Arming Ourselves

We survived yesterday.

More than survived it, really.

We got school done (actually, it was the highlight of the day! Love that!) and chores done and napping done.

Since the day was going to be...unpleasant, at best, already, with a sick baby and no sleep, I decided to say "Yes!" when the other children asked if we could please switch out their clothing. The seasonal clothing switch is something I tend to dread, although it's never as bad as I anticipate. My oldest two offered to get the bins from the attic, and then everyone helped bring drawers downstairs and sort clothing and collect two large trash bags' worth to go to Goodwill.

And since the laundry was already going nonstop, we went ahead and washed the winter coats to get them stored away. It feels so good to have those out of here!

All of this ended up being done not a moment too soon. Today is in the upper 80's, which might as well be 180* when you handle warm, humid weather as well as we do (ahem). The combination of excessive heat and everyone's allergies kicking in due to the open windows means that hopefully tonight the A/C window units will be put in.

And no one has ralphed today!



I AM being militant about making all of the sniffly, sneezy, wheezy, hacking ones (that would be nine children, their father, their mother, and the dog) drink water water water. Everyone has a water bottle. We have races to see who can finish theirs first. So far, I am not winning.

We've tried the Benadryl route, which proved only minimally helpful. So now we're gathering other ammunition: Vitamin C and cod liver oil and probiotics, and I hope to pick up some dried elderberries to make elderberry syrup.

But even with all the, well, runniness around here, no one is slowing down. School was done by 10:30 this morning. The kitchen floor was mopped! Diapers were washed! Stories were read!

I need to remember this as we go to clean the bedrooms this afternoon. I need to remember that something did get accomplished today. Because of all the chores, BEDROOMS is the most defeating for me. I look at the mess, and I think, "Where did all this come from? Didn't we just deal with all of this last week? What did we get rid of last week? How can you possibly still have stuff that makes a mess?"

Although, I must admit, the hour after their rooms are cleaned is a sweet one. They play happily and contentedly on the clear floor, sounding like characters from someone else's story: "Yes, Sister, I would love to have you at my tea party!"

"Certainly, Brother, I have spare weapons over here!"

Only, I guess, sometimes this is part of our story, too. We work hard, we fight harder, and in the end we say, "Pull up a chair. I'll pour you a drink, and help yourself to a sword."