signs. Not the creepy, crop circle, chattery-on-the-baby-monitor kind.

Signs that the family is recovering well:

I took a shower. What the what? Yes. I did. I left the three small humans unattended, watching movies in 2 separate rooms. I felt they were well enough to go 10 minutes without needing me. I also deadbolted the door. The front door, not the bathroom door, silly!

I dried my hair. Holy Moses! They did so well, that I stuck one small human in the bathtub, left the other two with said movie, and fully dried my hair. Another 20 minutes of successful, pain-free, self-sufficiency.

I may have arranged the apps on my phone by color. It may not last, as it may not be an arrangement that lends to smooth functionality... But it may look pretty. I'm almost admitting to this ultimate "I have time on my hands" move.

I also took a picture of the patina on my soap dish, and made a painting of it. Ok, I haven't yet made it yet, but I'm hoping I will have by tonight, when I post this.

Yes, it's all about me. I also know that Rowan is doing better, because I look at her and know that she's being a tiny bit of a drama queen. I can tell her to stop being so wienerrific. Two days ago, every hollow and curve of her face was a sacred relief in palest ivory, and I touched her skin as if it were delicate parchment vellum. Yeah, I know, I'M a bit of a drama queen.

Fauve landscape and my own wild ones

There is something about having all three kids miserably sick that brings a measure of peace. I mean, let's face it, they're all laid out in the living room watching Happy Feet. That's not what I meant, though. I am not waiting for any more kids to catch the fever, I'm not dividing myself between comforting and treating the sick and making sure the well don't get neglected.

I suppose this is a virus. I've got a call in to the doctor, and when I talk to her, I will feel even better. Either I'll bring them in, or I won't. But it will be decided. And I am mentally prepared for getting no sleep. Just accepting the situation does wonders for my frustration level.

My little Rowan told me at bedtime, "I was so dizzy today, I was like ER dizzy..." What? What do you mean, honey? "I was so dizzy, I should have gone to the emergency room!"

Heavens, this girl knows drama!

This was a lot more fun than the last one.

Valla-Tine's

To tell you the truth, I have never had big expectations for Valentine's Day. With or without a boyfriend or husband, I am quite surprised when someone marks the occasion in any way. My dear husband is not one for jumping on bandwagons. In fact, he kind of dislikes things on principle if there is any kind of mob mentality or trendy aspect to them. So today, we kissed each other and said "Happy Valentines Day", and that was pretty much it. The kids and I had a crafty little time, making Valentines for their cousins. They lost interest faster than usual, and went to sleep. They woke up this morning with some kind of stomach bug. Oh well.

I really don't mind, or feel bad, except that I wish the poor buggers weren't sick. Maybe it just comes with a certain amount of time and perspective. I like a good excuse to cut out heart shaped snowflakes and decorate with pink and red. But really, I just want to remember that like my kids, I can make a "Valla-Tine" any day of the year, that we should do little things for one another that say "I love you" as often as possible, and not wait until a holiday dictates that we're supposed to. Anything heart shaped is a valentine as far as they are concerned. Anything that says that you care fits the bill in my book. Today, we got 'em both. Sweet.