Good Golly Ollie

September 24, 2010

Good Golly Ollie

This morning I took The Chief to a follow up check with the doctor. It was another intense visit where we had to examine how his lanced abscess is healing. The minute we entered "the room" my boy started screaming automatically--proving Pavlov's dogs. Except this time he actually fainted, as per his M.O when under duress.

You know, I've seen him faint a hundred times but I will never get over the way his eyes roll in the back of his head as he is about to lose consciousness. That is the part that just about shreds my sanity. His body flips to autopilot and I can't do a thing to get him back because it's also the part where my motherhood powers are useless. I am afraid I will spoil that child rotten his whole life just to avoid seeing those eyes roll. Everyone else can do hard things, just not my Chiefy.

When he came to, I whispered in his ear the best news I could think of to share.

"Ollie is coming to our house today!" I said, rocking him back and forth, his head on my shoulder.

Gosh dang, why do I write these posts? Reliving the moment=tears.

And with this news his horrified soul regained some peace.

"Owie! I want Owie!"

Because to my son, there is no hero better than his cousin Oliver. Not a toy, not a show, not even a popsicle on tap can compare. Ollie is salvation. It was made apparent to me when we had to drive from house to house the other night so the distraught (and feverish) Chief could just be in his beloved Ollie's presence and be healed. Ollie was being babysat with his siblings at another cousin's house and we couldn't find them anywhere.

I called Chup on the phone after another house search proved unsuccessful.

"I know if I can just find Ollie, The Chief will be ok."

After following up on a few tips we found the crew. Ollie was quick to give The Chief a hug and it wasn't long after my son's fever dropped and he was buzzing around the house again with a new lease on his little life.

So after time spent passing morning's hours, we walked down to the school where we were to pick up Ollie from kindergarten. I will never, ever forget watching The Chief anxiously watching for his Owie to come around the corner It was like witnessing the return of a Mormon missionary at the Salt Lake Airport. And when we finally saw him--oversized backpack in hand, floppy hair and toothless smile, I will also never forget the bear hug that ensued between them.

They played all day until it was time to put Ollie to bed for his very important kindergarten good night's sleep. At that point, The Chief insisted that we put him to bed too. What's the point in staying awake if Ollie is asleep?

So after ten minutes of jumping on the bed, we called it a night.

Now I am thinking, I guess there are two places I can't quite reach my son, in the rolling-eyes-fainting moment and that area in his heart reserved for Owie. There isn't any room left in that spot for me.