Jesus and Zoe and Elmo....and Telly Too...

The children and I have been here all weekend: sick. Tommy left to hunt with our brother-in-law in eastern Oregon on Friday. The illness began Thursday with R vomiting 9 times in her bedroom and all over B and me. Nice. Tommy left at 4 AM on Friday and by the time I was awake for the day at 6:30 it struck and I was down for the count.

Something strange happens when you're sick. It's as if all knowledge of actual comfort leaves one's brain and is replaced by what we perceive to be comfortable. In my case this meant that lying face down on my living room floor felt awesome, but I very nearly came to tears as my littles began (it seemed) to run wild and free around me, pulling out every toy we owned with each turn around the room. They were destroying the house and I helpless to stop it. Worse, B is crawling and R is a curly red head: got it?

My only hope was to make it to B's nap time at 9:30 and I did. I grabbed my kindle and set R up with Caillou on Netflix and began rocking B next to her in the La-Z-boy. Finally he drifted and when I was sure that R was enthralled in the whiny antics of Caillou I allowed myself to fall asleep with him. I was in and out of it for about 45 minutes and then I believe I fell into a deep sleep for about 10 minutes before being awakened by a banging noise. R was whacking my kindle with all of her might and laughing too. I lost it. I snatched the kindle from her grasp; the tears began immediately as did the ringing of the phone. I answered it to hear Tommy's voice. It never fails: Tommy always calls right after R has done something naughty which means that I am always a raging Queen B**** when I speak to him. He must think "ahhh, it's the mother of my children!"

To spare you the gorey details I'll just say that in a 6 hour window I happened to lose 4 lbs. I looked in my kitchen which was piled high with dishes, canning supplies and peaches. Peaches! Oh no! I was supposed to finish canning them today! I called my mother at work and asked her to come and get the peaches so that they wouldn't go to waste. She insisted that she'd be up to take care of us after her workday at 4. I then called my mother-in-law who came to my immediate rescue. She grabbed B, I put R down for a nap and then went to bed myself. When I awakened two hours later I was shocked. My house was clean, dishes were done! I have the best mother-in-law. Better yet, both of the children were still sleeping. She left and soon my mother arrived with our dear friend Megan in tow. Women are wonderful givers of service. They fed my children dinner, did my laundry and finished canning my peaches. My mother stayed the night because she is awesome. The next morning I was still not feeling my best. She and Megan took the kids shopping and I enjoyed 4 blissful hours to myself. It was divine. I slept and read the whole time.

Today, my father-in-law has the crud. Oops. I decided to take it easy and stay home from church so my mother-in-law, wanting to show off my cute child picked up R and took to her church. B and I napped. When R returned I got her ready for her nap. I asked her if she had learned about Jesus in church. She replied: "Yes. And Zoe, and Elmo....and Telly too."

Hmmm. I had no idea that the Muppet's were LDS.