Ilness in the Tuttle Magee Household

Louisa and I have, once again, been affected by a vengeful virus that ruined our weekend. Well, I had it first. Thursday, I came to work achy and uncomfortable but assumed I just needed a bacon sandwich from our local deli. By ten I knew it was a real illness, and as I sat in the meeting and dreamed about lying in my bed with Teensy, I realized I wasn't able to make it through the day. At lunch, my wonderful friends ran after a cab and ushered me in. By that evening I was vomiting up the nothingness that I ate all day (truly my breakfast was my only meal) and by the next morning, I knew it was time to visit the ER for some fluids and nausea medicine. I recovered by Saturday, but was still generally uncomfortable and queasy which meant we missed Xtina's birthday party, but by Sunday, when Shay came, things were fine.

Monday evening, after playing outside with Louisa and walking to get ice cream, I noticed her back was blazing hot. We took her temperature and she was nearly 103. Like most toddlers, though, she didn't act sick. In fact she had quite a bit of energy. That is until we went to bed and she had an endless monologue about soccer and "Part Time Princess" which seemed more a result of delirium and less a chatty toddler. She tossed and turned all night and, by five, we decided I'd stay home with her.

Our activity yesterday would make a yuppie mom who hates gluten, GMOs and pop culture very uncomfortable. There was a downpour all day long, an extra comfort when you know you have to be in for the day. And although I told LJ we'd go to the library once she felt better, we simply settled on the couch and watched Wizard of Oz, then How to Train Your Dragon, then Wizard of Oz, and so on. Louisa came in and out of sleep and I finished the final 200 pages of my book (Sisterland, I loved it! More than Prep even). The rain never let up and Louisa barely rose from the couch, even for chocolate milk. She would try to stand up to dance to the Tin Man song and to We're Off to See the Wizard, but instead of dancing as she normally does, she'd shimmy off the couch, stand and stare at the tv until the song was finished, then climb back up and lie down. Bless her, still committed.

By the evening, I finally convinced her to eat and she perked up, enough to stay up later than I preferred and forcing me to go to bed early. I have to say, I hate when she's sick and, particularly when she has a fever, a fear lingers in the back of my mind that perhaps this is more serious than it appears, that I will be more diligent about handwashing, that maybe we need to go to the ER. But then she as she eventually improves, I learn to enjoy my lazy day with her, cuddling for hours, enjoying my book and the rain, watching the cats cuddle up to her in concern. These are quite sweet days actually, but probably more for me than her.