the inevitable

Around here, we're mostly pretty healthy. I can't remember the last time one of the kids had to be taken to the doctor due to illness, or missed a day of school. Lou and I come down with things slightly more often (and of course he deals with near-constant sinus infections), but in general illness rarely gets in the way of the things we need and want to do.

This year everyone's perceptions in the area of viruses and other germs going around seem pretty heightened (possibly also distorted, but that's difficult to be clear on). H1N1 has dominated the focus, but of course, the vast majority of what's going around tend to be the nonnamed illnesses that congregate wherever large groups of children go. All of which makes it nearly inevitable that one or more of the kids (and therefore us) will come down with something any day now. I go around trying to gauge levels of contagion, whether that sneeze really means something, and if my throat really feels that scratchy or am I just talking myself into it because someone mentioned flu.

(The eldest child got the seasonal vaccine. The younger two are scheduled for it at the end of the month. None of them are likely to get the H1N1 because of the shortages and the complication of trying to get to the pedi's office twice in a month. I'm always on the fence about flu vaccines and whether they're necessary/a good idea. I suspect it's six of one, half a dozen of the other, but can't be sure.)

But of course, truthfully, there's not much I can do. Between tae kwon do, school, preschool, gymnastics, eating out, the bus, grocery stores, playdates, work, and so on, there's no way to avoid being exposed. So the best thing I can do is be informed, be aware of how they're all feeling, and be ready to drop everything and pull out the chicken soup and hot cocoa whichever morning one of them wakes up unschoolworthy. And try not to worry about it too much before it happens!