Well, the kids have been stellar at fighting off coughs and colds for months, but they have finally succumbed. This is remarkable considering Tess and I were both ill two weeks ago and the kids never caught our bugs… until now.

Tonight I arrived home from a Thunderers Dinner (think: men, black tie, dinner, cognac & cigars) to find a few restless kids in bed. It all started with a smelly nappy that turned out to be Carys. Tess changed her while I helped, until Jasper started to cry. JJ often needs a drink of water in the middle of the night and I figured that was the cause of his crying.

Not so… the poor little chappy was wheezing (refused water) so I gave him a few Ventolin puffs instead. While this was going on, Tess returned Carys to bed. Meanwhile JJ’s crying awoke Seb and Tess pulled him out of bed for a wee wee. As Seb returned to bed he was wide awake and said a few words to me… with a very croaky voice.

“Oh boy,” I thought, “time for some more medicine.”

I pulled out some night time cough syrup and loaded up a syringe. Then I climbed up some steps to Seb’s bed only to find him wide awake. (Normally he falls right back to sleep after a midnight wee wee.)

“Sebastian,” I said softly, “it’s time for a little medicine!”

“What kind of medicine?” He asked loudly!

Over the next ten minutes both JJ and Sela awoke coughing and spluttering, so I also gave them some soothing cough syrup. We might be in for a tiring weekend if the colds really do settle in, too.

Yikes!