30 days in “the hole”

April 26, 2013

Or 5 days with a sick almost-2-year-old toddler…which would you choose? You’d choose the sick toddler? OK, tough gal (or to my 2 sweet guy friends from high school who are men enough to actually admit they read my blog–tough guys), how about 5 days stuck inside with a sick toddler in a tiny apartment four floors up in the air without an elevator? Still think you’d choose the toddler?

After about three days of the feverish little guy’s whining, sniffling, and waking up screaming every hour from midnight until 6 a.m., I was dreaming of a sweet, restful, pampered stretch in a minimum-security prison…a cot all to myself, hot meals served to me, the stretches of outdoor time in the “yard” walking dreamily around in the sun…pure bliss…

Along with the little guy’s cold, I’m admittedly having a little trouble transitioning back to life as a city mom. I have so much help when I’m in PA. My BFF’s beautiful daughter, Kerri, has been my mommy’s helper.

She is wonderful with the little guy and he loves her. Last summer, she watched him for me a few times a week so that I could get a little whiff of freedom–a trip to K-Mart or ShopRite…woo hoo.

I thought I’d be thrilled to be back in NYC after a LONG winter in Pennsylvania. Yes, it snows in NYC, but as long as Mayor Bloomberg isn’t in the Caribbean, plows come along every hour or so and clear it up. Someone else digs out the steps and sidewalks. It’s magical for about 12 hours, and then it’s just dirty for a day or two after that, and then it’s spring.

I’m usually OK at handling boredom. About a decade ago, I got trapped for a week in the Poconos by a snow storm. I took that time to teach my cat to fetch. Seriously. But there is something different about being trapped inside with a sick baby in the city. There’s no way to get a breath of fresh air. Even when he goes down for a nap, I can’t just walk down 4 flights to the stoop. I’ve never been claustrophobic, but the walls were starting to close in on me.

Then I had to get him to the pediatrician 24 blocks away. I didn’t want to take him the whole way in his stroller, so I had a brain wave and thought, “How hard can it be to get him, myself, the stroller, and his diaper bag on the city bus?” Harder than I ever imagined…I looked like such a dorky clod that three different ladies on the bus took pity on me and jumped up to help. He did love the bus, though. So much so that this weekend, D and I are taking him for a round-trip bus ride to nowhere, just for fun. Who says NYC isn’t fun for kids!