Who the Heck Invited the Flu to the Party??

It is days like today when I am so thankful to see the end of them.  It is also days like today when I am so very thankful for the people I have in my life.

It was a rough night for B last night, but more of the same, not any worse really.  It was the crying at 4am that through me off my game though, not a baby cry but a big boy cry.  My poor 8 yr old had thrown up (in bed of course, where else do kids throw up?) and was sporting a nice high fever.  It seems as though the flu decided to come calling.  I spent the next hour trying to get him to keep down some tylenol to get the fever down and held a cold cloth on his forehead trying to coerce him back into sleep (after of course ripping his whole bed apart and doing laundry at 4am).  All the while I had one ear on Mr.B to make sure he wasn't retching in his sleep, I was trying not to be to loud so that I didn't wake up Rylan (in the same room) or Mike (who had to be up in an hour for work) all while trying not to just go crawl in a corner and weep from exhaustion while waving my white flag.

Somehow, as all Parent's will contest to, you get by, you somehow slog through it.  I crawled back into bed as Michael's alarm went off and got a fitful hour of sleep before B was up retching again,  Of course B retching somehow triggered off Torin dashing to the bathroom and begging for Mommy.  Sigh.  If only one could clone oneself.  Thankfully my children are generally very patient and amazing when I tell them I have to deal with B first but I felt such guilt this morning that I couldn't comfort T at the same time.  My children really don't ask for much other than love so it saddens me when I have to give it from afar.  Back to the bathroom to clean up T (again) who now has it coming from both ends (TMI?) and to attempt to soothe him back to bed.  Mr.B finally somewhat settled in my arms on one couch, T somewhat settled on another couch (bucket on hand) and a 6 yr old that comes strolling out to say he doesn't feel 'quite right'.  Of course he doesn't, of course.  Now I'm not looking for sympathy (ok well, maybe a little) because it is when you weather through the 'crappy' days (ha ha) that you get to proudly display your 'Parent' badge.

I thought the only kind thing to do was to give Ashley the 'out' this morning to not have to come to work in the 'House of Flu' so I pretty much wept with joy when she told me she'd still come.  Can I tell you how lucky I am??  Ashley agreed to watch over B so I could deal with T and Ry and that sounded like a pretty amazing deal to me.  The funny (?) thing is after Mr.B's night I would have taken him into ACH today after taking the kids to school and we would've spent the day in Emerge.  As it was we didn't go in again today and we made it through another 24 hrs at home (because of Ashley).  Because of Ashley, I got an hour and a half sleep (wow) AND a shower today!  Pure B-L-I-S-S. 

It is days like today that I am reminded just how many wonderful people I have in my life, from those of you sending out positivity and encouragement from my Facebook Page , (along with the reassurance that it would be okay to have a vodka tonic for breakfast!) to my wonderful friends that call or text to see how we are faring.  A very large thank you (again) to Ashley for coming through for me/us today and helping me sort through the piles of laundry, not to mention bringing her positive energy into the house. 

I also need to take a moment to thank my wonderful friend Rachel Kuhle for ALL that she did and does for us.  Rachel (and her kind husband Nathan) have been my 'back up' parents for Torin and Rylan so many times that I can't even count that high.  I don't know how many times I've had B at the hospital and Rachel has so kindly (and never with a complaint) watched the boys for me till I get there or taken them home and fed them (again).  It has taken a huge load of stress off knowing that I can count on her as my back-up in a pinch.  I do feel badly that our friendship isn't a balanced 50/50 and when I mention this to her she tells me (in her graceful British way) that friendships don't have to be that way at all.  When I called her to whine today that my life indeed sucked she told me she was making me dinner.  After the back and forth of "no, really, it's okay" and the "but I want to" and so on, she basically told me to suck it up, put on my big girl panties and just graciously accept the offer (not that she would ever say it in those terms!).  I agreed to accept the help (begrudgingly as I seem to have this theme of not being able to accept help) and she told me she'd drop off a hot dinner later.

Such attention to detail!

The day progressed, I won't bore you with the all the fun parts but we made it to the dinner hour (which is a funny term because dinner can happen in my house anywhere in a 4 hour period) and I get a knock at the door.  Rachel is at my door with an entire bin of food, all hot, all homemade and fresh.  This woman, mother of two, just getting over a flu herself, made us a roasted chicken, oven roasted potato wedges, carrots, broccoli, an amazing quinoa/green/pear salad, hot gravy AND fresh (still hot) muffins!!  I quickly proposed marriage (of course, duh!) but she politely declined (damn).  I had to take a picture to that attention to detail she put in right down to the 'fresh' carrots for Rylan as he doesn't like cooked (I think she's fed him more than a few times at her house).  WOW!  Rylie walked into the kitchen as I was unpacking and said, "Oh yay!  I love Ms.Rachel's chicken dinner!".

I can't imagine having a wife that would cook like this for
me!  It was SO very good!

 

So it might have been the backside of a crappy day but I am so blessed and thankful for all of our friends, family and neighbours.  I've got SO many wonderful people in my life that are so fast to offer us a hand with the big boys, a hot meal or even a lawn mow!  You know who you all are, you are my sanity (if there were some left I suppose) and I SO appreciate all that you are and all that you do!  This isn't nearly enough to do it justice but, THANK YOU (again)!!!

Now if someone wants to come take care of my geriatric cat who just threw up (on the carpet, why is it always the carpet when I have hardwood everywhere else??) and has added a smear of something stinky to my duvet cover...sigh.

Onwards and upwards, tomorrow is yet another day in the life!

From Our (sick) Home to Yours...