K has been “off” all week, tired, cranky, sleepy.
Friday morning at 8:58 as I was finding that one last thing before shouting “Go, go go!” as we loaded the car for co-op and Ben hummed the 11th Doctor’s theme from Dr Who, K leaned her head against my shoulder and said she didn’t feel well. I looked at her eyes – which were too bright, and felt her forehead, which was too warm.
No, I don’t own a thermometer. I kept breaking them, and I heard on NPR some study in the New England Journal of medicine that said something like – a mother’s hand on a forehead is close enough – and I sighed in relief. I hate buying things that don’t work (every battery powered thermometer we’ve ever tried) or break (all the glass ones).
Back to the drama – I peaked under her shirt and saw pale red bumps on her back and belly. I had two minutes to decide what to do. I was the only one ready to teach my co-op class, I was the only one with a key. I phoned Dan and asked him to take K for the morning. K overheard me on the phone and began to cry that she wouldn’t get to see her friends at co-op. Dan could hear K just fine, me not so well. I finally made my self understood.
He asked his boss about it, and was immediately glad he works at a small company for a man who loves his own kids. Tom the boss waved Dan out the door, “Just go Dan, see you later.” I phoned Christine the other board member and said I hoped the pastor would be there to let her in, but it was a nice day, and classes could be held outside on the picnic tables in the meantime? She was in charge, Colleen the Wonder Woman was away celebrating her wedding anniversary.
Dan arrived home , and K perked up (of course.) Dan asked to see the bumps (they weren’t there; of course.) He asked if he really did need to take the morning off and listed the log of projects. I replied that if he really wanted me to get the other kids at co-op sick, I’d do it, but I’d rather she keep the pediatrician’s appointment I’m just made.
Oh, now there’s a loaded answer for you. I started praying that Dan would have one of those afternoons when everything works, no one interrupts him and he solved lots of problems.
Then I ran out the door.
When I got to co-op, Christine had everything in order. We hurried a bit to get home so Dan could return to his projects. K ran to meet me and assured me that the pediatrician’s office did everything right; she had both a sticker and a lollypop, AND they had PBSkids on the TV in the lobby. Dan said she’d charmed the doctor, gotten to try the stethoscope, took a teddy bear to get checked out first. The doctor said she was at the end of a mild virus, and would be fine in a few days.
The Doctor also saw the rash, so I was vindicated.
Computers usually work just fine as soon as Dan shows up too, it takes days for things to stay broken so he can fix them.
That afternoon Dan had an unusually productive time at work, and seems to have done all the projects that he had to, plus some other ones.
Phew.
I’m happy to hear everything worked out. And that is a huge carrot!
I have some notes for you from Marina, if you are still interested. She wasn’t sure if they would still be useful since it had been so long (her college projects kept taking priority over her knitting.) The only wrinkle here is me. She gave me the notes before she left for U. of Hartford, and I have to figure out where I put them. I’m sure about which room they are in… Anyway, if you want to know how it all went, send me an email and I will try to find it faster. :-)
Sorry for the delay!
Peace and Laughter!