i update because i lack the energy to cleanup

I'm still sick.

I'm completely hoarse and sound like a bathroom squeak toy.

Today, I'm on my own with the kids because Charlie had to go back to work.

Despite the bright blue skies and nearly 70 degree weather, we haven't left the house. I don't plan to, either.

Because I'm hoarse.

And still sick.

While I've been out of commission for the past two days, Charlie took it upon himself to try and potty train William. He also did our 2007 taxes, organized receipts and medical invoices for 2007 flex health care spending, washed at least 238 loads of laundry and made a bunch of great food including a big batch of Jell-O, just for me.

If it wasn't for him telling me that he doesn't know how I do it everyday, I'd want to hit him with a rolling pin. Repeatedly. But, apparently while I was snoozing and the children were all awake at once and under Charlie's supervision, he felt like climbing in to our broom closet and crying. I believe him because I've never seen him look so freaked out as I did on Tuesday night.

Anyway. I'm really unclear on what exactly happened with William. He said that they had a "talk" and voila! the little man is now using the potty.

I'm happy about this. Really, really happy. But I'm also somewhat perturbed. I've been "talking" to the child for the past SIX MONTHS every single day about using the potty and all I got was wet spots on our area rugs.

Today, I decided that we are giving up diapers (during the daytime) for Lent and also, that I'd let the kids dress themselves. (Which means they ran around the house naked.)

Because I want to keep up the momentum on that which Charlie started, I figured it worked out to my advantage that I am sick while the kids are (again) in full-fledged potty training. It's necessary to be home and near the potty which is quite convenient since I don't want to leave the house.

Oh, and since Mardi Gras started this past week, I've added a New Orleans twist to the whole potty training pageant. Whenever the kids use the potty - I throw them a strand of beads.

Between 8 AM and the time they went down for their nap at 1 PM, I must have dumped the potty chair at least 50 times and each of the kids were wearing the equivalent of their weight in plastic beads.

I was unable to get anything else done. I would go to the laundry room and start unloading the dryer, only to hear "TA DA!!" and then I'd have to drop what I was doing to dart out and grab beads to toss and the potty receptacle before someone tried to empty it themself.

While I was running back and forth to the bathroom and taking breaks to tend to the baby, the kids started hauling whatever they could out of their rooms, toy boxes, book shelves and cabinets and dragging it out to our family room. There were blankets, sheets, comforters, pillows, stuffed animals, spoons, shopping bags, blocks, dolls, shoes, and anything else they grabbed - thrown in to random piles.

I think my camera is somewhere in there, too. Otherwise, I would have posted a picture. In exchange, here's a cute one of the kids having a jam session. (I think we need to get William a smaller guitar.)

Then the children took turns laying on the ground while their siblings threw pillows on top of them and dog piled on top until they cried. After a few minutes one of the other kids would shout "MY TURN!" and they'd get off, throw pillows and dog pile on the next one until they cried. This went on and on for the better part of the morning.

Because I lack the ability to speak, I said nothing.

I didn't even bother to waste precious energy squeaking.

I suspect it will take me a month to put everything away again.

But then I wonder - why bother? It's a fight against the tide.

All this thinking about what should be done has made me tired, so now I'm going to take a nap.

Before I do ... in case you were wondering ... I did take down that post from yesterday about etiquette school. Because egads, when I jolted awake this morning, the first thought in my ill-feeling head was "Please let it have been a bad dream that I posted that!" and then when I checked and it was actually there, I asked for Charlie to hit me with a rolling pin. Repeatedly.

So there you have it.

Naked potty training. Beads. Don't waste energy picking up after your kids, especially when you're sick. It's kind of nice not being able to talk. And whatever you do: don't post to your blog after you've ingested a half bottle of Robitussin.