Hold the drugs, please

We were doing incredibly well this winter and then at some point I must have opened my mouth and said that out loud, because now we are listening to "Sschhllerp" every 5 seconds from my children who refuse to blow their stuffy noses! Exhale into a tissue, kiddies, and you'll be able to breathe again.

Approximately 10 days ago I shuffled my youngest to the doctor's office because his cough was keeping me him awake all night long. Having been scarred by trips to Children's Hospital when he was younger because of frequent pneumonia and mysterious white lines on the CT scan for his lungs, any time he starts to clear his throat I rush to the pediatrician. And, like clockwork, they tell me his lungs sound clear but order antibiotics for the sinus infection, or large tonsils or some other non-chest related issue. Maybe by the time he's 25 I'll stop panicking when he coughs.

His sister, however, has become my motherly experiment. How long can a child go without a trip to the doctor if the only symptoms are stuffy nose, honking cough, and bad attitude? No fever. No strep. No earaches. No coughing at night - just random during the day.

Several times since Saturday I've contemplated a trip to the Pediatrician but then I decide she's just not that sick and I'd rather use the fifteen dollar co-pay towards this week's bottle of wine groceries.

But seriously, I have started to really struggle with dosing the kids up with Arithromycin or Amoxocillin at the first sign of trouble. I'll admit, I love and need my sleep, and a good dose of drugs will return all of us to our resting slumber. But for now, I think a few doses of nasal decongestant and a little "I know you have a cold but you better watch your attitude" might be all the Doctor orders.