It’s cold and rainy and foggy, which has added to the misery. Cold and damp do not make bronchitis better.
Getting my children out of bed this morning was a feat of engineering. They wanted nothing to do with me or school. Michael agreed to eat yogurt for breakfast, ate two bites of toast, and nothing else. He knows that, in this family we eat a decent breakfast. I don’t demand the kids eat a lot, but they have to eat something reasonably nutritious. I told him several times to finish his toast and he refused, so I took away computer privileges for the day and told him he had to do a 20 minute Time Out.
Alesia didn’t eat but part of a cup of yogurt this morning, but she had been awake in the night with a bout of nausea. I got up at 3:30 a.m. and fixed her a glass of warm water with ginger. She said it didn’t help. She didn’t vomit, however. She had no carsickness on the way back, which I attribute to a timely dose of Dramamine, but now her belly is hurting. I may have to take her to the doctor if it doesn’t stop soon. She’s always had a cranky stomach.
After trying to focus on work, I finally left at 2. Michael and I had teeth cleaning appointments. I told them I wasn’t getting my teeth cleaned today. The very thought is horrifying, since I cough every couple of minutes, and sneeze all the time. Michael had a good cleaning, although they found a tiny cavity. He was cooperative.
I dragged myself to Kroger after the dentist, because we were out of everything, particularly milk, bread, and eggs – the essentials. I was miserable, dragging around the store.
I came home and swigged some more cough medicine, and helped Michael with his homework, then Alesia.
Mother made some delicious potato soup for dinner, which the kids ate well. I just gave them some sliced cucumbers for a veggie. They love cucumbers – a characteristic of most Russian children.
We finished watched a movie called Ned Kelly, about the famous Australian outlaw. He gets killed in the end. The kids were quite vocal about how ticked off they were at me for showing them such a sad movie. However, I pointed out that in life, the good guys don’t always win. Sometimes things are unfair. Maybe it was a mistake showing them the movie – it was rather sophisticated for them, as Kelly was a political figure, and the film was about 19th century British imperialism as much as anything else.
When we were headed to bed, Alesia went in Mother’s room to kiss her goodnight. Mother said she stopped, stared at the messy state of the room, and said “What a mess in here!” Mother just chuckled and said well, she’d made soup tonight, so that was her main activity, or words to that effect. I was irritated when Mother told me Alesia’s thoughtless remark, but I decided to let it go. Mother thought it was funny.
As I was putting Michael to bed, he said “Mom, I don’t want eat in the morning. Too EARLY to eat! I'm not awake!” and I had to chuckle. “Michael, if you won’t eat, then I’ll have to start getting you up earlier, so you can get wide awake before you eat!” was my cheery reply. A look of horror crossed his face. “No!” he protested. “Then, if you don’t want to wake up really early, I suggest you EAT what’s put in front of you, son.” I replied. He needs to ponder that.
He tends to get up and come downstairs and fall asleep again on the couch.
I don’t want to force-feed Michael, but he doesn’t regulate his eating very well. He ate a gogurt after school, then when we got to Kroger he complained bitterly about being hungry. I pointed out that Granny and I had warned him he needed to eat a better snack, and he didn’t do it. We have to work on actions and consequences with him…
