Another day slips by

Joey was sick today. I'm not sure if he had a bug, or if he just got so upset last night that he upset his tummy. He lost a tooth, but there was blood involved, and he really melted down. He was up and down all night saying his tummy hurt. When it was still hurting this morning, I just kept him home.

Which means I had extra snuggle-time with a little boy. I was curled up with my baby, in my room, watchin' us some Max and Ruby, snuggly-buggly. It was cold downstairs, it was warm in my room. All too soon he was ready to get up, Grandma was downstairs to check on him and see the missing tooth (and the cool blue car the Tooth Fairy left for him!), and the morning was gone. Just another memory.

Joey has been going to school since he was two and a half. When other kids aren't even wondering about school, just getting their first tastes of the world, Joey was getting on a big yellow bus and having a life away from me. Parents who choose to send their kids to daycares or babysitters at young ages don't know what I am getting at. Those who sent their kids into care because they had to work have an inkling. I missed those lazy mornings with my toddler, hugging and exploring and discovering.

A morning with me and Joey is a very special treat. I love Andy, I will miss the mornings I now have with him when he goes to school. I love having two boys bouncing on the bed and giggling. But I don't get a lot of just-us with Joey. I'm sorry he has to feel bad to have a snuggle-morning of just us. Taking out of school when he isn't feeling bad wouldn't be the thing to do, though- it would create anxiety for him to not have a schedule, to not have structure and activities. I know this because of vacations and weekends. Still, I wish we had more time. Some days he feels so very far away.