thank God i didn't go to netroots nation
Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 04:43:34 PM PDT
I'm not kidding- I honestly thank God I didn't go to Netroots Nation.
All day Thursday my five year old was whining and complaining that her leg hurt. Then at dinnertime she didn't eat anything, and went from whining to moaning and whimpering. I took her temperature, and it was 102.6. I gave her tylenol, and took her temperature a little later- 104.2.
While I was talking with my husband about maybe taking Ali to the emergency room, Ali was in my arms and listening. My husband didn't understand why a high and getting higher temperature was something to worry about- I told him seizures and brain damage were possible. Then Ali said "maybe if my fever doesn't go down and I get stupid you'll still love me and you'll still take care of me."
My three year old was still acting like her happy, cheerful self, so I was surprised when I picked her up to find she was burning up too.
While Thursday night was rough, Friday night was insane- around 10:30 or so blood started gushing out of my five year old's nose-
If I had just gotten off of a plane with her the day before and she were sick and then gushing blood, I would have been 100% certain she had contracted some exotic, fatal disease from a traveler from a distant land. I think I would have been too hysterrical to make rational decisions. But at home in my living room I remembered Ali is an incessant and unapologetic nose picker, and it was probably related to that. Maybe it was a combination of her blood being so hot and her being too exhausted to destroy the house and my belongings like she usually does- all she had energy for was nose picking.
Anyway, after staying up all night for three nights w/ two sick kids and their bodily fluids leaking and spewing onto everything, I thank God I was at home and not in Austin..
I spent some time in Anne Lamott's book Traveling Mercies. I kept saying the two best prayers she knows, which are:
"Help me. Help me. Help me." and "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
Another thing happened which I need to think about a little more before I write about it. My husband and I may have had a little bit of a break through in our relationship. Or maybe not. I'm still trying to figure out what happened.
Anyway....
Now that I think about it, I bet you all are pretty thankful I didn't go, too! We would have gotten you all sick, too.
I really love you, and I'm very happy I didn't get to meet you Thursday.
