30 Oct -- Rough Day...*Sigh*

So, no new pictures this post. Just some observations and updates. We've been battling a nasty cold with both Charlie and Jane for the last 4-5 days. I didn't think too much about it until today. Jane woke up so snotty and red-eyed and teary. Charlie woke up cranky and snotty and teary. Luckily Dan was around to save his children from utter Mama-meltdown this morning. After naps, I was all on my own until bedtime. We battled, we cried, we spent time in our rooms alone (both parties). Dinner came up on me suddenly (as it always does for some strange reason) and all the way up until Charlie crawled into his bed I was on edge. Vaporizers are running full blast, there's a smell of Vicks Vaporub in the air and the sound of little people coughing more forcefully than any body should cough.

There was one beautifully proud parent moment in the middle of the madness that just made my entire day and I had to share it. As I was nursing Jane right before bed, Charlie was in her room playing. He turned to me and said, "Bye Mommy, Elevator" as he pointed to the closet. Then he proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes getting on and off the "elevator". At one point I watched him as he pushed the button, waited for the doors to open and then entered the elevator, I heard him say as he shut the door, "[Floor] 2?...umm, oh yes, please!" Where he came up with this game is beyond me, but I absolutely loved watching his little mind work through the steps of riding on the elevator and it made my heart swell. Sappy? Yes. True? Absolutely.

Last observation, I've been avoiding the TV with Charlie (for what reason, I have no idea). But today I should have just given in and popped in an episode of "Charlie and Lola". I had to be the Mom that refused her sick-y babies a few hours of television reprieve. Somehow I thought I'd feel like a better parent at the end of the day for making it through without the "babysitter", but I just feel guilty and exhausted. I guess that's the glory of being a parent. No matter how miserably you fail one day, you have the knowledge that you get a fresh start tomorrow to perfect your parenting skills.