Science Lesson
courtesy of The Boy

My cold is slowly, because I consider the ability to breathe an improvement, getting better. I'm trying to motivate myself, however, (read: keep eyes open long enough and stay in a sitting position long enough to write the column whose deadline is tomorrow), but try as I might I keep falling asleep.

After naptime (mine, not the kids) yesterday, I sat groggily up on the couch to have The Boy--in full scholarly mode--explain to me why I was so tired.

Me: I'm so tired.

The Boy: It's your red blood cells. They're low.

Me: Still waking up...Speak slowly.

The Boy: You're sick, Mom, so your body is making white blood cells to fight off your cold. Since you always have the same total amount of blood, if your body makes more WBC, it has to make less RBC, which makes you tired.

Me: ?

The Boy: (walking off muttering to himself) I think I actually learned something in school this year.

And everyone else has been so helpful, too. Why, just this morning Naomi and Candace offered to get their own breakfast. When I saw them with handfuls of marshmallows, though, I knew I'd been had, but I just couldn't move fast enough to stop them.

Low red blood cells. Sigh.