Post your slice each school day between now and the start of Spring Break!
We started out with early bed after a bath she requested, a few books, and a some milk.
About forty-minutes later, around her usual bedtime, an uncharacteristic cry with a tone of self-aware alarm came from her room. Lo and behold, an upset stomach and vomit.
Back to the bathtub. Bed changed. Olive in new pajamas. Dirty sheets and the few items in her laundry basket put into washer. A while later, tucked back into bed.
I write "How are things on your end of the rainbow?" St. Patrick's Day/Snoopy cards to Heather, a good friend since middle school, and Lindsey, my college roommate.
Start writing cards to aunts and uncles, as new cries begin.
More vomit. Previous wash goes into the drier with Olive on my shoulder. New soiled blanket, t-shirt, onesie go into washer.
Encourage coughs to get "yucky stuff out" and have it dawn on me that a year ago we were back in the hospital, and I spent eight days with her there and then returned for just the two days before spring break. Remember, we are lucky, vomit is a kindness. ('Always look on the bright side,' right?)
Cucumber Gatorade in baby bottle and Curious George as distraction.
Back to bed! Bedtime soon for me, too. As I again wound down for the night, I smile thinking that, just as phases of the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt show, when faced with a challenge, or extended challenging time, "We can't go over it. We can't go under it.... We have to go through it!"