Lessons in Sinuses, Dry Ice and Music

Cillian, our dear Cillian, has been dealing with a nasty sinus infection. When I took him to the pediatrician's office, it had been after a week long cough, runny nose with mucus that changed from clear to yellow to green and then the cough kept staying wet, not getting better and then started making Cillian throw-up because he was coughing so hard. As you all can recall from Feb, I reached my limit with throwing-up. And I was sad to see him not getting better. And again, it's tough with Cills because he can't say, "mom my ears hurt or my head hurts or my throat hurts." There is just crying and screaming.

So they set up an appointment for the same day like an hour from the time I called (I love this office) and the pediatrician (NOT A NURSE - a real, honest to GOD pediatrician!!!!) told me that Cillian clearly had a sinus infection. A bad, nasty one. So he was given amoxicillin and he told me to give him probiotics to help fend off the diarrhea that so lovingly accompanies amoxicillin. Then he was taking notes in the chart and looked up at me and said, "I see you have another son." I said yes and he asked me, "So what do you do with him - Cillian is in 4 therapies a week, what do you do with your other son?" I told him he was in school during the week and that he did hockey on Saturdays with my husband. He looked at me again and said, "Okay, but what do YOU do with him. Alone."

I sat quietly for a moment and then said, "well, we read together every night but we don't do anything 'special' together." And then the pediatrician told me, "Change that."

So I thought about what James and I could do together and I asked him if he wanted to take piano lessons with me. He was so excited. There's a music place right up the street from us - where I got my ukulele restrung - and they do lessons. We go every Tuesday night - me and James. We walk there, take our time, enjoy our lessons and walk home. The long way. It is the best time. It is just our time. Thank you to our pediatrician's office for helping me find another joy and a very special time with my son.

One time after music, we came home and Doug's Mom had sent us popsicles from this place near them that just does all natural stuff. The popsicles came packed in dry ice. I don't think I have to tell you how excited Doug was to show James dry ice. I took photos of the big to-do.