Easter and Strudel’s birthday were jammed into one weekend of Easter-Strudelness, which was fine, really. Nice friends brought presents, after being asked not to bring presents. It wasn’t supposed to be a proper party, just an excuse to have some cake and say, “Hey, we acknowledge that you are three now, good job,” but they are very nice presents and she had a good time opening them. Maybe next year I will invite other children. I dunno.
I also made caponata (secret ingredient: mafioso).
Then we dyed eggs yesterday. I did a couple of duck eggs, because they are just lying around now.
Everything turned out pretty well. Franny chose a couple of eggs and repeatedly stuck them in every color. Which did not turn out to look like dookie as one might expect. More a weird puce color. The big orange one is a duck egg. Yesterday WL and I were talking about how purple eggs don’t turn out quite right, and wondering, why is that? They end up kind of streaky.
Speaking of Franny, she made a decision at the beginning of the weekend not to go back to school in a timely fashion. She did not say this outright, but I could tell. She said something on Saturday about how she thought she was going to be “much sicker” by Monday, and then on Sunday she said she thought she was getting worse and that she was going to have to miss school. OIC, I thought to myself.
Outwardly I said, “I am sure you’ll be MUCH better on Monday.” Because really, she’s been limping along and whining for a week now. And it’s the type of whining that rears its head when she is bored, or I am trying to do something for myself like go out. It is the type of whining that abates completely when there is something fun for her to do.
So I was waiting to see what would happen this morning. Sure enough, lulz ensued.
“Okay, girls, get dressed,” I said for the 14 jillionth time.
“Mom, I kind of forgot to tell you this,” Franny said.
“Yes?”
“I…threw up in the middle of the night last night.”
“Oh no,” I said. “In your bed?”
“Yes. No. In the toilet. But I flushed it!” she said.
“Hmm. Well, if you throw up in the middle of the night, I wish you would wake me up so I can help you. Okay, Strudel, get dressed. Franny, leave your jammies on.”
For breakfast Strudel had something typical, which was a scrambled egg and toast with butter. I gave Franny dry toast with water. She stared at it morosely. Strudel saw her sister’s sad face and then looked at me.
“Why is she eating that?” Strudel asked me.
“Because she’s sick and we don’t want to give her anything that will upset her stomach any more,” I said. Franny ate her toast.
After she was done I sent her up to her bed.
“Take some books, and see if you can take a nap. That will help,” I said.
I walked Strudel the short distance to school and back in less than ten minutes.
“Mom?” Franny called out from upstairs. “Do you have errands today?” I could hear in her voice, oh, please, please, let there be some reprieve from this monotony today.
“No,” I said. “I have canceled my meeting and all my other plans since you are so sick.”
After dropping Strudel off I did some auction work and answered emails. Franny appeared at my side at a quarter to ten as I typed away.
“Mom, am I going to have to spend…all day…in bed?”
I could see her internal struggle. Should she cop to it? Should she carry on?
“Yes, honey, I want you to rest. Try to nap, okay?” I said.
“Okay.”
If there is some chance that she barfed in the middle of the night without waking anyone up, she will be getting her rest today. I suspect she will be “well” tomorrow. In the meantime, I guess I need to figure out why she is wanting to play sick right now.
I used to be the ultimate fake-sicker as a kid. As I recall, it was more out of boredom or a sense of getting away with something than a problem at school or attention-getting from my Mom. She always shut me down, too, making me stay in bed, no tv, etc. I always got better fast. Some people just need a day off, maybe…I am still like that at 41.
Hello!
I just found your blog and I’ve got to tell you I absolutely love your title.
As for this post,
1) I have no luck with purple egg dye either. What’s up with that?
2) Dying eggs with my almost 3 year old was 10 minutes of chaos and damage control like the world has never seen.
3)I used to play sick from school a lot because there was a girl in my class that was bullying me. I once dumped a bowl of oatmeal into the toilet and told my mom I threw up.
She was so not buying that bs!
I went through that same thing two weeks ago. I got the same question, In bed? all day? to funny
Hur. I almost feel sorry for Franny, but you totally win. My spawn has been actual sick, which is very sad for her because this is her Spring Break, and here we are not taking her out anywhere because she has a fever and a smoker’s lung-busting cough.
Happy Threeeeeee Strudel!
I think Strudel is stunning.
Heh. Mine did this not too long ago too. I’m still not sure if it’s because one of the other third graders at her school has been off-and-on bullying her and her two little friends, but my older kid is still going to the same school until the end of the year. I put her on the case, and I guess it’s abated somewhat; but for a few days there all the sudden my younger one was “sick.” I dunno. I did the same thing you are doing.
You know, I know what *real* sick looks like. This kid has vommed so many times. I am just not buying this. I can’t believe she’s suddenly all stoic and not waking me up.
My mom used to let my sister and me take “mental health days” once in a while when were younger, if we just didn’t feel like going to school. Meant we never had to fake sick. Dunno if it would work with all kids, though. We both liked school well enough, and I don’t think we ever tried to abuse the privilege.
I used to concoct a vomit stew and put it in the toilet for my parents to inspect. As an adult I know now that they were just being merciful with me by letting me stay home, as it probably didn’t smell of vomit, but of tomato juice. You’re being very nice, I’m sure there is a reason…a bully, anxiety…
Happy 3 Strudel!!! She is such a character, adore her!! Franny, hmmm, hope she truly isn’t sick cuz harfing sucks. As Evil as my mother figure was, she did let us play hookey every so often – she would arrange it with the teacher to pick us up after attendance count (surprise to us tho!) and then take us shopping our out to eat. One of the *very* few nice things that bitch did for me and sis. Erm, sorry, amnesia lane got the best of me. I’m liking the puce egg, reminds me of that awful 80’s movie where the prom theme was “Paris in Puce”…or am I the only one who saw that??
Kids need mental health days too!
Franny Bueller’s Day Off ?? :)
My son started this year (2nd grade) trying to stay home every so often. SooOooOOo sick. Riiiiight, off to bed with ya!
Your reference to the purple eggs being splotchy sounded familiar… And I just remembered why! It’s discussed in the Knitty article from last year,
about dyeing wool:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/FEATfoodcolordye.html
To quote…
“Purple is a difficult [sic], because red and blue are absorbed at different rates, and also at different acid levels.”
Huh. Who knew?
Last year, we had some nice success with purple by mixing the straight mc-cormick food coloring with alum. Scott had some chemistry reasons for doing it, but all I know was that it worked.
Also – McCormick makes purple now.
2 cents!
Strudel is ‘dorable!! And you better put your helmet on because 3 is worse than 2…we are closing in on 4 in a couple of weeks and if I don’t die before then it will be a miracle!! Strudel is so cute thought that I doubt she will do that to you.
Franny…hmm…she seems like the kind that if you straight out asked her what was up she would break down in a heap of tears and tell you the real truth. But playing the hardcore mom for a day is good too. Showing her that being sick sucks is nice.
Your kid is adorable. ADORABLE I tell you. That shot with the barrettes ought to be a crayola ad.