Lying low

It tried to be a busy week for us, but I think we have outsmarted it at last. Ella developed a sniffle last week, which I hoped might be related to teething, but she came down with a cough over the weekend and then Jane began to sniffle and sneeze. So we stayed home from church last night and from play group this morning, and oh my word this week is dragging on forever. Michael went to choir as usual, so yesterday was one long day of holding fragile children and wiping runny noses.

I think I'm a better mother when they're sick, though. It forces me to be attentive to them (none of that 'You sit in your high chair and draw while I check email really quick...hmmm...what's that Jane....yes you're right....mmm...I'll be right there...okay, you can spill your water WAIT! DON'T spill your water!-'), and somehow when they do go down for naps I feel more motivated to bustle about briskly and catch up on chores. Well, things get so untidy when there's sickness in the house that the tasks seem obvious and simple. It takes just a minute to run through the rooms collecting all the crumpled tissues, for instance.

So. Now they're down, both humidifiers are running full blast, the breakfast dishes are done, and I am not going to spend any more time on the computer but go curl up with a good book. Well, just as soon as I check email.