This has been one ROUGH winter.  And I mean ROUGH in every way of the word.  At least one person in our household has been sick every day since MLK Day.  No sooner did Hershey get over his mutated stomach virus than I came down with a sinus infection.  I ended up leaving work early last Friday feeling like I had been hit by a truck.

Now that everyone is healthy, we can begin to get ready for our next big step -- SPRING CLEANING!  Oh, and a little thing called house hunting.  I hope to be able to take you along with us on that fun journey, as well!

Jane and Emma are doing some really cool things, like pulling themselves up to standing, chewing, cutting teeth, and babbling.  At their doctor's visit yesterday, we found out that they are no longer being measured by their premature adjusted age, as they've caught up to other babies their age, and they are actually ahead developmentally!  So exciting!  

This string of diseases has taught me an invaluable lesson:  It is IMPERATIVE that Mama-Bear takes care of herself so that she can enjoy all of the little milestones with her baby bears.  That being said, I've compiled a list of goodies to help you take care of yourself.  Your cubs need a healthy mama!

1.  Emergen-C.  I'm not saying that it has a GOURMET taste, but it will KICK ASS when it comes to knocking out any potential health threats.  Drink one glass of it twice a day when you are starting to feel run down.

2.  Purell.  Buy it in bulk, and sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.  I use it every time I touch anything that my students touch in the classroom, in between diaper changes, and sometimes in between boogie-wipes.  

3.  Chapstick.  I love Burt's Bees, because it doesn't leave a film on my lips.  I tuck them in every crevasse I can find, from the couch cushions, to the junk drawer, to my purse, to my coat pockets, to my diaper bag, to my nightstand drawer.  I always have one on hand for when the cold zaps my lips of moisture.

4.  Aquafor.  Since an integral part of taking care of yourself and keeping yourself healthy is constant hand washing, I keep a stash of Aquafor in my purse, diaper bag, and desk drawer.  My knuckles literally bleed during the winter from being dry and the onslaught of sanitizing and washing that they endure.

5.  Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer.  If you should come down with any kind of upper respiratory issue (as I did), this humidifier is da bomb.  It has Vicks inserts to make the air in the room smell like Vicks, and it is so soothing, it made me feel like I was sleeping in a warm, silky pond.  My mother-in-law bought it for the girls during their bout of RSV, and it helped them greatly, too.  

When all else fails, if you do end up sick, it's best to call in the reserves, quarantine yourself to your room, don't touch any of your kids' feeding utensils (bottles, spoons, bowls, etc.), and limit the kisses to the tops of their little heads.  You will get better soon enough, and the more you rest and take care of yourself, the quicker you can kiss their little cheekies again!  And just think, if you're not touching, you get to hold the camera and capture some great moments, like these.






Only a couple of more weeks left of this horrendous crap-ass winter, so hang tight and stay healthy!  Have a great weekend!

And PLEASE don't forget to vote!

xoxo