I rarely get ill, my family can be dropping like flies around me, and they quite frequently do, but somehow I usually avoid whatever virulent strain of Ebola is passing through the house. Not so this week, I picked up something and it knocked me for six. Mothers Day last weekend and a holiday Monday this weekend, and I am barely coherent, never mind functioning. I finally dragged myself to a Walk-In clinic on Saturday, and huddled amongst the disease riddled masses, fervently hoping that I wouldn't contract something worse while I was there. I cast a malevolent glare at anyone whom I suspected of planning to sit within the three chair quarantine zone either side of my seat. You can't be too careful. I saw a very helpful doctor who finally admitted that I had "something" but he didn't know what. Brilliant. Thank goodness I dragged myself out of my sickbed and risked catching some form of hemorrhagic fever or worse to get this useful diagnosis. He at least prescribed me a course of anti-biotics which covered all bases, so I finally seem to be on the mend. So now today, I have to whip my family back into shape, because they have got away with far too much recently.
For instance, at some ungodly time this morning, Grady decides he is going to climb into bed with me for a cuddle. I suppose as a mother I should welcome such interludes, after all he is 10 years old now, so it won't be too long before he'll stop speaking to me never mind wanting to cuddle. However, I value my sleep, and as such anyone who dares to disturb my slumber does so at their own risk. It wouldn't have been so bad had he just climbed into bed with me and stayed quiet, but oh no, I got the bloody Spanish Inquisition. "Are you awake mum ?" "Can I cuddle ?" "Did you know the cat is on the bed?" "Are you getting up soon ?" "Are we doing anything today?" "Did you know you're snoring ?" "Mum are you awake yet?" The fact that the answer to these questions was an ever increasingly vehement and resounding "No!" did not deter him in the least. That boy seems to thrive on challenge and he is persistent. In fact he was so persistent, I wouldn't be surprised to find out his motivation was due to his father offering him $5 to get me up. After all, those are the kind of low down shady deals that go on in our house, and one way or another I usually end up financing the pay-off.
Yesterday was the big rocket launch, and no that isn't a euphemism for something else. Grady attended a rocket camp last summer and since then has become an avid rocketeer (I don't know what else to call it - but according to my spell check it should be racketeer - which knowing Grady is also an apt description) He has been pestering me for months to buy the super-deluxe grand pooh-bah of rocket making kits, which I finally gave in and bought him last week. I said I was sick, I wouldn't normally cave so easily. So, after rocket pieces have been strewn around the house for the past several days - another clue I wasn't myself, because that wouldn't have been allowed under normal circumstances - he had three rockets ready to go. Now it was Rob's turn to be pestered, because he had to take Grady to a safe launch spot. Unfortunately the first two rockets were duds, but the third was a roaring success. I don't know how high it went, but it traversed the soccer field, the library and landed in the parking lot of Lindsay's school. Not bad for a homemade job.
It was quite reminiscent of the last day at rocket camp when the participants got to launch the rockets they had made. We had taken the kids & their cousins Grace & Olivia to watch, and when it came to Grady's turn, they were all huddled together (I alone had the self preservation instinct and kept at a safer distance) eyes skyward, desperately searching for some signs of the wayward craft; "I can't see it". "Where did it go?" "I still can't see it " "I think we've lost it" and then suddenly, from Rob who was filming, "OH CRAP IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US" and everyone scatters - it was like five pin bowling. All the funnier because I was watching from the sidelines. The video is just as funny, although you can't see much as the camera hits the ground, but it's worth it just to hear the panic stricken screams.
So another week begins, it's a glorious day. The family are all at the stables, and I have a quiet house to myself. It can't get any better than this.
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