In Sickness and in Health

In sickness and in health...this is a vow, a promise we make to our spouse to love them and take care of them in happy times and in bad, and it's also a vow we make to our children...to care for them no matter what the circumstances. Now, don't get me wrong, just because Maddie has been battling a fever for the past two days doesn't mean it's anything major, but still the thought applies. (Maybe the vow should also include "in frustration and fatigue"!) :-)

Most days we lounge around at home, go swing at the park, and run quick errands, but Wednesday is our "big day out". We head out early to Bible Study from 9-11:30am at Good Shepherd Community Church (a 45+ minute drive), then afterwards we always meet Nana and Papa for lunch (so they can get their Maddie fix). Then usually grocery shopping at Super Walmart and home by around 2-3pm. One Thursday a month I also go to the Mom-to-Mom group at Good Shepherd to hear a great speaker and catch up with my girlfriends. Well, wouldn't ya know it, Maddie woke up with a fever on Wednesday morning=no Bible Study for us (plus my mom was going to babysit until dinnertime, so I was *super bummed* to lose out on that!). Instead, it was a day of laying on the couch in pajamas, Maddie wanting to be held all the time (which means I can't get anything done), and lots of general fussiness/whining/crying at the drop of a hat, and both Keith and I getting up multiple times during the night to rock a crying toddler. Ditto for this (Thursday) morning, so I missed my mom's group. So today my mom called and rescued me from a day trapped in the house with a sick kiddo!

(This was one of our sources of entertainment over the past two days: a homemade bowling set using Maddie's old bottles filled with rice! Trying Playdoh for the first time, coloring and watching Ratatouille/Lady and the Tramp/Cinderella/Singing Babies Nursery Rhymes DVD's were also a big hit.)

We took Maddie to the local library and then to a cute new store that was right up my alley...Autumn home decorations, lots of pumpkins, adorable fabrics and candles, etc. (see photos in the collage). Then we stopped next door for a latte, chai and a "big girl" hot cocoa for Maddie.

One of the library books..."sick as a dog" and "sick puppy" were appropriate mottos for this week!

"Big girl" drinks with Nana.

By the time we got home, Maddie was feeling better and we all enjoyed an awesome meal that my mom had brought for us...roasted lemon chicken with potatoes, peppers and carrots, homemade chunky cinnamon applesauce, French bread with homemade roasted garlic and chocolate chip cookies. How can you have a bad day when you end it with a meal like that?! By 7:00pm, Maddie was a happy camper again, chattering nonstop and playing with her toys. THANK YOU, MOM!! :-)