I was very excited today. The kids have been on vacation with their dad for the past two weeks. This is the longest period of time I have spent away from them. I miss them terribly and the only thing that got me through today was the thought of seeing their adorable faces when picking them up after work.
Since it rained all day and they were calling for more rain tonight, I had the whole evening planned. I was going to take them to McDonald's and then to the movies, they could pick any movie they wanted and I was going to let them eat all the popcorn they could.
When 5 o'clock finally rolled around, I ran out of the office and drove like a madwoman to their dad's house. When I got there, this is how my daughter greeted me:
(how's that for an adorable face?)
My ex-hubby said she hadn't been feeling well all afternoon and had a light fever so he gave her some medicine. When we got in the car, I asked her if she was hungry. She said she felt like throwing up. McDonald's & all the popcorn you can eat suddenly didn't feel like such a good idea. 
A mom always needs a plan B so I decided to stop by the video store and rent a DVD instead. We would still spend a nice evening together!
When we got home, I laid my daughter on the sofa with pillows and blankets (and a bucket, better be safe than sorry 
), turned on the TV and went to fix a light dinner for the three of us. Soup, cheese and crackers it would be!
When I returned to the living room 20 minutes later, my daughter had fallen asleep on the sofa and my son was nowhere to be seen. Turns out he had snuck to his bedroom to be reunited with his passion of the last few months:
I only allow him to play computer games on rainy days. Today qualifies, so he was not technically doing anything wrong. I asked him if he wanted dinner, he said he had been eating chocolate and chips all afternoon and wasn't hungry. This gave me an insight on what might have caused my daughter's nausea! 
I went back to the kitchen, ate my soup while leafing through a magazine, checked on my daughter again (she was still fast asleep) and forced my son to have at least some cheese and crackers, which he wolfed down in the time it took me to pour myself a glass of milk. He asked me if he could go back to his video game. I was about to say no, but then realized that since plan A and B had both fallen through, why even bother with a plan C? I told him he could go back to his game. He kissed my cheek, told me he loved me (parenting tip: they always love you when you say yes!) and promised me that he would spend the whole day with me tomorrow.
Now it's 9:30 pm, my daughter has not woken up, her fever has gone down but I dont want to disturb her. I'll let her sleep on the sofa. My son is getting ready for bed, and I have spent the evening surfing the Net, checking up on sleeping beauty and learning how to navigate the World of Warcraft by watching my son play.
Despite the evening's events (or rather the evening's lack of events), I feel content. My kids are with me, the house feels alive again and even the dog seems to be smiling, his buddies are back! 
Some days, you just gotta roll with the punches. 
Comments
Sometimes it's the days that go a little awry that are the most appreciated
. I hope tomorrow you'll get to spend "quality" time with your kids though you might not want to offer them chocolate or chips 
.
France Andree: You're right, I should've known better! How about that thunderstorm in the wee hours of the morning huh?
So depending on the weather (and sleeping beauty's stomach status), tomorrow's plans are either going golfing or going bowling
And carrot sticks will be the official snack for the day!HEH: Thanks, I try!
Is it mini-golf you would take the kids to? I've never been bowling. Yeah, stick with roughage, your daughter will have diarrhea instead of nausea, much better, right?
.
I'm glad you are so happy to have your kids back with you and although your plans didn't work out you have them with you now!
HUGE HUGS!!
Though treats are not a bad thingI hope your daughter feels better soon hon, no one looks after poorly children better than mum
Big hugs your way Chantal
As for bowling, we can't bowl to save our lives but the kids love bowling and we always have a lot of fun.
Yeah, diarrhea is so much better than nausea!
Gwen: You're welcome
Daughter is still sleeping this morning, it's been 13 hours straight (yes, I checked for a pulse!). She should be fine when she gets up Jude: Ex-hubby and I have joint custody, we share one week/one week. But because of vacations and schedule conflicts, I had them for 3 weeks straight, and then they spent the last 2 weeks with their dad. So it was hard for me not to see them for 2 weeks after spending so much time with them
. The special night I had planned was more for me than for them really! Fortunately, our schedules will get back to normal next week.
I'm sorry that all your plans went up the creek, I so would have enjoyed those! I'm not a mum but I guess that having your kids around must be more than enough to bring that unexplainable warmth to your heart. Hopefully, you'll get to spend a great weekend together and M.E. is feeling just fine today.
Huge hugs
"Watch out, we're the super Mums!"
For some reason, I dont think that "pulling a mommy" on Matt will be very effective! M.E. is feeling great this morning! We invited my parents over this afternoon, we're all going to practice our golf swings together and then we'll have a BBQ!
Lil: Awwwww, my kids would surely disagree with you on the "most fantastic mother ever" title. They think I'm too strict but they know the boundaries, and as long as they dont cross them, then yes, I can be a pretty cool mommy!
My brother plays that game as well, and he is totally addicted to it...I hope you're daughter is feeling better
And you do sound like a great mom, and who knows mabye you can still have that night sometime this week.Huge Hugs!
) a lovely evening for you all.To bad it didn't work out how you had in mind, but at least you still spent the evening together
(And it was peaceful )Hugs
The best laid plans never work, I've broken many up myself over time
Still, things could be a lot worse!
Tom.
. Hope your daughter feels better soon and enjoy the rest of your weekend *hugz* xxx
France-Andree: Yes, real golf! We will try a Par 3 once we have had a couple of lessons. I'd be too embarassed to go right now. I swing "dans le beurre" one of three times!
Lin: Yup! Kids will definitely do that. But I wouldn't change a thing! I just love them to death!
Empire: A peaceful evening it was indeed!
Amy: Thanks! My daughter was back to her old self today. Except she didn't want any chocolate when I offered, I wonder why
Stacey: Having them home feels normal. I swear the house seems more alive. It's not important what we do, as long as we do it together. I actually had fun watching Freddy play his game and having him explain the whole thing to me, even if I didn't understand half of it
Matt: BM is well aware that she lost you to that game! And I know how addictive it can be. It's a constant battle to keep Freddy away from it, even if we had laid down the rules from the beginning. But on the upside, his english has improved so much since he started playing, it's amazing!
Sparkle: Thanks for stopping by Sparkle! Little Chanouel was back to her normal self today.
You sound like such a cool mum, really. Your children are so lucky to have you and I hope you know that you're doing a fantastic job. When I grow up, I'd like to be as strong, independent and caring as you are... Any advice on how to do that?
*huge hugs*
I hope your daughter is feeling better. With any luck, it will just be a 24 hour bug and you'll be able to enjoy your time with both munchkins. In the meantime, just make sure that whatever she has doesn't get spread around. I know the phrase "Misery loves company" leaps to mind, but I'll let this secret out: It's BOLLOCKS!
PixieLyssie