Week in Review, and vomit.

Jules here-

This month is flying by and today is my mother AND our dearest Em's birthday! I shall not reveal their ages :)  I planned for Ems birthday days ago with cards, presents, etc.- wait, no I didn't. But I will call her later today! As for my mother, my original plan was to host a lovely dinner, make a cake, and give her a simple gift.

Of course, after I bought everything, I started feeling worse and worse until... NOROVIRUS! So I am lying here in bed typing about the birthday party, and canceling the celebration.  After some glorious quality time in the bathroom last night, I finally was lying down enjoying the excruciating stomach pain, when I hear a yell from James's room--- VOMIT!  So far, girls are fine, but that means they'll wait until they are walking across my new carpet....  **Cardinal rule of vomit- 5 and under WILL NEVER MAKE IT IN THE TOILET, and THEY PREFER FABRIC AND UPHOLSTERY**

My little Irish girls

 So as I do 5 loads of laundry and lie down in between- I shall regale you about the happenings in my household.  First, we had St. Patrick's Day this week! One of the few celebrations that encourage a love for Red-Headed Irish people!! :)  My children love getting dressed in green, and this year we got to see The O'Brien Clan (our good friends) play at a pub! We all had a great time pretending how to Riverdance to the awesome music.

I also got the traditional gold coins and set-up a fun morning surprise! I, of course, have been thrift shopping so I had some random cheap toys to have the Leprechaun bring (side note, my kids don't really believe in Leprechauns but it's fun for them to pretend. James said, "I know Leprechauns are fairy tales, but I like to imagine that you are one!").  With the addition of a quick rainbow paper chain the effect was complete!

Breakfast was green-dyed biscuits with honey which they gobbled up!

My sister, Betsy, and her two ADORABLE Irish kiddos, came up to celebrate St. Patrick's with us at the pub, and little Charlie was a fantastic dancer!

We also have been loving the taste-of-Spring weather we have been having, though snow is expected tonight...  The children seriously frolicked in our backyard and were giddy to reveal that we had our first crocuses for the year!  We also have been exploring every playground in the vicinity and playing tag (which I am seriously out of "tag shape".... winded is an understatement!).

Though the weather is warm, I have a cursed syndrome called: Raynaud's Phenomenon.  It basically makes my hands go into survival mode against frigid weather. I usually wear gloves all winter and always in the grocery store. This is what happens when I forget my gloves when I am shopping- and yes, it is painful to have your fingers lose the blood to them. They become painfully numb and tingly... ouch! Come on HOT summer- I am ready!

I wasn't even in the frozen section when this happened. Ouch.

Finally, the inside-fort always SOUNDS like a good plan until clean-up time comes, and the children suddenly can't remember how to put couch cushions back and they are too weak to move small chairs. Huh. Outside play time is coming at a perfect time...

My lovely destroyed living room at 8 PM.  Ugh.

So that is a a glimpse into my week- lots of fun until we have been destroyed by this virus. Ugh. Looks like we are missing Palm Sunday Mass and watching a lot of TV today. Not my original plan of Maple Sugaring, birthday partying, and prepping for the week... :( Boo.

Easy Rule #34234- You can never have too many towels and blankets when kids have stomach illnesses. Don't throw them away.

Easy Rule #42342- Don't get cocky- the second you even think you've survived the winter without the Norovirus- you get it, and you get snow the next day just to rub it in.