Spring Break was not a break from germs but it was still fun

We hung out at home all of Wednesday.  Isaac threw up throughout the night on Tuesday and Piper needing breathing treatments and we started her on her antibiotics.  We thought we better steer clear of people and just get better at home.  The boys played at home and Mike made cheese and actually Isaac acted fine once he got all the throw up out.  Wednesday was a pretty restful day for us.  By Thursday we had had no throw up for 24 hours and Piper seemed to be doing much better--less boogers, less coughing, and no fever since Monday--so we decided to go to Gatlinburg to a museum the boys have been aching to go to.  Wonderworks was a pretty fun museum, kind of like a science museum/indoor amusement park.  

 They were super excited to go on the ropes course way up in the air.  It looked pretty scary to me but the boys and Mike were ready to go.  I think it took them about an hour to stand in line and complete the course.  Piper and I checked out some other things while they did the course.  Mike said it was "terrifying."  I love the picture below with the random old guy photobomming.  It looks like he's got a floating head.

 Everyone liked the bubble station.

 Piper stomped on aliens

 and they all wanted to lay on a bed of nails

 Will was pretty bummed that none of the other brothers wanted to go on the rides and Mike and I don't do well on rides either and the lines were pretty long.  They all wanted to try out the rock wall though.  I was amazed at how fast Isaac climbed the wall.

 The following day we had a play day at our house.  Will's friends weren't able to come over on his birthday so we decided to wait until Friday.  They came over and had an ice cream cake and played for hours.  I think heard a lot of Minecraft and Pokeman talk going on.  The friends came over at 10 and I think it was 5 before they were all gone.  They all had a great time.  Once all the kids were gone we hurried and got dressed in church clothes and went to a baptism for another friend who wasn't able to come to the "party."

Saturday we had planned on going on a walk by the river but we had some things to do and Piper was starting to feel sick again.  We had promised the boys we would take them out to eat so we went for lunch at Texas Roadhouse--their pick.  Piper went down for a nap in good spirits and feeling well but woke up with another fever.  I held her for about an hour before she started to perk up a little.  We sent her to bed early and she woke up in the middle of the night with the same fever.  This morning she is pretty miserable.  I am sick myself with whatever respiratory junk she has.  I held it off as long as I could but finally succumbed to it. We are hanging out at home again while Mike and the boys head to Stake Conference.  I think I'm going to have to take Piper back to the doctor this week to see what is going on.  The breathing treatments don't seem to be doing much and I'm surprised she is still getting fevers.  It has been three weeks now of off and on fevers.

I admit that I am pretty discouraged about the sickness that has hit our home this winter.  I can't believe we are still battling so many different germs.  The one week all the kids were healthy was the week Mike had all the respiratory junk.  That was three weeks ago and someone has been sick since then.  I have a counter full of meds that are taken daily.

 I've loaded us up with vitamins, probiotics, airborne, etc.  I've washed down the walls and door knobs and cleaned sheets and blankets.  I've encouraged everyone to be outside every day the weather permits, and even on days when it doesn't.  Still, we are just a germ infested home.  I am not a germaphobe.  I am also not a disregarder of germs and I generally don't let my kids walk around sick getting everyone else sick but I also am to the point where I feel like we are never going to get better.  Just when I think we are turning a corner, we go do something fun in public and then the following day someone is acting sick again.  It is by far our worse winter for sickness.  It's really getting me down and discouraged.  Anyway, it's been a rough couple of months for our family in the health department.