Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Have Yourself A Germy Little Christmas

Warning: The following post is not for those who are squeamish.

Well, after my last post, I felt that I had nowhere to go, but up. Oh how wrong I was. I woke up Monday with that all too familiar pressure in my left sinus passage. Oh shoot, sinus infection. I wasn't about to take off, so I called my doctor from work and made an appointment for that evening. I was right, sinus infection. He was an angel and gave me antibiotic samples, so I didn't have to go to the pharmacy that night. I went home to bed. I spent the rest of the week nursing tea and going to bed right after school. My class was surprisingly sweet. By Wednesday, there was a forecast for snow starting late Thursday morning. I had a sinking feeling that Thursday would end up being early release. As I was making backup daycare plans and bracing myself for a day of chaos, I heard "Moooom!" from the bathroom. Lily had explosive diarrhea all over the bathroom. Oh shoot! Long story short: I had to stay home with her, they found the most incompetent sub for me, my class was so naughty that 5 different people had to go in to tell them to calm down, and of course there was an early dismissal. I sat at home cleaning up after Lily with a knot in my stomach, knowing that all hell was breaking loose in my classroom (don't email or call when you're out sick, it doesn't ever help). On Friday, we were out for snow, so I felt sure after four days of rest, Lily would be much better.

Fast forward through a weekend of rest, to Sunday night, "Mooom!" from the bathroom. Another replay of Wednesday night. By this time I was in a panic. I could not leave the world's worst class with another sub. Rob agreed to stay home that morning. I had 3 1/2 hours to whip them into shape. After a brilliant combination of guilt, shame, and bribery, I came home to take care of Lily. We sat and watched holiday specials and I tried not to fall asleep. By the time Caroline got home, I was ready to pass out. I went to bed and slept for three hours.

I only had to make it through Tuesday and 1/2 of Wednesday then it was winter break. Lily happily went off to school and I trudged in carrying my construction worker sized thermos of tea. My class was much better. Unfortunately, I seem to be the only one who can keep these turkeys in check. Rob thought I should be flattered. I just felt trapped.

On Thursday am, I had an appointment at a chic salon for a free cut and color that I'd won. Let's just say, I do not belong in salons. The girl forgot the color and then styled my hair like some sort of insane mushroom. On the way home, I was composing an amusing blog post in my head about the whole experience, when I got a call from Caroline. Lily was throwing up all over the place. Are you kidding me!? I hurried home in time to catch round two of vomit. I stood in the kitchen Holding a bowl with one hand, her hair with the other all the while contorted so as not to get hit with any vomit. Caroline had the good grace not to say anything about my crazy hair. After, I'd cleaned her up she says "My ear is bugging me." I hauled her (and a change of clothes, and bags, and wipes) to the doctor. Guess what? Nasty double ear infection that she'd had for a week. I assured the doctor that she's shown no symptoms. I went home to get ready for Christmas feeling like I was finally in the clear.

Foolish, foolish me. I spent Friday madly cleaning the house and baking. I was grouchy and tired, but that's to be expected. By that night, I sat down to wrap gifts and it felt like I'd been stabbed with a hot knife. NOOOO! I ran to the bathroom and well use your imagination. After 20 minutes, I thought there was nothing left to leave my body. I cleaned up the bathroom and crawled out to the den to start wrapping gifts. All of the sudden I felt I was going to like throw up again. I ran across the kitchen (must protect the new carpet) throwing up all the way. I felt like an alien had taken over my body. Then, I cleaned it all up (I'm one tough mom). I finished the wrapping (some upside down, lots stuffed in gift bags) and collapsed into bed crying because the day that I wait for all year was going to be ruined.

I managed to make it through Christmas Day. I cooked, but didn't eat. I watched the kids open presents, but took no pictures. After my family left, I went back to bed. Rob woke me up at 2:00 am to report that he and Caroline had it now. They made it through and I spent Sunday completely disinfecting the house. luckily, we were spared the snow. I went to bed Sunday night ready to wake up and enjoy ourselves on Monday. Yay, vacation!

Monday morning, Lily woke up with her right eye full of green goop. Pink eye? No way, she is on antibiotics for her ears! I trudged back to the doctor (who is now looking at me like I really can't care for children) and sure enough it's an eye infection. I assure her that there were no symptoms until this am. We trudge to Target get to get her medicine. Caroline bought Lily a soft pretzel (she eaten almost nothing over the past two weeks and has lost 5 pounds). Lily devoured the pretzel and then we went home. Once we were home, I opened the package to start the drops...pills? Oh shoot, they gave me Lilian Simmons' prescription, not Lilian Simpson's. I trudged back to Target one more time. Now we have the drops and Lily's eye is starting to look like "a normal eye!" (her gleeful response this morning).

Hopefully, we can save this vacation. The last I checked with the rest of my family, they had the stomach bug now. I am so sorry, guys. I am starting to feel like I need to put a quarantine sign on our door.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Tis The Season

I am determined to make this holiday season, less "jingle hell" than usual. The weekend after Thanksgiving, I pulled out the holiday cookie cutters to use to cut Lily's sandwiches, cranked up the holiday music and got ready to have new flooring installed. We got new carpet put in the den and living room and hardwood in the dining room. I have a huge teapot collection and family books. It took us all Friday night to move all of the loose and breakable things out of those rooms. I took the dining room and rob took the living room. We both plugged away shouting jokes back and forth, all was merry. Before we knew it the entire kitchen and eating area was full of china and old books. The last things to move were the desks. Rob is notoriously difficult to move furniture with. He expects you to read his mind. He fusses at me to "push it" and I ask "push it this way?" Of course he has to turn it into a dirty joke and I chastise "Quit acting so horny." Of course Lily is behind me and asks "Why is Daddy corny?" Rob said it had to do with his jokes while I sat on the floor laughing hysterically. After we had moved the furniture into the kitchen it looked like my Gramma Hill's attic. The kids went to bed and we sat down to relax. I looked around and realized my purse was gone. I asked Rob what he did with my school things that were in the living room. He replied that it was in the middle of the kitchen. We climbed over the furniture like mountain goats to search for my purse, but it wasn't there. We started searching all over the house. Normally, I would have been annoyed, but this sort of thing happens so often around here that I can only laugh. As I was hunting around upstairs, I heard the door open and close. When I came downstairs, Rob was standing in the foyer holding my purse. "I guess, I put it on the porch. I wanted to get it out of the way." Sorry, Honey, but that story got quite a few laughs last week at work:)

Unfortunately, that was my last laugh. Rob ended had to go out of town for work and I ended up with 2-3 meetings everyday and at least 2 activities per kid every night. The week ended with a very difficult conference. By the time Rob got home I was a little bit of a wreck.

So far this has been a really nice weekend. Rob went shopping with me and we managed to finish all of the Christmas shopping in one day. He did it all without a complaint and was really helpful. Then I came home and started baking cookies for tomorrow. Our friends are coming over tomorrow with their kids to decorate cookies. I really hope that next week goes well.