A sick kid. (do not use your hands!)

Jack is sick on his 1^st day of Thanksgiving break.  I feel bad for him but he is finally at an age where he accepts that he must rest to get better.  And, for the last several years, he has been good at puking into a bucket…a skill that comes with age and one that I am equally grateful for each and every time him and Callen are sick.  Right now, Jack is in his bed, tucked in, and watching a movie.  He wants Dave to be in there with him, but Dave always follows me everywhere I go and won’t stay in his room.  Anyway, this is not my first sick kid…I know the routine and I hate to admit it, but I can usually get a lot of stuff done when the boys are sick...a definite upside.  So here are some things I have learned about having a sick kid at home:

- they want to be loved on and treated like they are the center of the universe and, for the duration of their cold, to me they are;  J

- if they need to vomit and you do not have anything for them to vomit in to, your first instinct will be to let them puke into your hands.  Although this may prevent some puke from hitting the carpet, it doesn’t work well enough to make it worthwhile.  Oh, and you’ll also have your hands full of puke;

- the kids get a nice break from each other and what a relief that is for EVERTYONE.  No fighting, no bickering, and no brotherly playfulness that always gets out of hand and ends in someone crying…always;

- a sure sign that the sick child is feeling better is that all behavior listed in the previous bullet will resume;

- do not give the sick child any sort of bell or noise making object to use if they need you.  By the end of the day, that object will have drained you of your patience…and believe me, you’ll need all of it if it’s a bad cold and there’s vomiting involved (remember, not in your hands!)

- pay attention to their symptoms and behavior while they're sick.  It will help you in the future to be able to determine when he or she needs to see the doctor AND since your kids will feel good about being the center of attention for a while, you may also need to be able to raise the bull sh*t flag on them in case they try to take advantage of the situation;

- when they are feeling better, they will try to take advantage of the situation.  They will expect you to continue to wait on them and respond to their requests for food as they yell them from down the hall.  Beware and follow your instincts!  Trust me…that’s what they’re doing.