Saturday, August 24, 2013

Wisdom

My husband's grandmother died earlier this week.   I broke the news to the kids the next morning.  Maura was taking it especially hard. I kept her home from school, a mental health day if you will.  Before she left, Schatz tucked a blanket around Maura's shoulders.

Schatz:  Are you okay?

Maura: My tummy hurts.

Schatz (hugging Maura):  I'll bet your tummy hurts because you are so sad.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sick, But With Some Flair

I had to pick Schatz up from school this morning.  She's been fighting a bug for about 10 days now.  When I got to the school, she was curled up in the chair in the front office.  (There was another sick kid on the nurse's bed.)

Me (touching her forehead):  How are you feeling?

Schatz:  I feel yucky...like someone is stabbing my heart.

Me:  Really?  You feel like someone is STABBING your heart?  Is it a sharp pain or a dull pain.

Schatz: It really hurts.

Me:  You feel hot.  Stabbing pain?  If you are having chest pains we need to go to the emergency room.  That's a symptom of a heart attack. That's pretty serious.

Schatz:  Well.  It hurts, but maybe it's not in my heart.  It's more like my belly.  I think I have appendicitis.

Me:  Appendicitis?!?  That's not good. Do you feel yucky like you did yesterday?

Schatz:  Yes, like yesterday.

Me: Okay.  I'll take you home for a rest and give you a little Tylenol.  If you are still hurting in about an hour we'll call the clinic.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Dinner Conversation

Schatz would not stop talking about vomit at the dinner table last night.  She was excused from the table and sent to her room for a time out (and to give the adults a much needed break). After some time had passed...

Schatz: Mom?  Can I come out now?

Me:  That depends.  What are you going to talk about at the dinner table?

Schatz (as if she were asking a question): Unicorns and kittens?

Monday, August 12, 2013

No Paid Sick Days

Schatz is sick today.  She is staying home from school and has camped out on the couch...

Schatz: Do I still have to make my bed this morning?

Me: No.

Schatz:  Will I still get my dollar?*

Me:  No. 

Schatz:  But that's not fair!!!

Me:  I know, but you are not a salaried employee.  You only get your dollar on days that you do your chores.  You aren't in trouble.  You just don't get paid sick days.

Schatz:  I don't like that! That's NOT fair.

Me: A great many things in life are not fair.  Sorry, kiddo.

*At the beginning of the week, I put seven dollars on the kids' dresser.  If they do their chores they get to keep their dollar.  On mornings that they do not clean their room, make their bed, and pick up after themselves before school I take a dollar.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Santa's Workshop

The girls have been lobbying hard for us to buy them iPods and iTouches.  We told them that if they saved up their money and paid for half, we would get them iTouches for Christmas.  Honestly...I think the chances are about fifty/fifty that the money gets saved, but it sounds like a fair deal.  This is Schatz's strategy:

Schatz: Mom, can we write Santa a letter?

Me: What are you going to tell Santa?

Schatz: I'm going to ask him to bring me an iPad for Christmas.

Me: Sweetie, iPads are very expensive.  An iPad is roughly $700 dollars. I don't think you are getting one for Christmas.

Schatz:  No, Mommy, It won't cost us anything.  It will be free. Santa's elves will make it for me.