Home Sick

Today I have a little boy home with me. He’s got a temperature, he’s throwing up, and is mostly miserable, except he is well enough to appreciate that he is watching cartoons while laying on the couch and Mom is at his beck and call. (Or bucket and call.)

If you are sick, you aren’t supposed to be grinning.

Last night, as some of you may have read on facebook, Tim came up to me and said (quite jovially, I might add) “Hey mom, I think I am going to blow some chunks tonight.” Then he smiled this huge Cheshire Cat smile at me.

And to be honest, we have too many kids round here crying wolf about being sick. Someone is always hurt, or coughing, or has a booger. Someone’s legs are always growing and hurting, or someone has the hiccups. (Which is a seriously crippling condition around here. Hiccups mean that you have a valid excuse to try and get out of doing chores. It's an epidemic.)

So when Tim told me he was feeling yucky, he didn’t LOOK like he was feeling bad. He seemed pretty happy about it. Like he was excited to get flu. Or maybe it was because he wanted to stay home and watch TV all day without big sisters controlling the remote. Anyway you look at it, he knew something was wrong. But he still smiled.

So maybe I’m the one who is looking at things all wrong.

Maybe grinning is the answer.

Perhaps we need to focus on why laughter makes things better when life stinks. Like with dieting. Some of the best moments through this diet were fraught with mayhem and hilarity. Like all my yoga experiences. Or disasters with gas. And of course, when my exercise ball went flying in the air like a rocket in the packed gym at the YMCA. All of those moments, embarrassing as they may be, have spurred me on to keep going. Because they really are funny.

And laughing sure beats crying about it.

Now, I want to know what your funny experiences are. I can’t be the only one around here providing entertainment, you know. I’ve given you songs and stories. Now it’s your turn. Tell me about the stuff that you gone through on your diet. Or maybe on a date. Or at your job.

But try to make me laugh. Because I would like to grin as I am busy scrubbing the carpet on the floor where Tim missed the bucket 10 minutes ago.

I'll start you off with a story from my friend Lisa about her experiences with a road trip and a sick kid. It's a riot!

Laughter is necessary. So, what have you got?