Sunday, January 25, 2009

Obligitory Weekend Post

I have an odd guilty feeling having a Friday Fragment post still lingering on Sunday (it must be the OCD)... so to catch you up...

Friday, I babysat my 1 year old niece, Lila, the one that enjoys herself a nice stiff Sharpie high on occasion. I learned a few good lessons from babysitting her...

***one of the reasons I love her is that I didn't have to wear a bra that day and she didn't judge me!

*** she pinches as hard as a mofo- maybe I should have worn said bra.

*** I let her out of my sight for like 2 minutes and she lost her binkie (pacifier, nubby- whatever your term for it is)

*** dogs, apparently, are good at finding binkies and like to chew on them.

*** DO NOT use "Magic Eraser" to try and remove Sharpie off of tender chubby baby legs (I did not do this- it was her dad). Her little legs were raw and resembled track marks from a multi-colored heroine binge...


All important lessons- I share with you- you're welcome!

So you may recall my daughter ushered in Puke Fest '09 last week. Then, later that day, Beebs joined the party. My husband and I had a touch of the sour stomach and body aches through the week.

Saturday morning, my sister called me and told me that Lila was throwing up all night. Um, sorry about that. Then at noon, another call from her, one more of her kids down at Puke Fest. She said they threw up and then were acting fine so she was still hosting "Game Night", as planned, that night. Sorry, I'll pass. Does that make me a bad person? Probably, but I have 2 kids that were untouched by this and I'd like to keep it that way.

My cousin still went to Game Night with her kids. She seemed to feel impervious because she does 'flu shots'. Every year, the doctor offers them to me and my kids and every year, I refuse. And yes, pretty much every year, we get the flu. I am from the old school of thought that the flu is a winter rite of passage.

I am a cynical person when vaccines first come out. I like to let them work out their kinks before I even consider it. I am also a believer of the amount of strains of flu that goes around in a given season are not all guaranteed in the vaccine- so why go through it. BUT, then I think, if I don't have to clean up all that nasty and the kids didn't have to feel sick, maybe it would be worth it. HOWEVER, there have been two people I know that have done flu shot, religiously, in October, every year, for, at least, the last five years. And frankly, those two people have the sickliest kids I've ever known- they always seem to have something!

So, I ask you, do you do flu shots? I'm curious, now that they have been around a while... what do you think?




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18 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

I get my flu shot every year. They are way better than getting tortured with a magic eraser.

Linda S said...

Poor kiddo...we used bleach to remove the marks which can't be good either...

Every year I don't get the flu shot I get the flu..which I have now...

Kim said...

No flu shots for us - have NEVER had one. I've had the flu once in the past 11 years, my husband and my kids have not had the flu. Yes, I know we will get it eventually - shot or no shot.

Have your sister try tea tree oil. We had some tea tree oil soap and it removed a bright blue magic eraser from my then 2 year old's body, including the face! It wiped off like I was using an eraser (not a magic one, but one with some chalk!).

Jen said...

We don't do the flu shots either. I didn't realize that they protected against stomach bugs. If that is the case I may have to rethink my stance. I always thought the flu shot was just for the fever, body ache flu.

Cute pics!

Dr Zibbs said...

Great pics.

Dennis and Leslie said...

Ok,
1. I love your niece's name, Lila, so cute!

2. What's wrong with a Sharpie high?? They are harmless, right? And they don't show up in a urine test...

3. My legs look just like Lila's legs!! Minus the Sharpie art....

4. I am a pediatric nurse, so of course I agree with flu shots! (at least that's what I'm paid
to say ;)

The Mom Jen said...

Never a flu shot for any of us. Knock on wood. Plus I wouldn't have gone over either! Love those chubby legs and the dog with paci!

Julie H said...

We don't do flu shots. And you know it's not the stomach flu that it's good for right? We all had that last week too. Really sucked! TG I didn't throw up though, the only one in the house not to!

Val said...

We have done flu shots in the past but didn't this year, I kind of forgot. They only protect against the body aches and pain stuff that can last for a week, not the stomach bug. Too bad there isn't one for that.
The reason behind my kids getting them is that they have had bronchial asthma, they suggest that kids with that get the flu shot. We have never had the flu when we get the shot but when we don't we usually get sick. Though this year we haven't... knock on wood.

Tiffany said...

I always get my kid the flu shot because his yearly check-up is in October and the doctors always remind me about it. I never get one because I never go to the doctor. Yea I like to live on the edge.

Ronda's Rants said...

Her poor little legs look really sad!
No flu shots here but I probably should start as now I am old! :)

jaime said...

i'm pretty much where you are at. My husband and I have never had a flu shot, and we never get the flu...so I never got my son one. I was gonna let him get it this year but then the Dr's office ran out...and the state stopped supplying it or something. Fate? hmmmmmmm :)

glad you are all feeling better!

Piece o' Coconut Cake said...

We never do flu shots-and we never get sick. Peanut has the immune system of a Russian immigrant that took 32 weeks to cross the Atlantic by boat. I mean, the kid NEVER gets sick! She gets the sniffles, a cough, but never enough to keep her home from school. And this is the wierd part-before I was pregnant with her, I would get sick ALL the time. I mean the kind where I would spend a week in bed with a miserable cold but after being pregnant with he-I NEVER get sick! It's so bizarre. It's like she passed on to ME her fabulous immune system

Aracely said...

OMG! My son stepped outside with his pacifier on Thursday and the dog destroyed it! Lucky we had a back up or that dog what have been let out for a long long walk ;-)

Unknown said...

I usually don't do flu shots because it never fails, I end up with the flu right after I get it. But, since I work at a hospital, it's now mandatory by the state that I get it so I did and so far, so good.

If all else fails with the sharpie, try toothpaste. The kind that is white...not the gel kind. I think ultra brite or one of those. Hope it works.

Anonymous said...

We don't do flu shots either. And my friends and family who get them still seem to get something major during the flu season. So you are probably right about it not catching all the various types. I hate needles so that another reason I won't do it. I am glad that two of yous (hee hee, had to say it that way) didn't get sick. I have managed to stay out of the line of fire, so here's to hoping for me!

Deb said...

We do flu shots...they work out well for us.

Debz said...

Poor little heroine baby.

I think I had the flu shot once upon a time. I don't remember, but regardless I feel like it's my pennance to have at least one cold a year. As long as it's not too bad, I don't mind. But as far as the stomach cruds - that's just wrong. I hate those.

The word verification is "redness" and I just came from the tanning bed so that's me! Redness!!