Chocolate Castles as wel

I have been home from Phoenix for 9 days, 6 of which I have been sick. Before landing in Phoenix on the 17th, I was in my own little world thinking that as soon as Jodi met me at the airport, all would be right in the world with my 2 youngest grandsons grinning from ear to ear that Nana had arrived. As soon as Noah (the 3 yr old) saw me at baggage he came running up yelling, “Nana”. Before I could sweep him up in my arms, Jodi tells me that the ride to the airport was longer than Noah could hold going to the bathroom, so I’d best just give him a hug and let him walk. Then on our way to the Yoga Van, she tells me that she didn’t want to alarm me but Caleb had strep throat and Noah had ear infections and well, she hoped that I had brought my vitamins. Quickly, I began to plan the next 5 days; I would be sure to not drink after the kids and to be sure that they didn’t drink from my Dr Pepper (as is always the first thing Noah and Caleb ask for when they see me drinking my morning soda). Instead of having donuts and ice cream and fast food while there, I would be sure and load up on Juice Plus shakes and lots of fresh veggies to keep up my defense. Bring on the Essential Oils and load me up with plenty of juice from Jodi’s new juicer.
Within 48 hours, Jodi and I both were so tired of wiping snotty noses and getting up and down to help Noah every time we heard, “come wipe me” that we got to the point that if we fell asleep facing away from the little darlings as they sneezed on the back of our heads, we felt that was good enough.
By the time my plane took off that Saturday afternoon, I felt that I had escaped all the sickness in the house. There I was headed back to Dallas and I hadn’t sneezed once, or used one Kleenex. I got sassy and just knew that maybe other grandmothers might be old and lacking in the ability to not catch everything that came around from their grandkids, but not me. I was young and vibrant and in very good health. After all, I ate chocolate ever day. I ate butter instead of margarine and yes, I even ate veggies every Sunday after church at Luby’s. It was going to take a lot more germs to get to me than 2 little kids running around with strep throat and ear infections and runny noses to get me down.
It’s been 5 days since I have left my house. My throat has never been so sore and the coughing allows me no more than 3-4 hours sleep a night. Jodi and I talk each day to try to see which one of us sounds worse. We sound just alike and cannot talk for over 5 minutes before both of us start coughing so bad that we hang up and run for cough drops. I told her that when the boys both get in high school, I will come back to visit. I should be healthy enough to come back by then and maybe the hole in my left foot will be healed by then from stepping on the legos that Caleb had dropped on his way to grab my Dr Pepper I left sitting out.
Poor Randy. Because I was gone for 6 days, I think he thought I would feel so guilty for being gone that he would be getting lots of homemade meals. Tonight he finally got one. My first home cooked meal. Is this one lucky guy or what? Nothing says Home Cookin like Kraft