Karate photo essay.

Learning the proper technique.

I must confess. . .

Yesterday morning Turner says his stomach hurts. Andy and I go through a list of potential causes, trying to assess his symptoms. No fever. He feels full. But, no, he doesn't need to poop. He doesn't want breakfast though he takes some Life cereal in a snack bag. I take my seat at the kitchen table intent on making chapter five appear. At 9 am I am talking to an empty kitchen about "group think" and Andy calls. Turner has thrown up at school.

I rush out of my robe, into dirty gym clothes and boots, and out the door.

Turner looks so sad and pitiful when he shuffles toward me in the nurse's office. I ask, "Did you throw up in class?" I'm concerned that he is embarrassed for getting sick at school. This, I learn, is just a girl concern. "No. In the bathroom," says the nurse. I smile at her. She says, "I didn't take his temperature. I was afraid it would make him throw up more." Okay. So.

Turner walks out the front door of school, takes a little jump off the last step, and runs to the car.

We get in the car and I ask him to tell me what happened. "I mean, how are you feeling now?"

"I feel like I need to go home and watch TV."

"Oh yeah? Well if you're sick, we need to drink fluids and rest."

"Yeah." Pregnant pause. " On TV when the kid gets sick they get to lay around on the couch and watch movies."

"This is life. Not TV. So, where were you when you threw up?" I pull away from the curb and head home.

"I must confess. It was more like spit up than throw up."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Who did you tell that you'd thrown up?"

"Ms. Tara. But I didn't tell her I threw up."

"Okay. What did you tell her?"

"I just took off running to the bathroom with my cheeks pushed out with air."

"Hmmm. I can understand how she misunderstood."

"Mom I didn't really feel good."

"Okay. Just know that mom has work to do today, so it isn't a play day."

He eats his lunch on the way home. Fake chicken nuggets. Honeycrisp apple. I won't let him drink the juice box. Sugar and upset tummies don't go well together, right?

When we get home he lies down on the couch "to nap." Two minutes later he is in the kitchen asking what he can do now. He does some homework. He wanders the house a lot. He completes a few activities in the Pirate book. He watches a movie. He talks to me. Lots. Endearing and wonderful and I learned so much yesterday. But, I totally needed to write.

On the way to school this morning he says his belly hurts. I tell him that I can't pick him up today because I teach. So if he was sick that was one thing, but if he was avoiding school that was another. He says, "I know. But you know what, I had fun being sick with you yesterday."

Holiday 2010. The last flight sequence.

I think I'll start this story at the end. This was our last cross-country holiday flight. Next year, we are driving home for the holiday.

We arrived in Tucson at 11:25 pm last night after two delays, three stops, and some horrible cardboard pizza in Denver. Three legs, two hours each. We get here, and Andy goes after the truck in the parking garage. The bags from the previous flight, which landed fifteen minutes before ours, finally come around the belt and Andy texts me, "I'll be there soon. Have a flat tire." I respond with vulgarities, telling him this is not a funny joke. No joke, of course.

Our bags don't come down the shoot for another twenty minutes. Turner and I secure from baggage claim four suitcases and one hugomongo Fed Ex box of toys and shoes. Somehow Turner and I get all this stuff to the curb to meet Andy, who pulls up just as I teeter around with that box. Turner talks nonstop the entire way home, wound tight from too much travel and a four hour nap. When we get home we all collapse into bed, with school/work starting much too early this morning. Turner did not notice the presents from Santa until this afternoon after we'd been home from school for nearly twenty minutes!

I'll let the rest of tour holiday trip speak for itself. Thank you all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf9U0k_31nc