Day 235, Year 8: Happy 4th Birthday to Jonah
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Weather: Mixed Sun and Clouds, High in the 80’s F
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Seems like another life ago, but actually it was just four years ago when Mark and I left Windbird in Malaysia to come home for the birth of Ziggy Milo Handley in April and then Jonah Biggs Goldstone in June. Today was Jonah’s 4th birthday, but unfortunately he woke up in the middle of the night with a very high temperature. Friends that were visiting this weekend called when they got home to let Heather and Jed know that one of their three boys came down with a killer Streptococcal infection as soon as they got home. Now Jonah has it. What bad timing to have to spend your birthday with a high fever. Finally by this evening, he was feeling just a tad better, but he toughed it out and we went ahead with some of today’s plans despite the fever. Heather brought all three boys to Windbird this morning for a special ceremony. When we returned from our trip around the world, Sam was four years old. He immediately announced that he was co-captain of Windbird, so today we inducted Jonah into co-captain status since he is now four. We will have a similar ceremony for Ziggy when he arrives and Coco will get her ‘Admiral-in-Training’ shirt. Today Sam and Jonah got new t-shirts that announce that they are Windbird’s Co-Captain. Ollie got a ‘Captain-in-Training’ shirt. Sam and Jonah sang The Star-bangled Banner for us while Captain Granddad took down the old American flag that hangs off the back stay and replaced it with a new one. We had birthday cookies with candles and then whisked Jonah off to the doctor. I went with Heather, Jonah, and Ollie, while Sam stayed on Windbird with Mark to have a little special time with the captain. They went out paddling in the kayak and took the dinghy out to Devil’s Foot Island to play. After the doctor’s appointment which confirmed the Strep, I went home with Heather and encouraged Jonah to fill the little pool on the deck with water and play in it to help bring down his fever. He played for quite a long time and then had a good, long afternoon nap. After nap that nasty temp was back, but he came outside and laid in the hammock. I sat with him in the hammock and read for some time, and just before dinner, he rallied. He actually ate a little bit and enjoyed opening his presents. You know a kid is sick when they can’t eat their chocolate birthday cake, but he sure enjoyed looking at his ladybug cake and he worked so hard at having a good time. For his birthday, we got him a Boston Cannons lacrosse jersey with his name on the back and he got a fireman’s water-filled backpack that he can use to put out ‘fires’ from his other grandparents. He loved everything, but I think his favorite presents were from his mom and dad. He got child-sized front carrying pack so he can carry around his stuffed baby orangutan as well as other stuffed babies. He loved it. He also got a set of animal x-rays with matching photos of the animals and a replica of the moon that can hang on the wall in the bedroom as a big nightlight and be synchronized to match the phase of the moon outside. I can’t wait to see that one in action. So even though he felt terrible, I think Jonah managed to have a good birthday. Tomorrow is another Camp Oma day and when asked if he wanted to stay home or come to Windbird, Jonah chose Windbird, so we’ll have a slow and easy day to give him a chance to recover. And we sure are glad we decided to do the whale watch yesterday!
130626 Day 235 Cape Cod, USA–Jonah's Birthday |