It's a Small World Full of Sick Kids

We had another church adventure yesterday but not the laughing kind. More like the kind where when you see it happen to someone else you are SO glad that it isn't happening to you. Saturday afternoon, Spencer threw up. We were hoping that it was something that he ate. He threw up one more time and then seemed to perk up a bit. He slept well and seemed much improved yesterday morning, so we went ahead and got everyone ready for church. We arrived a little early and got ourselves situated. Spencer wandered off with one of the Young Women in the branch. A few minutes later he came back and I took one look at him and knew he was not better. Right then he gagged and I grabbed him and made a dash to the bathroom where I held him over the toilet. But it seemed to have passed and he didn't throw up. So I went and found Kalen and told him that one of us would probably have to take Spencer home after sacrament meeting. See, our branch is renting the building we have now and the lease is up at the end of the year. The church has purchased some land on which to build a new building but so far our attendance hasn't been high enough for our building to be approved. Well, this month of March is our last shot to get our building. That means our attendance has to be much higher than it has been. So of course, sick kid or not, every body present counts. So even though I knew Spencer wasn't recovered, we stayed. He made it all the way through the meeting. Afterward, I needed to make some copies for Relief Society and get one of the other presidency members to conduct for me. Of course, someone else was using the copier and I had to wait. Once I had done that, Kalen found me and told me that Lynnsey was refusing to let anyone else take her to Primary. So I dragged her in to her class and came back to gather my things and retrieve Spencer. It was too late. In the 20 seconds I had been out of the room, he had thrown up. All over my mom and a good friend of ours and ALL OVER the beige carpet. Did you know that Kix and blue gatorade make the most ghastly green glop ever??? We managed to get it all cleaned up while onlookers gave us sympathetic encouragement and Sunday School began. I was finally able to get poor Spencer who was as white as a sheet out to the van and home to a comfortable spot where he spent the better part of the day sleeping and throwing up. When the rest of the family arrived after church, Lynnsey was nearly as pale as Spencer and complained that her head and tummy hurt. Fantastic. Luckily she hasn't thrown up but she also hasn't eaten much either.

Then, just when I was thinking what a miserable day it had been, I got a phone call from my brother Andrew. He said he was just calling to tell me what a small world this is. Turns out Marni got talking with another mom out in the hall at church and made the connection that she used to be my roommate Misty Shearer! I was so excited! The only people worse at keeping in touch with old friends than I am are Misty and her sister Marla who were some of my favorite people in the whole world and who played a giant role in my getting together with my husband. I had felt so bad that I'd lost touch with them over the years and I had actually been trying to locate them both. And here one of them was! I told Andrew that he'd have to get her address for me so I could write to her and he said "Well, she's right here. Do you want to talk to her?" Of course! So after years and years and years, I got to talk to Misty. It was so great to hear from her and know what she's been up to and to hear how her family is as well. It's so funny that all that time she was right there in the same ward as Andrew and Marni. Amazing.

This morning I went to see how Lynnsey was feeling. She said her tummy was still hurting so I decided I'd better keep her home. I went to get Kendall up and when I did Spencer sat up in bed. I said "Hey, buddy! How are you feeling?" He contemplated for half a second, then his face crumbled and he said in the most disappointed voice "I'm still sick." Poor kid. And he sure is. He hasn't had any food to eat at all today and is barely drinking anything. Then when he does, it comes right back up. I'm watching him for signs of dehydration and just hoping this can end soon. About 9:15 the phone rang. It was Kendall's school calling. Guess what for??? Yeah. Here we go again.