Will Sickness Ever End?

It has been one busy and exhausting week. It will be nice to just be able to sit on the couch for a while and relax. Well, I suppose that will have to wait until there are no more toddlers in the house.

After my husband being sick with a virus last week, I thought we might have some good recovery time. Yesterday started with canceling a previous booked appointment to have my car worked on to take my toddler to the doctor. Screaming all night and pulling at ears usually ends up as an ear infection. Confirmation: double ear infection. Thank God for Motrin though. That was the only thing that would ease her pain long enough to let her sleep. A toddler with only five hours of sleep can be pretty cranky.

So, antibiotics it is, those wonderful drugs that clear up infections.

With ear pain under control, I was able to put my toddler to bed with no problem last night. All seemed well until about 3:45:am. She woke up with her normal call of clapping her hands at the door until I get there. I thought I would just put her back to bed and lay back down myself. Oh, no. Nose bleed central and this is a first for her. There was blood all over the sheets, pillowcase, and her. After cleaning her up, putting a new diaper on her, and changing her sheets, she would have no part of going back to bed. Okay, I caved and let her lay down with my husband and myself. Restlessness sets in and she starts fussing about her ear hurting. Okay, Motrin, here we come. Finally, peace.

I am looking forward to a possible night of rest. Please, please, sleep descend on my toddler and me.

On to Wednesday Night Supper at our church. Dinner with choir practice after is the usual plan. I am looking forward to choir practice. There will be desert! This is our quarterly birthday celebration for our choir members. While grocery shopping today, I picked up all the ingredients for an ice cream sandwich casserole. Layers of ice cream sandwiches, cool whip, caramel topping, and chocolate sundae topping, it's just sinful delicious. This is my contribution to our celebration.

When I get home from choir practice, I am usually greeted by "Hello, Mommy" remarks coming down the stairs. After putting the children to bed, I will collapse on the couch with my husband. I usually love when he walks through the door, but on Wednesday nights, it's me that I love walking through the door.

Go Ahead. Add to My Sleepless Night.

A sick baby is always a lot of work.

My toddler got sick yesterday. All moms know what a mess this is to clean up when they just let it out where ever they are. Luckily, she wasn't on the carpet. Hardwood floors are much easier to clean up than carpet. Also, when they are as busy as my toddler, it is hard to keep them still. Picture me chasing my toddler around the house with a large blue bowl just in case she happens to spew again.

I debated having her sleep with my husband and myself just in case she got sick again. I decided to put her in her own bed after all. About 3:45 AM, I am awakened by coughing. I jumped out of bed and ran to her room. Upon opening the door, I was hit in the face by the unmistakable odor of what used to be in her stomach. I assumed she had just gotten sick. I was wrong. She had obviously gotten sick much earlier and I didn't hear a thing. The mess was dried to all her covers and pajamas and even in her hair. For now, she has nothing more than fuzz so cleaning her head was a lot easier than it could have been.

With the help of Dad, a quick change of sheets, blankets, and pajamas and a 10 minute rock later, I laid her back in her bed and laid myself down on the floor beside her bed until she went back to sleep.

Here I am two days later finishing my thoughts. Two days of a not-so-well toddler will wear a person out. We got through the day with no throwing up. Thumbs up to that! I was able to put my toddler back in her bed tonight. I will keep my fingers crossed that all goes well and we all sleep peacefully. Last night, my husband and I lined our bed with towels to catch any "mess ups" that may have happened in the night. Luckily, there were no problems. We just weren't able to sleep as soundly. Well, at least I wasn't. I am not sure if it was the constant checking on my toddler or the intermittent snoring of my husband.

As my husband and I sit on the couch together, both of us with our laptops, I can't help but be relaxed that the girls are tucked in and quiet (for the moment) in their beds. My days tend to be crazy running after the girls, so I am relieved to have help when their Dad gets home. I love when he walks in the door.

My Tummy Hurts

I love a day when my kindergartener gets up and dresses herself without being prodded along. She was awake and dressed before I woke this morning. I didn't say a word about what she was wearing to avoid "this" fight. Her outfit was a little comical but not completely hideous. In her eyes, a pink leopard print sweat suit with a zipper front jacket pairs nicely with the mostly white, pink, and green flower print shirt. To maximize the look, red and purple Valentines socks are worn with her brown sneakers.

Todays battle was getting her to brush her hair. When I asked her if she had brushed her hair she began wailing and screamed "I'm hungry." I never can tell when she is actually hungry or just avoiding something. I believe today it was avoidance because yesterday, she wouldn't eat at all. Maybe I should figure out how to invent a kindergartenerometer that could decipher all the mayhem.

