Disappointment comes in so many options, so many reasons, and ways. Some, of course, simply cannot be helped. I had such high hopes for this weekend, and I was managing to get to that goal. However, here is that proverbial “but”, I have two kids. My son, who is 12, and my daughter, who is 16 months. My son is easy enough, he’s more than self-sufficient, a wonderful helper, though at times a little bananas (ADHD), but my daughter. HAH! There’s the catch. I love her, she is my little gremlin, I call her Nugget. Like a golden nugget, so beautiful and perfect in her natural state, if not rough around the edges.
Yet, how do either impact my work? My son, pretty much never. He enjoys his video games, listening to his music, reading, playing with his Roblox toys and the like. My daughter, well…she has some serious health issues. Tubes in both her ears, needs her adenoids removed-anticipate that to be early this year when we have to replace her tubes (because of the adenoids), and two holes in her heart. She’ll be getting surgery on her heart most likely around her second birthday this year. Her adenoids, however, are a more prominent problem at the moment. She goes to daycare when I go to work for my day job, and as all children, she gets Everything those other babies get. So she has a cold, she has her big girl teeth (molars) coming in, she has a runny nose. She has had more colds in her 16 months of life than I’ve had in the last four years-and considering I am Constantly sick (though my tonsillectomy last month should help cure a Lot of those illnesses) that is not good.
The last several nights have been my Nugget waking up in the middle of the night, for Hours. Hours, and hours, and often she’ll go to bed after one bout, and wake up again for another round of being up, sickly, angry, for hours. It’s always about 2-4 hours, so my options for sleep, my ability is taken away. So was my writing opportunity. It’s frustrating, and exhausting. While I will still finish my book this week, my deadline is the 19th, I did not meet my planned goal. That’s what children are about, though. They come first, no matter what’s going on. Oh, I know what to do for my little Nugget. Nasal sprays, rinses, cool mist humidifier, etc. etc.
Today, this week, gives me an opportunity. A winter storm has hit Texas, and SE Texas is not accustomed to such severe winter weather as this, we are generally not prepared in the same way you would see northern states. We’re not Oklahoma, or Colorado, prepared with drivers who brave the storm and salt the highways and roadways. So, work from home I shall, while enjoying a joyful cup of hot chocolate! My chitlins are home with me, and I still have work, but I can make this work!
Mikayla Elliot 