Sick and tired of being sick and tired...

Poor Pavlos. He's been sick since last Tuesday. Fever, cough, runny nose, and just feeling miserable. It's funny how when someone in the family is sick (except maybe when I am sick), our little world gets turned upside down. Thursday Pavlos and I were going to help the ladies in our parish senior ministry make baklava for a bake sale. Instead, we stayed home all day (I wrapped presents). Paul planned a month ago to take last Friday off. We were going to drive up into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and cut down our own tree for Christmas. Then we were going to go sledding. Instead, on Friday I took Pavlos to the doctor and Paul went to Home Depot to buy a tree. Saturday we were going to go with our church GOYA group (youth group) to pass out lunches to the homeless. Instead, Paul went to pass out lunches and I stayed home with Pavlos. Saturday evening I went to Vesper's (which I have to admit was very relaxing without a 2 1/2 year old) and on Sunday morning, Paul went to Liturgy (and he also admitted that it was really relaxing without a 2 1/2 year old AND he was able to sit in the very front row of church AND he was able to go to most of Orthros). Sunday, I stayed home with Pavlos. Sunday evening we were in charge of a trip to the Grotto Festival of Lights for people from our parish. Paul and I went. And so did my dad. Where was Pavlos, you might ask? He stayed with yiayia (my mom... Greek for grandma). Monday (today), Pavlos' fever finally broke, thank God (and St. Nektarios). We are home all day just to be sure (and he still has the sniffles) and I am making some Greek pastries.

The hardest part was hearing him cough. And with each cough, tears would stream down his little cheeks because it hurt. That's the difficulties of being a parent. And this is just a bad infection. I can not even imagine what life would be like for those countless families who have little one's with life threatening illnesses. Or my grandparents who lost their son due to illness when he was four years old.