Mommy Tales

Just as I finally paid for 5 days of Internet I got the stomach flu. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to linger around when you’re ill while Internet only works down near the reception.

But let’s not start in the middle of my story. This is already day 5 of our journey. I’m still waiting for the benefits to kick in. True story: I don’t have to cook within this health resort and the tidying up as the washing is rather reduced.
What I already gained are the following impressions.

1. A 10hour ride by train with two little kids, a stroller and some bags is an experience of its own. It’s unbelievable how anyone can maneuver when there’s so little space available. I’m for sure glad that I’m not that oversized. Then it’s completely senseless to pack a variety of things for your kids to be occupied during the journey. They won’t like the things you chose anyway. Wait, please don’t ever have the funny idea to trust the online booking system of your friendly train provider. They will plan your connections rather within a very short time interval. No need to mention that I nearly missed the next train and was nervous like hell during my ride. Couldn’t eat anything the whole day.

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So, Johanna’s got the stomach flu. That’s a really funny coincidence because just tomorrow at 8:00 am we were planning to hitchhike a train to get us to our health resort at the sea where we would have some treatments during the next 3 weeks.

2010 so far seems not to be in favour of my family anyway. I’ll give you a short but hurting review that may also explain why I didn’t blog that much things or rather any things at all during the last weeks. Don’t get me wrong. I still have no time to write blogs now. But as writing somehow seems to be kind of therapeutic to me I decided to do rather that than go around with a big fly swat (or worse things), slapping every single person passing. Something to calm down, that’s exactly what I need now, I assure you.

Actually, 2010 seems to be a real bitch. Like B*I*T*C*H*! I must admit it hadn’t that much chance to start off on the right foot. There was that really nasty flu back in 2009 that came on time to save us from celebrating Christmas. Holy Night was rather feverish for our 2yo and that lasted for over a week. Lucky we were to skip the oncoming pneumonia with a large dose of antibiotics. But of course our little daughter wouldn’t be herself if she couldn’t find a way to pass along that nice little flu to other family members and so I myself greeted 2010 on New Years Eve with a casual snore while lying in bed. I would call 2010 a really bad timer. It could’ve come earlier or later (MUCH later) so we could’ve appreciated it more. As it went I think 2010 is personally insulted and has the goal to badger our little family now. Or could you find some other reasons why, after the first night without fever, Emily should burn both her lower legs with boiling water in a stupid and tragic and somehow so quick-that-you-could-not-really-watch accident caused by some hasty and unexpected movements?

Since Jan 3rd life is not as it has been before. All we were doing is driving to the doctor’s, praying that the little cute legs my heal without any inflammation and trying to keep Emily occupied without her hurting the wounded legs. Nice try. I bet it’s easier to *whatever impossible thing you can imagine*. Kindergarten was and still is a no-go, of course. I never would have thought that it takes from Jan 3rd to today for these wounds to close with a new layer of skin. And still, the healing process is not finished. We have to be very cautious so the thin and raw new skin will not be hurt before it had the chance to thicken. And that will probably take another couple of weeks.

Anyway, to add some spice to that rather stressing time I also had my last final exam in the beginning of Feb and yeah, there was not that much free time to study stuff. How I did pass that one I’m still not sure. Meanwhile there had some remodelling been necessary so that our household was (and is) rather restricted. Stuff is not where it belongs to, there’s well, the second toilet missing etc etc. AND our community decided to put the one and only street under construction that leads from our house into the village. So I had to drive everyday twice to bring my 7yo to school (she usually walks on her own, but the redirection route is too far a way).

During that whole time there always was and has been one little light at the end of the tunnel: the treatment at the health resort. After weeks without sports and many stressing situations I’m really looking forward to have a little free time. To read a book. To skip preparing meals and cleaning and driving to school and playing with my 2yo. Because that’s what they do for you. Plus the treatments. I need it. And 2010 is not sure if it should bring it on.

