Sick Days

Aleks finally got better on Tuesday, but by Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Bastian had become vomitous in his stead. So another day remaining indoors. Bastian is at least very good at puking. Several times he brought his bowl to me and said, "my 'tomach hurt," with a sad little face. I'd tell him to sit down and he'd throw up into his bowl. So neat. He did pretty well and was less lethargic than Aleks. I think I prefer the lethargy, however, as it makes caring for a sick child simpler.

Mid-day I went out to run some errands, mainly to pick up birthday presents for Aleks. They are now hidden in the trunk of our car, awaiting transport to Grandma's house (provided we all remain well for the duration of the week). I also finally found the thrift store I'd heard was in the area I'd gone shopping, but had never found (because it's hidden!), so I went thrifting. I found a shirt, tank top, and two skirts for myself, a B is for Bob short-sleeved shirt, an appliqué wolf shirt and two pairs of much-needed shorts for Bastian, and Connect Four (originally, I just learned, The Captain's Mistress) and a Zoob Mover set for both boys. They were thrilled (by the games, not the clothes, of course!).

They immediately played Connect Four, then broke out the Zoob set. We already have a small Zoob collection (substantial enough, though) and I figured for the price, even if it didn't work, the extra pieces would be worth it. We found that with partially-charged batteries, it kind of worked. We'll have to try it out with fully charged batteries later.
They put together this "dinosaur" with long scary clamping arms that to me resembled some kind of scorpion or something. The weird feeler-like mouth added to that notion as well.
Three dollars! Can you believe it?!?
In the evening, Bastian seemed to feel a bit better and they headed outside to blow bubbles on the porch. This lead, in fairly quick order, to riding bikes around the house.
Bastian has yet to feel confident on the tricycle and insists on continuing to use his push-along car. I did manage to convince Aleks to ride the big bike more though. He was still on the trike for a long time, despite having had the big bike since Christmas.
I turned the compost and brought the boys back to check out all the fat worms. Our pile is nice and big and the earth underneath moist and dark and rich from all the food bits my boys refuse to eat (no matter how we size the portions!).
We talked about how the worms feed on all the old food and poop out dirt.
Aleks knows how important the worms are for good earth and for growing things. He digs 'em. Literally.
After getting all sorts of dirty outside, we retired indoors for a bath, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Scooby Doo, and more vomiting. They watched Scooby Doo on Zombie Island and whenever the music would come on and the zombies would take chase, Aleks would come show me how he was a zombie. He insisted that I document this.
He stepped gradually closer
and closer,
pausing dramatically so I could properly capture it,
until he was so close he became but a blur.
Bastian was doing so well with his illness, that I kept thinking he was over it. Until he wasn't. We had to take a second bath after he ruined my quilt, sheets, skirt, leg, arm, and sadly, my Alex Cuba t-shirt. I got the stain out luckily.

While in the basement, I spied this crazy nasty super-duper creepy bug. I'd seen them before, though not in awhile, and had forgotten what they were really called. I brought Aleks down to see it and we shivered together as it moved, its fifteen pairs of legs gliding effortlessly over the wall and moving in creepy, crawly unison. It makes me draw in my breath and my spine shiver just thinking about it.
We looked it up online and discovered that it is a House Centipede.

Order: Scutigeromorpha
Family: Scutigeridae
Genus and species: Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus)

S. coleoptrata is probably indigenous in the Mediterranean region, but it has spread through much of Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, it has spread from the southern states and Mexico. It reached Pennsylvania in 1849, New York in 1885, and Massachusetts about 1890, and it is now extends westward to the Rocky Mountains and beyond.

In captivity, house centipedes feed readily on cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and other insects and small spiders. They capture prey by half pouncing and half lassoing them. They can capture several prey items at one time. They feed on one specimen while holding the others with their quivering, lashing appendages.

Although house centipedes are not aggressive, and their jaws are not powerful enough to break human skin easily, they will sometimes bite in self-defense. Severe swelling and pain can result from the venom injected, but in most cases the bite is no worse than the sting of a bee.