after-effects

So I tend 3 other children other than my own in my home to earn the money to support our family. I have a 2 year old (E), a 15 month old (T) and a 6 month old (S). My schedule runs like this. M-F 9:30-6:45 I have E T, Th, F 8:15-4:45 I have T M-F 3 hours a day I have S This is on top my 2, Megan who is 3 and Spencer who is 21 months old. Yep I have a houseful of todders. So I started watching T about 4 months ago. Since then I think he has come a total of 4 days without a snotty nose. This kid is perpetually sick. We've (Kev and I) have started to call him peetry dish (sad I know but he is bringing some weird stuff into the house). Anyway none of us ever get sick until T has come at least 2 days with a really bad nose. Then all of a sudden, everyone is sick. Common denomenator, T is bringing the illness into the house. OK so the rules that I've established in the house as far as bringing sick children is, don't, unless everyone already has it. Usually everyone will get sick on the same day. E, Spence, Megan and I usually wake up with some funky virus on the same day. E's mom will call or I'll call her and we confer to see if it's the same thing. Usually S has the exact same thing on the exact same day (usually 2 days after T has come sick). The annoying part is that T's parents won't tell me his's ill. I'll just notice it after they've dropped him off, or after his nap. He usually goes down for a nap an hour to an hour and a half after he gets here. So he wakes up with snot running everywhere, sneezing and coughing. I used to think it was just allergies to something in the bedroom until i remember that everyone continually gets sick right after he does (he is also the only child whose parents take him to the park regardless of freezing or inclement weather). Anywho, S still hasn't kicked the last cough that T brought into the house and S's mom is kind of annoyed at T's mom for bringing him without warning, because by the time I notice if he's ill or not it's already too late, he's contaminated everyone.... we have a small house. Anyway on Thursday I was so completely floored by the following conversation. T's mom: Umm, did T have a runny nose today? Me: Yes, he ran a lot. We need more tissues by the way T's mom: How often do you let E come sick? I've noticed that he's had some pretty gross noses while I've been here. Me: The only time I've let E come sick is when everyone else has been sick and that's usually a couple of days after T. T's mom: Well I'm just wondering because T is constantly sick and he must be getting it from here. Me (with a death look on my face, thinking "don't you dare blame this on E man"): The only time people have been sick in this house is when T has brought it here, We've been sick 3 times this winter, all after T has come with "a little bit of a runny nose" to daycare. (bytheway these illnesses usually last a couple of weeks a piece, yep they are monster bugs) T's mom: Are you sure? Me: um yep I'm pretty sure. S's mom has noticed the same thing I have. We'll all get better from one sickness and 4/5 days later T will come with another runny nose and without fail 2-4 days later EVERYONE is sick again. Needless to say I was more than slightly annoyed at the audacity of it all, until realizing that they are first time parents who are downright oblivious to their child's clues and careless as to what a small illness can do to a baby. Poor S has a really bad cough. I think she was also really embarrased about the whole conversations. I don't want to ban anyone from coming if it is just a runny nose because well hey, it's winter and everyone has the sniffles. Unfortuantly to T's parents a "simple runny nose" has consistantly developed into something bigger. Well true to form T came ill on Thursday and Spencer woke up very early this fine Saturday morning with a very runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Sigh here we go for another round. He kept running so I gave him some cold medicine around 10am. Around 11:45 I was laying down on the couch trying to catch some zzzzz while the kids watched Dora. Spencer came and said "Hold you" and climbed up on me. He was immediately asleep. Now I know he's really sick because he never goes to sleep without a fight. Poor thing. Here's the pict. Kevin took of Spence and me. Yes I am still in my PJs, without a shower.... and yes Spencer is wearing his new tennis shoes over his pjs....