Santa brought the Hadley family flu this year. The downward spiral started on Mon 22nd when Alison and Caleb started with fevers. By Tuesday evening Alex and I were also sick. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day passed in a fever induced daze mostly spent lying on the sofa under a blanket, watching crap TV and not really noticing. Highlights of this time included:

  1. trying to keep two small sick children from getting upset/crying
  2. trying to prevent eldest child from wiping the copious amounts of snot emerging from his face on his clothing, the clothing of others or on the furniture
  3. trying to persuade both small children that medicine is not poison and should be swallowed, not spat, and digested, not regurgitated
  4. praying that partner will not conk out completely because "I really couldn't cope with this on my own"
  5. occasional naps when both small children would allow

We did manage to open our Christmas presents on Christmas Day but then we left them where they’d been opened in the lounge and went back to the family room for a lie down.

Before I was a Dad I used to quite enjoy the odd bout of flu or bad cold, it was an excuse to take to my bed, drink lots of lemsip and generally feel good about feeling sorry for myself. The key to this ‘enjoyment’ is the ability to forget about everyone else and just focus on number one for a day or two - when you have sick kids to look after at the same time as yourself it’s a completely different story and, frankly, something of a nightmare. There ought to be a law…

We’re all somewhat on the road to recovery now, only Alex has the suggestion of a fever still. Alison, Caleb and I have all been left with a most unpleasant cough that makes us sound like a group of harbour seals on a good night out when we get started in unison. Caleb and I are still fighting off snotty noses. I expect in the next day or so we’ll all get some appetite for food again, Christmas lunch this year was a bowl of tomato soup which only Alison could eat. What a week.