Ironically, I'm reading The Plague

Bear now has whatever the hell it was that Bug had last Monday. The biggest deal? She pretended to be sick last Tuesday. When the day care called today, we told them to tell her to go play. We didn't believe she was sick until the school nurse called and said she'd thrown up.

Naturally, she has to be symptom-free for 24 hours. She can't go back to school tomorrow even if she's perfectly fine. Bastards. This means that I can't go back to work tomorrow even if she's perfectly fine.

Husband claims he's sick too. Whatever. It's not enough that I do the laundry, shopping, cook the meals, make sure they do their homework, work 40+ hours a week, pay the bills and clean the bathrooms. Now, I have to be perfectly functional while he stresses out about the sick fucking kids.

I want to go away. Just a weekend. Somewhere clean and quiet with no cell phone reception. I'll take 6 books and my pajamas. That's it. Maybe I'll take my iPod. Maybe.

All in all, it's been a pretty shitty past week. Wait. Don't tell me. Wednesday is Valentine's Day. It's a holiday (ear infection).

Blog, take me away

It's Wednesday. Oh Holy Night, is it ever Wednesday.

Of two children, only one has been in school every day this week. And it isn't even the same one. Bug started puking about 5 Monday morning, she stayed home from school and threw up until about 1pm, then spent the rest of the day lying on the couch in a dehydrated way, staring at the TV.

Bear, jealous of her sister, pretended to be sick yesterday. She wasn't. So, instead of staying at day care and going to school like a normal, healthy child, she was forced to sit on the couch and watch TV all day (by her father, I went to work - I miss work...). She didn't go to sleep last night until after 11.

Bug woke me up about 4:30 this morning, crying that her stomach hurt and that she was going to throw up. She went back to sleep clutching a sippy cup of water and a plastic ServNSaver Rubbermaid "bucket" around 5:30. At 6:30 she comes wailing into the bathroom, interrupting my shower with "Daddy won't help me!" Daddy offered her a cracker because, well, she's barely eaten in two days.

Husband took them both to day care this morning. I escaped to work only to remark to my boss, "I expect a call from school/daycare at some point." I was worried about strep. Seems it's going around. (When isn't it?)

But, my kids don't get strep. They get ear infections. They get ear infections like dogs get fleas. Step outside? Ear infection. Take a bath? Ear infection. It's a holiday/birthday/vacation? Ear infection. You say it's Black History Month? Holy cow, ear infection.

For Bug, this is her third ear infection since Thanksgiving. She hasn't even lost one of the tubes she got last January yet. It's still there. Currently, it's leaking pus. The other ear would, but that tube fell out 4 months after it was put in. (Hooray! A growth spurt! ear infection.)

At some point, kids grow out of this, right? When? Just tell me when. If I could know that in six months, I'll never have to deal with another ear infection again, I would be fine. Yes, sir, just slim freakin' shady fine.

Of course, it's been Bear who's complained (intermittently) about her ear hurting since Sunday. She's fine though, just jealous of her sister.

And people think it's funny to ask "Do they get sick at the same time." My general answer is "No. But they tend to get sick in the same week." The main reaction to that is a blank look.

Duh, people, come on. They share everything. Everything. They shared a placenta. They shared a crib. They share a bedroom and a closet and toys and games and clothes and parents and, yes, even viruses. Everything. Why is it so difficult to believe that when one is sick on Monday, we expect (and try to plan for) the other to get sick on Thursday? That's the way it works.

So here I sit, work laptop filled with work to do, escaping into the Blog. I'd rather be in the office. It's quieter there and more amusing too. Maybe I'll get to go in tomorrow...