Not more than 36 hours after he left, I found myself in the ER with my very sick mom.  She had been fighting illness on and off for months.  Friday night she came to my doorstep in tears as she was running a very high fever and was scared to stay by herself.  She spent the night and then, feeling a little better the next day, headed home.  Sunday morning I found her collapsed in her bathroom and off to the hospital we went.

Mom in hospital....three kids 8 and under at home....no dad.  I managed for approximately 24 hours and then had to call in for back-up.  In a teary conversation with Leif, he told me to call his dad.  Ted was at my house 9 hours later.

My mom had pneumonia, was losing control of her bladder, and had lost a tremendous amount of strength.  She could not hold herself up in bed and was throwing up all the nutrients she took in.  I was scared, and so was she.  I wanted so desperately to help her feel better.  I gave those nurses and doctors a run for their money.

She started to get better about 4 days later.  By the time Leif was home the following Saturday, she was able to walk and was rebuilding her strength.  I was so relieved.

Leif had an awesome time despite his worrying about my mom and I.  I can honestly say it was the first time that he went on a trip without me that I did not feel resentful, jealous or frustrated by.  Thinking about him biking through France made everything that was going on here more tolerable.  He would not have been able to make my mom better by being closer and, instead, he gave us something to talk about in the hospital that was upbeat and fun.