Mommies don't get sick days

M has been home for the last few days with a horrid cough and general yucky illness. While I feel for him and am glad his schedule was such that he could stay home and rest, I've been grumpier than usual, knowing that it is only a matter of time before one of the rest of us comes down with it. In a futile attempt to stop the inevitable, the kids have been waving to him from the bottom of the staircase and we have made many many out of the house playdates to limit interaction with the sick one. I even took to sleeping on the couch to try and avoid the germ laden bed until he is well enough to warrant washing all of the bedding in hot, hot water.

Tonight I feel that niggle of a post-nasal drip scratch in my throat. The timing for full-blown cold should be just about perfect for a Monday onset, meaning that a fully-recovered, well-rested M will head off to the office for many late nights trying to catch up from his sick days, and sniffly, achy mommy will be working 14 hour shifts. Forgive my whine, but while I acknowledge there is nothing to be done, it still makes me rather grumpy.

Several moths ago salary.com came out with an approximation of what a stay-at-home mom is worth a year. Apparently the rest of town went around surprised and thrilled about how much they were worth. I looked at the number and laughed. "I should be paid a lot more than that,” I announced. I mean try to find another human being alive who would provide 14+ hours of childcare while nursing a cold, stomach virus or flu. They don't exist. And if they do, they should get paid more than $131,471. Can you tell I don't like being sick?