Spider has had a runny nose for what seems like three weeks now.  Finally last Thursday she got goopy eyes too.  It was pretty miserable in the usual way– she woke up a lot, was clingy, and we couldn’t go anywhere lest she LEAVE A TRAIL OF DISEASE.  But really, she just had a cold right?  Why take her to the doctor? 

I hate going to the doctor so I can pay $20 to have an expert tell me everything is fine.

So, we never went.  She seemed much better a week later– on the mend, but not fully recovered, so I was feeling all right and seeing an end in sight.  

And then her brother, the well child, comes home screaming about his ear.  Now, Engineer cries a lot, let’s be clear about that.  But not non-stop, uncontrollably for 45 minutes while grabbing his ear and saying that it hurts.  Appointments were made immediately.

After Engineer told the doctor he did not want any shots and that she should inform the rest of the staff of his request, it was determined that he had an ear infection.  On a whim I asked our pediatrician to take a peek at Spider.  The quick diagnosis was pink eye AND an ear infection.

Good thing the boy got sick, eh?

So then I was really feeling bad about exposing some other kids to her illness when I thought she was on the way to recovery.  And one of the preschool parents was like, no big, whatev, and another parent looks at me and goes, "Oh, I am going to be SO mad if my daughter gets pink eye."

After the stab to the heart, I was like, really?

Her daughter must have never had it before, as I might have felt that same way had I never experienced it.  I mean it sounds all nasty and scary, and it’s fairly contagious and gross, but when it comes down to it, it’s kind of like a glorified cold. Only you wake up and can’t necessarily open your eyes due to the goops sealing them shut.  (Nothing a warm washcloth can’t remedy!)

I just think of all the illnesses to get ticked about, pink eye doesn’t really make the list.  I would much rather have my kids have a case of "the EYE" than a case of "the VOMIT".  And I guess that’s the moral of this post for all you parents out there who are going to be "so mad"–Miss Stephanie say: Fear the pukes, be chill about the pink eye.  (Just wash your hands and keep your fingers out of your corneas.)

And don’t borrow my two year old’s mascara.