Influenza Care

We were trying to be careful this year. We got our flu shots on Friday, and planned to get the H1N1 vaccine when it became available. The kids have been listening to the public service announcements given by PBS, and have started to try to sneeze into their elbows.
Somehow we still fell prey. Jamie has tested positive for flu - most likely H1N1, since influenza A is not really showing up in our area. Jamie is getting snotty and Dot is coughing sporadically. Tamiflu has been prescribed (and now they say that H1N1 is becoming resistant, and it won't do any good!). The kids want to "protect" Jim when he comes home, so they want facemasks. Hmmm. Let's consult this chart by the CDC:

Home Caregiver to person with influenza-like illness: Avoid being caregiver. If unavoidable, use facemask or respirator Other household members in home Facemask/respirator not recommended

Read that first recommendation again, if you would:

Caregiver to person with influenza-like illness: Avoid being caregiver.

Yes, the CDC wants you to avoid caring for others within your home. Truthfully, I think that if the kids start coughing and sneezing too much, and really want to be safe, we might rig up some facemasks out of scraps of cloth. As it is, we have already been exposed to each others germs repeatedly. Jim, on the other hand, might want to get a hotel room!

Minding your children

Part of being a parent is to know what your kids are reading. Jim takes this job seriously... (reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid)


Another part of parenting is to involve your children in chores around the house. There are some that they find rewarding - like Jamie's carrots. He planted a whole row, and these are the two that sprouted and grew.
And here are the other things harvested that same day, ready to be enjoyed with dinner.