Bill and Cathy McArthur Spring/Summer/Fall 2006: 11

   On Monday, September 19, we all began trying to develop a routine that would be the best for everyone. That meant that Sarah would have to get sufficient attention and her parents would have to start getting sufficient sleep. Cathy and Bill attended to Sarah by serving her breakfast and driving her to school (daycare). After that they went to a nearby Atlanta Bread shop and drank coffee while reading the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Later on they drove to Publix to get one of Cathy's prescriptions refilled. The sky was threatening during the afternoon, eliminating any chance for outdoor activities. Cathy and Bill left at 4:05 PM to pick up Sarah and got back at around 5:30 PM. Bill held Billy for a while while Cathy made dinner. Stacey and Son Bill tried to grab naps when they could. It rained during the evening and overnight. We stuck with about the same schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Bill put Tom and Katie's trip emails on the Internet. The routine was busted on early Friday morning when Son Bill and Stacey had to take a feverish Billy to Children's Hospital. Billy was admitted and tentatively diagnosed as having a virus infection. Because of extensive tests, Billy had to stay in the hospital until Sunday, accompanied by Stacey. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Sarah developed another fever, which was diagnosed on Monday as due to a throat virus, Herpangina. On Sunday night, Bill and Son Bill had to take Sarah's temperature and administer medicine every 3 hours. Stacey and Billy effectively quarantined themselves away from the rest of us in order to keep Billy from contracting the virus. Cathy suffered from a bad cold which perhaps was related to Sarah's virus. As of Tuesday, September 26, the infant and toddler were wearing down the 4 adults. We had been able to do some activities: Bill was able to run two laps of the hilly neighborhood loop once and walk the loop several times and Sarah was able to work on her spinning dance moves. As Billy's second week drew to a close, everyone's health seemed to be better, if not perfect. Bill got out for a second session of kayaking/fishing on Thursday morning. Although he didn't catch any fish, it was a beautiful day for paddling and he saw several fish, probably small-mouthed bass, splashing at the surface of the lake. Son Bill returned to work and Bill was able to complete the NY Times crossword puzzle every day. The weekend held some nice weather. Cathy and Bill spent a lot of time outside with Sarah, her wagon, and her playground equipment. On Monday, October 2, Sarah returned to daycare. Bill went out for an extensive kayak/fishing trip in the early afternoon. On Monday evening, Bill and Cathy went to Atlantic Seafood for an outstanding dinner, thanks to a gift card from Son Bill and Stacey. The Sea Bass was the best we've ever had, including some good ones in Venice. Bill went kayaking on Wednesday and Friday as the week unfolded in a routine manner for a change. Sarah worked on figuring out the role of Billy in the family. On Friday night, Son Bill and Stacey went to dinner at Atlantic Seafood. Bill enjoyed hanging out with and feeding Billy. Saturday morning began with the temperature in the 40s. Bill and Sarah bundled up and went for an early morning wagon ride around the neighborhood. After lunch, Bill and Son Bill took Sarah to the cornfield maze run by Uncle Shucks in Dawsonville. Sarah seemed a combination of being overwhelmed with all of the people and pumpkins and cornstalks and being bored with riding in her stroller through the maze. Son Bill did an outstanding job of leading us through the maze with only one slight "oops." The afternoon was warm and sparkling clear. Later, Cathy and Stacey went shopping, Son Bill cared for Billy, and Bill played outside with Sarah. The adults ate Italian take-out for dinner. Sunday and Monday were our travel days returning home. We had easy driving and stopped for the night on Sunday at the Hampton Inn in Lexington, VA, where Bill's Aunt Helen used to work at the Shenandoah, the Literary Magazine of Washington and Lee University. We ate an adequate Italian dinner at the Tuscany Restaurant and walked around downtown for a while before turning in early. Monday started out foggy, but the day turned out to be beautiful as we breezed home about 3:00 PM.

        Bill and Cathy