I hope we are done. . .

I hope we are done with all the flu yuck. The kids are feeling much better. Jack actually went to Church yesterday with Marks' sister. Mark and I stayed home with Thomas. We have a lot of older members in our congregation and I would hate to infect any of them with this bug. I think it could take its' toll on an older person. I did get to go to my Bible study though and I am so glad. My Bible study has been a saving grace for me this last few weeks. We are required, I love that required, to have a quiet day for 6-12 hours by our selves to reflect and get started on our Lebenslauf (spiritual autobiography). So I got to take mine before all the sickness broke out. I went on Wednesday to the Lake for mine. It was nice, I did have to take Thomas to the doctor before I could go. I did get a good start on my Lebenslauf. I wrote in my journal and took some pictures with my camera and I read my Bible and another spiritual book that I took with me. I think the Lord knew what was coming for me because my quiet day could not have come at a more needed time. I have a really good start to my Lebenslauf and next week I have to give a summary of what I have so far to my group.

The Flu

So Thomas had to go back to the doctor on Thursday and Friday. He tested positive for the Swine flu on Thursday and was dehydrated on Friday. Thomas had the puke portion of the flu. We are doing much better today. I always thought Thomas was my better puker. He tended to make it to the bathroom and actually hit the toilet. Jack on the other hand when he got sick he hit what ever was in his way. Thomas proved me wrong this time. Thursday and Friday he puked where ever he was. He made no attempt to get to the bathroom. I am not sure if he did not have the energy or if it came on that quick. So I have spent the better part of these past few days doing laundry and spot cleaning the carpet.
Thomas was so pitiful he said, "Mommy I am sorry I puked on your couch." I told him that was ok it was an accident and he should not worry about it. Then, "Mommy I am sorry I puked on your bed and in the floor of your room." I said that is ok things happen you can't help it. Now my house reeks of Lysol and floor cleaner. Yuck! I guess it is better than the alternative.
We are all back on the road to recovery. He has not been at school since Tuesday. The doctor said Thomas could go to school, if he felt like it, on Monday. We have a teacher workday on Monday so he will get an extra day to recover. Yeah!!
We have weathered the storm of sickness. Remember wash your hands! I also read something online about things you can do to prevent the flu. Most were common sense but they said to gargle with warm almost hot salt water and if you could not do that to drink hot liquids. They said it takes about 3 days from the time you come in contact with the bug for you to get sick. They said the hot liquids would kill the virus. It enters through your nasal passages then to your throat. Needless to say I have been drinking a lot more coffee and hot tea as of late.
Cheers!

Sick Children

So on Monday this week Jack complains of a headache and sore throat. Off we went to the doctor for fear of the flu. It was neither the flu nor strep but an upper respiratory infection. The doctor gave us antibiotics and we were back home. On Tuesday morning Jack woke up and I checked his temp and it was 103 so I gave him some medicine and sent him back to bed. With in twenty minutes he was back downstairs and said his eyes hurt. He was flush and felt really hot. I checked his temp again and it was 106.3 in his ear. Now I know ear thermometers are not the best but that scared me. So off we went to the tub. Jack is a really good sport so he did not complain about the cold water. He knows that I don't do things just to torture him. He spent 20 minutes or so in a cool tub before his temp broke to 104 and I was relieved with that. I gave him a dose of whatever it was that he had not gotten the first time to try and get a hold on this temp thing. So it is now Thursday (wee hours of Thursday) morning and I think he is going to get to go to school today.
Thomas will not be going to school. He went to the doctor yesterday with the same symptoms only his temp did not shoot up until 2:00am. His was only 105.3 in his ear. So off we went to the tub. Thomas is not as good a sport as Jack. He cried the whole time he was in the tub. I gave up after 20 minutes and his temp had not broken. I got him out and put him on the couch and started an alcohol rub down. He did not like that much either. He is now in the bed with a manageable 102 temp.
The moral of this story is check those temps. If you wake up in the middle of the night and your kids have been sick check those temps. Something just told me to go and check on him tonight, I am glad I did. I think this must be the course for this bug they have. It is not the flu it still may be viral though. High temps scare me, some may think I over reacted and some may think I did not react enough because I did not take them to the hospital. I don't think the hospital would have done any better or quicker than I did. Please be ware of this bug that is going around.

A Loss. . .

My Uncle passed away this week. He lived in Tennessee and knew everyone. When we talked with folks that knew him they all had a story to tell about something he had done or said that somehow changed their lives. I know a lot of people say they had friends or relatives that knew everyone and had never met a stranger but my Uncle truly never met a stranger. If he did meet someone he did not know he knew someone they knew and quickly became friends with them. He loved life and the outdoors. He was 85 years young. He had been a Principal and involved in the school system for many years and many of the people we met this weekend he had either taught or they worked with him. He grew up in an era that kids respected their elders, you never talked back to your parents, and you always helped out around the house.

My Mom told the story about he and another Uncle that were in the Navy and had not seen each other in at least a year because they were both at sea. She said that Carroll, the one that passed away, his ship had run out of water. They only had water to drink and barely any of that. They called for assistance and met up with an aircraft carrier near them. Well, low and behold, it was the aircraft carrier that his older brother Julian was on. They tied up together and the boys on the aircraft carrier threw a party for the boys on the other ship. Julian knew his brother was aboard the other ship and he boarded her to find his brother he had not seen in at least a year. When he found him poor Carroll looked a mess. Julian told him he would have to shave and shower before he board his ship. (with a laugh of course) How is that for a story? Two brothers meeting each other in the middle of the ocean serving on two different ships and in the middle of a war.
My dear Uncle Carroll you will be missed.

Things my boys say? ? ?

So you know how my kids are. They say whatever pops into their little heads. Sometimes it can be hurtful and sometimes you just have to laugh. Well, the other morning before school Thomas was making fun of my hair. Yes, I had the terrible bed head. I was rushing around trying to get them ready to go to school so I had not brushed my hair or even tried to fix it. I really didn't care right then. Thomas commented that it looked really ugly. Jack immediately jumped to my defense and told Thomas that was not very nice and he should apologize to me. Thomas of course ignored his brother and kept poking fun at me. Again, I really did not care, my hair did look bad. Mark said I had a Don King thing going on with it.

I am glad that Jack jumped to defend me. It makes me feel good that he realizes that words can hurt peoples' feelings. I guess I am going to have to get up earlier so that I can make myself presentable before I wake my kids up. HA HA!! Not! They will just have to learn to deal with it. I have noticed Jack saying please and thank you more often lately. Could he be up to something or could he just be using his manners. I hope it is the later.

Thomas always has a way to make me laugh and wonder where he comes up with these things. We were watching TV the other day together and a commercial came on for a wrinkle cream. (you know where this is going don't you?) Thomas looks at me and says, "Mommy you need some of that stuff." I said, oh really. Why? He said, "you know when you give me my bath and your fingers get all wrinkly. You could use it after you give me a bath so they aren't so wrinkly." I laughed and grabbed him and hugged him and told him how much I loved him. He makes me laugh so.