Right on Schedule.

Joe was out of town last week. Seems to me, in the past year or so, that every single time Joe heads out of town on business, one (or more) of my kids start puking. It's like they have an aversion to his travel. The day before he left, Sara came down with a fever. Sure 'nuff, says I. Right on time.

But the next day, she was fine! And Joe hopped on a plane and headed three time zones away. The next morning was the big SPEECH MEET. Which the kids had been working on for two months. I got up early, got the kids and myself all showered and pretty, fed them breakfast. Two minutes before we hurry out the door, Sara doubles over in pain. Ugh!

The babysitter is cancelled, all the kids are loaded into the car (Sara with a big huge bowl) and we head out to drop the two olders at school. I was soooo super-bummed to miss out. And the kids were going to be completely parent-less for the big day. So I decided to get out the trusty DVD player. Propped it up, waited until the very possible last minute, jetted into the school to watch Kayte, then Will. They both did awesome! Scored red ribbons! Will did it exactly like he did for Joe and I! (Apparently standing in front of his parents and reciting a poem is exactly as crippling as standing in front of a room full of his classmates and their parents!) Kayte's was decidedly toned down from rehearsal, but still really great!

I hurried back to the car, having been gone a good 15 minutes, and there was poor little Sara, feeling much better, with a messy bowl on her lap. What a tough little cookie, and a poor third child! By lunchtime she was stellar, her bouncy little self.

I don't know what is up with my kids lately. They've been run down and completely exhausted. It is time to crack down on our sleeping schedules a little bit!

So we survived one more absence from Joe. He isn't allowed to leave again for at least 6 months. I'm just not cut out for it. And apparently neither is he. The one other teeny little side-effect of Joe's travel is strep throat. He is already 4 hours into his first dose of antibiotics. He should probably just have that called in before he boards a plane.

At least we know what to expect.