The kids and I have been battling colds over the last several weeks. The colds would leave and then come back around again in fickle fashion as if to say they love our family and can't let us go. Seriously, first Madison was sick, then Tyler, and then CJ. I got hit with Bronchitis when it was all said and done as the cold monster wanted to save its best for last. I haven't been sick like this in several years.
I got sick after the kids got over their colds and it's definitely no cake walk in the park trying to take care of little ones when you are sick with Bronchitis. In a single parent home, you don't have the luxury of having another parent right there to help you with the kids and tell you that it's OK for you to go to bed and rest now. However, what you do have is little ones who can make you laugh and still make you feel loved and special in some of the sweetest ways.
Tyler for whatever reason enjoyed trying to imitate my hacking cough while I was doing it. When I was done, I would just look at him with a puzzled look on my face and then he would stop and smile. The only thing I could do is smile back (internally laughing to myself) while telling him that it's not good for him to imitate my cough. All my kids can be comedians in some way, shape, or form, but I can never discount the fact that they are all like sponges. They are learning every day and watching every move I make so they can try to imitate me.
I know that one of these days, I won't have the pleasure in having my little toddlers follow me everywhere I go. I just cherish these moments until they become teenagers and then it's not so cool to follow dad everywhere. Recently, Tyler did one of the sweetest things for me. I was coughing up a storm while laying down to rest. Tyler was watching me and said to me, "Daddy, you're sick!"
The next thing I know, Tyler is running to my bathroom. He then proceeds to pick up his all-in-one potty seat, runs out of the bathroom, and puts it in front of my dresser as if he is trying to save me from imminent death. He then steps on top of it so he can reach the bag of cough drops on my dresser, takes one out, runs over to me and says, "Here Daddy, you need this!"
He smiled at me and I gave him lots of praise as he made me feel like I was worth a million bucks. If my heart was made of chocolate in that instance, it would have melted all the way down and then I would have really died. After the praise, he ran off with a big smile on his face as if he was a super hero running to save someone else. It was very cute to say the least. It's moments like this that make me wish that he never gets bigger or gets any older. Madison has the most innate nurturing characteristic out of all my children. She's always concerned about her brothers and I if we have an accident and get hurt. She would run to us and say, "Are you OK?" She will repeat it over and over again until you respond.
Madison is a very caring little girl but also very prissy. For all you parents out there who have prissy little girls, you know exactly what I am talking about. I'm actually thankful that she is all girl in a house full of boys, but there are times when the prissiness can make you want to go insane relative to her desire to change dresses or clothes in general ALL day long. Literally, it's an all day affair and it's not just a one day thing with Madison. It's an everyday thing that comes with the territory of having a girl. She is a very strong willed child who is usually good at using her charm with Daddy. Most of the time, I give in to her desire to change dresses and clothes at every request, but it can get old at times when she wants to change outfits one right after another. You can't help but love her soft voice say, "I want wear this, I want wear this, I want wear this, Daddy, please, I want wear this, I want wear this Daddy, please!"
In the same breath, these are the moments where you can't wait for them to get a little bit older so they can change themselves as much as they want without hounding Daddy to do it about a dozen times a day. Patience is very key in dealing with dress drama. In due time, it should get better...at least I think so? :)
