**ThE AnChEtA FaMiLy**: December 2008

So I went on-line to check my grades... here are the results

Equine Nutrition- A

Small Group Communication- B.... grr group grades! But hey that's better than the C's the rest of my group got I must have rocked the final...who would've thought?!

Algebra- I ...Ugh I had to ask for an incomplete because I missed passing the proctored assessment by 4 points....4 lousy points! ARgh!! I HATE MATH!!! To make matters worse because I took an on-line course I can no longer take a course taught by an actual teacher, which is pretty much what I really need because the computer doesn't explain what I'm doing wrong, or where I went wrong for instance...it just has the lovely little message that pops up:

"Your answer is incorrect. Try again. If you answer the question incorrectly two more times you will be locked out of this section until you have completed two slices of your pie."

(William happy and healthy on Thanksgiving day)

So Monday morning (about 4 am) William got out of his bed and came over to me groaning...I thought he just wanted to cuddle up with me and sleep, but no he was burning up! I stripped off his flannel PJ's and woke up John to get me the thermometer. My poor baby had 102 degree fever! Once I cooled him down a bit he fell back asleep and stayed in bed until 11am. I tried to get him to eat once he was up and about but he wasn't having any of it...only his morning milk. Around lunch time I put him in his chair and gave him some noodles, which he ate quite happily...until he started throwing up. After a quick clean up I whisked him into the bedroom for a nap which ended up lasting most of the afternoon. He seemed to be feeling better once John came home so we went about our normal routine. However that night he was running a fever again and couldn't keep much down so it was on to white grape juice mixed with water(the advice nurse said White grape juice is easier on the stomach than other juices and since he didn't have severe vomiting pedialyte wasn't needed) and cuddling with mommy all night. The next morning I was hoping for improvement but boy was I wrong! He stayed in bed all day!! I kid you not all day but would scream hysterically whenever I left the room even for a minute which would only increase his fever. So of course I stayed in bed with him... not so bad really I've been feeling exhausted anyway. Unfortunately I had my Tuesday night communication class and was forced to leave William at home with daddy because I had a paper due. I was 9 minutes late and the instructor stopped me when I came in and told me to wait outside until she deemed it OK for me to enter. Fine...whatever ...but it was soooo cold and I wasn't dressed to be sitting outside I expected to walk from my blazer to the usually warm classroom (oh and just so you know she doesn't have a if your late don't bother rule just the rule of 4 tardies = 1 absence and I have NEVER been late before)....nope not my luck. 40 minutes later I'm still sitting outside (with 2 other students...one that arrived before me and one after me) when John calls and says William is running 103 fever so I made the decision to go home and take care of William and e-mail my paper to her since she saw me there she should except it right....wrong! I explained everything to her...why I was late and why I had to leave. She sent me the following e-mail in response to my explanation with paper attached...

Hi Shawnra,
I'm sorry that I cannot accept a late paper. Other students who attended class tonight but did not have their paper with them were also not able to submit it late.

I hope your son is feeling better very soon.

mb

Arghhhh!! I sent the paper in when I should have been in class so technically it wasn't even late! And need I point out that she didn't let me in the class so how could I hand it in at the end of the class period? Arghh! And to top things off John and William had fallen asleep before I got home and John covered William with a heavy blanket...so instead of 103 his fever was now up to 104.8. Ack! I got the fever down within a few minutes so hopefully no damage was done. A cool bath (which he hated BTW), some Tylenol, and mommies love and he drifted off to sleep within a normal temperature range. But today was the real challenge... William woke up feeling much better and ready to play, so I let him go out back for a little while (enough time for me to clean up the mess the dogs had made of Baybee's bed, and let the horses out). However he still wasn't eating and seemed to be riding an emotional roller coaster all day. Hold me ..no put me down...help me ...no I want to do it alone...feed me ...no I don't want it.. I want a drink...not anymore I changed my mind... all while screaming hysterically off and on. By the time John got home I was at my wits end, and completely stressed! I needed time away from the screaming but felt like a terrible mother for wanting it. Ack...now I'm exhausted all over again, I'm not super mom you know?!? And now I may have failed my class too.....argh I HATE group grades!!