Back from the Dead

Holy Cow! Has it really been over a month since I've posted???

Time flies when you are on your death bed.

My house was gripped with the horrible flu epidemic of 2008. It's symptoms included a horrible hacking cough (Not a good thing, especially after 3 kids), completely stopped up sinus cavities, high fever, achy body so that sweet hugs from my kids were painful. Even bryan took time off work and that NEVER happens. I think he's taken 2 sick days in the 14 year we have been together.

Since my recovery, it seems that I have merely been spending time catching up on everything that wasn't done during the 2 1/2 weeks that neither of us could rise from the couch. Overflowing laundry baskets, a disgusting kitchen floor, furniture so dusty you could write your name in it etc. etc.

But here's what gets me when, as a wife and mother, you get sick:

My lovely husband made the comment to me that he didn't think I was as sick as he was because I was able to get up and move around.

I didn't dignify that with a response. It would have been filthy if I'd said what I was thinking.

The cleaned up version is that I was just as sick as he was, I'm just not allowed to wallow on the couch. I have 3 kids who aren't sick (which makes everything worse) who still need to eat, go to school, get taken to activites, finish homework and on and on. As a mom, I don't have time to get sick. They need me and don't really care that it takes every bit of the energy left in my body to rise from the couch and microwave yet another chicken patty for dinner. They don't care that helping them with counting money hurts my head so badly that I want to dig my eyeballs out with a spoon just to relieve the pressure. All they know is that I'm mom and I need to help them like I always do.

The next comment was how come I got to stay home from work when he felt bad too, but had to go in. My response to that, besides calling him a great big whining baby, was because I am a substitute. They send teachers home for looking and sounding like I did. If I walked into a school looking like the walking dead, I would certainly not be appreciated. Now, If I had my own classroom, i would have been back sooner, but I don't, so I didn't.

All of you in my district can thank me now for not infecting your children.

Happily, I am back in fine form now.

Right in time to start my next (and last!) online class!!!

Wish me luck. I'll need it.