The Stealth Sickness

We've had some kind of stomach bug go through the house. I've nicknamed it "The Stealth Sickness" because a child will be fine and playing happily one minute, then will suddenly throw up without warning. This is followed by diarrhea. Lovely. Pete had it first a few weeks ago, and it lasted a few days. Then he got it again a few days ago, and then Drama Queen got it. This morning Screech told me that her tummy hurts. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least Pete and Drama Queen have the bowl technique down pat, so this minimizes cleanup. I have them keep a gigantic plastic bowl nearby at all times. A few days ago, Bunny watched as Pete, um, utilized his bowl. I would have expected her to be frightened or even disgusted, but instead she asked earnestly, "Is that cat food? Is that chocolate milk? What is it, Mommy?"

My son - the magical fountain of food. At least Screech didn't try to sample any!

We have had a few messes to clean up due to the stealthy nature of this illness. (They're better! Wait, they're not! It's all over now! Uh oh, here they go again . . . ) Early this morning, as I slept peacefully in my cozy bed, Hubby dealt with the aftermath of one of Pete's episodes. Pete had been bowl-less because we THOUGHT he was better. And this was after having had a huge dinner of a curried chicken and broccoli casserole. Emphasis on the broccoli, Pete's fave vegetable.

My hubby, he is a saint.

I didn't get halfway through typing this post when Screech started throwing up. Poor thing, it scared her to death. It freaked her out and there was a huge mess. The second episode (15 minutes later), she did her thing right in the bowl. I heaved a huge sigh of relief as she heaved in the proper place. Then she proceeded to wipe her mouth on a decorative Christmas pillow.

Free DVD

I just found out about a great deal. You can get a free DVD of the movie "Amazing Grace" just for registering for Walden.com. (Follow the link and click on the bottom left where it says, "Get free gifts!"

I found out about this through Money Saving Mom. Lots of good stuff on this site!

Prayer Request

Please pray for my dear friend, Tracey. She's close to my age and recently learned she has a type of breast cancer called Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. She has to have a bilateral mastectomy and chemo. I am just reeling from the news. In my mind I know that younger women can also get breast cancer, but it's still shocking to see it actually happen to someone I know and love. Tracey has two young children (ages 8 and 4). It sounds like her prognosis is good, though; the doctors think they caught it early. She is a strong Christian and has a lot of support, but I feel so helpless because I live so far away now. Thank you so much for praying for my precious friend!

Mess of the Day: None!

You're not going to believe this one. I could hardly believe it myself.

This display has been on our kitchen table since mid-October and Screech has yet to touch it. I told her not to, and she actually obeyed! Can you believe it? Not a single bite mark on anything!

I never thought I'd see an entire day of obedience, much less a month and a half!

Crisis Averted!

The Sharpie has been found! All is well with our little world. I had actually put it hidden and out of reach to begin with; it just wasn't where I normally put it. WHEW!!!!!!!

Oh no . . .

In our haste to finish a project for Master's Academy this morning we lost a black Sharpie. As in, one of those permanent type markers.

I am afraid. Very, very afraid.

WFMW: Oatmeal Trick

My kids and I love oatmeal, but I used to not fix it often because the little ones would be impatient for it to cool down so they could eat it. I discovered a couple of great tricks to not only cool it down instantly, but also to make it even tastier!

Method #1
Add a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. YUMMY! After you taste this, you will never want oatmeal any other way! To save calories, Edy's or Dreyer's Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla is wonderful.

Method #2 (Thanks to my dear friend Beth for this idea!)
Add a few small frozen berries (blueberries and raspberries work well). They thaw quickly and add vitamins and minerals and lots of other good stuff!

If you missed it, I posted the worst-ever Mess of the Day on Monday. Click here to see it!

Here are my previous WFMW posts:

Backseat Entertainment
Gifts to Spark Your Child's Imagination
Reading Motivation
Finding a Babysitter
Charging a Cell Phone
Swim/Shower with a Cast
Free Tech Support
Calming Injured Children
Choosing a Phone Number
What NOT to Soak Contacts In
Broken Glass Cleanup
Cheap Rolling Cart for Conventions
Chocolate Recipes
Tooth-Tugging Tip for Terrified Tots
Handy Earache Relief
Uses for Leftover Bread
Leaky Diaper/Pull-up Fix
Snack Mix Recipe (at the end of the post)
Awesome Stain Recipe (at the end of the post)
"Fun"damentals of Family Life
Removing Wite-Out from Everything
When NOT to Save Money
Public Service Announcement

For more WFMW tips, stop by Shannon's blog!