I'll Say It Quietly:

We've begun to venture out into the living world.

The Tylenol, Motrin, Sudafed, nasal sprays and other various cold and flu medicine remedies, have been put back into the cabinet and have not been taken back out in a few days.

We've still got a few sniffles and coughs and we're all easily fatigued. But, the sun is out, after weeks of rain, and we're finally able to enjoy it...for now...there is still a lot going around...

We're trying to plan a short trip to Spain. Hopefully, we'll stay healthy enough to make that happen...

When it Will End, Nobody Knows

We've been sick here for, oh, I don't know. A couple of weeks. Last week was the worst. Sunday afternoon, we ventured to a Lisbon market and then dinner at the only brewpub in Lisbon (Beer: okay. Food: unmentionable). We kept the kids on our backs at the market. No need to test their fragile immune systems in a crowd full of people.

I've been trying to stay positive through the whole thing. Olivia's in school for the first time. So, despite being sick a lot now, she'll be healthier in the long run (or so I'm told). The crying and middle of the night, stumbling down the hall to sooth a child (read: give more drugs), has been the only really stressful part (oh, and the time I was sick, with chills, soaking through two shirts a night, and had to get up with sick kids. That was great fun).

DH was not spared. He got it. Chills and all. He worked in his cramped office, despite feeling like death. Tell me, is this really a good time of the year to go to work when you've got the flu??? You probably don't care what people do or give it much thought - until you spend your holiday trip to Rome sacked out in your hotel bed because some jerk came to work sick and infected your entire office a week or two prior to your epic trip. I don't know if anyone in DH's office is going to Rome. I'm just saying...

I was hoping, by yesterday, we'd move past the worst of it and into the clear. Then, Lila cried most of today saying something her stomach.

Worse, this was a dinner table conversation:

Olivia: "Ouch! My ear hurts. No, maybe they both hurt. I don't knooooowwwww! Ouch!"

Mom: "Matt, her temperature is 100.1"

Dad: "What? I thought we were done being sick! What is wrong with these kids?" (read: "DW, what are you doing wrong? These kids should be better by now.")

Olivia: "Okay, I'm ready for bed now. Right now. I want to go to bed."

And, off she went. To bed. No fighting, crying or whining. Forty-five minutes before she normally goes to bed.

Do I want to go to the doctors? NO! Why? Hummm. Maybe because I'm afraid the kid who was there before my kids, left behind some germs we have not been exposed to...

Who should go to bed early? Who? Who? ME ME ME!!! Because, once the dose of Motrin I gave Olivia wears off...

When it ends, nobody knows!

I Won!

I am a fan of Eco Child's Place. This is the one green blog you'll find me reading daily! The posts are informative, unpreachy and thoughtfully written, most by green parents. The subjects are vast - which keeps the blog interesting and reading, therefore, tireless.

Last week, I entered the contest here and WON the product displayed! You'll have to click on the embedded link to find out what I won!

When I get it in and start to use it, I'll post some pictures. It'll come in handy for our day trips around Portugal!