February 22, 2016

(click here for today's pictures)

• Mondays are always pretty crazy here but around midnight last night, I knew that my normal crazy Monday would not go as I had planned it.  We were still on the couch when we heard foot steps and then someone getting sick upstairs.  It was Graham.  When he was finished, we cleaned him up, cleaned up the carpet (yikes!) and then bedded him down in our room. 
• Robby and I climbed into bed as soon as we could after that knowing that getting much sleep didn't look too promising.  We slept until about 2 when Reagan walked into the room.  I stopped her from tripping over Graham by saying "there's Graham, he got sick" to which my calm daughter replied "I did too in the bathroom and Keaton wet the bed." 
• She is the one who has always taken being sick in stride but I sure felt bad for her-she had finished today's school on Saturday night and was so excited about not having to do school today.  But this was kind of a no fun sick day for her.
• We took care of Reagan and Keaton and tried to sleep again.  Reagan and Graham were in our room now and they took turns getting sick until about 5 when we all did go to sleep again.  I was laying on the couch with Whitman this morning, when I heard someone in the kitchen and it didn't sound pretty...so Campbell then had to join the sick room with Reagan and Graham.
• I let Keaton and Anderson sleep as long as they could and took the opportunity to work on some laundry.  
• Each week the kids have a notebook and one of their little assignments is to write down one thing that they are thankful for.  My entry for today would go like this: "February 22, 2016-I am thankful for two washing machines."  I even used my bum dryer upstairs a few times and it worked fairly well drying the clothes.  In all, we did about 3 zillion loads of clothes, towels and blankets.  Currently my sheets are in the dryer (I didn't want their germs on my sheets tonight) and towels are washing upstairs and I have a whole load of blankets to wash but thought I might wait just a bit before doing that. 
• The morning was a little rocky for the sick crew but by 10:30, they had all had showers and were continually asking for something to drink.  We kept pouring them tiny sips of water and coke (we didn't have sprite and only had red gatorade which I didn't want to see later on my carpet).  Poor Campbell was in the shower and they had to come and get my because she was crying-her stomach hurt.  I calmed her down and got her settled back into my bed.  Robby said that Graham took his shower so hot that he had to get out quick and head to the bathroom.  
• Right before 11, I got myself out of this house after lysolling myself down.  I had a quick meeting at church while Robby held down the fort.  The plan had originally been for me to take everyone with me but that wouldn't work today so he was able to work from home.  
• When I came home, Robby was passing out a second round of cheese toast.  The well kids were hungry and the sick kids were starving.  The remainder of the afternoon was a bit odd-the sick three, who we kept contained in our bedroom, watched tv and played their kindles until they were bored silly.  And the well three didn't really know what to do without their buddies all afternoon long.  
• My Anderson had finished his school work this morning and I was able to help Campbell and Graham do some of theirs.  I have tried my best to explain that tomorrow they will need to do a bit extra so they can catch up.  We will see if that happens.
• By supper, everyone was feeling well enough to have some jambalaya and biscuits.  After cleaning up the kitchen, Robby took Whitman to the store to pick up a few supplies (no, not for the sick people but ice cream for the care takers).  While he was gone, Graham played the xbox (we had finally let them out of our bedroom) and the others played Clue with me.  We even had cookies and I worked on the laundry during a few breaks.  
• When Whitman and Robby came home, we started putting everyone in bed.  Everyone seems to feel well so we shall see...
• Overall, today was nothing like the stomach bug of 2014 when we had 4 people sick all at once (if you want to read those details, click here) (at least I hope it will not be since that bug lasted for about 4 weeks in this house.)  Hopefully, we will all sleep well tonight and no one else will get sick around here.