FredMcKinnon.Com

Joy rarely gets sick. Even when she does get sick, you can’t tell. She doesn’t complain. I’m a wimp. If I have one tiny bit of fever, I feel like it’s time for the hospital. Not Joy – she’s incredibly tough. Maybe that’s because she’s a leukemia survivor … she’s been through it.

So Joy started feeling kinda rough on Saturday – aches, sore throat. She made it to church yesterday (Sunday), but crashed as soon as it was over and didn’t come out of the room the rest of the day. When Joy won’t get out bed, she must feel REALLY bad. In 9+ years of marriage, I don’t think she’s ever been “in bed, sick” more than a couple of times.

I guess it must be strep or something … she’s definitely got fever, aches, a horrific sore throat, and no energy. She just lays in the bed, zonked out .. wiped out.

So, today I called in and asked to work from home so I could let her rest … I’ll take Joy’s place today. I’ll TRY and get some work done today … I typically work from my studio, which is upstairs. I have to leave the door open so I can keep listening out for the kids, but I have to put a baby gate on the door or Andrew will just come in and pull everything off the shelves and bang on the piano relentlessly.

Just for laughs, I’m going to journal throughout the day what life is like for a mom with 4 little ones … at least, the best I can.

So … today I will:

6:00 AM – Bible Study and quiet time …
7:00 AM – Get kids up, dressed, feed them breakfast, teeth brushed, get the older two out to school.
8:00 AM – get home from taking kids to school, help Rebekah get dressed, change Andrew’s diaper.
[insert multiple times climbing the baby gate, going downstairs to fix juice, find out who is crying, check on kids]

9:20 – Rebekah wants juice, and Andrew keeps messing with the TV.
9:29 – Rebekah interrupts again, saying Andrew keeps pushing the buttons on the TV, messing up Strawberry Shortcake”.
9:32 – Rebekah still standing at the baby gate outside my office talking, informs me “Andrew is stinky” .. “ooh, Andrew you are stinky”. “Daddy Daddy, now Andrew closed the door … Daddy”.
9:57 – Ok, so I’ve climbed the baby gate and answered questions, said “no” to more juice several times, gotten out some raisins, and pulled Andrew out of the bathroom where he was pulling everything out, and then he was mashing the buttons on the microwave .. so me thinks two things … (1) I pretty much will write off doing anything productive today, and (2) I pretty much will maybe update this hourly or a few more times throughout the day – the minute-by-minute chronology is .. well, no time for that, but I promise I could update this timeline by the minute.
10:20 – kiddos are wrestling, laughing, and screaming in the playroom – having the time of their live – problem is, that will keep Joy awake .. so upstairs they come to play in the bedroom.
11:00 – Joy comes forth … a quick appearance just to say “hi” .. she’s shivering cold … back to bed now .. only showing up makes Andrew cry for his mommie. Nothing will settle him down except letting him in my office to play the piano. We’ll go to lunch in a few!
11:30 – let’s get these two kiddos out of the house and to McD’s for some lunch.  Jon Michael and Will will be home from school around 2:30.

Stay tuned for Part 2 …