The Lake House Is A Sick House

We packed. We moved. We are here.

The children woke up on Friday morning feeling a bit under the weather but in good spirits. As we had heard we would need to be cleared out of the house entirely by the end of this week, we decided to push ahead with our moving plans on Friday and left the girls with Trevor's parents. We made it into the "new" house (temporary living quarters, which we've dubbed the "Lake House") just in time for the girls to come home that evening with full-blown H1N1. (Am I 100 percent sure it's H1N1? No. They haven't been tested. But their symptoms are spot on with those kids who have been tested, and the pediatrician's after-hours nurse says it sounds like it, so we think that's what they have.)

Marta is pretty sick, but not nearly as bad (yet?) as Berit. Berit can't go for a minute, truly, without having a coughing fit, and is therefore not sleeping well at all. She's drawn and pale and barely eats anything. I think Marta's rallying because of her habit of constantly eating, and while she's not taking in as much as usual, she's at least getting nourishment. I bought them a big pile of soy bars and other yummy protein-packed "snacks," along with those fortified milk drinks that are crazy expensive, so when they do snack they're getting a punch of vitamins. I feel just awful for Berit, who keeps saying things like "I'll never get better. NEVER!" and, alternatively (in the middle of the night when she's just a limp little child with a constant hacking cough), "I know I'll feel better soon, Mommy." Tiny Tim, eat your heart out.

To help matters, I spent the day reading all about the viruses that are expected to mutate into veritable plagues over the next few months. So, that was helpful.

Also: I have two deadlines next week.

And: The majority of our house still needs to be moved into storage and our house cleaned inside and out to prepare for the appraisal AT THE END OF THIS WEEK.

Plus: Trevor still needs to finish putting the ceiling up at the old house (part of the purchase agreement). THIS WEEK.

In addition: We haven't technically closed on our house yet, so, you know, we might have to move back if these people change their minds.

Bonus: The dog is sick with a mysterious throwing-up illness in this house that costs more than five of my houses. Think of the rugs. Think of me following him with towels.

The underlying current here, though, is happy and excited to be living in this amazing house (and a bit of terror in how comfortably we fit in these many thousand square feet) for the next several months, and anticipation for the ground-breaking on our land. We also have a meeting next week that is pretty exciting, and I'll write more about it after it happens.

Poor Berit. She's awake again, chanting a random "a-da, a-da," which she's been doing these nights when she can't sleep but isn't entirely awake. I think that means I should get to bed myself.