I think I finally managed to pass the stomach bug onto some of the kids.
Sickness sharing is a weird thing in our house. Each person who is exposed reacts so differently and each time I wonder if we didn’t just all pick something completely different up randomly, by coincidence.
I am the iron stomach. I haven’t thrown up since I was sixteen years old (who decided that beer bongs were a good idea, anyway?). But sometimes I wish I could. Not in a bulimia kind of way. I just think that expunging sickness so quickly and violently must make it pass quicker, right? Surely I wouldn’t be so tired and queasy for so long if the sickness had a second outlet as well?
Ben, my dear Ben, all those years of sticking every single thing – I mean EVERY SINGLE THING in your mouth (food from the floor, sticks, dirt, beach sand, more beach sand, then even more beach sand, small choking hazards, licking poles and trees) must have paid off for you. Because on Friday night Ben ate a hearty dinner, followed by a hearty dessert, then walked into my bedroom where I was preparing my bed so I could dry and dress the bathing twins on, and silently threw up.
Then he casually turned to me and told me that he threw up on my bed. No heaving, no crying, and in fact he even tried to go back and finish his lollypop. He was fine by the next day.
Jack. Woes Jack. My goodness you’d think their was an inner demon ripping out his insides when he gets sick. And perhaps because he was always a bit cleaner about things (doesn’t like sharing drinks, freaks out if anyone touches his food, will study his food for any dots or abnormalities and refuse to eat it, never ate copious amounts of sand, wasn’t a big fan of mouthing toys, is my only kid who consistently uses utensils, is my only kid who will wash his hands for a full 20 seconds after any bathroom break) he always gets hit the worst.
Jack was puking for 2 days straight. He ran a fever. He was up all night for two nights. He was coughing and puking up any morsel that touched his lips. He was laying on the ground groaning and moaning. He even TOOK A NAP!
So all of our fun weekend plans were put aside. We had a big day of apple picking on Sunday which we postponed.
And instead of doing things like a family we divided and conquered.
In the morning while Adam took the older sickies to the suburbs to buy a used stroller I was planning on picking up on our way out to the apple orchards, I took the twins to Bauler Park.
Old School Equipment
It’s funny how you can dislike a park with some kids and love it with others. I used to really dislike this park when I just had Jack and Ben. I preferred the newer structures that were completely manufactured. The prefab soft services, devoid of any natural materials. I also liked smaller spaces so I could follow my kids around like a hawk, being overly helpful and unnecessarily liberal with my reprimands regarding manners to other kids.
A big, open slab of concrete in the background and many green areas.
Now with the twins I love a park where I can sit back and let them play as if I’m not even there. From Ben’s therapist I’ve learned that I’m too helpful when it comes to such things. Let the kids struggle to climb things, that is how they learn and build their muscles.
I also really like how natural the park is. Huge spaces to run and do one of Aaron’s favorite activities – collect sticks and poke them in the dirt. And since Jack and Ben’s time, people have dropped off old toys which adds another dimension.
And even though there are three entrances, all are gates and easy to see from any viewpoint.
