H1N1/Swine Flu - what you SHOULD be doing anyway

There is great concern about the H1N1 or swine flu - and rightfully so. It appears that health officials still don't know enough about the virus to contain it or even diagnose it. We know that the symptoms are very similar to regular flu symptoms - cold, body aches, chills, fever etc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also concerned that cases are popping up all over the country and in some instance, they can't yet explain how the probable patient could have contracted the virus. It seems serious enough - right. The World Health Organization is also raising the alarm so I think it's pretty serious.

However the precautionary measures are so simple that I can't help but say huhhhhh? The CDC has a list of recommendations for folks to stay healthy, but really these are things that we should be doing anyway - right!!?!?!?!?

o Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
o Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
o Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
o Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

So.................what value have these recommendations added? At this point, the CDC should just say "listen to your mama" on their website until they have more information.

I Could Kiss Laura From Housekeeping

So we went on an overnight ski trip to a resort a few hours away from where we live on Sunday. Aside from it being one of the most stressful trips we've ever been on, we did end up having a great time. People always tease me for making lists and itineraries and "over-planning" trips, but this past weekend just reinforced why I do all of that. This is the first time since I can remember that I didn't make a packing checklist or map out an activity itinerary and boy did it show. Here's how the stress all started:

1. Hubby did not put my overnight bag in the car.
   (Please know that I cannot possibly convey to you in words the feelings that little situation evoked. Use your imagination.)
   
2. Since we were in middle-of-nowhere-Maryland my only shopping options to replace my stuff were Wal-Mart and Cato Fashions. Any store with the word "fashions" in the name can only be bad news. It was, however, a step up from the atrocities the local Wal-Mart was trying to pass off as "sweaters." I never longed for a Target so badly in my life.
   
3. We also forgot at home L'il Buddy's winter coat and Chatterbox's and Giggles' hats, gloves, and scarves. This was because when we left home it was a record-breaking 70 degrees for some freakish reason and so we didn't bundle the kids up as we normally do when leaving the house. Instead everyone just piled in the car and Hubby threw the girls' coats in the back. So the kids got some winter "fashions" from Wal-Mart too. Thank goodness I had packed the girls' snowpants in their bag which, thank goodness, Hubby did bother to put it in the car.
   
4. Hubby did not bother to bring any winter accessories for himself (because he "took this trip for granted" - his words, not mine) and so he ended up buying an overpriced ski mask from the resort boutique. He did have ski gloves that his wife packed for him though.
   
5. Hubby had also decided that there was "no room" for the girls' sled and left it in the driveway at home. Scout's honor. (How could there not be any room? He didn't put anything else in the car!)
   
6. With no set itinerary we wasted precious time trying to figure out what to do and when and where and how much it cost once we got there. Add three small children to the mix and it was a mess.

In the end we made the best of everything and had fun. J. Ny and her family came too and the first night the kids all went sledding (on J. Ny's sleds, of course) and tubing. My sister and I went night skiing (albeit very late) and it.was.so.great! After a completely sleepless night (the baby did not like his unfamiliar surroundings; Giggles' had a cough; the heater in the hotel room was louder than an army-issue Black Hawk; shall I go on?) we woke up, had breakfast and Hubby and I hit the slopes. We then had a ridiculously complicated time checking out of the room and returning our equipment (check out time came before the ski lift passes expired so we were trying to do as much skiing as possible whilst having checked out of our room), and then we were finally on our way home. Of course, in line with the rest of the events of the weekend, the nipple for L'il Buddy's bottle sprung a leak on the car ride back home just as he was wanting to eat, and we had to find our way to a CVS on dark back roads in the Maryland countryside to buy a new one. We finally made it home, happy and tired from our skiing adventure. End of story.

Or so I thought.

This morning it occurred to me that I hadn't seen Chatterbox's "DS" that she got for Christmas since we had been back home. Of course, being a firm believer in Murphy's Law, deep down I had a feeling that I knew exactly where the game was but I attempted to look for it everyhwere nonetheless. Chatterbox confirmed my suspicions and announced that her "DS is in the drawer in the hotel room." At which point I almost cried. She hadn't even had the thing for a full week!

