This one is going to be brief. I’m sick again. Sinus infection. Another round of pink eye. Gross, right? What kind of a 36-year old woman has pink eye, nearly every day, for 10 weeks? I guess the mother of these two little girls who bring home everything known to man. And then bring it home again. And then, once more. Awesome.

Making matters even worse, both girls are sick. Still. Or, should I say, again? Because there was a good chunk of time in there – about 12 hours – when both seemed good to go. Back to preschool. As in yeah-some-time-for-mommy-to-lie-on-the-couch-and-catch-her-breath-for-three-hours. Ha. Not so much. Not this week, anyhow. And listen, it is hard to be half glass-full girl when I’ve been putting up with this bullshit since January 1. I’m pissed. Can you tell? Is it like this for every mom? Have you spent the last four years sick, too? Oh, you have? This is how it is? Again, awesome.

“Give mommy 10 minutes to sit on the couch and drink a cup of tea” is not in Pea’s comprehension. God bless her, her idea of taking care of mommy is letting me help her with her matching skills via a Disney Princess sticker book. And while I did manage to spend a good 90 or so minutes on that sticker book, I was not happy about it. Can’t I just have 10 minutes? Please?

So much for brief, right? But if you’re home sick with your kids too, in any combination, with a husband who’s been on the road in Canada for just shy of two weeks and you now have three giant dogs (oh, did I forget to mention Domingo? Our friends’ 6-year old Boxer who we’ve taken into our home and hearts? I didn’t? Check him out here. He’s our newest family member. He rocks. I highly recommend the breed. Just freaking phenomenal...), let me tell you that finding activities to get through the day quicker and quieter is your goal.

Before we even had children, my husband bought “The Toymaker: Paper Toys that You Can Make for Yourself” for me. He knew. He just knew. One day it was going to save my life. And it did. Yesterday. But as it turned out, most of the paper toys were completed and no where to be found. I’m blaming that one on my mother, GiGi, who visits quite often and loves paper so much it hurts. Don’t ask.

Lucky for me that what was remaining of the pages had a website address on it. And there, well, there was the treasure trove of paper toys. All you need is a color printer, and while the artist suggests glue, I’ve always found Scotch tape to work better: as in quicker. And the quicker the project is complete, the quicker your little angel with the drippy nose and the raspy cough is entertained with his or her paper  wonder. (And while the projects on the website are wonderful, if you are really into it, get the book, it’s printed on amazing card stock so the toys really have some heft to them, which equals staying power when you have little toddler and preschool hands all over them. We have several – including the butterfly basket and Florimel the Magnificent that have lasted nearly two years in Pea’s possession.

These are very, very cool ‘toys.’ They made my day. And Pea’s. And Coco’s. And mine. Oh, did I already say that? Sorry. Anyway, technically, you don’t even need to have kids to make these.

Hope you’re all healthy today.