Tuesday, February 10, 2009

New Symptom!

To fully appreciate this, do explore The Tummy Ache, an entity that has not so much come and gone, but shaped Scarlett's entire existence and indeed, much of the family terrain.

Last night -- at bedtime, as usual--Terrible Headache joined Tummy Ache so neither would be lonely.

Scarlett, as her hand wildly tracks pain's progress: "Right here in my tummy. . .now, here! Over there! Oh! Worse in the middle!"

The Matron would have none of it. Fed up, all that. So as she was walking out, Scarlett reached into the recesses of her creative spirit and wailed: "Mama! It's actually The Cold Sweat! I have The Cold Sweat and that's worse than the others!"

Turns out, The Cold Sweat initiates copious weeping, as well.

Much tempted toward wry comment on the fact that The Cold Sweat was also invisible and intangible, the Matron held her tongue. Because earlier, she flat out said that--in her maternal opinion -- Scarlett wasn't actually sick (she stayed home from school because of The Tummy Ache), a statement that the Matron was forced to retract in a million different ways and manners in order for normal life to resume.

Well, as normal as it gets around here.

Beware. It's The Cold Sweat season. Be careful out there.

10 comments:

Jenny Grace said...

At least The Cold Sweat has a properly dramatic ring to it.

Karen Jensen said...

Oh, I do hate the cold sweat.

Ulrike said...

Dear Matron, I have been ridiculously busy with work and have hardly time to visit blogs. Just now, I am swamped with work, but I dared to take a few minutes to read your latest post. My work colleagues were a little worried when I began to choke with laughter, but it was worth it. My day is better now.
Oh, how the Cold Sweat makes one shiver.
Thank you.

Mary Alice said...

yes, yes....I have a quiz tomorrow at school myself....I do declare, I believe, I have a cold sweat coming on.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps I can declare that I am stricken with The Cold Sweat and get out of the four (4!) committee meetings I have tomorrow?

No, I thought not. Darn.

thefirecat said...

On the plus side, kmkat, we are of an age when Cold Sweat is a believable symptom.

Wait. That's not a plus. Never mind.

CraftRage said...

Heh. I was kind of a melodramatic kid, too. My mom cured me by becoming me.

When I'd start to throw a tantrum, she'd just join right in. She'd cry and moan and shriek and kick her feet, and I'd cry harder, and then she'd cry harder, and then I'd scream in frustration, and she'd scream in frustration.

Apparently it only took a couple of these episodes to cure me of the worst of my melodrama; I guess some activities are only cool if your parents are NOT involved.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. These are dire ailments indeed!

MN Landlord said...

I get the Cold Sweat right after the Hot Flash!

Jocelyn said...

Oh, crikey. I can never again claim my Girl tends towards drama.

She sometimes gets the epizeudy, but that's it.

Could you plant in Scarlett's brain the idea of the Hot Flash?