It started out as a normal weekday morning. I was getting ready to wake up Buddy and the rest of the kids to drop him off at preschool. I had a whole list of things to accomplish for the day.
But I knew that my plans and my sanity were about to be drastically tested when Buddy came running into my room with that sudden look of terror on his face as he frantically cried the words this mother never wants to hear, "mommy, I think I'm going to throw up!!!!"
And so began one of the longest weekends of my life!
If you know me at all, you know that I can handle pretty much anything when it comes to common sicknesses, boo-boos, accidents, etc. I grew up as the number one babysitter for three much younger siblings, I was an elementary school teacher where I was exposed to all sorts of crazy kid sicknesses, and I am now the mother of four young kids. So I am basically tough as nails when it comes to blood, stitches, bumps, and bruises.
But vomiting...that's a whole 'nother story, my friends. I have never been able to handle vomiting. Neither my own or that of others.
I had suspected that our family would be unavoidably exposed to more germs this year since Buddy was starting preschool. I knew it would be inevitable that he'd bring home a few more illnesses than normal. But I naively hoped and prayed that the one thing we'd manage to avoid would be the infamous stomach flu!
But here it was...end of August. The virus I'd pretty much rather die than get.
Buddy spent the entire morning running between my lap and the toilet. I must say that I am grateful he has such an ability to know when he's going to be sick and always makes it to the bathroom just in time. I never had to clean up a mess and I am very grateful and relieved for that!
The other kids showed signs of feeling a bit more puny than normal but nothing terrible. Let me tell you, I was literally praying my heart out that this stomach virus would be confined to one child - the good, little tidy vomiter! I could handle that.
Evening came, Mr.Fix-it came home, I kept dinner very bland (crackers & soup for all...just in case the others got it. I didn't want to be cleaning up anything other than crackers & soup if you get my drift) and then we bathed & tucked in four kids who all seemed to be feeling better.
And then it happened. The all too familiar churning, burning, and rumbling of my own stomach. Surely not, I thought. I'm having "sympathy" pains. It's all in my head. Everyone knows mothers cannot get sick!
I fought it for hours. I laid on my left side. I laid on my back. I took small sips of ginger ale. I took deep breaths. Heck, I even googled "how not to vomit" and I am not even kidding. I swallowed. I prayed. I took a few more sips of ginger ale.
But then my body outwitted my stubborn intentions and there you have it ladies and gentleman, this mama experienced the worst stomach bug sickness since I can even remember.
I.have.never.felt.so.sick.
If I've ever doubted Mr. Fix-it's commitment, I take it all back now as I was greatly humbled when he himself cleaned up my own sick mess because apparently I am not quite as tidy of a vomiter as my 4 year old.
But nevertheless, he had work commitments the next morning and a not-so-sympathetic company of which he works for, so I was left to somehow manage to pull myself off the floor and tend to the needs of my 4 small kids.
Now I am sure that there are plenty of other mothers out there who have been deathly sick while taking care of their own brood of kids without any back-up help but this is the first time that has happened to me. And I thought I was going to die!
If I've ever felt alone before, I definitely felt it now! My poor grandparents offered to "ding-dong-ditch" some soup & crackers at the front door but that's as close as they were coming to a home plagued with the stomach flu.
So I drug out empty cardboard diaper boxes and markers and tape for my kids to play with and begged them to let me rest. I settled arguments from the couch, reprimanded them with my eyes closed, and gave free access to tons of cartoons on the Disney channel all while quoting over and over in my head the verse I leaned as a child from Philippians.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
I must say that I am grateful for the years of scripture memory growing up because these words of wisdom I memorized as a child have come in handy now as an adult mother of four small kids! I can't tell you how many times familiar verses have helped me through some of my most challenging circumstances.
This has only reconfirmed and encouraged me as a mother to memorize and re-memorize scripture with my own children now. It's sometimes the only thing that pulls you through.
Mr. Fix-it did end up coming home that day a little earlier than normal but only to quickly come down with the virus himself. He spent much of the evening on the bedroom floor, poor guy.
I am grateful for nap time, a large can of powdered Gatorade mix, kids who are creative enough to entertain themselves for a few hours, and countless episodes of Jake & The Neverland Pirates. I am also thankful for a God who fulfills His promises that we really can do all things through His Son who strengthens us.
Because He did strengthen me and got me through the dreadful 24 hour stomach bug with only a messy house but no casualties of war. :)
And none of the other kids became sick either which is probably the biggest blessing of all. Plus, we got a little extra time with Mr. Fix-it that we wouldn't have ordinarily had otherwise if he had not come down with the virus, as well.
So yes....yes you can do it, sweet reader! What ever your circumstances may be or however hard life is at times, or whether you have a single person to help you or no one at all, you CAN indeed do it. It sure helps if Christ is your strength!
I'm happy to report that everyone is feeling on the mend now. And that God is good...all the time!
Happy Labor Day!
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