Pseudo-Sick Days

When I was younger, I loved sick days. Never one to receive the perfect attendance award, I probably missed a couple of days each school year due to some "illness." Don't get me wrong, some of these were legitimate sicknesses. Others...not so much. But the routine was always the same: pajamas or sweats all day long, chicken soup or some other "comfort" food for lunch, and lots of soap operas and game shows. Sick days were cozy and intimate, and I could truly relax while my Mom catered to my needs.

Fast forward about 20 years. I'm the Mommy now, and the world doesn't stop turning just because I'm sick. Daniel still needs his Mommy, whether she feels nauseous or not. He still needs to be dressed, fed, and entertained. Unfortunately, he's not yet at the age where an Elmo DVD will keep his attention long enough for me to put my feet up. Sick days now are more a nuisance than anything else. If I want the day to go smoothly, I MUST be at the top of my game -- physically and mentally. I can't tell Daniel to feed himself just because I feel like there's a dumbbell on top of my head. I can't expect him to play quietly in his playroom just because every muscle in my body aches. Mommies have to suck it up and deal with it. We are the caretakers, not the cared-for. This is what we signed up for when we decided to have kids in the first place.

So while naptime may give me a much-needed break, during which I may crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head, sick days as I once knew them are gone forever. Where's Mary Poppins when you need her?