It was an icy ice day

So while we made (surviveth?) it through the ice day, it was a little grueling, though not because Charlie was off from school.

When we woke up on Wednesday, we had no power. It stayed in the 30s all day (yes, it could have been far colder) and we spent some time driving around in the (nicely heated) car. But even we can't drive in the car forever and we came home, to a cold house. By noon, the lights were still out and Jim was worrying about what Charlie and I would do when he went into New York to teach an evening class on Wednesday evening. Charlie, as ever a creature of strict habit, was not inclined to wear his coat in the house, no matter how cold it got (because we've spent so many years emphasizing he should take off his coat once inside, right?). Nor was he willing to wrap a blanket around himself, as he has definitely come to associate such with going to bed. 

Fortunately, our electricity came back on by the early afternoon, Jim took the train into Manhattan for his class, and Charlie and I spent the rest of the day divided between home and car; the ice and a sniffling boy made a walk quite out of the question.  Charlie really wanted to go meet Jim at the train at 8.30 but Jim was not due back till two hours later. I figured, even if we did go a bit early, Charlie would insist on waiting for Jim on the train platform and doing that for more than a few minutes was not a good idea. Watching the Giant Timer, he stayed in the (pleasantly warm) quarters of our living room till Jim texted me that he was at the next town over and we went to pick him up. The ice day came to an end with us all back together in our white-car-with-an-unbelievable-amount-of-miles-considering-its-age (a year and some months).

Unfortunately, Charlie woke up Thursday sniffling and coughing a little. He was glad as ever to go to school and did well in group work and walked twice around the track. He was clearly worn out when he got off the bus and by early evening was sound asleep on his bed. Jim made a trip to our local Walgreen's for various over-the-counter remedies. Charlie refused some cough syrup when he woke: He's very used to taking pills and capsules (and does so 'the guy way,' without water, usually).

But how things change! While once a sick boy meant extra babying from his parents, Charlie, even while coughing and rubbing at his nose, made it clear that he preferred to be left alone and not have mom cooing over him and fluffling up the pillows. Except for briefly hanging around the living room and telling me he didn't want to go to school and then that he did ('no school tomorrow, no Phil'---'yes school!'), Charlie spent most of the rest of the day curled up on his bed with his trusty iPad.

Which is pretty much the best thing to do when you're sick, if you ask me, or on a cold winter's night.

Comments

[Jill]

How are Charlie's piano lessons going? Making music is a good way to pass the time.

[Karen Zack]

Have you seen the Robitussin cough medicine in capsules? It has been wonderful at our house, where none of the kids like the taste of cough syrup.