jenn]

Those sound more like demands of a child who is ready to go back to school than one who needs another pants-free day on the couch! Glad his recuperation continues to go well.

And Caroline is just too much!

[Laura]

The grin on Edward's face makes me think you got played :)

[Kim]

Even if you are being played, so what? Edward and Caroline are adorable. Enjoy these times because, really, missing preschool, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing, but the memories of being home with him will last forever (and the demanding memories will become fodder for family stories for many years to come =) Just from my own experience, our last child has gotten away with so much more than #1 or #2 did, but he's the baby so he works it!! Best, Kim

[Hetty Fauxvert]

*snort!* The voice that carries to the cheap seats! OH yeah! One of our 4 y.o. twin boys has a fairly standard, soft, light, adorable "little boy" voice ... and the other one sounds like Ethel Merman in drag. I am always telling one to speak up ("Sing out, Louise!" LOL!) and one to pipe down. Sounds like you might have it similar there. :)

And Eddie-Bear's smile ... just too wonderful. And it definitely says, "Fully Recovered!" to me.

[Allie]

I feel like I need a day on the couch without pants... mostly because I am pregnant, grouchy, and too fat for my regular pants. Sad. But seriously, please write a book - blog posts are just not enough to satisfy me. Please, think of the children. And your poor readers.

[Christy]

My friend just referred me to your blog and I'm so glad she did! Edward sounds a lot like my G (close to the same age).

[Alison]

Brilliant. I often marvelled at how skilled a manipulator my 2yr old was, even before she could wipe her own arse.

[Teri]

I may be the only one who isn't insisting on a book. I'd rather read new postings every week than have you get frantic trying to get a book contracted and written and proofread -- all the while abandoning us. I like you just the way you are. Besides, those who want a book can read your archives, right?

[Melindawentzel]

FYI: I'm nominating you for the prestigious and highly coveted Versatile Blogger Award on Monday (which you can accept, or not...it's completely up to you)! Congratulations! :-D

Incidentally, my post (Food for Thought) will be live around 5am EST and I've linked to your site. Hope that was okay and that you'll be somewhat flattered. ;-)

Thanks so much for writing so well (hence, the award)!

Best,

Planet Mom

www.melindawentzel.com