Sick little boy and a tired grandma

Brayden spent the day with me again because he was too sick to go to his other babysitter's. The poor little guy was SO sick this morning -- just hacking and wheezing and not wanting his mom to go to work (I felt as bad for Mary as I did for him -- it's so tough to walk away from a sick child, even when you know he'll be well loved and taken care of -- it's still not YOU taking care of him). The cough just got worse and worse, and then about 8am he started vomiting too. That actually turned out to be a good thing because he got rid of a lot of the mucus that was so bubbley in his chest. But, like any little one, he hates throwing up and he doesn't understand why it's happening, and he pretty much fights it. But we got through it, and he settled down into Umpa's recliner with a pillow and blanket and watched his Baby Einstein movies for awhile. We read some books and played with his gyroscope (purchased at a rummage sale last week for .25 and it just fascinates Brayden) and generally tried to keep activities quiet. By 10:30 he was hungry, so I gave him a few crackers and a cheese stick, then he asked to go for a nap (yes, that's right -- he asked...lol) He slept for about an hour and a half...

And was UP AND READY TO ROCK N' ROLL!!! Oh my goodness, did that child have energy! Although he still had a runny nose, his cough was very minimal and there was no holding him back. He wanted to ride his bike, he wanted to ride the lawn mower, he wanted to pull weeds (who am I to deny him the pleasures in life? Yes, Brayden, you can pull weeds....), he wanted to chase the cat and play with his cars and blow on dandelions and push his wheelbarrow and get the mail and help me hang out clothes and and and...

And Umma is just plain tuckered out tonight! From the frazzle of having a vomiting child to the frazzle of having an over-energetic child... wow. He hasn't worn me out this much in a long time!

I have a Brayden story to share. I have a large rubber tree in my computer room. When Brayden arrives in the morning, his job is to get a bottle of water and water two plants -- one in the kitchen (see him at work in picture on the left) and one in my office. He doesn't spill a drop and I don't even have to supervise anymore. One day he went into my office to water the plant, and came running back to the kitchen, grabbed my hand, and said, "Come, Umma" and pulled me into the office. He stood in front of the rubber tree and showed me where one of the smaller limbs of the tree had fallen off and was laying on the floor, with a few almost-dead leaves scattered nearby.

He pointed at the limb and leaves on the floor and said, "Umma - WEEDS!" :)

This is why I babysit for my grandson. It's lovely to see the world through the eyes of a two year old again.