Starting Friday, I began to experience symptoms of Bronchitis, my youngest also got sick... and so, we spent a weekend at home. Our plans for festivals and outings were canceled and we stayed home in comfy clothes, watching movies, reading books, and doing "emergency laundry." My oldest kept asking when we were going to go somewhere or do something fun... she's not used to the couch potato weekend we had and found it really odd. On Sunday, when she called Grandparents to say Happy Grandparents Day, she told them, "Mommy is sick, so we're ACTUALLY (her favorite word) not doing anything." (She kept mentioning this, so I think it was really shocking to her that we really didn't go ANYWHERE!) For those who read KCParent.com often, you might guess that we're seldom home. I really take my kids to all the terrific places I write about - and often (we LOVE field trips). But that isn't the only change here...
When Mom is sick:
- The dishes pile up all weekend until Dad does them and Mom TRIES her very best not to mind.
- PJs and Sweats are accepted attire for the weekend.
- Disney gets a lot more air time than usual. And mom's brain is so frazzled, she enjoys the no-brainer entertainment.
- Lunch is eaten in front of a cartoon.
- The kids' hair goes uncombed.
- Dad serves Cereal and PB & J. Dinner? Pizza delivers.
- The last basket of laundry was towels - it waits to be folded.
- Mom does her best to encourage kids to pick up toys and ignore the ones they miss.... this is hard!
- Daddy reads bedtime stories because Mom is coughing too much to get through an entire story.
- Mom goes to bed looking at her house thinking, "I didn't get out of work, I just postponed it." and yet thinking... in the midst of the coughing and the PB&Js... I really enjoyed my family this weekend... EVEN if we WERE home!
- As Dad gets ready for bed, he says, "I'm so glad to go to work tomorrow... I'll get a break!"
Thanks to my family for doing your best all weekend and being so loving!
So, what is life like at YOUR house when Mom is sick?