A boring mommy cries for help....

[Sheherezade]

I am having trouble getting my act together today. 2 days ago, my 7 year old stepped on a nail. 24 hours later, we were at Children's Hospital overnight getting IV antibiotics for the cellulitis he developed......He was released mostly because my husband played the doctor card; they wanted to keep him for a day for more IV. Now he's home (Yeah!) on oral antibiotics with instructions to keep him off the foot. I feel like I need to be extra-vigilant in taking care of him since both the ER doc and his ped the next morning thought he should have been in the hospital. I get the impression that they think it is ok for him to be home, but that we better be ultra responsible about meds/wound care. Clearly, I am being careful, but it also has me feeling very worried. He is getting better so far. Enter my next complication......today is my daughter's 5th birthday. She is SOOOOOO excited. We are having a special family dinner tonight and I did manage to get her a few presents before this foot thing happened. Still, my hubby has the car and my son can't walk so we are house bound for the day in our city apartment. I can't think of anything to do for her that is special!!!! I am completely brain-dead in the creative mommy department. She has talked to all the grandparents/friends on the phone and we are making her birthday cake later. Still dinner is at 7 pm and it's only 10 am here---the house is a mess of moving boxes and DH asked me to wait till he gets home to open her presents. What can I do? I'm going to drink coffee. I'm usually more creative when caffeinated.

Angie

[PrincessFiona]

Wow...that's a tough one! I've had my cup of coffee and have no ideas myself.

For our children's family party we usually allow them to pick a restaurant that they would like to eat at. At age 5 that usually was the Burger King with the play area 8) With a house full of packing boxes, maybe it would be fun to go to her favorite restaurant and let her open the presents there? My son loves going to TGIF because of the birthday song that they sing...my duaghter just turned 8 and wanted to go to the space alien restaurant to eat, play games and have the servers sing happy birthday.......DUH...I forgot about your little guy's foot I guess he couldn't really leave hte house....

If you are wanting to have the dinner at home, you could check out some of the birthday idea pages online (google children's birthday ideas, birthday printables etc).

You could also have your hubby bring home 'Finding Nemo' or another good kid's movie and watch it as a surprise family movie for her b-day?

kris

[Sheherezade]

Thanks Kris-

I was thinking a movie night would be a good idea, too. So far we've made window cling art and put together a wooden model of a scorpion. She's going to paint it (if I can convince her brother that a painted scorpion model is a good idea.....) I still have making her cake-an activity she will love. (Me too!!) Best news yet--DH is going to be done early so dinner will be at 6 instead of 7. We are having spaghetti and meatballs (favorite dinner). I was mostly concerned with how to fill the day stuck indoors. I normally would have taken her somewhere fun today while her brother was at school. The park, maybe tea with mommy at Starbucks after, a stop at the bookstore. Instead, we have nursing duty with a sick boy so we are trying to have fun inside.....and of course she had to get up at 6 am to check to see if she was 5 yet!!! I feel better though....thanks for the commiseration.

Angie