Last week, Emily suddenly got the runs. Uh. But as yesterday she ate again after a couple of days where she didn’t take much more than water, I was hopeful that we would actually make that trip. Me is stupid little woman. Have you ever seen someone barfing from the top part of a bunk bed? It’s really gross. Really, really gross. It seems to be a natural instinct to lean over the rail when s.o. is sick. That’s ok when there’s a bowl parked right next to you AND when there are not 2mtrs for the vomit to splatter down until it hits the carpet. And it hits the carpet hard. I hardly managed to reach the 2yo sleeping in the lower bed without crossing the various puddles. EVERYTHING has been hit. I’m running the washer for 3 times but there’s barely a possibility to get rid of the smell that has sunk deep into the carpet. Of course my husband spent an hour to clean it off tonight but it’s still ugly. I’m not sure what to do but in the moment we’re one room short. And we already have just one bedroom for 2 kids. The rest of the night (if you can call a couple of hours of fitful sleep so) has been not too bad. Johanna hasn’t been sick for more than 5 times and will probably be well again tomorrow (if she won’t get the runs, of course).

BUT that little monster of 2yo Emily couldn’t stand that much attention being focused on her sister so she started to scream at 6:00am for various things. Every single sentence crossing her yelling little mouth starting with the words “I want…” constantly increasing in volume and intensity. Was too tired to look for the tape, but I really wanted to shut her mouth… But that ringing ears you’ll have when someone is shrieking into them with the intensity of an starting airplane won’t help you to orient yourself, so there was absolutely no way for me to find a bottle of chloroform neither.

So I had enough opportunity (as I am absolutely awake now for several hours) to mourn. I’m grieving for that journey that should help me to find some balance within my life again. That should give me a break from my daily routine. That should give me some time for myself to make sports, read a book or just hang around. Well, I’m grieving in advance, of course. There still is the chance for us to make it to the train tomorrow. That’s one possibility. My nice and cute kids an me catching the train at 8:00 in the morning. Riding it all day long until we reach our destination in the evening. Me desperately clutching one of those little plastic bags usually used to clean up dog poop to have something handy to catch some vomit should it occur during the ride. The second possibility is me clutching desperately one of our plastic bowls around 8:00 in the morning. Reflecting about how Hiob could stand all the testing by god and in what I should belief to give me some strength (God, the future, fate, Murphy’s law or the organized distinction of families as cosmic plan).

Tomorrow will bring it on. Good side or scratched side. Flip your coin, Two-Face.

P.S. The “I want”-hitlist of this morning:

I want milk

I want to read books

I want hot chocolate

I want to watch Winnie Pooh on TV

I want to eat something

Guess she’s really interested in food and media, isn’t she?

Well, dudes, I’ve been off and away for some time recently. But now, as my final exam is over (and I herewith swear a holy oath that I will NEVER EVER learn for any exams no more) and my mood is constantly improving because I passed it ALTHOUGH they *accidentally* lengthened it so I had to endure my own sweat for 45min instead of 30min, I’m finally free to continue with this writing therapy project I started with on this page not so long ago.

There actually is my last post (that I abandoned when we all fell in love with some really adorable kind of flu for several long and exhausting days – *Christmas* days, btw) knocking on my door again and although it’s a little bit early in the year to write about a topic the strong waves of believe you can find in Christian areas around Christmas inspired me to, I will probably finish it. Or bring it on Easter.

Anyway, surf by soon, if you want to know how much recovery one can find while being on a special cure far away from home for 3 weeks, where only exhausted mommys or daddys are stopping by AND (that’s the part I’m sure will be a real killer for every recovery methods) they are bringing all their *lovely* kids ages 12 and down. OF COURSE I’m bringing my 2yo who approx. 2 weeks ago hit the terrible twos not nearly as hard as No1 once did, but harder than any other child I’ve ever known AND my 7yo (where I can only complain about too little enthusiasm concerning her homework, but I’m sure there will rather be NO homework to do while on a cure, so I’m lacking of my ususal negative descriptions here). To make the whole ceremony worthwhile we will start out with riding by train in a threesome (full of love and joy) for some snappy 9 (and a half) hours. I’m sure I’ll be ready for some healthy procedures after that. And so will all the other passengers poor or stupid enough to cross our way during this hell of a ride.

You see, there is something to come, so surf by and watch: will Susanne cope with a 3week treatment far away from home or will there be a massacker reported soon? The later one you could always find in the news, though. Watch out for any strange activities on the German island Rügen.