A time once travelled

Coming home to us after two weeks vacation in the South with lola Bernie. Traveling first class in TGV! Look at the eyes, so ecstatic to see us! I was in heaven!

This was the first time ever he was away from us for 14 days straight!

Because I’m currently on my wits end, and on the verge of declaring martial law in the household.

David is up to emptying bottles of coke, mineral water, juices, yoghurt and syrup drinks in the sink! Those things don’t come out freely from our faucet!

He also cleans up after drinking by throwing his glass in the — what else — SINK!  I try to console myself thinking that those are recycled mustard glasses. But the fact remains he is at the moment a stubborn head! And I am a-forever-screaming-mother-who-feels-guilty-when-his-tiny-lips-tremble-and-tears-slowly-building-up.

His tiny chair is up on top of the cupboard! But the wise kid that he is, he uses the door of the washing machine to step up on the sink. And I’m-not-soooo-thinking ever of putting that bloody washing machine on top of the cupboard too!

Much as it provokes more-than-raised-eyebrows, people have certain reasons to declare Martial Law!

Mine is like this:

- On the afternoon of the 31st, hubby and I were still wondering if we could go to a friend’s party. David has a cold. Sinisipon lang. But he had been sick almost the whole month of December that a little drop from the nose is enough to bring us to high alert.

- Early evening, David seemed fine, despite of the cold, so we decided to go. Lola was babysitting. We had knots in the stomach all the way to our friend’s place. I’ve loosened up only after wine and champagne were flowing like eternity, and friends, plus a little party girl kicking heels around.

- Partied all night until 5 am on the first day of 2007. Tried a hand dj-ing hoping hubby would start kicking heels too, (since I know what kind of music that makes him swing), freezing up the host’s brand new apple computer because, oh well, because of my free downloaded mp3s. And spent the following day nursing a hangover headache, dreaming of Vietnamese beef soup and just slept it over since I was just so lazy to go out. I have to say I’ve had a worst hang-over during my single days, so I did just fine with my glasses on NY’s eve. And oh, since I managed to get the right answer during our guessing game without cheating that means my head was still clear. (Yeah, defensive reasoning).

- Then woke up in the most unforgivable time on the 2^nd day with David puking, crying and more puking. I spent the whole day washing vomit, feces, cuddling a sick toddler and basically trembling of fear every time he retched. We brought him to his ped later that night. Diagnosis: Rotavirus. A nasty one that affects more than a million people in France every year, especially during winter. David’s weight dropped drastically that if he didn’t drink what the doctor has prescribed that night, we would end up in the hospital for IV fluids.

- The 3^rd was no better. I alternated tea and coffee to keep myself awake. Overfatigued. Lost. Confused. Irritable. And Scared. Scared. Scared.

- The 4^th day ended with less vomiting and 3 times toilet business. Continued monitoring, mixing up magic potions and all the time praying that things that got inside his mouth would not go out. Half-awake-half-asleep at night, listening to the monsters fighting in his stomach. How could they make so much noise!!!

- On the 5^th Day, things started to turn around with David going back to his hyper self, kicking, screaming, and appetite getting better.

- On the 6^th Day, it was my turn to quietly collapse inside the bathroom. Told hubby I might be catching the gastro. At 11:30 am, we went to David’s doctor for his overall health assessment. Everything looked towards recovery but we were given another full week for his strict diet. I don’t know if the doctor detected the worries my hubby felt, he told us that his family had suffered the same right on Christmas Day. If it was to make us feel better, or to reassure us somehow, he managed. A little bit.

I was feeling a bit fine during the doctor’s trip. But by late afternoon, I was going back and forth to the bathroom that before the day ended, hubby ran to the pharmacy. Yet again. Within 24 hours, I’ve emptied myself 20 times. I wondered how much a body can contain so much liquid, and how much damaged it could do if it’s being drained out at such speed. Of course, I was already feeling the answers. Fever, aches, weakness, dizziness, loss of appetite and that stale taste in the mouth, tongue feeling like sandpaper.

I was looking back at the reflection in the mirror. A black hollow formed in the sunken skin around my eyes. My cheekbones more obvious, my lips cracking, hair totally out of life, skin so pale and my neck growing longer than I imagined. There was only one thought during those moments. David. And how he suffered a lot during these parasitic episodes.

Diet has been mainly on bananas and rice, which I have no problem with. At least for the last 48 hours my appetite is slowly coming back. And oh I’ve been wearing a surgical mask, even when sleeping. How about that!

