Sick Day....maybe

What to do when you are up at 2 AM cleaning up vomit in a bed? Call your husband who is awake reading films at the hospital and let him console you. Oh the joys of motherhood. To be perfectly honest since Rich was on call I was actually down on the computer at the time when I heard the pitter patter of little feet, the toilet flush and then silence. I thought all was well. Not quite. Soon Matt was standing zombie looking at my side and stated that he thought he had just thrown up. One glance at the food and gunk clinging to his entire left side of his PJ bottoms told me it wasn't just a possibility. It could have been worse. At least it was contained to the bed. I stripped him down and he showered while I spooned up the fun stuff all the while talking to Rich on the phone in between my gags. What we do for our kids!

It all began earlier in the week when the girls got runny noses, Kaitlyn got diarrhea and everyone seemed to have a bit of a cough or sore throat but we all just carried on. By Wednesday my stomach was cramping and I knew sooner or later I'd be leaning over a toilet. (Thankfully it never happened!) Just a few hours of nausea makes me pity all the pregnant women out there. I ran a low grade fever Wednesday night (100.7- I told Rich was radiating heat and it felt good to be warm. I bet this is what Josh Madsen feels like all the time!) Anyway, with a bit of rest and little to eat, I was 100% by Thanksgiving. We had a feast, smiles on everyone's lips and when we woke up on Friday the happy faces were still there so we headed on up to Cincinnati grateful no one was battling any aliments.

Then things turned south last night. We rented more movies from Redbox (best invention EVER!) and were rushing back to return them just seconds before 9 PM when they are due. As the kids and I hustled into Wal-mart (boys in PJ's-Matt minus shoes in the cart with the girls-, Kaitlyn fully clothed and Brynn in Kaitlyn's Halloween costume and red glitter shoes- boy did we look homeless!) to the drop box, suddenly Trey's face had a look of panic as he shouted he was going to throw up and started to search for a garbage can. I REALLY didn't want to do this in Wal-mart so I talked him through some deep breaths (reminded me of when I am in labor) and soon the pains passed. We deposited the movies, grabbed some milk (2 shoppers asked if they were ALL MINE!) and happily rushed out the door. When we piled into the van I soon heard complaints of stomach pain, but the hungry kind. Yes, it was getting late, but it was better than making new messes in the kitchen when we got home. We grabbed some food at Burger King, but Josh said he didn't want anything because now he was feeling sick. As the other boys ate on the way home (Trey obviously recovered quickly as he scarfed down a hamburger) Josh started to cry saying he was hungry and wanted some food. I turned back around to get a bean and cheese burrito at Taco Bell. Just as we pulled out of the drive thru with the burrito in my hand I heard yells from the back as Josh was now throwing up in the Burger King bag. Great idea, but paper can only hold for so long. I felt around for a plastic Wal-mart sack and tossed it back hoping to avert a major disaster. Ten minutes later we were home, the kids were tucked in bed and I thought the worst was over. Until Matt's little surprise.

As you can see I had no choice but to stay home with the kids from church even if Rich had to sleep in the basement guest room to avoid contracting the plague since he had to go in tonight and it seems like almost every other night for the next two weeks.

Everyone was up bright and early this morning and Josh wolfed down 2 pancakes since he slept on an empty stomach and no one mentioned feeling poorly the night before. By 11 AM (church time) the boys were wrestling, chasing and being all around wild. Totally 100% normal. Good for them, crazy for me. You can only do so much with 5 children inside when it is 1) Sunday 2) raining 3) Rich asleep downstairs next to the toys 4) no video game rule. We got up all the Christmas things except decorating the tree and watched Pres. Monson's wonderful devotional (Nov. 13) on BYU-TV. But I really missed going to church. I am glad everyone is feeling better, and I have yet to clean up a huge mess again (that is if you don't count the banana I was cleaning out of the basement carpet with the Hoover at 1 AM last night), but it really stinks to be home with sick kids, or at least almost sick kids. Here's for a healthy week ahead!