Insane in the membrane (Insane in the brain)

Nicholas woke up yesterday and today complaining about a sore throat. My guess is that he just had a case of early-morning dry throat, so I told him to drink some water and put a couple of cough drops in his pocket to use during the school day, if he needed to. Still, I cringed a bit at the idea of another sick person in this house.

A few weeks ago, I had a cold that left me wishing for the sweet release delivered by a double dose of benadryl. Once I felt better, Nick got it. Now the girls have it. Hmm. I wonder who will be next. The boys? Duh.

When we woke up yesterday, the outside temp was about 38 degrees. "PANTS," I yelled up the stairs. They both came down wearing pants. It was one of those rare occasions when they didn't argue with me. I am, after all, the one who checks the thermometer every morning. Perhaps they actually trusted that I knew what I was talking about.

Today, after I checked the temp again, I told Nicholas, "It's just as cold as yesterday. I think you should wear pants." Too late. He was already yanking on a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt. I repeated my statement and walked downstairs.

I gave up looooong ago trying to dictate what they wear. The only reason they consult me about their clothes is to discuss what matches or what fits. Other than that, if Ben wants to leave the house in shorts, a sweatshirt, flip-flop shoes and a pair of black socks, I let it go. I might mention to him that it's a less-than-stellar look, but if he indicates that he doesn't care, the subject is dropped. There aren't enough hours in the day to waste them on clothing arguments.

So Nicholas came down the stairs in the shorts and t-shirt. Over the next 45 minutes, I might have repeated myself another 4 times. "It's not even 40 degrees. I think you should put on pants."

At 8:15, he hoisted his backpack over his shoulders and started to walk out the door.

With no coat.

I lost. my. shit.

"GET A COAT ON!!! ARE YOU NUTS?! IT'S BAD ENOUGH YOU'RE IN SHORTS AND A T-SHIRT IN 40 DEGREE WEATHER!!"

I might have yelled some other things that would have immediately taken me out of the running for "Mother of the Year."

Yeah yeah. I know. Raving lunatic?

In my more lucid moments, I know full well that people get sick from GERMS, not from being chilly. I also know that being cold would have served as its very own life lesson. However, it can be very hard for me to hold my tongue.

So what happened? Who knows. Maybe in that moment, like a bazillion other moms before me, I was completely sick of not being heard. Maybe I was desperate to avoid another sick child. Maybe I'm not as good at letting go of the control as I thought I was. Maybe I expected a 9 year old to have a bit more common sense than this. (You can stop laughing at me now.) Maybe I'm just a loon.

Well, whatever the case may be, I've spent the better part of the day annoyed with myself. It was a huge to-do about nothing. There's been a lot of, "I bet ______ never yells at her kids like that for no stupid reason." (Again, you can stop laughing.)

*sigh*

Just another day in the life....