No Rest for a Sick Momma

They say that mothers never get a day off. They weren’t lying.

I am currently under the weather, and yet here I am, stirring a pot of grits to feed three hungry children. I add butter and honey as I struggle not to allow my runny nose to add an unwelcome flavor to an already late breakfast.

One eye is watery while the other is bone dry, but the toast still needs butter for Joey, blackberry jam for Sydney, and strawberry jam and butter for Christine.

My body is aching as I shuffle to the table and put plates down in front of three hungry-looking faces that, at the moment, look blurry.

“Thanks, Mommy,” the trio sung. Their normal high-pitched voices that normally sound like angels are now adding to my raging headache. My head feels like it’s about to explode, but I smile at my babies and kiss them all on the forehead before taking a seat myself.

My body sighs in relief as my bones get the much-needed break they deserve. I put my head in my hands and will away the pounding that seems to get louder with each breath I take.

I’m dying, or at least it sure feels like it.

The babies are all smacking their lips, and their busy mouths mean a peaceful kitchen table for once. I take the brief moment of quiet to take stock of all my symptoms.

Runny nose.

Headache.

Body aches.

Blurry vision.

Fatigue.

Chills, so most likely a fever.

This feels like the flu, but I’ve been so busy this week, I haven’t had time to get checked out. With my husband out of town for the next few days, it is just me. This is when being a full-time stay at home mom is a blessing and a curse.

No days off.

My babies finish their breakfast and proudly put their dishes in the sink, like they’ve been taught. The clatter of cutlery against steel was like nails on a chalkboard. With my eyes closed tightly, I asked my oldest Joey, to take his sisters to the playroom so mommy could clean up.

Being sick is so inconvenient. My husband is away, school is out, and I still have a lot to do to get the house ready for Christmas.

To be truthful, though, I guess there is no convenient time to get sick. There’s always something to do, someone to comfort, or something to clean. The work just never stops.

I tried to get up from the table and immediately got lightheaded. The sink of dirty dishes taunted me, but I knew they would be waiting for me later.

Holding on to the table, I inched my way to the playroom, hugging the wall the whole way.

When I peeked into the room, Joey was watching TV while Sydney and Christine played with their toy kitchen.

“Hi, babies, having fun?” I asked. My voice sounded raspy to my ear and the effort to talk was greater than I thought it would be.

“Are you ok, Mommy?” Sydney asked. My middle child was my most empathetic child. She looked at me with a face of concern and a handful of plastic fruit.

“Mommy is just a little sick,” I told her, not wanting to alarm her.

“Maybe you should rest,” Joey said, repeating the advice I always give them when they’re under the weather.

“I think you’re right. I’m going to lie down for just a little bit, ok? I’ll be up before lunch. But if you need anything before then, you come get me. Understood?”

“Yes, Mommy,” the three of them said in chorus.

I had exhausted all the energy I had for a 30-second conversation, so I just nodded meekly before I left.

The wall was my crutch, and I leaned on it all the way to the back room, never happier that a guest room was on the first floor. The master bedroom was upstairs, and just the thought of making that climb was enough to make me dizzy.

The guest bathroom had just recently been restocked, so I grabbed some over-the-counter pain medication and swallowed it dry. The queen-sized bed was calling my name, and I practically fell on it, remembering at the last minute to pull the blanket over myself. I set my phone alarm for 30 minutes, plenty of time to rest and recharge.

I closed my eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep. I had the most vivid dreams, and in most of them I was floating in the clouds watching the world go by without me.

My sleep was peaceful and just what I needed. I pried my eyes open and ran my tongue across my top row of teeth, a reminder that I hadn’t brushed my teeth since last night. I stretched every part of my body before sitting up, tangled in the sheets.

The world looks so much better when it’s not spinning.

I reached for my phone to see if there were any missed texts and almost shrieked. Instead of the 30 minutes I had planned, a full two and a half hours had gone by.

“My babies!” I exclaimed before attempting to jump out of bed.

The sheets halted my progress, which was probably for the best, as I wasn’t 100% healed. Some of the earlier dizziness was still present.

I slowly got up, on a mission to find my babies to make sure they were okay.

I found six-year-old Christine in her room taking a nap. Not wanting to wake her up and seeing nothing amiss, I looked for the other two.

Joey and Sydney were quietly sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book. My son noticed me first and smiled in my direction.

“Hey, Momma. Feeling better?” he asked.

I didn’t immediately respond. Where was the mess? Why didn’t anyone come wake me? Why was everything looking so calm?

“I’m sorry I slept so late, babies. Are you both ok?”

“Yes, Mommy. Everything is good. We took care of the house just like you showed us,” Sydney said, barely glancing at me.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

I looked around the kitchen and saw that the sink was empty. I opened the dishwasher and saw it full of the breakfast dishes and a couple of dishes I didn’t remember seeing in the sink earlier.

“You ran the dishwasher?” I asked.

“Yes, Daddy taught me how,” Sydney said.

“And where did the other dishes come from?”

“I made pizza for everyone for lunch,” Joey said.

“Pizza?”

“Yes, I got one out of the freezer and put it in the oven.”

“Let me guess, Daddy showed you how to use the oven?”

“Yep, he said every man should know how to cook, so he’s been teaching me a few things.”

I was stunned. Not only did the house not fall down when I was at my worst, but my husband had also managed to surprise me even in his absence.

“And how did you get Christine to go down for a nap?’

“I just told her that you would be proud of her if she followed orders and took a nap like she’s supposed to,” Sydney said.

I smiled softly to myself before looking around the house. I remembered my dreams, watching the world go by while I floated above it all. My babies managed the household while I was down for the count.

“Are you proud, Mommy?” Sydney asked.

I smiled in her direction and walked around to kiss them both on the top of their heads.

“I’m the proudest Mommy in the whole world.”