Stop

Can we? As mothers? Really stop? I've decided to do that tonight.

Jule came down with a tummy bug Saturday morning, and I ended up spending the whole day cleaning up and/or trying to console him. Then, I had a migraine Easter morning, so Kevin took the kids to his parents' house. I took my Imitrex and a Phenergan since the migraine was making me nauseous, figuring I could sleep it off while the house was empty and quiet. About 30 minutes later, I got a call from Kevin that Noly was now sick and would for sure start vomiting any time. Yep, she was sick too. She started vomiting around 3:30 or 4 and had continued at least 25 times by 9:30. She was so sick and lethargic that we ended up taking her to the ER. Kevin took her while I stayed home with a very fussy, screaming Jule and also tried to clean everything up. I finally got Jule down by 11 pm but was very worried about Noly. They gave her Zofran and said she would have to be admitted if she vomited anymore. Thankfully, the Zofran helped! I have never seen her so weak and unresponsive, even with other tummy bugs. My heart is still broken thinking about how much pain she was in and how much she was suffering. I just can't stand to see them suffer.

So, I have spent the past few days cleaning up, tending to sick little ones, trying to work when they and I were all well enough, cleaning some more, making meals, running to the store for whatever sounded good to Noly to eat...you get the picture. Tonight, I'm recovering from a day-long migraine and I was just about to mop the floor, and I started to think about it. Does it really matter if the floor gets mopped? Nope. Does it really matter if I stop and rest? Yes, I need to. Sometimes, I don't think we give ourselves permission to rest and just let it be enough. We've done enough. The laundry can wait, the floors will still be there tomorrow, the toys can be all over the floor...it's ok. And not just to play with our kids. We sometimes need time to just "be." That's what I'm giving my Type A self permission to do tonight...nothing! Please join me. I know you need it!