WHOOPING TIME

Here's what Pertussis looks like for our family!--It was all I could do not to start giggling at the pharmacy w/ all of this and the paperwork strewn all over the counter as I was questioned on everyone's date of births for the 3rd time that day.  Whooping Cough (pertussis) has been going around, and when Emily started coughing last week--even keeping her up at night and vomiting from the intensity, I took her in to get tested.  She wore a mask, and had "tickle the brain" swab taken up her nose, and had the Dr listen to her lungs.  He thought she sounded good, and that she likely didn't have it (having not been around anyone coughing), but wanted to be safe.  The hard part was that it took 6 days to get results back!! Meanwhile, she was doing much better, and sleeping well again, so we thought we may be in the clear.  Then the Dr. called apologizing for the results (I assured him we held him completely responsible! :) and then we went forward treating ALL of the family.  At least it's a once-a-day antibiotic, and we ALL get to take it at dinner together, but I feel awful for everyone around us feeling like ticking time bombs, and RIGHT before school starts!! Emily's fortunately not suffered too much--she is STILL having coughing fits a little bit (enough to keep at home), and though Anne has also picked up mild symptoms, the worst part has NOT been feeling sick!
I DO have a renewed gratitude for modern medice--vaccines in particular(Emily's at the age where her vaccine has weakened a bit), and antibiotics
I'm also grateful that we didn't have any trips/vacations planned that would've had to be cancelled, and
I'm grateful all will be well in time for school to start.  (and I hope, hope, HOPE the same for all our neighbors, etc.)!
I'm grateful the Merritt's (our closest neighbors) have been on vacation lately, so we couldn't be spreading anything to them, &
I'm grateful for great children taking advantage of all of this HOME time to do fun things:

Spencer saw some bow and arrows friends made from pvc pipe (pinterest ideas), and has been begging for them ever since.  When our doll basket started coming apart--he took the loose limbs, and made these himself!!  Way to make lemonade out of lemons (though I don't think the broken doll basket really affected him at all :)!! Maybe we'll start saying, "Just make bows out of broken baskets"--it's almost as catchy :).

And!! while Emily got sicker, Maddie got healthier!! I took her to the Eye Dr. w/ me, and she was right about her vision failing! She is now the beautiful "Four Eyes" of our family, and loves her new high-definition life:  TV is so much more fun to watch--she can even read the Netflix summaries w/o getting up, she couldn't stop staring at Brent's forehead at lunch, b/c she'd never been able to see those tiny freckles before (Brent loved that!), and of course, the old standby of the leaves on the trees. 

Brian has been in trial ALL week--coming home at midnight, leaving at 5:30 most mornings--it's been intense bringing this 6yr long case to a close.  And the verdict came back....
GUILTY on all 4 questions of what applied, EXCEPT when it came to the $ amount due to his client, the jury made up a sum which was a fraction of the agreed amount??!! Now, money hunger aside, the PROBLEM is that since the jury found the other party guilty of breaching the contract, BUT did not have the dollar amount agree to the contract, their WHOLE VERDICT may be THROWN OUT! Brian said the judge sat staring at what he was reading for a few minutes before presenting it aloud, and then said in his 20 years on the bench, he'd never seen a conundrum like this, and asked either side if they had any recommendations?? They'll be back to the motions drawing board Monday, I guess trying to see if they can keep from re-trying the whole thing!! At least we had our Dad this weekend! The children have just hovered around him all weekend, since we've barely seen him this week (they especially!).  Brian and I took Brent (who's been begging for months) and Maddie (just for fun) to see Avengers at the Dollar Movie yesterday, and Emily was such a good sport throwing a "party" for the rest of the kids at home--popping popcorn, painting nails, watching Narnia, etc.  If any child has to be locked up at home--I'm glad it's her! We also took advantage of a 30% off coupon @ Kohl's to get school shoes for everyone this week, and I've had to rediscover my own interests w/ all this time at home, and not even a husband to hang out w/!