Cabin Fever

My kid is on his second day home from school, thanks to a slight fever that renders him banned from school, but still well enough to not be sick.  It appears that I dodged the Swine Flu this time…..  But nevertheless, he still needed to stay home.  I have been sitting with him all day while he does his homework, making sure that he doesn’t sneak outside to play with his friends and give them the flu. We have spent a lot of time together today, just him and me. And there is only one sentiment that can truly describe today.

I’m going crazy!

It was a beautiful day outside, and I was stuck inside with a not sick, barely feverish kid who really needed to be running around but was stuck inside with me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get any work done when you have a bored 8 year old hounding you about every little thing?

Son: “Mom, am I allowed to get my $5 allowance?”

WC Mom: “No. Now be quiet and do your homework. I need to finish what I’m writing.”

Son: “Ok.”

2 minutes later.

Son: “Mom, is Big Apfel a real person?”

WC Mom: “I don’t know. Why?”

Son: “He’s on my video games, and just has a cool name. Don’t you think he has a cool name?”

WC Mom: “Sure. Please do your homework.”

Pause for a bathroom break. When I return, he’s missing. I go back to writing instead of searching for him.

Son: “Mom! Guess what? Big Apfel IS a real person!”

WC Mom: “How do you know?”

Son: “I Googled it.”

WC Mom: “You’re supposed to be reading, not playing on the computer.”

Son: “But I was reading. I was reading about Big Apfel.”

WC Mom: “Doesn’t count. Turn off the computer and get out your reading book.”

Son: “Ok.”

1 minute later.

Son: “Mom?”

WC Mom: “What?!”

Son: “Can I have my $5 allowance?”

And so it went…..

Yesterday, my not sick kid with a slight fever started to raid his candy bag from Halloween.

WC Mom: “Get out of there. Sick kids are not supposed to eat candy.”
(sidenote: This is one of those facts that are passed down from our mothers that we infringe on our own children. Why can’t you eat candy when you are sick? I have no idea. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to get a worse fever from a bunch of M&M’s. But still, we feel like we would be bad parents NOT to keep the junk food away when they are sick.)

Son: “I have to have one.”

WC MOM: “You do not.”

Son: “Yes I do. My blood sugar is low. I need candy to get my blood sugar regular.”

I still didn’t give him the candy, though you’ve got to hand it to the kid for thinking on his feet.

While I’m stir crazy, I have to admit that it’s also been kind of nice to spend some one on one time with my son. We ate lunch together, and he gave me a hug in apology when he decided he wasn’t a fan of Thai Ginger. He read me some of his story that he was reading for class. We worked on his homework together. And because he wasn’t competing against his sister, he was mellow and calm for the whole entire day.

Still, I am more than ready for him to go back to school, especially since he has asked for his $5 allowance three more times while I was writing this. My hat is off to you stay-at-home moms with little munchkins under your feet all day long.

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Wednesday, November 4th is the last day you can enter your Halloween photos to win tickets to see Charlotte’s Web at the Wells Fargo Center. Don’t miss your chance!