Anyway, to put you out of your misery I will cut to the chase: I just called the resort and spoke to Laura from Housekeeping who cheerfully told me that they in fact had "the Frog" and would send it to out to us right away.

How's that for a Christmas miracle?

Lessons learned: There still are some good people left in the world; my unconditional love for Target really is justified; always double-check behind your husband when going on a trip; ignore the haters and make checklists and itineraries 'til the cows come home; and add "hotel drawers" to the list of spots to triple-check when checking out of a hotel room.

The End.

All That Gooey Goodness Gone to Waste

What happens when you leave your beloved Gummy Cola Bottles in your glove compartment on a sunny day...






So, so sad.

Fruit Snack Detox: Days 4 and 5

Drumroll please...not one mention of fruit snacks in the past two days! Unbelievable. And really, this makes me feel a whole lot better because this means that she wasn't quite addicted to them so much as that she just loves to eat them if they're around. Mission Accomplished.

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On another note, today I am taking a Mental Health Day - Woo Hoo! A day all to myself to do things for myself. And I am going to start by running to the grocery, buying two kinds of milk (because Heaven forbid that both children would actually drink the same type of milk), and drop the milk off at daycare because they ran out and I only found out late last night when hubby's selective memory decided to remember what the teacher told him on the frivolous topic of the nutrition of our offspring. [And yet he managed to remember to check and see if he had the proper size wrench to adjust the in-ground sprinklers yesterday at 6pm. Hey, you win some.] AND THEN, I am going to come home and clean the house, do laundry, run a few errands...and then I will have all day about 30 minutes of the day to myself to do things for myself.

I'd better get going.

Fruit Snack Detox: Days 2 and 3

Things have been relatively quiet on the fruit snack front. The only major hiccup was that another little girl at Oldest's daycare had fruit snacks in her lunch on Monday and apparently Oldest tried to jump her for them. Clearly Laila's mom is trying to sabotage my program. That'll learn ya!

Yesterday Oldest was quite content with her fresh strawberries for dessert on Monday and a popsicle yesterday. This morning she asked for fruit snacks and when I told her we didn't have any, she made me pull down the snack basket so that she could see for herself.

But I'm happy to report no chills, fainting spells or cold sweats so far.

Lindsey Lohan's parents should send her my way. I'll whip her right into shape.

Fergie Family Fruit Snack Detox: Day One

So yesterday Oldest ate the last pack of fruit snacks that were in our house during church. [Oh come on! How else do you expect me to keep her sitting quietly for two hours?] The funny part was when she had to go to the front of the church to accept an award from the Children's Ministry. Of course she was clutching an opened pack of her beloved snacks and unknowingly trailing them behind her as she walked up the aisle. I was following behind her hurriedly picking them up one by one as she walked up there. Like a flower girl of sorts. Except without the cute headband or rose petals. It was pitiful.

Yesterday was also grocery shopping day. And you will be so proud to know that I didn't buy any fruit snacks! I have to be totally honest and tell you that I REALLY thought about it. I mean REALLY. I stood in the aisle staring at them for a good three minutes. I was like "well, they really aren't all that bad" and "what if i got another kind of fruit snack instead?" and "maybe I should just get one box in case of emergency." And then I realized I was being ridiculous and rolled on out of that aisle. Luckily Oldest wasn't with me or it would have been on.

When I got home she was delighted to see the grocery bags I had with me. She said: "Mommy! Grocery! Fruit Snacks! Oranges! Popsicles!" And I had to say [with a little bit of apprehension] "Mommy didn't get any fruit snacks, honey. They didn't have any. They were all gone. Lord, forgive me. But Mommy did get oranges! And grapes! And popsicles! High Five!" And she looked crushed for a milisecond but quickly recovered at the mention of popsicles. So folks, I have sucessfully substituted one sugar-filled snack for another. Great parenting!

I think I'll try and make her homemade popsicles with 100% fruit juice and chucks of real fruit. Yes, it'll still be sugar, but at least I'll feel better. And isn't that what this is really all about?