We’re emerging from the darkness in more ways than one.  Finally, blessedly, we are starting to feel those first twinges that spring is coming.  Today was the first day in approximately 8,000 days that the car has not been covered with a fine layer of frost when we leave for our day at the bewitching hour of 6:45 am.   It was actually so so wonderful to feel the sun this, that this Sunday afternoon we took an extended (partially by getting lost, hehe!) drive in the country to feel the sun without having to bundle up for a long time outside.  James and Emma stayed awake long enough to see some llamas/alpacas (this is still up for debate) before conking out for a lovely nap in the sunshine.

Metaphorically, we’re coming out of a long spell of general yuckiness that has touched the lives of all who have encountered us.  It started with a lovely scene of Mama (that’s me!) in elbow high blue rubber gloves scrubbing poop off the bathroom walls and a very melancholy and newly pajama-ed 8 year old girl and ended with a desperate Grandpa (who came to lend a hand in the sick house) who was stranded with two toddlers while Mama and Daddy tried to make their way home in an ice storm.  Digestive pyrotechnics were plentiful.

However we learned some important lessons during our sicky adventures.

1. When an 8 year old disappears for 20 minutes, then returns butt naked asking for paper towels and spouting, “There is a perfectly reasonable explanation why I am naked!” nothing good is coming.
2. Daddy and James have stomachs of steel (tummies of… tungsten?  Bellies of brass?) and were the only ones spared from the puke parade.
3. Emma is what our doctor has labeled “a barfer.”  J&E both had a viral upper respiratory infection (aka a bad cold) and had fevers.  Emma’s came with the lovely addition of vomiting.  We took them in to the ped’s office (who we love!!) and she thought Emma is just going to be one of those kid’s whose body’s reaction to a fever is to barf.  Even if their sickness is not gastrointestinal in the least.    Side note:  someone at work pointed out this could come in handy when the sneaky partying teenage (oh God, starting to hyperventilate now) years come.  Em may never be able to sneak around and drink without giving it away with her “barfer” status.
4. You never, ever, EVER want to see the same chipotle burrito you ate for lunch make a reappearance at midnight.  Really, you never want to see the same burrito twice.
5. 16 month olds are a LOT harder to use the bulby snot sucker (what?  Those have real names?) on than on a 26 day old, but I sure am less scared to try than I was then.
6. Two hours is a long, lonnnnnnng time when you are driving home in an ice storm, watching cars all around you crash and getting quarter-hourly phone calls from your poor dad who is puking his guts out and just wondering when you may get home.
7. You never fully understand the joy of coming to wake up a toddler who looks up at you, smiles and hugs their lovey, until you experience going to wake up a toddler and finding one completely quiet, sitting up in the corner of the crib with everything in sight covered in vomit.   Makes those unnaturally early, normal 6 am’s seem like Heaven on earth!

So, I’ll leave you with those lessons and my apologies for being so long absent.  We hope to stay in the light for a long while!

4 Responses to “Coming out the darkness”

1. Sarah Hines Says:
   

   OMG!!!!I am rolling on the floor, laughing!! The quiet baby covered in puke!! Hahahahahahah!!

   Those are but a few of the joys of motherhood.

   Miss you!

   Sarah

   March 8th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
2. sarah Says:
   

   Hahaha er um I mean, I’m sorry. I’m only laughing because I’ve been there done that too! And poor Emma (and you) being a puker; both of my boys are too.

   March 9th, 2010 at 7:15 am
3. Danielle Michael Says:
   

   Oh my! We have been living this too! My 16 mo old is a puker also. Christmas morning she woke up with a smile and vomit chunks encrusted in her hair (too much info?) We never heard a peep out of her either! Not to mention, I COULD NOT get that terrible smell out her the girl’s hair!!

   Yeah Spring is almost here!

   March 9th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
4. Kelly Lundmark Says:
   

   Yeah, also not so fun is the quiet toddler covered in POOP. Thank God that stage has passed, but I washed more sheets than I’ve ever done in my life! =P
   Hope everyone’s feeling all better now!!!

   March 12th, 2010 at 7:52 am

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