courtney
ellie
Not Afraid To Use It
Jacob
Jill/Twipply Skwood
SciFi Dad
Seattledad (Luke,...
The Unbearable Ba...
Allie
Blogging Mama Andrea
We’ve been slowly introducing Z to day care over the last couple of months in anticipation of Dr. O’C returning to work. It’s been a pretty traumatic experience for both of them from what I hear, an experience probably best left to the protagonists to tell. Suffice it to say that Z is not yet a fan of day care. With Dr. O’C starting work this week it was to be his first full week at kiddie jail, as it’s known around the A Free Man household.
But Z got a temporary reprieve in the form of a winter bug and doctor’s orders not to send him to day care for the first few days of the week. Because Dr. O’C had just started her new job and thought her employer might be underwhelmed with her taking time off already, sick kid duty fell to me. My own work situation is pretty precarious, I’m really just barely staying ahead of things, for example I finished my Monday lecture on the bus coming into the city that morning. Regardless, I was looking forward to a rare weekday in sole custody of my son.
Things got off to a bit of a snotty start, as Z’s mood and health was pretty well illustrated by the photo above. He was whiney and clingy and unhappy – the very model of a sick child. In order to save my sanity, I bundled the boy up and hit the road. I am not a shopping mall sort of guy, but on another rainy Australian winter day, it’s the best I could come up with.
It was at the mall that I realized something wasn’t quite right. While Zach was roaring around the play area, an acorn of suspicion started to germinate in my brain. When we left the mall, the weather had cleared up and man and boy headed to the beach. As we were walking along the jetty at Brighton, with Zach chatting, singing and laughing, I knew I’d been had. It seemed, in fact, that his symptoms had vanished completely. As someone who’s phoned in with the blue flu once or twice in his time, I know a con job when I see it. I mean, look at that smile – does that look like someone who is too ill for day care to you?
Baby Z, you can’t bull shit a bullshitter.
I enjoyed our day together so much, however, that I kept quiet and didn’t grass him up when he started coughing, sniffling and moaning when his Mum got home. In fact, Z may have an accomplice in his anti-incarceration plan tomorrow.
Z and I thought we’d share a bit of our playlist from the day. Enjoy:
MP3: Ryan Adams – “Nuclear”
MP3: Count Basie – “The Kid from Red Bank”
MP3: Radiohead – “I Might Be Wrong”
MP3: Wolf Parade – “Modern World”
MP3: Morcheeba – “The Sea”
The albums from which these songs come are all available at 
.
Popularity: 39% [?]
Stumble Upon
Del.icio.us
Buzz
uh…..I think I feel a sniffle coming on. Can I join you guys tomorrow?
arizaphales last blog post..Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch
Yeah, he played you for sure.
You can always tell a really sick baby, because all they want is to sleep and snuggle. The sweetness of it makes it the snot streams and such more tolerable. For my boys it’s the first day or two on the road to recovery that they are ill and mean.
Jessica Ks last blog post..A Welcome Weekend
Love love love the double paci shot. I take it he switches them out to find out which one is more satisfying? Kinda like what he did to you guys today, eh?
Not Afraid To Use Its last blog post..Godsmacked at the Safeway
First…nice choice of the Ryan Adams’ song.
Second…I admire your son’s skills. I didn’t master the sick-out until junior high.
Mike from the Newborn Identitys last blog post..The Family That Tokes Together…
What is it about kids needing one paci in the mouth and one in the hand? J-man comes up out of his crib, double-fisting his pacifiers and that’s on a good day!
And I totally think you should call in sick tomorrow.
What a little con artist! That is impressive considering he’s what, less than a year old? Better keep an eye on that one.
It’s unbelievable how early they learn this shit.
And, combined with his looks? Ohhhh, boy, you’ve got trouble coming. You heard it here first.
maggie, dammits last blog post..the winds of change
When people like us become parents, we say things like “well, he’ll never pull THIS on ME!!! I know all the tricks, buddy.”
Problem is, we don’t EXPECT those tricks from our little angels. Looks like you had fun though. Well worth sacrificing a day of school.
Joes last blog post..This feels strange
i’m proud of that babyZ.
holly*s last blog post..tasty tuesday!
Give a kid a Tylenol, and he’s like new. So maybe Zach is really just sick enough to spend the day with dad (i.e. not to go to daycare). Our US pediatrician said the getting sick part will happen whenever you introduce a kid into a larger social group. So now, or when they start school. It does get better after about a year. And try not to get sick yourself. Sick parent and a healthy child is a really bad combo.
Ariza – today wasn’t as good, you didn’t miss much.
Jess – I think Z just skipped the sick cuddling phase entirely. He’s not much of a cuddler.
NATUI – the boy is learning. He got stashes all over the house. When we try to break him of the habit it’s going to be hell.
Mike – love that Adams song:
“When I saw her and the Yankees lost to the Braves
Sentimental geek
Shut up and go to sleep…”
Simpler times.
CMGD – did call in sick, now terribly behind at 2 jobs.
Courtney/Maggie – don’t get me started. I’ve got visions of trouble to come. The boy just reeks of it.
Joe – I’m beginning to expect tricks.
Holly – me too
Vera – knocking on wood, I’ve avoided the last two bugs that ripped through the house.
K, I’m back again. I didn’t notice the two paci’s until I read the comment up there. Grayson used to be the same way! He had one in each hand and one in his mouth at all times. We even have pics with two in his mouth! Breaking them of the habit is awful though, be warned. The dentist told us on Grayson’s first visit (2 yrs old) that he had to quit or he would need braces (so much for orthodontic paci’s). At nap and bed time for the next three days, he screamed and cried, “Why don’t you love me anymore? This is the worst day of my life! I don’t wanna be alive!” I hope to God the boy never tries drugs if kicking the paci habit was that terrible for him.
Jessica Ks last blog post..Dramatic Flair
The stuff of legend!
well done young man.
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..The seventh sense
What a little faker!