Want to see something so stinking precious?

Then take your pick of the images below, while I attempt to explain what I've been up to for the past week. First of all, the weather has been ridiculously sunny and warm, and I've been spending all of my spare minutes between errands, medical appointments, feeding children, lacrosse practice, and SAT class just being outside. On Tuesday, I actually spread a blanket on our alternately mossy and parched front lawn and begged Marley to take a snoozy, sunny afternoon nap with me. She preferred painting on the easel I had brought into the driveway, while wearing an apron and the red bike helmet she had strapped on earlier.


After practice on Tuesday, when I didn't have to inhale a meal before changing lives by imparting wisdom to juniors who mostly aren't listening to me and are thinking about their upcoming prom or that annoying and frustratingly catchy "Tik Tok" song instead, I wheeled Beanie and Toot around the driveway and street in this bike trailer. Precious. [Side story: when I drove off to class last week, my neighbor, a calm and happy-go-lucky father of two young boys who works as a prison guard was out watching his kids dart around the neighborhood on their bike and battery-powered Mustang. When I slowed down to say goodbye and tell him I was going to change lives by raising SAT scores, he waved me on and yelled, "Make a difference!"]


Wednesday was a pretty good day, too. I managed to get Marley to the pediatric phlebotomist for routine lab work before gymnastics so we didn't miss out on too much sunshine. We even went to a nearby playground so that Rudy could squeal "Wheeee!" on the swings and Marley could master the eight-foot zip line before lunch.

But yesterday. Yesterday while I was at lacrosse practice (Day Four! I'm exhausted!), Rudy woke up from her nap puking. And then vomited a few more times before Todd got home to relieve Danielle from the sick haze that had apparently engulfed our home. Rudy Toot threw up at least a dozen more times before she passed out on my lap around nine o'clock, and then we put her in the Pack n Play in our room so we would be there if she needed us while Marley slept upstairs. I was still awake reading, probably because of the coffee I drank to be peppy at practice, when I heard Marley coughing and crying a little after one o'clock.

She was puking. Poor thing. It is so the worst. And then I spent the night curled at the foot of her bed, rising the moment I realized she was tossing a little too much so that I could sling the bucket under her chin. Then it was downstairs to rinse the bucket, and after six hours and about ten sweaty, weepy, episodes, and several trips to the laundry room, she had cleared her stomach. In the morning, Rudy was ready for water and saltines. But Marley drank about two tablespoons of water too many at eight o'clock and then she was leaning into the bucket again. Eventually, though, she was resting comfortably (with a bucket nearby) watching, as I had promised "as much TV as she wants." Elmo had Rudy in gleeful hysterics when Sesame Street was on and Little Bill chilled Bean and me out.

I tried to feed Rudy lunch, but she just wanted sleep, so once she was upstairs in her crib, Bean and I got in the shower to wash the stink of sick off. Afterwards, I wrapped her up in a fluffy white towel and plopped her on the bath mat while I hustled to get dressed in the next room, and then I found this unconscious heap mere moments later.

She is currently in that towel on the couch, and so now both of my daughters are sleeping and recovering, and I am going to sneak outside until I hear a whimper, because it is sunny and sixty degrees out, and I need some fresh air.


UPDATE: It's Sunday afternoon, and this bug has proven to be like some sick trick birthday candle. I got sick Friday night. (After attempting to live it up with my sisters at a local pub, and only managing three sips of Magner's and a few bites of french fries only to spew in the parking lot.) Rudy couldn't keep down her saltines Saturday afternoon, and late Saturday night, just when I thought we were in the clear, I was ten seconds two late with the bucket for Marley. Todd has avoided any actual vomit, but he's been queasy all day and all last night. We're on the mend, though. Marley is currently enjoying some PRINCESS-SHAPED noodles in a bright yellow chicken broth.