this little piggy went to market

As Alan well knows by now, I've given in to SWINE FLU fever. No, I don't have SWINE FLU fever, but I'm totally, completely, 100% freaked out about it. Those of you who know me well know I am a bit of a hypochrondriac. I do everything I can to keep it under control (for example, I have banned myself from WebMD). And, to give myself some credit, I laughed when I first heard of SWINE FLU (really, doesn't it seem like we should all caps that bitch?). Because seriously, what a silly sounding disease! And I pretty much ignored it through the weekend. Until it started creeping across the US. Until there were some suspected cases here in CT. Until I found out a 23-month-old died from it. And then I lost it. Because, you know Jane goes to daycare. She's a magnet for all infectious diseases, major and otherwise.

I emailed Alan first thing this morning to talk me off the ledge. He's a scientist, you see, and I trusted him. And he did a fairly good job. And then I came home and against Alan's orders I went online. And saw that we are about one sneeze away from full pandemic status.

SO. I've decided, instead of crying about SWINE FLU here (and seriously, guys, today I literally cried about SWINE FLU - a couple of times) (aren't you glad I trust you all enough to really let my freak flag fly?) I would share a very cute story that happened this morning.

I was leaving for daycare and work with Jane this morning, and when we were walking out, I told her to say "bye bye" to the dogs. So, as usual, she bid them a very hearty farewell - and then PROCEEDED TO GIVE BOTH OF THEM A KISS. I mean, SERIOUSLY. Cuteness defined. Of course Junior apparently likes to play hard to get, because he kept turning his head away. But I made sure to hold him in place so she could give him a smooch.

I loved it because I didn't tell her to give them kisses. I've never told her to do that. She just decided to do it on her own. Which is why, despite the tantrums, the boundary-testing, and the everlasting drama, I will take toddler-dom over newborn-dom any day of the week.