Sick day

Rachel's throat really started bothering her Sunday night after her chorus performance, and Drew warned me that if it kept up on Monday, she might have to stay home from school.

That prediction came true. Drew said he woke Rachel up as usual, but she was so sick that he sent her back to bed with a Ricola and instructions to sleep. Then he came into our room, told me that Rachel would be home for the morning, kissed me goodbye and left for work.

I got up, showered, dressed for work, came downstairs to do my blasted exercises to rid myself of this damn plantar facia (the exercises, at morning and at night, take an hour total out of my day -- an hour that I really can't spare, but I have to do them anyway) and then, as I was finishing up, Rachel crept down the stairs. She looked spent. She came up to me, put her arms around me, leaned her head into my stomach and sighed, "I'm glad it's you." We whispered to each other while I got out breakfast, and then, after she'd eaten some cereal and some homemade gingerbread, she perked right up.

We had fun telling each other what our dream houses would contain. Hers: A swimming pool filled with chocolate and a taffy diving board; a room filled with candy; a holiday room where you just press a button and "Happy Hanukkah" lights up, with blue and white patterns; a huge backyard with a treehouse so big that there'd be rooms for Mommy and Daddy; a pet room; and a subway connecting everything. Mine: A huge kitchen with two wall ovens and an eating nook; a big master bedroom with room enough for a sitting area; a mud room; a front porch and a screened-in back deck.

Sigh.

Then she decided we should play Monopoly. So, we went up to her room and she honestly kicked my butt at the game -- this, while following all the rules and pointing out the rules written out on a pamphlet that came with the game when I questioned her. Then she called Daddy to tell him that she beat Mommy and Monopoly. And then I made her lunch. She wanted egg noodles, and demolished a plate of them, plus a glass of milk, plus two Thin Mints for dessert. Yeah, she was definitely feeling better. So, I scooped her up and we took the Metro to Daddy's office. And I went in to The Post to work my night editing shift.

She is back in fighting form today.