sick

so ella has been sick the past couple of days. as you can see, she's been handling it really well. i've said it before and i'll say it again...sick kids are the absolute worst. not only do you never, ever want to see your child in pain, but then on top of that...you have to take care of them. (double whammy.) after three days of a fever, i took her to the minute clinic to get a strep test. at this point, you are almost hoping it is something "treatable" (with antibiotics) and not some freak virus that has to "run it's course." guess which one she has this time? yep...the freak virus. do you know what i wanna do when the doctor states, "it's a virus and it just has to run it's course." i wanna rip the medical certificate off of the wall, shred it into a million pieces, and light it on fire. then, i want to sit back and roast marshmallows over the flame and ask the good doctor how long this "course" is going to take...cause i need some sleep you quack bastard. ok, that's harsh...i know there are freak viruses out there, but lack of sleep will turn you into a goddamn lunatic. (a medical certificate marshmallow roasting lunatic.) not only will the sickness turn your toddler into a mini hannibal lecter, the lack of sleep will turn you into a shell of your former self. i shit you not, if ella could've eaten my liver with a side of fava beans during some of her outrages the past couple of days, she would've. (she was nuts.)

i mean, i get it. they don't really understand what is happening to them. (little ones that is.) they just know they feel like hell and want to feel better. in the midst of one of her meltdowns she threw her hands up in the air and yelled, "whyyy is this HAPPENING to ME!? whyyyy!?" (i had to hold back a laugh.) i felt awful for her, but the drama was a bit much. butch often states she gets her dramatic antics from me...but i beg to differ. i've seen this man when he is sick, and they mirror each other. if you haven't read my post entitled "oscar" you should. i went to the ER with him one time for a stomach bug and pretty sure he thought he had the bubonic plague. even as i was preparing to fire two kids out of my lady parts and into the real world...i was not as dramatic as he was during that instance. (for real.) anyway, in between her crying jags (when the medicine quieted her fever)...she acted totally normal. in fact, she woke me up on sunday morning dressed in full princess garb. she whacked me with her magic wand at, like, ass o'clock and said, "it's time to get up mommy! it's light outside!" i rolled over and said, "it's sunday...it's too early to be awake and too early for pink dresses, girlfriend." i snapped her picture and off she went to kiss frogs and turn them into princes or some shit. at this age, she loves to dress up and play pretend...and i truly love her imagination, but at 6am it's sometimes hard to embrace.

5:53am

so i'm staring down night four of no sleep...alas the drama not only goes on throughout the day, but creeps into the wee hours of the morning in the form of bad dreams and belly aches. i have no idea how long it's going to take this virus to "run it's course," but i'm hoping we are at the tail end of it's tornado-like terror. i also want to state that sometimes it may come across as if i am ignorant to the bigger picture...i assure you i am not. sure, i like to bring to the forefront the daily stuff that infects our lives and makes us crazy (like sick kids), but i know these plights are peanuts in the game of life. yes, sick toddlers are pretty horrific...but losing a young hero is far more horrible. in the next few days i am forced to say goodbye to a fallen soldier and very close family friend. he is now a hero in the hearts of many. the thing i loved most about him was his ability make the best of every situation and his willingness to laugh along the way. he lived this way from childhood to adulthood and we shared many, many laughs together over the years. he was a good son, fabulous friend, brave soldier, devoted brother, and honored husband. he is gone from this earth, but certainly will never be forgotten. sometimes when things like this happen, it makes you question, well...everything. all i know is, as i lay mini hannibal lecter and her sister down to bed tonight...they are safer because of fellow americans such as my friend, who are willing to sacrifice themselves and serve their country selflessly. for that, i am eternally grateful.