Fall Break

This week has been the kids' fall break from school. November 1st (All Saints Day) and November 2nd (All Souls Day) are national holidays in the Philippines, so the school system decided to declare the week corresponding to those holidays "fall break". We were looking forward to doing so many fun things on our fall break. We were invited to go to a friends' beach house in Batangas for a few days. We RSVPd for a Halloween party scheduled on the 30th. And we had plans to go trick-or-treating with a friend on Halloween night. In between those times, I was going to take the kids to some fun places to fill up our week.

We ended up doing ONE of the activities I had planned... the Halloween party! (And, even at that, we didn't last very long.)

Samuel became so ill with that nasty stomach virus & it completely attacked his immune system. Just when we thought he was over the worst of it, it came back with a vengeance! For about 2 1/2 days straight, he laid on the couch & did nothing but sip Gatorade & watch movies. Wednesday evening, we finally called the doctor on call to come check on him. We never visit the doctor for a simple stomach virus, but at one point, I went to check on him & his face & lips were extremely pale white. (He could have been a ghost for Halloween... without any makeup!) So, I made up my mind to call in a professional. By the time she got here at 10 pm, he was fast asleep & did not want to be bothered. She gave us a prescription for nausea & vomiting, but he has not had any problems since that evening. Thursday morning, he woke up feeling a little better. And, by Thursday evening, he had some energy to burn. He still has not regained his appetite, but I'm sure that will come in time. This morning, he ate almost half a slice of toast with butter & strawberry jelly. That was the most he has eaten in 3 days! And, I'm thankful for that.

So, although our fall break was a bust, I am just so thankful for all my children's health. I am always reminded that it could be worse & that for many, it is. Our temporary health setbacks here & there are so minor compared to what many people face on a daily basis. Put into that perspective, I realize how truly blessed I am! And, for that, I thank God!