Change of Plans

The boys planned a camping trip in December and this was the big weekend. Bait and targets had been purchased, challenges created. It was going to be the weekend of all weekends. And I had made plans to go to Big D for girl time with my female family counterparts.

All that came to a screeching halt with one phone call on Thursday afternoon from the school nurse. Seems JT was running a low-grade fever and complaining of chills.

Collective sigh.

A trip to the doctor's office rewarded us with a double-or-nothing diagnosis: positive strep AND flu B tests. Us Mounces....we believe in going big or going home, if you know what I mean.

What's a girl to do? Put on her big-girl-panties and deal with it. I canceled my trip and sent Tray and Weston out into the wild blue yonder. John Tyler did such a great job hiding his devastation until the loaded truck pulled away. Poor guy. I broke my heart into pieces.

I did my best to be Fun Laurie '09. I offered to take him to the movies or to rent movies... He rented a DS game, but it was lame. Upon his request, I build him a rockin' fort upstairs.... He preferred to be downstairs with me and the big TV. I planned on taking him to an A&M baseball game but it was rainy and windy. All in all, he handled it very well. The biggest challenge was keeping him down when he started to feel better.

I tried to trick myself into believing I wasn't disappointed. I didn't want to drive 4 hours anyway. And I did have some Netflix movies to catch up on.

But I was disappointed.

I traded breakfast at Joe's with my parents for coaching my 8-year-old how to get Tamiflu down without gagging. I traded a night of chick flicks and Mexican food for frozen pizza and Man vs. Wild.

But all the disappointment I felt could never match what my firstborn felt. He had been talking about this trip all week and had even written a long journal entry about it at school. It was almost as if he knew his fate Thursday morning. He woke up with a headache and because all the kids have become well-versed in flu symptoms, courtesy of daily announcements by the school nurse, he was convinced he had the flu. I was thinking sinuses until Friday morning... Dern.

Life interrupted. Sometimes it just is what it is.

Here are some things learned from the weekend:

*All the hand-washing and Purell in the world doesn't prevent your son from getting strep AND the flu.
*When you aren't seeing your normal pediatrician don't admit, outloud, that you don't get, or really believe in, flu shots. Big mistake... HUGE. I'm still reeling from that tongue lashing and being warned that I might be the cause of my child catching pneumonia and having to be admitted to TCH. (side note: the flu shot was for flu A, not flu B. Hmph)
*Clorox wipes can and should be a decorative feature in any kitchen. The yellow canister just works, ya know?
*It's never a good sign when one of the side effects of Tamiflu is nausea or vomiting (What?)
*Adding flavor to the Tamiflu barely makes it any better.
*1 teaspoon of medicine can feel like 1 cup.
*Friends checking in via text makes all the difference....until your bill comes in.
*A Girl Scout delivering Thin Mints a week late is a total blessing in disguise.

Keep those hands washed, fingers out of noses and stay healthy!