HOW DOES IT KNOW?!

My husband went on a trip for work this week.  He is two time zones away.  Even though his dad was coming down to help and I was in no way going to be winging it alone for the week, I knew in my heart of hearts that the inevitable was coming.

I was not disappointed.

You see, every mother knows there is a law of reality floating around out there in the universe that has to do with Daddy leaving town.  They know that, without a doubt, within 48 hours of Dad's departure, at least one of the following things will happen:

1. A major appliance will completely crap out.
2. One of the children will come down with a raging fever.
3. Someone will start throwing up.

Sean left Monday morning.  On Wednesday morning, the Law of Daddy Leaving Town (or LDLT) kicked in.  Joshua woke up crying at 4:00 am.  Thinking he was having a bad dream (I'm not real quick at 4am, otherwise I would have realized the LDLT was looming over my head), I stumbled into his room to comfort him.  Instead of a scared kid in need of a hug, I found a miserable kid in need of a bath.

"I accidentally threw up!" he sobbed miserably. 

(I don't know why he said accidently.  It's possible he thought he would be in trouble.  Joshua's not real with it at 4am either.)

I got him all cleaned up and put him in my bed so I could strip his.  While I was Cloroxing his plastic matress cover, I kept thinking "maybe he just ate something.  Maybe he just gagged.  Maybe, just maybe this isn't the stomach flu."

Oh, to dream.

Within the hour, he had thrown up again, and before the day was out, the poor guy had lost it 5 times.  What's worse, I am not in a position right now where I can stay home, so I had to leave a crying little boy ("But I want YOU to stay with me!!") home with his grandfather while I went off to school.  Mom of the year, right here folks. 

Thankfully, it was a 24 hour bug, and he was all normal by the next evening.  None of the other kids have caught the bug, and I am so thankful that my FIL could be here this week...especially since my baby-sitter came down with the same virus a day later. God is good.

But that still leaves me with that all-important question...

HOW THE HECK DOES A STOMACH VIRUS KNOW THEIR FATHER WENT OUT OF TOWN?!