Silent Night

We were awoken last night by the unmistakable sound of someone painting the inside of the toilet bowl with their dinner. Carina rose to deal with Tayler, who vomitted several times. I listened sleepily as new sheets were dug out and applied to the bottom bunk, which were soiled before Tayler could make it to the bathroom. When Carina returned to bed, I dozed off quickly.

Around 3 AM I was awoken again, this time to hear Tayler calling out “Dad, Tyler’s puking!” So I got up to deal with it. Tyler’s always been a champ about the actual being sick part of being sick (it’s the boring staying home from school that she struggles with). Bleary eyed, and not thinking straight, I decided to eschew new sheets for the much easier to deal with sleeping bag, which I placed on the top bunk. Tyler started crying that puke was in her hair. Though I could find no evidence that this was true, I helped her rinse her head out in the sink, dried her hair, and placed her back in bed.

I thought perhaps it might be a touch of food poisoning. Both girls had the same meal at the Japanese restaurant last night, while Carina and I only nibbled a little bit on their dishes. Nonetheless, they were kept home from school today. Carina took the first shift while I went to work, and I relieved her at lunch time. Despite their protests, I made them take a long nap (which surprisingly they did take!), and then we all puttered around the house for the remainder of the afternoon.

Carina came home feeling woozy, and went straight to bed. It looks like the flu has hit our house full force. My own symptoms are, for the moment, a sore throat and slight headache. I don’t expect to last long with three sick people breathing around me.

The ladies are all asleep, and I’m left alone, the only sound that of the cats rummaging about.