Once every four years

I anticipate Leap Day with great excitement. It's like a free bonus day much like the Fall Back time change back to Standard Time. Only it's a WHOLE day of possibilities. But this one here? I could've done without.

It started with Big E crawling into bed with me. Something that used to be an every day occurrence but in recent months has dwindled to something to raise an eyebrow at. She was shivering and cold, but started heating up the bed quite nicely. I laid there and felt her fever rise tenth of a degree by tenth of a degree. She has said about twelve words all day, five of which were "I'm going to throw up". Which was punctuated by promptly throwing up.

Then the phone call from the other Girl Scout leader who is to accompany myself and the EIGHT third-graders on a two night camping trip starting TONIGHT. "Oh, Big E is sick too?....so is MY daughter.". Just Great. And then at least a dozen other phone calls trying to figure out a plan and finally ending up with the plan being the original plan sans Big E. Hopefully Big E will be well enough for Bubble Boy to shuttle her out tomorrow for some Hugging and Loving of Horses. Poor girl..she was looking forward to this all week....wearing t-shirts and jeans to school every day rather than her cute outfits because she was in a "camping mood".

And while that all might seem bad enough, but not really THAT bad, just regular sick day bad with a little campout problem thrown in, add in a 5 year old boy who has been homebound for the previous TWO days with his own illness and now feels JUST FINE. Just fine like all his regular energy and attitude and did I say energy? But he can't go anywhere except the backyard and that's so BORING without FRIENDS! And I'm trying to pack and load and clean up vomit. And he wants me to read the damn DS. Sorry...I can't right now I'm wiping up puke...but I'll be right on to Zelda just after I wash the barf off my hands.

OK. I feel vented now. I've been trying to reframe my way of thinking upon the suggestion of a good friend. I have the opportunity to go camping with a great mom and several fun girls. I have the opportunity to enjoy a day at home with both my kids who may be under the weather TODAY are healthy overall. It could be worse. Days like this only come around every four years.