MIA

"My hair hurts."

This was my statement to Tobe Friday night as I crawled into bed, in quite the pitiful state.

My hair was not aching due to an unfortunate straightening iron incident nor due to the fact that its longer length could possibly mean that I am carrying around approximately 7.2 pounds of red mass on my head everyday.

It seems that casa de phillips was struck yet again by the stomach virus....a stomach virus that I was unaware was even going around until Friday morning around 10:30 when it made its decent upon our home. Evelyn had been having major blow-out diaper issues for a week, but she also seems to be getting in a whole set of teeth at one time, so I had not put much thought into her incidents (other than the doubled amount of laundry). However, after I had changed Isaac's diaper for the fourth time Friday morning I came to the conclusion that all was not well in our home. Isaac's fever hit by mid-morning, mine arrived after lunch, and we were down for the count.

About 3:30pm Friday afternoon I managed to drag myself to the computer and type out an SOS email to Tobe that informed him the stomach bug had infested our home and could he please come home quickly, making sure he brought with him the largest Sprite Sonic serves and perhaps a team of qualified Nannies to care for the children.

He arrived home, Route 44 in hand (no nannies in tow), around 5pm to find me laying in the floor, surrounded by toys, attempting to act like I was playing with the children while indeed I was trying to not move an inch of my body. Evelyn was actually quite happy, while Isaac would fluctuate (dramatically...imagine that) between being happy, whining, and lethargic (he ate his supper that night while lying on the kitchen floor...such a sad sight).

By the time bedtime rolled around, every fiber of my being ached, including the roots of my hair. Pondering if this was the beginning of SARS or Avian flu, I finally drifted off into a fitful sleep only to be woken on several occasions by a sick little boy.

Saturday we went into survival mode, meaning that I let any and every toy be pulled out if it meant I could simply lay on the couch. Surprisingly, the favorite and most entertaining toy of the weekend were the children's jack-o-lantern pumpkins from Halloween. At one point, Tobe had to make an emergency diaper and baby wipes run due to all the unexpected issues this bug created. However by late that afternoon, every one seemed to be rallying and this morning things seem to be almost back to normal.

I do apologize from the lack of posting these past few days, but had I attempted to type out some thoughts in such an altered state there is no telling what this blog might say. I cringe at what might have spilled forth from my fingers (I learned my lesson after attempting to blog shortly after the administration of an epidural).

Before the sickness made its invasion on Friday, Isaac and I were able to venture into the front yard (E was napping) to work on the flower beds. Thirty minutes later we retreated inside and here is a recreated version of an email I sent Tobe:

"Never going outside again. Just found snake in flower bed. Will sell any major organ to pay for landscaper to clean up/plant flowerbed."

Obviously I feel the need to repeatedly interrupt Tobe's work day in the most dramatic way possible. I did find a snake (small, but still a snake) in our flower bed. Although I am a pretty tough cookie, I don't do snakes. At all. I don't visit them at the zoo, I don't look at pictures of them, and I don't get within 25 feet of them. I attempted to be brave (simply because the work-at-home dad from across the street was not at home to help) and attack the snake with the broom handle, but I almost collapsed from sheer fright and had to retreat inside. Isaac was quite disappointed that there would be no more digging with his trowel, but retreated inside along with me. Before I became completely incapacitated with the sickness, I was able to Google, "How do I get a mean ol snake out of my flowerbed?"

Apparently the solution is moth balls and cayenne pepper, both of which I bought large quantities of yesterday at Target.

If you happen to drive past casa de phillips in the next few days and think we have been hit by some freak snowstorm, please understand I have simply laid out a few moth balls to rid our yard of any snakes.