Koala cuddles

So, my babies have been playing sickness tag. They have arranged to take it in turns I think and have been passing the baton since Monday night. I don’t know why they don’t want to be ill together or whether they have some energy source that must be shared and when one has it, the other wanes, or maybe they feed of each other’s vulnerability. I don’t know but I have had one or the other attached to me like a little koala for three days, day and night. Maybe they are sharing the illness so that neither has the full force of it – that’s a nice thought.

 

The benefit of slightly poorly babies is the extra cuddles, the snuggles and the excuse to drop everything and just give them 100% of myself knowing that everything else can wait yet I spend the whole time they are sick just wishing them better. Minor illness offers a slightly quieter time, yet I long for my boisterous and energetic babies running around and jumping on me.

When I put my daughter to bed and she just snuggled up cuddling Peppa, I wanted her to be jumping up and down demanding ‘Star Star’ (as in Twinkle) to be sung out of tune one more time. When my son sat quietly under a blanket for the entire Monster Inc DVD and didn’t move once, I was torn between loving the hour and a half snuggle but worrying that he was feeling poorly.

 

I find that my babies only want Calpol when they are well. This means that during sick tag, the wrong baby always wants the drugs. I know who is really sick as they don’t hurtle across the room desperate for the pink stuff. It is my own personal litmus test for the wellness or otherwise of my children. I don’t need a thermometer, I have purple sachets.

 

I realised this week that it’s been a while since they have been ill as I had to check the dosage allowed for each child. Always when you smugly mention ‘goodness, mine have avoided all bugs this year….’ then you remember ‘oops, I didn’t touch the wood’

 

Sleep and Love and Cuddles.