Day 72

I got to be a Mom today. I know, I know, technically I am a Mom every day. But the older your children get, the less it seems some times that they need you for the day-to-day stuff. First they learn to go to the bathroom on the toilet, eliminating the need for you to change their diaper (Ok,  I must admit, that is one thing I don't necessarily miss). But the list grows shorter every year, from needing a hand to hold when they walk, to needing you in the pool with them while they swim in the kiddie pool. They learn to wash themselves, feed themselves, clean their own ears out, and go to the bus stop without a parent (beacuse Lord forbid someone sees you kissing them goodbye or waving as they drive away...).

Again, there is a large part of me that is happy my youngest has gained so much independance. Cuz let's face it- wiping a 10-year old's butt after he poops would be awkward.

But every once in awhile, a mother yearns to just be a Mom. A friend of mine gave me a book when I got pregnant called "I'll Love You Forever". In the book, the mother goes to her son's room every night while he is asleep until he is a man and sings "I'll Love You Forever" to him. She even sneaks into his adult home at night and sings to him, signifying the love of a mother doesn't falter just becuase her child is grown. In the end, the son sings the song to her while she lies dying in her own bed, then goes home to sing the song to his newborn son while he sleeps in his crib. Whenever I get home from work or play after my son has gone to sleep, I think of that book and make sure to kiss my sleeping son's cheek before going to bed.

Today, I had the opportunity to play Mom. The 10-year old came home from school yesterday complaining of a headache. The lovely Ohio weather is playing it's "60/30" games lately, and I figured it was a sinus headache and would pass. But he was still complaining about it when he woke up, eventually getting teary-eyed- a sign that he truly didn't feel good. He hasn't missed a day of school all year, so I told him he could stay home if he wanted and go back to bed. He put on a stoic face and said he'd be fine- they were watching The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at school today and he didn't want to miss it. But just as he was getting ready to leave for the bus, he finally gave in and said he wanted to stay home.

Mom to the rescue. I gave him some Tylenol, a Benadryl, and tucked him back into his bed, kissing his forehead and running my hands soothingly through his hair (a rare treat, as he usually balks at this kind of attention). He fell almost immediately asleep, another sign that he didn't feel well, and didn't stir for another 2 hours.

This was the first time he had ever taken Benadryl, and I must admit that I giggled a little at his groggy eyes and staggering walk when he woke up. If a 10-year old could look drunk, that's what he looked like. I set him up on the couch with blankets, pillows, and a glass of cold water, being sure to tuck in the blanket.

After another couple of hours, he was starting to sober up and said that although his head still hurt, it was much better than before. We decided to make a special trip to Chik-Filet, one of his favorite lunch spots, so he could get out of the house for a little bit. Once home, he took some more Advil and a nap, we watched an absolutely horrible movie together, then I fixed him my family's traditional sick-day comfort food- a grilled cheese sandwich.

After dinner, I told him that I had rented The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe on my Ipad for him so that he didn't feel left out at school tomorrow, and he could watch it in my bed. That earned me a hug and proclamation of being the best Mom in the world- two gifts more priceless than anything.

Today's pic represents the fact that being a parent doesn't stop once children are able to mostly fend for themselves. And aside from wiping poop- I am totally ok with that.