Oh, Disease. You didn't!

I have no picture to post with this. Because if I did it would be of a house that looks as musty as it likely smells, with three of four sad people in it all suffering from a summertime enemy called Hand Foot and Mouth disease. It isn't quite as bad as it sounds, we got a version that gave us all sore throats and fevers. Which is pretty bad and painful, but the name implies something you would get in medieval times when you drink from a communal water bucket, skin covered in blistering sores and turning green. Our communal germ factory was (I'm guessing) the library, when we saw a magician perform with about 60 other menacing illness-breeding children. I missed both my rowing classes, Jon gave up his only full accrued day of time off when I was incapable of getting out of bed, and we have basically missed a whole week of Oregon summer--almost impossible to make up. Water, yogurt, crackers--anything but pure whole fat vanilla ice cream and pudding makes Margot cry when it passes her lips. So ice cream has been on the menu for breakfast and lunch today. And Theo had some for lunch. Theo's feeling fine now, but just try to put a bowl of ice cream in front of your baby without your toddler noticing and throwing a giant fit. I had ice cream for breakfast too, then a hot dog for lunch. Ice cream does actually get old eventually, and I needed something extremely salty but equally unhealthy to balance it. It did sting a bit, but I'm an adult so I can power through.

Last winter we were hermits and our illnesses were infrequent and conveniently spaced. I think this is my first true experience of sickness with more than one kid, and it was not fun at all. The first day when Theo cutely cuddled on the couch watching shows was dear and heart warming. That night when he woke up screaming and writhing in pain and going to urgent care at midnight--not so much. I think I have watched every episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood at least three times. Mind melted.

However, I think we are on track to have a healthy, event filled weekend. But we might spend most of that cleaning our apartment and throwing away empty ice cream buckets.

It's not fun to continually stay home when you're sick, but sometimes you have to do it for the good of mankind. (Hear me, moms who take your sick kids along with your healthy kids to the library?!)