Pneumonia! It’s pneumonia!

So it turns out that Mark has pneumonia.  Pneumonia!  Here’s a tip for you: if you are ever feeling a little low on the mother guilt factor, try sending your child to school with pneumonia.  Mother guilt deficit erased immediately. 

I was speaking with my elderly neighbour about Mark’s chest x-rays, and she cheerfully replied, “Just be glad you live when you do, because kids used to die from pneumonia ALL THE TIME!”  Believe me, I am thankful every single day, for numerous reasons, that I live in the modern age, so I found that reminder unnecessary, although somewhat cheering.  I am a big believer in home remedies and natural remedies and vitamins and foods that heal, but I also love the miracle that is modern medicine. 

Speaking of modern medicine, Mark is already happy and on the road to good health, and he insisted on going to school today.  “I’m FINE, Mom, please stop asking” he sighed as I bustled around him, worrying and fretting and reassuring myself about his temperature.  I took him to school, not without phoning AND talking to his teacher in person, asking her to phone me if he even looked slightly listless.  Then I spent the morning checking my cell phone and rechecking my cell phone and phoning my husband to make sure the phone was still working.  It kind of reminded me of dating in the nineties.  “Is he going to call?  When is he going to call?  I have to go to the bathroom – what if he calls?  Did he call?”  What is dating like now?  Between texting, cell phones, email and Facebook, people are virtually connected all the time.  There are just so many ways to wonder if someone is going to call.

In the end, when I went to pick him up at lunch, Mark bounded out the door with no coat and no backpack, saying that he was going to go back after lunch and it was really too warm for a coat.  So it appears things are getting back to normal.  I’m looking forward to getting some normal sleep, although tonight is a school council meeting and that is never conducive to a good night’s sleep, unfortunately.

To calm my nerves this morning, I went to the garden centre, which is a place I should never be allowed to set foot in without supervision.  I now have a number of frost hardy plants sitting on my deck, just waiting to be planted.  Then I baked a giant pan of brownies, courtesy of Swistle, which are to be taken to the meeting tonight, and which turned out so well that I have been telling every random person I meet about them.  “Hey!  My kid has pneumonia!  But let me tell you about these brownies.”  I’m planning on adding them to my cooking blog, which right now has a terrific recipe for cinnamon bread, if you are looking for a great snack for kids. 

Now I’m off to my meeting where I am going to officially become the chair for the school council!  The chair!  Bossiness in action, let me tell you.