So, I got the flu. I only catch it every 4 or 5 years, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. Got it the middle of last week and, with the help of my new friend, Tamiflu, I think I’m on the mend now. As soon as it was verified as the flu, Penny bugged out to Nanny’s (Penny’s mom) in Bonneau with all four kids. I did get a nice, “Hope you feel better… We’ll be praying for you!” from the garage as they were leaving. Actually, she did feel really bad about leaving me, but I insisted ’cause – we didn’t want them to get it, right?
Wrong. Now the girls are the only ones left at Nanny’s and Penny, Logan and Landon are back in the sick-house with me – everybody moaning and groaning from fever and pain, except Landon, so far. We’ll get through, I reckon. God brings humor to our home in opportune times to help us do just that…this scene unfolded this afternoon.
Logan hates taking his medicine. Tylenol. Motrin. Decongestant. You would think we are giving him cotton candy flavor chalk ground up in water. I even tried it and it tastes really good.
Well, today was the day for the showdown between me and Logan. He had a fever and we absolutely had to get the medicine in him, no matter what it took. I kept my cool and encouraged him for over 30 minutes, listing all the benefits the medicine would have for making him feel better, how good it tasted, how it would only take a few seconds if he just drank the medicine… only to be met with weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, mostly from Logan.
So, finally, I crossed that line. I threw all rational thought about family economics and the laws of parenting out the window and I said flatly, “Logan, I will give you TWENTY… FIVE… DOLLARS… if you drink this medicine right here, right now.”
Let me just interject and offer sincere apologies to our parents, our friends who actually practice good parenting, and our parenting mentors, Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo – you all taught us better.
Logan’s eyes brighten and he knew he had me. But here’s God’s humor sent down from above…
Logan says, “Well, Nanny gives me a quarter. Will you give me TWO quarters?”
I bit my bottom lip so hard it hurt and I looked down like I was thinking over the counteroffer. I finally looked up and said, “Deal.” He drank his medicine with a smile on his face and left me thinking about how things might play out six hours from now when we had to do this all over again.
Anyway, I wish you all good health and relatively sane parenting. Pray for us…
