Even sick, life is good.

I really need to put something new up, that other post has been there over a week. Unfortunately, I’m right now camped out next to an open window, on a mercifully cool day sucking in the smell of fresh air and flowers and trees. It smells wonderful, and mostly it keeps me from retching at the scent of, say, my daughter’s juice, or leftover breakfast. Yes, the nausea is here, and my stomach hurts. It woke me up in the middle of the night even last night.

So it’s hard to think of what to write about.

I read The Kite Runner on Monday. It helped take my mind off my stomach. It’s a stunning, stunning book. I rarely ever sit down to read a novel these days because I find it very hard to stop once I start. Somehow on Monday I managed to tidy the house, fold and put away all the laundry, teach school, take the kids swimming, make dinner, and read an entire novel. I can never figure out how that happened the next day.

I have the world’s sweetest children.

While I was in the shower Little needed to go poo, so the Boy came running when I called and took her to the bathroom, cleaned her up and got her dressed. She was so pleased that he was the one who helped her. All day, whenever someone mentions her dress she holds it out so they can see it better and says, “Yiyah hewp.”

Then she helped him unload the dishwasher, which was also adorable, watching the two of them work together.

She has also just learned to say the Girl’s real name, and follows her around all day babbling it, just because she can. The Girl has made some kind of game out of pillows on the living room floor and they are all screaming with laughter keeping themselves entertained while I camp here next to the window waiting for my stomach to settle. I couldn’t ask for better help.

I know for some people the idea of 4 kids is one of those, “I could never do that,” types of propositions. All I know is that it’s such a blessing that my children have each other to play with, that they enjoy each others company, that they can spend so much time finding entertainment together. I can’t imagine them not having each other to be with. I can’t imagine how another sibling will do anything other than add to the fun.

I’m proud of how the Boy knows how to take care of and play with younger kids, unlike a lot of his friends who are the youngest themselves, or who have no siblings. It’s sweet to watch how those boys have gradually gone from staring in confusion at the little girls who want to join their play to chivalrously scampering off to retrieve one of them when they have strayed too far, often beating the Boy to it these days. I like to think it’s because of his example.

I’m rambling I’m sure, the unhappy stomach is a powerful distraction. But I’m glad to at least be able to notice still how many blessings I have surrounding me.