No Sick Days

I am gaining a new insight into motherhood. It could be the cold medicine. It could be the lack of sleep. Maybe it is the lack of sick days.

The one thing I am for sure…being a mom and being sick just don’t go together. I don’t have time to be sick…and they (the kids) wont let me be sick anyway. They wont give me a sick day. They wont let me rest. No way!

It’s like I’m working in a sweat shop with no breaks. They barge into the bathroom door when I’m blowing the gallons of snot out of my nose.

“Mom, Collin just hit me!”

They still need fed and watered…even though I am so drugged I can hardly keep my eyes open and every inch of my body aches from this stinking cold/flu crap.

“Mom, can we have a snack?”

I move like a zombie into the kitchen and take out two snack bowls and  grab the first thing on the shelf. I plop a handful of marshmallows into each bowl and lay back down.

I just need some rest. I just want to find a hole to crawl into and sleep for a couple of days until the symptoms have passed. I just want to sleep all day.

That isn’t going to happen. I’m lucky if the babies’ naps overlap for 20 minutes so I can get a power nap.

Funny how things change.

Long gone are the days of lying around on the couch watching prime time tv, coming and going as I wish, spending a lot of money on myself for shoes and new clothes and needless items. Long gone are the days of going out and drinking every weekend…and during the week…and eating dinner at the bar. Long gone are the days of wasting time and sleeping in.

And sick days are long gone, too!

But that’s ok. I don’t miss it. Those days, even though it was not very long ago, are a blurry memory that I can barely recall. I’m ok with that.

I’ll take the dirty diapers and dishes. I’ll take the cute smiles and hugs and kisses. I’ll take the potty training and messes on the floor. I’ll take the playing all afternoon with the cutest kids in the world.

But it is soooooo hard being a mom when you are sick (yes, I’m whining).

The other day I was in a hurry to get out of the door. I tried to take a Mucinex (cold pill)that was larger than a horse pill. It got stuck in my throat.

I’m gagging and puking…I run to the kitchen garbage. SHIT! It’s full. I don’t want to clean up any more messes. I run to the sink before it explodes all over my kitchen.

I’m gasping for breath and running the water. GROSS!

And while all this is happening I have Bradley at my shoulder, “Mom, can I watch a movie?”

And Collin climbing the cupboards next to me.

And Mallie hanging on my legs.

And Elsie clapping behind me. 

They are oblivious to my condition.

I wash up. Mommy’s ready to go again. Even though I’m dying for a break.

That’s why being a mom is so hard. You do everything…no matter if you’re sick or puking. You just get things done.

My mom did it. Your mom probably did. You just do it, even when you’re sick.

Being a mom can be hard. There are no sick days.

xxx

p.s. Maybe when they get bigger I can have them trained to bring me chicken noodle soup when I’m sick. Right now, there are just too many diapers to change and dishes to do. They are still too little. Soon…though.

p.p.s.  Thanks, Mom! I hope I made you chicken soup when I was little and you weren’t feeling good. Or at least brought you some chocolate chip cookies or something.