Cinderella, Little Furmaid, and Sleeping Judy

Okay - so I won't write much - but it's been 2 unusual days.

Kate is traveling home today. Sarah has changed her plans and is traveling home tomorrow.

Yesterday I was keeping Luke while Ann went to her doctor's appointment. Ellie was at school. We all had our ducks in a row ........ until Ann called me from H'ville to tell me that Ellie's school had called and that Ellie was running a very high fever, with headaches. Steve was going to pick up Ellie - Luke was napping, at my house. I invited Steve to bring her to my house rather than taking her home - the whole thing about maternal vs. the very loving Daddy who still doesn't cut it in the nursing dept. He took me up on it. So...Ellie was at my house, very sick. Steve stayed a good while - but went back to work. I encouraged Ann to get all her stuff done before she came home. Ellie seemed okay without her - because we all know that there is nothing like "Mommy" when one is sick. I kept telling Ellie that her mommy was on her way home. Ellie threw up once. We had towels to catch it. Ann got home, but Ellie felt too bad to get in the car and go home. Steve came and retrieved Luke. So...

Ann and Ellie slept at my house.

Luke and Steve slept at their house.

Charlie and I slept in a different bed, since Ellie was in ours.

This morning we've teetered between much better and much worse.

Right now?

Luke is upstairs napping.

Ann and Steve have taken Ellie to her pediatrician in Huntsville. Gut feeling, for both Ann and myself, it's a viral infection and there's no other meds except over-the-counter - Her fever got to almost 105. So - for peace of mind - want a doctor to name it.

I'm doing this and feeling like I've been propelled back in time - with four children - oh - so many question mark trips to the pediatrician - so much watching that fever - so many questions and inconvenient ill spells with the girls....and feeling the forehead and arms and legs and hands and back and stomach - and wondering if they're gonna throw up - because what a mess!!!

So, it's quiet now. I have gotten into a sewing project in the midst of all of this - with company coming and sick grandchildren - I've been sewing Luke and Ellie "Christmas Stockings"! Right now I'm going to cut out the pieces for a Christmas Tree Skirt for Ann. She did get fabric, yesterday, for that. I really like all of that - all the fabric - all the thread - all the figuring out the pattern instructions.

Anyway - Kate will be here tonight. Sarah tomorrow night.

Thanksgiving is closing in on us. I bought two turkey breasts today when I went out with Luke to get chewable Tylenol for Ellie. (She refused the liquid) I bought the green pepper jelly to be spread over cream cheese for an appetizer on Thanksgiving Day.

I just want to say that I am very out of practice with this "sick child" thing. It all comes back to me - but I can't believe, as I said to Charlie last night, "We used to have a steady diet of this". It was so much of the time - not unhealthy children, but with 4 we just had stuff - and I had forgotten.

Hope I get to post in the next several days. Lots of folks in the house - and lots of folks on the computer.