Yesterday at about 4:15, Ethan’s school called me up and told me that he had a fever of 104.

I prompted dropped everything and ran out the door, calling James on the way to do the same in case he could get there sooner.

Crappy thing is we both work a ways away and it takes us both way too long to get back to the homeish area. So, I pulled up at the school an hour later and tried not to RUN into the school’s office to see my boy. he was burning hot to the touch, and I gave him some tylenol (stopped and got it on the way, thus the hour instead of 40 min.) and then got Jocelyn and started home.

He seemed to perk up a bit on the way home. He was were bleary-eyed, but feel rotten didn’t stop him from pointing out the fire engine that screamed by, or the backhoe we passed. Some things transcend 104 degree fevers, it seems.

I felt kind of bad, because yesterday morning, when I went into his room to get him he pointed hear the back of his neck, and stated, “My neck hurts.” I thought it was odd, and even asked specifically, “How about your throat, does your throat hurt?” but he said no, and pointed again to his neck, not at the nape, but more on the side.

He acted fine all morning, but later when he was brushing his teeth and I had picked him up to stand on the edge of the tub, I thought he might be feeling a little too hot, and even took his temperature just to see. It was fine at 98 degrees, so I shrugged it off and the morning continued as usual and off he and Jocelyn went to school.

Obviously, he stayed home today, and me along with him, and we went to the doctor’s office this morning.

I was a bit nervous, because the last time we were there was for his 4 year checkup, and when he got his 4 yr old shots, well… let’s just say all hell broke loose, and we were picking up the pieces for quite some time. He did very well, although he did ask me nervously SEVERAL times, “No shots, right mommy?” and was visibly relieved when I assured him that no, there wouldn’t be any shots.

The doctor looked in his ears, up his nose, and at his eyes, commenting all the while how there was nothing, nothing at all going on.. until she looked in his throat. She showed me too, and damn, those tonsil were swollen. It’s any wonder the boy can eat anything at all (which, he hasn’t been much). She did a rapid strep culture which turned out negative, and so did the 3 day wait culture next, but said that it looked like strep and she’d be getting a lot of strep cases, and recommended we start antibiotics anyway, and if the culture came back negative, we would just stop the antibiotics. I’m not one to give antibiotics willy nilly (I don’t even buy antibacterial soap), but I went with her recommendation especially since his fever has risen every time the tylenol has worn off. If it comes back negative I am going to kick myself for helping grow a new generation of extra resistant bacteria. yeah, totally having second thoughts now. Argh.

By the time we got home from target (got prescription, and popsicles, oogled over patio furniture) his fever had spiked back up again, right on schedule. He’s been dosed and is in bed napping now.

Jocelyn also stayed home sick on tuesday, after waking up with a fever the night before. She also visited the doctor, but throat was fine, ears were fine, nose and sinuses – not fine. She was diagnosed with sinusitis and is currently on day 4ish of her antibiotics.

It’s just anti-biotic city around here. James pointed out to me that we did have a pretty good streak, which is true, the kids have been pretty healthy since, oh probably January or February. And in Jocelyn’s case, I have a sneaking suspicion that the mac n’ cheese we have thought was “fine” in terms of milk (she is intolerant of dairy, gets all snotty when she has milk protein) in fact, isn’t fine, which would explain all the snottiness on her end for the last 2-3 weeks. Note to self: no more box mac n’ cheese for the young’uns.

Anyway, so I’ve stayed home tuesday and friday this week. Next time – it’s JAMES’ TURN!

What really sucks is that I’ve missed casual friday. I don’t mind (HA! MIND! as if I’d MIND) staying home, but I at least want to make it count, and stay home on a day where I’d OTHERWISE have to PICK AN OUTFIT that has some modicum of fashion sense, instead of throwing on jeans and a t-shirt. Humph.

My friend Linda is home (as in, back in the country) from teaching in Korea, and is here in DC for the weekend, and we’re making tentative plans to get together tonight, and I’m just so tickled. I haven’t seen her in a zillion years.

CAN NOT WAIT.

-amy better not get sick now.