Sick and the Kids

My body has been more interested in killing off little devil creatures with my mighty white blood cells and less interested in writing or thinking, or even moving these past few days. I'm hoping this solid night's sleep will seal the sick deal and put a stop to my incessant wake-up-with-a-stuffy-nose-and-mildly-sore-throat disposition.

Disposition was probably not the best wordchoice. But like I said, my mind is more concerned with getting less sick.

I told someone tonight that as an uncle there's an obligatory amount of Getsicks one must endure. Statistically, it's about 1 in every 3 times I see the kids. Usually it involves a rambunctious evening of wrestling, some ticklage, a bit of throwing, monster-roaring, doubled-up piggyback riding and overall mayhem ending in tears followed by laughter, finished with a computer-animated princess movie and me sneaking out the front door with Liar's Bench in mind.

Somewhere in the middle of all this there's usually a moment when your face gets slightly more hot than usual, Orion's mouth drools a little above and beyond, Bella's feet rub against your face, Jarom's 8-year-old mass leaps onto your back and you realize you've passed the point of no return: you're doomed for a week of pestilent child-induced cold symptoms.

But as was responded back to me tonight: it's a worthwhile reason to be sick. How true that is!

I mean, I'm not sure you understand how cool these kids are.

Jarom is a king. He's a computer and video game wizkid, incredibly knowledgeable about all-things Zelda, knowing every character and every boss fight for every single Zelda game ever created. Not only that, he had memorized the sky's asterisms at the age of 2. And he's hilarious. I get along with him almost better than my siblings, probably because we're both a bit eclectically obsessed with Zelda and boss fights. All this is funny, because when you meet him, you meet a fairly hip, punk little teenager waiting to rule his own kingdom along with everybody else's. Such a rad kid.

Bella is the Princess heroine. She saves the day while looking adorable, she's the beefiest tommygirl and the prettiest lady, she doesn't let anybody get away with anything, but she's infinitely polite. Who needs a girlfriend when you've got Bella, the Princess Queen. Ultimate in candy-loving, loudest laugh in the room, saddest cry you'll ever hear. She is probably the most charismatic girl I've ever known. And she clings to my foot like a boot.

Orion is an anomaly. He had Brad Pitt's body at 3, looks you directly in the eyes, then hugs you intensely and tells you he loves you. He laughs if you physically chuck him through the air. He doesn't need anybody's attention because he's so in his own world, preoccupied with everything little incredible thing there is. If you ever hear him crying (which can be occasionally shriekish) just bust out the secret weapon: shriek and cry louder and more obnoxious than he. I guarantee you, he will stop crying, stop being upset, look at you crying louder and more upsettedly, and start laughing at you. Works every time. If only adults worked the same way.

You can see why a mucousy cough at midnight is small price for such uncanny company.

Uncanny, maybe not the right word. Whatever brain.

That's it about the kids. I love em, to pieces.
This sickness, just a little piece of home.

Mikie