A Bunburying Day

Susie and I have been at it again. How tricky it is being three. She delights us by the things she says. She delighted me with her "schemas" (or early drawings showing a circle head and feet, eyes, and hair--not just "scribbles.") That is, until she drew schemas all over the counters (in black crayon) and a play table--I blame Elmo and the Elmo's World movies she got for her birthday. She is very sweet to "baby" and kisses and hugs and talks to her (my pregnant belly) often. She has also begun to tantrum (when hungry and tired). Susie has had some very late nights (or early mornings) where we have both struggled to sleep. Last night, unfortunately, was another one of those. This morning I noticed the remains of a fine rash all over her body...Roseolla? Normally, I would go back to bed after getting the big children off but she awoke early and the All Pro service man came just as I was headed (hopefully) back to sleep. Unpredicted snow flakes fell softly. I muddled along, so tired. In The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde, Jack Worthing, the plays protagonist and upstanding citizen, pretends to have a black sheep brother "Ernest" in the city who is often getting in scrapes and causing Jack to rush off and rescue him. In fact, Ernest is Jack--in the city. Jacks close friend, Algernon, suspects Jacks double ways and has his own Mr. Bunbury, an imaginary chronic invalid to whom he rushes off to visit at his deathbed. Bunbury becomes the catch all to the plays double life deeds. Today, I was Bunburying too. I thought of all I needed to do and instead spent the morning and early afternoon reading about abuse among the Amish (random, I know). Then I picked up Nicholas Sparks novel, A Walk to Remember. The sun was out, children coming home from school, and I read on and cried. (The movie is updated and in some ways because I saw it first, I prefer it to the book. It is still a sweet story). Children got home and spread out their Valentine party loot. The sun is setting and I have bunburried the day away...oh, well. It was nice to come "home" to my children and inform them that Mr. Bunburry was very "sick" and now his heart is better, perhaps.