Sick Furlough days.....

As most of you know that State of California is in a huge economic crisis. Our Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking desperate measures to cut costs. One of these measures happens to have a huge impact on the State workers, heres where I come in. Since I work for the State, Department of Transportation, I am directly affected. Although our department is not generally funded we are federally funded and get most of our money through grants and bonds etc. We were not impacted by any layoffs. Since we are under the Governors direct authority the furloughs do apply to us. So for the next 17 months (unless a court order stops it sooner) we are required to take 2 work furlough days a month. The first and third Friday of the month. This will result in a 9.23% pay reduction. Uggghhh. Although the pay reduction does suck (excuse me) I am very grateful to still have a job. :)
So today was my first Furlough Friday off. I was actually very relieved to have a day off. Many of you know how difficult it is to both work full time, enjoy our children and all their activities and maintain our home. It is constant, constant energy, constant work, constant focus. It can be difficult and very trying at times. Then it can be easy and fun and everything just seems to fall into place and it all works. Everyones happy. :) So this is why I was relieved to have these extra couple days off a month, no guilt for calling into work or requesting time off. Just time off. Time for me to get all the things done that I put off, time to get caught up, time to get ready for the weekend. Then actually get to enjoy my weekend and not have to worry about all those projects I put off and still need to do. You see how this is becoming a little blessing in disguise. ;)
Ok so I didnt get nearly EVERYTHING done that I wanted to today but, I made a HUGE dent.
I woke up this morning at 2am to a little baby girl calling for her Mommy. Little side note here....Isnt it amazing how any other thing that wakes you in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, we are a little dazed, a little blurry and it takes just an extra couple of minutes to get our composure. That desperate cry for Mommy at any hour of the day or night finds us wide awake and ready to go. SO......I wake up at 2 am to find our baby girl burning up. Then every half hour to hour after that. Its now 6:45 and shes conked out. This has been how our day was. She takes some tylenol and shes all ready to go, then the tylenol wears off and the fevers back. At 4:00 it was at 103.8. Uggghhhh, my poor baby, my heart breaks seeing her like this. So helpless, restless and dazed. You can just see it in her eyes.
Theres some type of virus going around, its an odd one. My niece and nephew had it this week, same thing. Just fevers, nothing else. As much as I hate fevers, I know they are good, her body is doing what its supposed to. I am soooo grateful its not the stomach flu. THAT IS THE WORSE!
Another downer for today. We made plans for my niece Mikayla to spend the night. We were going to have a girls night, rent a girly cartoon movie, bake some cookies and do some type of crafty project together. This is ALL Taylor has talked about all week. Everyday she asks, "So how many more days till Kayla stays the night wish me? Can I call her?" Our little plans fell through, I had to break her poor little heart today. She kept telling me, "But Mommy im not sick, I just have a little fever..."
Well shes up and shes crying so Im off.