Expect the Unexpected

One of the cardinal rules of parenting: stuff always happens.

I'd like to take it a step further: Stuff almost always happens when it's unexpected or inconvenient.

Shane will use the potty like a pro all day long until we hit a Chic-Fil-A. Or the wake-up call will come at the crack of dawn on the heels of a night we stayed up too late.

Friday, Carrie and I were trying to maneuver a Craigslist find into the house.

It got stuck.

I was by the stairs. Carrie was trapped in our entryway.

Shane's voice came through the monitor. "No...NO!"

Carrie went on full Mom alert. She popped up on tiptoes, brown eyes wide, to look over her find.

I had to leave her grunting and cursing to check on Shane.

I was seconds too late. Shane retched all over his blankets and pillows. I had him in the shower cleaning up by the time Carrie worked her way into the house.

Sunday night, I was about to fall asleep when Shane called out again, "No! I don't want to!"

11:00 PM we were in the bathtub again.

To top it off, 2:00 AM Monday morning I got to be the one to wake up nauseous. I woke up Carrie by hugging a toilet. We both had fevers. I was the only one who got the joy of touring the bathrooms of the house (I clung to the porcelain tour guide all three times).

I don't know if Shane shared or if it was an unfortunate coincidence.

Praise God that the meeting I needed to go to this morning was cancelled. It was rescheduled for Friday. I hope to be back at work by then. There's nothing like chills, fever, and nausea to make you miss being healthy at work.