Unfinished Dad

Summer Camp!

On this, Tilda's first day of summer camp, I am awash in thoughts of sibling love, letting go and moving on. What is next for these young girls? What is next for their dad who will now get his first taste of at home parenting phase II: Life with two kids in school?

 

Dodging Swine Flu

Swine flu officially has my family surrounded.  I hadn't given it much though until recent weeks, when it dawned on me that Annie probably isn't the only 2 year-old who fails to cover her mouth when she coughs.  We aren't big lovers of vaccines.  We get them - we're not Jenny McCarthy or anything - but we don't run out and beg for them.  Now I find myself wondering if we should take the plunge.

 The first confirmed case in our world was in a 3 year-old class at Annie's school.  For the most part parents are good about keeping their kids home when sick, but the week before, we were sent an email about children showing up just "a little sick." The email arrived with a sharp reprimand from the school's director reminding us that things like swine flu were, you know, kind of all or nothing.

The next day we were sent another email from the director with a second case (also a 3 year-old class) in which a sibling tested positive, and the mother said it was "mild,"  Suspiciously, we weren't told if that particular child had been in school all week.  Two days ago, we received yet another email about a mild case of swine flu, this time in a 4 year-old class.  

Finally, I was out in the yard yesterday when a neighbor told me that the 15 year-old across the street was holed up with swine flu.  Suddenly, I wondered if she had given Annie a high five this week.  Or if she was on the bus with the other neighbors who love to visit Annie and Tilda after school.  Or if her family's dog sniffed my family's dog's butt and...you know the rest.  When Annie went to bed, I was convinced she felt warm.  Is it possible to give someone psychosomatic swine flu?

Now I'm that parent who is convinced his house doomed.  I see swine flu around every corner and I'm seriously considering getting vaccinated.  I know this isn't Captain Trips, but it suddenly seems serious.  What do you think, is this just a shift in my mental state or is it time to run out and get the family their swine flu vaccine?

First Day of School

Many emotions on Annie's first day of school.  Mine were about growing up and looking forward to high school and college.  My wife's were about the loss of childhood and the attempt to hold back tears.  Annie's were about, well, which toy to take from some unsuspecting kid first.