Tribute to a good husband

Two nights ago I was in high anxiety mode. Our pediatrician's office, while wonderful in many ways, is not the most efficient place in the world. I had called last Wednesday to renew Sam's Adderall prescription. I left a message with our usual nurse and forgot about it until Monday when we gave the last lonely pill from the bottle. Oops on me, but what the heck was up with them, forgetting me for three whole days? Well, the nurse was sick. (Doesn't it seem like someone should have picked up her work? Hum.) And when I called in a panic on Monday morning, they informed me that the doctor was out that day and no one else could write the prescription. I don't think that was right; we've had another doc in the office write it before. But they wouldn't budge. So we would not have meds for Tuesday morning. And that is what put me in high anxiety mode.

I couldn't stay home with Sam. I couldn't send him to school unmedicated. I might as well send him with a lit grenade. I considered some alternatives I've heard of, namely Jolt cola or whatever the current equivalent is. Adderall is a stimulant, and I've heard that caffeine can have similar effects if you're in a pinch. However, we maintain a no-caffeine household, and although I make exceptions to that rule for myself a few times a year if I'm on a long drive or working late, I don't want to start explaining exceptions to my kids quite yet.

I went to bed Monday night not knowing what to do (and dreamed first about either God or Dumbledore -- I couldn't tell which -- peering very searchingly into my eyes, and then about adopting and giving birth at the same time and having to decide whether to keep the adopted child or return him to his grieving birthmother, who happened to be a lady who does freelance writing for me for work fairly regularly -- all very weird). I went to the gym early Tuesday morning still not knowing what to do.

When I came home, my wonderful husband offered to stay home with Sam for the day. Hallelujah for a man who has a good heart and a flexible schedule! And mad housekeeping skillz! I came home to a sparkling kitchen and clean toilets, vacuumed carpets and -- this is the funny part -- a kids' room void of toys. Oh yes, he kept the little guy home, too. They teamed up to dump out every toy bin in their room. Rescue Heroes, Legos, Duplos, plastic animals, Little People, superheroes, dress-ups. All in a pile. So my husband (who had been napping, not that that's all bad, but I did tell him that he should have known that chaos would ensue) scooped them all up and locked them in the shed. He told the kids that the toy troll came.

He's a different person from me, that's for sure. But I do think I got a good one. Thanks, Glenny!