- As of writing, I could pretend David has fully recovered. But there are still some restrictions to food. There’s still the weight to gain back too. But boy, can he kick and get in my nerves! Last night he almost gave his papa a black eye during their rowdy games. And God forbid, I’m back to yelling! I can’t help it especially when trains, cars, dvds and almost everything else are going flying during tantrums! The kid doesn’t get scared with a woman wearing a mask yelling at him!

This is the start of my New Year. It’s definitely shitty. We totally scratched out “Galette des Rois“. But nothing has dampened my spirit really. It’s one of those times that when shit comes, you just let it happen, let the body recuperate slowly and then move on.

Every night before sleeping, Papa and Mama have been asking me what I want from you. They said that you travel around the world on Christmas Eve to give toys to children like me. Cool! So I told my folks I want:

- a train
- an airplane
- cars and a garage
- a big drawing board
- crayons and drawing paper
- cd games for children
- books
- clothes
- strawberry cake with candle so that I can blow it for Baby Jesus and I’ve been practicing singing “happy birthday Jesus!’
- bonbons (sweets) 

I’ve been really good this year and as you can hear with your magic ears, I’ve been singing well “Papa Noel” for days and days now. Mama and Papa said you’ll be passing by one of these days, when, I don’t know, but I sure hope your song works! 

Waiting patiently,

David  

P.S.Papa and Mama said they only want one thing for Christmas. That I’m always in good health!

 

David and I getting rowdy during our pillow fight:

Me (while tickling him): You are so makulit, makuliit, makuliiiiit!
David (kicking me back for defense): Mama, mapulit, mapulit, mapulit!!!! 

Messing up with his cake on the floor
Me: Oh My God! David what are you doing!!?? What a mess!!!!
David: Oh My God! Mama coquinette! (naughty girl) 

David farting while playing
Me: Agoy, bastos nimo nga bata ka! Pala-utot!!
David: Agoy mama, batt-tosss! ça fait utot!

David and I walking along a tennis court
David: Mama regarde, ils jouent penis! (mama look they play penis!)
Me (knelt down at his eye-level): No, sweetheart, it is not penis, it is tennis!
I stuck my tongue out, bit it between my teeth and exaggeratedly said: tee, tee, teee, teeeennis!
David looked at my mouth and the sounds I made. Encouraged by this curious attention, I continued.
Me: Look at my tongue and my mouth, teee, teeee, teeee, see? My tongue is out. When I say pee, pee, peeee, my tongue is hiding, my lips are touching okay? Look, teeee, teeee, teee. The men there are playing teeeeeennis! Not pppenis! Okay, you repeat after me, tee, tee, tee, tennis!
David: Teeee, teee, teee, teeePenis!
Me: Pastilan nimo dong oy!!! Imagine those guys hitting your penis with the rackets!
David: Teeee, teeee, teeePenis! 

Happy Weekend everyone!

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David: “mama gratte”, turning his back on me.

Me: “ok, you’re itchy here?”
David: “là, là”, pointing his upper back.
Me: “here?” scratching continuously.
David: “up, up,” my hand going higher as he motions. “up, up in the sky”.
Me: “what sky?”
David: turning over opens his legs wide, puts his hands under his nappy and said, “gratte penis mama!”
Me: “What da!!!!!” 

*gratte (gratter) – to scratch
* là - here

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While I’m having lunch today, David is roaming around the room butt naked, looking grim and loudly farting: 

Me: “David if you want to do your caca use your potty or the toilet”.
David, run to his potty and goes red: “viens mama, assieds-toi là!” (come mama, sit here!)
Me: “Just a minute David, I’m almost finished with my lunch, finish your caca!”
David: “Viens! viens! viens! assieds-toi là!”  (come! come! come! sit here!) insistently pointing at the floor next to him.
I obligingly sit, smelling the repugnant odor.
David, leaning over to see his produce in the potty: “Regarde mama, caca!” (look mama it’s poop). “Regarde, regarde, ça c’est caca. C’est grosse le caca!” (Look! Look! It’s poop. It’s big the poop!) 

He’s really talking more comprehensively and situations like this, I would prefer him not to vocalize everything! Especially when I’m in the middle of my lunch!

 

Yes, for some reason only him can understand, David prefers to listen to christmas songs before sleeping. It’s been like that for a week now. And it’s like we are still August! Summer is not yet officially over and we are hearing “let it snow, rudolph, and jingle bells!” Mabuang ko!!!

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