for today, at least.

Avi had been complaining that his right ear felt like it was full of water and he was having a hard time hearing out of it. I gave him a decongestant and decided to watch him.

While we were at the library yesterday, he hit the right side of his head on a bookshelf, and experienced a great deal more pain than he should have.

We quickly finished at the library and went to the grocery store to pick up a few things we were out of, some stuff for dinner that was easy to make, and a few comfort things for Avi.

In the meantime, I was beginning to not feel so hot. It soon became apparent that both LD and I had caught some sort of GI somethin' somethin'.

I went home and was feeling pretty crummy. Rice agreed to make dinner, bless him, and I called the clinic where Rice's uncle works to see when he was on. He was working, so Avadore -- whose eyes were now glassy, face was flushed, and was warmer than he should be -- and I went to the docs, after a dose of Motrin.

We were in and out, very quickly, with a diagnosis of the beginning stages of an ear infection in Avadore's right ear, which is what I expected. I went for the prescription to help clear up the infection.

What I didn't expect:

Rice's uncle is an excellent doctor. For a long time he was a partner in this local clinic franchise, but in the past few years the doctors sold the clinic to a company, though they continue to work there. I knew that Rice's uncle never charged Kenny before he sold the clinic, and when we took LD in for a second opinion concerning CF, he had us come in after hours so he wouldn't have to charge us. I went in yesterday fully expecting to pay the doctor's fee and to pay for a prescription.

When Rice's uncle gave me the diagnosis he apologized for not having any samples to give me, and that I'd have to go pick up the prescription. He also apologized that I'd have to pay for the doctor's visit. I had to smile. None of this was a big deal to me. I wanted my kid to see a good doctor and be treated, which I why I took him there. And I don't mind giving Kenny's uncle the business.

But then he said that in the future he made house calls and would be happy to come by when he wasn't working if we needed anything. He told me the hours he's working today, in case Avadore needed anything else, in case the antibiotic didn't work.

***

I had plans for today, but after early yesterday evening, I suspect we'll all stay home and rest. Maybe make Avadore his cookies he asked for yesterday.

***

Yesterday, while filling out paperwork at the clinic, Avadore coughed into his hand, and then put his hand on the counter. I made him fold his arms until we could wash them.

But that's how my kids get sick, and then how I get sick -- someone puts their germy hands somewhere and my kids just suck up the germs.

***

After making my blog post the other night about my step-brother's girlfriend, I did go and post in her journal, telling her very briefly my impression. She wrote a very nice e-mail back, thanking me.

It's a start...

Because this is the thing: I keep holding out hope for my step-brothers. They're not all bad, obviously. And some of them have been very nice. Most of them have been very nice, with moments of complete ... um ... not so nice. (Not all of them, of course.) But I've never met one of them, and have only briefly spent time with two others. I lived with the two others for a while, and have seen them/had contact with them in the fourteen years since, every so often. (There are five, total. One I haven't met, two I have spent time with over a couple days, and the two I lived with.)

My step-mother would like us to be friends, even family. She tells me some of the things she and my youngest step-brother talk about and I think there's potential there. But in the end, with most of them, any connection ends up being an insult or an e-mailed picture of a really hawt green sports car with no message, other than the obvious "Like my new hawt car?"

***

So my day will be spent being quiet, trying to force some more order on this house :), spending time with the kids, trying to recouperate, reading some Heinlein, writing some more (which, incidentally, I had evidently been doing a good bit of before I moved in a notebook; I had just forgotten until I opened the book O_o), and hoping this all passes soon. Avadore had a birthday party to go to tomorrow for his cousin (grandson of the fine doc), and he's really been looking forward to it. And blast -- we never got to shop for a present yesterday, and probably won't be able to today.

And Rice's birthday is Thursday. He will be not really so old.

He is not sure what he wants to do, so it's up to me to figure it out. I do have some ideas, but, as always, suggestions are welcome.