Parenting is a carefully choreographed super marathon performance. Lots of duct tape and glue sticks are required to hold it all together. But despite our best efforts, sometimes we trip and fall flat on our face. That sums up the last few days in our house.
We’re blessed to have a healthy family. Rarely do the kids miss school. But when they do, it’s a mess. The routines go out the window and the goal is just to get through the day in one piece.
“I can count the number of times a bug has taken us down. And it’s always the ‘tummy bug’...”
I can count the number of times a bug has taken us down. And it’s always the ‘tummy bug’... Kids aside, it’s bad enough for adults. But throw in a developing immune systems or maybe some potty training and things things get raw (and smelly).
At 3, Pete is a tough little guy. We’ve joked that he has an iron tummy. He’s dodged all the viruses that have passed through his classes in the last couple years. A few months ago he was sent home for reporting his tummy hurt, but he never got sick. Remember, he’s in room full of preschoolers, and they’ll repeat anything they hear... I honestly don’t remember him ever being sick before this weekend.
He was sent home late last week after some projectile vomiting. Luckily, it was only one incident. But then things started coming out the other end. I’ll spare you the details, but we made good use of the sanitize cycle on the washer. What followed was a few pretty miserable days. The bug meandered through the house, catching us all, but manifesting itself in different forms. Most meals consisted of ginger ale, lots of water, and crackers.
As we all edged back to 100%, the survival instinct subsides and I began to look back on those days as an accomplishment. We all made it through (except a towel or two) and we discovered a few new Netflix options with the kids. Sure it’s frustrating to see your schedule get puked on. But times like these are always a good reminder that sometimes you have to let go. Just cover the basics for a few days and know that the chaos of ‘normal’ life with kids will be there waiting.
Do you have a good tummy bug story? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!