How Can You Tell When My Kids Are Sick?

[dr_pretentious]

Okay, I could tell because of the 105 degree fever. But for those playing along at home, you can tell when I'm caring for a sick kid by the length of my weekly post at Black Gate. Here I relate, with uncharacteristic brevity, some wacky hijinks of Client Parents from Hell.

Meanwhile, I'm learning how to medicate a balky toddler by means of a nebulizer. Note to designers of medical devices: loud mechanical noises terrify young children.

Conrad is going to be fine. Once he's fine, we'll continue be frazzled wrecks for a week, but that's a perfectly acceptable trade.

Gareth is handling his brother's illness graciously about half the time, helping fetch and carry, and comforting Conrad. The other half of the time, Gareth is acting out to get his share of the attention back, and freaking out about whether any of us are going to die, because I made the mistake of admitting to Dan that there were a couple of hours when I really thought the respiratory virus might win. Gareth and I had a long conversation about what he wants me to do with his body if he dies before me. He really, really needed to tell me that, and to hear me say I was planning for all of us to live long, happy lives. Gareth is going to be fine, too.

Somehow, despite all these goings-on, I'm making some headway on my new short story, and have arranged to be part of Broad Universe's Rapid Fire Reading at Lunacon in Rye Brook, NY, March 15-17. More information on that as it comes in.

Comments

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Glad you are all going to be OK. Take care of you and yours.

[arianthe.livejournal.com]

Good grief 105 - what a nightmare, and I have no idea how you handled having that conversation with Gareth - I would have been a weepy mess.

The Client Hell stories were quite amusing and upsetting. (Client Hell Dad: Dude.... Really? ) I'm trying to recall how many writers make millions, but i'm fairly certain without a movie deal the list is really short.

I really like the advice on writing about a book you don't enjoy - it will likely help when i go to work with the kids next year.
Keep on keepin' on. Health to your family

~Your friend with zero punctuation skills and enough bad writing habits to make you shudder.

[j'aime wells (from livejournal.com)]

Sorry to hear Conrad has been so sick! Yikes. Hope he feels better soon!

Whoa, that Client Dad! O_o Because clearly no one gets into college without being a published writer. Um, what?

[showingup.livejournal.com]

Oh, how terrifying!

I once had a 105 degree fever. I don't remember much about it, except that the hospital called my parents in case I died, and the poor registrar told me the next day that I'd landed him a punch in the face when he tried to do a blood test. My parents were completely freaked, and I was in my 20s. For a little one to hit that temperature must be scary as hell.

So glad he's doing better. I send much good reiki your family's way. Big hugs all round.

[amushink.livejournal.com]

Re: client parents from hell ( the dad who expects his kids to be published authors in secondary school) it is for parents like this that an entire industry of pay-to-publish journals has sprung up. I receive solicitations for these regularly during the school year. "Your daughter's poetry has been selected to appear in a Young Talent Poetry Publication... Yadda yadda, send us fifty bucks." I always wonder what idiot falls for this scam? Your post has answered my question. Hope Conrad feels better soon.