I knew it

Yesterday morning Lily was just a wreck. She was such a mess that I checked her temperature twice, thinking she was coming down with something. But Lily wans't running a fever.

She cried the whole way to preschool because she wanted me to button her sweater for her. My explanation of the laws of safety and physics and why I couldn't button her sweater AND drive the car had no effect on her. When we got to school she stopped crying, but only because one of her friends had brought a "Baby Cinderella" doll for show and tell. Even though she wasn't crying, she was still pretty listless. I expected to get a call during the morning to come get her because she had started running a fever or something.

For the record, I strictly abide by the no fever for 24 hours rule at both our schools. I get so mad when parents bring kids to school and say, "He was running a fever at bedtime, but he was fine this morning so I brought him in." It's 24 hours, people, not 12! All you've done is brought your child in to infect my child.

Anyway, when I picked her up after lunch she was just fine, singing and twirling and telling me all about her day. She's supposed to start "ballelet" classes again today, so we went on a field trip and bought new tights and a new leotard. My plan was to buy new slippers this morning on our way to class.

But then at bedtime Lily fell apart again - crying because she was coughing and sniffling. I gave her some advil and rubbed her forehead for a while as she nodded off. She woke up a few times in the night, whimpering, but still no fever.

This morning it's a different story. She woke up with a fever of 100.6, which I know will go up during the day. So she's flat on the sofa, watching Little Bear, and being brave about staying home from her first day of ballet.

I knew yesterday morning that illness was on the horizon; my timing was just off a bit