Toddleritis

I have discovered that going out once a day in the morning is good for the boys and myself. It gets them out, playing, usually with other toddlers, and tires them out, even if it's just the back yard. Well, you can't take sick children out, okay you can, but there are degrees of sickness, and they are at the 'if it's more than a quick run to the store, don't do it' sickness. We endured a hellatious hour of my daughter's ballet because they were suffering from that overexcited, hyperenergized, unnatural energy I call Toddleritis. It only occurs when they are sick. They will run around in a frenzied, manic bout of play, running way below the amount of fuel in their energy tank. They need to pay for it later, from somewhere, and eventually, there will be a mega crash session, and Mom will rejoice. You would think, logically, that crash session would be that night. No, apparently there was still something left in the reserve tanks, the Toddleritis was back. They went to bed at an amazing 6:45 p.m., til a major coughing sniffling fit around 9 woke up one. I deposited him on the couch with his father, who was in the second hour of his 'cat nap,' and prepared for another night of no sleep. By 10, my husband finally woke up from his cat nap and went to bed, bringing Toddler A with him. By midnight it was clear Toddler A was not going to actually go back to sleep. Finally I took Toddler A and put him back in his bed, where I discovered Toddler B still sleeping. For five more minutes. When I heard joint giggling. At 1 a.m. I found Toddler A standing in the now-empty toy box shaking Toddler B's headboard while jumping up and down yelling gleefully while Toddler B was sitting giggling at him. 1:30 a.m. Toddler A and B pushed the toy box to the gate and were stuck in it. 2 a.m. I found them still playing and finally just shut the door. 2:40 a.m. the sound of silence. So, you'd think this morning they'd sleep in. Ha! 7:30 wake up. Two hours later, and I'm enjoying the company of the crankiest, moodiest, runny-nosed phglem-wielding duo that can be found west of the Missisippi, wondering how evil it would be if I just slipped them into the playland at the local store, hoping that the crash that must surely come will come oh, say, by 10.

For those interested in my whole new 'fitness gym going to get hot' gig, I lost a pound and a half this first week, go me, and managed to, despite not falling asleep til 2:41 a.m., get my butt out of bed and to the gym at 6:15, since obviously, I can't take them their today, in their current state.

Ah, blessed Tylenol, work your magic for the mommy.