Man Sick

We’ve all heard the term “man sick’ before and, while I try not to believe in generalizations, in my house this is a real thing. Both of my kids are sick. It’s nothing too terrible; just lots of snot (I hope you weren't eating). The difference between how my son reacts to sickness and how my daughter does is astounding. Little Man is about a day ahead on symptoms including the runny nose and low-grade fever. He hasn’t moved voluntarily from the same spot on the sofa in two days. I have to carry him into the bathroom and to the dinner table. He whines and cries every time he needs to wipe his nose. He is already a very affectionate child but now he won’t let me leave his side. Not a complaint, mind you, just a way of showing how truly pathetic he is at the moment.

The pout wasn't staged. He was actually making that face while watching T.V.

Baby Girl is also sick. She has the same runny nose, same low grade fever as her big brother. But somehow she is still running around in circles, pulling things off shelves and generally being a precocious 2 year old. See the difference? He is full on man sick (a trait he gets from his father, by the way) while she is mustering the energy for her usual shenanigans. And this isn’t something new in our household. This has been who my children are from the moment they got their very first sniffle. Little Man is a zombie while Baby Girl finds other things to do than worry about her illness.  

Also not staged. She's just naturally adorable.

The dynamic between the two of them during this time of illness has actually provided some mild entertainment for me. We’ve been doing nothing but watching kids shows and movies for a couple of days, all of which have been watched more than once in the last couple of weeks. You know how kids are, they pick a movie that they love for a short while but end up watching it so many times that they, and inevitably you, know the whole thing verbatim. That’s how I learned every song in The Lorax in 3 days. Anyway, now that her brother is withering away, Baby Girl has sensed the power shift and is now taking full advantage of his weakened state. She’s been sneaking up on him to poke him and then runs away in a fit of giggles. She will proudly steal his left over Cheerio’s (yes, I know it’s gross to eat his sick food, but I am only one woman) and gobble them down right in front of him. She is so proud of getting his goat that it’s hard not to laugh sometimes.

I know how this will end. Little Man will feel better in the next day or two and finally be well enough to fight back. I can already hear the screaming and unbridled anger over who gets to play with the new toy sushi set. But for now, I will enjoy the cuddles I get from Little Man and Baby Girl will enjoy her moment as King of the Hill.