Sick and Tired Winter

Winter! Winter was here well before its official calendar date and has roared rather loud and obnoxiously since its arrival. The temperature has barely risen above twenty degrees and though we've had fewer blizzards than last year the accumulation of snow fall is almost as great due to its constant flurrying.
Although all of this snowfall does bring sledding, which the kids enjoy, and the need for hot chocolate and wood burning fires (which I enjoy), and missed days of school (which the kids and I have opposing viewpoints on). Frankly, Winter has out worn its welcome.

And were only in February.

I can deal with the extra time required, though we are always short on, to bundle up my team of little guys. Hats, gloves, scarves, coats! And, though all of these aforementioned things make strapping the boys into their car seats nearly impossible, I can deal with that too. The mountain I have to climb to get my mail? Manageable. The ice I nearly slip-on? Tolerable.  The pale white skin and the desire to over-eat? Less than attractive but still I will accept it as terms of living in a four-seasons town.

But, I've had ENOUGH with the illness.  All 5 of us have passed our symptoms around like dice at a craps table....and the only symptom we don't have is, well, the craps.  Our house seems to be a cesspool of germs.  Want to come swimming?  I doubt it, and I don't blame you.

We've never really been the "sickies" before. The occasional bout here and there but never have we needed to Lysol and Purell all season long.

When we started Chase and Ryder in Pre-school two years ago we expected them to try every Pre-school virus on for size. Luckily, we avoided most of them.  Until now.

Chase has suffered the brunt of it, being sick six different times since Thanksgiving. The poor kid is quite the trooper. In between, Ryder has given a new meaning to being "hot"  as we watched the mercury rise into febrile seizure territory.  And, now, Turner's nose is off and running in a marathon.

I was sick with the worlds worst cold, but since mommy's don't get sick days I just had to deal with the cough that may not leave til Summer.  Then, of course, I got hit with a double doozy combination of strep throat and another virus which allowed me exactly 24 hours free from my duty as I was laid up in bed.   Simultaneously, Ryder had a stomach bug and a double ear infection, Turner had an ear infection, Chase battled with stomach issues, and Todd attempted to run the show while battling a terrible cold of his own.

I made the decision not to give the boys flu vaccines. This is something that I waiver on almost every year. Last year I immunized Turner, but not Chase and Ryder. And, despite the rampant H1N1 we managed to avoid the sickly swine. Amy did vaccinate the girls last year, and yet the girls did get the virus.....twice. So, clearly I had made the right decision then.  And, perhaps this year too, since the one sickness we haven't had (please knock on wood here) is the flu!

I am a believer in letting the body naturally build up the immunities required to survive in the world, or at least in the germy space of a pre-school. I am not saying I am against medications (well at least not for my children) but I also believe that moderate exposure to the germs that surround us is like exercise for the immune system.

Germ-phobes everywhere just got the chills.

Please understand that with all this being said I don't allow my kids to bathe in viruses and don't promote licking floors. I do expect them to wash their hands at all of the same important times that every other parent does. And, like everyone, my heart breaks if the kids are sick.  So, obviously, right now my heart is broken as I watched through sick eyes all three boys suffer illness.  I can't take another minute.  I spent yesterday (high on my antibiotic which for some reason is making me speed) cleaning, disinfecting, the house!  I hope.  I pray!  I opened windows to get the fresh air in and the germy air out.  I sprayed Lysol, used the wipes, and covered every hard surface with disinfectant spray.  I mopped the floors and wiped down the remotes, the phones, the computers, the door knobs, the light switches.

Clearly, I am fed up!  I have had enough of the sickness.  Apparently, the groundhog did not see his shadow (though I am surprised he got out of his ice covered hole) so Spring is coming?!?  Maybe.  Like I said, I can deal with the temperatures, the snow, the ice, but the illnesses, no more.

So, please! Enough is enough! Really.