This is the house of sickness.

Rose is fine except for the occasional hacking cough that will probably last all winter.

David seems cheerful and pretty functional, but his body is certainly trying to expel something. We suspect he got my flu.

We suspect, now on my fourth day of low grade fever, that I have the flu. No, I had not gotten around to getting my shot, and I don't want to be lectured about it. I did get the kids' shots and that hasn't made much difference. According to the random websites John and I checked, this is a long illness--possibly 8 days of fever and weeks of coughing. Cancelling my life for three days mostly involved not getting to write poetry, go dancing, or exercise. David and I still spent 2 hours food shopping while I felt (rather pleasantly) that I was I going to pass out any minute. Cancelling my life for more takes a real bite. My parenting yesterday involved falling asleep on the couch while David and I listened to the blessed Mary Pope Osborne.

John appears healthy, but his nerves are getting a bit frayed by all the extra duties tending to the sickos.