Sunday, November 13, 2011

What a week...

I believe I posted last on Monday, the beginning of this week. I haven't posted any Thankful posts or any progress on my goals. Or anything, at all.

Since Monday, there was been much going on--and sadly, I don't mean in the way of progress on my 2012 goals.

Monday, approximately 9:30 p.m.:
there was much stomach aching and vomit at our house. #'s 1 and 3, the odd numbered kids, the curly heads, as we call them, both started in at approximately 9:30. Even though they are 11 and 6, one a girl, one a boy--they have a lot in common. Both do well at school with little effort, both have the same crazy sense of humor, both have sometimes wildly curly blonde hair. Poor Eleanor in the middle at age 8--has to really work to get good grades, but is wildly creative. Has super straight, brownish hair, instead of their curly blonde locks--and is usually concerned for characters in movies when her odd-numbered siblings are laughing uncontrollably. But that's a post for another day. ;-)

So I guess it should not have surprised me that these two, in tandem, became ill. Not to mention, they (and Eleanor) had just the day before, closed a play they were in, with 40-some odd other kids, more than likely carrying around 40-some odd sets of germs and who knows what bugs.

So anyway....these two began on what would prove to be a nearly week long (or longer, possibly, but let's hope not), vomit fest. Up and down with them all night, holding buckets under them, and changing blankets, bringing them tiny sips of water. That's being a mom, right?


Tuesday, approximately 8:30 a.m.


There is something oddly peaceful about having recuperating children at home. They were not vomiting Tuesday, but were both lounging, weak, in and out of sleep on the couch, requesting sips of water and occasionally, another movie in the dvd player. On days like these, there was no refereeing to deal with, no arguing, no requests for snacks repeatedly (yes, I have a 6 year old boy who constantly wants to eat), not even any wanting to get on the computer and play games. No fever and no vomiting since the wee hours.

Just peaceful recuperation.

Wednesday, approximately 7 p.m.

Or as we have affectionately dubbed it, Round 2.

The Mailman and I coordinate the Junior Bible Quiz program at our church--our second meet of the season was yesterday, and we had a practice Wednesday evening. Right about the time to start, Eleanor began to complain that her stomach and throat hurt (which, at the time, I thought sounded odd--stomach and throat?) I told her to rest a minute, then to practice when she felt up to it. I went about my business, up to help a different group of kids I was helping coach.

5 or 10 minutes into practice, one of the kids' helpers came in and told me Eleanor was vomiting in the restroom.

Yup, I should have known. I don't know why I thought she could escape it. Without going into the gory details, another long night of vomiting awaited us.

Which was punctuated by

Thursday, approximately 2 a.m.

I woke up knowing exactly what Eleanor meant when she said her stomach and throat hurt. First hand. Needless to say, between me and her, it was another loooooooong night.

Thursday, all day

Another day of peaceful recuperation, although not so much when I'm one of the victims.Eleanor, Bea (who was not sick but willing), and I lounged on the couch most of the day, in and out of sleep, watching several movies. It hung on longer with me than it seemed to with the others.

I did not feel fabulous the next day, but I was not really sick. I will say, though, having purged for several hours, was really a good jumpstart for getting back to losing weight. Cha-ching.

I think Friday was for the most part, uneventful.


Saturday, approximately 8:30 a.m.

Our poor van got sick. On the way to our Bible Quiz meet one hour from here, on Interstate 69 North, our van started losing its ability to accelerate. Twice we felt like we hit a speed bump (at 70+ miles an hour?). He thinks it's probably the transmission slipping, but we're still not really sure. At the end of the meet day, we had it towed (and as luck would have it, our roadside assistance only pays for towing within 15 miles, so we got to cover the extra), so our mechanic will be able to look at it tomorrow, hopefully. (more on this later)


Saturday, approximately 10:30 p.m.

Round 3

no more needs to be said, just that last night was a really, really, really, long night with Bea. Let's just say that four year olds aren't so good at knowing when they are getting ready to vomit. So suffice it to say...

Sunday, Now

is another day home with a child instead of being at church. Recuperating (her from vomit, me from lack of sleep).

and catching up on lots and lots and lots of laundry.

But

Even though it's been a tough week. And will probably be tougher once we hear the prognosis from the mechanic.

I AM Thankful

My problems are vomiting and laundry and smelly old buckets that need bleached. And seven year old vans that quit working. The kids argue, I cry that I need a break, the house gets messy. My tummy hurts--their tummy hurts.

But I have a friend whose 13 year old son has leukemia. and there is a 3 year old granddaughter of someone we know who needs a heart transplant. And a 42 year old relative of a member of our church is dying and there is nothing anyone can do. She has 4 young sons at home. I can't imagine.

and that last item on my list, about sending a Christmas letter to Abhash and Kelebe? Those are boys who have NOTHING. They live in impoverished countries, and help them monthly, but it's not enough. We can't even send them any gifts, bigger than what will go flat into a business sized envelope.

They are excited to get stickers and a letter in the mail. They tell us in their broken written English that they pray for our family daily. Do we always remember to pray for them? Sadly, and ashamedly, no. We get caught up in everything here. The vomit, the arguing kids, the messy house, the clutter.

And yesterday? A friend of ours whose daughter was also going to the Bible quiz meet happened to need to follow us to the meet, because she didn't know the way. So when our van broke down, and we managed to get it into a rest stop, she was there. We all piled into her van and rode the rest of the way there. We weren't even late. We have it too good.

At supper the other night, one of the middle kids complained that they had to eat something that they didn't want to eat.

"it's not fair!" they whined.

Paige, in her eleven year old wisdom, repeated something that she had heard from someone else (and I know it's nothing new, but I was blessed to hear her repeat it),

"If life were fair, we'd all be starving."

I'm not saying I don't want new carpet or a van that runs well, or all those little things that would be nice to have. Because I do. And I'm sure you'll find me again, whining, and venting and telling how it is. And working towards those goals.

But I'm done complaining (or at least I'm going to try to be...). I have more than I need, more than I could ever ask for, and way, way more than I deserve.

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