1m2aSandbox

Maddie stayed home yesterday with an
unexpected case of pinkeye (No one ever expects pinkeye! I say in
my best Monty Python voice -) and we had one of those nonexistent
days when everyone’s gone but me and Maddie. Now usually,
I’d try to make the day boring and blah so she wouldn’t
be mad that she’s usually in school when all this fun is
going on, but she was home through no fault of her own while not
really sick – as in, she felt fine – so I figured,
let’s have a bit of fun.

The day felt like a holiday right away
simply because we got to sleep in an extra hour later than usual,
since Cora’s school doesn’t start until 9. I made a big
batch of pancakes and Maddie and Cora played for quite a while as
we leisurely got ready for the day.

Yep, if you've got a kid in the house,
you probably guessed right.


Maddie's got pinkeye.


Just after lunch today I received a harried phone call from the
school nurse: "Your daughter has pinkeye! You need to come pick her
up right away!" I swear she had absolutely no symptoms when she
left the house in the morning, but I still felt guilty, like I'd
tried to pass her off to give myself some more time to sit at home
and eat bon-bons.


Her eye doesn't look bad at all; pink and glazed, but not hugely
swollen or anything. It's been running rampant in the school so I
can't say I'm completely surprised, especially when most people
aren't clear how long they should keep their kid home with said
pinkeye.


"Now how long does Maddie need to stay home from school?" I asked
the doctor yesterday.


"Until she's been using the medicine for twenty-four hours," she
said cheerfully.


I looked at her. "Really? Because isn't she still contagious if
her eye is running and crusting, even if she's on drugs?"


The doctor stopped. "Well, yes, she is still contagious, and she
should stay home until her eye stops running. But we get so much
pressure from parents and schools that it's a pretty standard
'24-hour' line now. But yes, she'll be contagious until it stops
running."


So rest assured, folks - you won't see Maddie until she's pretty
darn cleared up. And as for Maddie, well, I guess she's about to
find out what Mommy does all day while she and Cora are at school.
Hope she likes doing chores, 'cause I got a list that won't
wait.

Today is one of Cora’s non-school
days, and so for Cora and Mommy Day we’re having a Craft-In.
Cora recently made some clay ornaments – almost a dozen of
them – and we’ll get the tempera paints out and
she’s going to go to town. We also have pinecone birdfeeders
to make – got the peanut butter and bird seed all lined up
– and candles to decorate. We’ve got a full schedule.


Cora’s in hog heaven, and I have to admit I’m not far
behind. Sometimes, I really love my job.

Over Thanksgiving break we found ourselves
at a certain pizza chain famous for its all-you-can-eat buffet and
extremely cheap prices. For whatever reason, the girls ADORE this
pizza which makes me, as a New Yorker, cringe in embarrassment. So
whenever we’re on staycation or doing something to celebrate,
you can bet it’ll involve a trip to this place.


Anway, we were there one night and preparing for the girls’
favorite part of the night – the dessert bar. They make
brownies, cinnamon rolls, and some sort of pizza-shaped pudding
thing. Don’t ask. But the girls scarf up the brownies and
cinnamon rolls, and this particular night they were drooling in
anticipation.


It’s not a free-for-all, of course; I do set limitations. So
when Cora asked, “Mommy, can I have some of the brownie and
cinnamon rolls both?” I went into Mommy Mode and made a snap
judgment based on the theory, Never Say “Yes” to A
Whole Lotta Sugar Before Bedtime. “Cora, you can have half a
brownie and a whole cinnamon roll, or half a cinnamon roll and a
whole brownie,” I said, only partly paying attention.


Cora looked at me and crumpled into tears.

Another day of vacation, and already
it’s going by too fast! Monday we spent the morning at our
favorite half-price bookstore after feasting at the Original
Pancake house, then played games together the rest of the day.
Tuesday was declared a Pajama Day, and we lay on the floor and
watched movies, made cookies, played games, and did dress-up.


This vacation is rockin’ it. Big time.

My week-long cold took its toll on my
voice, and when I woke up Friday morning I didn’t have one.
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.


Nothing.


I was apprehensive about how I’d get through the day with the
girls and no voice: what’s a mommy without her ability to
coach, encourage, cajole, direct? But I have to admit, I was quite
surprised at the results.

What do these jokes have in common:


“What’s a zoologist’s favorite food?
Zucchini.”


“What do you call a relative that lazes all around the house?
A NAP-kin.”


“Why did the baby stop eating? Because he was fed up.”


Wondering what the common theme is here? They were all written by
Maddie.


And then explained exhaustively to us.