I heard a cat coughing up a hair ball......

but we don't have a cat.
Saturday night/Sunday morning 1 am.  Nathan started.   He threw up all over his crib, himself, all over my side of the bed, my pillow, me.

Shortly after dealing with Nathan...my stomach started rejecting me.   I could feel it in my throat....and damn that stomach of steel I couldn't get it to come up.   I kept thinking, God let me die....and if I can't die at least let me throw up.
I laid in the wet spot where the puke was smeared away with a towel and I didn't care.  The sour smell made me want to puke even more but my stomach protested.    Every 20 minutes or so that cat sound would return and I'd use one hand to lift his head while holding the towel under his chin.   Not that it mattered much because puke was everywhere.

3:30 am.  Ryan who was sleeping peacefully next to J, threw up.   All over himself, J's side of the bed, her pillow and J.  and then they took turns until the sound become more of a wretching dryness and my heart broke for each of them.  

9 am.  The earth was spinning.   The children were all alive and fine.   I was still begging for a quick and easy death.
I got up, put cereal in bowls, juice in sippy cups and turned the TV on.    I kept telling J that I was sick.  but without a fever or throwing up I didn't get much sympathy.    She was tired from a rough night so we both tried to sleep.

11 am.   OMG my joints ache, my head aches, my skin hurts.   J has a headache.

3pm.  J throws up.

4pm We put Sydney in charge.  God bless us all.   She uses scissors to cut open gogurts for the kids.  We put a movie on.   we lay there.   J throws up again.   bitch.   I'm so jealous.

5pm J runs to pick up a 5.00 pizza.  nearly doesn't make it.   (delivery was an hour and out of the question)

5:05 pm place box of pizza on the floor in front of movie, mumble "dinner"

6pm wonder if this truly is the 2nd coming and is this what it feels like to become a pillar of salt.   contemplating repentance.  a new start if this will all go away.   too tired to make those kind of life changing promises.

6:37 pm  Nathan screaming from upstairs.   J and I both ask the other, "do you think that's serious ?"  weakly I call out for him to come here.
6:38 pm Nathan comes to me (OF COURSE) and that's when I notice the blood from his finger.
6:38:10 pm Pick him up, climb the stairs at a snails pace, notice blood droplets all the way up and to the cabinet where a pair of scissors are lying on the floor.  (the same ones Sydney used to cut the gogurts.  She's 5, who expects her to remember that they have to be pushed CLEAR back away from the edge.  especially when she's busy taking care of 4 kids)  it looks like he or his brother tried to amputate his pinky finger.   Luckily for him they were dull scissors.

6:39 pm J hands me napkins, I apply pressure to the wound.   a mixture of the flu and the sight of blood J says she's going to pass out, lowers herself to the floor.

6:40 pm try and apply a band aid to his finger.    between the blood and the squirming of an 18month old, I quickly realize this isn't going to happen.  
blood everywhere...he still smells like sour puke....1/2 naked.    I decide to put him in the tub.

6:41 pm put both babies in the tub.   sit on the toilet and rest my head on the counter next to the sink.  consider laying on the tile floor. 

7:05 pm lotion and dress babies.  change our sheets.   tell the older kids it's time for bed.

10:32 pm put everyone in bed.  go to sleep.

7:13 am wake up.  my aches seem to have subsided.  stomach cramping.  no real signs of life still.

7:16 am J's skin feels like it is being ripped from her body.  everything hurts.

pretty much a repeat beyond that.  Well, I don't feel like I'm going to throw up and my skin stopped hurting.  That I get to take care of 5 rambunctious and high maintenance children does makes my skin crawl a little.
J took the day off.    She can do that you see.  with just a phone call.   so she's been sleeping all morning.
I have GOT to get me one of those phone numbers.