Bit by the Bug

And I don't mean the love bug, unfortunately . . .

Warning:  Graphic images may be imagined from the following description

We returned from San Francisco on Sunday afternoon, unpacked, and prepared our Valentines for the school parties coming up.  Monday evening, the Swasey children were dropped off so that Drew and Melissa could enjoy a special trip to San Francisco for a few days as well.

Tuesday morning and Valentine's Day started off bright and early around 4:00 a.m. with Carlee vomiting down the side of her bed and trailing into the bathroom.  She didn't turn on the light and must have been aiming for the bathtub because it was all down the side of the tub and onto the floor.   I cleaned up the carpet and bathroom and made her a new bed on our couch.   She slept in while I got the other seven kids up and ready for school.

I was doing Mia and Katelyn's hair when Mia started complaining that her stomach hurt.  She said that she felt okay to go to school but really looked pale.  I was pulling her hair back when all of the sudden she turned around the corner and threw up into the toilet.  I sat there holding her hair until she finished.  Carlee woke up then and threw up a couple more times so I settled them in the loft on the couch watching TV while I got the rest of the kids off to school.

Ella was pretty somber and snuggly with me while Carlee and Mia laid on the couch all day sipping Sprite, eating crackers, and watching Disney Channel and movies.  Luke went to preschool and the girls just had a relaxing day with intermittent vomiting.  Luckily, Ella didn't throw up but we did need to change her diaper more frequently (if you catch my drift) and she was a lot more mellow than usual.

We cancelled all extra-curricular activities for the day--dance, Activity Days, gymnastics, and our traditional Valentine's Day dinner.  I ordered a heart-shaped pizza and we ate apples, carrots, and lemonade with it.  The kids each got a little Valentine's gift with some conversation hearts, a heart shaped box of chocolates, and a little gift on their plates and were just as happy with cheese and pepperoni pizza.  The girls were feeling better by then and everybody ate that evening. 

An hour later, all the kids were watching a show before bed.  Cole made a run for the bathroom and threw up.  When I went to check on him a few minutes later, he was sitting on the rug just staring into the toilet.  I told him that it was okay to flush the junk a few times and he gave me a half-hearted smile.  I got him ready for bed and he was asleep a few minutes later. 

Jake had fallen asleep on the couch and suddenly woke up grabbing for one of the girls' bowls but missed and threw up on the rug.  He was now sick.  Joe gave him a bath and put him to bed. 

Luke had also fallen asleep on the couch and so we carried him into the guest bed with Cole.  A few minutes later, we heard him crying and he had vomited all over the bed and carpet.  Joe put him in the tub and I moved Cole onto the floor so that I could strip the bed.  He was totally out of it and didn't even know that I had moved him onto the floor.  It was then that I just started laughing hysterically.  Kids were throwing up all over my house!  Upstairs, downstairs, in beds, on the floor, in garbage cans, in Tupperware bowls and in toilets.  And the funniest part was listening to my husband tell Luke that he had to bathe himself because he wasn't allowed to touch those areas!  Poor Luke was half asleep and sick and had no clue what was going on.  It was pretty funny. 

When Luke was in clean pajamas, Joe decided to just go get our wet/dry vac.  He dumped hot water on the carpet and mattress and sucked up the mess.  Brilliant!  Then he cleaned the rug in the family room while I started another load of laundry.  We set up an air mattress on the wood floor in the living room for Cole and Luke.  Katelyn and Clark weren't sick yet but were freaking out that they would be.  We tucked all the kids in beds with bowls nearby and prayed that we were nearing the end of the flu bug.  My only concern was Ella.  She was sleeping in Carlee's room and she is a lot harder to get to the bathroom so I was hoping that she could hold it down. 

Luke and Cole

Katelyn, Mia, and Carlee

Jake

Clark

The night was uneventful after about 11:00 p.m. but I kept the boys home from school and sent the girls.  They were just fine and played most of the day but did wear out easily so they took a lot of breaks and rests.  Clark and Katelyn never did get the bug but Jake made it official when he woke up on Wednesday and said, "Mom, that was the worst Valentine's Day ever!"  And although I have to agree, it was definitely one for the books.