I'm not feeling so shy now . . .
Back in February, Gretta arrived to pick up her boys, who I sit for. The Uber car escorting Coach and I to the airport would arrive in less than an hour. We were flying to Arizona. Alone. I was rifling thru my wallet eliminating the excess cards I wouldn't need.
Theodore, who likes to get things out in the open, revealed to her that he had shared his cough with me. This realization came on our trip home from the doctor's office earlier that morning. 'I have a cough,' my 3 year old captain-obvious passenger stated. 'Yeah, thanks for sharing it with me,' I wheezed as we waited in the car at the pharmacy.
Of course, this wasn't actually Theodore's fault. It was his mom's. Please don't think less of me for grumbling that to him. I assumed it would be a no-comprendo situation. Reminder: I was very ill. I contemplated not going to Arizona. This was my 2nd visit to the doc in a week. I needed stronger meds. I was a mess. This time I learned that I may have pneumonia. They didn't bother with an x-ray. The drugs they were switching me to would cover it.
Coach and I RARELY get away. He had a physical therapy class in Arizona, and I was joining him to relax by the pool. The timing couldn't be worse. I hadn't been this sick in YEARS!
Theodore, who likes to get things out in the open, revealed to her that he had shared his cough with me. This realization came on our trip home from the doctor's office earlier that morning. 'I have a cough,' my 3 year old captain-obvious passenger stated. 'Yeah, thanks for sharing it with me,' I wheezed as we waited in the car at the pharmacy.
Of course, this wasn't actually Theodore's fault. It was his mom's. Please don't think less of me for grumbling that to him. I assumed it would be a no-comprendo situation. Reminder: I was very ill. I contemplated not going to Arizona. This was my 2nd visit to the doc in a week. I needed stronger meds. I was a mess. This time I learned that I may have pneumonia. They didn't bother with an x-ray. The drugs they were switching me to would cover it.
Coach and I RARELY get away. He had a physical therapy class in Arizona, and I was joining him to relax by the pool. The timing couldn't be worse. I hadn't been this sick in YEARS!
 |
| Dear Santa, Please send a wallet that will organize my life! I've been mostly good, 'cept for the time I told a 3 year old it was his fault I was sick. |
'Oh, Ernie, I hope we didn't share our germs with you.' I wanted to scream. Gretta has a habit of dropping kids at my house who would be better served curled up on her couch all day.
My house is not a dumping ground for sick kids. Her boys were at our house with horrible, productive coughs. Boogers smeared across their faces on Tuesday. Wednesday early morning she texted to say she was keeping them home. She admitted that Baby Geo had a fever the night before.
Half hour later she texted me back to say that she now noticed that the fever was non-existent. Their coughs didn't seem as bad. Would it be OK if she still brought them? WHAT?! NO!
Half hour later she texted me back to say that she now noticed that the fever was non-existent. Their coughs didn't seem as bad. Would it be OK if she still brought them? WHAT?! NO!
Hello Clueless, a 24 fever-free policy isn't something I created. It's standard. Not to mention, the fever probably subsided thanks to fever-reducing meds. They shouldn't have been at my house that Tuesday even sans-fever. They were not well. Although it had been awhile, a bad cold often travels to my chest - a perk of having asthma.
Joey, the other boy I sit for, missed two days that week because of the generous germ sharing from Gretta's boys the week before. Note: Joey's mom kept him home when his cold was off-the-charts.
I hustled a mushy Gretta out the door. I couldn't listen to her insist that her kids had only been sick over the weekend (when I didn't watch them). What?! I certainly didn't imagine the Tuesday of grossness followed by the 'hey they're sick, but can you still watch them' text on that Wednesday.
Joey, the other boy I sit for, missed two days that week because of the generous germ sharing from Gretta's boys the week before. Note: Joey's mom kept him home when his cold was off-the-charts.
I hustled a mushy Gretta out the door. I couldn't listen to her insist that her kids had only been sick over the weekend (when I didn't watch them). What?! I certainly didn't imagine the Tuesday of grossness followed by the 'hey they're sick, but can you still watch them' text on that Wednesday.
This wasn't the first time that Gretta texted and begged me to watch her boys despite illness. Earlier in the school year, she begged me to watch her boys despite fevers. She didn't have a decent back up sitter option. She requested that I ask Joey's parents to leave him with his back up sitter, so her sick kids could come to my house.
I felt guilty about adding Joey to my sitting roster. The year before I had only watched Greta's kids. Damn guilt. I caved and asked Joey's folks if Joey could go to his grandma's house. I distinctly remember the horrible headache this baby-shuffling gave me. I thought this babysitting gig would be stress-free. Well, the kids don't stress me out, but some of the parents, ugh!
I wised up this year and gave the parents a contract stating no sick kids at my house. Period. Guess what happened a few weeks ago?
I felt guilty about adding Joey to my sitting roster. The year before I had only watched Greta's kids. Damn guilt. I caved and asked Joey's folks if Joey could go to his grandma's house. I distinctly remember the horrible headache this baby-shuffling gave me. I thought this babysitting gig would be stress-free. Well, the kids don't stress me out, but some of the parents, ugh!
I wised up this year and gave the parents a contract stating no sick kids at my house. Period. Guess what happened a few weeks ago?
No comments:
Post a Comment