kids and medical misconceptions

Since my kids have been sick on and off again for the past 6 weeks we have talked a lot about preventing sickness and then how to manage  symptoms once infected. From these discussions have come some interesting comments. 

From Liam:

Liam talking to Elsie- “If kids have a fever and they don’t drink water, they’ll DISAPPEAR!!!”

-“I don’t know how the germs got me. I have really good eyes and I looked REALLY closely and I didn’t even see them. “

-“How did I get sick again? I was sleeping with a blanket over my head and even all the way over my feet so the germs couldn’t jump on me while I was sleeping.”

-“Every time I cough I am letting the germs out so there is less and less inside me.”

-“If you get sick the first thing you do is drink hot chocolate and watch movies.”

From Elsie-

-"When kids are sick they drink lots of hot chocolate. When moms are sick they drink bath water." (Looking at my herbal tea in a dark mug)

-"The pink medicine is the best cause it eats all my germs all gone."

-"The germs tried to get me and I was running SUPER fast. Like this-" Then showing 2 fingers frantically moving as fast as they could.

Presidential Inauguration

  
An inaugural kiss, downtown D.C. during the presidential inauguration. Brady didn't take an Obama flyer and a guy accused him of being a "Republican," a dirty name in this town.

You've probably noticed that none of these pictures of the presidential inauguration actually included the president.  That's because we did not actually see the president. We saw the capitol, we saw the national monument, we heard the inauguration blasted over a loud speaker, saw the secret service snipers, the tanks, but there were about a million people between us and Barack. With D.C. security, unless you know a guy, you aren't actually allowed anywhere near the president. That said, we had a fun time being downtown for the festivities.

This is a town that can't get enough Obama. He snagged a jaw dropping 96% of the vote here.  Even when it's not an election year people sing his praises year round with T-shirts, tattoos, bumper stickers, songs (that Liam sings in kindergarten.)    I visit taught a lady from church that had 2 large pictures taped to her house front window- one picture of the Obama family, the other of the Mormon temple. It's pretty indicative of how deeply, almost religiously, connected people feel to him.  He is much more than a political figure- for the black community he like is a prophet foreshadowing opportunity to come.  While I didn't vote for Obama (some of his fiscal policies don't jive with me) I appreciate what he has done to open doors and bridge the racial divide. 

Here's the official 1st lady 2013 inaugural dress, in case you're dying to see it.  I'm nearly fashion-less but the D.C. Smithsonian National History Museum has a collection of 1st lady inaugural dresses that's quite fascinating. It's a retelling of history via ballgown.  This dress will go to that collection alongside Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Jackie O.

There are few things as pathetic as sleeping next to a barf bowl-  yet Elsie makes it look perfectly cute.  Somehow the very first week back from Utah she got the same stomach flu she had on Christmas.  The miserable cycle of fevers, taking medicine, throwing -up medicine, and piles of vomity laundry continues. 

This past weekend we went to the Smithsonian museum and she was as cute and curious as always.  We've been there so many times, I feel like even my 5 year old could give tours. Some things just don't get old.

 Before Elsie had recovered from her stomach flu Liam caught it. Here he is with his super sad, sick and fevery face. And here Elsie is mimicking Liam's sad face and walking around with plastic containers on her feet.

This picture reminds me just how sweet my children are. In these pictures Liam is sharing a bowl of fruit with his sister. He made it by himself, unsupervised, cut with lots of love and a dull butter knife, then brought to share. I had been sick that day and this gesture was his way of helping.  My children bring endless light to my life.

enjoying winter

This winter break Liam has spent hours outside collecting large snowballs, making sledding hills, shoveling snow, and giving warm water to dead looking plants. I tend to be a grump when it comes to winter- I don't like cold, I don't participate in winter sports, and I basically start counting down 'til spring on the first day of frost.  But it absolutely melts my heart to see the kids sled with their grandparents, eat and collect icicles, and turn into half -frozen, happy, snow kids. 
I   I stole the big, nice pictures from my mother-in-law, Leisa.