Spring Broke

I need to get back on this blogging bandwagon, so here goes.  Spring break...ahhhhh...tiny seedlings popping through the dirt, birds singing their songs of twitterpation, March Madness, sunshine, blue skies, freedom from our mundane obligations.  Oh...wait...we're parents.  Illness.  We've been plagued with it.  It seems my many comments that went something like, "we have had SUCH a healthy fall," caught up to me and decided to murder my optimism.  We have been sick since a few weeks into 2018.  Even J and I fell to a horrible, but thankfully fast-moving virus at the beginning of all of this, but miraculously, we seemed to have hit a healthy stride the week before spring break.  We were ready!  We booked a large house in the Ozarks of Arkansas for the first part of spring break and we were ready for fun.  Until we woke up Saturday morning, stacks of luggage by the front door, notes for the pet-sitter on the counter and X-man plodded up the stairs, cheeks flushed, throat aching.

Ella in her travel-style with her
box o' princesses

Hoping for a quick resolution and knowing that his class has been passing strep around and that Ella Forever had just kicked the bug a week prior, J took him to Urgent Care.  Nope...not strep.  We decided to dose him with ibuprofen, pack everyone up (a bit later than we were planning) and went on our merry way with our fingers crossed.  The trip was uneventful.  We stopped for lunch along the way and one potty break...not that bad when you consider a Swagger Wagon full of 5 hooligans, a puppy (Avedis, our newest 4 legged addition) and 2 middle-aged fuddy-duds.  As we were nearing our destination, however, I noticed that Squeaky D was getting particularly whiney, but I attributed it to being over-done with the drive at that point.  We arrived to our 5-star-ranked-AirBnB-that-should-have-been-a-2-star (different story for a different day), unloaded the car and headed into Fayetteville for dinner.  Upon arriving at the unique eating establishment called Taco Bell (gimme a break...our standards have fallen after 5 kids), I pulled D out of the car and noted that he was rather toasty.  Another one bites the dust.  He opted out of eating and just wanted a water.

They look healthy right?

The next morning, with the help of some ibuprofen for those who might have been a bit under the weather and some beautiful Arkansas sunshine, we decided to go on a short hike in the Ozark Mountains.  The kids had a great time, the puppy was over the moon, J and I were care-free and life was good.  Until it wasn't.  Went to another little known culinary wonder called Whataburger and it was there that J jumped on the sicko wagon.  He was hurting.  My partner in crime was down for the count, but his sister was joining us for our vacationing adventure and was supposed to arrive that afternoon, so I put the sickies to bed and eagerly awaited her arrival for some much needed camaraderie and pep-talking.  After she got there, we chatted on the porch and Squeaky D came out very puny, complaining of ear pain.  I tried it all and made 2 separate trips to the local grocery store for different meds trying to keep him comfortable.  We made dinner, tended to our sickly charges and that was the end of Day 2.

Did I mention that J broke the camera on my phone trying
to take the following selfie?

At least we're cute...

Day 3 brought Jilly-bean down.  She started fevering that morning.  We made a quick outing to a sleepy little air and military museum in the little town we were staying with the help of ibuprofen, once again and then called it a day.  Day 3 in the books.

At least we have one family photo faking health!

A girl and her auntie...

This kid was in his element!

Couldn't resist this cool photo op!

Day 4 J woke up with his throat completely swollen and swallowing a chore. A quick run to Urgent Care confirmed that he had strep.  We decided to find an activity that would keep us quarantined from the general population and found a well-reviewed drive through safari less than an hour away and decided that it would be a perfect activity for a boat-load of petri dishes.  Let's just say that unless you want to see the puppy mill of exotic animals, you should probably skip Wild Wilderness Drive Through Safari...we made the best of our day and the kids had fun, but my heart hurt quite harshly knowing that I funded any part of the establishment.  It was just another perfect example of our doomed trip and I could not have been more ready to be home.

My new friend!

Because a little chaos within the vehicle is just what
we needed!

*smooch*

Ella Forever just being her goofy self

After feeding this emu everything he had, X-man emphatically
begged for an emu all his own. No.

Despite our failed attempt at an adventure, here are some things that I learned...

1. I should have known after last year's spring break blog post.

2. It's possible to have fun in less than ideal living conditions with minimal health...it's the company that really matters.

3. Ibuprofen is our friend.  I really try not to take a lot of medications myself and only give it to the kids when they REALLY need it.  Usually.  This week I handed it to them like candy and we wouldn't have survived with out it.

4. Sisters-in-law are invaluable.  I am forever indebted to Liz for bringing lots of goodies to keep the kids occupied when we were laying low, for piggy-backing one particular sickie through an entire museum and just for being good company.  Oh...and for risking your own health to "play" with us for the week.

5. Arkansas is beautiful and Fayetteville is a really cool little town.

6. Home is really really great.

Everyone finally got better...mostly.  I took Squeaky D into our regular doctor the day after we got back and she confirmed that he had ruptured his ear drum for the 2nd year in a row.  He is trucking along on his antibiotics and seems to have made a full recovery.  Jilly-bean still had a mild fever this morning.  I really need summer to get here.

We got some good ballin' in at the school once we got back

Don't be jealous of the skillz, ya'll!

Turns out...he's a monkey!

I LOVE Ella's face in this pic!

*melt*

Dog pile on the dog bed this morning

We have had beautiful weather since we got back and the kids have spent nearly every day outside all day digging holes in our field...because, you know...holes are fun!  And I truly did miss my little sliver of paradise and our challenging time away just reinforced that.  Home is a really great place to be.  Which is really good because it is probably where we will be next spring break! :)

Home sweet home