Sick Days

I’m really BLESSED because my children have NEVER had a major illness.  They both have also managed to avoid the common baby ear infections and baby fevers.  I’ve never had to take them to the pediatrician for any medical scare.

(Do you hear me LOUDLY KNOCKING ON WOOD??)

But they DO get COLDS.  Blech.

The snots, the drips, the little coughs.  Lots of mucus.  Everywhere.  And I totally hate it.

I know I completely overreact, but when one of my kiddies wakes up in the morning and I am greeted with a runny nose, I start to panic.  “Oh, no! Where is the Vitamin C?!  Keep them away from the other kid!  Where are the tissues? Where is the Little Noses bottle and the nose squeegee?  Ugh!”

I’ve always been this way.  I hated to be around sick people at school and at work.  I would walk around them.  I would avoid their personal space.  My husband thinks I’m crazy because I run around with Clorox Wipes and the Lysol can when someone sneezes.  I don’t know whether I am really turned off by the cold symptoms or if I really don’t want to catch a cold. 

I think it’s both.

And with kids, you can’t avoid colds entering your home.  It happens.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics most children have eight to ten colds during their first two years of life.

Right now both Daniel and Annabel have a cold.  I’m really glad that it’s JUST a cold, but I still hate it.  They’ve been through five boxes of tissue in 48 hours.  There are damp washcloths sitting around my house in strategic locations ready to wipe their noses, cheeks, and arms. I always have to change their shirts and bed sheets because of the snot.  They want to watch TV.  They whine a lot more.  They sleep a little less. 

“BUT, after 7-10 days they will be better!”  (I have to keep telling myself this.)

Uh oh, I think I feel a scratchy throat coming on.  I need to go make some tea and relax. (And watch So You Think You Can Dance…)