Presently
8:04 am. I am already half an hour late for work. I stand at the bathroom sink rinsing out Alice's clothes. I am vaguely aware of Henry standing at the door.
Moments earlier
We all sit at the breakfast table. I am about to take my first bite of toast.
Alice: I don't feel good.
She projectile vomits all over everything. Herself. The table. Our breakfast. Erin.
Moments earlier
Alice: I'm hungry!
Me: How about a nice big bowl of yogurt?
Alice: Yay!
Moments earlier
Erin drags herself down the stairs. She looks tired.
Me: How are you feeling?
Erin: Exhausted.
Me: How is your cold?
Erin: Stupid.
Me: Oh, my love.
Three hours earlier
I am sleeping.
Jane: (whispered) Daaad. My stomach hurts.
I force my eye lids open with my fingers.
Me: OK, Janey. Let's go to the bathroom.
One hour earlier
Sleeping.
Henry: (whispered) Daaad. I think I messed my pants.
Me: (eyes popping open) OK, buddy. Let's go clean you up.
Presently
I am rinsing clothes. I curse our washing machine. Three weeks ago it began spewing blobs of oil onto our clothing. Our new washer won't be installed for another week.
Henry stands at the door.
Henry: Dad, want to see the pirate scene I made?
Me: I'd love to buddy. I just have to finish doing what I'm doing here.
He stomps his foot on the floor.
Henry: You only ever do what you want to do!
Whoops: the accidental blog post explained
Enough of you lovely readers caught my accidental post this morning about Henry's health that I feel I should explain. Henry has been sick for about three weeks (details below), and I was sending an email out to a bunch of concerned friends to give them an update. In the "to" field, I accidentally included the email address that updates Tomato Transplants. Hence: the accidental blog post.
So, what's wrong with Henry?
Short answer: we don't know. He woke up the night after Hallowe'en to an explosive stomach bug. Truly awful. It would last four or five nights, then stop for a few days, then come back worse than before. We took him from clinic to Emergency Room to clinic to doctor to x-ray to ER to ER. Finally, we were referred on to a pediatrician who has narrowed down three possible causes, all of which are treatable.
Two days after that visit, Henry is eating well and feeling good. He just begged me for a mid-afternoon bowl of cereal. ("Wellllllllll... okay.") We're keeping a close eye on him, but I think we've turned a corner.
Thanks very much for all the emails and messages of concern. You guys are the best guys.
Now back to the regular narrative of life.
So, what's wrong with Henry?
Short answer: we don't know. He woke up the night after Hallowe'en to an explosive stomach bug. Truly awful. It would last four or five nights, then stop for a few days, then come back worse than before. We took him from clinic to Emergency Room to clinic to doctor to x-ray to ER to ER. Finally, we were referred on to a pediatrician who has narrowed down three possible causes, all of which are treatable.
Two days after that visit, Henry is eating well and feeling good. He just begged me for a mid-afternoon bowl of cereal. ("Wellllllllll... okay.") We're keeping a close eye on him, but I think we've turned a corner.
Thanks very much for all the emails and messages of concern. You guys are the best guys.
Now back to the regular narrative of life.
Bros
Alice is sleeping. Erin is sure of it. Her breathing is slow and even. She lies completely still on her bed.
Just as Erin decides it's time to get up from this cuddlefest, she feels a tiny hand patting her on the back.
Alice: Mum, you're a great bro.
Just as Erin decides it's time to get up from this cuddlefest, she feels a tiny hand patting her on the back.
Alice: Mum, you're a great bro.
Cold cups of tea
Two cold cups of tea sit on the table in the kitchen.
We thought we'd have two minutes to share these cups of tea together. Two minutes when no one was screaming. When we weren't running sick Henry to the bathroom. When there was no stuff to do.
So naive.
Somehow, in the midst of the stuff that inevitably needs doing, we collide in the kitchen next to the cups of tea.
Erin: We'll be cats in the next life.
Me: Cats?
