Love Birds

Xander has been sitting vigil by my side since I got home from chemo Monday.The week has flown by for me in a haze of sleeping, waking and that middle state where I'm awake and trying to find the ability to move.

I assume X has left my side during my long naps, but I wouldn't know, because he is always there when I open my eyes.
On Monday I managed to separate us by paying him off.
Yes, X can still be "persuaded", but it's getting more expensive. He will not be getting a video game every time I have chemo, but he can now stay home with me.
I never imagined I'd allow my 7 year old to roam free and rule the roost while I napped, but I also never imagined I'd be twenty-seven with lymphoma.
Of course, I've chosen to adapt.
X is still taking Dad's words that he's in charge very seriously, and I have a feeling Dad hasn't had the talk with him that I'm okay without X attached to my hip.
For 7, or any age, X is a great caretaker. HE hugs and snuggles and plays games. He's just as attentive as any of my other best caretakers. HE also tells great stories.
 My favorite this morning explains the mystery of why he came home from a field trip from the zoo asking to buy a bird.
Apparently, a very wise zoo keeper advised him that there were love birds that always stay together. They never fight, and their love is contagious! If you own a pair of lovebirds, everybody will be happy and in love just from having them around.
I didn't realize their was a mystical reason behind the purchase of a bird.
We got him a bird book instead, and told him birds were too dirty, and I was too sick to have birds in the house.
Way to stomp on little X's peace keeping technique. Today he asked to look up lovebirds in our bird book.
Not knowing his intentions, I told him that was easy.
Love birds are doves. They're all white, and I would find them for him.
Just like my little man would, X adamantly stated that, "No, those were not lovebirds."
Ad like so many times before, I knew he didn't quite have the articulation to elaborate, but that he would stick to what he knew just the same.
So I acquiesced and turned to the place that had cleared up so many mysteries before: Google.
Low and behold, there are colorful lovebirds that look exactly like the ones he described.
Mom's wrong again. Outsmarted by her seven year old.
One my toes, as usually, with my clever little man I told him that since I couldn't physically have the lovebirds in the house, we could make a collage in it would work out just the same.
He signed, rolled his eyes, just like a child that still wants to believe my crazy ideas but is starting to know they're not exactly true, and said, "Okay, yeah, that'll probably work."
I also reminded him of the bird families that live in our deck every year. Those families have lived in our house as long as we have, but X tells me those don't count.
Just because they're a family and love each other does not make them contagious love birds.
So now we have our little love bird collage hanging on the fridge, and I'm thinking I might make those a theme of our house from now on.