(no subject)

Colin: "Waaah! I want Mommy! I want Mommy! No Mommy drink tea - Mommy carry boy! No wipe my nose! Waaah! I want see-sees! More see-sees! Waaah!"

Alex: "You'd better take MY temperature, because if one kid in a family is sick, the other one's going to get sick. Take MY temperature FIRST. I want to sit on your lap. You make me feel like you love Colin more than you love me."

Rivka: contemplates joining childfree or seeking a transfer to a remote research station north of the Arctic Circle.

I feel much better physically, today, but nevertheless I am not having much fun.

(no subject)

Rivka's recipe for an instant attitude adjustment:

For Colin, 1.875ml infant ibuprofen.[1] Effect: He got off my lap for a while and actually played with toys.

For Alex, the last four chapters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory[2] in one glorious big lump of reading-aloud. Effect: I got about an hour's peace while she pretended to be a child Oompa-Loompa delegated to take care of Grandma Georgina after Charlie's family moved into the factory. All that was asked of me was that I occasionally repeat lines she fed me.

Unfortunately, the effect was sadly temporary. (Beaker: "Meepmy memporary.")

For myself, I have strongly considered, but rejected, a nice shot of whiskey in my tea. Damn those scruples of mine.





[1] Temp of 99.9. You'd better believe we start medicating at that low a temperature, when it's accompanied by such strong behavioral indicators of misery.
[2] Incidentally, did you know that in recent editions, the Oompa-Loompas have been whitewashed?