I think we have a problem

Setting the scene, Colleen and I are in the kitchen on Saturday. Colleen comes in to look at the calendar.

She asks, "What day is it today?"

I told her it was the 18th.

She said, "What regular day?"

I told her it was Saturday, Sept. 18.

She said, "OK," and left.

Two minutes later she comes back into the kitchen and says, in a voice worthy of a confessional: "Mom, I think we have a problem. I forgot to go to school yesterday."

Colleen stayed home from school on Friday because she was sick. But we had never told her she wasn't going in to school.

I gave her a hug and told her she would go back to school on Monday.

We're sick!

The girls are sick, at least, all three of them in some way or fashion.

The boys are doing just fine, somehow. But Colleen has thrown up somewhere approaching a half-dozen times today. Cate is fatigued and aching and has been asleep (more or less) since 5 p.m., but hasn't thrown up, while Elizabeth seems to be treading the middle ground. She ate dinner, at least a little, kept it all down, and was tired but not aching.

Colleen is the biggest puzzler. She is cheery as can be. At this writing it's been almost two hours since she threw up dinner, thankfully, and while she's not sleeping she's perfectly content to be lying in the bed next to Cate while Cate rests. I turned the radio on low so she has something else going on in the room. She has been down to meet us several times during the evening, including two trips to the basement to sneak herself some ginger ale. She got the can but couldn't open it. (I'm feeling adventuresome and opened a can for her since she's held the water down for 90 minutes.)

Cate is due for more Tylenol soon. All three are varying levels of feverish.

Now, Robert has been a trooper. He was basically ignored all evening and got his pajamas on and into bed by himself. He didn't even come looking for a bedtime story, though I did stop by and read one with him while I was up checking on the hospital ward.

Local climate change

Clearly, we were aware that it would be cooler here than in the Washington area, and that it would get cold sooner, etc. As we pull out the long-sleeved shirts for the kids ... and the rest of us ... it seems to be turning cooler even sooner than one would expect.

Case in point -- this week I am beginning to get my fall allergies. (Or my fall cold, perhaps.)

Usually I get them in mid-October.

So for this week, I'm a bass. Or a baritone. Cate isn't feeling well either. In fact, she fell asleep early and since I was at choir practice, Elizabeth (bless her) put Colleen to sleep.

Mrs. Mom is doing well

Cate got weaned off the Vicodin today and spent most of the day in bed, which was long overdue for her. I did manage to put in a full day's work (more or less) while also handling breakfast, lunch, dinner, baths and all sorts of other stuff we might otherwise tag team or Cate might do all by herself.

By the way, I hate giving baths. Cate described it on the phone this evening as "his least favorite part of parenting" and I estimated that in the five years in this house, it's possible I've supervised fewer than a dozen baths.

Cate couldn't put any pressure on the foot today, which bodes well for working on Sunday. And dinner made her throw up, twice. But everyone else ate it and survived. Robert even scarfed the steak down, and lately he has been resistant to anything you can't put in a bun.

Now Mr. Mom could use some sleep. Desperately. Well, once the dryer is done.

Kindergarten is such hard work

This was the scene shortly after Robert came home from kindergarten yesterday.

I've been working from home lately, so I met him at the bus. He didn't say one word as we walked up the driveway. I asked him if they took his tongue at school and he opened his mouth to show me. (Still there.)

Cate and Colleen were out getting plants for the garden. Robert crawled up on the couch and looked at me. I said, "Robert, it's OK to take a nap if you're tired." So he closed his eyes. When I asked him if he needed anything, he shivered, so I got him the blanket.

He barely got through lunch and tae kwon do. Then we gave him some Tylenol and he perked right up.

Poor Colleen

On the way to Elizabeth's taekwondo class today I heard a shout from the backseat... "Ick. Colleen threw up!"

Poor Colleen looked down at the mess and said "Oh nooo! I'm ruined. And I'm sticky! I need a wipe!"

She's now feeling better, singing songs on the sofa at the moment. Now I'm off to hose down the car seat. Ick.