My mom went to Italy and all I got was this stupid stomach bug.

Well, that isn't entirely true. She did go to Italy. And she brought back lots of souvenirs. But I did get a stomach bug, while she was gone. And...Cosette got it first, while Juliette held out til the last.

This was Cosette, the day after Greg's surprise party:


Once she grasped the concept of the bowl, she wouldn't put it down. She didn't move from that position all day. Except to roll over and throw up.

Hmm... a dozen or so years from now, if I were to witness this behavior the morning after a big party- with a full bar- I might be wondering what Cosette had gotten into. In this case, it was just a stomach bug. Please note that I use the word "just" lightly, because it was SOME stomach bug.

And do you know why we all got sick? It was because my mom went on vacation. Now, the sick routine in the Raising Mommy household is as follows: child gets sick. Mother calls Nonna. Nonna rushes over, whisks away sick child, makes homemade chicken soup, dotes on them all day, and brings them home all better.

That is how it goes. That is what is supposed to happen. But when Nonna goes away, then mommy is left to deal with sick child. My chicken soup just isn't the same as Nonna's.

To make matters worse, it is a well documented fact that when Nonna goes on vacation someone gets sick. It has gotten so that I dread Nonna's vacations because I know what is coming.

Yesterday, Juliette and Cosette were happy to see Nonna again. Their first order of business? They yelled at her never to go on vacation again.

Oh, I am so proud of them.

What! I did NOT coach them to say that.

But I definitely agree!