Sara is Smiling

In quarantine.

It's Friday and this week from hell is (finger's crossed) coming to an end. Ugh.

Let's start with a riddle.
What do colds with coughs and runny noses, fevers with chills and headaches, throats so sore no one will eat, puking and diarrhea (simultaneously), rashes covering tummies arms and legs, puss filled scabs circling the lips and goopy crusty eyes all have in common?

They're all in my house right now. Every person in the house is infected with something right now, and often multiple things at once.
I finally took Charlie to the doctor yesterday (with the rest of the kids in tow) because the rash and scabby face were freaking me out. We waited for 2 hours which was miserable for the kids, but I couldn't leave without an answer. Even when Quinn threw herself down in the middle of the waiting room and rolled around on the floor screaming. Nope, you're not winning. We are staying.
Turns out she had several problems going on which were unrelated.
The rash was likely a viral rash and linked to the 5 day fever fest she just got over.
The crusty, oozy scabs on her face were impetigo. It's bacterial and contagious so she was told to take the rest of the week off school.
She got an oral antibiotic as well as a topical one.

I then tortured my kids further by taking them to the passport office.

Rachel - our nanny who has been an absolute trooper this week - took them home and I went to work...Where I threw up. My project was, unfortunately, urgent so I went back to my desk to finish it. Before too long I was head on desk with my garbage can between my legs. I decided it was time to go home.
I got in my car, laid a garbage bag across the seat (just in case) and started driving. I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before I was pulled over next to a dumpster puking. Quincy called at that moment and said "Good! I need something out of the car! Glad you're here."
He came down and when he saw me he decided that I was not fit to drive the mercedes. I was downgraded to the van with no air that smells like something died in it. Literally. I had to breathe through my mouth with the windows down the whole way home.

Once home, I stumbled through the gate, plopped down in the grass, and vomited like I've never vomited before. The kids who had rushed out the door excitedly squealing "Mommy's home! Mommy's home!" were now screaming "Mommy's puking! Mommy's puking!" and running in circles with hands over mouths gagging.

I went to bed. My stomach issues continued all night just like Eloise's did a few days ago. I got up when Quincey got home to find that the kids had made me some get well cards.
Max's starts with "I wish I was sick not you Mama" which was an eery foreshadowing.

His picture at the bottom is of him bringing the puke bowl to me. :-)

Max and I ended up being puking pals last night. Quincey was a saint scrubbing puke out of carpet and rubbing backs.

Rachel isn't in today - heaven help me. The kids will all be home from school today. I'm feeling much improved this morning. Let's hope it stays that way!

She's back

..and I don't even have a great excuse.

I've been working from home for..oh, years now I guess. I decided to start going in to the office 2 days a week so that I stay more connected and in the loop. Two days a week has turned into every freakin' day. Being in the office means people feel more free to pull me into every project going on. I love my job so it doesn't bother me, but I have to admit that I'm feeling pulled a little too thin.

Working from home had it's ups and downs. A definite pro was that if laundry needed to be done, for instance, I could take time to do it before ever sitting down to work. Or if I had a soul sucking project I was working on and needed a mental break, I'd open up my blog and escape in it for awhile.

I can't do that at the office. Not that I'd even have an opportunity to. I'm much busier there what with impromptu meetings and 10x (it feels like) the workload.

I come home at 5 and have to make dinner, clean up the house, do laundry, help the kids with homework, do Charlie's vision therapy, baths, kid's tae kwon do, my tae kwon do, etc etc etc, then get the four to bed generally all before my husband (I do have one, right?) gets home.

I'm not whining. Promise. I'm just feeling super busy these days and definitely stretched.

In the midst of it all, I've managed to take control of my own health and have lost 35 pounds (and counting). 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris. I highly recommend it. I also take tae kwon do twice a week which is, surprisingly, kicking my butt. The adult class has everyone from white belt to black belt and is quite challenging. I thought we'd be doing kicks and learning moves, but there's a great deal of just plain working out. As I'm doing push ups (attempting I should say) and see sweat dripping on the mat below me I feel so powerful. I usually hate excercising, but the hour flies by. I enjoy it so much.

So there's a Sara update :-) No funny anecdotes today. I was going to take the kids out and do our annual fall photos tonight since the weather is so lovely, but Eloise has a cold and Quinn has a fever. I've been visualizing what I'm going to do already. Hope it works out! Should have something to show in a week or so.

In exchange for not being able to make you laugh today, I'll share a video that's sure to make you smile.
I picked this one because yesterday it was my 9th anniversary. We had big plans for a fancy date. I even got a new dress and skivvies. But on my way to pick up Quincey from work a migraine suddenly hit. I tried to soldier through, but before the food even arrived at our table I had to bow out. The very short date that we had, though, was lovely. Quincey said he felt like he was on a first date with his dream girl (ya, I clean up nicely :-)
So here's the video. I hope when Quincey and I have been married as long as these two that we're still as sweet.

(Backstory: They were trying to figure out their webcam. They were not aware that it was recording.)

