Spring Break And The Flu

Last Friday night Devin went to an outdoor sleepover at a friend's house. It was chilly. And raining. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of the pelting rain and wondered if they were all still in the tent. When he came home Saturday he informed me that  they ended up in the garage but it was freezing and miserable and that he was pretty sure he was getting sick. Just in time for spring break.

He still felt like going out to eat with us for my birthday that night but he woke up Easter morning running a fever and barely managing to scratch out an I'm sick. We headed to the doctor's office Monday morning where he tested negative for strep throat but positive for influenza b.  Yes, we've been having us quite the fun time on our spring break staycation this year. 

At one point yesterday evening he asked me how he went about drawing up a will because DYING! I told him I really didn't think that would be necessary because I was pretty sure he was going to pull through. Then Charlie pointed out (in an effort to perk him up) that he really doesn't have that much stuff to warrant a will so how about we just give all his stuff to Dracen. I knew he was  really feeling bad when he actually agreed to that. 

Dracen went fishing with Popaw yesterday afternoon and didn't come in until after 9 last night. He came straight to the couch and wrapped up in a blanket before he even told us about his big catfish. "Oh no. You're not getting sick too, are you?", I asked. He assured me he was perfectly fine. Just cold. Trash pickup is Wednesday morning and taking out the trash is his job so after he did that and took a shower, he asked me to come tuck him in. Dracen going to bed semi-early on a non-school night without being told? I feared the worst. 

I went in to feel his forehead when we went to bed later and he opened his eyes and mumbled, "I don't feel good." He felt warm. Here we go! I gave him an ibuprofen, said a prayer and went to bed. When I checked on him this morning his forehead felt normal, his eyes fluttered open and he announced that he was perfectly fine. Just sleepy. And allergies. Oh how I pray he is right. I think that child could quite possibly will himself well just to get out of going to the doctor. When I told him last night that we'd probably have to go to the doctor this morning to get him some Tamiflu he shouted, "NO! THEY ARE NOT STICKING ME WITH ANYTHING!" 

(And I hate to admit it but he comes by that one honest. Gets it from his mama's side.)

But despite the unwanted and uninvited presence of the flu bug, our Easter celebrations carried on. Dracen was invited to go four-wheelin' with his older cousins Sunday afternoon but I somehow managed to coax him into coming home and hiding eggs with the likes of me and Charlie on the condition that one egg would hold a special prize although I had no idea what that special prize would be. Luckily, Popaw came to my rescue and slipped me a gold dollar. 

I just really didn't think my nerves could handle one sick kid and one kid out of my sight and in the presence of four wheelers especially with that whole skateboarding catastrophe still fresh on my mind. 

Before we began hiding the eggs he requested that we please not hide them badly. "And what exactly do you mean by badly, Dracen?" What he wanted was a challenge but I think he got a little more of one than he really wanted since I hid mine so un-badly that I ended up hunting them with him. Once those were found he insisted on hiding them for us which I agreed to but  drew the line at stuffing the plastic ones with deer jerky and hiding them for the dogs. 

Although that would have no doubt been some fine entertainment.

Maybe next time...

And because I couldn't resist...

Easter 2004