It's hard to be a single parent for four days, keeping the kids going, pets alive, and the house in order. It's the least I can do to support Ma Chere, who needs to be by her mother's side right now.

It just hasn't been easy that I've been sick as a dog the whole time. Both kids are under the weather too, fortunately not as sick as I have been.

A lot of my parenting tricks require physical robustness. Need to kill some time after breakfast or before dinner? How about a walk around the neighborhood to check out some construction sites or get dad a coffee? Or how about not.

And acute laryngitis (not to mention bronchitis, coughitis, and headacheitis) is anathema to my parenting style. I never really resented the legendary length of some Dr. Seuss books...until reading them caused me physical pain. ("Turn it loud, dad!" "i...can't!")

And I'm absolutely sure Ma Chere would have preferred to stay with her mom an extra day or to see her family sooner rather than get stranded by the airlines at a hotel in Phoenix a day late.

But I'm glad she's coming home tonight.