Carleen and Mike

Mike will email me every so often at work with little updates. It’s nice because it helps me feel like I’m able to participate in some of his and Liam’s daily activities and I don’t miss Liam so much as a result. They’re usually short “Everything’s good, went down for his nap just fine” type stuff. Last night however, I got this:

Email Subject: Dogs….Grrr

Next time Turbo gets himself stuck in the compost bin I’m leaving him there overnight, and MAYBE it’ll teach him a lesson. How he got in, I don’t know, I’ll have to check it out when it’s light tomorrow.

Liam’s fine, he’s head-banging on the couch.

I’m happy to say I finally have the chaotic family I always hoped for.

Puke. That’s pretty much all I’ve done for the last six hours. I’ve often wondered why some people are more susceptible to stomach viruses than others. I can think of several cases where I’ve had to endure violent vomiting. I was put in the hospital when I was fifteen for violent vomiting and when I was college, I was in the emergency room twice for violent vomiting and severe abdominal pain. Apparently Mike can’t even remember the last time he had a stomach virus. Before he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease he hadn’t ralphed since he was in elementary school. I think it must be a genetic thing because his mom has only puked once in her life. Apparently she was so horrified by the experience that she simply decided never to puke again. I envy these people. If there’s a stomach virus floating around, you’d be darn sure I’ll get. If there is food poisoned with salmonella somewhere in a restaurant, it will probably land on my plate first.

So, I’m home sick from work today. The worst of it seems to be over, although I still can’t seem to drink water without feeling quezzy so I’m holding back on all food and liquid intake for now. My stomach muscles hurt to much from last night, I really don’t want to puke again. To make things worse, Liam has had the sniffles since returning from New York. Damn those airplane cabins. Maybe that’s where I caught this, wouldn’t surprise me. Last night he hardly slept at all and Mike had to stay up with him while I was in the bathroom hugging the toilet bowl. But what is a slight sniffle for Liam is now a full blown head cold for Mike. I don’t want to go near Liam right now so I’m feeling pretty helpless. Mike just tried to get him down for a nap but it was a no go. We thought for sure, after the lack of sleep last night, he would surely go down for his morning nap. Surprisingly it’s just the opposite, he’s quite perky. Mike just took him for a walk in hopes that he might settle a little.

Sick days really aren’t real sick days when you have a kid. If it wasn’t for the fear of spreading germs, I would be at work right now because adults can at least understand that you’re not feeling well, whereas Liam has no clue why I won’t kiss his booboo better or play vroom vroom with the truck. Not only that, but it’s Friday. Who the hell wants to be home sick on a Friday.

This sucks. Seriously.