For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 29, 2022

Much to Mum’s displeasure.

Well. April. not quite over. I spy a few droplets.

Most times when you have toddler balance toys, there is a wheel in the front and a wheel in the back to balance forward and back, while the toddler’s legs balance side-to-side. This duck toy has wheels side-to-side. April’s balance must be incredible not to be face-planting on a regular basis with this toy. I suspect she is some kind of physical prodigy. No wonder she is over a cold in less than a day.

Go order some pizza for dinner.

About 20 years ago my doctor taught me a way to stop a cold in its tracks … and it works! (My last cold was in Oct. 2019, and that was only because I ignored the early symptoms until it was too late. Before that it had been several years). All my colds start the same way—tickle in the back of the throat when swallowing, progressing to a painful sore throat, followed by stuffed up nose, finishing up with a racking cough that lasts for weeks. So, last week when I felt that first tickle and verified that it was not just a passing twinge, I started spritzing my nose with saline nasal spray (Ocean is the national brand, but store brands are cheaper). I spritzed every two hours and took a Sudafed every 4 hours (single-ingredient, and store-brand again), drank as much water as my bladder let me, took it easy and got plenty of sleep. The throat tickle did progress to a mild sore throat, but was gone after 24 hours, with no stuffed nose to follow. But I continued to spritz every 4 hours, along with the Sudafed for another 48 hours to prevent rebound. End result—no cold! Works every time, as long as I begin treatment before the tickle gets established as a genuine sore throat (and even then, this treatment will mitigate the effects of the cold)

It’s a family thing. Passing cold’s and flu’s and such like around to all the family members.

Elizabeth predicted this, which is a little sad

Kind of strange that just 3 days ago on Saturday, April could perfectly pronounce the word Valentine, yet today she has difficulty pronouncing April and the word stay?

Toddlers are bastions of disease.

Welcome to parenthood.

Usually it doesn’t so much transfer from one person to the other as multiply across everyone in the house.

Okay Michael, now is the opportunity to teach April about compassion and “help” her make some chicken noodle soup for mom.

Ah yes, little kids illnesses, the gift that just keeps on giving.

A parent sent their child to school yesterday with pink eye, another with a very bad head cold. Parents are stupid.

That is why pre-schools and elementary schools are cauldrons of pestilences.

Been through that many times…

Sharing is caring.

Kids are huge carriers of disease. They get the sniffles and a slight fever – we get deathly ill from it. Their immune systems are very much stronger than adults.

Liz is capable of being the “emergency cook”,the men should be kept as far away from the kitchen as possible

Children are miniature germ factories.

I could have sworn that the incubation period for a cold is around a week. Elly must have picked up the virus elsewhere.

I jus’ want one of those goosie-toys!

April was probably taught to share things in school . But she didn’t need to share her cold!

Why does she refer to herself in the third person?

And that’s the way it works……….

Not on purpose.

But a blessing is coming for the rest of the family.

Pretty healthy but she’s still dripping all over the place. Gross.

The virus loves the family, alright.

And so the rotation begins