Notorious

It's 12:11am when I start this post and Notorious Mobsters is showing on the TV in the background. Tyler is lying next to me on the couch because he's too chicken to go in to our bed. Why, you ask, would he be too afraid to get in our own cushy king-sized bed? That would be because it is now the sick bed. About 8pm tonight Mackenzie started to complain of a killer stomach ache. I gave her my usual brush-off with "Stick your bum up in the air," cuz, you know gas rises, so if it is a gas issue wavin' her tush in the air would fix the problem. Well, that didn't cut it and she even turned down a trip to the ice cream store with Tyler. Shortly after Tyler left with Caylee and Brevin, Kenz totally lost it in the toilet. WHICH, I should have been more compassionate, but since I was finishing my video montage I coached her from the couch. Like, "Good job, let it go . . . all done? . . . ope, no? okay let it all come out . . . now get some tissue and wipe up . . . rinse out with some water . . . go brush your teeth" etc. I am having a bit of remorse about that now that she's spent the last three hours wretching in the bathrooms. Poor thing was so tired she was crying more about having to keep getting up more than she was crying about being sick. So, about 10:45pm Tyler was unloading groceries (yes, he grocery shopped tonight so's not to have to fight the crowds tomorrow . . . you know those crazy 4th of July grocery shoppers . . .whatever, he did it and I can cross it off my to-do list), I was putting away laundry in my room (while stepping over Kenzie who is now camped out on the floor in my bathroom) when Tyler called, "Sarah?!" in that oh-crap-I-don't-like-the-sound-of-it-kind-of-way. I walked in to the kitchen and there's Brock with barf smeared across his face. *If you have a sensitive stomach you could skip the following detail * AND, of course, his schalacked bink still in his mouth. EEEEWWWWW! He was totally dazed and confused and I rebuffed his "Hold me" pleas until he was stripped and wiped down in the bathroom. Tyler (another bonus point for him) was stripping Brock's bed. Now, I don't know what the exact protocol is for cleaning up bed sheets, but the thought of just tossing them in the washer creeps me out. It's like washing it all in the puke. Usually I pre-wash the gunk in our utility sink, but tonight I made Tyler go outside and use the garden hose to pre-wash the sheet. It's funny when you have enough kids who have been sick enough times, how little it phases us anymore. Like me not jumping up to stand by Kenzie the first time she was sick (on her subsequent heave-fests I came in to check her out.) We have funny conversations and find joy in the little things. Tonight Tyler commented, after examping all the bed fixings, that Brock "did well" and aimed his ick mostly on his blanket. Of course the report continues with what else "just had a little bit on it here and there . . . " but you know what I mean? I thought it was funny, cuz there's no logic in the stomach bug. Mackenzie said she thought all the throwing up would make her teeth a lot whiter, which threw me for a minute as I thought, "acid wash?" and then realized she meant from brushing her teeth. Tyler, too, automatically plays out all his scenarios of when he's going to get sick and he's prepping for being sick on the plane. How fun would THAT be? AND not to have a whole separate tangent, but does Pepto Bismal work or anything or anyone? We had some tablets that I had Mackenzie take to settle her stomach and within 7.2 minutes they were reappearing in a liquid, vomit version. EVERY time I have taken it for stomach issues, I have a similar response to the stuff. Oh well. I am hoping, considering my illness at girl's camp last week I am immune from it OR I get a full blown version by tomorrow. I am worried about my brother, David, who was with Brock all day today. Sorry, Dude, if your day off turns out not-so-great. And our babysitter who arrives tomorrow. I might see if she can stay a night with my in-laws until it works its way through the kids. UGH, this is bad time. We are notorious for that. Going on a trip? Get sick. Needless to say, I'll be cloroxing the house and making new plans for our 4th holiday. I imagine once I spread the word that we've got a flu bug Jared and Mindie's will be lookin' pret-ty good. At this rate I am figuring everyone's gonna get it from somewhere anyhow, so bring it on. (As far as we can tell, this is still Nate's fault since he was the closest relative to have it last. Thanks, Man!) My SIL, too, to compound the issues, will be having a baby tomorrow (the 5th) and we'll not be spreading that to her. Oh well. Thanks for letting me vent about this for an hour.

Another thing I am notorious for is not being great at thank you cards. My dear, sweet friend Jenn from Texas sent me the most darlingest apron from Anthropologie for my birthday. I have been stalking it in our local store for months, yeah, the exact one she got me, and I didn't even tell her that I was looking at them, or how cute I thought they were, etc. Of course, Jenn being Jenn, (she's very astute and perceptive) she took time out of her busy baby #2 life to send me something via mail (and on time, no less . . . I am also notoriously late with birthday gifts). And do I take a minute to email her or send her a cute note telling her how fabulous the gift was, how touched I was at her thoughtfulness, and how she's an amazing, inspiring woman? Nope. It dawned on me that I hadn't sent anything when she got worried enough that it was lost in the mail to have to ask me if I got her package. So, SORRY JENN! I also owe everyone who came to my party (and the rule-breaking-gift-giving), the youth conference committee kids, my friend Barb (who helped me make some YW invites when I was totally stressed and headed out of town and she just totally made all of them for me), the lady who spoke at our Senior Luncheon, AND all those who gave us wedding presents thank you cards. I am horrible at it. Notorious, actually.

And one more notorious thing . . . lists. I can't help myself. I've got about five going on right now, just for the next three days. They are:

Things to do:
Grocery shop (done tonight)
Fill car with gas for sitter (Fri. morning)
Ms. Ashton's appreciation/Thank You/all-holidays-in-one gifts (Did I mention I notoriously procastinate?)
Nan's baby invites
Buy underwear and good quality bra (cross your fingers on this one!)
Get my kids pictures done (Thursday morning if nobody's sick and I can convince Mackenzie the world will keep spinning if she misses one morning of class!)
Pick up dry cleaning
Presidency Meeting for YW
Buy b-day presents
Call Daniel so he can RE-explain the computer mumbo-jumbo he was telling me today

What to pack:
Too much to list, but I am trying to double up on my options since we'll have laundering opportunities at the apartment we have in Paris.

What to print/type:
Nan's invites/shower games
France planner stuff I've compiled
Babysitter instructions
Letters to my kids for different days so they know we're thinking about them (my amazing sister does something similar to this with mini-gifts for each day. I'm not as ambitious)

What to buy/exchange/return/borrow
Bra
Shade shirt
Power adaptors
a home decor item for Ms. Ashton

Oye! Believe it or not, I got lots done today and most of the picking up done tonight, so I am ready to clean tomorrow, er, I mean, today. I am sure I'll have some major thing I need to write about later, so I am going to go fall asleep so one of my darlings can wake me up just as I finally drift off into la la land.