Barking Seal and More

The weather is still in the 80's, but apparently winter colds are already in season. Jaley woke up barking like a seal this morning. Yup, good old fashioned croup. We are off to the doctor in just a bit to confirm the diagnosis, but Dr. Mom knows with certainty it is croup. A little albuterol and a good steamy shower and she'll be good as new by Saturday. We are getting flu shots next week, so maybe we will start cold season now and close it out before Halloween. Wishful thinking, but you never know.

Ironically, Jaley was much crankier last week when she was healthy. She treated us to a couple of her 30 minute tantrum performances. The tickets are free, but we all pay when the crying goes on and on. While she let loose one day, I gave up fighting her. Instead, I logged onto the library website and reserved a copy of Raising Your Spirited Child. I figured it was time to bring in some outside advice. According to child experts, all those great traits that make Jaley so much fun to be around 90% of the time can combine and collide the other 10%. The trick is for parents to stop the eruption before it happens.

After scoring Jaley, Sarah, Scott and myself - it turns out Jaley isn't alone. In fact, we live in a full fledged spirited house. So while Jaley tantrum turned me onto the book, it turns out I am learning more about parenting myself than I am about parenting the girls. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I am pretty much back to myself, but there was another hiccup in my recovery recently. Over the weekend, I had terrible back pain and a bit of trouble in the potty department. I went to urgent care and their quick lab test confirmed my suspicion of a recurrent bladder infection. The problem was that despite the antibiotics I got worse instead of better. I went to my regular doc on Monday morning. By then the urgent care had the full lab results. Final diagnosis, no bladder infection at all - just a bad back. I ain't sick, I'm just getting old (or at least too old to be picking up both the girls all the time). As for the antibiotics, they had prescribed Cipro - so at least I don't have to worry if there is anthrax in my mail - I'm covered.

Since the weather has been so nice we have been enjoying some time outside. Here are the girls decorating our driveway. Yes, they are already wearing their Halloween shirts - I made them wait until October. Scott is back in town this week and back to CA next week. It is time to pay the piper on business travel after his long hiatus to help me recover.

That is life in the stroller lane. Lots of love.