Katie and I are starting to both feel a little better, but boy oh boy, has this illness lingered. I have never been one to get very sick, nor to talk about sickness. I've always been wary, in fact, of people who always seem sick (excluding those with a legitimate and diagnosed chronic illness). I'm a pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of girl. Complaining, especially about health, is not my style.
Still, I must say, these have been difficult days over the past week. Katie contracted whatever I have had, and hers presented with a high fever (spiking twice to 103.7). We are so protective of her precious little brain that, of course, my maternal instinct declared utter war on the virus responsible for Katie's discomfort. Fortunately, Katie likes her grape medicine. My best friend Rosa suggested we try grape flavor a few months ago, and she was right. Katie was able to take her doses with relative ease---pretty impressive at age two. I gave tepid baths and made cold compresses. It was a long two days, with vigils taking place at night to work the fever down. Sleep has been here and there. Katie threw the virus off rather quickly, but is still draining fluid. Because I lost so much sleep, my cold and scratchy throat is lingering even today. So far, superimmune Bill has dodged this bullet. How, one may only guess. He has had to navigate a veritable minefield of tissues, sneezes, coughs right nearby him, etc. I can't wait for total health to return to our house. Any day now.
However, we have been having happy moments in all of our relaxing and non-busy days. We cancelled absolutely every activity this week, and while we missed gymnastics and Toastmasters, we took pleasure in staying in soft clothes and feeling the freedom of not following a schedule for a change. I think that we will be able to make it to music class tomorrow, though.
We've been cooking more, again, and have made some yummy dinners and treats.
On one of her semi-sick-but-better-with-a-less-than-101-degree temp days, Katie and I took a shoebox and made a collage of pictures all over it. She told me which pictures to cut out of some magazines (dogs, balloons, mac and cheese, nail polish, oatmeal, pumpkin, etc) and then I let her glue them on with the gluestick. We call it her treasure box. It was an effective low-key sick day activity that still engaged her but was restful. She really loves the box, actually.
Today we had a total play day until about 2:00 this afternoon. We stayed in jammies in the playroom/her room area. We played blocks, did an alphabet puzzle, dressed Barbies, read books, sang songs, worked on phonics a bit on her chalkboard, cuddled and tickled in the bed, and talked about all kinds of things. We ate a late lunch outside, and then Amie came over for a bit. We meant to make oatmeal biscotti today, but I think that can wait until tomorrow or this weekend. Then Katie helped me crosstitch a little.
So, I guess, we haven't been up to all that much. But Sometimes "not much" is totally rejuvenating, and in its own way, highly productive!
