We Interrupt This Program...

We had plans today and I was excited about them. We had been invited to a pond-study-birthday-party at a conservation area with some other homeschoolers. There's something about catching frogs, searching for tadpoles, and examining new species of bugs that gives me a little thrill. Believe me, I'm serious :) However, a little virus kept some us from all the fun.

We arrived at the park and I dropped off my oldest as Emily began to exhibit symptoms of nausea. She had been awake in the night with a slight fever but we thought she might "shake it off" by morning, as often happens with our kids. This was not the case today. I set up a mini tail-gate picnic for the three youngest and myself, far away from the group; thankfully, I had lawn chairs in the trunk from a barbeque the night before. The photographer in me dreamed disappointingly of toad legs popping through grubby fingers, sun-kissed faces peeking from behind bulrushes, and crouching kids pointing to unfamiliar insects. I had plans today, but my girl was sick.

After passing out some snacks to her siblings, I pulled my tiny daughter up on my lap, her body warm against my skin. She obviously felt better in the soft breeze and began to droop. I sighed and leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Birds sang to us and the sun soaked us in cozy comfort. I opened my eyes and watched a butterfly flit haphazardly around us. I deeply inhaled the fragrant peonies swaying in the heritage home's garden, adjacent to us. Then, I looked down and drank in the beauty of my sweet, dependent little one in my arms. Emily's long, black lashes had closed in heaviness and her grip on my arm had eased. I wanted to be nowhere else. I whispered a prayer for her health and confessed my trivial pursuit. While we waited for the party to end, I sat contentedly holding a precious interruption to my plans.

This is how Emily often sleeps. She slept the afternoon away when we arrived back at home. Poor girl.