Erin: Yeah. You and me. And we'll live with a really nice family and they'll take great care of us. And you know what we'll do all day?
I am smiling.
Me: What?
Erin: We'll stretch out together in sunny patches. We'll only get up when the sun moves. We'll sleep on all the beds. All the couches. Warm spots on the floor. It'll be lovely. Together.
Me: I love you so damn much.
Her eyes are bright.
Erin: Cats. Remember.
We run off in our different directions. Stuff calls.
We thought we'd have two minutes to share these cups of tea together. Two minutes when no one was screaming. When we weren't running sick Henry to the bathroom. When there was no stuff to do.
So naive.
Somehow, in the midst of the stuff that inevitably needs doing, we collide in the kitchen next to the cups of tea.
Erin: We'll be cats in the next life.
Me: Cats?
Erin: Yeah. You and me. And we'll live with a really nice family and they'll take great care of us. And you know what we'll do all day?
I am smiling.
Me: What?
Erin: We'll stretch out together in sunny patches. We'll only get up when the sun moves. We'll sleep on all the beds. All the couches. Warm spots on the floor. It'll be lovely. Together.
Me: I love you so damn much.
Her eyes are bright.
Erin: Cats. Remember.
We run off in our different directions. Stuff calls.
MOriginal Luv Songs
Yes, I am participating in Movember: the moustache-growing, prostate-cancer fundraising activity that's sweeping the nation this November. I am part of a great team of fellows (and one lovely Margaret) from my work called Taskforce Awesome.
Thursday evening, we announced on Twitter and Facebook that I would write an original song for the first four people who donated at least ten dollars to my Movember page (found at mobro.co/davyay). I'd write and record them over my lunch hour the following day. To whet the whistles of potential donors, I posted what I called my MOriginal Luv Song Sampler on YouTube. (watch it here).
Two of the songs were snatched up right away by my friends Christina and Melanie. By mid-morning Friday, the two remaining songs were purchased by generous donations from my friend Jenna, and an anonymous donor.
My good friend and colleague Neally (mobro.co/neal) is a video producer. He stood patiently by as I wrote the songs. As soon as one was finished, we'd record it. We recorded all four songs in about 40 minutes.
We did them all in one take, so there are, um, mistakes and stuff. But we chalked it up to spontaneity. Yeah, spontaneity.
I think #4 turned out the best, myself.
We had lots of fun, and raised about 150 bucks for the day. Taskforce Awesome leads our network at the University of Prince Edward Island, but we're not being complacent. No sir. I expect a mad rush at the end by the students. Our motto: slow and steady growth. Actually, our motto is "But, baby! I thought that you hated cancer!"
I guess we have two mottos.
Anywho. Donate, if you can! If you'd like to buy a song, stay tuned. We may do the whole thing again next week.
Thursday evening, we announced on Twitter and Facebook that I would write an original song for the first four people who donated at least ten dollars to my Movember page (found at mobro.co/davyay). I'd write and record them over my lunch hour the following day. To whet the whistles of potential donors, I posted what I called my MOriginal Luv Song Sampler on YouTube. (watch it here).
Two of the songs were snatched up right away by my friends Christina and Melanie. By mid-morning Friday, the two remaining songs were purchased by generous donations from my friend Jenna, and an anonymous donor.
My good friend and colleague Neally (mobro.co/neal) is a video producer. He stood patiently by as I wrote the songs. As soon as one was finished, we'd record it. We recorded all four songs in about 40 minutes.
We did them all in one take, so there are, um, mistakes and stuff. But we chalked it up to spontaneity. Yeah, spontaneity.
I think #4 turned out the best, myself.
We had lots of fun, and raised about 150 bucks for the day. Taskforce Awesome leads our network at the University of Prince Edward Island, but we're not being complacent. No sir. I expect a mad rush at the end by the students. Our motto: slow and steady growth. Actually, our motto is "But, baby! I thought that you hated cancer!"
I guess we have two mottos.
Anywho. Donate, if you can! If you'd like to buy a song, stay tuned. We may do the whole thing again next week.
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