Sick and Tired

Having sick children in the house can be exhausting, as any parent knows. Feverish, congested children do not sleep very well, so our house is full of cranky, tired kids. And if the kids aren't sleeping, then the adults are not either, so we also have tired, cranky adults in our home. This morning was a particularly trying one, as Amy cried about anything and everything, so when naptime arrived at 1:00 I felt so relieved to put her and Erin to bed. After Beth and I spent some time reading her Dick and Jane book, I started on some chores while Beth watched a new movie in the living room.

I had only folded half a basket of laundry when I heard the floor squeak behind me. I looked up and saw Amy, clad in her new yellow blanket sleeper, wiping her runny nose with a tissue. Her eyes were red, and her face was warm. "I'm sick", she said. "I can't sleep, but I'm so tired".

I wanted to put her back into her bed and try again. I so badly needed some time to finish things around the house, but I knew that she really needed some cuddling right then. So I put the laundry aside, and we climbed onto the couch in the play room. She lay down in the crook of my arm and promptly fell asleep. Exhausted as she was, I knew she needed a nap, and I was afraid to move a muscle and risk waking her up. My book was in the living room with Beth, and there is no TV in the playroom. And so, I sat. I held Amy, and just looked out the window at the cloudy, cold afternoon sky. For a full hour we sat there, until she woke up and looked up at me with those red, runny eyes. I accomplished nothing this afternoon...at least nothing tangible. But really, I think I accomplished a lot.