Breaking Early

I’m a little off today thanks to Olivia and that fever that woke her up at 1:00 last night and didn’t let her go back to sleep until almost 4:00.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say the little sneak faked it just to get a jump on spring break, which starts today officially at 3:00pm with the release bell at school.

But no, at five years old, O has no clue what spring break is or even that a week of no school is in her near future.

Alyssa? Is all about having a week off. She counted down the days this whole month.

When I realized that Olivia was running a fever last night, my first thought was Strep throat. Alyssa just finished a round of antibiotics for Strep last week and so I figured this was round two. But O’s throat looks fine and she says it doesn’t hurt.

I gave her some ibuprofen for the fever as well as a drink of water.

Then…the requests for tissues began. Until very recently, a runny nose wouldn’t bother me. She’s kicked the common cold often enough that really, it’s not a big worry. But lately, when her nose is ‘itchy’ or even a little runny, she rubs and rubs and rubs at it until she gives herself a nosebleed.

This freaks me out! I know the cause and shouldn’t be bothered by it as much as I am but I can’t help it. So last night I’d tiredly hand her a tissue and tell her, “Wipe your nose but don’t dig at it.”

She only managed to draw blood once but egads!

I think the rubbing is from dryness. We have a humidifier running in the room where she sleeps, I am constantly giving her drinks to keep her hydrated and I’ve even gone so far as to consider putting some Vaseline on a Q-tip and swiping along the inside of her nose in hopes of relieving the irritation.

Olivia can be a little obsessive about things. I know, ha, right? See the hair-pulling, the thumb-sucking, etc. But this one seems a little less than harmless. So I’m doing all I can to put a stop to it.

And that fever? Was under control by 2am. But by then, she was wide awake. We went downstairs to the rocking chair with me hoping she’d nod right off again.

No. Oh good heavens no. She found a couple of books, ‘read’ those while I dosed with her on my lap. Then at 3:00 her stomach growled.

I offered to make her some toast. She scrambled off my lap so I could get up and hop to it. As we walked to the kitchen she suggested that perhaps the toast would be even better if I were to spread a little jelly on it, thank you very much.

After two pieces of toast with generous amounts of grape jelly were devoured as if she hadn’t eaten in a week, I trudged back up the stairs with my ‘sick’ child. She was asleep within fifteen minutes of laying down.

Now she’s happily playing at Gram’s while I’m just trying to get through the day. It’s almost spring break. Can you feel my enthusiasm?