Friday, January 04, 2008

An Afternoon With Chloe

I had to leave work early yesterday because Chloe was sick and no one else could easily pick her up. It was Pa Paw to the rescue. When I arrived at the daycare all was dark. All the little kids were on their cots and lost in their dreams. Chloe was out like a light so I gently got on my hands and knees to wake her. Even illness didn't hide her joy that I was there to get her. We gathered her things and headed out the door. Now even a Pa Paw's love doesn't reduce a fever so we needed to stop at the drug store for some medicine. Every store is a nightmare if you have a child. Candy and toys seem to be everywhere you turn. This time is was small cars that got her attention. I steered her towards the blue VW Beetle with the flowers all over it. It reminded me of my first car back in the sixties. Unfortunately, Chloe showed yuppie rather than hippie tendencies. She chose the very flashy, bright yellow, Audi Sport Coupe. We eventually made it home where we had a major disagreement over the value of medicine when you are sick. As many of you parents know, it is virtually impossible to give a child medicine alone if they really don't want it. Chloe is no different. I could not hold her down with one hand while dispensing the medicine with the other. OK, I thought. I'm supposed to be the smart one here. What can I do? Well, a teaspoon of medicine mixes well with a shot glass full of chocolate milk. Down the hatch it went! Feel free to use this method with your own children or grandchildren.

My wife and I received a new alarm clock for Christmas. We can't seem to get the hang of it. It's one of those clocks that shines the time on the ceiling in red numbers large enough for me to see without having my glasses on. Chloe, however, found this a bit scary and we had to turn it off when she spent the night on New Year's eve. I believe she thinks the numbers are a door that opens into an alternate universe on the other side of the ceiling. My wife can't seem to get the alarm properly set. It seems to go off whenever it pleases plus it has changing volume and intensities. Here are the four random stages that it appears to go through.
  1. Awaken, my darling love, it is a new day.
  2. My precious one, it is time to get up.
  3. Are you going to get up or what????
  4. GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE BED NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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