Joolee and the slow motion pseudo-tsunami

Alternate title: Joolee and the terrible horrible no good very bad week

It's been a rough one folks. The kids all got what I thought were colds last week. Turns out it's a lovely virus the medical community has termed hand, foot, mouth disease. Nothing glamorous about that diagnosis. I mean, really, if my family is gonna come down with some disgusting and highly contagious disease that leaves blisters on their tongues and itchy rashes on their hands and feet, then at least give us a semi-informative and impressive diagnosis to throw around. I'm thinking something like....ahem, acute petulance and malaise secondary to oral vesications and eczema of the appendages. Now that's a disease a family can be proud of!

Though there may not be a spot on the sofa, there are definitely spots on the Sopha's tongues:( Josie's face says it all!

So anyway, much of last week was spent trying NOT to console several seemingly bratty and whiney girlies, so as not to reinforce such behavior. It wasn't until Saturday morning when I woke up with a tongue so sore it hurt to talk or eat or be alive that I remembered our exposure to that horrid virus and began to have a smidgen of sympathy for my poor suffering daughters. Sorry girlies. Tough Love seems to be my middle name, but I can't say that I didn't come by it honestly. (MOM;)

To be fair, Saturday we did spend the lovely fall afternoon biking and hiking at our favorite spot....the cemetery. Because really, what better place to take your highly contagious family than a beautiful park filled with already-dead people? I'm telling you, that cemetery is really my favorite place ever!! Sounds crazy, I know, but there are smooth paved roads with only small inclines and declines (hard to find in our hilly neck of the woods), beautiful trees that change brilliant colors in the fall, ponds, and ducks, and geese. And hardly anyone else is ever there. As long as you don't count all the dead bodies. You should know, by the way, that out of respect for the dead I have put a stop to the girls climbing all over the tombstones. So, yes......I admit, we did have an enjoyable afternoon Saturday and returned home to a soft meal of yogurt and hard boiled eggs, so as not to aggravate our irritated mouths.

Get that baby a diaper!

What a surprise! Ella is crying again!

Not sure if it was the unconventional dinner I ingested Saturday evening or my sore biker's bum, but that entire night I spent dragging my girlies to higher ground, trying to escape a looming and ever so slow motion tsunami. 

It was one of those dreams that I'm sure lasted at least 6 hours because I woke up absolutely exhausted. I've found that pseudo-running and pseudo-dragging 4 kids can really do that to a girl. And all the pseudo-running and pseudo-stress that comes with dealing with an imminent pseudo-tsunami must have reeked havoc on my already weakened immune system, because I now have a horrible head cold......you know, the nose that drips continuously out of one nostril while the other is totally plugged up, watering eyes, headache, and all the needy kids simultaneously yelling "mommy!" that historically have surfaced on such sick days. Uuugh! And so, here I am, whining on my blog about my terrible horrible no good very bad week, trying unsuccessfully to deal with the multiple arguments that have risen as a result of a backyard bicycle obstacle course, and trying desperately to avoid sweeping all of last night's popcorn crumbs off the couch and floor.

And now, there is only one thing left to do........Sing my favorite stuffed up nose song at the very top of my lungs.....and purposefully just a tidge out of tune.

Here cubs Saddy Clause,

Here cubs Saddy Clause,

Right dowd Saddy Clause Lade,

He doesd't care if you're rich or poor

cuz he loves you just the sabe.

We all know that we're God's childred

that bakes everythig bright.

So hag your stockids add say your prayers 

cuz Saddy Clause cubs todight!