I've Got the Flu Blues, Baby!

Worst 24 hours of my life was when I got food poisoning flying home from California.  I was 6 months pregnant with Jackson and ended up spending the night in the hospital.  It took we weeks to regain my strength after that episode.

2nd worst night of my life-last Tuesday night, violently ill with the flu-every once in a while I thought I was going to die, then every once in awhile I'd ask someone to kill me and put me out of my misery!!

I will spare you the gory details.  But you know it's bad when the highlight of your night is finding yourself sprawled out on the bathroom floor after fainting!  (My back ached for days after hitting it on that darn bathtub.)

I think it is kind of funny that childbirth isn't on my "worst" top two, but then again, you can't get an epidural for the flu and after delivery pains you get a baby...after the flu you lose 10 pounds that come right back on the next week!

Poor Jackson was sick at the same time as well, though luckily not as bad.  There is something inherently wrong with having to clean up your kid's throw up and "you know what" off the floor when you, yourself are nauseous!!

Luckily Andy was able to take two days off of work and a friend helped watch the kids one afternoon.  My hat goes off to single parents, I do not know how you do it.

But enough "flu blues" and pity parties about me.  I wanted to share two highlights of the week.  One oddly took place while Jackson was on the potty and I a foot away for moral support (though not odd considering how much time was spent in the "throne room" last week).  Oh, and I should preface that I break out into hives, sometimes from head to toe, ever so often...

Jackson looks at me with his "pondering" look and just out of the blue says, "Mom I saw something I think can help you...if was on a commercial the other night...hmm...it's called...(now he is looking at my face), so I took a stab at, "Was it called ProActive honey?" 
"Yeah! That's it." 
"I don't really have a problem with acne anymore sweetie."
"No not for acne, for your hives!"
"Oh, yes, that would be wonderful if that could help my hives!"
"Yeah," he rubs his face in a circular motion, "ya just rub it on and all the red spots go away!"
"Thanks, Jax I will have to keep that in mind!"

Why I love that moment (because believe me it was not for the noxious fumes)- here's a 4 yr old,not feeling so great, in a not so fun place and who was he thinking of? It brought a little half crooked happy smile to my face.

The second highlight was the day I ventured out of the house for the first time with the kids to the library.  Like many of you, we pray for opporuntities to serve, to be good missionaries etc, and because we had such a crummy week, I felt like the whole week was "about me" and was feeling really selfish/selfcentered.

Well, as I drove down, I remember glancing down at the basket I keep between the bucket seats and thinking, "When did I put three grocery bags in there and why?"  We got to the library, and as I was helping undo Eliza's carseat I saw an large older man hobble out of his car, slowly bend over and pick up a large brown paper bag full of books.  The bag immediately tore straight through and I immediately grabbed those three grogery bags, helped him put all his books in them and then the kids and I carried the bags of books into the library for him.  He looked at me with moist eyes and with this low, thick southern accent said, "God bless you and yours Miss."

Ours was as simple act, perhaps one he'll forget the next day, but I know it brightened up his life for a moment to know someone cared.  To me, it was so cool to have my prayers, to be able to serve others, answered even on a week when I really couldn't do much of anything at all.

So a week of low times and high times-doesn't it seem like that is how most weeks go! (minus the flu part)