Magic to do, just for you

I didn't wash any sheets today, which I'm really happy about--it's the first time since Monday that I haven't washed sheets. That means that Rachel is feeling better. Unfortunately, I now have the stomach flu. Fortunately, I am much better at throwing up in the toilet, which, Rachel will tell you, is the best place to throw up.

She's still milking her illness as much as possible. She left the dinner table tonight claiming that she had to throw up. She didn't. But she held her head over the toilet (which is the very best place to throw up).

A few days ago she spat a vitamin into the toilet. When I asked her why she told me it was because she thought she had to throw up, but all that came out of her mouth was the vitamin. Funny how that works considering she was sucking on a vitamin.

Yesterday I tried giving her medicine again. She flat out refused (with a huge temper tantrum).

"Please let me give you some tylenol," I pleaded.

"No! I don't want any!"

"It will help you feel better."

"I don't want any."

She's got a cough in addition to the stomach flu, so I tried offering her a spoonful of honey.

"I don't need honey! No, no, no!" she yelled.

For lunch she wanted a tortilla with cheese. I had her on the BRAT diet by this time (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) and told her she could choose from those things. She insisted she wanted a tortilla. I decided to use this as a bargaining chip.

"I will give you a tortilla if you let me give you some honey, too. It will help your cough."

"No, mom! I don't need help with my cough."

"Why not, Rachel?"

"Because I just want to get better magically, okay? No vitamins, no honey, no tylenol, no cough syrup."

"Sweetie, sometimes our bodies need help getting better."

"Well, I want my body to get better magically."

"Listen. I'm not going to give you a tortilla unless you take a spoonful of honey. End of story."

Eventually I got her to take a spoonful of honey and I think it made her throat feel much better because later in the day she asked for another spoonful when her throat got all scratchy again.

She's feeling much better today, although she's still not quite 100%. To get her to rest in the middle of the day is like trying to waltz with a bear--she simply won't do it. I spent almost the whole day sleeping and I'm already feeling much better. It's almost like magic...