Always A Show Of Some Kind

Living a life of gratitude means enjoying the good times to the fullest and remaining grounded in the awareness they won't last long.  Such is the life of tending to a toddler's health.  Elliott had skated through the month of January without a single visit to the doctor.  In fact, I had considered removing the pediatrician from our phone plan's circle of friends.  Thank God I didn't.  When Elliott's fever spiked at 102 Monday, it was comforting to hit speed dial and, with little hassle, secure him an appointment.  These days, I can almost lip sync the doctor's diagnosis.  "Well, there are a lot of viruses going around out there, and it also looks like he has an ear infection.  I'm going to put him on an antibiotic, come back and see me in two weeks to make sure it has cleared up," which is exactly what mama heard when she took him for treatment.

As usual, other kids in his daycare, the great viral incubator, have also been ill lately.  It is always easiest and most accurate to point the finger at daycare as the source of his illnesses.  Elliott and Ian did spend Saturday afternoon with grandma and grandpa while Katie and I celebrated Valentine's Day, so there are other possibilities.  But you hate to throw blame in the direction of such great favors, and they both appear as pictures of health today, so I believe daycare's guilty verdict will stick.

Katie and I had a great afternoon Saturday.  We ate lunch at the Olive Garden - something I desire to make a daily engagement at some point in my life.  With our bellies full and expanding like the moistened pasta inside us, we made our way to the movies.  We saw "New in Town", starring Harry Connick Jr. and Renee Zellweger.  I thought the movie was simple and entertaining.  Perfect for the occasion really.  Katie, her take was different and I must confess, a bit hard to understand.  She found it hard to believe that the two stars gleefully raced to their spots in the happy ending with so little development of their relationship along the way.  I had to remind her that she jumped on an airplane, flew over the Atlantic Ocean to St. Thomas, and married a man she had dated less than five months - oh, and might I add, before she had introduced this man to her parents.  I suppose a film critic or two might have thought that plot needed a little development.  Nearly 10 years and two beautiful boys later, I am pleased to say this film still gets rave reviews.  Again, I thought the movie was simple and entertaining.  

Katie is not the only media critic in our family.  Young Ian has become quite the fan of the television himself, and a picky viewer at that.  He was sitting on his "boppy pillow" Sunday facing the opposite direction of the TV.  He strained to lean his head over the back of the pillow and he began to watch the NASCAR race, settling into a view similar to what one might get standing on their head.  He thoroughly enjoyed the constant motion of the colorful cars.  I discovered just how much enjoyment when I  began channel surfing, triggering a fit of crying from Ian that didn't subside until the very moment I returned to the race.  We all have our shows I suppose.

Elliott watches some television , but he gets more enjoyment producing his own shows.  His big phrases these days are "watch this" and "did you see that", often expressed during the same event.  He was sitting on the toilet the other night, lid down of course, when he decided he was going to experiment with the handle.  He started by gently tapping it, but you could see his mind working.  He took a firm hold of it, said "watch this," and suddenly flushed the toilet.  He had never flushed the toilet before and the sound of the water rushing off to who knows where caught him by surprise.  He turned to me with a semi-panicked stare on his face and asked "did you see that?" 

Oh I see it all.  I thank God for such a view.