'Repeat Play' and other parenting mistakes!

Warning: If you are in the market to read something uplifting, loving, kind - this is NOT the website for you. . . .

I am hopeful that relaying the story of this hellish week will somehow lighten my otherwise unbearable load, but I guess that remains to be seen. Since becoming a parent some 3 1/2 years ago, I have been so careful not to say, "I will never___________ with my child". I have actually said those words a couple of times thinking that I would be safe from the inevitable, "I told you so" of my life, but even the smallest things that you 'will never' - given the right circumstances, you will.

For the past 96 (yes, that's one entire work week) hours at least one member of my household has been vomiting and/or having diarrhea (note the use of the word AND), including Jonathan and ME! This is enough to cause me great mental harm as I have a terrificly insane phobia of throwing up. Truthfully, it is one of those things that I am just really, really, really neurotic about. If I even think that you're grandmother's aunt's sister has been exposed to a stomach bug, I will not be seeing you within a good 72 hours. With that being thoroughly explained to you, you should completely understand why the fact that all four of us have the stomach bug is enough to send me to the nut house. Here's the quick version . . .

Monday - Carrie puking
Monday night/Tuesday - Jon Thomas puking
Wednesday - Charlie diarrhea
Thursday - Jonathan puking, snotty with a fever
Friday - Charlie puking, diarrhea, snotty nose, fever

All these things considered, I think that you will completely understand and forgive the fact that I went back on several of my 'I nevers'. First, I have always prided myself in the fact that I limit my children's TV time and the content of the shows they watch. I'm not one of those TV nazis who doesn't own a tele, but I do only allow so much in one given 24 hour period. Until yesterday. I found myself SEARCHING the channels for something else for Jon Thomas to watch. By searching, you must understand that I really mean that I was desparately flipping the channels looking for a cartoon-like program. My brow was flushed and I was a little sweaty at the thought that something might not be on. At some point I did realize that I was going a little insane, and I did force some fresh air on the kid, but only after probably 5 or 6 hours of Dora the Explorer.

Another TV problem, Charlie is INSANE over Baby Einstein videos. He calls them 'Baby', and while he's been sick, that's ALL HE WANTS TO DO! More than once I have found myself absently staring at Baby Bach in a mesmerized, catatonic fashion. One more thing I have always prided myself in is that I HAVE NEVER utilized the 'repeat play' function on these videos. Well, until yesterday. I think Baby McDonald played ALL DAY LONG.

Since we have moved to Alabama, I have become more careful about what the kids eat. We don't eat out very much, and I try to make everything from scratch with fresh ingredients. Until yesterday. Jon Thomas finally felt like eating something - Chic Fil A chicken nuggets. He ate them - THREE TIMES YESTERDAY. Yes, I drove my car to Chic Fil A 3 times to order food for us because I could not stomach the thought of preparing something myself.

Lastly, I am the best at helping the children give up the passie. I HATE going somewhere and seeing a 3 or 4 year old with a passie in their mouth talking to their mother. So I decided to let my kids have the passie (which by the way I recently heard a Mom call it a 'suckie' - that is just wrong) until the age of 1 year at which time it is only allowed in their beds with them until 18 months when it is given up completely. Until yesterday, when Charlie carried around three passies. One in the mouth and one in each hand.

Before you strip me of my official "Mother of the Year" title, I have to be completely honest with you about the remainder of the week. Today, I was so tired on so many levels that I threatened to run away. Jon Thomas cried. People, it wasn't pretty.

But for this very minute, everyone is asleep but me. I am imagining their littlle antibodies working properly and little bodies healing themselves through lovely, recuperative sleep. Until tomorrow morning, I can dream of a world where my 1300 sq ft house does not smell like a litter box. I can dream of a world where children that do not while 23 1/2 hours a day, and I can think about what a much better Mommy I'm going to be after a good night of rest. Yeah, I'll keep you posted.