The evolution of a hypocondriac

Steroids have been creeping up on us and yesterday was her last dose, but like so many of her meds, they take a while to hit their peak. Last night she was up at 3 and then again at 5, hungry and grumpy. I mean, if you’re going to be awake at o’dark:30, shouldn’t we at least have a smile? She ate ravenously both times and then went to bed moaning because her tummy hurt. I’m dosing her with Zofran, her nausea medication to fight the effects and hopefully she’ll be able to have a good rest of the day.

Because of the night-time buffet, I woke up late, and getting the kids ready for school was a RUSH. I looked over at Peyton and noticed that she had this big black scrape across her nose and cheek. Ok, was I so out of it during the night that I missed her falling down and smacking her face? And how did I forget the howling that surely accompanied such a blow? I looked at her and touched it and she jerked away from me, complaining that it hurt.

I told her to get a wipee so I could clean it up and get a good look at it. She brought me one, crying, and told me to be “soft and gentle”….her instructions for anything she thinks might hurt. I, softly and gently, started wiping at the scrape and she melted down in tears and cries of “That hurts, mommy, that hurts!” But I held tight because as I was wiping, it was disappearing. In fact, the more I wiped, the “terribly painful scrape” was coming right off.

I sniffed the wipee.

Chocolate.

“Peyton, did you get up and eat pudding this morning?”

She took one finger and swiped it across her nose and then stuck it in her mouth. With a big grin she said “Yeah”.

“So, it didn’t really hurt when I wiped your nose?”

“No, but I thought it might.”

Well, as long as she prepared!

I see new grey hairs DAILY.

She also threw her binky in the trash this morning when I told her she had to get rid of it to qualify for “big kid” school. She also announced she was going to donate her binkies to the clinic. That lasted about 9 minutes and she wanted one when we dropped off the kids. Baby steps. We went by the preschool classes, and stopped by to see our favorite k-3 teacher who would be her teacher if we get her in school this year. They talked and I could just see her eyeing the kids with their big backpacks and lunchboxes, coloring and playing and I see her little mind ticking away. Very quietly, the binky disappeared from her mouth as we walked away. I think that we’re making progress.

I have a house that is so badly in need of cleaning that I’m considering just renting a pressure cleaner and working from the inside out. There are many many full hampers of dirty laundry just waiting for my attention, there are projects to be completed and things to be done, but my very tired behind is headed straight for a nap. I’m exhausted and if I’m going to be of any use to the kids after school when they come home with their schoolwork, I HAVE to get a few zzzz’s.

f.r.o.G.
—Anissa