Random Acts of…Something

Beckett loves going to the doctor. He also loves the act of taking medicine (which totally worked to my advantage recently when I gave him shots of 100% carrot juice every day for, like, 3 weeks straight).

Any time one of his brothers is sick, he tries super hard to be sick, too. Maybe it’s the extra cuddling they get. Maybe it’s the medicine they take. Whatever it is, he wants it.

So, naturally, he was oddly jealous this morning when Hutton took his antibiotics. (Antibiotics for his 4th double ear infection in 3 months, by the way.)

(….if you listen closely you can hear my essential oiler friends giggle with glee at the prospect of wheeling their traveling oil suitcase over to get to work on him. Looking at you, Candace & Christie.)

After Hutton took his morning meds, Beckett wandered into the bathroom where I was getting ready.

Beck: Hey, mom…I think I’m getting sick.
Me: Oh yeah? What’s going on?
Beck: I…uh…I…my stomach hurts. I think I’m going to throw up.
Me: That is a serious bummer because you have preschool today. If you’re sick, you can’t go and that would be so sad.

He nodded. I nodded.

One of things I consider a gift of mine – that my children do not now and certainly will not in the future – is the gift of making every moment teachable. Even if it doesn’t feel naturally teachable, just force that crap until it fits, you know?

“And while we’re on the subject, Buddy, let me tell you a story about The Boy Who Cried Sick,” I said, as I launched into what I felt to be an incredibly heartfelt and very applicable rendition of the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Me: See, Bud? We don’t want to miss school. But more importantly we can’t pretend to be sick when we aren’t. That makes it hard to know if you really are sick in the future. Ok?
Beck: Yeah. I understand. — *long pause* — But, Mom?
Me: Yes?
Beck: I know that I am definitely going to be sick right after school.

Nailed it.

Leaving Your Mark

Did you know it’s Random Acts of Kindness week? I didn’t know such a thing existed but I saw it on Facebook so obviously it’s legit.

With Hutton feeling bad this morning, he got to stay home with Davis and I instead of going to school. (He is honestly pretty unaffected by this decision. He’s just content where food is. School, home, Chick-fil-A…it’s all good.)

The littles and I ran a few errands together, one of which was a trip to Target for “groceries”. “groceries” – of course – meaning 1 necessity per 12 impulse home decor purchases.

At the end of our shopping experience, I ran out of hands. I needed to load some groceries but I also needed to hold both a cranky baby and a Starbucks drink. Faced with an impossible decision (starbucksorbaby starbucksorbaby), the lady behind me in line asked if she could help in some way.

I immediately said, “That would be great! Would it be weird if I asked you to hold the baby??”

She beamed and said, “Oh my goodness, no! This just makes my day!! I LOVE babies!!”

As I passed Davis to her, even the cashier mumbled an, “Aww. Lucky!”

He was a big hit.

It was great.

Until she handed him back to me.

As I put him on my hip, I felt moisture from his bum make it’s way through my shirt and onto my skin. I casually glanced over at her shirt. Also wet.

I tried to point it out. She didn’t notice. I didn’t force the issue.

I simply thanked her and walked away.

For some, Random Acts of Kindness week might entail taking cookies to a police station. Or holding a young mom’s baby while she gathers her groceries.

For Team Brooks, it means peeing on strangers.

It’s all just a way of leaving your mark on society.

You’re welcome, world.

// post edited to reflect that later in the day, while still pantsless after peeing on a fellow shopper and in a spit-up saturated shirt, cranky Davis was also diagnosed with a double ear infection. Heaven help the 4 ears pictured below and those ears’ parents because SERENITY NOW.