Here in Northern Michigan, the weather is far from lovely as we dive into spring. This year has been especially brutal. Mostly because our actual bone chilling, snow drifting, ice raining winter didn't really start until mid to late January! No snow for Christmas, but plenty for Spring!
Driving in the elements is the least of my worries. I grew up a Michigan gal and therefore have been seasoned for driving in the worst weather mother nature has to offer. I am also an Emergency Nurse, so I get to work. No. Matter. What. I also get home. I can ALWAYS get home. I'm not staying in the filthy hospital overnight, even for a natural disaster! But I digress. The WORST part of a seemingly never-ending Northern Michigan winter is the dreaded "daycare disease." Or, "school kid fever." Or whatever name you wish to give the plethora of viruses and bacteria that cycle through the ventilation systems of the closed up schools and daycares and homes. No amount of bleach or lysol can kill the constant barrage of germs that are transmitted in those places. Every cough, every sneeze, every nasty boogery finger that touches every surface is cooped up and thriving in the warmth inside. Its too cold for the kids to go outside. Its too cold to open windows. It is just too cold.
So guess who suffers? The parents! You thought I was going to say the kids. Yes yes, of course it sucks that the kiddos are sick. But you know what? Those little bodies can handle those viruses like a champ in most cases. Guess who deals with the barrage of snot, or poop, or vomit? Yup. We do. Then who gets it? Yup. We do. And if the kid is sick what do they have to do? Watch cartoons and eat Popsicles. If mom's get sick, what do we have to do? Everything. Nothing changes. We don't get to not change diapers or do laundry because we are sick. If we throw up in bed, we have to clean the bed. If the kids throw up in bed, we STILL have to clean the bed. I have had the same 4 viruses making laps within my household and I've had about enough of this godforsaken winter. I'm ready to open every window in the house and freeze for a day just so we can get rid of the ick.
The tide is turning though my friends. The sun has shone for a couple of days now, the warmth is returning, and it is close to my daughter's "favorite holiday," as she puts it, SUMMER! The ice shell and parking lot snow piles WILL dissipate. And as we fear every single year, there will NOT be snow on the 4th of July... Windows. Open. I may even open my sunroof on the way home. Maybe my kids can finally breathe through their noses again... until the pollen count rises anyway.
Driving in the elements is the least of my worries. I grew up a Michigan gal and therefore have been seasoned for driving in the worst weather mother nature has to offer. I am also an Emergency Nurse, so I get to work. No. Matter. What. I also get home. I can ALWAYS get home. I'm not staying in the filthy hospital overnight, even for a natural disaster! But I digress. The WORST part of a seemingly never-ending Northern Michigan winter is the dreaded "daycare disease." Or, "school kid fever." Or whatever name you wish to give the plethora of viruses and bacteria that cycle through the ventilation systems of the closed up schools and daycares and homes. No amount of bleach or lysol can kill the constant barrage of germs that are transmitted in those places. Every cough, every sneeze, every nasty boogery finger that touches every surface is cooped up and thriving in the warmth inside. Its too cold for the kids to go outside. Its too cold to open windows. It is just too cold.
So guess who suffers? The parents! You thought I was going to say the kids. Yes yes, of course it sucks that the kiddos are sick. But you know what? Those little bodies can handle those viruses like a champ in most cases. Guess who deals with the barrage of snot, or poop, or vomit? Yup. We do. Then who gets it? Yup. We do. And if the kid is sick what do they have to do? Watch cartoons and eat Popsicles. If mom's get sick, what do we have to do? Everything. Nothing changes. We don't get to not change diapers or do laundry because we are sick. If we throw up in bed, we have to clean the bed. If the kids throw up in bed, we STILL have to clean the bed. I have had the same 4 viruses making laps within my household and I've had about enough of this godforsaken winter. I'm ready to open every window in the house and freeze for a day just so we can get rid of the ick.
The tide is turning though my friends. The sun has shone for a couple of days now, the warmth is returning, and it is close to my daughter's "favorite holiday," as she puts it, SUMMER! The ice shell and parking lot snow piles WILL dissipate. And as we fear every single year, there will NOT be snow on the 4th of July... Windows. Open. I may even open my sunroof on the way home. Maybe my kids can finally breathe through their noses again... until the pollen count rises anyway.
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