I have to admit, I started the Eid half-term in a not-so-bright mood.
“When do I get a holiday?” I harrumphed to DH in a small self-entitled voice, before threatening to check into a hotel to have some ‘me time’ and a lie-in.
These outbursts are nearly always linked to tiredness, I’ve realised. And DH, who’s heard it all before, knows exactly what to do: he takes charge of the children and sits it out.
Then, the cooler Eid weather worked its magic. Suffice to say, Dubai’s blue skies are casting their spell over everyone again, tourists are flocking back in their droves and Eid turned out to be fabulous – almost like being on holiday in Dubai.
DH’s change of scenery – though I’m sure he wished he’d been able to see Noddy at the theatre with us!
But, parenting, it’s never smooth sailing, is it? Just when you think you might actually have cracked it, that it may even be getting a little easier, doesn’t something always happen to keep you on your toes?
Last night, as I settled in on the sofa, I heard the sound of little feet padding down the stairs. BB appeared, with glassy eyes and a vacant stare. Sleepwalking again! We’ve found him draped across various pieces of furniture in the middle of the night a couple of times now.
He’s pretty easy to settle when this happens, but what followed definitely fell into my ‘things I detest about parenting’ category: Projectile Vomit. EVERYWHERE. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, BB then slipped and fell facedown in it. Oh, the shrieks.
Oh, the MISERY.
LB, of course, woke too, and put on an Oscar-worthy performance pretending to be sick (never one to be outdone). And so there I was, wading in vom, trying to coax two boys back to sleep, when my phone pinged.
A text from DH: “Everything OK? I’m in Paris.”
Let’s just say that, after two really rough nights with zero bonhomie, the hotel stay is back on the agenda!
Have you ever seen the Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya sisterhood? Or read the book? There is a scene in there where one of the characters basically gets in her car and drives off to check into a hotel and sleeps for like 3 days. Leaves EVERYONE behind. I just bawl everytime I see this scene, because I thing we can ALL relate at some point in our motherhood. Hang tight. This season will pass….promise. One day you will laugh your head off at the vom slippage….we do when we recall the time our youngest son let it go from the top bunk and it splashed on to our oldest son…..good times, good times! 😉
Hi! Thanks Tracye, I really want to see it/read it! Sounds great. I can imagine your oldest son was none too impressed by the raining vom!! You’re right, I will look back with fondness! 🙂
not only was he not impressed by the waterfall o’ vom…he nearly added to it! ewww.
Here’s your sister! It has to be the greatest triumph of optimism over experience when we think that a weekend away will see the slate wiped clean and that our rejunvenation will see us throught for at least 6 to 8 weeks. Groundhog day, maybe tomorrow will be better!!
Hi Denise! Thanks for commenting – yes, tomorrow is always a new day (and sometimes can’t come soon enough!)
Funny, must be the season – I just read another post about vomiting children earlier today! Tracye’s right, you will be able to look back and laugh someday. Son#2 was my chronic vomiter – always caught viruses, got carsick at the drop of a hat – and Son#1 had a terrible vomit phobia – would get frantic if someone even mentioned vomiting. Needless to say, when Son#2 got sick, I always had one vomiting and one shrieking. Most significant moment: driving alone with 2 kids in car through windy roads of W. VA; Son#2 begins to vomit, Son#! becomes hysterical, I have nowhere to pull over, must continue to drive at high speed through mountain passes, Son#2 continuing to alternately vomit and cry, Son#1 holding ears (why ears?) screaming at top of lungs, me with one eye on rearview mirror, one on road, trying to maintain soothing monologue while driving 80mph. At the time, all I could think was terrible angry thoughts about MrL, who was conveniently absent on that particular trip. Grrrr.
Sounds like a quiet getaway is just what the dr. ordered. Hope DH gets back soon from Paris. And he’d better tell you it rained the entire time he was there. ; )
Oh my gosh, THAT was quite the road trip! Well done Mom!
Hi I’m a mom of a soon to be 4 year old little girl who likes to wake every night and have an itchy episode. She scratches her tum and knees despite applying cream generously before bedtime. I’m a light sleeper so I’m up before I know it reaching for the cream on the dresser, sometimes asking myself, why? why do we have to do this every freaking night. Nothing wrong with her skin btw. She just has made a habit of it, my little creature of habit.
I love your writing style and that I can relate to you being a mom myself. I hope when your DH is back, you bask in some quality ‘me’ time.
Hi Tet, Thank you! And you have my full sympathy re. the nocturnal itching – I hope you’re able to get back to sleep quickly afterwards. Sometimes I have trouble nodding off again – so frustrating!