Pirate days

Guess what Madeline has been learning about at preschool. 

I know, I know. It would help if she were wearing a few visual clues.

She asked me to take a picture of her best pirate expression which turned into possibly one of my favorite photos ever.

Please note that she turned Caleb’s exersaucer into a pirate ship (the Jolly Roger is taped on in the back). I had no idea she was such a thuggish matey. Because, really, when most people meet Madeline, they are startled by how thuggish she is.

Every now and then, I have experiences I refer to (in my head) as “Total Mom Moments.” These are little fragments of time when I understand I am totally and completely, no-going-back, a real mom.

In the middle of errands this morning, I was nursing Caleb in the library parking lot when I got a call from Madeline’s preschool. She was in the director’s office with a stomachache and asking for me to come get her. In one moment, I was my son’s sole physical nourishment and my daughter’s sole emotional comfort and I wanted nothing more than to hold both of them right that second.

Total Mom Moment.

Also, I hadn’t showered, had yesterday’s eye liner smudged under my eyes and my left shoulder was stained in dried spit-up. And let’s not even discuss the status of the epic fabric disaster, formerly known as my Honda’s backseat.

Those things seal the deal too.

So instead of errands and a birthday party today, we came home and dealt with much vomit and diarrhea and a very sad, very sick little girl.

Madeline was really brave but I knew how terrible she felt by her mini-breakdowns throughout the day. After she threw up the first time, she looked at me with very pitiful eyes and said, “Oh Mom. I’m totally sick.”

Yes, she can be completely miserable, absolutely pathetic and yet captivatingly adorable, all at the same time.

So we cuddled on the couch in between numerous bathroom breaks and read all 82 stories in the Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever. Now, I like this book but OH YOU GUYS. I do not recommend reading it in one sitting. Your brain will beg for mercy in the form of an Elizabeth Gaskell novel or “Judge Judy” and yet, if you have a sick kiddo, your heart will deny you both.

I think I’ve clearly documented my inability to handle any form of expelled bodily fluid but I was pretty proud of myself today. I didn’t call Joe in for backup and I handled all the messes on my own, without throwing up myself. Poor Madeline knows she has a wimp of a mother and asked repeatedly, “Are you going to throw up, Mom?” with a very worried look on her face.

Today ended on a decent note. Madeline is still sick but doing much better. And if you want to see how she rolls on a sick day, this picture captures her personality so well.

 Oh, I love my sick little pirate.