This sick bug is sticking around and finally claimed the baby. It’s running it’s course but as the others start to feel a little better they need a few more things to do before we get back to homeschooling.

Here are some more ideas for you of things we have done this week.

1. Write them a Get Well card. I took a huge piece of paper and wrote “Get Well Everybody” in bright colors and put swirls and confetti and smiley face stickers on it and taped it up on the front closet door in the living room so they could see it. My oldest kept commenting that he really liked it. He loves to write his own cards when Papa (what they call my husband) or I are sick. His best card said, “GIT WELL SOON,” and it reminded me of “Git ‘er done!” and brought a smile to my face because that’s exactly what I want to do with sickness, git ‘er done with!

2. Sing a song and tell some jokes. You be the song leader and let them pick out a few songs they like to sing and open up and let ‘er fly! Do the hand motions, get silly, get those little bellies rolling with laughter (be careful to slow down if they get to coughing), and build up their immunity with happiness. We did a few hundred verses of The Wheels on the Bus and various Bible songs and it took another 10-15 minutes of our time away from the TV.

Let them tell their favorite jokes and you tell some great children’s jokes too and keep their mind off of the downside of being confined to a room. We have a Bible Knock-Knock joke book and you can even look up jokes online or get joke books from the library. I just hope you don’t have to endure lame knock-knock jokes by the amateurs for days on end like we do sometimes, ha ha.

3. Jammie Drill! Jammie Drills are something I learned off the internet where you get the kids dressed for bed in their pajamas and make them think they’re going to bed, then 5-10 minutes later you sound an alarm and yell “JAMMIE DRILL! Get in the car now!” They grab their shoes and load up in the car and take them on an adventure, such as, pick up french fries from the drive through or play at the park in the dark.

So here’s the twist because the kids are sick they are already in their jammies all day long and you can call the drill when you would like. Open up your windows, if you’re in a safe neighborhood, and let the house air out for a while you take them to pick up a little snack or go look at the ducks in the duck pond or run a check to the bank. We drove to the local health food store and picked up more supplements, my husband going in, and me sitting in the car with the kids for a few minutes. He bought them mixed berry dark chocolate which they devoured on the drive home.

4. Ask Questions. We receive Highlights in the mail and one section in the magazine they ask all sorts of questions. I have written some of these questions down on little slips of paper and added some of my own and placed them in a jar. We pull them out every once in a while and all make thoughtful answers.Some of the questions are science oriented or silly, “What would you do first if you wanted to plant a garden?” or “Name 4 things you can brush.”

I learned today that my sons’ favorite vegetables are not what I thought they were…olives and carrots! Am I a bad mom for not knowing? No! They are changing and I need to learn more about them as we go along. The older our children get the more they learn and the less I know about them simply because I am not making all the decisions for them like I did when they were toddlers. P.S. Are olives actually a vegetable? I am thinking they’re a fruit…

It’s a busy world but illness can disguise itself as a blessing. As I wrote this entire post our sick infant wriggled around in my lap in her mopey sort of way just wanting to be close instead of on the floor. Stay close to your kids by making them feel special. You are the Mama God gave to them, help them know His love so that one day their hearts will accept Him as their Saviour and in time they can turn around and be great parents themselves.