Sick days

I don't know about where you live, but around here, the stomach virus is running rampant, feeding off of young children, adults, dogs (okay, maybe not dogs) but anyone it can get it's nasty puke inducing viral germs into. For weeks our friends were dropping like flies and it seemed like we had escaped until I got into bed last Tuesday night and heard Isabella coughing, I just knew. I went into her room and yet again that instinctual feeling mothers get, was right. Bummer...I wish I'd been wrong. As you can imagine, that was a long night but the next day she was acting totally fine so I called my mother in law, who just had the stomach virus, and asked if she could watch the kids while I went to the grocery store. Well what do you know, Isabella threw up while I was gone and was freaking out because I wasn't there. After I got back and gave her bath, Gisela offered some clothes for Isabella to wear. Here's the thing, she needed to wear something so that we could walk back home, but if you know Isabella, she is INCREDIBLY particular about what she wears. At first it seemed like it would work out, I put the pants and the shirt on her (note to self, pants must go on before shirt...she dresses herself so I didn't know the protocol) and then she realized the sleeves on the shirt were too long: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....I DON'T LIKE MY SLEEVES LIKE THAT............TAKE IT OFF, TAKE IT OFF!!!!  I NEED MY CLOTHES, I WANT TO GO HOME, TAKE THIS SHIRT OFF............AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Yeah, I took her shirt off and took her home with just her coat on. During the puking and diarrhea sickness we had many more of these instances. Because the diarrhea was so bad (I know, you really want to hear this) she wasn't able to make it to the bathroom, which made her horribly upset, but probably what made her more upset was this: "It's okay Isabella, everyone has accidents, we'll just change your clothes and clean everything up (oops wrong this to say)"...."NO, I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE MY CLOTHES! THESE ARE MY FAVORITE TIGHTS. I NEED TO WEAR THESE TIGHTS. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE POOP IN MY TIGHTS. I'M NOT CHANGING CLOTHES. THESE ARE MY FAVORITE TIGHTS I NEVER DID HAVE!  Don't worry, I didn't let her wear poopy tights, instead we put them in the washing machine and she waited until later they were in the dryer and the dryer buzzed to pull them out and put them on again. No, I'm not kidding.

The good that came out of all of this was that every single article of clothing, sheet, towel and blanket in our house was washed AND PUT AWAY...that's right Gisela, it was all put away! I was very proud of myself until Sunday morning when Walter woke and started puking. And then that night Isabella projectile vomited all over our bedroom floor which required many towels for clean up and led to some serious compassion for school janitors everywhere with their rolling mop bucket called in for puke clean up.

By Sunday Isabella was getting very sensitive about any questions asking "how are you feeling; how is your belly?" I'm FINE, STOP asking me! I'm NOT going to throw up anymore! Okay, if you say so. The next time she threw up she caught it in her hands....no joke.

This morning I took both kids to the doctor because it seemed like both of them were getting a nasty cough and Isabella was looking more pathetic my the minute. When I shared with Isabella that we were going to go to the doctor for a check-up to see if she needed medicine one would have thought I'd just said, "we're going to the doctor so that they can cut off your leg with a giant saw, so please put your shoes and coat on." I don't WANT a CHECK UP.....Isaac can go to the doctor, I'm staying HOME! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE DOCTOR. Oh joy I thought, this is going to be a wonderful and embarrassing experience. Thankfully she did okay once we got there and I'm glad we went because....she has an ear infection. Man do I feel sorry for that girl. She's had the stomach bug for almost a week and now has an ear infection.

Despite feeling like our house is crawling with germs, I'm not kidding, I think I see germs walking around, I feel pretty good. I dutifully followed Walter around the house with bleach and sanitized everything he touched. I tried to contain him to one room but he said he was too bored lying in bed....bummer, I really didn't want to picture in my head more germs walking around the living-room.

The first day after Isabella was sick she very kindly said, "mommy, I hink (think) I know why I'm sick. The reason I hink I'm sick is because you tagot (forgot) to give me my vitamins." Um, thanks Isabella, you have a way of making me feel like such a good mom! Here's another example of how not to win the Mom of the Year Award: A couple weeks ago I got my coffee ready and sat down on the floor with Isaac but must have put the mug within his reach and the next thing I knew he'd pulled over a hot cup of coffee onto his hand. Well, of course I felt horrible and was trying to comfort him...blah blah...meanwhile Isabella was saying, "mommy, why did you burn Isaac's hand all up?" and for the rest of the day and several times since then she's said, "mommy, remember when you burned Isaac all up?" "Isabella, I did not burn up Isaac, please don't say that"....as if I didn't feel bad enough already.

So yes, we've had some very interesting times around here. We're praying for health and healing as I continue to squash the daylight out of those germs!

Not many pictures this time. I met with a photographer yesterday who critiqued my photos and well, now I think all of my pictures are crap. But, I am very thankful for some honest and professional insight. So, I have some work to do and hopefully the next post will have some good ones!

Isaac is fascinated with wheels and will sit and turn then around and around and around...

Isabella has been on a very restricted diet. But every day she still asks for cereal with milk and after explaining for the millionth time that she could have plain cereal and some Gatorade to drink she said, "I know! How about I have Gatorade in my cereal!" Personally, just the thought of that made me want to throw up, but that's what she ate...

He's a fan...