What kinda contract is this without any sick days!!?

For relatively healthy people like Andrea and I, one of the most frustrating parts of parenthood has been how often Sofia's gotten sick this winter. Starting from precisely January 2nd, one or more of the three of us has been sick, in a continuous cycle of mucous and visits to doctors that has our heads spinning.

Here's what they don't prepare you for:

1. Parents don't get sick days.

2. Not only will you have to continue parenting even while with 392 degree temperature and a migraine to rock the heart of all migraines, but this will be precisely the same time your own child will get sick (read: you can't even get rest while she's at daycare).

3. Not only will you have to continue parenting with a 392 degree temperature and a migraine, and your own child will be sick and (therefore) a total crankypants so you can't send her to daycare, your in-laws will come down with PNEUMONIA so you can't even have them come over to watch her while you try to rest.

So, the next time you hear a parent say "It's the hardest job in the world, but also the most rewarding," you will know that what they're *really* thinking is "This sucks!! I don't care if my kid turns into a vegetable - he/she's sitting in front of that tv all day or I'm going to jump out the nearest window (at least that way I can sleep)!!).

Of course, though, my own daughter hates tv.