Throwing Up Crazy

Well, we've been hitting the illness pretty hard around here.  While I like to think I'm good in these circumstances, I'm starting to think that I'm not that great at it.  My strengths are these:

I'll give you pain meds if you ask for them or not.  Just a little somethin' somethin' to take the edge off.

I'll wake up quickly in the middle of the night and jump into action if you're bad off.  While a little cry hear or there will barely awaken me, a few random screams and I'm up.  Burl ralphed for the first time this week.  He picked up the stomach bug (along with 3 others) from the church nursery.  He was vomiting and I was all about helping him.  Fern did a hacking cough in the middle of the night and I was up like a flash checking to see if she had gotten the bug.  Not yet.  

I'll remember what I wanted when I was sick and get you the same.  Juice, crackers, it's all yours babe.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I had the stomach bug (about 10 years ago), and it still haunts me.  Any illness that will make me feel totally comfortable hugging the john and  sprawled out on the bathroom floor like a bath mat is an illness that I'll never forget.

I'm not put off by throw up. Everywhere.  Burl's thrown up on five occasions, and not one of them has been into anything.  Bed, floor, carpet, couch, and me.  None of those bother me.  I was a little put off that last time though.  I thought we were all done with the stomach bug.  I took some time to myself to go tinkle, when I was interrupted by Burl.  He walked in the bathroom looking horrible, and before I could figure out what was happening, I was covered in projectile vomit.  One has not lived until they've been puked on while sitting on the pot.

On top of that, the kids have really runny noses and sleepy eyes and a need to be semi-lethargic.  But Mama knows that a huge helping of television is just what a kid needs.  Baby Einstein and Curious George are on pretty regularly around here.

I'll also let you do whatever indoor activities you want.  We're doing a lot of painting these days.  While painting pictures isn't that interesting, mixing colors is a big deal to Burl.  

Sometimes I'll ask him to tell me about his picture.  This one has snakes (obviously) and a painting of me.  That red blob that resembles a kangaroo is me.  On the top left you'll see a snot sticking out, which Burl calls my nose.  That tail thing on the right is my bottom.  That's a direct quote from my first born.  Ah, the love.

Here's what I'm not good at: being sequestered from friends.  While our days are filled with whining and toddling, we are pretty stuck here at home. Alone.  (Despite a few "We're Better, So Let's Go Places" Attempts.  That was my bad.)  I'm in my home and in my head a lot, and I'm starting to get anxious.  The things that aren't done around here are starting to talk to me.  I'm hearing voices.  From checking on our life insurance policy to finishing the trim in the den, my mind is racing on things undone.  

Last night, I went for a run and cleaned out my napkin collection and that temporarily did the fix.  This afternoon I added one of the kids' goats to our plant and for some reason all those things made me feel better.  Then, they made me feel crazy because they make me sound like a control freak who should get out more.  Run. Organization. Silliness. Those are the things that make me feel better.  I'm like an addict that has to get a fix.  This sick thing is not for me.  I'm not the best Mama in these circumstances.  Any words of wisdom?  Any helpful advice?  I'm all ears.  Please, talk to me.  No, I really mean it.  Mama needs to talk about it!!!