Our House of Ill Repute
I know I've gotten a little behind here on MiH, but for good reason. We have, each of us, had a virus of one shade or hue. It all started with Hans, who developed a wretched chest cold (which has me worrying like a mother hen because of his asthma--while he blithely ignores the fact that his inhaler has EXPIRED). Anyway, he sailored on through that for a couple of weeks and is just now getting rid of it.
Then, as most of you know, William woke on the night of Annika's birthday party and started throwing up. Oh, little baby and toddler puking is so sad. Sad and messy, since they don't know how to control it. There's no hitting the toilet or a bowl or even a towel. Poor little chap. I pulled him into bed with me and woke every 30 minutes to his gagging, trying to catch it in a towel. Eventually we fell into an exhausted sleep surrounded by soaked clothes, towels, sheets, washcloths...I was about to start pulling T-shirts out of the closet.
Next morning, he was fine. I had 82 loads of laundry to do.
Going along, la-ti-da, then suddenly, I woke at 3:00 a.m. last Wednesday and starting throwing up. Oh, mommy puking is so sad. No, not really, it's just gross. I slept in the hallway outside our bedroom, not wanting to wake Hans and when it was time for the kids to get up, I dragged myself downstairs and somehow made lunches, etc. Annika burned her waffle. I threw up when I smelled it. Good times. I was sick off and on all day and just exhausted the next.
Ah, we thought it was gone, because two more days elapsed before Josiah suddenly came down with it. At 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Just in time to join me in bed and wake me every 30 minutes with his retching. At least he's old enough to get into the bathroom and hit the bowl. Only 28 loads of laundry after that one...
Annika got it the next day and boy was that a doozy. An entire chicken McNugget Happy Meal, barely digested...all over her bed. I didn't know where to start, what to do with the mess, so I bunched it up, took it outside and shook it out all over the back driveway (the neighbors all know we're weird anyway). I'm pretty sure the dog then went out and ate it all...
Then I washed every stitch of her bedding, which takes at least four loads of laundry, plus her clothes. She continued to barf for the rest of Sunday. Oh, she also threw up on our good Afghan rug, so Hans and I had to move that and steam it. And on the couch, so had to take the cushion covers off and wash those.
(And yes, for that person who is about to say "Well, she's a darling and can't help it". I know that. We still love her and I'm not angry with her for something she (pretty much) can't control.)
No school on Monday, so everyone recuperated. Josiah tried school on Tuesday and I ended up running to get him because he was complaining of nausea. Of course, as soon as he got home, he was bouncing off the walls and the nausea was mysteriously gone. I didn't even bother to send Annika, fearing I'd get another terse call from the nurse.
So--Wednesday, back to school with everyone and then Will and I both come down with the cold. Mine is more of a sinus thing and it's much better today than it was on Wednesday. Will just has a standard issue snotty nose/fever/barky cough.
Please excuse me if I haven't written here or answered your e-mails. I'm napping, getting Will to nap, administering medications, hepped out on DayQuil, doing laundry or Lysol-ing doorknobs and the remote.
Anything to rid us of the plague!
Tomorrow: hot date at the shipyard with my hubby!
Then, as most of you know, William woke on the night of Annika's birthday party and started throwing up. Oh, little baby and toddler puking is so sad. Sad and messy, since they don't know how to control it. There's no hitting the toilet or a bowl or even a towel. Poor little chap. I pulled him into bed with me and woke every 30 minutes to his gagging, trying to catch it in a towel. Eventually we fell into an exhausted sleep surrounded by soaked clothes, towels, sheets, washcloths...I was about to start pulling T-shirts out of the closet.
Next morning, he was fine. I had 82 loads of laundry to do.
Going along, la-ti-da, then suddenly, I woke at 3:00 a.m. last Wednesday and starting throwing up. Oh, mommy puking is so sad. No, not really, it's just gross. I slept in the hallway outside our bedroom, not wanting to wake Hans and when it was time for the kids to get up, I dragged myself downstairs and somehow made lunches, etc. Annika burned her waffle. I threw up when I smelled it. Good times. I was sick off and on all day and just exhausted the next.
Ah, we thought it was gone, because two more days elapsed before Josiah suddenly came down with it. At 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Just in time to join me in bed and wake me every 30 minutes with his retching. At least he's old enough to get into the bathroom and hit the bowl. Only 28 loads of laundry after that one...
Annika got it the next day and boy was that a doozy. An entire chicken McNugget Happy Meal, barely digested...all over her bed. I didn't know where to start, what to do with the mess, so I bunched it up, took it outside and shook it out all over the back driveway (the neighbors all know we're weird anyway). I'm pretty sure the dog then went out and ate it all...
Then I washed every stitch of her bedding, which takes at least four loads of laundry, plus her clothes. She continued to barf for the rest of Sunday. Oh, she also threw up on our good Afghan rug, so Hans and I had to move that and steam it. And on the couch, so had to take the cushion covers off and wash those.
(And yes, for that person who is about to say "Well, she's a darling and can't help it". I know that. We still love her and I'm not angry with her for something she (pretty much) can't control.)
No school on Monday, so everyone recuperated. Josiah tried school on Tuesday and I ended up running to get him because he was complaining of nausea. Of course, as soon as he got home, he was bouncing off the walls and the nausea was mysteriously gone. I didn't even bother to send Annika, fearing I'd get another terse call from the nurse.
So--Wednesday, back to school with everyone and then Will and I both come down with the cold. Mine is more of a sinus thing and it's much better today than it was on Wednesday. Will just has a standard issue snotty nose/fever/barky cough.
Please excuse me if I haven't written here or answered your e-mails. I'm napping, getting Will to nap, administering medications, hepped out on DayQuil, doing laundry or Lysol-ing doorknobs and the remote.
Anything to rid us of the plague!
Tomorrow: hot date at the shipyard with my hubby!
