Needing the stomach flu? Come to my house. It's free!

There is absolutely nothing worse than being stuck at home with sickies, especially when you are one of them! I realized Josiah was feeling a bit annoyed by the situation when he said, "Mommy, how come we don't do school anymore?" I wanted to say, "Don't be so dramatic son! We skipped three days! It's not like we don't do it ANYMORE! Do you want to have school when you are throwing up all over the place? Do you want to have school when your beautiful, Mommy teacher is running a fever and aching all over? Of course not." But...I didn't. I told him that we were having a few sick days and to not fear the truant officer showing up. This is homeschool and your only a pre-kindergartner! Lighten up! School is back in tomorrow! No, not really. I did not say that either. Instead I replied sweetly with"We will have school tomorrow baby. Okay? We had to take a break since we were sick." And he says, "Okay, Mommy. I am ready for more school."

Oh and then Jeremy decides to call and ask, "What time is our meeting tonight? Does Heidi know the kids are sick? Is she okay with them still coming over?" And that is when I realize that the men in my life are a little clueless as to what happens when children are vomiting all over the place. EVERYTHING STOPS okay? EVERYTHING! Seriously, would I want Heidi to drop her kids off at my house after they had thrown up? NO! I don't care if they haven't thrown up in five days, I would still be VERY afraid. That stuff has an incubation period of about two months! I swear it does! Then I tell him, "Babe, her eighty-four year old grandmother just flew in from California and if that poor woman gets the stomach virus, it will NOT be from my kids." So we missed our meeting but it was canceled because it's rescheduled when someone can't make it. Thankfully someone else had a sick kid too so it wasn't all of our fault.

But tonight was a night I was not supposed to cook. Dinner was going to be at the meeting. There was no way I was making meatloaf. Meatloaf could possibly turn into vomit-loaf on a night like tonight so, I figured I would have Jeremy pick something up. Before I could call him, he calls and says "What do you want from the store because I do not want meatloaf!" Again, I wanted to say something rude like, " NO CRAP BABE! Do you think I would actually make meatloaf tonight? Are you insane?" No, I did not say that to him. Oh wait a minute, yes I did! Hey, at least I said Babe and not Jeremy! I only use his name when I am really angry. Nothing sounded good so he came up with an idea we use often, a rotisserie chicken. After we hung up, the phone rang and it was my friend Tonja. "I made homemade chicken and dumplins (not dumplings in the south, dumplins) and I am bringing them for your dinner tonight." I swear to you at that moment I heard the Hallelujah Chorus being sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir!!! "Tonja, that is my favorite comfort meal ever! My great grandmother made them when I was growing up. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She began to laugh and said, "I will see you soon Sweetie." You see it's not just the fact that she brought us dinner, it's the sweet email she sent me today of encouragement. Two out of three of her kids are grown and one is in High School. She knows what it is like to take care of sick babies when you are sick yourself. When she knocked on the door, the kids were screaming with excitement. They were thrilled to see a person outside the four walls of our house! Ava Beth runs up, Tonja didn't even back away from the scene (I WOULD HAVE. NO, I WOULD HAVE LEFT IT ON THE DOORSTEP. RIGHT MY FRIENDS? YOU KNOW ME!) "Aunt Tonja, I frow up ober and ober again. But, I'm all bettah now. I don't frow up anymore. I bettah." My sweet friend also handed me a card with it and I love what it says. "Hope this reminds you of your great grandmother." And it soooooooooo did! Just as delicious!

Tonight after American Idol, I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I'm halfway done with laundry (halfway is not saying much for a family of five), the kitchen is sparkly, Jeremy's lunch is made, the kids are in their own beds (they have been on "throw up watch" in our room laying on a pallet on the floor for several days) and my stomach feels normal again. The fever is gone, no aches and chills and I'm pretty sure the BOGO virus has subsided. There is hope for tomorrow. Back to school, back to eating, hopefully back to running a few miles (PLEASE GOD) and I have practice with the band tomorrow night! I am thinking I will put some makeup on for that so I will look alive! We were hoping to have someone over for dinner on Friday night but I don't think it would be safe just yet! Who in their right mind would say yes to a dinner invitation at my house on a week like this?! I would hate for someone to breathe in a spot where I accidentally missed with the Lysol can! However, if we get invited to do something, I'm going! I want OUT OF THIS HOUSE! (that's a hint for my brave friends) We are now in the vomit-free zone for the past twenty-four hours. Usually forty-eight hours is the way I truly know Josiah is done! He has a history of being a lingering vomiter.

If this is what it takes to get homemade Chicken and dumplins delivered to my door, I may be up for it again. But maybe next time we could get a cold instead of stomach virus! How about Step Throat? Anything but vomit!

Anyone counting how many times I typed the word VOMIT in this post? I should do a giveaway for someone who has had the stomach virus in their house as much as we have. But, you don't deserve a dinky prize, you deserve a new home!