What I Hate About Colds

1. The post nasal drip, soar throat that indicates a cold is a comin'

2. The stuffy nose, which I can't get rid of no matter how hard I blow

3. The stuffy nose I can't clear, which then keeps me up at night

4. Having insufficient drugs in the house (but at least I can take drugs, unlike when I was pregnant)

5. The fact that I wear glasses (if you wear glasses you know what I mean)

6. The stuffy nose, and feeling like I will never breath freely again

7. My complete lack of energy (especially this week)

8. Coughing and sneezing all over everyone, and everything (sorry to everyone who came to last night's benefit.)

9. That germy feeling on my hands, after having blown my nose (see apology above.)

10. Not being able to talk, it has made yelling talking at to the kids rather difficult.

Traditions

It is inevitable, it happens every year. One would think I would learn by now. One would think I would see this coming a mile away and be prepared, but I haven't and I don't.

Cold season descended upon our house last week, and as happens every year we were unprepared. Paper towels were wiping noses because we ran out of tissues. We were licking the last drops out of medicine bottles.

There I was, sneezing and coughing, picking one of everything in the cold and flu aisle at Walmart, then walking the whole perimeter of the store to find tissues (they remodeled and it makes perfect sense for the tissues to be on the other end of the store from the cold medicine.)

I also picked up another humidifier. In the 8 years we have had kids we have gone through 5 humidifiers. The first one I bought at a consignment sale, and that one has lasted the longest (just retired last week.) Then we bought one a year or so later, while on vacation which is entirely another story to be told another time. (Just know that after that vacation I was not able to hear, or even think of, going on vacation, any vacation, without my blood pressure spiking and the hairs on my arms standing on end.)

A few years later the vacation humidifier died and I found myself in CVS, on Valentine's Day, purchasing our first cold mist humidifier, and lots of medicine. The cold mist humidifier broke last year, the most expensive of the five and it broke after only 1 year.

So, there I was in Walmart last week, purchasing one of everything in the cold and flu aisle, plus another humidifier. All the time coughing and sneezing in my sleeve (something the cashier needed to learn, ewwwww!)

This is one tradition I would be glad to never repeat.

Calling My Bluff

This wasn't the first time I used the line to usher my children off to school. However, it was the first time one of them took me up on what I said. Looks like I need a new "trick" for school mornings.

It happens to every mom of school-age children, and yes, even the homeschooling moms. Your precious little one comes down and says "Mommy, I don't feel well." No fever, perfect appetite and plenty of energy. "But, Mommy, my tummy feels sick."

My "trick"? "If you still feel sick at lunchtime you may go see the nurse." And, until today, it worked. They head off to school thinking they have an out. I'm content because they are at school. Once school begins they will forget about feeling ill. By lunch time they will have forgotten about the nurse. And by the time they get off the bus in the afternoon they say "I'm fine" in a voice that suggests they never felt anything else all day.

Today, ED called my bluff. In his defense he does have allergies, therefore a runny nose, and being only the second week of school I imagine a little tired. Considering those two combined factors, I can understand why his stomach may feel upset. But still, I expected him to forget all about the nurse.

Then, at lunch time, the phone rang. "ED's Mom. This is the nurse over at the elementary school. ED is here, he told his teacher he could come see me if he is feeling sick.""Does he have a fever?" I ask. "Are there any other symptoms?" All the time thinking to myself, "so why are you calling me?"

OK, first, when I say "trick" I don't mean I'm tricking my child into going to school, but using this as a tool to get them to school. As in "pulling something out of my bag of tricks."

Second, since when did the school nurse become such a softy? I remember my school days. You wanted to go home you better have a fever, have thrown up, and showing signs of the bubonic plague. No get out of school free cards during my day.

I know I'm not the only parent who has given their kid a "see the nurse" pass to get them out the door. Am I? And in all honesty, I figured the nurse would check out the boy, see nothing was wrong with him, pat him on the head, and send him back to class.

But I was wrong.

So now I need a new "trick", or tool, to get my hypochondriac kids off to school in the morning. They now know Mom will not pick them up at school just because they went to the nurse. And, the nurse now knows I use her as my fall guy to get them out of the house in the morning.

A Week's Recap

Last weekend our friends visited. We had a great time. The kids played, we talked, and after the kids went to bed enjoyed our annual fondue dinner and drank a bit too much wine.

Dealt with 1 sick kid during the weekend. But when he wasn't sleeping he was heavily medicated and doing fine.

Monday and Tuesday Hubby and I were knocked out by our colds.

*I tried to continue our extracurricular activities, though I felt like the walking dead.

Wednesday and Thursday JT was knocked out by ED's illness from the week before. Wednesday EM had a friend over to play, her mom was forewarned.

*By this time all attendance to extracurricular activities by any member of our family was cancelled.

Thursday Hubby came home early, much to the relief of his co-workers who followed him out the door with a can of Lysol.

Friday we all seemed to be on the mend. All children were in school. Hubby was back at work and I attacked the piles that were left growing around our house.

*We resumed our extracurricular activities, tonight dinner at the in-laws.

Saturday brought a relapse. I had laryngitis that morning and spent it in bed. Hubby continued to hack up a lung, and spent the afternoon in bed. JT's fever returned and spent a good part of the day in bed.

*All extracurricular activities were cancelled.

Sunday, we all seem to be on the mend ... again.

So, if you were planning on stopping by you may want to think again. Take notice to the red tape across our front door. Enter at your own risk. A mask may be highly recommended.

And if you recently visited our house, I'm extremely sorry. And we cannot be held responsible for anything you may have been afflicted with since visiting. Please come again, maybe in the spring.