Change of title

This book was a classic in my home growing up. I have thought of this title many times over the last week and decided to make some changes to it to better describe what we have been through the last 7 days.

I will try to make a long story somewhat short. We now have made a new Thanksgiving tradition for ourselves. It's called the stomach flu...and I highly discourage anyone from following in our tradition. It seems that each year that I try to host Thanksgiving we all come down with the stomach flu.

It started this year with Charlie. He came home from turkey bowl and started to complain of an upset stomach. By the time we finally got the meal on the table he made himself a plate sat down and no sooner had he put his fork in his hand he ran from the table and spent the next 24 hours between the bed and the bathroom.

The clock was now ticking to see which of us was going to be the next lucky one. By Saturday Charlie was feeling a bit better and had taken some of the kids out to pick up some dinner. I got a phone call a few minutes later to come meet him at the car because Sam had thrown up all over.

The 5 days after that we all were hit one by one like an army being overtaken by the enemy. Next was Logan, then Abby, then Morgan and Ethan (they managed to both get sick literally 4 minutes apart).

So....I was the last soldier standing. How I was the last one since I have been the one to clean up all the stuff coming out of both ends and have not left the house in 6 days is beyond me. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach for more reasons than one. Charlie was leaving to go out of town. Yup, you heard me.

Sure enough he left at 4:00 this morning and I was left at home with not 1, not 2, not 3, BUT 5 sick kids home from school and the last soldier standing was finally brought to her knees (literally) at 8:00 this morning.

It has been a long day of survival mode. Thank heavens that Abby is doing well enough to give me a hand between bathroom breaks. I actually have about a 1 hour window between pit stops where I feel kind of ok'ish...thus how I am able to be writing this right now. I am sure I should be doing something better with my time, but I am sad and lonely and this is my only form of human contact. How lame is that?

This is a brief summary of my last 7 days:

Pots of homemade soup made: 1

Loads of laundry done: 18

Packages of wipes gone through: 4

Bottles of Pedialyte: 4

Loaves of bread eaten for toast: 4

Sleepless nights: 7

Times carpet cleaner used: 8

I have also been through an entire container or Clorox wipes and a whole bottle of bleach and have literally washed every sheet, pillow, and blanket that we own. Needless to say, I am tired and ready for Charlie to be home and have a house full of healthy happy children again.

Funny enough being sick during Thanksgiving does make you thankful for a lot of things. I am thankful for 5 normally healthy children. I am thankful for my own health and for that of my husband. I am thankful for disposable diapers. I am thankful for flushing toilets. I am thankful for a wonderful washer and dryer and an amazing carpet cleaner. I am thankful for my yummy twisted peppermint hand soap from bath and body works that has made all this hand washing a reminder of the holidays around the corner. I am thankful for prayer and the strength I have received from it over the last 12 hours. I am thankful for times of trial that let us reflect on all of our many blessings that we have.

Now if you will excuse me...I am off to visit my best friend the toilet!