A Day in Our Home...A Sleepless Night

Recoverying from illness...

Monday:

The usual fullness of 'back on routines' and 'recovery from the weekend'...general getting back on track from relaxed living, times of fellowship, continual conquering of laundry in our home, etc.  Dad was home ~ tries to keep Mondays as 'off' days...so time spent doing business together ~ updating job calendar, working on invoices and other business paperwork & returning phone calls from the weekend.  School as usual ~ Zach with college classwork, Austin - Alyssa with homeschool lessons, Graham a little on the relaxed side since he was running a low-grade fever, Kailynn played although a little out of sorts without Graham in the picture and Liz did what all 4 month olds do.  =) 

Dad took Logan & Kailynn with him for afternoon errands.  Alyssa stayed to play with Elizabeth...Graham napped since he was running a low-grade fever.  Austin was off to Orchestra practice for two hours and I prepared the remainder of dinner with Zach (Mexican Chicken, Rice, Homemade Whole Wheat Millet Muffins & Corn).  Zach has become quite proficient at making all the homemade muffins...lightening the load in meal preparation during the week.  =)  A yummy dinner had by us all gathered around the table.  Where had the day gone! 

Tubs began not long after, Kailynn finished off the bottom of the Doritos (Nacho flavored) bag...a delightful little girl with orange to prove it!  Zach worked on homework for his PHC online class, Austin-Alyssa listen to Adventures in Odyssey radio program, tubs were finished up with little ones.  A decision to move Logan to the older boys' room for the night...just as a precaution since Graham wasn't feeling 100%.  Things began to settle and bedtime blessings, prayers and then children succumb to sleep...Logan is blessed with staying up a little later to play Rummy with Dad ~ a little one-on-one time while all is still.  =)

All in bed except Liz & I ~ our middle of the night feeding...such a sweet time when all is quiet in the house.  Well, not all is quiet for long on this night...Kailynn starts crying,...Alyssa comes out of her room with pillow & cover in hand.  A sick little girl...I wake Mark, help is needed (I have never done that kind of illness well ~ yes, I know.  You'd think after 7 children, I could handle this better. :} ).  Let's not forget that Doritos bag she so enjoyed earlier ~ not a pretty sight!  I put Liz down in her cradle the ran a tub for the frightened, sick Kai.  Mark stripped the bed and takes bed coverings outside to spray them down.  Alyssa settles on the couch.  I get Kai cleaned off in the warm tub then take her stained PJ's to start a load of laundry.  The window is opened ~ fan on high ~ I begin bleaching her crib & mattress while Mark gets her ready for bed again.  He moves to the couch, Alyssa moves to the loveseat, all begins to settle down again and I return to finish nursing Liz.  You guessed it...this scenerio repeats again...more laundry, another tub, more bleaching and resettled into sleep around 3:30am.

Tuesday:

No Bible study ~ Mark stays home until around 9am, Zach has full day of classes, all is off to a slow start.  Kai seems better...Graham, too.  No fever now ~ but things move slowly today for the youngest and Mom.  Morning routines take place, I prepped for dinner (pressing on with a few minor alterations), lessons get done, Zach comes home after lunch, Mark gets home early...naps happen with Mom & Dad joining in on this one ~ late afternoon. 

Zach goes back to campus for his evening class...we all sit for dinner (Cheese-stuffed meatloaf with marinara sauce over spaghetti, broccoli, croissants ~ okay, I didn't know that kids would be sick when I planned out these meals).  Graham and Kai are both hungery now so plain pasta given with plain croissants.  All is well ~ yogart later before bed.  Game time with older boys...Scrabble and younger ones blessed, prayed with and off to sleep.  This night would be restful...except for me.  I was up (shouldn't have taken that nap, I guess), but Kai kept me company as she was up for a while with tummy bubbles.

Wednesday:

Phew...all appears to be returning to our 'normal' routines.  Chores completed and then some.  School closet & bookcase given extra attention, movie bin visited to return misplaced videos ~ somehow movies seem to help little ones feel better =), laundry caught up and dinner preparation begun.  Lessons are on track and Lord willing, will continue to be.  Orchestra practice for later today and young ones will be kept home from church ~ don't want any other family to deal with wee hour sickness ~ even though they are full of energy and running around as usual today.  =)

God is good ~ His grace is sufficient ~ Counting it all joy ~ Giving thanks for being able to be home to serve these blessings and for the working out of faith.

For this is the day that the Lord has made ~ rejoicing and being glad in it ~