the End May Be Near

Mark took the boys to Columbia last weekend and they brought back the flu. Fun--NOT. I've somehow survived nursing four children and a husband plus caring for the babies for the last four days. I took a lovely nap today and thought I'd hop on and do a quick post. Quick it will have to be, because Ben just announced he wants chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Yesterday he ate exactly three bites of applesauce and two bites of grilled cheese sandwich. He must be getting better.

Highlights of The Flu:

• Grace throwing up 6 times in one night. I did figure out, after the third bath, to pull her hair into a bun so the throw-up wouldn't get tangled in it.
• One child announcing that he would not be tricked by his bottom into thinking he had to go to the bathroom. He didn't really have to go; he only punished the toilet by pushing bad-smelling air into it.
• Nathaniel bopping around the house announcing that he was too sick to eat downstairs, so would I please bring the food up to his room. (He did actually get sick later.)
• Hearing the microwave beeping at 4 A.M. Ben and Nate had slept the day away and found they were wide awake at 2:30. They went downstairs to listen to The Chronicles of Narnia and found they were not only awake but hungry. Hence the beeping--they had popped popcorn.
• Baba (Nate's bunny) got a new car fashioned out of an empty tissue box-compliments of Bradford-a paper towel tube, a paper plate, and about half of his new roll of tape from Peter.

And now Ben needs me. Probably to open the corn.