How I Got Herpes at Disneyland

I've had a few requests for closure to a previous entry that mentioned contracting herpes on my family vacation. It went like this...

On our 10 hour drive to California, I started to notice an insatiable need for chapstick. Not just a "Hey, could you pass the chapstick when you have a minute" but a "clawing through the car like a heroin addict looking for the tube of mosturizer to get their next high" kind of feeling. My lips were SO dry and tingly and weird feeling. It was a little strange but we were driving through the desert so I dismissed it as being a severely dehydrated condition.

A couple of days later the blisters came on. And then I woke up one morning and my lips were huge and swollen WITH the oozing blisters that would pop and drip down my chin. Chris thought it was funny that we were in California and I looked like I had received a really botched up Botox job. J. told me I looked like the sea crustacean from Pirates of the Caribbean. I was walking around Disneyland with a wad of napkins to wipe the ooze, hand sanitizer and wipies to prevent spreading the infection and tubes of lip stuff to try and ease the pain and discomfort. I finally broke down one morning and called my mom. I told her to goggle my systems and see what came up. Moments later she had an article that perfectly described all my symptoms. "Mom, that's it! That's it! What does it say?" to which my mom replied, "Oh, you have herpes simplex. Don't kiss anyone. It is highly contagious!" I felt so unclean.

I don't know how I got herpes. I only kiss one person on the lips and 3 people on the cheek. I don't touch drinking fountains or kiss anything in public places but now I watch the ads on TV for pills that control your herpes outbreaks with serious interest and concentration. My outbreak lasted a FULL 10 days and was so awful there are no words to describe it.

So...does anyone want a big slobbery kiss?

Everyone Needs An Aunt

On Friday night I drove the kids to Macy's Department Store to see their Aunt Carrie and meet their Aunt ML for the annual "fragrance" event. There really is nothing else my children love more than their aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmas and grandpas! We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many of these people and I am here to tell you...don't underestimate your power and influence in any one of these roles. My children see their aunt Carrie and ML pretty regularly but every time is a thrill for my kids. They get all giddy and excited and want to hold their hands and walk with them and talk their ears off and tell them everything and ride in their cars and give them hugs and kisses. I watched my children clambor for their aunts attention and I am so, so grateful for sweet, kind, gentle women who love and adore my children. You see, these aunts make my children feel like the most important people in the world. These aunts act just as excited to see their niece and nephews as they are to see them. Even though they have been caring for their own children and working hard all day they still kneel down and listen and love them. They hold their hands and show them cool Christmas decorations and ride the escalator. They let all 3 ride in their mini van even though it means giving up precious "alone" time. I just can't tell you how beautiful the few minutes we all spent together that evening were. I walked across the parking lot to my car with my heart overflowing with gratitude not only for my children, but for the amazing people who are helping me raise my children. The influence of these people in my family (both sides!) is priceless. They will be able to touch and influence my children in ways that I can't. I will continue to need their help and support and I recognize that I could never do this job alone.

So 3 cheers for all the uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents who are riding escalators, letting kids push the buttons in elevators, and changing the lives of every little person around them! I love you!

Quote of the Day...

This morning J. went and tackled his Dad in bed to wake him up. As they were wrestling, J. suddenly sat up, sniffed the air and said, "Dad, your breath smells like the snake house at the zoo!"

Aren't children subtle?