My fridge is full of medicine
So, I've been at home for four days with some combination of sick kids. Today, seven of them...6 under 9 and one 36 year old. It is certainly by the grace of God that I am not sick. Yesterday, 3 of the kiddos tested positive for influenza B on top of strep, so we decided to keep everyone home today for their own recovery not to mention the safety of their classrooms. Tim worked from home off and on today. It is really not a good time for him to be sick. There is certainly something to be said for being at home with kids who are sick, but only feel sick some of the times. There is seriously only so much TV that can be watched and I can't really get much done, because at any given moment someone needs something. There are now 32 medicine spoons and a medicine schedule for 8 of us to remember...ok a medicine schedule for 8 for ME to remember.
Yesterday, three children sat...yes, I said SAT in the doctors office for 2 entire hours. I did not break a sweat...well, almost with Benjamin. He is the only one of 6 that can be so sick and still have enough energy and vinegar to make one tired! The were so subdued. I hate it when they don't feel well, but on the upside, they sure are well-behaved and calm. Each had a fever of 102-104. Before it was all over, each of them had a very long q-tip shoved 6 inches up their nose and wiggled to obtain a sample for the influenza test. I think that was worse than a shot. Needless to say, a simple sticker was not going to be reward enough for that, so the lab tech actually brought them each a sucker. That quickly made everything a little better. Benjamin's was gone before the results came back.
I got to leave today about 2:00 to go pick up school work for the kids and stop at the grocery store. I was gone 2 1/2 hours and must confess that I stopped at JoAnn's fabric store and probably piddled a little too long. I wanted to get a pattern for a vintage apron and look at some fabric. Apparently I enjoy adding to my list of things to do, because I found some fabric for the apron and I'd really like to get it done in the next few weeks. Having several days in a row of doing nothing for myself leaves me aching to organize, sew something, scrap something...plant something, even clean something. Something! (I should probably start with the "clean something".) I knew when I was piddling in the store that I should hurry up because I'm sure everyone woke up from their naps 5 minutes after I walked out the door, and Tim would neither feel up to taking care of everyone, nor have the time to.
I then proceded to the grocery store and remembered how much I enjoyed shopping when I don't have all or even some of the kids with me. I was on a mission to fill my cart with healthy choices so everyone would get well at my house.
I returned home in time to get the "Mommy, we missed you" greeting which is always a joy, and something I don't get to hear often. Usually daddy gets this greeting. Just as soon as they said this, they asked "what's for snack?" It didn't take long for them to devour what seemed like most of what I had just purchased! The next hour or so is a blur as it is the usual witching hour and Tim had hit a brick wall and really needed to rest. It's very challenging to make dinner with a 1 year old attached to your leg screaming, a 4 year old who wants to be held and a 3 year old who wants to help, but has his own recipe in mind. When the storm had passed and everyone was getting ready for bed, I was reminded how much I really love my family. (Sometimes during a witching hour--especially one in which I am already exhausted, I question what in the world we were thinking having six kids) Tim was reading Benjamin a book and Ben asked him, "Daddy will you sing me a song?" "I love you Daddy." Joe was snuggled into my shoulder singing his sleepy song and when I laid him down he smiled and said something that sounded like "night night", and Mattie was waiting patiently in my bed for me to come read her a book. "Thanks for reading me a book Mommy, and thanks for taking care of me." These were all completely unprompted remarks and actions of which I am reminded that there is a "non-monstrous" side to our children and they really do love us, and at this point, how easily all of the horendous hairpulling nastiness of an hour ago are forgotten. This is why we decided to have 6 kids, and I'm quite sure why we think of having more. Now, what the other three were doing during this time???
Tomorrow is another day...another day at home with 6 kids who don't necessarily all feel bad enough to rest, but aren't well enough to go outside and play! Oh well, this too shall pass. :) thirteen more days till t-day (tax day)...it's not like April 16th will be magical and we won't have anything to do, but it is something to look forward to.
Yesterday, three children sat...yes, I said SAT in the doctors office for 2 entire hours. I did not break a sweat...well, almost with Benjamin. He is the only one of 6 that can be so sick and still have enough energy and vinegar to make one tired! The were so subdued. I hate it when they don't feel well, but on the upside, they sure are well-behaved and calm. Each had a fever of 102-104. Before it was all over, each of them had a very long q-tip shoved 6 inches up their nose and wiggled to obtain a sample for the influenza test. I think that was worse than a shot. Needless to say, a simple sticker was not going to be reward enough for that, so the lab tech actually brought them each a sucker. That quickly made everything a little better. Benjamin's was gone before the results came back.
I got to leave today about 2:00 to go pick up school work for the kids and stop at the grocery store. I was gone 2 1/2 hours and must confess that I stopped at JoAnn's fabric store and probably piddled a little too long. I wanted to get a pattern for a vintage apron and look at some fabric. Apparently I enjoy adding to my list of things to do, because I found some fabric for the apron and I'd really like to get it done in the next few weeks. Having several days in a row of doing nothing for myself leaves me aching to organize, sew something, scrap something...plant something, even clean something. Something! (I should probably start with the "clean something".) I knew when I was piddling in the store that I should hurry up because I'm sure everyone woke up from their naps 5 minutes after I walked out the door, and Tim would neither feel up to taking care of everyone, nor have the time to.
I then proceded to the grocery store and remembered how much I enjoyed shopping when I don't have all or even some of the kids with me. I was on a mission to fill my cart with healthy choices so everyone would get well at my house.
I returned home in time to get the "Mommy, we missed you" greeting which is always a joy, and something I don't get to hear often. Usually daddy gets this greeting. Just as soon as they said this, they asked "what's for snack?" It didn't take long for them to devour what seemed like most of what I had just purchased! The next hour or so is a blur as it is the usual witching hour and Tim had hit a brick wall and really needed to rest. It's very challenging to make dinner with a 1 year old attached to your leg screaming, a 4 year old who wants to be held and a 3 year old who wants to help, but has his own recipe in mind. When the storm had passed and everyone was getting ready for bed, I was reminded how much I really love my family. (Sometimes during a witching hour--especially one in which I am already exhausted, I question what in the world we were thinking having six kids) Tim was reading Benjamin a book and Ben asked him, "Daddy will you sing me a song?" "I love you Daddy." Joe was snuggled into my shoulder singing his sleepy song and when I laid him down he smiled and said something that sounded like "night night", and Mattie was waiting patiently in my bed for me to come read her a book. "Thanks for reading me a book Mommy, and thanks for taking care of me." These were all completely unprompted remarks and actions of which I am reminded that there is a "non-monstrous" side to our children and they really do love us, and at this point, how easily all of the horendous hairpulling nastiness of an hour ago are forgotten. This is why we decided to have 6 kids, and I'm quite sure why we think of having more. Now, what the other three were doing during this time???
Tomorrow is another day...another day at home with 6 kids who don't necessarily all feel bad enough to rest, but aren't well enough to go outside and play! Oh well, this too shall pass. :) thirteen more days till t-day (tax day)...it's not like April 16th will be magical and we won't have anything to do, but it is something to look forward to.
