Ever the diplomat

So. On Christmas Eve Gabriel had a weird rash on his knees. I gave him some Benadryl thinking it might be bug bites of some sort, but that didn't improve things. He seemed to otherwise feel fine. On Saturday it was neither better nor worse, but I had definitely been keeping an eye on it, and if I didn't see improvement I was going to take him to the doctor on Monday. Sunday his dad decided to crawl out of whatever hole he was hiding in and visit his kid (he had been apparently avoiding me after he wrote me a bad check and did nothing to fix it). Well that morning Gabriel woke up with the weird rash on his elbows as well, plus one little bump on his butt cheek. I told K that if the rash was still there on Monday he should take Gabriel either to his old pediatrician in Chico, or to urgent care in Sacramento, and made sure that he had all his insurance info.

This morning I talked to K, and Gabriel has Chicken Pox and (unrelated) Bronchitis. The Chicken Pox are localized (in my opinion bizarrely) on his knees because he's had the vaccine. Usefulness of this vaccine? Questionable.

Gabey's had a cough honestly for six weeks or so, but it hasn't been affecting his mood or his energy, he hasn't been acting sick, and it doesn't keep him from sleeping or playing, so I haven't taken him to the doctor.

Well. Do you want to hear K's version of events?
Apparently all urgent care centers in the greater Sacramento area are closed today, and Gabe had to go the hospital. Also? There aren't any pharmacies within a reasonable vicinity of this hospital OR K's house, so he couldn't fill the prescription for Gabriel's antibiotics (because the Dr. felt the bronchitis was bacterial). Oh! And there is no such thing as a note from a doctor that says when a child with Chicken Pox is safe to go back to school. Such a guideline does not exist! These notes have never been written! The notes that other kids get? They're not what I think they are, nor are they what I've seen with my eyes, because those don't exist. Of course I'm a wretchedly bad mother both for (a) not recognizing a rash on the knees of a child vaccinated against Chicken Pox as Chicken Pox and (b) neglecting his bronchitis, which K now feels he has had the entirety of the past six weeks. Let's just nevermind that he had a cold, bronchitis! I had a cold? Bronchitis! I'm a terrible mother. Mind you, I'm also a terrible mother because I've only driven Gabriel to see his dad five times (yes you can do the math and see that it was more than that, particularly with all the drives to San Jose/SF, but who am I to argue?). Oh and when I drive up there, I'm cruelly keeping Gabriel from his father, and only letting them see each other for a minimum of time. Our conversations have never once gone like this:
Me: Do you want Gabriel Friday or Saturday?
Him: I have plans on Friday.
Me: Okay, Saturday then.
Of course I'm a bitch for caring that he doesn't support his son financially. Heinous of me, to inquire as to when he's planning on making up the money he NEVER PAID in September, or the check that bounced and ruined my financial situation just last week. How could I? (I'm of the opinion that I shouldn't be expected to drive Gabriel hundreds of miles to see his father if his father doesn't offer financial support. He can see him whenever he wants on his own time, but if he wants me to drive, he needs to come through with the money. Awful I know.)
Anyhow.
Obviously.
This was all my fault, and I'm a horrid bitch and a negligent mother.

And unrelated to this weekend, but also annoying: K and I were having a fairly amicable conversation regarding Gabriel's ability to recognize letters and numbers, etc. He made a comment about how great his school must be. I said that I went to Gabriel's school when I was a little girl, and he said, "Oh. Never mind then. It couldn't be the school." You know, because I'm so stupid? And none of Gabe's brain came from me? I mean, I'm barely a functioning adult. I don't know how I got through middle school, let alone got a masters degree. I'm so stupid, the PRESCHOOL I went to was tainted by my bad braincells.