Steph, much, much, much ~ma.

Poor Ellie! Much ~ma to all of you.

Gronk. Babysitting day.

Calm~ma to Steph. Have a couple of drinks before you get on the plane? The Irish way to deal with nerves.

Today I have booked flights to Finland, NOT had a bonus paid (but it's sorted now), made a baby cry (it was the first time her mum had left her for more than two minutes; we got to fifteen!) and had my first gluten free bread type thing.

Stephanie, I'm sorry you had such a rotten day. I wish there were a way to make things easier from here.

Teppy, sending lots of anxiety-management~ma to you.

Jars, good luck on the gluten-free eating.

Karl and Javachik, glad you are ok.

Shir, I can see how that kind of pay cut would feel like a step backwards. But since it will not stop you from doing the things that are most important to you, it's one step back so you can take further steps forward. Lots of getting better~ma for you and your family. I know you are making light of how sick you are, but anytime the fever is so bad there is delirium and hallucinations, that's nothing to sneeze at. I'd be more worried about you, but I know your mom is a nurse, and surely she will know when you can no longer treat this at home.

G is sick with a little cold and after crying a bit for mommy he is fast asleep in my arms. I should probably feel bad that he is sick, but he is normally not this cuddly.

I should probably feel bad that he is sick, but he is normally not this cuddly.

Having little colds is part of life at his age. If he weren't doing it, his immune system would be messed up later on. While having a cold is not fun, it is an important part of development into a healthy adult. As such, you can be thankful that his immune system is getting the work out that it needs. And enjoy every little cute moment you can.

sj, when Ellie was little - and still with Frisco - I sort of love when they are sick because they are happy to just sit on my lap and be cuddled. Of course I don't want them to be sick, but I sort of feel like it's my karmic reward for holding and caring for sick kids.

Dude, it's not football. It's the Saints.

Aren't they a baseball team?

t runs away

I should probably feel bad that he is sick, but he is normally not this cuddly.

It's the reward for taking care of them when they're sick. Liv was cuddling in my lap at the doctor's office and she looked up at me and said, "You're the best mom for taking care of me when I'm sick."

[link] Herding cats, Ikea style.