A Ferret Head Party for Sean Our entire family has been ill with flu, pneumonia, and strep for over 2 weeks now. The hospital has been a frequent place to lounge. We finally have all gotten to the road to recovery now ... even the ferrets Ping and Pong with the flu. But ... when Sean was his worst, Ping and Pong threw him a ferret bash at 4 am. The ferrets had succumbed to the family flu. Little ferret coughs and horrible sneeze fits were to be heard through our home. One night, I heard Ping screaming (they are deaf, and Ping especially screeches and yelps when hurt, etc., abnormally). I jumped up to find the nesting box sideways, and Pong crawling out looking at me like, "what?" Just so you know Pong is the big eared terror, and Ping is the sweatheart of a gentleman. Ping was flipping in circles and spinning in the box stuck. He was dooking for the first time in his life hysterically now that I was there. I pulled him out and hugged him. Pong was doing his "bear" thing with his paws, and then flipping on his back begging. I tried to put them back to bed to only be woken up again with noises, and hearing them digging in their litter boxes (eeeeeeeew). So I got up, sick as I was, and let them play in a blocked off hallway. Pretty soon Sean was up. Annoyed I told him to go back to bed. Being autistic, this was ignored and he sat down beside me to watch the ferrets play. I felt his head and my lord he was burning up. I panicked and ripped off his clothes.... the ferrets now stopped dead in their wild tracks watching curiously. I threw him in a bath and jammed Tylenol, and Motrin in his mouth. The ferrets seemed so upset and were trying their best to jump up to watch and even trying to jump in the tub with Sean. I told Sean ... be a good ferret daddy and watch the babies a minute. I knew this would keep him still, and occupied. I then was able to run and quickly get dressed in case an ER trip was in order. Sean's temp was 104, and he seemed totally oblivious to it as he does with most illness and pain. I got his temp down to 103, but it wouldn't budge from there. He wouldn't let me wet his head either. So thank goodness Ping is an amateur snorkeler. He was ill too so I couldn't put him in the tub with Sean. But thank goodness it was good enough to tell Sean to "be a ferret" and snorkel. I picked up both ferrets and told him they were watching. Then "bloosh"! The more the ferrets watched and got excited, the more Sean put dunked his head in the water. Pretty soon his temp went down some. After towel drying Sean, I was able to keep him calm and sit him with me in the hall. We had a ferret bash! Ferretvite, ferretone, towels, rice boxes, and Gatorade. Those poor ferrets had to be black and blue from bashing into the walls with all their tearing around and dancing. We even ended up giggling and having so much fun. I had to think my God, what if Ping and Pong didn't wake me up. Sean is no baby, he is a big boy and that fever was waaaaaay to high. Sean never would have told me. If it were not for Sean hearing the ferret head party that ensued that night, he never would have come to me. By 6:30am, Sean's fever was way way down, I had a ball, and the ferrets were about ready to be tucked in. Finally I felt safe in putting Sean to bed. I was so happy and relieved to see the ferrets acting so ferrety. I feared drain bramage if they bashed their wee heads against the walls one more time! The next morning of course I heard it from hubby. He thought the entire event was just oh so much fun. He thought we had the biggest bash ever with baths, and food, and giggles, and staying up all night. He thought we were nuts with this ferret head party. Little did he know. ::rolling my eyes:: Have a very Ferrety Christmas, Wolfy [Posted in FML issue 2908]