Elly's turn

Eloise has started preschool!
She's very outgoing so that wasn't a concern, but she's a homebody and likes being near me so she had some reservations about going. She was also concerned that all the kids were going to be too shy to play with her which often happens at doctor's offices, the playground and any other place kids convene.
They had little nametags for the kids. Elly walked around to all the little girls pulling her nametag out from her chest saying, "Hi! My name is Eloise! Want to play with me?"
Definitely a success.


In other news:
As Max and Charlie were walking to Tae Kwon Do after school today, Max had an asthma attack. Unfortunately, his puffer which is always in his backpack had been taken out for use during the summer. I forgot to put it back in. Charlie barely got him there. He didn't want to move and just stood on the sidewalk hunched over trying to catch a breath with tears rolling down his cheeks. She literally had to drag him along. The babysitter was waiting for them there with their uniforms as she always is. She rushed home to get the puffer, but couldn't find it so called me at work right away. The bad news was that the puffer was in my car and not at home, the good news was that I had already left work (missing rush hour traffic) and could be there asap.
When I arrived, the tae kwon do teacher gave me a stern talking to. All eyes were on me when I walked through the door. Students, parents and teachers. Their stares boaring holes in me. I felt TERRIBLE and assured him that Max DOES carry his puffer with him at all times...except today. When he needed it. :-(
It's all good. The puffer fixes him right up. No issues..as long as he has it!
He's still wheezy tonight so I'll be keeping a close eye on him.
Why do these things always happen when Quincey is away??

What I'll Miss About Babies

My last child recently turned one. She's toddling around and quickly becoming a kid.
I have nooo desire to have a fifth (heaven help me), but there are some things I'll miss about babies:

1. When you try to wash your older child's face they squish up their noses and turn their head away from you. You end up having to put them in a headlock to get the job done. When you wash your baby's face they follow the cloth around with their little tongue trying to get a taste.

2. While I was swaying my baby to sleep the other night, I noticed she still has baby smell. I wonder for how long. It's not the baby products because she hadn't been bathed recently. It's just sweetness. There's no words to describe it. I almost didn't mind that I was up in the middle of the night doing it. It was like a drug.

3. Baby dancing. I don't care how much you hate kids, baby dancing is hilarious.

4. Giving a stern NO when emptying the recycle bin is responded to with a huge smile and zero change in behavior, and my reaction is to melt and bend over for kisses. Now if one of my older kids did that...

5. When you walk in the room and they're so excited to see you they can't control their arms and legs flailing. Their whole body responds to their happiness over seeing you.

6. Being able to blame my belly pooch and bad attitude on having just had a baby (even a year later :-)

7. Nobody else can come at your face with a wide open mouth and spit drooling down to give you a kiss. Nobody (that includes you, Quincey).

8. Having babies brought me closer to my mom and sisters.

9. They can't talk therefore they can't talk back.

10. Some people wonder after having a child how they could possibly love a second one as much. It makes me love my older kids more when I see them loving on and caring for the baby. (Same goes for watching your husband with them).

Charlie with Max then..


Charlie and Max now.

11. I think babies (or kids in general) teach you more about yourself than you could ever teach them.

12. They'll look you square in the eye and with all the seriousness in the world babble something off to you in gibberish like you can understand them. Melts me everytime. They come into the world from day 1 with their own personalities.

13. When they start walking they stomp around flat footed and with outstretched arms like Frankenstein.

14. Soft silky porcelain skin all chubby and smoochable.

Quinn (7 months) being bathed by Charlie

15. They can't read so they're not embarrassed when dressed in shirts that say things like "All mommy wanted was a back rub.."

16. They get you out of uncomfortable social situations."Sorry..the baby is sick/sleeping/in quarantine/a jerk."

17.They can drive you crazy (in my case, literally), but no matter how much they screamed and wreaked havoc on you, once they're asleep you still stand smiling and gazing at them like they're the most perfect little angels.

(Baby Charlie sleeping)

18. Babies are adorable, but put a hat on them (the goofier the better) and you'll instantly start making ridiculous sounds and whispering under your breath how much you'd love to take a big bite out of them.

19. They believe they can do anything. Like crawl head first down the stairs, rule the free world, jump on the trampline with the big kids, or - like Quinn is doing right now - crack the code to your safe.

I'll stop at twenty although I'm sure I could keep going.

20. Farts are still cute. Quinn was walking around diaperless. She bent over to pick up her teddy and out popped a little toot. Everyone started laughing. Then Eloise - who is in constant competition with Quinn - comes over to me, pulls her pants down, bends over and let's a big one rip in my face. She giggles. Not. The. Same.

First Day of School

Max: UGH! I have to have FANCY hair for the first day of SCHOOL?!?
Apparently brushing=fancy hair

This was the best I could get for smiles. Max was upset about school starting, and although Charlie was excited to be going back she's having self esteem issues with her teeth so kept her mouth closed.
She's got her two front teeth in and now lost the two on either side of them. She says she looks like a bunny. I've tried to convince her it's no big deal and that eeeeeeverybody in her grade looks the same, but she's a girl and will obsess over it, I guess.

Otherwise an uneventful day. They slipped right back into routine with no issues. Yay!

How to Make a Baby