Monday, July 02, 2007

a convenient virus sometimes lingers

You know how when your sleep is interrupted several times in the night by a crying baby you start having really weird dreams? That’s what I had last night (both the crying baby and the dreams). The worst one: our class reunion was held in a giant swimming pool. Ha! Unless it were also being held on a moonless night coinciding with a total power outage I can’t imagine myself attending that little gathering. Talk about a nightmare. Because you know, flat hair. Ew.

Nora has some kind of virus that makes her really hot and really cranky. Poor thing. I think it’s the same virus that afflicted Gabie for about 2 days last week. He complained of a headache and was uncharacteristically lethargic for a while. In the middle of the night on Tuesday (I was up finalizing my Spring grades), I heard strange noises coming from his room. I checked in on him and he was in there laughing hysterically with his eyes wide open. “Gabie are you OK?” I ask, a little freaked out by the look on his face. “Yeah. I’m just watching a movie in my head,” he says.

I got him a drink and rubbed his head, running my fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes. Nodding back off to sleep he mumbled, “Knock that off Mom, you’re messing up the road.”

Thankfully, Gabie (and I hope the various roads and movies in his head) have made a full recovery. But he’s still convinced he has a virus, or at least the remains of one still in his system, because it makes a great conversation tool. He’s been telling everyone who will listen about it.

"I have a virus," he brags to his grandma and grandpa.

"I have a virus," he yells at the mailman.

"Did you know I have a virus?" he asks the guy behind us at Target, who smiles nervously and takes a noticeable step backwards.

“But Mom, I had to give that little kick to McKay because I’m sick and I can’t help it. A virus attacked my niceness system.”

“Sorry I can’t empty the silverware from the dishwasher because my virus won’t let me.” (He says this one while holding his arm tenderly, the old war wound acting up.)

My son is channeling Danny Kaye.

12 comments:

Dedee said...

That made laugh so hard. I love Danny Kaye. Awesome post. I have a two year old whose "stomach hurts" like Gabie's virus. So funny!

Megan said...

So cute, I hope all viruses, real and not so real, clear up soon.

Also, I just learned that my classr reunion really is being held at a swimming pool (for the kids??) Uh, yeah, won't be attending THAT portion of the reunion! I'll be 7 months pregnant, so I have an excuse, but honostly, what were they thinking?

Allysha said...

At last I understand! I must have viruses attacking my niceness system on occassion, too. That explains a lot.

Heffalump said...

I have a son who would totally play up the virus angle. I will try to keep him uneducated as to viruses as long as I can.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

I'm a huge Danny Kaye fan, and White Christmas is one of my favourite movies of all time.

I know you're used to hearing this but...

What a brilliant boy!

Luisa Perkins said...

Old war wound. Snicker.

Delirium in my children always freaks me out. But a reunion in a pool would be WAY worse.

Annette Lyon said...

You always make me laugh. And you don't even know me, but I've enjoyed reading your blog, so when I got the Rockin Girl Blogger award, I decided to pass it on to you. So you know. :)

Unknown said...

What a great way to start the day--reading your blog! Made me laugh, and brought back fun memories of my own children's quirky moments. I'll have to go searching through old journals for more. They are pure treasure. You're going on my favorites list right now.

Scribbit said...

Viruses are extremely helpful apparently.

Bill C said...

Forget Mike; when I grow up I want to be like Gabie.

Still, maybe it's time his virus powers mutated into something a little more ceremonial. Surely you can find a benign aerosol with such a side effect?

Cakes said...

love it.
We have also been shedding a virus over here. But, not as cleverly as over there.

Hope everyone's better by now.

Jenni said...

One time when my oldest dd was small and sick, she woke up in the middle of the night, stumbled into the bathroom half asleep, and sat on the toilet. I think she fell back asleep completely and a few minutes later she started screaming hysterically. I ran as fast as I could to see what was wrong. She was staring with this dazed and horrified, yet not really all there look on her face at the ceiling. When I shook her and asked her what was the matter, she shrieked, "The elephants are falling on me!" Then she started laugh-crying. I took her temperature and she barely had a fever, so I don't know what the cause of the weird hallucinations was.

The same dd had an operation last week to remove the hardware used to set her pelvis when she broke it last year. She's not taking much of the hydrocodone she's allowed to have, but she's been talking in her sleep and saying really strange things. She started arguing with me (I was putting laundry away) that she *can't* do back handsprings and back walkovers right now. Like she ever could. Later when I told her about it she laughed and said she'd dreamed her gymnast sister was trying to get her to do the handsprings and walkovers, but she was afraid of ripping her stitches.

I think she gets this from my mom who will scream things like, "The bells are ringing! The bells are ringing!" or scold someone for putting away laundry (hey, recurring theme) in her sleep when she's perfectly healthy. Then again, dh frequently asks me to hand him 2x4s and tools. Freaks;o)