Indulging in a whine.

As a small child, being sick meant reading books in bed and eating chicken noodle soup and drinking lots of water through straws. As a college student, it meant skipping your least important classes and treating yourself to naps and too much reality t.v. As a newly married couple, it meant propping your feet up on the couch after work and having your spouse bring you hot tea and advil. Going to bed early and taking it easy was an option.

There is no such luck for the parents of littles. They are a precious job that you can’t stop doing, even if you wanted to. There are diapers to be changed, other mouths to be fed, tears to be wiped, stories to be read, dinners to be cooked, clothes to be washed. Life doesn’t pause for parents of small children, even when you desperately need it to.

My head feels like it’s underwater for the 4th day in a row, my voice sounds croaky as I try to instruct “No, honey, gourds are not meant to travel around in our underpants!”, and my energy level is shot all to hell. Yet the show must go on.

Essa’s keyboard we made for her kindermusik class yesterday

There are, of course, priceless perks. Carefully scrawled “Get well” cards, hugs, messy attempts to “bring you sumpin’ to help you feew bettew!”. Earnest prayers that Jesus will heal mommy’s “Snuffly nosie”. Snuggles and worried looks and lots of advice. “When I feel bad, brownies ALWAYS help my body feel better soon! Maybe you should bake some brownies!” Har!

Hot tea is helping. And, thankfully, it doesn’t have Nate and I down at the same time. Lots of water. Lots of sticky kisses. I’ll be so grateful when my head stops pounding and I’m waking up my usual 5 times a night rather than dozens. I might take a hot bath with rose oil later while the girls help “clean” the bathroom with their water squirt bottles. Mom and Dad are coming to go out to lunch, so that will be a help.

Soon, I hope, I’ll be able to blog without sneezing all over my laptop, leaving icky little rainbow specks all over the screen.

In all honesty, I don’t think I’d be willing to trade all the pampering in the world for this phase of life, even if it means not so many chances to feel pampered. I already feel special, even with this nasty cold monster jumping up and down on my head. :OP <3