i have germ issues

clearly. i'm trying to be chill, but i'm having a hard time. and i am certainly NOT like an ex-boss of mine who was so germophobic that you weren't allowed to blow out 1 candle on a birthday cake (had to fan it out with a piece of paper) or touch pizza without using an elaborately awkward system of forks to dig it out of the box (so you don't contaminate the other slices). 

but, last week and then yesterday (sunday), we were outside at the play area with the other kids. and i think it's good that julian hangs out with other kids and plays outside. all good things. i understand that by letting him play outside (anywhere, really), he will be exposed to germs and dirt, but that's good because he needs some kind of resistance. the aforementioned boss, her sister was exactly the same, except she had a baby. that poor child was in the hospital all the time because she had no resistance to anything. bad to use too many antibac sprays and wipes, etc. there's a time and a place.

well, i just couldn't help myself from getting completely neurotic. and more than anything, this comes down to the fact that these kids are allowed to play with and pet the stray cats. that just freaks me out. hello disease!

last tuesday, one little girl had a little purse with her. inside the purse there were marshmallows and a bunch of other things. i didn't let julian eat the marshmallows because they were COVERED in dirt or something. not covered, but you could see on the white and pink marshmallows that they were dirty. vomit.

then, all of the little kids (3-5 years old) are sick. coughing, runny noses. i know there was just a ny times article on this, and while it's true that you don't know when the kids were contagious or if they still are, i still have a problem with people coughing in the face of my child. and they are kids, they don't know, but still...and what's worse is they all have to touch his face because of his chubby cheeks. he doesn't like that either, so you try and tell them not to do it, but little girls love the walking doll! 

i'm freaking out for stupid reasons, i know. the sick germs are going to happen - but what about the cats? how do i know they weren't just frolicking with matted-fur rabid cat? i still in my mind would have bathed julian in grain alcohol were it not dangerous and ridiculously ex-boss like.

then last thursday, i was feeling mildly better, so i decided to take julian out to the front porch to play in his sand table. but then a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds came over and took over. it was really awkward, because i'm trying not to be the biotch of the complex, but it's not for 4 and 5 year olds. so i'm trying nicely to tell them to get lost, while in the same time wanting to tell julian that it's good to share. i think it boiled down to the fact that they don't speak english well, so either some of it was lost, or they didn't want to understand.

our dilemma was solved when serge showed up early from work (by early, i mean like 5:30). the kids just kind of left, so then we cleaned up and covered the table.

here's to trying to relax...