Handling the Flu

Up until today, I had taken pride in that my children had never gotten the stomach flu and never thrown up.  There was a couple times with each that they choked or cried and gagged so much that they threw up - like last week at Taco Bell.  Before never from a stomach bug or virus.  This morning Laci told Charlie that she didn't feel well.  Laci has always had a bad case of "Idon'tfeelgood-itis" so it's hard for us to take the "I don't feel goods" very seriously.  Charlie called me and told me this after he dropped her off this morning at 7:30.  I reminded him about the stomach flu going around school so maybe she was telling the truth.  A few minutes later, the school called and Laci had thrown up all over the breakfast room.  Eeks!  The flu has hit us.  I immediately called Charlie and he hadn't even gotten home.  He was not happy to have to handle this.  It would have been easy to rearrange my day to come home.  I had a training session in the morning and my annual review in the afternoon.  I complain a lot about Charlie not stepping up but sometimes I make it too easy for him.  So I decided that it would be okay to let him handle it. 

I called after he had gotten her home.  Apparently, she threw up everywhere and her friend got caught in the cross fire.  He took her to the store to get "sick day" supplies - 7Up, crackers, jello, etc.  She threw up several more times this morning.  Fortunately, she is old enough to be able to use the toilet.  I called after awhile and it was so sad to hear her say that she was sick.  It was harder than I thought to not run home to her.  But I knew she was in good hands.  I cancelled my night out with friends.  Charlie was doing great but it wasn't fair to not take my turn.  I called at lunch and she was napping.  She threw up one more time and the kitchen floor, entryway and bathroom were the causalities.  He just couldn't get rid of the sticky.  I felt a little bit better about not being home and having to clean up the mess. 

I came home a little early and cuddled on the couch with her.  It was still evident she was sick.  I asked about her day and I loved her answers - Daddy got donuts for himself at the store, he really wanted her to throw up in the toilet and he was concerned that she would throw up on the rug.  By dinner time, she was starting to feel better - the 24 hours may be up now.  Tonight, before bed we had a family jam session - Charlie on the woodblock, me on the cymbals and tamporine, Laci on the recorder and Calvin on the drum.  I took a moment to look around and realized that we survived our first flu. 

My silly girl the night before her flu