Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Do it Yerself

Lily vomited on the school bus Monday.

I only found out later from Lily, not from the school. I asked her if she threw up a lot, and she said kind of. I asked her what happened next and she said she cleaned it up. With what, I asked. And she said the bus driver gave her some tissues. Lily also said that she tried to tell Kaylie to get away from her before she got puked on, but she couldn't speak. Lucky for Kaylie, Lily aimed away from her.
Anyway, Lily cleaned up her own puke on the bus, and I thought that was weird, because no one from school told me about it. But mostly I'm proud of her. Because she's not a big complainer when she's sick. She's very stoic and just a little bit sweeter than usual. And because how hard would it be to clean up vomit with tissues?

The moon has been full but Mark & Sam took Jill out in the woods anyway. They were hoping for enough cloud cover, but it was as bright as midday, they said. The weather has warmed enough to take her out without the worry of 'burning her nose out" or something? So, no coon, just some exercise and a couple photos of her treeing the coons that got away.
I have lain awake the last 2 nights after the rest of the house is asleep. Both nights I've had the rumble of the local train keeping me company. I've dubbed it The Midnight Train though I don't think it's on that exact schedule. The train runs through our little hamlet and on down past Mark's grandparents' house. It sneaks along behind the scenes, through underground tunnels and over old wooden and stone trestles. For some reason it excites me. The sonorous low rolling that you feel more than hear. A mile or more away and it still vibrates in my chest. And that slow motion whistle. The whole thing just has some otherworldly feel to it. Especially in the middle of the night.They say ('They say'-I really wanted to say that. ha!) that God's voice is the sound of a multitude of voices (which I love to think about when I'm in a huge crowd of people,) of pealing thunder (I've always loved storms,) and many waters like the rolling of the ocean (a perfect lullabye.) And I think if trains had been invented back when the book of Revelation was written, they'd have said that it also sounds like the midnight train to Cross Creek.

At work today:
Me on the phone: Do you have the serial number for your mobile home?
Heavy Smoker Lady: Wha? I, uh, wa...I don't know what you mean? What do you mean? Serial number? I don't know what you mean.
Me: Well, like the VIN, vehicle identification number.
HSL: Ugh, wha, well, I don't know, I've got the serial number.

4 comments:

Amy said...

Poor little thing! She sounds like a trooper. (your daughter I mean, not Heavy Smoker Lady!) :) I don't think I would've been so cool about cleaning up my own puke at that age!

I love the idea about the train rumbling through. I grew up near a train track, and there IS something vaguely comforting about hearing it go by.

Annette said...

I hope Lily feels better!

We hear that train, too, sometimes. Mom always called it the Wabash. I have no idea if that was it's name or not. But I do know that when we hear it, it's going to rain. Something about the shift in wind direction. So the lonesome whistle to me is better than the TV weathermen. And sounds cooler, too.

Camp Papa said...

I know you've said that you are well satisfied with the kids' school, and maybe that extends to the bus, but having Lily clean up her own vomit just ain't right. That's all I'll say on that topic.

The description of train-as-voice-of-God is pure poetry.

Sara said...

You're right, Amy, comforting is a good word.

Annette-even more reasons to like that train. Especially that rain predictor. Cool!

Camp Papa, I was thinking the same thing. Good luck trying to get any other kid to clean that up. I'm thinking she may have just taken it upon herself to clean it up? She is the lowest maintenance sick person in our house. Rarely wakes me in the middle of the night, just reports to me in the morning if she was sick.
I don't know where she gets it!