Recovery from the Runs

Dear Kids, 

It's been just an odd week with sickness. Starting on Thursday evening, Hannah started to get a case of the runs. A few days later, Nathan started, and then Hailey ended up having it on and off throughout the week. Besides one trip to HEB and the library, we have pretty much stayed home all week. 

Our day typically looked like this: 

Breakfast and then playground for 30- 45 minutes while it is cool (before Hailey's first nap). 

Go home, and we do some sort of crafty activity while Hailey sleeps. 

Hailey wakes up and while I feed her, you two big kids are allowed to play loudly and crazily. And then at some point, right before you are about to murder each other, I have a snack ready for you guys. 

We play upstairs for a bit and then I go down to make lunch, trying to come up with new combinations of the BRAT diet: toast with apple sauce. Toast strips, dipped in yogurt. Chicken broth with rice, Toast dipped in Chicken broth. Yogurt and applesauce rice pudding...you get the idea. 

After lunch we play a bit upstairs before it's time for Hailey's second nap. It's been interesting to watch Nathan and Hannah play make-believe. Somehow you two can create a world where barbies and lego mini-figures that work together to fight evil villains, and you all reside cooperatively in a giant pink doll house. Hailey usually ends up being that evil villain as she tries to eat your people.

And then in the afternoon, when Hailey takes her long nap, you guys get to have about an hour of screen time and then we find something else quiet to do. Sometimes it's a craft, but most of the time it is a board game. We introduced Nathan to Settlers and you have won pretty much every game so far. While Hannah usually gets bored with playing board games, you actually enjoy being the banker as you distribute and collect the resources throughout the game. Does it extend the play time by a lot (like double)? Yes, but I don't mind because you are actually enjoying the role and we get to hang out together. 

After Hailey wakes up, we all have a snack and then take Teddy out for a walk. We come home, the big kids, you guys play crazy again and Daddy comes home around 5:30. We have dinner around 6:15.

At 7:00 we start bath time and usually Hailey is asleep by 7:30. On these days, I get to complete a reading lesson with Nathan, while Daddy reads stories with Hannah.

Every one for the most part is in bed by 8:15, if not already asleep and then you guys wake up at around 7:00 the next morning to do it all again.

While couped up at home for a week we've all had a chance to work on some things. I have been working on patience. Instead of snapping at you guys when you do something undesirable, I've been practicing on pausing, assessing the true damage (which usually is so insignificant) before I calmly talk to you about your behavior. With Hailey sleeping a bit better, I can no longer use the "lack of sleep" card to justify my grumpiness.

With Nathan, you've been working on identifying the times when you show "ill will" towards another person or thing. Sometimes when you get angry, I can see this little furrow in your brow and you will do something small just to pay revenge. We've been identifying those instances, and trying to come up with alternate solutions.

Hannah, you've always been a "Curious George." Things just happen because you are curious. I know you don't mean for bad things to happen, but when your 3 year old  pre frontal cortex is not quite fully developed, you will do things like randomly hit eggs with a spatula, and drop watermelons on the ground. So, we've been working on identifying the purpose of certain tools around the house, and not being too "creative" with using them. I don't want to stifle your creativity, but I also want things to work around the house.

Another thing we've been working on is not screaming when things don't go your way. Both you and Nathan need to work on using your words a bit better, but I know that skill will take time.

Well, hopefully we'll have a more eventful week next.

Until then,
Love,
Mommy

Update: Hailey had/has Roseola. We just noticed a rash all down her trunk area. This explains the diarrhea and fever.