Yakety Yak

My three-year old performed a well-executed puke into a pitcher this past Friday. The stomach bug that had been whirling around at the baby sitter's finally landed in the belly of my little one. After soiling Abbie's pillow (a delight to wake up to) we were suspicious of her health. She acted fine and we made excuses that it was simply a choking spell that brought the small bit of bile out into the open.

As Abbie drove with the girls to start the day, Ellie began to spew, and baptize my new truck's back seat with the little amount of breakfast we gave to her. It was at that point we knew something was "up."

So she was spending the day on the couch resting, and continually telling me that she was hungry. I gave her a little water, and waited. I instructed her what to do if she thought she was going to puke again. I placed the large container directly to her side. She found it very interesting and practiced with imitated gags and coughs. Now, this is a disgusting lesson, similar to explaining to youngsters that it is okay to place your head down towards the same place where they are expected to urinate into the toilet. To my very pleasant surprise, Ellie can take instruction well, as she used the pitcher correctly to collect the upcoming round of vomit.

As a parent, you always feel helpless in this sort of situation, however, I was gleefully proud to inform her mother of her accomplishment. That was, after she reveled in telling the story in her own misshapen string of words.