Cabin Adventures

We have been enjoying our cabin vacation for the past few days. We came up last Wednesday and went shopping, spent time with family, and played in the woods. It's been great. Yesterday morning though, Bryce came down with the flu. Right after breakfast he threw up all over the basement floor.

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Now, in order to properly understand my family's reaction to flu you must know that my oldest son is an absolute germ-o-phobe. He wipes down his shoes with cleaner every morning before school. He refuses to sleep in or lie on a bed where someone else has recently slept. He washes his hands and puts on so much Germ-X during the winter that the backs of his hands actually crack and bleed from being so dry. My other children have successively picked up on this. So, when I say, "Bryce has the flu," it basically means, "let the hysterical pandemonium begin."

Chelsea was downstairs with Bryce when he lost his breakfast. She came running up the stairs in an absolute panic, yelling throughout this very small cabin, "BRYCE THREW UP!!! EVERYBODY OUTTA MY WAY!! BRYCE THREW UP!!!" From the terror in her voice, you'd think the British were coming.

Carter immediately grabbed a bottle of Germ-X, bolted outside to the front deck and shut the sliding door. Spencer sat wailing on the couch where Bryce had just been and refused to move until someone picked him up and carried him over the mess and up the stairs. Bryce, who of course needed the most attention, stood crying in a mess at the bottom of the stairs. Tyler was asleep in the bedroom during all this and I'm sure he pulled the covers snugly up over his ears. (It's what I would have done).

I put Bryce in the tub, cleaned up the mess, started the laundry, and wiped down all appropriate surfaces with disinfectant. Carter, having fully doused himself with Germ-X, had tentatively made his way back into the house and was hovering behind me, diligenty running a history and physical: "Who has he been around lately? Do you think it's something he ate? Where have we eaten in the last few days? Do you get a fever with food-poisoning? Is his fever high? When did he first start to get sick? Do you think I will get it? If I were going to get it, don't you think I would have it by now?" Chelsea had taken Carter's spot on the front deck and was now lathering herself with Germ-X. Spencer, thankfully, had found a new activity and was happily playing with Little People in the front room. Tyler: still a no-show.

I suppose in the grand scheme of childhood experiences, the stomach flu is up there on the list of 'Uncomfortable Physical Sensations.' But honestly, this degree of terror seems a bit excessive. A while ago, I explained to the kids that the swine flu is respiratory, so it doesn't necessarily make you vomit. "Wait, so you don't throw up, you just die?" Carter asked, obviously relieved.

On a positive note, Bryce seems to be feeling much better, and no one else is showing signs of illness. The picture above shows him back to his vibrant self, enjoying the cabin and the great weather. With this minor tragedy overcome, we have even started making plans for this next week: swimming, hiking, ice skating, and plenty of Germ-X.