The unglamorous side of motherhood: (wait, there's a glamorous side?) is playing itself out in spades the last few days. Simone has had a low-grade fever for several days, one that meant she stayed home from daycare on Thurs. afternoon and Friday. But AH thought she was feeling better and so brought her to the coast as planned. She was not feeling better later that night, as the people in the hotel room next to us found out (sorry hotel guests!) and then as she lay limp and sad in my lap on the windy, stormy beach. Poor girl. We left early, took her home and she's been perking up, bit by bit. Then this morning, doing the Monday morning get-ready-rush and spooning cereal into her mouth - her face was covered in a splotchy red rash. And now her neck, and stomach and back...so no daycare. I cancelled my meetings, am skipping class and somehow have 4 hours of work I'm to make up this week, somewhere else. It's only fair, because AH stayed home on Thurs. afternoon/Friday "working from home" and looking after her. What I love about daycare is how they have these policies about how you can't bring your kid in, even when her illness has manifested itself into a non-contagious rash that marks the end of the illness, I did talk to the Dr. this morning and that's what they said - but you pay anyway. So I am home, not making money, and they are making money from my absent child. I understand how it all works...it's just frustrating. And maybe non-parents would think it too much, but would it kill the workplaces of America to give 5 days or so of "kid sick days"? Because I'm not sure how working parents are supposed to make this work. Perhaps I will mull this over as I mop the floor for the 80-bajillionth time. A crawling child + a child who drops her food all over the floor = a sweeping, mopping nightmare. I told you it was glamorous.