The Uncommon Cold

I'm in a whiny mood today. Life is not fair.

We seem to be in the only spot around here that did not get snowed on last night. It's been cold and rainy and we've had a few pretty heavy hail storms and we can see plenty of snow on the hills close to our place and chains are required just 7 miles East of us; that's all fine and good, the worst of winter in these parts. But driving Hannah to school this morning, we passed a few cars headed the other direction that had quite a bit of snow on them. There was still some snow (mixed with a whole lot of sleety stuff) on the ground at the school. It was melting fast, but still: snow. There was snow on the side of the road all the way to McKinleyville; Central Ave was one big, slushy mess. They are much closer to the ocean then we are. Not fair.

Also not fair: Jonah has another one of his awful colds. That makes, in just this month, 2 bad colds for him as well as an ear infection, one bad cold that John worked terribly hard to ward off, some sniffles and a slight cough for the wonderfully robust Hannah and a nasty cold and sore throat and laryngitis for me. That's too much being sick--especially when the sickest one is so whiny and clingy, up all night thrashing, carrying around a plastic bowl everywhere he goes because sometimes he coughs so hard he throws up (it doesn't happen much, but often enough that he's worried he'll throw up every time he coughs) . The lack of sleep and the feeling put-upon--that I'm not getting well because I have to take care of everyone else, leaving me with little energy to take care of myself--are making me pretty whiny too.

When I whined to John--in my pathetic croaky voice--a few nights ago about how I am so tired of Jonah's stupid colds and how quickly he goes from being fine to being really, really sick and how I am so tired and I don't feel good, he remarked that at least we don't have a kid with Down's Syndrome or autism. Wouldn't you know that in Monday's newspaper, there was a story about treatment possibilities for Down's? And in today's NY Times Science section there's a story about a "cure for autism"?

No cure for the uncommon cold though, besides time and rest and the kindness and patience of your mom. Get well soon, buddy. And please stop wiping your nose on my sleeve.