We’re still laid up in this house. Ear infections, fevers… the list goes on. I’m beyond the ‘woe is me’ point. In fact, I’m almost at the brink. My husband is in Vancouver for two weeks, Pea has been home from school all week, and I’m working feverishly on getting all of our tax documentation into order for our CPA. And the project has had me up until 1:30 in the morning the last four nights. And it’s still not complete. Why do I always wait until one month out? When I know that we don’t have an ordinary tax situation in our home? Why?

Needless to say, I’ve had nothing in the way of patience the last couple of days. And with the girls both being under the weather, that makes it especially tough on us all. I’m trying – really trying – to be warm and mushy and comforting. And I’m doing okay, at least I seem to be. And yet I can’t shake this really nagging feeling that I could be giving more. Should be giving more. But you know what? I can’t. I just can’t.

I am tapped.

Today, cabin fever set in. And in a desperate search for something, anything, that would keep these girls occupied for more minutes than I can count on one hand, I did what I always do. I headed to my laptop, perched ever so conveniently on a kitchen counter. And I found a treasure trove of projects – easy ones – that would wile away a good chunk of the afternoon hours.

I’m guessing that Powerhouse, located in Sydney, is to the Australian parents what Discovery Gateway is to those of us parenting here in the Salt Lake City-area. And that would be the answer to a prayer. Activities, kids, screaming, mayhem. All in good fun. And the perfect place to waste an afternoon with your overactive kid.

But this Powerhouse? In Sydney? I think that their interactive website might actually be more fun than the ‘museum’ itself. At least for a grown-up. They have some really amazing crafts on there. Complete with templates, directions. You name it. We had a lot of fun this afternoon, making French paper dolls. Which led to a request for glue. Why? Because the paper doll’s clothing wouldn’t stay on her when she ‘rode the whale,’ which would be our puppy, Lola. And then the glue leaked onto the table, which caused a bunch of other little bits of clothing that we’d cut out from other artwork to enhance the “not cool” wardrobe of those uptight French paper dolls got stuck to the glue on the table. And naturally that led to a discussion of what a collage is, which led Pea to excitedly create one of her own, little more than stacks of paper clothing glued on top of one another. Which actually turned out very cool. But still. A nice way to spend two hours on a sickly afternoon stuck inside.

And that tax preparation? Still not complete. And while I was stressing about it earlier, about not wanting to be up for another six hours working on it, my husband called to check in on us. And told me to take the night off, put the tax crap aside. Because this family needs mommy to be 100%. And so? I’m off to watch some bad TV, eat an entire bag of microwave popcorn myself, and peruse the newest Patagonia catalog. And then, I’m going to bed. By 11. I can’t wait.