Weekly Recap
Let's recap the week we just had, just for fun. Those of you that know the week we had might think that I am a glutton for punishment. However, I just want to spread the glee.
To be quite frank, we all held up really well, and I need to commend the kids for being real troopers. The first day, the kids were fine in sweaters. They played normally and enjoyed their day off. Melina's nap was a little disrupted, but by nighttime, with the aid of battery-powered nightlights, everyone slept peacefully. The second day was a little cooler, but Zoe and Talia were at school. I took Aaron (who hadn't been on antibiotics yet for 24 hours, so needed to stay home) and Melina to the bagel store, where we shared warm bagels and hot chocolate. A friend 2 streets over boiled some pasta for Melina's lunch, while Aaron and I had a gourmet meal of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, grapes, and chips. We did take the kids out for warm meals at dinner.
Some people, I am sure, thought we were crazy to stay in a house without heat. We don't have a gas stove, so cooking was not an option. But our food didn't spoil -- the back patio was wonderful at posing as our refrigerator/freezer. We also don't have a working fireplace (we plan on doing something about that now), but the temperature in the house really wasn't that uncomfortable until Friday morning. At night, we all paired up, and the body heat worked to our advantage. We had hot water, plumbing, and food...something that quite a few people don't have on a daily basis. We were all set!
If the power had not been restored by after school Friday, Tim and I would have found a pet friendly hotel, and moved the camp over. We don't have family in the area, and while several friends invited us to spend time with them, I could not, in good conscience, bring strep and GI issues to those people. We also have 2 cats and a dog to worry about. Who wanted an infectious family of 9 infiltrating their home? Provided we are healthy the next time this happens, we will likely take those people up on their offers.
As I said above, though, despite being somewhat uncomfortable, our family had everything we really needed. As my sister says, we experienced a teachable moment, or several of them, rather. The kids and I discussed several times how grateful we all should be for what we have on a daily basis, and how some people experience cold each and every day of their lives. Hunger didn't even set into the equation, a fact that we also discussed at great length. Even with infections and viruses raging in the air, we all came out on the other side unscathed.
So here's to finishing out winter with an air of optimism and burst of happiness! I hope you and your family are well, and that you, too, manage to make it through the next six weeks healthy and happy. And do me a favor, please? Pray that the vomiting viruses skip our home the next time. I can deal with having no power, but I think we've already experienced our fair share of GI bugs the last couple of months.
.Monday, January 31 (see previous post): The girls birthday.
They had a great day.
Tuesday, February 1: No school due to ice. Vomit from
Aaron. No power as of 10 pm.
Wednesday, February 2: No school due to wind. Aaron diagnosed with
strep. No power.
Thursday, February 3: Two-hour delay, but the kids can warm up at
school. Tim vomits all day.
Friday, February 4: No delay, no cancellation. Tim and Aaron are
fine. Power on as of 9:30 am!
Saturday, February 5: Laundry galore, but we still have power. Vomit
from Melina.
Sunday, February 6: My stomach is queasy, but nothing happens. Cat
vomit all over the girls' beds and floor.
To be quite frank, we all held up really well, and I need to commend the kids for being real troopers. The first day, the kids were fine in sweaters. They played normally and enjoyed their day off. Melina's nap was a little disrupted, but by nighttime, with the aid of battery-powered nightlights, everyone slept peacefully. The second day was a little cooler, but Zoe and Talia were at school. I took Aaron (who hadn't been on antibiotics yet for 24 hours, so needed to stay home) and Melina to the bagel store, where we shared warm bagels and hot chocolate. A friend 2 streets over boiled some pasta for Melina's lunch, while Aaron and I had a gourmet meal of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, grapes, and chips. We did take the kids out for warm meals at dinner.
Some people, I am sure, thought we were crazy to stay in a house without heat. We don't have a gas stove, so cooking was not an option. But our food didn't spoil -- the back patio was wonderful at posing as our refrigerator/freezer. We also don't have a working fireplace (we plan on doing something about that now), but the temperature in the house really wasn't that uncomfortable until Friday morning. At night, we all paired up, and the body heat worked to our advantage. We had hot water, plumbing, and food...something that quite a few people don't have on a daily basis. We were all set!
If the power had not been restored by after school Friday, Tim and I would have found a pet friendly hotel, and moved the camp over. We don't have family in the area, and while several friends invited us to spend time with them, I could not, in good conscience, bring strep and GI issues to those people. We also have 2 cats and a dog to worry about. Who wanted an infectious family of 9 infiltrating their home? Provided we are healthy the next time this happens, we will likely take those people up on their offers.
As I said above, though, despite being somewhat uncomfortable, our family had everything we really needed. As my sister says, we experienced a teachable moment, or several of them, rather. The kids and I discussed several times how grateful we all should be for what we have on a daily basis, and how some people experience cold each and every day of their lives. Hunger didn't even set into the equation, a fact that we also discussed at great length. Even with infections and viruses raging in the air, we all came out on the other side unscathed.
So here's to finishing out winter with an air of optimism and burst of happiness! I hope you and your family are well, and that you, too, manage to make it through the next six weeks healthy and happy. And do me a favor, please? Pray that the vomiting viruses skip our home the next time. I can deal with having no power, but I think we've already experienced our fair share of GI bugs the last couple of months.
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