Kid-less week

It's been nearly a week since Mommy returned to LA with Todd in tow. We originally intended to spend the entire long weekend there, but I ended up leaving Todd behind when I returned to SB on Monday night, for a number of reasons. Oma was doing much better and could take care of him. Todd still had a runny nose and cough, one he developed since he started school, and we wanted to give him time to fully recover. And after 3 weeks away, his Chinese had become rusty, and this was a good opportunity to refresh him in it. Plus Oma and Opa missed little man :-)

For the first time all month, I've actually felt worry-free during the day. Sure, we miss Todd, but it's different. No picking up Todd at 5pm, dreading the sight: different pants (because he had an accident during the day), cold hands because the kids aren't wearing their jackets, and face, hands and sleeves dirty and smeared with dried snot from his constantly running nose. No worrying that he hasn't had enough to eat/drink because he didn't finish his lunch. Etc...

The peace of mind that comes with knowing that Todd is in good hands, being well-cared for, simply cannot be described! It's been such a relief not having to worry about his well-being all day. Not having to practically force-feed him liquids at night because I know he's not hydrated enough during the day. Not having to scrub his hands and then carefully apply thick A&D cream onto them because they are so dry, chapped and red from continuously wiping snot from his nose. I tried giving him a pack of tissues to keep in his pocket and use, but he ended up "sharing" them with the smaller kids-- well hey, at least he's sharing, right? ;-P

Well, next week it's back to the grind. Back to restless worrying. It's been nice while it lasted!

This week Oma asked him if he missed school. His answer?

"No. I miss playtime!"

Ah yes, our future scholar...!