I forgot that even though it can be trying to clean up after a sick child, they do love to snuggle and just be still, and that is delightful! Also, the other factor I forgot was you can’t go out. Well, that is, if you are nice person and don’t want to get other people sick. The last time we were sick we both got on a plane the next day and flew, probably infecting the entire plane, and when we landed in San Diego for Christmas, we single ruined Christmas. Okay, not that bad, but we did take down five family members. Five.

So this time, I was determined to quarantine ourselves. And that I did. Even though Eliana was better by Monday night, we didn’t leave the house for three more days. We missed out on a few little ‘events’ we had planned, planned in order to distract them and me from that fact that daddy isn’t here. But alas, home bound we were! Alright, I’m being a bit dramatic. Laying low and having an excuse to watch more than normal amounts of Nemo and Frozen was fine by me. But by Thursday I was ready to join the outside world again. Thankfully, many prayers were said for us, because I believe it’s nothing short of a miracle that Hudson or myself didn’t get sick. (so thank you to those of you who were praying, you know who you are!)

And don’t worry, we came back with a BANG. I resurrected my old beach cruiser, and we took her out! Yes, the one that I bought 10 years ago when we lived by the beach and had nothing to do in our free time but cruise up and down the ocean sipping iced coffee. Ahhhhh the good o’l days. The same one that my in-laws oh so lovingly stored for me, in their covered car port, for five years. Yes, five. Five years of taking up  their space, slowly rusting to death. The same bike that when we loaded all our belongings into the Uhaul ready to move to Texas, Brandon tried to conveniently leave behind. I wouldn’t hear it, and neither would my poor father-in-law, who I may have seen out of the corner of my eye sprinting towards the truck with the bike on his back!?

I wasn’t sure I would ever ride that bike again, but once I saw how flat it was here, I realized it could be perfect biking terrain. Minus the fact that four months out of the year it’s so hot my wheels might melt off, I was pretty excited about the thought of cruising again. So three months ago I bought a little bike trailer attachment, and it’s been collecting dust in our garage.

It was time. Brandon got me some chrome polish, I scrubbed away a decent amount of the rust, and then I took it to a bike shop. The guy was trying to sell me all sorts of things, and just had to laugh. ‘does it look like I want to sink money into this beast?’ I asked. So, we compromised on new tubes and a new chain. I brought her home, and with the help of a neighbor friend (who mind you, was so impactful on his helping mama resurrect her bike and consequently we were able to go for an epic bike ride, that he was mentioned and thanked by Eliana in prayer time tonight!)

So, off we went! Callie and Shepherd and me and the kids. We were quite a sight! Maybe the scenery was different, the burbs instead of the Pacific Ocean. And the cargo wasn’t iced coffee but wide eyed children who were clearly loving it. My heart wanted to burst out in song! And I don’t sing. But my heart was so happy, so full, I forgot just how much I love  a good bike cruise.

Whoa. What a day. It began at 11pm Valentines Night, and Eliana and I were both up from 11pm till 4am !!!!!!

 

(Warning, those with a bad gag reflex, feel free to just not read this, since the words throw up and others are mingled below!) At 11pm,she threw up everywhere, so once I got it cleaned up I let her come in my bed. I felt so sorry for her, and she loved snuggling in next to me. But, she was so awake from the whole thing, and her tummy hurting, that she was just laying next to me, playing, whispering, etc. Every time I dozed off I was startled awake to ‘mama!!’ cause she had to throw up again, or a kick in the stomach as she was playing. It was rough on both of us. At 4 I had to put her back in her room, and she went right to sleep thank goodness.

All day Monday she was okay, complaining her tummy hurt but not bad. It was at dinner that it shifted from her tummy to her, ehem, other side. She announced rather suddenly she accidentally went pee pee in her pants, and I knew. I just knew. It wasn’t pee. Poor baby. It happened a two more times, and when I put her to bed I expected another long night, but much to my relief she only threw up one more time and she was fine. She woke up this morning all chipper and full of life again! Food poisoning? 24 hr flu? I guess we’ll know if Hudson or I get sick in the next few days…!!!!

So we didn’t leave the house yesterday, which makes for a long day sometimes with two little lovelies. But we did manage to play outside, get some fresh air, and I even got some weeding done (oh my goodness I haven’t done that in like 6 months it’s embarrassing!)

I also managed to clean up my bike. That’s right, the o’l beach cruiser has been resurrected! I have been scrubbing her down with some amazing stuff that has made her all nice and shinny again (even taking some of the rust off!!) I found a bike attachment that I cannot wait to get on there and start using before it heats up and is too hot to bike around!!

(This is Eliana and Shepherd holding hands!

(Middle is sick Eliana but secretly happy with all the snuggling she got in mama’s bed!)

(Left: doesn’t look like much, but you could hardly see the dirt before yesterday!!)

 

Happy Valentines Day !!

Turns out all a girl has to do to get a huge over priced bouquet of flowers on Valentines is be without her Valentine! And so this morning a man come knocking on my door with the most stunning bouquet of pink roses ever. I was speechless. As was Eliana. So much so that the guy delivering them commented on the look on her face, “man, she is mesmorized” as if it was the first time she was seeing a flower, ever. Brandon Stone, well played.

Another highlight was Eliana opening a fun package left by daddy and the favorite gift of course being a Valentines Unicorn. Who, then became the new favorite stuffed animal. Yes, this is a fluid and rotating list that changes all the time-and those of you who have only one very special ____ think that sounds great, only the trouble is it rotates as such an alarming rate at times that I can’t keep up and bedtime quickly becomes a crisis when she can’t find her most recent favorite and I just can’t keep track of 25 stuffed animals and their specific location around our home.) All this to say, she was asking me for “corn” and I was like, what? You want corn? Now? We just had lunch, I don’t understand we’re taking a nap. But she gave me a little context, ya know corn that daddy got me for Balentin Day. Gotcha. No problem.

Church was pretty great, we just started a serious on marriage. And we’re reading a marriage book along with it, in our small group. I am tiny bit bummed though, because Brandon and I are reading through Francis Chan’s marriage book, “marriage in light of eternity” (I would hiiiiiiighly recommend it) so I’m not so sure about the crazy notion of reading two marriage books at one time, and don’t want to have to choose. Not sure how this is going to play out…

Another evening without the hubby, but it was a success. Same friends that had us over for dinner on Friday (I’m starting to think they must feel sorry for us?!) invited us over to their parents house, and I of course wanted to say no. I mean, geeze, it’s Valentines Day and all. But she was persuasive, and I do kind of feel like a tool when I say no just because I’m in my head and doubt if they really meant it. So, I went. It was nice, even though our presence meant not a lot of adult conversation was happening! They did have some seriously fun toys though, and Eliana loved playing with her buddy Shepherd. They’ve been holding hands a lot these days, and it kinda melts my heart.