Sick Day Survival

It's a sick day at our house. Boy #3 is on the couch with a raging fever and sore throat, Boy #2 has a hacking cough and runny nose, Boy #4 has a runny nose and incessant need for Mom, and Mom, well, Mom has serious sinus issues.

Activities for the day: Cancelled. We were supposed to see a play, attend storytime, tumble at gymnastics and whack balls at baseball practice.

There are hundreds of articles filled with sick day solutions. (For some good ideas, click here and here.) But we didn't make clever crafts or read aloud for hours on end. Sick days, at my house, are an exercise in survival.

Want some real-world, sick day survival techniques? Try these:

• Doze on couch every chance you get. That means closing your eyes when you cuddle with the sick child. Trust me: he'll never know the difference.
• Make Malt-o-Meal for breakfast. Watch it slowly congeal as no one eats it.
• Make smoothies. Blend yogurt, milk, fruit, ice cubes and vanilla in a blender. Voila! All important fluids, and hearty enough to count as a meal.
• Let the dishes go. My counter currently has remains from both breakfast and lunch.
• Watch a lot of TV. My theory? One day (or three or four or ten) of constant TV in a year will not kill their brains.

How 'bout you? What do you do to survive sick days?