I Think I'll Move to Australia

I had a rather rough week last week, which explains my title, and why I've been reading so much. I had to cancel everything--piano lessons, meetings, parties, etc. You see, everyone in our family has had the stomach flu for the past week, and during the worst day of it for me (and Bethany) I was lucky enough to throw my back out. Fun times, hmm? This was Thursday. Bethany and I had been throwing up all day Monday, and by Thursday I thought we were over the worst of it. I had scheduled speech evaluation for Bethany, hoping she'll qualify for a preschool program aimed at children with speech delays. (She speaks in complete sentences, very well, but has a difficult time enunciating.) Despite her being tired, I decided it was worth it to take her in before the school year ended. So after three days of pajamas, I washed my hair and put on a nice outfit. (That ended up not being such a brilliant idea--but more about that later). There were about 7 people there trying to get her to play with toys and talk. She did not say one blessed word the entire hour we were there! After about half an hour, one lady asked, "How many words would you say she knows?" I had to laugh--maybe she'll qualify because they think she's a mute! :) Anyway, when we finally scheduled a re-screening and I got her buckled into the car Bethany laughed and said, "I didn't say anyfing to anyboby." I replid, "Yeah, I noticed."

So we got home and I decided she might be ready for a glass of milk. Another bad idea! I was trying to get Matthew ready for school when Bethany put her hand over her mouth and started crying. I luckily got her to the sink before she lost it, but unluckily could not control which way her head was facing. She ended up missing the sink and getting it all over her clothes, my clothes, and my freshly-washed-and-styled hair. After I cleaned her up and sanitized the sink and counter, I started load of laundry #1. Then I was racing around trying to finish getting Matthew ready for school, when I slipped in something on the floor and realized that Bethany also managed to miss the sink enough to splash a bunch on the floor. So, I scrubbed myself off AGAIN. Sanitized the floor AGAIN. Then got Matthew on the bus. When I came back in, Bethany was crying and clutching at her diaper--another mess. I took her to the changing table, and good thing, too, because that diaper was completely uncontainable. I managed to get her diaper changed, clothes off, and Bethany washed up. Then I took the diaper into the kitchen and realized it was leaking all the day down my arm, shirt, and onto my freshly sanitized floor. So--laundry load #2 of both of our clothes, and I washed the floor again. As I came down the stairs from doing that load of laundry, she was at it again. And thus went the rest of the day--until I also got a relapse similar to Bethany's, and threw my back out. Friday was another fun day. I couldn't go to the chiropractor or physical therapist because my stomach bug was so bad I couldn't leave the house! I called in sick to work on Saturday, which was a good thing, because Derek came down with the dreaded stomach bug. We somehow managed the kids between the two of us, and today my back was so bad I've been taking advil and lying on a heating bad all day. So the one bright spot in all of this is that on Thursday night, in a moment of calm, I left the house and got the entire Chronicles of Prydain series from the library. However, I still must say that it's been a horrible, no-good, very bad week!!

I hope everyone else has done better. :)