Every time she was asked to do something this morning, her tummy automatically started hurting. Especially when Daddy came downstairs and she was left upstairs by herself. To be by herself is the worst thing for her. That is the one punishment she hates more than all. If a separation is even mentioned, she starts wailing. Throw in the complaints about a sore throat and you've seen my morning so far.

She is off to school and I begin my day at home. Making beds, folding laundry, and a little vacuuming are a start. I have started a light workout regimen, so I start on that. I think I'll wait until my toddler is sleeping for workouts. I could barely get through my pushups for laughing. As I am pushing up on my pushup handles and the whole time, she is twisting the one for my right hand. I was trying my best to concentrate, but I kept busting out laughing at the "look what I'm doing" grin that was on her face. I'm not sure if the pushups actually helped today.

Done with pushups and guess what? It's banana slicing time. While the banana is being consumed I start working on this blog.

Quiet. The girls are sleeping. Will I make it to my bed time without having to go to my toddler's room?

Today was early release from school. After a little yelling and screaming from the girls, we packed up and went to Daddy's office to surprise Aunt Debbie with a birthday present. We had some yummy angel food cake with strawberries.

Back home. Start dinner. Test a new recipe. Cook down some strawberries for pancakes this weekend. Nothing I cooked went together tonight. Pulled pork Bar-B-Q sandwich, cornbread patties with actual corn, and strawberries. That's what happens when you do five things and once. Sometimes inspiration hits and you just have to go with it. Just like baking a cake because "I feel like it."

After dinner, Daddy had to go to a meeting at the church. This leaves me at home for bath time alone. Not fun. My kindergartener just refuses "routine". Will she ever get use to it or will she be this way forever?

Daddy is home from his meeting. I love when walks in the door.

Bedtime Blues

A rough bedtime at night makes for a cranky mommy in the morning. My toddler refused to go to bed last night. I ended up sitting in the rocking chair in her room until she was ready to lay down. I just refused to let her leave her bedroom. It took a while, but she finally got tired enough to go and get in her bed by herself. I only got up once with her last night. It is hard to get her to stay in her bed since moving her into her toddler bed.

Today started off as normal with a kindergartener that refuses to get completed dressed when asked. Shoes and socks were not on her feet until three minutes before the bus came. And, as usual, the wailing begins as soon as missing the bus is mentioned. A reminder is always in the wings that if she would just get ready when asked, she wouldn't be in this predicament. Kindergartener off to school.

Today was registration for the mothers morning out program at our home church. I have decided to let my toddler enter the program this coming fall. She will be two this April and seems to be ready to attend. I asked her this week if she wanted to go to school this year with her friends and she replied "uh-huh". I think she will have fun. I went to the church expecting a line that would make a 30 minute wait but was pleasantly surprised. I may have spent eight minutes there. Shewf!!! It took longer to get out of the car with my toddler and back in it than it did to register.

I watched the neighbor's little girl this morning and went to an impromptu lunch at the newly opened local restaurant with them when she came to get her. On the way home, my toddler fell asleep, so nap time it is.

Nap time was over two hours later. Upon waking, it is automatic banana slicing time.

My kindergartener arrived home from school at her normal time. As she stepped off the bus, she fell and scraped the knuckles on her right hand on the rough pavement. The wailing begins. When she wails, she drowns out all other noise, even the bus as it pulls away. In the house we go to wash the scraped knuckles. She begins begging for a bandage for her finger that is not even close to bleeding. I explained that she didn't need one and continued to get her after school snack.

After snacks were consumed, "horse play" starts up, literally. Using a "Mardi Gras" necklace around the waist of my toddler, they run around like she is a horse with "getty-ups" and all. They go from that into diapering baby dolls and then drawing. Screaming starts and I leave the kitchen, where I have started dinner, to see what is going on. They are fighting over the space on the drawing table, one with a pencil and one with a crayon. "Please girls, can't you just get along with one another and share the space." The toddler thinks she has to do everything the kindergartener does. Convincing a kindergartener to play with a toddler does not always goes well but, sometimes I am pleasantly surprised.

My kindergartener has voiced her opinion about wanting macaroni and cheese for dinner. I have already starting working with some chicken and broccoli. Here is a good compromise, macaroni and cheese casserole with chicken and broccoli. Worked like a charm.

I have trouble completing a thought when I am writing. My toddler is toilet training and interrupts me constantly to sit on the toilet. If "sissy" goes, she thinks she needs to go. That and nonstop snacks keep me running back and forth.

The casserole is ready and Dad is on his way home. I can't wait for him to get here. I love when he walks in the door.