Snarky Mommy

I am taking a break from my regularly scheduled snark to highlight something that came to my inbox today. After I read the story, it hit home for me because I know a ton of kids who have parents of different ethnicities. It’s already complicated enough to find a donor when a medical need arises, but now imagine trying to find someone with the exact same ethnic background as your child –one who also just happens to be a medically compatible match. My head exploded just thinking about it.

And if there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, it’s that social media makes a difference. Some of the best support I’ve gotten as a parent is from a group of moms I “met” through an online group when I was pregnant. This group of women, all due in February 2006, has supported each other through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum depression, sleepless nights, births of other children and even a near-death experience in one of these families. When I say these women are my friends, there’s no “online” modifier in front of that word. Social media brought us together and I am so glad to have all of their support. The same with this little ole blog. I have “met” (and physically met) some amazing women because of it. I have learned things I would never have known and found that I’m not alone when it comes to the practice of raising small people with a healthy dose of humor. Twitter, Facebook, you name it — it connects us.

The family of 4-year-old Kyle Crawford is reaching out via social media in the hopes they can save their little boy’s life with a bone-marrow transplant. They asked if I would help by telling you all about him, so I am. I thinkknow if any of my three kids needed help, the Mommy Bloggers would have their backs, so I am reaching out to you.

Kyle is a half-Chinese, half-Caucasian 4-year-old with aplastic anemia — a condition where the body does not produce enough new blood cells and is fatal within six months without a bone marrow transplant. Of the 9 million registered bone marrow donors, a match hasn’t been found for Kyle yet. They are searching for part-Asian, part-Caucasian donors to increase the likelihood of a match. Getting tested to be a bone marrow donor is as simple as swabbing your cheek.

They know that Kyle’s match is out there. As little as 10 years ago, finding a match for Kyle would have been extremely difficult. But as social media has connected our world more than ever before, the chances of finding a part-Asian, part-Caucasian donor to help save Kyle’s life are better than ever.

Even if you don’t know a match, someone you know might. You can also “Like” and follow Kyle’s cause on Facebook Twitter.

For the last six weeks, Josh had been in Chicago while he awaited word on his next project for work. It was ridiculously awesome to have him around to help with the nonsense that is the schedule for three kids. I’m not gonna lie to you: I got used to the extra set of hands, not to mention the ability to say, “Hey I have to run to Target while Maeve is napping and since you’re on a call, you can just listen for her!” Heaven is walking into Target by yourself with an empty cart and an entire store of possibilities in front of you.

But last week, he knew the time had come. He had a couple of calls about different projects and went from thinking it would be Michigan again to thinking it would be Washington D.C. That was fine with me, because we haven’t made any Spring Break plans and taking the kids to DC in the spring sounded lovely. Then, not even 15 minutes after a call about that, he announced he had been placed on a project in FARGO. Yes, as in North Dakota.

I said there must be some mistake. Do they even have the Internet in Fargo? (I would issue my apologies to any readers in Fargo at this point, but they don’t have Internet, so how would they be reading this anyway?) He assured me there was no mistake, he was leaving for Fargo on Sunday.

Before he left, I made him promise to tie a rope around his waist when he left the hotel at night, lest he wander away in a blizzard on the prairie, never to be seen again. He didn’t find me nearly as amusing as I found myself. I went out and bought him a pair of boots so his feet wouldn’t freeze off after Jack announced that his iTouch weather app said the high temperature in Fargo was 1 degree. The low? -13.

Needless to say, our Spring Break plans are to keep our asses right here in Chicago. I mean if I want cold and snow in April, I can see that right outside my own window and my kids can all sleep in their own bedrooms while I do it.

I can’t wait from him to come with that adorable accent, oh yah, youbetchya!

I came down with the plague that’s running rampant through Chicago earlier this week, suffering stoically through a severe sore throat and congested head. I busted out my trusty Neti Pot and within two days, the stuffiness was gone and I was left with a cough. But damn it, I got up every morning and took my kids to school because that’s my JOB. Insert eye-roll here because I came home from dropping them off and laid on the couch and let Maeve watch Sesame Street AND Dinosaur Train AND Word World so I could while away the day on my fainting chaise.

Jack had a cough for about two days, but nothing that gave me pause and certainly nothing that kept him awake at night. So imagine my surprise when he complained of being cold Saturday night after the kids’ big bowling birthday party, wrapped himself in a blanket and laid down on the couch. He was the proud owner of a 101-degree fever, so I gave him some Motrin and hoped for the best.

He woke up Sunday morning and came into our room where he informed me, “Mommy, I had a lot of that stuff in my eyes when I woke up and it was hard to get it out.” I immediately grabbed for my glasses and took him into the hall where I inspected his pinkish eye. Awesome.

We got him in for a sick visit Sunday afternoon, which was nice because I hadn’t been there since Tuesday when Maeve had her ear recheck and got the all-clear, so I was really missing the uncomfortable pleather chairs in the cramped exam rooms.

The doctor asked some questions, had Jack hop up on the table and took a gander in the ole ear canals. He pronounced the first one “perfect” and the second one “not so perfect.” I slumped and buried my head in my arms on the table. People, this is getting ridiculous. I mean how can one family have these many ear infections in two months?

The really cool thing to come out of it, though, was the doctor offering me a look inside the ear with that otoscope thing. He showed me the non-infected ear and then the infected one and I could definitely see the infection. Little does he know he just gave me the necessary skills to buy one of my own and diagnose my kids at home. Bwahahahahaha, take THAT traditional medicine!

The doctor said the oral antibiotic will clear up the eye infection, as well, so there was no need for eye drops. One-stop shopping, I tell ya. But he had to stay home from school today. So that’s … fun. At least he and Maeve can amuse each other while I lament all the errands I can’t run with a sick kid who’s not really sick at home. That’s the worst. If he was truly sick, it would be fine. But since he’s only home to let the antibiotic kick in, he’s bouncing off the walls.

You know what would be awesome right about now? A kid-free vacation. Wait, what’s that I hear? Groans? Oh yes, my friends, Josh and I are going snowboarding for my birthday this weekend in Park City, Utah. Not that I’m counting the minutes or anything…