I hardly ever take a day ‘off sick’ – here’s what my most recent sick day looked like – drop me a comment if you relate!
06.30am – woken up by 4 year old flinging open the bedroom door and announcing the day has started. Slowly have a vague realisation that my head feels full and my limbs are achey.
06:45am – porridge for breakfast, halved with 4 year old (who then didn’t eat his). Tea. Feel groggy. Decide I won’t make it to Clubbercise tonight. Sweating in a dark room blasting rave tunes while I try to lunge in the right direction and avoid being stabbed in the ear by someone else’s glow stick somehow doesn’t have its usual appeal for this evening.
07:00am – on the sofa watching tv with 4 year old. Feel mum-guilt for about half a second but don’t even have that in me. Root about for the last cold and flu tablet in the house.
07:10am – make a smoothie at 4 year old’s request.
07:20am – realise I’ve come on my period as well. Shower. Be grateful it’s not a hairwash morning.
07:45 – tell the work WhatsaAp I’ll be off today. Rearrange meetings. Rearrange task list. Check and respond to some quick Teams messages. Check and respond to some quick emails. Put out of office on. Stand down grandparents for school pickup. Wonder if it’s actually just less effort just to try and work through the illness instead.
08:00 – husband has gotten 4 year old dressed and ready, thank goodness. Now he wants his fourth breakfast.
08:10 – check work messages again, and skim emails.
08:15 – put towels in the dryer. Chivvy 4 year old into getting ready for school.
08:20 – knock for next door neighbours to walk to school. Wish I had gloves on even though it’s March.
08:25 – walk to school trying not to drop the home-crafted Easter bonnet. (Next door used a glue gun for theirs – I wish I had a glue gun for my constantly running nose and possibly to glue my leaping, running, zig-zagging son to one spot.)
08:40 – drop son at school. Pop to Tesco for some more cold and flu tablets. Buy a Cadbury’s Boost duo for good measure. Feel bad about putting my germy hands on the self service till.
08:55: – the cat is waiting for me by the car at home. Get in and feed her. Check work messages and emails again quickly. Cat buggers off almost immediately after she’s been fed. It’s her way of showing me she cares about me, I’m sure of it.
09:15 – get into bed. Am unconvinced will sleep.
10:43 – I must have slept.
11:15 – get up for a drink and make tomato soup and a cheese sandwich even though it’s not remotely lunchtime because time has lost all meaning today already.
11:55 – do some social media and send a newsletter.
12:15 – finally start watching Motherland. It’s hilarious. Wonder why I haven’t watched it before. Realise I never have the time. Also realise my head hurts and I’m halfway down a box of tissues already.
12:48 – fold and put away towels. Think about doing the washing-up but sigh and sit on the sofa instead. Quickly check work messages.
13:01 – sit and stare into space for a bit and put more vaseline on my nose.
13:08 – start editing a podcast. Realise I’m too snotty to record the intro. Give up.
13:55 – Husband has come home to relieve me of school pickup. We do the washing up together. He sends me back to sofa.
14:30 – eat some more for good measure. Feed a cold and starve a fever and all that.
14:40 – today is going super slow.
14:43 – check my phone again. Is time standing still or even going backwards? I’m bored of this ill thing now. Atchoo.
14:50 – message one of the mums to ask what to get her little boy for his birthday.
14: 55 – look at shoes on ASOS because what else is there to do?
15: 35 – husband and 4 year old return home. 4 year old tells me I’m sitting on the wrong side of the sofa. We watch tv for a bit again.
16:15 – husband cooks dinner. I’m not allowed in the kitchen. Wonder when I will contribute to society again.
16:35 – the cat comes in to see if her dinner is ready too. Feed the cat. She immediately leaves the house afterwards again. She does love us, I just can’t prove it.
16:50 – watch son, husband and cat outside. Husband is cleaning golf clubs, 4 year old is ‘helping’ and cat is being nosey. Wish I was outside participating but also enjoy observing, and appreciate the snapshot of the moment for what it is; our everyday life at home that would usually feel ordinary and pass me by.
17:20 – watch 4 year old play with 2 drinks flasks from the kitchen whilst his absolute trove of toys goes untouched. Sneeze a bit more.
18:00 – husband takes 4 year old upstairs for bath and bedtime. Do more sitting on the sofa. Check work emails and messages again. Wish I hadn’t checked work emails and messages immediately.
19:00 – wonder if it’s too early to go to bed.
19:10 – try not to fall asleep in front of the tv.
20:00 – go to bed.
Juggle Struggle blog 