This week has not gone as planned.

In case you were wondering, here was the plan:

1) Relax all of Sunday afternoon and evening. Stay up as late as I wanted.
2) Get C. off to school Monday, and then have a leisurely morning. Clean bathrooms at some point if inspired to do so.
3) Attend the Veteran’s Day Program put on by C.’s school on Tuesday.
4) That’s as far as I had gotten.

And here’s how things have gone:

1) Relax all of Sunday afternoon and evening. Stay up until 11:00, then read until 11:30.
2) 11:59 — Hear a seal barking over the baby monitor.
3) Check on L. (2). Fear he has inhaled something into his lungs. Realize it’s actually Croup. Rats.
4) Get absolutely ZERO sleep Monday night. Repeat Croup-y home remedies for many hours (the steamy bathroom, the cold night air). Spend in-between-remedies time on couch, trying to get L. comfy on lap. Realize I’m too old for all-nighters. Tell self he’ll be better in the morning.
5) Morning comes. He’s not better. Double-rats.
6) Nap on couch from 8:30 - 9:00 while L. watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and continues barking.
7) Play the Redial Game from 9:00 to 9:05, trying to get through to the pediatrician’s office (along with all the other parents of sick kids). (Note: pediatrician’s office on a Monday = Germ Incubation Center.)
8) At 10:45 appointment, listen to the pediatrician say that L.’s croup is “particularly bad” and could be labeled “severe.” Accept prescription for oral steroids. Try to pretend she didn’t tell me to be prepared to take him to the Emergency Room.
9) Survive the rest of Monday in a fog. Go to bed at 7:45.
10) Wake up on Tuesday, relieved and thankful that the medication did its job and we had a much calmer night.

Whew!

But… I still had to deal with the Veteran’s Day Program issue. I had already told C. that we probably wouldn’t be there. Even if L. wasn’t still “severely croupy,” he’d more than likely feel miserable, and be tired and grumpy. It could be disastrous.

C.’s a champ and said he completely understood and that he just wanted L. to get the rest he needed.

However, after a decent night’s sleep on Tuesday, I felt brave. I decided to take L. over to the program and see how long he would last. We parked ourselves near the back of the auditorium, at the end of a row (in case we needed to make a hasty giveaway), and waited for the program to start.

At 9:00, the kids started filing in from the back of the room, and happened to walk right past us. When C. saw us, his eyes lit up, he got a huge grin on his face, and he whispered: “You made it!!!”

The program was great, and — just like every year — made me cry. L. survived with only a few outbursts, with the help of some Play-Doh and an iPod. But more than anything, I was glad that one little decision had put a smile on C.’s face. Sure, he was “fine” with us not being able to come. But how much better to be able to make his day by showing up after all.

Now here’s hoping today goes as planned. The plan? Oh never mind…what’s the point? :)