I placed a few orders for kid clothing to fill in some gaps in our supply. Then I got caught up on the laundry of one of the 2-kid rooms and realized my folly. Whoops.
Well, the drawers don’t really NEED to close. And also, how often do I get caught up on laundry? So I don’t think it’ll be an issue. There. Rationalized it.
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If you are of a plumpish persuasion, may I suggest taking up cooking and/or baking? A career would be ideal, but even as a hobby it works. Just as the sentence “It’s a family name” seems to settle people’s agitation about a peculiar baby name, being a good cook/baker seems to settle people’s agitation about plumpness. “Ah, that makes sense, then; we LIKE that combination,” they think, and their brains send them some soothing chemicals.
Additional benefit: if you cook or bake and you’re plump, people make assumptions about your good nature. Even if you are a bit of an anxious mess, people persist in thinking of you as having a cheerful and generous personality.
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Henry is missing another day of his Expensive But Worth Every Penny summer program, and it is driving me nuts. I just HATE “losing money” like that. I’m using the quotes to show that I understand that the money is spent either way and I’m not actually losing anything. Nothing except SIX HOURS OF RELATIVE PEACE, that is.
I don’t know what he has. He has a sore throat and low appetite, and his fever has gone over 102 but mostly stays in the normal-to-101 range (known as the “He’s kind of warm” range). He has a rash on his legs, especially at the knees, and it’s also on his arms, his ears, and his upper buttular region. I’d thought strep, but both the short and long strep tests came back negative. So maybe the rash is a reaction to something he encountered outdoors, and then he’s just got a cold? I don’t know. Kid illness is baffling.
Oh man, that is the WORST kind of kid illness. Because how annoying will it be when you discover it was just a weird heat rash-reaction to new clothes and he’s hot because, well, he’s a kid? BUT it COULD be something horribly contagious that needs to be treated with lots of fluids and love and time lying about on the couch. I’m home today with a kid in the “he’s kind of warm” stage with an occasional cough that leads to the “I’m going to throw up” face. I don’t think he’s REALLY sick but I know if we try to go to the library or to play group he will immediately puke on someone.
I hope the mystery illness is gone in time for him to go tomorrow!
Plus, they will assume that you are a GOOD cook.
I buy more clothes based on what the child runs out of first. For instance, pajamas are the limiting factor right now, so when we run out of pajamas, I have to do laundry. So I buy more pajamas. But now shorts are the limiting factor, so we need more of those. My kid is not allowed to run out of clothing until I’m good and ready to do laundry. Which is never.
And my kid had something with low fever and throwing up over the weekend – lasted less than 24 hours. I hope Henry gets better similarly quickly!
Maybe Hand Foot Mouth Disease?
I thought this, too, or another virus in that family like herpangina – they are cocksaccie viruses and last 3-5 days.
That was my thought too-my kids had it not too long ago and they both had mild fevers and rashes (although theirs were concentrated on their hands, feet, and mouth–handy for diagnosis purposes, right?). They were contagious so I had to keep them home from all their activities but they felt fine, so…good for them, bummer for me!
Rationalized VERY well. I’m convinced.
And I hope Henry feels better quickly! The “losing money” still FEELS like taking a jug of coins and tossing it down the disposal.
I’m sorry to hear Henry is sick. This is such a funky, funky year for illness, and those are baffling symptoms, indeed. I hope he’s better soon.
I had to laugh about the plumpness idea. My husband is a cook and has plumped up considerably–NOT A WORD HAS BEEN SAID by anyone. Also, people love him and consider him very cheerful and generous. However, this was the case before he was a cook.
I was thrilled to go through my kid’s clothes and find a bunch of perfectly nice things that no longer fit. I parceled them out – this to a neighbor, that to a nephew, this to the thrift shop bin, and a big pile to thredUP – an online consignment shop. I’m looking forward to hard cold cash for that afternoon spent knee-deep in small clothes.
Kid illness is baffling. There’s such a range from “strange reaction to little virus” to “OMG EMERGENCY ROOM.” I find this difficult to deal with. Last spring, Mark had a cough that got pretty bad. Since he has seasonal allergies, I thought that’s what it was. And that IS what it started out to be, but it turned into pneumonia. All that time, I was sending him to school, soccer, etc., because he SAID he felt okay. And yet the day I picked him up from school and sped to the doctor, he had a fever and pneumonia! AIEEEEEE. How did that happen?
I’m confused enough by my own illnesses. (I’m not sick, this is just allergies. And the achiness is because I didn’t sleep well and I’m over-tired. And I’m just cold because I’m sorta near the fan. And it’s just lasted two days because… okay, well, maybe I’m really sick.) How I am to be expected to diagnose my eventual children, I have no idea.
I think I would be WAY more upset over the loss of six hours of peace and quiet than the money paid for a daycare program! You can make more money – you cannot make more time!
Is it really hot by you? I was talking with a friend this weekend about our ridiculous warm temperatures and she said she had a rash that she was assuming was just from the heat. My three year old is like that with the whacky illnesses, and it’s a complete drag, I’m sorry.
My first thought was roseola, but he’s a bit old for that (it’s rare after age 4.) My daughter just came down with an over-103 fever and no other symptoms at all, so I really sympathize. It’s very hot here, and she kept complaining that she was cold, so I just thought she was being ornery and whiny. I’ll pick up my Best Mom award next week, perhaps!
I also thought hand, foot, and mouth, since it seems to be going around the internets and that’s clearly how infectious diseases are transmitted.
The clothes thing made me laugh, I can’t even imagine how much money I’d save if I were caught up on laundry.
Huh. My 9 year old has the fever and chills and grumpies as well….I have heard it’s coxsackie virus going around. (northeast) No other symptoms. She is acting “normal” with motrin in her, though. Weird kids. I hope Henry is better asap!
Clothes shopping before doing laundry–it’s like grocery shopping on an empty stomach!
I definitely think this sounds like herpangina/coxsackie. We’ve had it here this summer…and in our parts Fifth Disease was going around, as well as Hand, Foot and Mouth (but I don’t think it sounds like Henry’s illness)
ugh, poor baby!
also, I don’t eat things that skinny people make.
oh, swistle. you can always make me laugh. plumpish persuasion ha ha! thank you :)
SOOO relate to the throwing money away thing. When I have to keep my kids home from daycare, I’m muttering under my breath all day “Oh yeah, what I’d like to do with the $70 I’m throwing away right now.” I know illness is never good, but the bonus of “lost” money is particularly painful.
My comment was eaten by the internet. I say Hand Foot Mouth Disease. Rash not limited to those places. I have recipe for Magic Mouthwash if it is HFMD.
I was thinking Scarlet Fever (I know, but my daughter had it twice as a kid…) with the rash and fever – but it’s a form of strep throat and since that is negative, I have no suggestions. I like the idea of a cooking/baking career for being plump. :)
Is it a lacy rash? Do his joints ache? Has he had Fifth’s Disease. My oldest came down with it last year three days before I gave birth to my third. My husband ended up with it while he was off work to “help out” which consisted of him asking me to feel his forehead and marvel at the swelling of various joints.