Sick Day(s)

So sick I'm actually sitting still while looking pitiful.

Martin's third year of life has so far been inauspicious at best. The day after his 2nd birthday, he came down with a fever that turned into a cold, a nasty stomach virus, an ear infection, a sinus infection, one round of antibiotics, another sinus infection, two more ear infections, possible allergies, a second round of antibiotics, and a perscription for an antihistimine/decongestant combo. Talk about sick! For the first time in Martin's short life, he actually sat still for minutes at a time and preferred cuddling with Mom or Dad to just about everything. You can imagine how worried we were about our poor little Tinskerton when he started asking to snuggle and then go back to bed.

Because of all his various ailments, Martin has been to day care approximately 4 times since his birthday, making those the most expensive four days of daycare in the history of daycare. Dad and I have juggled taking time off to spend the day with our little invalid, but I have borne most of the brunt of his sick days. It turns out that when Martin gets sick, he also gets crabby, demanding, bossy, irrational, and generally difficult to be around. It's been a long couple of weeks at our house, as you can imagine.

When I think of a sick day, I think of cuddling up on the couch in my pajamas with my pillow, an afghan, and Chips the War Dog. Martin's idea of a sick day is running around the house demanding to be naughty. As his mom, I am responsible for trying my best to keep him safe and fairly mellow, in the hopes that he will recover soon (so he can go back to daycare and I can regain my sanity). Our house is very little and the weather hasn't been all that hot, so coming up with creative ways to channel his vast pools of toddler energy can be difficult. Check out some of the stuff we did to try to keep busy and mellow-ish.

This is all whole wheat? No way!

We baked a cake! Actually, it was zucchini bread, and since the recipe came from Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, it was very bland and dense. But Martin, who is actually a pretty good helper in the kitchen, had lots of fun making it with me. The best part, of course, was licking the bowl. I guess even ultra-healthy hippie bread batter tastes good.

Hmm, just give me a little alone time with this bowl, Mom.

Ready to get the "cake"out of the oven.

We also took a page out of the daycare playbook and did some sensory play with shaving cream. I bought some Barbasol at HEB and set him loose. I'm not sure who had more fun that afternoon, Martin or me. By the time all was said and done, he, and the floor all around him, was covered in shaving cream from head to toe. I actually had to throw him in the tub to get the shaving cream out of all the nooks and crannies, but even after a full soap- and hose-down, he still managed to smell like a used car salesman for the next three days. So did our kitchen table. Very appetizing.

Maybe this stuff will get rid of my stink foot!

The last month hasn't been all boogers and medicine. We've had a few healthy days, and on one of them we took a trip to the Austin Zoo. Like most things in Austin, the zoo is a little weird. It's actually an exotic animal rescue, complete with giant tortises, tigers, lions, bears, lots of birds, monkeys, chickens, peacocks, cats, and all sorts of other beasts. Martin was especially interested in the tigers, who were hungry for lunch and separated from us bystanders by a mere 4 feet and a high chainlink fence, and a particularly sociable and gentle goat who sweetly nibbled goat snacks out of Martin's hand.

Hey kid, unlock that door. You know you want to.

You call this an exotic animal?

All of Martin's hot, sweaty nights have cause his hair to assume a variety of styles. This one was by far the best.

This is all natural, ladies.

Finally, Martin would like to be the first to officially recognize the vernal equinox, and with it, the arrival of the endless months of no pants. Welcome, Spring!