It has left me with a big smile.

The weekend, that is. Grant you, it didn't start out well. When K- came out of school on Friday afternoon, she had the biggest frown on her face. A crocodile tear was trudging down her cheek.

"Mom, I've had the biggest stomach ache all day." [Insert scene from Moses parting the Red Sea. It is amazing how fast parents will move their child away from a child that potentially has the stomach flu. And yes, I'm the same way.]

We went home, got her in jammies, set up in bed with the portable DVD player and I took her temperature. 101 F. Fantastic.

We were to go to my husbands boss' house for dessert and a movie. I called Hubs. He was bummed. We were going to meet one of his previous National Park co-workers, his family and their 10 year old foster child. They all understood our canceling. (We've had to cancel before. The first time we had dinner plans with Dan, the old RAV was totaled.)

So, I got K- all settled in. She was a sad-sack mess. I had to call my mom to come sit with K- while I ran visitation transport for my niece and nephew. K- napped while my mom was here and she slept all night. I was up and down checking to make certain that the 102 F fever that I broke didn't return. Happily, it didn't.

Saturday was a little peppier, but she still hung out in bed all day. She had an unlimited supply of Goldfish crackers, Toy Story Cheese-It's, 7-Up and movies. She was in kid heaven.

Since K- was stuck inside, I was in the next room over working in my studio. It was lovely.

I was able to get the frame done that I had promised for the mailer photo shoot. We're having a staff show at the end of April, but they needed one piece from each participating co-worker in advance.

K- was perking up even more on Saturday night, but later we found that the day must have really exhausted her since we found her fast asleep before 8 PM.

I love the child, but she called on a two hour basis from her bed in a loud voice, "Mommy!" I jumped out of bed and went running to have her ask me, "Can you turn the little TV on?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's the middle of the night." [I'm having Orphan Annie flashbacks here.]

She did that at 10 PM, 12:30 AM, 2:30 AM, 4:30 AM and at 6:30 AM. Folks, it wore me out. She normally only gets one hour of TV a day, so apparently the unlimited movie watching while ill awakened her TV addicted inner child.

On Sunday morning, we skipped church because of the funk, so I yelled hey to the neighbor. I told him that we missed him and his partner. He came by a moment and was talking to me about the church that they are attending. We both got excited when he discovered these in our front yard:
A couple hours later, K- announced that she no longer had a stomach ache, but had an ache to go outside. I told her that would be Cabin Fever. We suited her up in snow clothes and sent her off to play. I figured a bit of fresh air wouldn't hurt her and while she was out, I opened the windows and doors again. I wanted to air out the yuck that she just had.

Going outside gave her one last shot at sliding down igloo hill and putting the last bits of our sled out of its misery.
While out taking pictures of K-, I looked and found our cat happily looking out the big (dirty) door window. It is her favorite place in the summer. The sun comes in and warms her kitty body. "Mom? Is the nice sun going to stay?"
"I hope so, Smudge. I sure hope so."

Smiles in my weekend:
- Sprinkled in above.

Have a great day!