I knew that two kids would a challenge, but when both became ill at the same time, I was blindsided. It's a call every working parent dreads: "It's the school nurse. Your child is sick, please pick him up." Amazingly, this was topped by a second call about the health of my other child. I effectively missed a week of work dealing with my toddler's uncontrollable, probably virus-induced, fever. At the same time, I was shuttling my baby off to the doctor's again and again, only to find out she had yet another ear infection and was allergic to another antibiotic. In my agitation to get something accomplished at work, I even brought her in to sit with me while I packed seeds for my winter plant nursery. This was, not surprisingly, a short-lived endeavour. At home, I was in a horrible emotional state, wishing I could help my kids more. Unable to get any work done at home or at the lab, I was sleeping even lessthar usual and felt that I was failing in all areas of my life. All I could do was keep moving and wait for it to pass.
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