The chillens are illen

For the past couple of days, I've had Kate and Trey home from school.
Kate had a severe sore throat and cold,
and Trey had a mild stomach virus.

The week started on Monday morning, with the two older kids going off to school
and Trey coming down and complaining very mildly about a stomach ache.
Given that he had been up til 11 PM the night before watching the Super Bowl, I was less than sympathetic.

"You'll be fine," I assured him. "You're probably just tired from being up late. You'll forget about it once you get busy at school."

No dice.

By 11:30 I was on my way to pick Trey up from school.
I brought him home and settled him on the sofa. I still had my doubts as to his "illness."
He didn't looked particularly "peaked" and was more than content to watch TV under a blanket.

Several times, I turned the TV off and had him rest or read quietly. Within a few minutes of the edict, he would begin to writhe around and whine about his awful stomach cramps.

"Oh PLEASE!" I said, annoyed. "Stomach aches don't just COME and GO like that. You are just thinking about it too much when you aren't watching TV."

"Nooooooooooo!" he insisted, "It huuuuuuuurrrrrttttttsssss!"

So I huffed around the rest of the evening, in full-on "Not Giving You an Ounce of Sympathy Because You Will Take It and Run" Mommy mode.
I had every intention of sending his ass to school on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Kate was beginning to sniffle, but consumed with Trey, I wasn't seeing the writing on the wall.
----

Later that evening, the boom fell.
Trey was indeed sick to his stomach, in a sudden and rather spectacular fashion.
I'll spare you the details.

Mommy guilt quickly followed.
"Aw, here you go. Here's the iPad, and the stomach-ache bear and Mommy Loves You Poor Baby Child.."

I can be the most wonderful and sympathetic Mommy to sick kids, as long as you give me some kind of TANGIBLE PROOF OF YOUR SUFFERING.
-----

By Tuesday, it was clear Kate had a raging sore throat and minor cold symptoms.
Still feeling stung from my doubting the day before, I was proactive and had her checked for Strep.
Nope! Just a cold and sore throat.

At this point, both Kate and Trey were ensconced in their respective rooms,
creature comforts available to them.
The downstairs became the Forbidden Zone.
Now that my kids are older, I have become a firm believer in Zone Sickness.
Keep your germs in your space and don't come downstairs and infect every one else!
------

On Tuesday I was almost merrily trotting up and down the stairs,
offering love and care and positive affirmations.
By Wednesday afternoon, the two were starting to feel better and not a moment too soon.
The sweet "What do you need, Dear?"on my part was evolving into a rather shrill "WHAT?!"
Just to be fair, the sad, sweet, quiet ill people were becoming a little more demanding and complain-y, which is usually the indicator that they are getting well again.

NOW I understand my Mom's shrewd comment of my youth-
"I can tell you are starting to feel better.. you are getting more demanding."

I get it now, Mom. :)
--------

It's now Wednesday evening.
The "ill-ens" are bringing their own dishes down the stairs now.
Trey came down for the first time about an hour ago.

"Wow....!" he murmured, looking around the family room, "it feels so different. It feels like forever since I have been down here."
I had to laugh. He wouldn't last long in solitary confinement!

I also had to smile as I watched him flit, yes flit, around the kitchen.
Trey is a Tigger, in every sense of the word, and for a couple of days his bounce had been on hiatus.
Yet here he was, a little skinnier and his hair sticking straight up on end like a cockatoo, skipping a bit here and bouncing a bit there, the glimmer of trouble and mischievousness reignited in his eyes.

Yes, school is back in session tomorrow!