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Mondays are never the easiest day of the week.   There’s always too much to do, and everyone is always bummed to see the weekend come to an end.   Kenny and Cooper seem to consistently get what I call “The Monday Boo-Hoos” the moment they realize that Casey is actually going to work.   Couple that with the occasional Mondays that he travels, and we have Boo-Hoo City.

Today was no exception, and when I was feeding Kenny lunch before pre-school and he said that he was too tired to eat, I brushed him off and sassed back, “Well, if you’re too tired to eat, you’re too tired to go to school and you’re definitely too tired to go to Kaitie’s birthday party tonight!’   He sniffled and choked down his grilled cheese and said, “Ok, I’ll be fine…” and thus we left the house.

Since we had an extra 15 minutes, we stopped to purchase a gift for said party and just before I was ready to hit the checkout line, Kenny whispered, “Mama?   I have to poop.”   “You’re kidding me,” I said, less than kindly, “Are you really sure?”   His little mouth started to quiver and I herded him and Cooper to the not-remotely-clean restroom in the store.   When he finished, we had barely a second to spare to get him to school on time.   I was so hurried to get him in his classroom, I kissed the top of his head and said, “See you at 3!” and hustled out the door with Cooper, to try and get him home for a much-needed nap.

Two and a half hours later we returned to pick him up, and there was Casey at the door to surprise him.   Cooper ran into his arms in the hallway, but Kenny didn’t even react when we entered the classroom.   “I’m really, really tired,” he mumbled and big tears started to fill his eyes.   I felt his forehead and there was no mistaking a fever.   Ten minutes later we were in the pediatrician’s office with a diagnosis of Strep and a prescription.   We kissed Casey goodbye, and the poor little guy cried all the way home, he was so achy and feverish and sad that Casey wouldn’t be there for bedtime tonight.

We parked the car at home and I strapped them both in the double stroller to walk down to the pharmacy.   One of the coolest things about living in town?   I can walk to everything.   One of the uncool things?   I have to walk, as there  is often no parking near where I need to go.   By the time we got the Rx,  Kenny was pale and the next thing I knew, he started to projectile vomit all over himself as we walked down Main Street.   He was mortified, and started to sob as he looked down at his clothes and the stroller.     We managed to get home and I stripped him down in the driveway and carried him upstairs to wash him up and get him some clean clothes.  

I directed Kenny and Cooper into my room, where I promised that they could watch a movie in my bed while we ate dinner.   I’d just washed my linens, and they sat watching me in the floor as I made the bed.   Just as we were getting settled onto fresh-out-of-the-dryer clean sheets, Dudley came tearing in and jumped on the bed and wiped his ass on the white top sheet, soiling it with a horrific streak.   I screamed at Dudley in disgust, hauling him off the bed and slapping his backside.   In his  surprise and confusion, he ran into the guest room and jumped on the bed, then into Kenny and Cooper’s room and did the same.   I charged after him with a hormone and stress-induced howl that scared him enough that he finally tore downstairs and hid behind the couch.  

Unfortunately, my shrieks also terrified the boys, and when I turned to see them, Kenny was crying and Cooper was wailing at the sight of their usually-nice Mommy in a rage.   I dropped down to their level and took them both in my arms, crying now myself.   “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, and I held them both for a long time.   I was so ashamed.   I was still boiling-mad at Dudley, but I was even more sorry that my little guys witnessed me lose it so terribly.   After we all calmed down, I stripped the bed (again) and spread out a picnic blanket over the mattress.   We turned on the movie and snuggled in with our now cold pizza.   Cooper squished so close to me I though he might be somewhat absorbed by osmosis at some point.   And Kenny kept close enough that I could rub his head the whole time.

As I put them to bed, I thought about  how much I loved them and how horrible I felt  that I’d scared them by  yelling  at our stupid dog.   The  good news is that since Kenny’s contagious, we  can truly take a “sick day” tomorrow and do nothing but play all day together, just the three of us.    How can there be any Boo-Hoos over that?   Now if only someone could invent  a toilet  paper for dogs…