Toxic Gases A Blessing to 6th Graders

Margaret's school had an emergency evacuation this morning because some toxic gas was being detected and a few students were even getting woosey, so our morning was thrown off schedule when I had to go over and pick her up. She was happy to be out of school at 10:20 a.m. but said she did start to experience a headache earlier. Seems a clean-up project across the river a stone's throw from the school may be the culprit. At the very least, it allowed me to spend a little more time at the office because Margaret is getting very capable of babysitting for longer periods of time, a job for which she is paid. We don't want to take advantage of her age just because she has a baby sister. Some times, I need her to help when I'm there, and that's different. But when we're at work and need her to actually sit, then we feel she should be compensated.

The baby was out of sorts over the weekend. Margaret had her birthday party/slumber party on Saturday with four girls and two boys (who were sent home after the pizza portion of the party). It went very well, with putt-putt and pizza with all the kids, movie and snacks and PJs at home with just the girls. I imagined hours of telling them to quiet down and get to sleep, but they were all out at a reasonable hour and none the worse for wear on Sunday. Parents picked up the girls in time for us to make 11 a.m. Mass, so it worked out well. But Baby Brigid was a wreck most of the weekend, fussing and screaming and throwing herself backwards no matter if you were holding her or if she was standing on the floor. I think she may be working on a molar based on the amount of gumming she's doing to her hand and the drool factor. She's not been a good teether -- she gets cranky and tends to run a fever and runny nose, and she's been congested. So that may be the case. She fell asleep last night before 8 p.m. And although she stirred throughout the night, she really didn't get up until after 6 a.m. to come into bed with us for some boob time and a few more hours of sleep.

If she is cutting a molar, we're in for a good few days of fussiness because they tend to be difficult to cut. I left her in pretty good spirits, and with Margaret home maybe her mood will be a fine one later. We'll see.

The photo I uploaded is one of Brigid in a cute striped polo dress she received from her Godmother, Auntie Shell.