Wednesday, September 24, 2008

wednesday weigh in

For the record: I am not planning to make my blog private. Why, just last month I went on that soul-searching mission and ultimately determined that I rely too heavily upon the support of people I do not know to help me through the maze of parenthood.

(I'm looking at you, Twingles.)

For now, I'm just going to change my name and possibly my husband's so that if there are any crazies that stumble upon this website, they would be hard pressed to Zaba our legal names - obtain our home address and telephone number - know that my favorite color is mocha - see a satellite image of our neighborhood - and discover that in June of 2008, we were detained at the Canadian Border.

Although on second thought, it might be a good thing for any crazies out there to know that we were detained at the Canadian Border for attempting to carry a BANNED WEAPON that would be used against anyone that ever attempted to cause my children harm.

I'm just sayin.

ROAR!


OK, enough about the sickos of the world. How about the sickos in this house?

There seems to be a case of the flu going around that I suspect the children picked up from school. Shocking, huh? Not even a month in to the preschool program and the whole house has the plague.

Elizabeth had it last weekend and spiked a temperature of 103. William had it on Tuesday and spiked a temperature of 102. Henry's nose is running, Carolyn is grumpy, I have a sore throat and Charlie is complaining that his ears feel clogged. I've been administering hot tea and honey, Zicam and Nasal Rinse in amounts that border on excess.

Today, I was struck with the dilemma of what to do with William. Yesterday he was sick. But this morning when he woke up - he was running around the house, with no apparent temperature, no nasal discharge, and instigating pillow fights with his sisters.

So. I thought about the cost of tuition for a moment. And then I thought about having THREE hours almost completely to myself. And then I thought that if he is running around and frolicking and eating breakfast and generally happy ... sure he can go to school.

So he did.

When I went to pick him up three hours later, he initially seemed well - waving and excited to see me, from behind the school gate. But by the time we walked 100 feet to the car, his eyes were glassy, his nose was running, he felt feverish and he wanted me to carry him.

Way to go, MOM!

Sending a sick child to school!


Now the rest of his school will probably fall ill, except, of course, the child that brought the flu to school in the first place. And they will know that it was our fault because they saw us in the parking lot. Me encouraging William to walk because I had Henry in my arms, William wailing, "I CAN'T!! I SO SICK, MOMMY!! MY NOSE!! I WANT A NEW NOSE!! LOOK AT THE BOOGIES!!"

I called the Director of the school this afternoon and told her about the situation - apologized for sending him back prematurely - and said that the chances are great I'll be holding him out tomorrow and possibly Friday as well.

And now, I'm thinking that a good rule of thumb is to keep a child out of school for 24 hours following a fever. But what if they have no fever but green boogers running down their face that they like to wipe off with every part of their arm extending from their pinky finger to their elbow? What then, pray tell. WHAT THEN?!

It's not surprising that there hasn't been much exercising for me this week. Not much at all. Or rather, none. Although to my cardiovascular credit, I have been doing a tremendous amount of jumping up and down to fetch tissues, medicine, juice, popsicles, and a host of other items that my little people need but are unable to fetch for themselves.

Including that. Said with a stuffy nose, "DAT FING OVAH DARE. IST's yellow."

Ah yes. We call it a banana.

Language apparently eludes us when we are ill. So does the desire to exercise.

I did try once. I put on my running shoes and clipped on my shuffle. But my shoes just felt too heavy. So, I laid down on the couch and imagined I was running. In the following pictures, Henry illustrates precisely how I have felt about taking on any physical challenge these past few days.

"Oh, look a ball! If I pick that ball up, I'll add a little variety to my walk!"



"Oh, it's a slippery little devil!"


"Why I'm just trying to pick it up and I get knocked flat on my tush!"



"But, I'll stand up again..."



"... and give it another shot."


"Not to worry that I have a smidge of dirt on my rump. Who ever said challenges would be clean?!"


"Upsy Daisy."


"I've got a good hold on you, now."


"... or, maybe not."



"Let's try this again."

"And bend with the knees ... keeping my back straight..."


"I did it, Mom! I'm well on my way!!"


"OH CURSING CURSES!"


"What is THIS?! Where is the love?!"

"It's a BALL for Pete's sake. It's not an anvil!!"


"Is it covered in Crisco?!"


"Yeah, well. Maybe when I'm inspired I'll be back. So you just think about that while you watch me walk away."


**********

Please, tell me how you're doing.

It's got to be better than me and my little buddy, Henry.

26 comments:

  1. It's always been a rule at our schools that children must stay home for 24 hours after the fever has broken. Not that they can really enforce it, but it's right there in the handbook.

    Um...no exercise for me this week. I'm building a float people!!

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  2. My little Ian has the same mystery 'fwot hurts' with fever. He's been to school a total of three days (he's a T/Th kid). So since he's fever today that means no school tomorrow. GAH!

