So, it's that time of year again, yep, cold and flu season...fun!
I hate this time of year! I swear I can see the germs coating every surface! I'm not a germ-a-phob per se, but I swear since I've had kids, I've become hyper-aware!
We are fairly lucky. Being a stay-at-home mom, my kids aren't exposed as much as other kids who are in day care or school (that'll be next year), but we still get our share of illnesses. Usually hubby picks it up at work & brings it home, but sometimes we get it from family functions or even out shopping. Ya, don't believe me? Watch the people around you & see how many cough into their hands before touching something. Grossed out now? Yep, that's me almost everywhere I go!
But the germs aren't the only reason I hate this time of year, the other reason is that plethora of runny noses. I'll admit, before I had kids, I could handle anything! Give me poop, pee, spit up, sometimes even vomit, & I'd barely blink an eye, but give me a kid with a runny nose & it would take all my will power not to run as far and fast as I could! Shortly after we were married, I remember being at a friend's house who had a one year old. This child seemed to constantly have a runny nose & as much as I loved her, I dreaded her sweet little hug...and the inevitable gift she left behind on my clothes. A few years later, with 2 kids of my own, I've grown to realize that I have become nothing more then a glorified tissue. My son seems to prefer to rub his runny nose on my shoulder then on the tissue I'm offering. In fact, that's one of the main reasons I hate runny noses, the fights over cleaning them.
In my house, trying to wipe a runny nose is like being part of a soap opera. There is screaming, crying, and that's just from me. Trying to use a nasal aspirator? It's like a battle scene from a movie. There are battle cries, arms & legs are flying, weapons are used & sometimes, blood is drawn. The weapons in question are of course, the nasal aspirator on my end, and whatever toy they happen to be holding. And OK, so maybe so far there has been no blood, but I'm surprised, I've been hit pretty hard in the face during these fights. These kids fight dirty!
So that defeated looking woman you see out with the 2 kids, 1 or both with runny noses, that could be me. I promise I'll try to keep them from getting too bad, but sometimes, I'm just tired of fighting.
