Whenever I think to myself, "Gee, it's been months since the kids have been sick," I tempt fate.

Taking stock isn't a bad thing, is it?

Sometimes I am smart enough to utter "Thank God the kids haven't been sick." Giving credit where credit is due.

Othertimes, I can't help but add, "Not sick like so-n-so's kid, poor devil." Is that what does me in? The comparison, the superiority? Heh.

However it came about, whether by supernatural fate or natural germs, Christopher threw up a river of nasty earlier this evening. In the car, in his car seat. Actually, for good or bad, most of it fell upon his beloved yellow blanket. He cried and cried and cried.

To my knowledge, he has never thrown up. You could tell that he was uncomfortable about the whole business. I mean, it scared him, the unnaturalness of anything coming out of his mouth. His mouth: the hole that food goes in. Food, lots 'n' lots of food, goes in.

And we were out but heading for home, having just dropped off Kenny at CCD.

When I heard the noise that every mother knows, I reflexively and unnecessarily turned around to be sure. I was nearly through town but pulled off immediately into the synagogue's parking lot. The worst was over. And it was too cold to change his clothes then and there. We were so close to home that, even though he was crying and wanted me to fix it, I decided it was better to get him home.

I had two-thirds of the groceries in the car still from my afternoon shopping trip. I had planned to unload those during our brief stay at home before returning to pick up Kenny after class. I could see that wasn't going to happen.

I immediately changed Chris's clothes into his PJs. I would put his snowsuit on over it when we went out again.

I got his yellow blanket rinsed and into the washing machine asap because it had to be cleaned and dried and ready at bedtime, about 90 minutes later. I removed the fabric car seat cover ... it needed a wash anyway. What child's car seat cover doesn't need a wash?!

I cleaned the straps, placed a travel pillow in the seat area for comfort because the car seat cover would not be ready by the time we went out again to pick up Kenny. I considered replacing the entire car seat with a spare from the basement or at least swapping out the cover, but decided it was too much work in a limited amount of time. I placed a small towel nearby in case he threw up again as we are picking Kenny up.

Do I need any more reason to hate the inconvenience of weekday evening CCD? Maybe when I have more children in the program I'll feel better. But the chore of lugging three kids along for the sake of one doesn't add up.

Of course the blanket was ready in time. And he was so delighted. "My blankey!" My God, yes, he does talk that cute.