...my house would have looked like a crime scene last night.
I should have read the clues. When was in fifth grade, I too had little interest in doing the extra few problems to ensure I was prepared for my math test the next day. But Gianna complained about her stomach to Ferris Bueller-level proportions during that half hour. And then she refused dinner. And then all hell broke loose into the wee hours of the morning.
The poor kid purged everything at hour intervals for the next six hours. It is so painful to be a parent when you can do so little to help your child who is clearly in pain. And yet all I felt I had to offer her was a bucket, a cool towel for her head, and my hand to hold when she passed out in between those hours.
And just as she was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, her sister called out from down the hall. She too decided to join in the fun. We need to work on her aim. No one needs to be scrubbing carpets at 3 am. Oh wait...within minutes it was my turn. 3,2,1...bzzzz. This crew was down for the count.
It's been a rough day. It is hard to be a patient when you need to play nurse too. The three of us have made a new home on our couch today, watching way too much Disney channel. I do not get to control the remote on a day like today. We've all slept on and off, with me attempting to keep up with email and project work when I'm awake and not taking care of their needs. I can't believe how little I've moved over the past fourteen hours.
We're now 24 hours into it, and it looks like we may finally be nearing the end. We are all showered and in fresh warm pajamas, and the girls are once again asleep on the couch. No food has been eaten, and we are weak. And yet even in illness, I smile knowing we are in this together.
When they grow up, we will remember this as the day we all stayed home from school/work, sick with exactly the same thing, at exactly the same time. And all the silly arguing, and fighting about who gets to watch what when on tv was gone for the day. Today was all about making each other feel better, when we needed each other to be there.
I really hate seeing my kids sick. I really hate being sick. But I really, really love knowing we are here for each other when it counts. And today, once again, I got to see our bond in action again.
Sucks that buckets were involved and I have the energy of a sloth, but my heart sure feels good tonight.
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