Land of Make Believe 1-3-08

The Land of Make-Believe

I don't know about you, but I can vividly remember when pretending became difficult. My cousin Jess and I were big time pretenders...our favorite thing to play was always Little House on the Prairie...her being Mary and me Laura. Anyway...around the time that my little house dress would no longer button at the top , we began to find it difficult to pretend. I remember her and I talking about it one time. Funny the things that stick with you.

I am reminded of all of this because for the past two nights I have gone outside with my four year old and played (as best as I could) my heart out. We have to wait to go out until nighttime because all day we have Noah and thus can't go...so after dinner we get all suited up and brave the elements. Landon loves it. Last night we dug for buried treasure, paddled a ship, stoked the fire, gathered coal, caught and baked fish, talked like pirates, and then happened upon the coolest fort that the neighbor kids made in the commons area. This thing has three tunnels. Oh my goodness...it transformed into the bad pirate's ship that we stole. Tonight I laid in one of the tunnels and looked up for awhile...stars brilliant and so clear. I listened as Landon talked to himself (or me) and played his little heart out. His imagination is so alive right now...exploding really. I love to watch him, and it is contagious really. The ability to pretend has come back to me...slightly. If only to see Landon's face light up at my suggestion to play anything with him.

I have had a cold that lasted for about four weeks. Landon finally caught it a few days before Christmas, Noah came down with it on Christmas, and Jonathan a few days after Christmas. Anyway, Landon got better Sunday, but had a slight fever Monday. He was up Tuesday night saying his ear hurt, but felt fine Wednesday. Last night he was up a ton crying because his ear hurt again. When he got up this morning his face was white...including his lips. He looked like he would pass out at any moment. After he ate a little the color came back and by the time I got him to the doctor, he was perking up. He does in fact have an ear infection (he hasn't had one since he was...2!) and tonsillitis. Poor kid. Noah is still getting over the cold and tonight sounds terribly hoarse...Jon is still sick too. I am thankful we have not had any serious terrible illnesses this winter, but I feel like between the two kids...we have been sick a TON. Do they have weak immune systems? Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong? I nursed Landon for 14 months...did it do ANY good?!?!?! I am neurotic about hand washing and I try to feed my children well. I just don't get it.

Well, who knows what kind of night I am in for...so that is all for now. Wishing all of you moms out there an uninterrupted nights sleep...and non-mom's well, I envy you and your quiet house