Kapacinskas Family Vs. Swine Flu Round 1

Two weeks ago, four out of the five of us were down for the count. We were fatigued, had a chest cough, fever, and a sinus infection...which the Doctor said were all symptoms of the Swine Flu. Which made us wonder why our olodest son didn't get it...but come to think of it, he had been sick like this last spring...when Swine flu first hit Washington state. So, we all got better and felt almost invincible because we now had the anti-bodies to the "All-Feared Possible Deadly" swine flu. Well, just to knock us off our pedestal, our oldest son has had a fever of over 101 degrees for 3 days now. He's been coughing a bit, and says his tummy hurts. Last night, the baby got a fever and held onto it all day. So, now I'm taking all three kids in to be officially testing for swine flu. I'd rather know now if it's really H1N1 or not, it will affect whether we vaccinate.

An oil change and a moment of peace...

Hubby is working from home today, so I stopped in for an oil change while he watches the kids for me. The dealer apologized because the wait will be about 2 hours, but that they would get me on my way as soon as possible. I just smiled and said, "That's ok. Take a long time." They looked confused. Little do they know that this is my only chance at peace today. I get to surf the internet, sip hot coffee, eat free muffins, and relax. At home, the kids are sick, the hubby is grumpy, and the house is a mess. Please God (if there is one,) let them take the full 2 hours...

Gearing up...

We've had a busy weekend and we are gearing up for a busy week. On wednesday, Ivan and I leave for his school camp and we return on Friday. Aaron is taking care of the younger two boys. On one hand I'm looking forward to getting away to Seabeck but, on the other hand, I have to take care of Ivan plus 3 other boys that I don't know. I'm not sure who has it easier...Aaron at home with the two younger (more involved) boys or me at camp working my @$$ off with just the one at camp. I think we'll all need a glass of wine come Friday night when we return. 

and the worst Mom of the Year goes to...

Me! Yes, today was one of the most stressful days of my life. I forgot to pick my child up from school. Ok, pick your jaw off the floor...it was a 1/2 day and I was so involved with getting my second son to preschool that I forgot my first son got out of 1st grade at 12:10pm. The school called just as I was walking out the door and when I saw the caller ID I just wanted to vomit. That's when I realized that I had forgotten to pick Ivan up and it was already 10 minutes past the time. I apologized about a thousand times and then callled my husband who was working near the school. We both raced over to get him. Aaron got there 5 minutes before me and said that Ivan was crying saying that no one was going to pick him up. I felt so bad and so guilty! I apologized to the School and to Ivan about a thousand times. Then I took Ivan and his brothers to lunch to ""make up" for it. At lunch Ivan said, "Mom, cam you forget me tomorrow so we can go to lunch again?" I just had to laugh.

Makes ya think...

So, the hubby is taking Ivan, our 6 year old, to his first Mariner's game today. They are both really excited and I think they'll have a great time, especially since they are joining Ivan's best friend and his dad. I was telling Aaron this morning that I thought it was great that the two of them get to spend some quality time together and my husband turned around and said, "Yeah, and you get the day off too." I looked perplexed and he added, "well, you have one less kid to take care of so you can just enjoy the other two." Ok, I had to sit down at that point. I will be spending the day taking care of a 4yr and 2 yr old, cleaning the dishes from last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast, washing the kids clothes so they have something to wear when school starts on Tuesday, cleaning out the chicken coop (yes, we have 8 chickens), fixing lunch, and figuring out what we are going to have for dinner. I'm sorry...what part of that is my "day off?" You know, maybe I should just take his advice and GIVE MYSELF the day off...McDonald's for lunch it is!

Birthday Bonus

I knew when I took on the job of being a stay-at-home Mom that I wouldn't get a salary, bonuses, or a 401K...but I didn't realize that also meant very few kudos for a job well done and being responsible for absolutely everything in my families universe. I was very good at multi-tasking and organization when I was a professional but now I find it hard to remember what happened 10 minutes ago. I constantly feel frustrated, scatter-brained, and overwhelmed. I've complained about it for the last 6 years but never felt my husband truly understood. But, today he made up for all his eye rolling and "what do you want me to do" remarks. Today is my birthday, and my kids just presented me with homemade cards that say how much they love me...and my husband presented me with a Dell Mini Netbook computer, and told me how loved and appreciated I was and that the family couldn't function without me. He even said that he had no idea how I do all the things I do. Yeah, my jaw is still on the floor. I kept thinking "wow, I just got all the credit I was due and I didn't even have to yell or threaten divorce!" This one of the best birthdays ever!

6 days until school starts...

You know, I don't want to be one of those mothers who can't wait for their kids to go back to school and get out of their hair...but lately I've found myself counting the days until I get some free time (well, just me and the baby time) during the day. I love my kids...although I did question that for a brief moment yesterday while they were in their 12th timeout...and I love it when we get quality time together. The problem about Summer is that it starts off being wonderful lazy days with sunshine, parks, and playdates, but ends up being long days of bored kids with "nothing" to do. I have to admit that I've resorted to the good ol' TV to entertain the boys for an hour while I finally sit down after the morning rush. Soon I'll have to switch back into "school" mode and the mornings will be even more hectic, but it will be worth it when I get to take an afternoon nap with the baby. 6 more days...6 more days...