Red Pen Mama

So, I had to take a sick day yesterday. The doctor says I probably don’t have anything serious, since I didn’t have a high fever. He advised rest and liquids, Tylenol for discomfort (I had a very sore throat), and said I could travel this weekend, “as long as you’re not flying to Italy.”

Sigh. Italy.

I’m back at work today. I feel pretty good — about 70 percent. I could use more sleep. Monkey was up at 4 a.m., stealing my covers and kicking me. She was whining, too, but it wasn’t until 6:30 a.m., when she started wailing that we really paid attention. She was crying about how her ear hurt.

DearDR and my father-in-law took her to the doctor at 8:45 a.m. She has a double ear infection. Meds are pending. My father-in-law has the prescription.

DearDR hasn’t packed anything yet. I have the girls’ clothes, shoes, and rain gear together. Plus the toys, books, and arts & crafts stuff we will be taking. Tonight is the big packing night.

I want to go. I need to go. I need to hang with my friends and drink some beer (not too much — I’ll be doped up on cold medicine as needed, too). I want to watch my kids run around in the mud.

My whole team at work has just been placed on mandatory overtime, starting yesterday. So is it understandable I need to blow off steam?

Am I being crazy or selfish, taking my just-recovered-from-coxsackie-virus kids (one with a cough, one with a double ear infection) and myself into the woods? And DearDR, too, let’s not forget. Who will sleep as much as he can. To see friends I haven’t seen in awhile? To drink beer?

We’re not contagious any longer (or, not much, I guess. Who knows what germs my darling little petrie dishes are crawling with?). What would you do?