Real Life... at 18 months

Yesterday afternoon while at work.. dreaded call from Mimi and Deda at the house that Maggie has a temp of 102.. which means Maggie with fever for 2 days then Larkin for 2 days and finally Kade for 2 days... And all of them including the parents cranky for 10 days.
So I prepare for the worst (severe sleep deprivation and 3 babies fighting over your attention because they don't feel good) and hope for the best
So far.. last night wasn't too bad.. All of them slept for about 11 hours can't complain there
I wake up at 5:15 to not a sick baby but a sick dog!.. yes bile like vomit all over the carpet in multiple spots and multiple rooms. I spend the next 45 minutes trying to clean the carpet, which does not come out.. by the way
 6:00 am I here Maggie jumping up and down in her crib with a temp of 103.5 - I give her advil and cuddle for a bit, 15 min later Kade crying.. Maggie and I have to go get him because she will scream if i leave her alone, 2 babies in my arms and back to the playroom, 15 min later Larkin is up.
Breakfast..on the go.. which means 3 kids with sippy cups of milk and a 1/2 a banana in their hand walking around in the playroom..
Bored with the playroom and want the rest of breakfast so we head down stairs, where super dad has made pancakes..and we actually have them eat at their table
Here is where it gets really busy.. in a nutshell.. all the cars are taken out of the basket (thats like 40 of them, no lie.. Thanks Auntie Kristin), bats, balls, plastic fruit, a baby doll, etc, etc, all out in the living room. Kade goes into kitchen, pulls out chair, gets on table, Maggie in living room, climbs on chair and standing on train table to get to book shelves, Larkin running around kitchen table, hits his head, cries. I get Kade off table, I get Maggie off train table all while holding Larkin. This goes on for an hour or so. Some may be wondering about gates to contain them but we have a VERY open floor plan.. not possible to gate it. I put on a wiggles for 20 min relief. I try to clean up breakfast, but you can't open dishwasher or you will have 3 helpers.
Back upstairs because I am tired of chasing climbing babies. It is easier to contain them up there.
play.. Kade pulls Larkin off slide because he is taking too long. I go to help.. notice spilled milk and a lot of it in the plastic ball pit we have. I clean it with 3 helpers. Back downstairs for lunch
Take all the cars and other toys out again. I give Maggie Advil but cant find the top, I turn around and Maggie has spilled sticky grape flavored advil all over her including her face. I pick her up and she 1/2 growls and 1/2 laughs at me. I go to get a rag to clean her and the floor.. Kade grabs advil bottle. I yell "NO!" He stops.
Larkin looks at me hold up his index finger and tells me "No!". To which I responded..it is time for "nite, nite".. all repeat "nite, nite" and we go upstairs for a nap.. It is now only noon!!!!
Sick or not that is a typical day when you don't leave the house

I have to say that I am thankful that we do not go through illness that often.. because those are the times when you want to answer the frequent question of.. "how do you do it?" with "I have no (maybe insert a blank here) idea!" :)
Actually I do .. you just count down til the next bit of free time which for us is either a 2-3 hour nap or bed time. And know that you will NOT stop moving until you reach one of those 2 times.
The best way I can describe it is in sports terms.. on the good days its like playing a soccer game on a nice crisp fall night and winning easily.. its hard work but so enjoyable. , on the bad days..its like playing a 90 minute soccer game in the middle of August when its 90 and humid.. then having to go into 2 - 15 min overtime halves. You look at the clock on the score board and know that there is an end in sight but it ain't going to be pretty or feel good getting to the sound of that buzzer at the end of the second 15 minutes..
Right now we are in a "tough game" but we know there will be the "easy games" with the feel good wins ahead.
Larkin, Maggie, Kade .. we love you all to pieces. Your dad and I couldn't want anything more than to play this "game of life" with you