I Wish Star Wars Was Real

We had dinner last night at our friends' house.  They have two bigger kids--Juju, the elder, is nine, and her younger brother Nico is five.  They are incredibly bright and vivacious kids, and talk wisely and well about anything the adults are discussing. 

At one point, we were all sitting around the dinner table, and Juju--seemingly out of nowhere--said, "If I had one wish, I would wish for a world without corners, because this morning I stubbed my toe on the wall, then hit my elbow on the table, and..." on and on, providing a litany that only a nine-year-old could provide.  I then asked Nico if he had one wish, what would his be, and without hesitation, as if he'd been waiting for someone to ask that question his entire life, answered "I would wish that Star Wars was real!"

Both of our kids did totally great, too.  It was cloudy and cold and rainy, and they braved a little hike in the foothills, and Addie had a blast hanging out in the hot tub afterwards.  She used the potty the whole day with only one little accident.  And Nolie was her usual easy-going yumminess, falling asleep without a peep in Juju's room.  We were able to have adult conversations and just enjoy all the kids, without getting that stressy, pit-sweaty feeling you get when your kids are totally freaking out or exhausting or melting down at someone else's house.  It was lovely.

Addie didn't have a nap all day, though, so she was pretty tired by the time we got home.  I thought she'd sleep like a champ from the big day, but instead, she woke up whiny and crying several times, twitchy and coughing in her bed.  Her nose is all stuffed this morning, either from the hot tub or the rainy walk or just the persistence of toddler germs.  I think, too, that when kids go through big developmental stuff (like potty training) they also sometimes struggle with sleep at night, as they work through the changes.  Nolie's runny at the nose too, this morning.

And was my first thought to be worried about them?  No, that was my second thought.  My first thought was, "Crap!  I'm going to spend my one and only day off in the last seven months taking both kids to the doctor.  AGAIN."  If that's what I need to do, that's what I need to do.  But I'm going to be pissed about it, dammit.

So I'm hoping beyond hope that these kids wake up tomorrow well enough to go to school.  Because I have a hot date with my bathtub, and a stack of magazines (this makes it sound like porn.  But I just mean I want to take a bath and cuddle up with O magazine).  And maybe go to a movie.  Or sleep. 

Or take two whiny kids to the doctor.