......it's been a year since we were hit with the ick......and it came back again this May with its unwelcome guest, the 104.7 fever.....and although the first time I read Callie's temp it blinked a bold 105 at me, for some reason I was very calm because she was alert, not lethargic.....and when the tylonol and motrin doses were not working their magic to cool down my girl, I knew the tried and true luke warm bath and popsicle trick would work like a charm......
......and sure enough, she dropped to 103.8 by the time I wrapped her in her towel to pamper and love on her aching little body.....so it was no surprise to me, since the girls share everything, that Elsie started showing signs of the ick at 3:30 am the following morning......
.....she was a happy little sick person, pulling out her smile when she saw the camera......until I told her that she was too sick to go to her school picnic.......and as her fever climbed to the 104-point something numbers, she became more concerned with sucking on her pop to relieve her drained little tummy than shedding tears over jump roping with her best gal pal in Central Park......
.....and when the blisters in the back of the throat appeared, I had to do something to make this dose of the ick a tiny bit joyful......so when they could eventually keep down the liquids, we busted out ice cream for dinner......there has to be some silver lining of being sick and stuck at home.....
......and we waved to our friends from our kitchen window instead of joining them for fun......because the sorrow of sickness at this age is missing out on outdoor play and the friends we love......
.....but it was short lived......
......once we were fever free for a good 24 hours, we were back at it.....and luckily, our little man stayed healthy.......despite toddler fingers constantly being prodded in his mouth, belly button and ears......
.....all in the name of love, of course......
.....and it's been great to have a spring baby......getting three kids fed, groomed, dressed, loaded and locked in the stroller with our baby attached to my chest in his carrier all in the 70 degree weather has been a gift......my record time in getting all three out the door certainly needs improvement, but we are taking baby steps......literally.....and for the record, I am out the door in two and a half hours start to finish, without tantrums, dressing meltdowns (when everything pink is in the dirty clothes, which is pretty much always) or having to change just as I'm walking out the door because I am covered in spit up......yep, we're taking baby steps alright......
.....but overall, I'm feeling good.....one baby step this week was taking my first road trip alone with three kids......again, getting out the door was the hardest part and minutes into our hour journey, I realized the tantrums and meltdowns on the walk to our garage were from utter exhaustion of a very busy week......
.....but a cat nap can do wonders.....and it lights me up to watch my babes play with their good friends and find the simple joy at special highlights like running around in fresh cut grass or enjoying driveway toys with our suburbia family......
......and never one for liking the scene of being left out, Callie chased the red mustang until the older girls relented and finally gave her a turn.......
......and then you couldn't get her out of the car......she was happy to be ridin' shot gun, man handling the radio station like nobody's business......
.....and just as play dates go with two Mommas and six kids between us; we always find time for a quick picture, about a hundred 30 second conversations, leaving us with at least a dozen stories that we never finish.......lots of fetching and fixing, lots of wiping and watching......but we always have a toast......because even though it's crazy, and fun, and hectic and so busy that we nibble on a few cold pieces of garlic bread and pizza and a salad wilted in dressing that was poured on an hour ago for our dinner, if you could even call it that, it's pure bliss.....
....and pure bliss also means having a PJ party in the car......I have learned to get the little ones ready for bed, even if we are leaving for home late afternoon because you never know the traffic with the bridges and tunnels......
....and it's a good thing my three little ones were all ready for sliding into soft and warm sheets because we hit traffic alright......and rolled back into the city close to 10pm......causing my girls to be so tired the next morning, they wouldn't get out of their PJs or off the couch.......
.....and being that it's summer and I have less time for negotiating and I am tired.....a lot.....I did something I do well......I bribed them....
.....yep, klondike bars in the tub at 9:30 am.....
....it got us moving, it got us clean (after we drained all the mirky water and really scrubbed) and it got us back into the rhythm of what was in store for the rest of our week.......
.....and there were still tantrums and melt downs and tears as the week marched on.....we take each new day at a time.....we are slowly moving back to what used to be normal for all of us.....everyone is adjusting to the beauty of Brody.....we are sleeping better, yet still overly tired.....we are still out and about, although at our snail pace......and it wouldn't be honest to say that the girls haven't felt a slight shift in their lives......but they are resilient.....I am practicing patience and empathy......and when it comes down to it, it's all just a phase.....the ying and yang of life that gives us easy and care free times to savor and appreciate and the days that can be longer, draining and quite exhausting, really......the ones that give us the gift of appreciating when we are blessed with a delightful, pinch me is this a dream kind of day......
.....but ying or yang.....I'll take them both......because they all add up to the grand prize......
......the memories of creating our blessed and beautiful life......