The Flu Vacation

Caroline was diagnosed with the flu on Thursday morning. Fortunately we made it through her birthday party before her symptoms set in. So since Wednesday afternoon, we've been confined to our house. This has made for a whole lot of time for us to spend together and I am actually loving it. :) I know sometimes we have to be forced to slow down and enjoy life, and this has made me do that. She and I have colored, painted, read books, watched movies and her favorite tv shows, played pretend with magnet dolls, babies and princesses, played Lalaloopsies, done puzzles, taken naps, snuggled and snuggled and snuggled..... and it has been fabulous. With the exception of how puny she feels, I've loved all the time we've spent just doing whatever she wants. She has waves of feeling good and feeling crappy. So when she feels good we take advantage and play alot. And then she crashes and we snuggle and nap on the couch. And to be honest, it's exactly what I needed. The past year has been one hell of a ride. You know that phrase "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"?? Well I've been going for a looooooong time. I feel like my switch was stuck in "Turbo" mode. The feeling of constantly having something to do, somewhere to go, or someone to take care of or help in some form or fashion. And it's utterly exhausting. I don't regret any of the past year by any means. But that doesn't mean it wasn't taxing at times. It all ended gradually - one thing removed from my plate, then another, then another. But it seems as though it's all come to an end finally, and it's almost surreal. Some mornings I look around and almost feel panic-stricken, like there's something I should be doing but I don't know what it is. And then I realize there's not. And that's almost as weird...... and then I think that makes no sense and I'm losing my mind! So this race that I've been running for so long is finally over. And our Nashville trip plus the past few days have been just what I needed to recharge and get focused on what is most important to me - my sweet baby girl and my amazingly awesome husband. And now I feel like I can put all the other things that are also important to me back into my life in the right order and time. But I do at least get a few more days of these awesome snuggles and play sessions with my sweet girl, because sadly, she still has 102 fever. :( So pray for her speedy recovery. And if you need the flu to knock you on your butt for a few days because you need a break, come on over. We'll share. :-)