Me Time Minus H1N1

Yep, you heard me right. Finally Finally Finally some much needed "me time." After what seems to be nearing two full weeks of children children children, mostly alone since Evan is sick, I am breaking out. Instead of staying home and doing laundry and dishes and picking up toys, I decided that today is all about me. I got up this morning and made the kids breakfast and got them out of the house and delivered to Grandma's. They will be there until tomorrow night (yay!) and I am so thrilled. I can't even begin to explain, but to many of you, I don't even have to. I started out by picking up my Christmas Layaway at TSC and heading to RP Lumber for some longer screws so that I can drill and attach the last pull to the new kitchen cabinets. There is one drawer and it needs longer screws than the doors. Then I went to Annie's Little Pots and picked up some things that we had in the kiln and finished my last cereal bowl that was halfway painted. That was relaxing and fun. Then I came to the library, checked out the Scholastic books, and now have settled in at the counter with a Chai Latte, Peanut M&M's, and free internet. Which I need because I didn't pay the Comcast bill this month. Those bastards charge so much! My bill ends up being like $80 a month for just internet. Grrrr.

So if I want to start at the beginning, I should explain that Evan has H1N1. Yep. The real deal. He was sick for days and I thought he might have the flu and then when he felt bad still on Sunday I ended up putting the kids to bed, calling my friend Lisa (bless her) and having her come stay at the house for a while so I could take him to the Emergency Room. Of course the ER doesn't bother me, because I 6 years working in the hospital and know almost everyone there, but Evan was against it until he was so sick he just didn't care. They did a chest Xray and flu test and discovered that he was positive for Influenza A and based on his symptoms diagnosed him with H1N1. The chest Xray shows a small spot in his lungs that appears to be the potential start of pneumonia. He left with medication and after he got a bag of IV Fluids. He has been gradually feeling a bit better, starting yesterday. I hope that continues! I was about batty with the kids in the house, trying to keep them quiet (yeah right. Yesterday I ended up just shutting them in the kitchen with the door closed while I made lunch, and giving them a harmonica and wood block with mallet. They were ecstatic. It got some of the noisiness out of their systems.

This Sunday at Church, Ardyn and I get to Decorate the Altar for "Joy" Sunday, and we are also hosting coffee hour. I think that this week we will take homemade Cinnamon Rolls. Our Joy Sunday Decor will revolve around Joy through the Eyes of a Child.... which we know very well. Ardyn suggested that we blow bubbles, which I think is an excellent idea :)

Another H1N1 Complication, is that Evan is sort of under "Quarantine" and while my new stove was scheduled to arrive and be delivered this past Tuesday, we had to reschedule indefinitely so that the delivery people don't catch H1N1. Then I canceled my Cleaning Lady (sad!) and THEN my mom brought up that I need to clean and disinfect the whole house before I have her come back to clean? Hmmm. Seriously? I just thought that if she came back in two weeks, the germs would all be dead and when she cleaned it would be just like a usual cleaning. Can flu germs live for a week after my husband is no longer contagious? The kids and I got our flu shots this season (nice and early thank goodness) and so we have been fine so far. People keep asking and assuming that I am busy disinfecting all surfaces, but really, Evan washes his hands, and he spent the "feverish" days (when he is most contagious) in the bedroom and the kids even stayed away just in case, and I haven't had TIME to disinfect the whole house. I guess I am just not as paranoid as everyone else? Or as paranoid as everyone expects me to be? We always practice good handwashing habits at our house, so really I am not stressing. I don't use Bleach, and I don't use clorox wipes on a daily basis. I just use vinegar or baking soda to clean, so I don't think I need to go all overboard? But now I need to call the cleaning lady to see if she thinks I should clean BEFORE she cleans?

So I googled it (actually I swagbucks'd it) and the flu virus can last on hard surfaces for 48 hours at the longest. The CDC's site says that the flu can generally last between 2-4 hours on surfaces. So if she comes to clean a full week after Evan is no longer contagious, I don't think she has to worry. Right?

I am having such a great time. I might never go home. Ahhhh.

Well, I had planned on spending Sunday night after the kids went to bed, making the teacher gifts for Ardyn's preschool teachers, but then I ended up spending it in the ER, so that didn't happen, and Monday was the last day of school.... so I felt badly. Oh well. I will just have to give them new year gifts :)

Today I was thinking, I hate it when people make me dislike them. I don't want to dislike anyone. But sometimes, they just keep it up and I just don't have a choice. I am actually kinda just annoyed by some things, but then there are people that I just can't help but Dislike. I try. I try to be objective. I try to not let a bad first impression cause me to form an opinion. But sometimes, people just make me hate them.

For example, the people that have so many keychains that their keys won't even fit in their pocket.... okay, that's your thing. Whatever. But when they have so many keychains that they are all clanking together everywhere as they walk because they are swinging them around in their hand.... because they won't fit in their purse OR their pocket.... like the ones that have like three of those acrylic wallet size photo frames. Oh I hate that clanking. I don't hate those people, but I just want to look at them and confront them and say "really? will your life not proceed without acrylic wallet sized photo frames on your keychain?" and while I try to be sensitive to the point that the keychains hold photos of someone they love, maybe even someone who died, I just. can't. stand the clanking. It's so 1980's. lol.

But some people just drive me up the wall. I guess I should be more tolerant. I wonder how Jesus handled those people who drive him bonkers. Don't even tell me that he was so godly that he was never driven bonkers. Of course he was. He was a real person. He was sent here so that he could identify with us and connect with us. He just had awesome coping skills. Instead of WWJD the acronym should be HWJC How would Jesus Cope? LOL.

I have recently come to the realization that I may never read again. I am feeling like Adam Sandler in Click... I just want to pause time so that I can do some reading. I've got The Pillars of the Earth sitting here next to me, and all KINDS Of books on all KINDS of subjects... Celtic Prayer and Worship, the Carmina Gadelica, Books on Marriage and Child Raising and Discipline.... I keep thinking if I could just READ some more, everything would fall into place. Ha! Right. Who am I kidding? I often tell myself - Do NOT get another book to read until you get into the other 50 that are sitting there looking at you. I guess I will be able to read in my retirement, or when my kids move out or something, but there are SO Many books in this world, that I just can't imagine going through my child-raising years not reading anything! It's a crime I tell you! And I have two more seasons of The Tudor's to watch (WHY Can't Netflix get those last two seasons in their Instant Play line like the first two?) and I also have ALL of the Dave Ramsey DVD's that I have borrowed and need to watch, and the workbook and book that I have borrowed and need to read. I am starting to feel like the whole Dave Ramsey gig is way over my head. At this point I just want to pay the bills and there is so much in there about retirement and investments and real estate, and I just feel like I would have to learn so much that I am just not ready for yet. But I have decided to just start at the beginning and see where that gets me.

Tonight I have some things to do at home. I am skipping my Bunco Christmas Party. I feel kinda guilty, but with Evan being sick, I just know that I would rather spend this time without kids getting a handle on some things. I have some Christmas Preparation to do also. ;) Although curling up in a chair sounds good too. As does taking a nap. I have been yawning for like three hours now.

Well, blogging has been great, but I am seriously considering just taking my book into a comfy library chair and reading for a while :) Take care and GET YOUR FLU SHOT!!!