Calamities and Cabin Fever

Anyone who has spent any kind of holiday period with kids - even more so with their own - would know the very real sense of Cabin Fever that kicks even after just a few hours of being at home. This is often magnified in extreme weather (when it's either too hot or too cold to be out), and when the holiday funds have dried up. There is one other time this may also be a problem: illness. Now put them all together: holiday + sweltering heat + limited funds + illness. That was our holiday.

A week before Christmas, on Andel's first day of holiday - something I had been waiting a while for (can you tell that I'm a working mom, completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable being at home with three kids under six?) - we took Zac to his swimming lesson. Everyone was happy: not only were we there in numbers and starting our relaxing family time together, it was also Sam's first lesson, and he was super excited! Apparently so was Zac, because he did something completely out of character: he jumped into the water and simultaneously turned toward Sam, and hit his chin on something in the pool, cutting it open.

A pretty big gash considering Zac wasn't even aware of it

Long story short: Zac needed six sutures in his chin, administered by the closest GP under local anaesthetic. To say that he was brave is an understatement. Just this past August he was admitted to hospital with respiratory issues, and squirmed and screamed the ward down when having his drip inserted. Still, this boy, lay perfectly still and without tears throughout being stitched up. He even had the sense of humour to ask me to film it - which I did.

My brave boy

Getting stitched up like a boss!

Of course the downside was not being able to get into the pool. During the holiday. In the blistering heat. While Sam was doing his thing in the water like a champ. We resorted to all kinds of alternative activities for Zac to do during these times, and he happily enough counted down the sleeps to when he could swim.

Happy in spite of it all

Then after Christmas, a day before he could take his stitches out, he woke up with a swollen face. He had woken during the night, rather unusually, screaming in pain. I thought perhaps he had earache, gave him some meds, and prepared myself for the inconvenience of a ear infection diagnosis. Except it wasn't an ear infection. It was worse. It was mumps!

Waking up with a swollen neck

Looking just a little rounder

Back into quarantine we went - and stayed until the end of Andel's leave. Fortunately (although is there really such a thing under these circumstances?) some of Zac's cousins who coincidentally had caught the mumps virus earlier in the year, considered themselves low enough risk to still hang out with us - even if it was in relative isolation.

Interestingly, eight years ago, at the same time, I was the only home with cabin fever and mumps...
At least I can send him back to school this week!