Fight Kying

As most of you know, Steve's job is ending next week - this week really - as Verizon directory assistance in Lexington (where he works) is closing.  As they've been transitioning calls to other locations in anticipation of the close, their call volume in Lexington has drastically dropped.  They offered to let people "surplus" out meaning take off without pay until they close then still get the severance package.  Steve instead has opted to use his vacation time rather than work the 9pm-6am schedules they've given him.  I can't blame him there as there's no way I could work all night and then keep the boys all day.  This started last week that he had vacation essentially and didn't have to go to work.  Which also happened to be when it warmed up outside.

So he had big plans with the boys last Tuesday - they were going to go buy a new kite and go kite flying at the park.  I found this out when I got home from work on that Tuesday.  As we sat down to dinner and said grace, I said at the end, "and thank you for the beautiful day today and hope for more of this tomorrow." Ethan tacked on "and go fight kying tomorrow, too."  I looked at him and then it hit me, "go kite flying?"  E:  "Uh-huh - fight kying.  We gonna go fight kying with Daddy & Owix."  Steve then told me they were going to go that day but errands and naps took up too much time.  OK - have fun boys and think about Mama stuck at work.

So Wednesday last week, I had to be there by 6:00am to help facilitate the technology for a video/web/conference call with our offices in Lexington, Asia & Europe.  As Ethan tends to wake up when I get up and take a shower and start moving around and I really didn't want him up at 5:00am, I took my shower Tuesday night and then slept downstairs on the couch so he wouldn't hear me in the morning.  This worked well in that he didn't wake up when I went to work; however, I also didn't wake up when he woke up puking at 3ish.  The miraculous part of this is that Steve didn't wake me up for it either.  He does NOT do puke.  However, Ethan had slept with him that night and had managed to puke, not in the bed, but off the side of the bed onto a pile of clothes.  Steve had only to remove Ethan's pillow case from the pillow and wipe Ethan's mouth to clean up the puke.  Realizing this made me especially happy that I hadn't gone upstairs in my sock feet to give goodbye kisses which I'd only decided against doing at the last minute.  Stepping in puke at 5:30 in the morning isn't a nice feeling.  So that was fortunate for me and when the boys & Steve did finally wake up, Steve was able to just take the pile of puked on stuff to the washer.

Unfortunately for Ethan, he had caught the stomach bug Steve, then Alex, had over the previous weekend.  Unfortunately for Steve, Ethan wasn't done puking.  And then unfortunately for Alex (& Ethan) this meant kite flying would have to wait another day.  I got periodic updates through the day, including that he puked all over the couch at one point and the comforter lovingly referred to as "mama's blanket."  The next time, Steve managed to give him the puke bucket (hospital basin) and the trash can.   Sadly, Alex had throw away the remote to our surround sound earlier and Steve hadn't noticed until AFTER the puking in the trash can.  Steve was less than thrilled as he actually had to clean that off.

I left work a little early (I'd been there since 6 so didn't feel badly about that) and went to get Ethan some gatorade as the poor kid hadn't kept down anything all day - crackers, flat ginger ale, nothing.  I got a new remote while I was there as it wasn't working after Steve cleaned it but ended up being able to clean the existing remote well enough to make it work perfectly again.  When I got home, Ethan waited for me at the door asking, "Mama - did you bwing me a dwink?  I don't feew good."  I gave him the gatorade and you'd have thought I gave him a shot of steroids or straight adrenaline because he immediately had energy again.  He managed to keep that down and then as he had applesauce for dinner while we ate chicken (again, poor kid) he said, "but I weally wanted some chicken, Mama."  He ate his applesauce though - baby steps and again prayed during grace to "pwease go fight kying" the next day. 

I then asked him to say "kite" - he obediently said, "kite."  Say "flying" - "fying."  Say "kite flying" - "kite fying."  Me:  So what do you want to do with Daddy tomorrow?  E: "Go fight kying!"  OK so he can say the words but the excitement jumbles them and honestly - it's just too cute to correct him. 

We finally got to go shopping for a kite on Friday but struck out the first 3 places we tried - including Sam's and Walmart - so had to postpone till Saturday.  Saturday was cold - so we did find kites but it was too cold to go fly them.  Sunday was the same.  So Ethan now has his kites and is patiently awaiting the next springy day so he can go fight kying with Daddy & Owix.  I personally would like to go also but will have many opportunities so won't deny them of the first shot they get just because I'm working.  As it looks right now, they may get to go on my birthday, Friday.  I just hope they get nice weather and I get pictures.