oh, so much fun

Life with a new baby was going very well, until John decided to get sick that is. You might think, "A sick husband is not a huge deal, Clara." Especially if you remember that John doesn't even live in the same house as me most of the time. The problem is that he got sick while he was in Topeka with us.

A couple weeks ago, John was home for Sunday and Monday. On Monday, we took the kids to a Pumpkin Patch place to do all the fun little activities and let them pick pumpkins. They rode the little train which they all loved, went down the big bouncy slide, and we took the hayrack ride. On the last part of the ride, the farm had staged a wreck from "the last hayrack ride" complete with plastic body parts and an oveturned trailer. Abbi and Jake were highly concerned that the place didn't call some "doctors". I let them believe the scene for a few minutes but had to explain things once Abbi wanted to ask the tractor driver to turn around so we could go help the victims of the crash. Abbi loved the hay jump that was set up but Jake insisted that Daddy caught him every time he jumped. John moved out of the way last minute once and Jake was appalled that Dad would do that to him. Maybe someday I will tell him it was my idea. Isaac just wanted to play on the teeter totter and Ethan slept the whole time--what else?

Later that day, we decided to give in to the pleading and go to the BMX track that is a few blocks from the house. I thought it would be fun to take a family bike ride. It was. Jake has a little 12" bike and no matter how fast he peddaled, he just couldn't keep up. I think someone will be getting a new bike for his birthday. On the way back we let Jake pick the trail home--bad idea. John and I switched bikes--I took the bike with the two little boys in the trailer and John took mine and rode with Jake (he's really slow remember?). That was the plan and then we started home. Jake's way home was the way home that kept getting longer. After another two miles, Abbi and I made it home. We got everything put away and I went inside and waited and waited. I look out the front window after another 45 minutes and here comes John...carrying Jake's bike....pushing Jake on his bike. I am sure that ride with Jake was as fun-filled as they get, but John was a trooper.

That Monday was one of those days that was just perfect. The kids were well behaved so excited to spend a day with Daddy, John and I kept the positive attitude we woke up with and we had so much fun. It was so wonderful. That day is, however, was the day the misery started--we just didn't know it yet. John got sick the next day. Sick husband (mine at least) are so not fun, but it gets worse...germs spread. Jake got sick, really sick. Abbi got sick, Ike got sick, I got sick and Ethan got sick. Not to mention the several members of my sister in laws family that were inflicted by the epidemic. The infirmary we call our house was then invaded by pink eye. Jake is the only one of my children that doesn't have that on top of the severe cold or flu or whatever.

My sleep intake takes a steep decline when my kids are sick. They are all coughing constantly, the older three wake up crying randomly, the oldest two have to go potty a bazillion times and for some reason have to inform me of it every time. That would pose a problem, except I am awake anyway due to the noise and stress of watching the newborn to make sure he can breathe despite the snot and mucous. So to sum it up, I have not slept, like really slept, in two weeks. And I thought I was going to have it easy with this baby because he sleeps so well. I am sure I will--when we all recover!!