Sick Day

I am home with my elder child today, who is sick with the stomach flu.

I am glad that we found out that he was sick last night because it gave me some time to accept my day.

See, I have off today and for two months I've been looking forward to spending the first official day back to work and school home ALONE cleaning the house and un-decking the halls.  So it took me most of the evening to re-visualize my last day off.  But I guess its par for the course of parenthood to have your day off infringed upon by an unexpected home sick child.  I think I brought it upon myself.  I remember bragging to some friends about my whole day to myself and then saying "With my luck, one of my kids will need to stay home sick." Damn self-fulfilling prophecies!

Now my day will involve a lot of PBS and reading stories and cuddling with my 7 year old.  I have let him know that he will be witness to me taking down the tree, and that I will be cleaning the kitchen and bathroom at some point while he naps or watches a movie...  He's cool with it.  Right now, as I blog, he's reading a Peanuts comic book and giggling to himself.

I'll still get everything done I was going to get done...just without loud music and with cuddles in between rooms.

I thought I'd take this post to share with you my recipe for homemade magic popsicles.  Popsicles are always a good staple for a kid with the stomach flu. 

Get yourself some popsicle molds.  Ours were a wedding gift.

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime (usually takes 2)
1/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water

Mix it all together and cook it in a pot on the stove until all is dissolved. 

Freeze for a few hours and voilla!  Homemade popsicles.  A FRACTION of the price of a box of popsicles.