Sick days

Sometimes I think that getting sick is God's way of getting me to slow down a little and notice my children more. Last night I came down with a nasty head cold. I'm achy and tired and runny-nosed. And so we didn't go anywhere today (although the plans had included errands and library and park). We stayed home and took life easy.

This morning I lay on their bedroom floor and read to the boys. One of the books was Mayday! Mayday! A Coast Guard Rescue. It has beautiful art, slightly forced rhyming text, and the ability to utterly inspire my sons. Jonathan spent quiet time hand-drawing the Jayhawk helicopter, copying it from the pictures in the book. We created rescue baskets with paper and string, attaching them to toy helicopters and flying them to rescue Imaginext people and Duplo cats.

I found a great coloring page online, and since the printer isn't currently working Jonathan spent some time coloring it in the Paint program. Didn't it turn out nicely? Later, Jonathan and Thomas decided that they wanted to be pilots, complete with headset and microphone. We made those out of coat hanger wire and black beads. (Jonathan has declared it "the best kind of project day!") As I'm writing, all three boys are in their bedroom, enacting a complicated rescue, complete with pilot, mechanic, and diver.

If we had done all our typical Wednesday activities, the day probably would have been just fine. But today has been lovely in an entirely different way, and I can't really say that I'm sorry I'm sick.