"Hi L! What's your sugar?"
"I'm going to say it in Spanish, ok?"
"Ok, if you absolutely have to."
"Yup! I do! Dos... Unnnnnnnno... ummm... siet.... no.... seisss... no.... serte.... no...."
"L, please just say it in English."
"No I got it! Dooooooooos...un....uno....siete!"
"217?"
"NO! 206!"
Another small reenactment of L telling me his blood sugar number before he goes to bed:
"L, what is your sugar baby?"
"I'm going to show you how many with my fingers, ok?"
"Ok, if you absolutely have to."
"Yup! I do!"
Then he proceeds to put up one finger, wave it around and turn it into three fingers, wave it around and turn it into nine fingers...wait, now it is eight...wait...he is changing his mind...some fingers are halfway up...I don't know what he is doing. My brain is swelling!
"138?"
"Nope! Let me do it again!"
And he won't give up the answer...I have to guess correctly, that is the fun for him.
My last reenactment below takes place mostly in the early mornings:
"Good morning my love! What is your blood sugar?"
"I'm going to spell it out in the air, ok?"
"Ok, if you absolutely have to."
(You know he does.)
This is the hardest to identify. His hand swirls around the air in grand gestures and I must guess the numbers he is writing with his finger. Early in the morning my brain isn't awake enough to take all the random information in and make something of it, so I make him go one number at a time and guess from there. He usually has to give the number up to me, but not until I guess a good ten times.
I posted the last scenario on facebook yesterday and was shockerprised by the response. It seems that these things are universal to children who have diabetes. Children are seriously playing these exact same games with their parents around the world!
Why do they do it? Are they trying to make the most fun out of the least fun thing they have to do during the day? Are they trying to punish us for constantly asking, "What is your sugar?" Nah! It isn't revenge, right? I think it is all harmless. I try to wake up before the boys to check their sugars in the morning...just so I don't HAVE to ask them that question first thing...but L makes it a point to get up before I do and check his own sugar...just so he can play the game.
As much as these games swell up my brain...I always leave shaking my head with the biggest smile on my face. It is absurdly hilarious and brings L so much joy, how can I not play along?
In fact, as you are reading this there is probably a mother in Mexico asking her child what his blood sugar number is, and he is responding at this very moment, "Mama, voy a decliro en Ingles!"
It's a small world indeed!
(This is me wrapping up day 22 for National Health Blog Posting Month, in honor of Diabetes Awareness Month.)
Hey Meri! I absolutely love this post... particularly that line and thought process you have in there about the need to make BG testing "fun" - I totally agree. While I didn't exactly do that much as a kid, I've found more recently (yes, in my 30s) that naming my pump and CGMs is one little way to make the whole D-Living routine a little more fun. We do what we have to, I guess... Anyhow, thanks for sharing this about L. I'm totally going to start doing this when my wife asks me what my test is (she may not be as willing to play along, though). Also tell L that he and I are at some point going to have to play "Guess the other guy's BG Result" via Skype. :))
ReplyDeleteThat is SO funny...my 11 year old son does that to me all the time!! Thanks for sharing...it is interesting finding out that lots of others do this also.. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! It made me laugh the whole way through because Ally does all three of those things. You are such an awesome Mama...thanks for reminding me of the importance to play along (even when I'm annoyed because I can't figure it out).
ReplyDeleteLove this!!! Charlotte does play these sorts of games from time to time. Reading this made me smile to realize that she's not the only one "having fun" with her testing :)
ReplyDeleteI think they are kids at heart (even though they've had to grow up fast), and they like to play with us. Haha-Mary Claire does it too! (mostly with the fingers-which can get confusing with numbers higher than five!) Love your kids. Happy THanksgiving! : ) Holly
ReplyDeleteI think this is so cool to see, and it reminds me that although it can be frustrating, epecially when I am running around making supper and juggling a million other things, that this is his way of making it fun and taking the dreariness away from it. Thanks for posting this and reminding me of that. I will play along a lot more now..:)
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Your boys are hilarious. :) This is a stage I'll be looking forward to!
ReplyDeleteen ingles!! awesome! :)
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