A healthy family. That’s not too much to ask for right? We’re close even – both Hannah and Becca went back to school yesterday. But Ron has been home sick for most of the week, so the jury’s still out as to whether or not my birthday tomorrow will be germ-free or not. Keeping my fingers crossed however…

It’s been an interesting few weeks – I don’t remember the whole family being sick like this since the year that we moved into this house, back in 2003. That time, we all missed Christmas – so I’m at least very happy that we seem to be getting this all out of our system way in advance of the holiday season. And hoping that it stays that way – at least until January. 

Here are a few (mostly random) things that have occurred to me about having a sick family…

1. I have no idea if what we’ve had is the flu, H1N1, or something different altogether, but my feeling on the matter is that it’s probably H1N1. The girls all had their regular flu shots and in general we tend to be very healthy-ish. This hit us quickly and hard and seems to last a good week (full 7 days) in every case, with fever, cough, runny nose and general misery. No matter what you call it though, we’ve just plain been SICK.
2. Attempting to keep the house (aka the “germ-infested pit”) anywhere near clean when you’re feeling miserable doesn’t happen. In fact, you may even come to embrace the cluttered mess because the fact that you’re not at all capable of doing anything about it is strangely freeing in a way.
3. At some point you go from feeling stir-crazy to being almost afraid to leave the house. At least at home you’re dealing with familiar, comfortable germs. Out there in the world are all kinds of other things that could make your family even sicker.
4. Never mind about yawning being contagious – we’ve now proven the link between one family member coughing and setting off a whole cacophony of coughing fits.
5. Three-year-olds who can’t sleep because they’re coughing like to climb in bed with Mommy and Daddy. Which makes it even harder for Mommy and Daddy to sleep (see #4).
6. Thanks to the invention of the DVR, it’s completely possible to go from not having ever seen an episode of (Dora/Max & Ruby/Fresh Beat Band/Imagination Movers/insert name of any other children’s show) to having it completely memorized within a period of 8 hours. And not able to get it out of your head.
7. Your priorities change when your family is sick. The idea of limiting your kids’ screen time becomes almost laughable when all you want is a few minutes of peace so you can attempt to breathe without exploding into a coughing fit.
8. No matter how miserable you feel all day when you’re home alone with sick kids, the minute your spouse gets home and you can finally take yourself into the doctor, you make an amazing recovery and feel like an idiot for wasting their time and resources.
9. Mucinex rocks!
10. So does the cough suppressant prescription that makes having gone in to the doctor absolutely 100% worth it. Although your spouse, having spent an hour in search of a 24-hour pharmacy anywhere near home, may not completely agree.
11. Missing school Halloween parties makes kids feel sad. But only until big sister brings home a bag of candy your teacher sent along with your missed homework assignments.
12. Not every sick child likes to cuddle when they’re feeling miserable. Which isn’t always fun for a sick parent who wants to simply lie on the couch and not move all day.
13. Being sick for a week makes you that much more thankful for every day of good health you and your family have afterward. And absolutely grateful that nobody ended up with complications or anything worse than the fever, cough, runny nose and general misery that, although annoying, could have been so much more worse.

We’re on the home stretch now (hopefully) and I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the long, germ-infested tunnel. And just maybe, I’ll get that birthday present after all. 

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