A Family Divided...

...by 500+ miles! :(

The last 24 hours has been absolutely nuts!

In my previous post, I wrote about the passing of Uncle Jack and how we decided to go to Florida for the funeral. Well, there is more to the story.

Yesterday at 1:45 my co-driver and I finished unloading our truck. He changed into his driving uniform and I hit the restroom and we headed out.

As we headed out, my phone beeps telling me I have a message. One of those messages was Miss J from the school telling me that Joelle was not feeling well and in the 'sick-bay' and to call back when I could. Long story short, my in-laws thankfully picked the girls up about an hour early and took them home so our friends, whose turn to pick the kids up is on Thur, didn't have to deal with a sick child. Her temp was a low grade 99 degree fever.

So I get home, Doreen gets home we talk about things, go through the whole should we or shouldn't we go thing and then decide to go.

Both of us start making phone calls to cancel a couple of things, reschedule a thing or two and get others to head up a responsibility I had this weekend. It was quite a thing. Then Doreen had to finish studying for her exams Friday am.

This morning, Joelle wakes up crying just burning up. Her temp was 102.6 degrees. So I call the Ped Dr. answering service, end up talking with the Ped Dr. on call 10 minutes later and end up with a 9a appointment. The Ped tells me that right now we have strep, the flu and a virius that acts like the flu going around and she needs to be tested. So I take the neighbor kids to school, drop 3 things off for other people, who are planning on covering my responsibility and boogie back home. The kids change quickly, I run Natalie to the in-laws and Joelle and I drive 25 min to the Ped Dr's Office. Then wait 30 minutes. The waiting room was packed!

We finally get called in and tests run, 20 minutes later the results come, Joelle has the flu. So as we drive back to a McD's for breakfast - since we didn't have time for one, I start thinking about 8+ hours in a van packed with 7 people and one of them a very sick child, plus some other considerations, was not looking very positive.

When Doreen finished with her 4 exams today, she called and we talked. We decided that I'd stay here with Joelle and Natalie would go to Florida.

WARNING: FREAKY COINSIDENCE - Shelly, my sister-in-law and husband Randy were planning to fly to Orlando for the funeral until their youngest Colby, came down with a temp of 102. So he decided to stay home with him. Wild - can someone please play the Twilight Zone music now?! :)

Now that I'm staying, I decided to do the thing I delegated to others. I'd feel bad leaving them to do it while I chill at home.

So a few more calls got that all straight. Once all that was done, we just chilled the rest of the afternoon. Just what the Dr ordered for Joelle and a frazzled father! :)

Tomorrow I have responsibilities between 1p and 4p, but the rest of the time is 'get well' time, plus Sunday and Monday! Plenty of time for a little girl to get better and a daddy to have time to relax.

We'll just be looking forward to the other half of the family getting back home. The house is 'different' without them.