The Battle of the Bug

The Germ

A mighty creature is the germ,
Though smaller than the pachyderm.
His customary dwelling place
Is deep within the human race.
His childish pride he often pleases
By giving people strange diseases.
Do you, my poppet, feel infirm?
You probably contain a germ.

Ogden Nash

A wise woman warned me before we left for South Africa that we would encounter an all new array of colds and flues. Taking her word of caution to heart, I bought huge bottles of children's medicine and packed it away safely in my luggage.

It was finished before the first year was over.

Now we are in our third year, and still fighting off all kinds of infections, coughs and fevers.
And of course, being the loving sharing family we are...we share all our bugs with each other, then proceed to fall like a string of dominos lined up on a table.

I wonder if the school teachers, volunteer partners, friends and family really believe that we could possibly be this sick, this often. We are currently on round three of the latest version of sickness, with Allison and Melody run down and feverish today. It seems to morph and twist into a new variety of symptoms as it passes from one family member to the other.

Yesterday, Allison dragged herself (feverish and tired) to her poetry recitation competition. She did very well, despite not feeling 100%. However, it was the recitation of a poem by a cute little boy titled "Germs", that made our skin creep and crawl.

Today, in light of our on going battle with the bug that I will be arming myself with some new disinfectant, and once again wage war on these South African germs that seem to love us so much.