Parenting Lessons Learned in the Trenches

Last night I learned four, important lessons.

One. If a child throws up all over him or herself in the car it's best to just keep on driving. Getting cleaned up at home is easier than trying to do so in a car littered with all kinds of imaginable weird kid stuff, miscellaneous hats and mittens and random garbage and yet, somehow, not a napkin to be found (Note to self: clean that blasted car already!).

Two. It's better to finish the drive with the windows open, despite the cold, because that smell in a small enclosed space is just extra not good, and that's all I will say about that.

Three. A pathetically helpless, tired and sick four-year-old can still muster the energy to fight, quite vociferously, about stupid, inconsequential things. Who knew.

Four. A sick four-year-old and mess after disgusting mess still do not mar the enjoyableness of a fun night spent with good friends. You'd think it might, but it doesn't.

And that's all. Elisabeth is still sick this morning, but I've dealt with sick kids before. In fact, I think E comes down with some sort of tummy bug around this time of year every year, so this part of it? The being at home, having a whiney, pathetic kid is all old hat. I've already learned these lessons.