    No exercise here, but I am back on the eating well bandwagon.

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  3. Fever is a key for staying home for me, and if they are feeling sick--not the 24 hour thing as much. Runny noses aren't necessarily a reason to stay home. Just yesterday I was at a playgroup and every other kid there had boogers running down their noses, and no one seemed to care or say anything. (It does bother me a bit, but I've done it with our kids too at times).

    Hope you are all feeling better tomorrow. Welcome to school age kids...they are always catching something.

    weigh in: I am doing "Weigh Down" (you've probably heard of it) and walking/running with my husband again.

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  4. I used to teach...the first year in any school I taught/aided/st. taught I picked up whatever was going around...then I was fine in the years there after. Hopefully the family will build up their immunity to school bugs. Good Luck.

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  5. This year, my uni lecturer told me that there was a research study undertaken that showed that a group of people who sat on a couch "thinking" they were doing aerobics had weight loss/fitness gains comparable to the group of people that actually did the jumping type of aerobics. Sweet huh!? So "Jane", take a seat on the couch and "think" about running, swimming, cycling and you'll be fitter than the "oldies" for your next triathlon!!

    PS. If your were to do another post about your husband's pancakes... how good does "Pinot's pancakes" sound?

    Hope everyone feels better soon!!

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  6. No excersie for me! I posted the results:)

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  7. I love that you have Wednesday weigh in because I went back to WW and Wednesday is MY weigh in day too! I gained 63 pounds with my singleton pregnancy (a boy) and 62 pounds with my twins (girls). Go figure. Anyway, I went back to WW 4 weeks ago and after 3 weigh ins I am down 6.6 pounds. I love doing WW while nursing. Like you, I am delaying solids a little because I like losing weight. Plus he's my last baby and i need to savor him. He's growing up too fast, surely he doesn't really need solids yet, right? My twins didn't start solids this soon, I'd swear it.

    I will start working out again at the end of October. I'm getting gradually back in gear after a difficult pregnancy. First diet, then exercise. I have my workout buddy all lined up. I love that my favorite blogger is checking in like this.

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  8. Yikes, sounds like a lot of us are in the same boat. After 4 days of school, we have the same fever, green booger cold going on around here. Of course, I have it and so does my 26-month old.

    We have managed to go "hiking" with the double-stroller. I say hiking very lightly, since it involves me dragging two kids in the stroller while I try to keep them awake. I should have some good muscles after this if they stay sick though.

    Not a very productive week alas.

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  9. I am doing really well, I actually even fit in an extra workout this week. I am very proud of myself, I actually fit one of my favorite dresses again.
    One of the benefits of working out for me is that it boosts my immunity system- no illness here! Good luck with your family's bout of the nasties.
    igsbeth.blogspot.com

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  10. I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad you aren't going private! I love your blog! Haven't commented before, but I started reading when you wrote about hazwoper training. Before my twins, I worked in the shipping industry and our office ran the hazwoper training for an oil spill clean up coop. We got shirts made that said "I Heart Hazwoper" because we just thought it was such a funny word. But the attention that one gets out in public in that shirt is a little uncomfortable.

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  11. Hang in there. Hope everyone's feeling better asap!

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  12. I hope everyone is feeling better soon. I'm on my fourth week of couch to 5k. Yay me!

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  13. I teach preschool in the three to 4 year old room and I am getting sick. So many of the children in my class have green snot coming out of their noses. I have an awful cough, my throat hurts and it hurts to talk. So we shall see if I survive tomorrow. My class will try to take over because I am positive they can smell it in the air when I am not doing well physically. Other than that I am doing dandy and so excited about a new bible study I am starting tomorrow at church.

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  14. I'm still walking every day, 1.5 miles before the kids get up and I worked out three times in the gym last week. I've lost 4 pounds of the vacation weight and I'm thinking 123 is a good weight for me. I'm not going to lose anymore. :)

    Mine are all sick. I sent Austin to school sick and then proceeded to send Sarah into ballet with her nose pouring boogers. She came running out screaming that she told me she was sick and had BOOGERS. She did that in front of 25 mothers. So I wiped her nose and sent her back in. Then I sent her into gym after that.

    Got home and she really was sick and had a fever. Oops. My bad.

    If she's fine tomorrow morning she's going to school, I can tell you that much!

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  15. Lucky for us, this household is a booger-free zone! Shayna's teacher is a clean hands freak, so they're washing hands constantly!

    Today, I ran up and down Signal Hill - 4 miles worth - with a group of gals from my gym. It was great! Feeling great.. until around 4 pm - then everything from my knees up to my hips died and sent m a postcard! I'd better lost some poundage today!

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  16. And I've also been inspired to start updating my blog again finally with health-related stuff. Awesome.

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  17. Hilarious little slideshow, 'Jane' I'm so glad you aren't going private.

