a little over two weeks ago, sasha came down with the chicken pox. i was worried--about hiro. i was worried that he would get the chicken pox right before we had to go to the US.  i wasn't so worried about tommy getting them, because he goes to the same school as sasha and (probably) had already been exposed.

it was too late to isolate sasha and hiro (or so i thought), because they had been sleeping in the same bed before she got sick.  and she timed it really well, showing spots late on a saturday, so we couldn't take her to the pediatrician on sunday!

but the boys didn't get sick and stayed spot free, and i thought we were gonna get lucky but then!  last friday!  tommy started getting spots.  i took him in to the pedi right away and got the anti-virals to hopefully get him through it in time.  but then hiro complained of a stomach ache on friday night and i just knew...and it was probably too late.  i took hiro to the doctor the next morning and yes, he has chicken pox, too.

so we roll into today and it's not quite out of the contagious stage.  and we were grounded.  i reacted as you would expect someone who hasn't been home in seven years would react--not well.  we had to get a letter from a doctor saying when it would be safe for them to travel.  our usual pedi wrote that it would be next monday!  christmas eve!  this was unacceptable and i cried and cried.  i was looking forward to going home, not only going home but home for christmas.  home for baking cookies, for shopping malls, for visiting santa.  now we don't have time for those things, and it makes me sad.

but!  we went to another hospital and the kind doctor there wrote us a letter saying we could travel on the 21st, friday!  however...the airline (which was being helpful) couldn't book us again until the 24th!  ah, a wasted trip to the hospital.  well, at least we tried.

the kids were sorely disappointed, and i was shouted at a lot.  that didn't help improve my mood at all.  i seriously wanted to drop one off at the nearest corner on our way home, but of course we didn't do that!

now i have a week to fill, and a couple of sick kids to entertain.  i'm not going to send sasha to school, mainly because it's half days and not really worth it, but also because they all think we're gone, anyway, and it will be embarrassing to call the school and ask if she can go!  i think we'll bake cookies, and do some filler ohsouji (house cleaning for new year's) and see if we can find a little christmas spirit.  hopefully we'll be boarding a plane next monday!  wish us luck!