We Live in a TB War Zone

The problem with not blogging for awhile in our family is that too much happens that is too unbelievable and then I don't know where to start. So I'll start with today. I'll start at 5:00 today. I switched off children with Chris--Christopher has been in the hospital for five days with throwing up, asthma, fever, William and Caroline at home with deep gut wrenching coughs and fevers, and I went to pick up Sarah Katherine from school (carting along the unhospitalized walking wounded). We had to get tights, fake eyelashes (yes they really still sell them), and another leotard for her performance this Thursday night. And did I mention that we also had to stop at Joanne Fabrics so that I could make her a skirt (by tomorrow) for the show. So I get home, start cutting out, make a mistake, back to Joanne's more fabric, and then back. At this point my bridge or more well known as fake tooth comes out for the fourth time in two days--so I fix it with fixodent-no time for the dentist right now. Make the skirt and get the younger two to the doctor. Meanwhile Chris calls me to tell me that Christopher's fever has gone up and he's coughed up a bit more blood, but they're sending us home. The receptionist at the doctor's office warmly greets me (and I do mean warmly becuase I'm certain our co pays are paying her heating bills this year). The doctor from behind the wall calls out, "are there Doyle's out there?" That would be yes and please get us back there asap. Leave the doctors office with 2 prescriptions for z-packs. I love going to the pharmacist where they also warmly greet me with "hello Mrs. Doyle how many are sick today?" (again think paying their bills). So as I sit here tonight all my children are under one roof and they're all coughing--except Sarah Katherine who will probably start on Thursday because that's when we're supposed to go see where our thousands of dollars are paying off. I'm pretty sure they'll all need therapy to recover from their father shouting at them to stop coughing and their mother looking glassy eyed and saying, "not again!"

So what have we learned from this? Well we've learned that had I been blogging in Pittsburgh our first winter you would have been reading the same thing; and we've learned that we have much better friends here than we realized. The move hasn't been easy, but I tell you when push comes to shove you see where you're loved, and we are loved here by some--albeit they may have brain cells missing--they do take our children in coughing, throwing up, fever, whatever, but they show us the love of God--the completely selfless giving at their own expense, at their family's own expense. They barely know us, but last night Chris and Charles were exchanging underwear on our front porch! (and that will be another blog!)