I”ll consider that bluff called

Ok, I really did consider posting this last night as it reads in the blog.  But then I showed it to Sara and she, having the modicum of taste I clearly don’t, encouraged me to give it one day to make sure Lila was really feeling alright.  And after losing the gamble you’ll soon read about, doubling down didn’t seem wise.  So, with Lila fully on the mend, I take you back 24 hours . . . 

I’ll consider that bluff called.

I don’t know if there are as many different kinds of tired as their are Inuit words for snow, but we are trying to find out.  All schools in the capital have been closed since March 12th, and not counting the two days we had to get ready,  we find ourselves heading into Day 8 of Distance Learning tomorrow.  And yes, by “distance learning” I do mean delivering instruction to five year olds over the computer.  So now I finally get to answer the age old question of what could possibly be harder than teaching kindergarten?  Ding, ding, ding, correct! The answer is . . . teaching kindergarten over the internet.

So, at nine o’clock tonight when we are finally getting the girls to bed and Lila comes out of her room for the third time saying she doesn’t feel well, I will admit to feeling less than fatherly.  Sara had gotten her settled, I had gone in for a snuggle, and we both just wanted five minutes to respond to the 97 Seesaw Notifications that had come in since dinner.  That being said, I gambled.  I called her bluff.  I told her that if her stomach was really feeling that bad, she might as well go ahead and throw up because it might make her feel better.  Granted, it was not incorrect advice, but clearly poorly timed.  In a future situation, I might decide to deliver that advice when she is sitting next to the toilet, not next to Sara on the couch.

I don’t know if you know this, but Brazilians mop differently.  They tend to prefer what you see in the photo below, which is sort of a giant squeegee on a broom handle.  

They either soak a rag in a cleaning solution, twist it around the squeegee part and push it around, or they splash that same solution on the floor and kind of chase it around with the squeegee head.  Either way, this device is very adept at moving liquids on hard floors.   

I now insert into your imagination all of the previously shared information, plus a squeegee, a dustpan, and a bucket.  Got it?  I certainly did.  And so while I wait for Lila to fall asleep, the floor to dry, and for the fan to clear the air in the apartment, I thought “why should I have all the fun” and grabbed my keyboard.

We are confident that Lila’s upset stomach is just regular old sick, but it is strange to be living in a moment where you worry about those kinds of things.  We hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected, and that there are still some little moments in your life where ordinary things happen, no matter how gross.

Love to all of you from all of us.  Be well, be safe, and be happy.