There are no “sick days”…

I spent yesterday feeling rather crappy. It got so bad that I tried to call in reinforcements. However, the Webmaster couldn’t leave work, and my mother had to take Auntie to her softball practice. After trying to rest (and napping with the kids), and a lot of TV for the kids, I’m feeling better. We’ll see how today goes.

The whole experience reminds me once again just how important a mommy is. I guess it’s good to reflect on that, with Mother’s Day coming up.

I’m a stay-at-home mom. It’s hard to be here sometimes. It would be nice to have adults to talk to and an extra paycheck. But it simply isn’t practical with two little ones. And I grew to really hate my job, so it was a relief for me to quit when the Munchkin was born. But I got sick time there, and there are no sick days when you’re a mom. Diapers still have to be changed. The kids want to eat. The Munchkin still wants her bedtime story. The words “Mommy’s sick” has no meaning for them. Mommy is the center of the universe. She can’t just stop.

On good days, I feel like I am truly accomplishing something, and benefiting my kids in so many ways just by being at home. On bad days, well… I try to call in reinforcements. And bad days aren’t even ones when I’m sick. They could be the ones where the Munchkin wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, Baby Boy is trying to eat me alive, and both the kids are at each other. That’s when I call Friend and say “playdate!” Or I call my mother and tell her that we’re coming over because “I need my mom and they need Grandma!” Or I play more than one Sesame Street episode off our DVR.

Last March, while I was pregnant with Baby Boy, we all came down with the stomach flu. The Munchkin caught it first, and suffered terribly. I hate seeing my babies sick. There’s just nothing worse. She improved after a few days, though her poop turned to water as a result. She’s always had a very delicately balanced digestive system, and it seems like any little thing can set her off. She’s gotten much better about it now. Anyway, both the Webmaster and I came down sick just as she was recovering. I had just finished my first trimester, and was hoping to leave the vomiting behind me. No such luck. I only threw up a handful of times with the flu, though. I’m an accomplished expert in barfing, after having two children.

The Webmaster was the sickest he’s ever been since we’ve been married. He literally could not keep anything down. I called for backup. My mother left groceries on our front doorstep and then ran away. I can’t blame her.

And guess who still had to keep going? Me! The Webmaster was spending most of his time in the bathroom (I had to throw up in the kitchen sink), and the Munchkin was regaining her normal energy level, so she wanted to play and be happy. I did my best, even being pregnant, and we all managed to survive.

As you can see, I’ve paid my dues. Is a little sick time too much to ask for? I mean, all I want is some sleep. And a foot massage. Perhaps some peace and quiet. I guess I should stop with the complaining. After all, I don’t think that’s in my Mommy contract, either.

But as I said, I am better now. But if I lay low today, you’ll know why.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 9th, 2006 at 12:15 am and is filed under Mommyhood.
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