Jackson woke up yesterday with a croupy cough. My children have a tendency toward the seal-bark affliction. I don’t know why, too much sarcasm in utero perhaps. I know there isn’t much you can do for croup other than prescription steroids. We decided to let Jackson stay home from church so he wouldn’t expose his Religious Exploration class.
On Saturday we had been at Chuck E. Cheese belatedly celebrating their sixth birthday. I was 98% certain that is where he caught the virus that lead to the croupy cough. That place is a cesspool. Crawling with grubby kids (mine included) who shove pizza in their mouths, then rub those virus filled paws all over the games.
It’s gross. Made worse by the fact that the Chuck E. Cheese in Anchorage doesn’t serve beer. Seriously not OK.
Dallas and I wound up leaving all the kids home from church. It was nice. We got to chat with full-grown adults after the service without being interrupted by our bored and/or starving children. We even made a stop at Costco on the way home.
Very romantic.
Last night I ran the humidifier in Jackson and Reese’s room. Dallas and I are at odds when it comes to the humidifier. After 16 years of croupy kids, I know the only way to ensure a decent nights sleep is to get the sick child’s room nice and swampy. Dallas thinks it’s overkill. It might have something to do with him slipping and nearly breaking his face on one particularly swampy night. I don’t care – he usually sleeps through all the kids nighttime sickness – so it’s my way or the highway when it comes to the humidifier.
Jackson made it through the night ok. But once he got up and moving the cough came back. It took me a full hour to decide not to send him to school. He’s not sick – he just has a cough. More importantly, I had plans. An 8 AM run with my friends Kay & Teresa. Lunch and a matinée showing of Argo with Dallas. But I knew all along I couldn’t send him. That cough would have made every other parent and the teacher mad at me.
So we kept him home.
Stupid effing Chuck E. Cheese.
Most of the day he was ok. Playing, resting, playing, and resting. By noon the cough had subsided. By 2 PM he was bouncing off the walls and I was exhausted. By the time Reese got home from school he was hyper and agitated. The two of them together were making an insane amount of noise. I sent them to their rooms to play while Taryn and I watched last week’s episodes of The Voice.
About an hour later Jackson came out and told me they had cleaned. Then Reese came out saying their room, all their toys, the bathroom, and all the doorknobs in the hall were clean.
When I asked them how they cleaned all that stuff they brought out their tools.
The cup they use to rinse their teeth with, half filled with water.
And the hand towel from the bathroom.
That’s what they used to wipe down almost every surface in our home.
Maybe Chuck’s not to blame for this one.
Poor Jackson, hope the cough leaves him soon. As for the humidifier…it IS the only way to sleep at night when you have the croup. It is what I used on you all and what has to happen. Maybe you should show Jackson and Reese where the cleaning materials are kept…or make them a cleaning kit. I think it is great that they wanted to help…they just didn’t know what to use!
He’s fine now:)
Mullin tea is good for croup.
Put lots of yummy honey in there. Hopefully you can have your date the next day!
Thanks for the tip!
I feel your pain! Some virus is among us that won’t leave. Evan for a week, Caroline for a week, then Jake, now back to Caroline (never fully recovered) now Mike. I just know it is coming for me…. Immune system don’t fail me now!!
It just works its way through the whole house doesn’t it? That’s why I try to keep enough alcohol in my system to kill any germs.
I would really take advantage of their helpful streak and give them a spritzer with water and vinegar (that way if they end up ingesting it you don’t need to take them to the hospital) and a rag, they can go to town on the house whenever they want, it’s antibacterial, and your house stops smelling like salad after only a few minutes. This is how I get the lower half of my windows done…
I use vinegar on the floors sometimes. Maybe I will put them to work, that’s legal right?
Nah, it’s Chuck E Cheese – hate that friggin’ mouse. The reason they stopped serving beer is because the guy in the mouse costume drinks it all day. Somebody set him on fire!
AMEN!
They stopped serving beer at all of them? Booo!
Always blame Chuck E. Cheese–always. ESPECIALLY b/c they don’t serve beer
Hope everyone is feeling better soon…
I’m totally ok with blaming Chuck E Cheese!
I just cancelled my reservation to come visit. You know, just temporarily.
You’ll rebook, I know it.
I miss your picture of the day. Think NOT that I am suggesting another deployment. God forbid. I just like photos of you and your family.
Thanks, I don’t miss doing it!
They were a lot of work.
I did Chuck-E.. Once with my son. That was enough for me, I tried to leave but seem the wristband I had on won’t me leave with out my kid. Had this giant mouse blocking the door as I tried to escape. Had a Hogan Hero’s flashback, and started looking for the tunnel.
Ahahaha! This is the best comment ever!
Chuck E Cheese in Anchorage USED to serve beer, I like to think of that place as ghetto Disneyworld
You’re totally right. It is ghetto!
Really dislike sick kids. That mess up plans mostly.
But really, no beer??? That is some disgusting form of parental torture. Next time take a flask and pretend its rubbing alcohol to disinfect the place.
I know. I used to think at least the Chuck E Cheese people knew it was miserable for parents, that’s why the served beer. Now I think they hate us.
You must be loving having the chance to disagree with Dallas on the humidifier situation. It’s not till you start bickering that you know they’re really home.
I agree with the others — make them a cleaning kit full of non-toxic cleaning gear. Not only will you have a potentially clean house, you’ll also have plenty of great blog stories when they inevitably decide to do something crazy, like, I don’t know… “Clean” their sister’s prom dress or something.
Oh yeah, we’re back to bickering – all is right with the world:)
I knew it! Cleaning to me is synonymous with disaster when a kindergartner or a toddler uses it.
You deserve all the beer/wine you can get your hands on friend! Truly deserving, that you are!