Deja Vu

It's déjà vu all over again. -Yogi Berra

It seems like this house has been on an every-other-week cycle of sick-recovering-sick-recovering. And most amazingly, it's been Mommy who's been down for the count more than anyone else. (And we aren't talking sniffling, sneezing, etc. We are talking full-out stomach sickness, twice.)

I am totally learning how to ask for help from others. Getting over the guilt of having to call family members home from work to do "my job"...not so much. 

There are a number of growing edges for me in this situation: 

• There is no choice but to let the housework go.
• I must accept help from others without being able to quickly reciprocate. It's fascinating how I display this pattern of having to "even the score" with those who assist me. Like I'm afraid they will reject me if I need too much.
• My boys really can rise to the occasion when Mommy struggles to do more than lay on the floor. I was so impressed with their emotional IQ on this. (More in a future post.)
• I've been reminded again that I cannot keep running on fumes, and maybe a 9pm bedtime isn't cool, but it's what I need right now.
• We must wield the bottle of hand sanitizer as a mighty anti-germ-warfare weapon every time we get in the car from an errand or play date.

Allow me to share with you my new triage plan for personal sanity in times following illness:

Deal with the dishes
I get really grossed out thinking about what grows on the dishes that accumulate on the counter during these spells of illness. The first thing I tackle is unloading and reloading the dishwasher (washing hands often) and cleaning the counters and table.

Gather laundry
More heebie-jeebies lurk on towels, dishcloths and clothing (especially if your kids are snotting on your shirt...and don't pretend that never happens in your house!) I at least try and wash everything on hot and dry it, even if it sits in baskets for a few days before being put away.

Sanitize
Finally I wipe down all the bathrooms and any surfaces that we tend to neglect--doorknobs, light switches, remotes, etc. because heaven knows you've been stumbling around and watching more TV than usual.

Rest
Just step over the clutter and go to bed. It will be there in the morning!
(And for whatever reason, it's just easier to clean when there's daylight.)

So what's your game plan when sickness has thrown your household into chaos and confusion?



Today's disclaimer: For those of you familiar with the roots of déjà vu, I do not believe in reincarnation.