No more broccoli, ever

OK: If you are a good parent who makes a point of offering healthy, brightly-colored vegetables and fruits at every meal, and who is not above making rules about the necessity of *at least trying* each healthy food, beware that when your children get the stomach virus that *is* going around, and that will soon be in *your* neighborhood (if it isn't already there), YOU will be looking at those healthy, bright-colored food items in all kinds of unwelcome places, probably for at least three days after serving them.

Both Astrid and Elliot are sick. Astrid has a tender tummy, so we're used to the monthly barf-fest, and we've got some good middle-of-the-night strategies for cleaning up and getting everyone back into a bed (even if it's not the bed they usually rest in). Elliot, on the other hand, has a stomach of steel, so when he gets sick, we know we're dealing with an especially devious little virus, and we do find ourselves a bit at loose ends. Worse than that, it's disorienting to confront an ashen, dimple-free, floppy fellow, when we're used to his merry eyes and bone-dry sense of humor. We are counting the minutes till our Elliot is back in form.

Interestingly, while Elliot is usually a stoic, relatively cheerful patient, and Astrid is quite expressive about her discomforts, this time around, Astrid has been every bit as cheerful as her brother. Last night, for instance, I enjoyed five hours of "Chatty Cathy on the Potty," as Astrid reenacted her favorite Pokemon battles while perched perkily on the toilet. Even though I had to prop my head on my hands to stay awake, I couldn't help loving her spunk. I should be so cheerful when my intestines are turning inside out....

We've had no end of snow in Chicago for the past week. During a three-day break between tummy bugs (or maybe it's the same bug--I don't know), Astrid and her dad got to build a super-cool snow fort in the backyard. I love the look on Astrid's face---she's very proud of what she and Terry accomplished in less than a half an hour. She was equally excited when she saw, the next morning, that overnight rain had melted away most of their work.