Sunday, February 24, 2008

Survivor

Hello, yes, I am still here. Thank goodness last week is over. It was a perfectly disharmonious chord, a dissonant triad of me working overtime, Anthony being gone, and Colin being sick. I knew it would be tough at the beginning of the week, and I felt ready. Then life as a single parent working full time kicked my ass.

The salve for last week was our wonderful new Manny. He's a graduate of Texas A&M, like us, trying to do the musician thing here in Austin. He's not satisfied with his other jobs - substitute teaching and food service. He picked up Colin at preschool on Tuesday, then called me at 4:30 when the vomiting started. I got home to a sick boy, but a clean daughter, who had finished her homework and was fed and bathed. The kitchen and living rooms were clean!

Wednesday I only worked until 2:30, so Colin came with me and watched videos in the breakroom. He was feeling better and snacked on crackers and soup. That afternoon he was perky, played outside, and ate a full dinner. After a full breakfast Thursday, I figured the worst was over and sent him to preschool.

They called me at 10:30 and said he'd vomited all over the classroom. Yikes! I had a full appointment schedule, and of course Anthony was over 2 hours away. I called the Manny, and he dropped his midday plans and picked Colin up. He took a bucket in his car, just in case (smart!). When I got home that evening, again Anna was ready for bed, and Colin was pitiful but calm. "I'm still sick, Mommy. But (the Manny) picked me up and take care of me."

So the Manny for sure is a keeper. He got nothing but vomit the first week, and he seems eager for more! I hope next time he and Colin can play.

Friday I took Colin to work with me again. Thank goodness I have a job where I can do that; although, staying home with him would've made the doctor schedule a nightmare, so I'm pretty sure work is happy with that compromise. Colin watched more videos, and thankfully never vomited again.

Anthony arrived at my work at 1 pm to get Colin, and I was so happy to see him, on so many levels! There was more fun for me, I got to work Saturday morning, too, but thankfully it was routine with no crazy emergencies to work in.

In retrospect I never would have volunteered to work so much if I'd known Anth was going to be gone all week, but it was all agreed to before he got this great new job. It really became a necessary evil, and anyway it all worked out in the end. Except I didn't get that long night of uninterrupted sleep that I'd anticipated with my occasionally snoring husband gone. Instead I got to sleep with my occasionally vomiting son.

On Thursday I tried staying up to watch the rerun debate, and woke up when Colin on my lap said, "This is boring. When are they going to stop talking?"

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kid, they NEVER stop talking. Glad you're feeling better. Your bud, Sugarbear, had the same sorta junk a coupla weeks ago. I know it's good having Anth back. Maybe it's good to have these kind of weeks behind you to keep you honest. Right?
?
?
It's also good to have aNOTHER aggie around, I'm sure. I've yet to meet one here, but the woman at the DMV recognized my ring; 1st time outside of BCSTX anyone had.

Sinda said...

you did hit the Trifecta! I'm glad you can look back on it with amusement already.

Jesse's on his own this week - I leave today, hopefully home Thursday, but probably Friday. I'll cross my fingers and toes that everyone stays healthy.

Laura said...

I just have to ask... where did you meet the Manny? Someone you knew from A&M previously?

Unknown said...

Manny sounds heavensent. It was a grind of a week, wonder if the eclipsed full moon had anything to do with it? Here in Houston, Al was gone too. Anth was less than 2 mi from us and we never saw him either. Oh well, new day dawns and better days ahead.

Vetmommy said...

Laura, he is in his early 20s, so all of his time in Aggieland was after we left. I got his name from my dear friend Regina - she knows him from church. Regina and I were in vet school and undergrad classes together, so I guess its all connected.

Emily said...

Poor Colin O! Hope he's back to his usual self soon so the Manny can see what it's like to have a healthy Colin.
I'm glad last week is over, too. Now we really must get back to blogging!

Krispy said...

Yes, sadly Colin, they never stop talking. That's why you gots to vote for the person you can stand to listen speak.

Glad everyone is feeling better. (and home.)

Hope it lasts!