"This is the virus that doesn't end... yes it goes on and on my friend..."

We've had a rough week. Hail, in efforts to prove he's been paying attention to our lectures on sharing, gave our entire family his stomach bug. The vicious virus took us out, one by one. Hail probably had it the worst. He was sick from Saturday until Tuesday and is having some potty issues even now.

On Tuesday, just as Hail was showing signs of recovering, I began to feel like an armadillo who had tried to cross
I-65 with game day traffic heading home from the Iron Bowl. Later that afternoon, Flash Flood joined me, in typical baby armadillo fashion. One of the times I gained consciousness to run to the bathroom, I over heard Bert asking Thunder why he wasn't eating dinner. Just a few hours later, Thunder and Lightning both joined the road kill party. Of course, Her Highness being the sweet and motherly caretaker, couldn't avoid the inevitable and got sick on Wednesday. My prayer had been for Bert to stay well until I could physically take care of him. I say physically, because I always lose my mental capabilities when Bert gets sick. God answered my prayers and held Bert off until Hail, Thunder and Lightning were all healed and back... full force. The Storm reunited, though I still felt as if I had been run over by a mac truck.

There's something kinda sweet about being sick together. Minus the yucky parts. Having everyone napping in different places and quiet while looking at books and watching old movies we've seen 84,000 times. Listening to Her Highness tend to her biggest fans made me tear up more than once. In a soothing voice she would ask, "Buddy, do you want me to get you some more gatorade? Another book? Another toy? Your blankie?" Several times Hail said, "Just way down wif me, kay?" And she would do so, happily. She would fight with Bert over bringing me a drink or changing out my DVD. "Daddy! I wanted to take Momma her drink! Well, let ME do it next time!"... "When did Daddy turn this movie on for you? Well, next time tell ME and I'll do it for you." She would say as she tucked me back under the covers. So sweet. Thunder and Lightning were happy for her attention as well. She's going to be such a good Momma someday.

Bert being sick was like... well... since he reads this and will take offense, I will speak in code woman talk: Bert being sick was like a man being sick.
There. You get my drift.

We're all still recovering slowly. Man cannot live on bread alone, but after a stomach virus like this one, we are living on saltines for a little while longer. It's taken a while to get everything back on track.

Though Hail is fully potty-trained, I've kept him in diapers this week because he's still dealing with some Peptobismol-ish issues. Hail has been most displeased. He throws huge hissy fits every time I put a diaper on him. I was tired of cleaning up the messes, and I'm already behind on tons of sickly laundry, so I told him when his tummy was all better, he could go back to undies full time. Yesterday, Hail and I ran to Wal-mart for more pedialyte and saltines. He was furious I made him wear a diaper out in public. I tried explaining that no one would know since he had shorts over his diaper. I also pointed out that he's barely 2 1/2 and not many (if any) of his friends wore underwear yet anyway... "Okay, Honey? And nobody laughs at Luke when he's out places 'cause no one even knows he's NOT wearing underwear. So no one will know that you're back in a diaper. Or care for that matter so hush about it." Every single person we passed in the store Hail would greet with, "Hey. I'm weawing a diapa 'cause I got diaweeah." And if they didn't acknowledge him, he would say it again. Louder. "Hey! I got on a diapa 'cause I got DIAWEEEEAAAHHH!" Most people just smiled. Some humored Hail and spoke back, "Aww, hope you feel better!" or "Okay.?." I jogged out of there as quickly as possible. I'm sure the public was happy. I looked like a pile of diaweeah myself. Or a dead armadillo.

We are all on the mend and appreciate so much the love and care we always receive from our dear friends and family. Your prayers and sweet messages are such a blessing to us. And, a word to the wise... if you live in our area, stay home for the next few weeks. Don't go anywhere. At all. According to Facebook, everybody in our town has had this virus, or has it currently.

Here's to no more diaawweeahh!