Tuesday, July 10, 2012

if I was to look on the bright side

of being home most of these school holidays while the flu makes its way through our family
(and what would be the point of looking on the crappy side, it's just too easy to see)
I would be thankful for

modern medicine that gives us effective pain and fever relief



dependable places for outdoor low-possibility-of-infecting-others entertainment when the littlest one is only displaying vague first symptoms


the delight of a new melon-baller (by his special request) and having all the watermelon to himself since nobody wants his germs

mama-made pyjamas being worn and worn and worn, and the fire doing excellent service

Dadda bringing home helium balloons when Jasper's birthday sleepover had to be postponed, and boys attaching various critters for a ride

a large jigsaw in progress, and a dear boy who is not sick but doesn't mind too much slouching about the house


oh yes and movies, thank heavens for Apple TV and being able to rent movies without moving one's germs outside the door. Chipwrecked (better than I expected), Journey to the Mysterious Island, Men in Black (when Clem was out), Matilda (I got a bit teary), Muppet Treasure Island

Jasper using his new birthday oil pastels

lots and lots of cuddles with this one, including a whole night with him breathing into my face, which is probably why I am suffering now, and... hankies of course!

Yes our couch really is as dirty as you can see, and more.

I was supposed to be back at work this week so I am also thankful for that being mostly non-urgent and manageable by email.

I wouldn't wish this flu on anyone but I'm doing my best to find positive moments in this unscheduled halt to affairs. I'm hoping we can make it through this without the need for doctors and antibiotics.

And oh, maybe next year I'll go back to carting us all off for flu vaccinations. Do you get the flu vaccination? Does it seem to work for you?

- Jane x

15 comments:

  1. That has to be the most cheerful description of a flu-ridden household I have ever read! I hope you all feel very much better very soon!

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    1. Thanks! Well I figured everyone could imagine the non-cheerful parts perfectly well for themselves.

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  2. Oh your poor household - do hope you're all feeling better soon. I go back and forth about the flu shots. The kids always get them and I had the shot last year nut ended up with the worst flu ever. I think I even begged my lovely husband to put me out of my misery and do away with me with the help of a strong swing of a baseball bat to the head. Luckily he's to nice to entertain that idea, but the flu really is a bad thing to have. Hang in there!

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    1. *but ended up with the worst flu - not nut!!! It's been a long day....

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    2. I've been making loads of fuzzy-headed typos. Yeah, two years ago we all got the flu shot but Andy and I both got horrible flu that turned into pneumonia, go figure. So I thought this year maybe we could try going without. Ah well. Now you have me fantasising about being knocked out with a baseball bat, haha!

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  3. Sending in some good bugs to wipe out the bad!
    Glad we got over the pox before the hols - not fun to be sick on holidays.... :-(

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    1. Ah yes you know the cabin fever well don't you! In the Muppet Treasure Island movie we watched, there was a song about 'cabin fever' which said at the end 'and now though we're all here, we're not all there' which put it rather well I think.

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  4. The girls have been unwell here, only a cold not the flu though. Apple TV is good. Staying home with all the convenieniences is good isn't it! We've stayed in out PJs until at least 11 each day. Love the holidays!!

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  5. We have the flu shot every year - first time for my two year old - and have avoided the flu every year except this one as I was lazy and didn't get it sorted until June (after we had it). Hubby was smart and had it in April and avoided our sick. April shots next year for us! I forgot just how debilitating the flu can be.

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    1. And I was going to say, we just had our couch steam cleaned yesterday for the first time (it's red too) and it turned out great. Looks just like it did new 12 years ago.

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    2. Ah well interesting to hear a story of the flu shot clearly working. It's so hard to know when you get teh shot and don't get sick, whether you would have got sick without it!
      I had our couch steam cleaned a couple of years ago and I was hoping for miracles and was really disappointed... maybe he was just bad at it... I get a better result scrubbing with a wet cloth. We love this couch and I dream of one day having it resurrected and covered in leather.

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  6. Boo to the flu. We've never had flu shots, but I don't think any of us has ever had actualy real proper flu, just various degrees of cold. We do have one who will turn a mild cold into a chest infection within 5 days guaranteed though, so thats fun.

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  7. I thought you Australians were a healthy outdoors bunch and we Brits cooped up inside for the whole winter were the ones who got sick. Maybe our cold weather just kills off more bugs. Hope you all recover quickly - I'm very impressed that you can make such a good post about having flu.

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  8. Ugh. The flu is so rotten! Sorry!! I usually get the flu shot along with Joe, but the thing you have to remember is that it's usually only good against a few strains of flu - the ones that doctors/epidemiologists predict will be bad this year. But it's not an exact science. Sometimes another strain of flu ends up being the worst of the winter, and the shot won't help you with that. Still, I always get it, bc it can't hurt!

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  9. Oh my goodness, I hope you guys are all feeling better soon! The flu is the worst. The last time my husband got it he threw up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my car. Yuck!

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