    ***Mariah***

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  18. The cursing curses. Oh, I am laughing at that.

    I've been completely derailed by tendinitis in my ankle (brought on by exercise -What the FRIG?) and have to schedule an MRI.

    I've also packed up our house, moved out for a week while the painters came through, unpacked, emptied the garage (twice) and "decraptified" my house so that it will be presentable to potential buyers. In a stroke of genius, I placed our scale in the storage pod and waved it goodbye, as the forklift loaded it onto the truck.

    And I'm so sorry you've been hit with the plague. It sucks. I just about blew a gasket the first time Lucy's school sent out an email that lice had been found in one of her classmate's hair. I seriously thought long and hard about homeschooling that afternoon.

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  19. yeah, we have a rule of 24 hours fever free around here too. actually, when i worked in a pre-school, if we sent a kid home with a temp they were automatically required to be out the next day.

    But hey, you live and learn, right? Hope everyone is having a good day today!

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  20. Ewww on the flu. I hope you all get better soon. Loved the pictures of Henry...poor baby.

    Me: well I'm nine million months pregnant and a week overdue, so the only exercise I'm getting is um...walking to the bathroom.

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  21. Man, I feel for you and your family. My 3 year old twins just started preschool and are sick already. Such good kids too, they share generously with all around them (germs only!)

    I didn't join you iPod shuffle contest but just wanted to let you know that you are an inspiration to me. I gained about 25 lbs after my husband passed away suddenly last year and then we moved across country to be closer to family.... you know the drill. Comfort foods, no energy for exercising, barely desiring to get out of bed etc.

    The chronicle of your training and completion of your triathalon made me think the I need to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING. When I was young, single and carefree I was a runner. Mostly competed in 10K races and started (but didn't even come close to finishing) the Midnight Sun Marathon in Alaska.

    SO. Now when I drop the kids off to their co-op preschool two afternoons a week, I go for a walk/jog/run. I also purchased a NordicTrack treadmill that I can use in the blissful time after they retire for the evening. Though weight loss is not my primary goal, I have lost 4lbs already.

    My REAL goal is to run a half marathon in the spring.

    I have also returned to work and am hoping that interacting with adults more will also improve my outlook......

    Anyway, I wish your family a speedy recovery and magical immunity from all the kid germs at school!
    Kathleen

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  22. hi jane,
    last week my goals were
    1) walk babies an hour five times
    2) not eat any sugar

    i did walk the babies for an hour five times. however, i ate sugar everyday until tuesday when i started phase one of the south beach diet. so, tuesday and wednesday i didn't eat any sugar.

    my goals for this next week are to 1) walk an hour five times and
    2) stay on phase one of south beach.

    thanks for letting me check in. it helps.

    i hope your household is feeling well again very soon. katie

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  23. My job as moppets coordinator for our local mops group puts me in the lovely position of calling moms downstairs to ask them to take their children home if I see any of the following. A fever, excessive coughing, or runny green snot. We ask moms to keep their kids home until they have been free from fever, vomiting, or diarrhea for 24 hours. That is our well child policy.

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  24. Moving my comment from the other post to this one...

    There must have been something in the air. I had the crud last week, and I gave it to my husband, who came down with it just in time to make sure that I got to wait on him hand and foot on my birthday (and the day before and the day after)! Yay!

    But I got back on the horse this week. Here's my comment from the prior post:

    Checking in for the Wednesday Weigh-In...

    Despite a wicked cold last week (with a whole week of convalescing...), I managed to get back on track this past Sunday. I've kept up my commitment to run at least every other day since then, and today, I tried out my new Nike+ geegaw on the new iPod nano that I also got today (not that I like to go out and randomly drop a few hundred dollars on geegaws and doodads and the like, but I actually received both for my birthday today).
    I really do enjoy the Nike+ thing because I can keep track of my times and distances, etc. and track my progress on their website and I get to gather that data(while listening to great music, too! Pretty cool!

    So. I am progressing as I think I should be after knocking out a week for respiratory illness. I wish I hadn't lost that week this close to the race, but the fact that I'm still putting one foot in front of the other is a pretty good thing!

    My goal for next week is to take at least one run outside rather than on the treadmill.

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  25. As always, I'm late.

    BUT, I did drag my lazy, tired behind out of bed and walked three days this week. Monday and today were about 20 minutes and Wednesday was 35 or 40, about 1.5 miles. (I'm a slow walker.)

    I hated when my kiddo started daycare because that's the reason we had to have tubes put in his ears. (that and his idiot father never knowing he was sick) Things are much better now and I feed him vitamins and baby him when he's not in school.

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  26. Oh what a change of scenery will do for you. Bike riding and hiking, I will count that as exercise:)
    Will weigh in next Sat. no internet, no electricity, no nothing but nature until Friday night.
    My hope for this week is to bike ride a LOT.
    Kathy

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