How to prepare for the stomach flu...

I have learned this round that instead of wasting so much of my time in denial fighting the inevitable... I should embrace it and prepare. Here are my lessons learned.

• Make sure you have a bounty of gatorade, chicken noodle soup keep out of reach of those not sick
• Soda crackers are your friend even though the mere sight of them may take you back to a time you do not want to remember.
• Place blankets and pillows all around the house so you can just rest where you feel like dropping
• Be prepared to fight the dog for the dog bed in the bathroom practice giving him the look
• Dig out the diaper cream and wipes
• put on comfy clothes pants you can pull up and down easily and something hooded which you can use to make anyplace dark and muffle the sound of children laughing and playing
• call in all the supports, especially the " I owe you ones " that you never used
• Have a designated bucket preferably something you bought at the dollar store that can be recycled after if you area real Martha Stewart and have enough time to prepare get the kids to decorate it making it real special make sure it remains washable and water proof
• Keep lots of cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Take pride in making your toilet clean and shiny for the next trip.
• Find some interesting literature for example the Heroin Diaries. It really helped me escape the reality of my dismal bathroom transporting me into a faraway hotel bathroom while faceless women lay naked on the bed outside their bathroom door after a Motley Crue. It also really helped me capture the character of Nikki Sixx as he once again struggled with his hangover, drug sickness or withdrawl throughout the book.
• Now if your house has only one bathroom maybe create rules before hand in case more than one person is sick at the same time...be fair.
• If possible get rid of your children even if it is for small pieces of time there is nothing worse than happy children running carefree and laughing when mamma is sick.
• Toast and Peanut butter does constitute dinner
• If your husband gets sick before you be kind and understanding you can call those favours in...if it is after you get ear plugs
• and lastly enjoy the 3 or four pounds you have lost while you can because it won't last.