What IS the flu?

I have a really big pet peeve and this time of year really brings it out. My pet peeve is people misunderstanding what "the flu" is. Think you know? You know the flu - when you get really sick and start throwing up, right? WRONG! Let's clear it up right here and now so that you too can be prideful like me and gain a new pet peeve. Here is what wikipedia has to say about "the flu":

"Influenza, commonly known as the flu,..."

Symptoms of influenza can start quite suddenly one to two days after infection. Usually the first symptoms are chills or a chilly sensation, but fever is also common early in the infection, with body temperatures ranging from 38-39 °C (approximately 100-103 °F). Many people are so ill that they are confined to bed for several days, with aches and pains throughout their bodies, which are worse in their backs and legs. Symptoms of influenza may include:

• Body aches, especially joints and throat
• Extreme coldness and fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Irritated watering eyes
• Reddened eyes, skin (especially face), mouth, throat and nose
• Abdominal pain (in children with influenza B)

It can be difficult to distinguish between the common cold and influenza in the early stages of these infections, but a flu can be identified by a high fever with a sudden onset and extreme fatigue.

Ah-ha! So take that all you family members who won't believe me that the flu isn't the illness that makes you throw-up! Yes, in some cases as stated above children can have abdominal pain but it isn't always and it isn't the main symptom AND it's just in one strain! Now, this wasn't always my pet peeve because once upon a time I too thought the flu was that stomach thing until they talked about it one night on the news and said the flu was like a really bad cold that made you feel like you wanted to die. So I thought, wow - I never knew that! No, my pet peeve is that when I tell people that - like mention it in a "hey, did you know that..." kinda way they NEVER believe me. Aren't I prideful? In the end, I am using my blog to vindicate myself! So go now, spread the knowledge of the true flu with you friends and family. And see if they have the faith to believe you!

Sailing, takes me away...

This afternoon was really really windy - we got a lot of days like that around here - so we decided to put mother nature to work for us. We got an old sheet, the broom stick, a stick from outside, and some rope; and put it all together and look what we got!


There is nothing more invigorating than the feeling of the wind rushing through your hair - it just feels magical.



Elijah's always up for adventure. I love that about him.



My little sailors. Andrew started crying about something and I said, "You can't cry about things like that anymore - you're a sailor now!" And it worked. He stopped crying and started steering better.

Thinking about chickens?

With the state of the economy more and more people are thinking about getting a small flock of backyard chickens. Are you thinking about it? I wrote a backyard chickens 101 over at backyard farming and thought you might want to go check it out if you are considering that option.

Click here to read the post.

Andrewisms

Yesterday Andrew asked, "Mom, do you know what nipple-tent means?"

I said, "What?" And Mike and I immediately thought, "Oh great, what did the neighbor boy teach him this time..."

And he repeated, "Do you know what nipple-tent means?"

Me, "Nipple-tent?"

"Yes!"

"Umm..."

"It means all-powerful."

At which I burst into laughter realizing what word he was meaning to say...So we taught him it was important to emphasis the "O-M" in omnipitent. Gotta love my little Andrew.