Confessions of a Sick Day

Kayla has been plagued by sickness this week. Riddled with fever and croup…two rosy, chapped cheeks…one red, runny nose…difficulty breathing…and sleepless nights…

And while I could focus on how I haven’t showered in two days because Kayla doesn’t want me too far out of her sight…or how I’m still in my grey-flannel pajama bottoms and black t-shirt from last night because well, they’re comfy…or how my house looks like an atomic bomb hit it with craftasticness...I choose to focus on this…

My girl is funny.  Even through her sickness…incredibly funny and completely cute.  Today she is teetering between wanting me to hold her 24-7 {trust me…only because she is sick} and pushing me away to do things on her own…like this for example…

Kayla’s sweet voice woke me this morning…telling me she ate an apple for breakfast…but it didn’t taste very good.  Kayla loves to wake up around 6am and raid the fruit and vegetable drawer in the refrigerator {wouldn’t be my first option…I’d likely go for the cookies or candy}.  I thought perhaps her taste buds were affected by her cold.  Entering the kitchen, expecting to find a half-eaten granny smith apple on the counter, I found this…

Notice the little nibbles...

A green bell pepper…that would explain it not tasting very good…and I smiled.  So lucky I get to enjoy so many smiles each day with her.

Another smile for my day...Kayla dressed herself this morning.  Usually when we are going to school I assist in the process but it usually begins with a fabulous hair accessory {that she chooses} and building the outfit around that choice.  Today she chose to keep her comfy green pajamas as the bottom layer, a white tank top over that, a black and pink floral {inside out} dress on top of the white tank top and a very fancy jewel and bow design shirt to top it all off.  To complete the outfit?  A very well matched pair of striped leggings and her silver-sparkly, crystal covered Stewart Weitzman shoes. 

What goes best with her interpretation of style?  Her bubbly “how do I look” as she exits her bedroom. The funniest part of this ensemble is it isn’t horrible…although I am not quite sure why she decided on four shirts today…maybe she was cold.  The best part was {other than the inside-out layer #3 of shirts}, her entire outfit was put on right side up, tags where they belong in the back…so we can just assume that the inside-out black floral dress was a fashion statement rather than a mistake.  One benefit to four shirts is I have been able to peel one off at a time as she messes up the one on top…and maybe she planned that, too!  She’s just too much…

Inspired by her fun outfit of choice, today we did crafts…

Kayla has become obsessed {and I do mean obsessed} with scissors.  Cutting at the pace of a Nascar driver she quickly chomps through paper like she is burning rubber in the #1 car.

Why is this so impressive?  Why do I care?  Well, truth be told, I love crafts…I am slightly obsessed with crafts and Kayla used to care less about scissors and crafts…but I have learned this…She doesn’t like doing things unless she is good at them…unless she has perfected the skill…a little flaw she inherited from yours truly.  She has always sought perfection…as a baby she would sit in her crib and try sounding out new words.  When she greets a new street curb, she takes to it cautiously until she feels successful.  And so for years she has practiced here and there with scissors…at home, at school, with her OT…in small doses…a few minutes here and there and has finally perfected the skill of cutting.  She loves cutting paper strips and shapes, declaring what each is.  “Look, Mommy…a triangle”… “Look, Mommy…a oval”…and each shape is exactly what she declares…

While she has been out of school sick all week, I have had her working…practicing writing her name…to get it just right…just perfect.

And while it may seem daunting, to her it is fun.  She loves writing her name.  She takes pride in it.  And she loves writing it over and over and over again in the other room so there is that “ta-da” moment when she is done.  She loves the ta-da moment and I oblige with claps and cheers and hugs…and she eats it all up!

And for those crafts…those thousands of crafts…little tiny odds and ends…they all need their place…and I have a great solution… empty Crystal Light containers…filled with beads and crayons.

Perfectly sized to take with you…durable…unlike the baggies that usually rip, crushing crayons into millions of pieces at the bottom of my purse.  And while I do enjoy a designer-couture look to the inside of my purse, I much prefer the all-one-color-of-black-no-crushed-crackers-or-crayons-pre-Kayla-look better.  If you have great ideas, please share…I’m always looking for crafty storage ideas!

So today we started with one fabulous outfit and we are ending with another…

this fashion statement we are naming "Super Kayla".  She left the room saying “I want to dance…gotta go get my scarf"…as if her scarf was an essential part of her legs and arms moving in a musical rhythm…as if the two went together like bread and butter…peanut butter and jelly…cookies and milk…and now we have dancing and scarves…all thanks to Kayla.  A few minutes later I hear singing from the living room “Suuuuu-per Kayla… Suuuuu-per Kayla… Suuuuu-per Kayla… Suuuuu-per Kayla”…repeated just a few dozen times.  As I entered the room I became witness to this…

Super Kayla sporting her Minnie Mouse beach towel cape, super-power Mommy gloves and of course, her pink scarf…for dancing, of course.  Never mind the stuff all over the floor and stairs {I did mention Kayla has been home sick all week from school, right...well...that's the result of a Mommy too tired to continue cleaning up after a creatively messy Kayla}.

Go ahead and dance…but don’t forget your scarf {oh...and don't worry, I'll be showered by the next post}...