Murphy’s Law

The boy has a birthday party today for one of his best friends (although they seem to have one of those love/hate relationships that all kids have with their best friends, where all they do is bicker when they’re together.) Over the past day or so he was complaining about random aches and pains – which is his standard M.O. and we just sort of pat him on the head and say “Sorry to hear that”.  He complains like a little old man.  I know that sounds insensitive, but he’s just a very achey kid … “My back hurts….”  “Owww .. my leg is sore” “My ankles hurt…” etc. etc.  If a part exists on his body, chances are it’s going to be causing him problems at some point.

This morning I found him laying in bed with his television on but he was not watching the cartoons – and people, I’m not going to lie.  THAT is what finally caused me to take a moment’s pause and evaluate what was going on with my kid.  When cartoons are on but he’s not watching them, we are on red alert.  A cursory examination turned up a fever in the mid-102 degree range, and I don’t normally treat fevers because I think they need to serve their purpose – but when I mentioned that he may not be able to go to the birthday party the tears they started flowing.  So off to the store to buy Tylenol I went.

Oh, and I still had to pick up presents for the boy’s friend.  There I stood in the Bionicle aisle face to face with all the menacing creatures whose names always sound like household cleaning products.  The cartoons and comic books will have you believe they’re fighting an epic galactic space battle, good v. evil, but that’s all a clever ruse.  The only battle they’re fighting is the one against my wallet – and they always seem to win.  I had to “phone a friend” there in the Lego aisle and have Tom do a quick survey of which Bionicles are the “cool” ones.  Afterwards I stood in the birthday card aisle and briefly considered picking up an Elmo birthday card just to see the look on the boy’s face when I tried to be all “What do you MEAN Elmo isn’t cool anymore?  Really?  But he’s so cute!  I thought he was all the rage.”  Then I decided playing mind games with my sick kid for my own amusement probably wouldn’t have been one of my more shining moments.

Fever is down to 99.6 as of a few minutes ago, so it looks like he’ll make it to the birthday party.  You know, where he can infect all his friends.  Woo!  The circle of life.