A Waste of a Week: The Stomach Bug Strikes Again!

See this handsome little guy? He's not so little anymore. As of Tuesday, he's now a big kid - all 8 years of him! Unfortunately, poor Carrington was sick on his birthday. We had plans to go to the Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet at World of Sports where Nancy Pool (Aunt Ish) was to be honored for her retirement. Instead, I stayed home with the children while Mark attended. Carrington swore that this had been the worst birthday ever, and I don’t doubt it one bit. He couldn’t eat the muffins he had requested for breakfast. He couldn’t go to school where his teacher would have bought him a happy meal and I would have delivered birthday cupcakes with juice boxes for the entire class. He wasn’t allowed to have the video game he really wanted (we aren't ready for him to play a video game with large breasted bikini clad women on the front cover). He even insisted that his cake was no good. Finally, not feeling well and completely disappointed, he began to cry himself to sleep. I promised him that his birthday celebration would be Friday, that we would have cupcakes at school, attend his basketball game with his friends, come home for pizza and candle adorned cake where we would sing multiple versions of happy birthday including those that speak of monkeys and zoos at the tops of our lungs, and have the sleepover to end all sleepovers with absolutely no sleep involved, but mountains of silly string, tie dye, video games, basketball dribbles, all-night giggles, and more movies, popcorn, and soda than we could stand. 

 Nancy is pictured here at the Chamber dinner receiving retirement gifts from Board President Patricia Ricketts.

The birthday was not a total bust, by the way. The boy could have anything in the whole wide world for his special birthday dinner, and he chose KFC. Happy kiddo=happy mom! (Plus I didn't have to cook!)
Thank goodness Mark arrived home while the children were still awake and we salvaged as much as we could from the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, and finally went to bed peacefully.

Until about 11:40, when Courtie woke us up with a quivering, “Mom? Dad? I’m sick.” Courtie was as sick this week as I have ever seen her. All through the night and for the next two days she was miserable, and as her mother, I was miserable, too. If I had not had a sister who is an RN who I was closely consulting, I would have taken her to the ER. We started with pedialyte popsicles, then advanced to Gatorade, then mini saltines and water, then goldfish, then plain white rice. Bless her heart.

Thursday Carrington had a ball game in Asheboro, North Carolina-his very first away basketball game. He is the smallest and youngest person on his basketball team and was very intimidated about playing. He wanted to sit on the bench, because he told me that his team would get “beasted” if he played. He seems so young to be so doubtful of his abilities. I encouraged him to play for the love of basketball, but he is at the age where he understands the weight of his own abilities effect on his team, and he just didn’t think he was good enough. I wanted to go with him so badly, but had to stay home with Courtie, so Mark went instead. I knew Mark would enjoy going to the game. Mark rode with the students and other parents to Asheboro, North Carolina, where the team played against Bailey Grove. Mark sent me a few videos during the game, and we face-timed, too, so even though Courtie and I couldn’t be there, we still got to see the game. Modern technology is amazing, by the way!  Carrington played his heart out, and his team won! 

With a two and a half hour drive ahead of them, the team stopped at Cici’s pizza on the way home. That’s when Mark lost his appetite and knew he was condemned to suffer with this nasty virus, too. The virus stayed with us through Friday. We cancelled the giggle-fest of a sleepover. I missed Carrington’s first home game. Although I dodged the bullet (knock on wood), I did acquire the distinct privilege of being sole caretaker for the family during all this mess. While they were coming and going with the bug, I was at home the whole time washing sheets and blankets, disinfecting bathrooms, and managing our daily inventory of Gatorade and plain white rice. 

Everyone is feeling much better now, so I plan to spend the day taking care of myself. I am getting out of the house for the afternoon and heading to Durham with a few girlfriends.  I say the week has been wasted, but maybe that was a stretch. If I have learned anything in this life, it's that as bad as things get, there is always something for which to be thankful. Mark did get to attend Nancy's dinner and one of Cary's ballgames. Carrington did a great job on the court and played his heart out! His self-confidence was built by stepping outside his comfort zone, working his hardest, and having the support of his dad and team. Courtie and I were able to watch from home. Between my mother-in-law and parents, Carrington was able to go to his Friday night ballgame and out to eat at Applebees, and he received toys from G and an iPod from Nana and Papa. He has already started texting me with sweet messages that warm my heart. 
I am so thankful that this illness wasn't any worse than it was, and so thankful my family is finally on the mend. I am also thankful for this little guy right here. It's hard to believe that he is 8 already! My how time flies when you're having fun, and believe me when I say there is never a dull moment when Carrington is around! 

Now, if you will excuse me while I go get dressed for my afternoon out with the girls. After the week we've had, I'm thankful to get out of the house and do something fun. Hoping and wishing for a healthy and stress-free day for all of us.

xoxo, Erin

Southern Virginia Mom

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