runny noses & jazz hands & baby blues

IMG_1515 IMG_1510 there have been icky-sicky-bugs floating around our home for the past few days. runny noses and all. phlegm phlegm phlegm phlegm phlegm. ridley's first cold. and elinor's, maybe, third? i am beyond grateful for two healthy little ones. i am kind of the worst at illness. being sick just makes me mad. personally, i hate being slowed down by all the nonsense. and over the years, my body has gotten the hint and learned to do a full-force sick day and then move along. when i get a cold, i have one day of miserable. just, nothing. on the couch. all the fluids and intense rounds of vitamin C powder treatment. useless to everyone. hardcore ick. and then, i usually wake up feeling 75%. still in recovery but definitely functional. this fast and furious approach is perfect for me. but that one day, man. it makes me all kinds of mad.

and elinor is a lot like me. she usually has one day of serious sickies. she is quiet. she snuggles. she is quiet. did i mention that already? she throws the white flag. she succumbs to the power of the cold and shuts things down for a day to recover. and while it is SO sad to see her like that (and while all the nose-wiping is, frankly, gross) i kind of like those rare sick days with my little girl. there is a lot of tea and snuggles and blankets and movies and reading. i soak it up because i know that the next day, she will flip the switch back to ON and resume regular operations. full force, even with some residual sniffles. loud and intense. unencumbered, despite her playtime being punctuated with coughs.

i feel so badly when the kiddos get sick. they don't understand what's going on with their bodies* they are tired but want to act like everything is normal. they don't understand why rest is good and fluids are good. they want to play! do all the things! and they just can't comprehend why they aren't allowed to enjoy their usual treats of gummy bears and ice cream from the grandparents. fortunately, elinor is going through a major satsuma phase right now so she is peel-and-eating about four of those babies a day. vitamin C and superfood smoothies and probiotics and essential oils, all around. tea with lemon and honey for elinor. and plenty of breastmilk for ridley.

from what i can tell, ridley likes to milk it just a tad longer. he likes at least three sick days. i think he is amused by the funny pig/pug sound that his nose makes when he is all stuffed up. and if it weren't for the constant supply of "boogies", you wouldn't really know that he is under the weather. he smiles through it all. currently, i am referring to him as our little slug bug. as he is leaving a trail of slime everywhere he goes. between the crawling and teething and banana eating and runny nose, things are incredibly slimy. so if you need me this week, i will be hosing down the house...

* fabulous story: a few nights back, elinor woke up a couple of hours after bedtime and yelled for papa. when he went in to check on her, she was sitting up in her bed and immediately asked, "what's happening with my nose?!?!" so so funny. but, poor girl. mucous is no joke. ben wiped her nose and tried to contain his laughter. it's one for the memory books. elinor's first truly snotty nose.

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oh, elinor. when she isn't busy honing her tiny tyrant skills, she is working on her other craft: entertaining. such a drama queen. she's emotional. she is the best mimic. a master of impersonations. a queen of comedic timing. a maven of improv. she is always telling stories or recounting recent events. she is delightful. such joy and spunk. such personality. so expressive. such gestures. such wild ideas. a glint in her eye. a smirk on her face. and that perfect dimple. this threenager stuff is no joke. but her jokes make it enjoyable.

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i can't get enough of these two. together. she is so aware of him. trying to meet his needs and help and play. and he is constantly trying to keep up and show off. elinor is the instigator. elinor encourages him. she messes with him. and ridley is ever so charming. and daring. he likes to surprise us. and while he is accommodating and sweet, he also knows the art of a well-placed strong arm. she is determined. he is determined. but their methods and manners are unique.

the two of them are quite the pair. so similar in so many ways. i see glimmers of elinor in ridley. i see flashes of ridley in elinor. bits and pieces of ben and myself in both of them. but with all their similarities, they are such individuals. they smile differently. they eat differently. they crawl and move differently. communicate differently. they have their own styles, approaches, preferences.

i love this season of life. watching their personalities grow. watching them interact. watching them relate to each other and the world around them. and i am so excited to see what God has for them...