Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Funky stuff

A couple of weeks ago, I had just come home from playgroup. As usual, I went to get the stroller out of the back. This time, however, I noticed something attached to one of the baby blankets I also had in the back of the car. It looked like it must have been a toy, a piece of some toy nature set or something, because it looked like it was made out of yarn. It must have stuck to my blanket when I was in the house for playgroup. It looked like a caterpillar, but the torso and the legs were so thick and fuzzy I thought it was made out of yarn. So I picked it off of the blanket that it was stuck to (yeah, dumb idea), and the thing moved. I FREAKED OUT. I hurled it across the parking lot, cursing the dang thing for being in my car, cursing the fact that I actually picked it up, and cursing the fact that I live in a place that could breed such specimens.



It all clicked later when my friend happened to post these pictures on her website, about the Oleander caterpillars that live in the bush outside their front door. Of course - that's where I had left my stroller. Yuck. I hate creepy things.






And then I just found this in Cash's room the other day. Oh help me. And I'm actually glad the picture is blurry. I'd creep out more if I could see the detail. I was trying to take the picture with my eyes closed as it was. You can't tell, but it was about 2 inches long, at least.


I haven't seen anything nasty in this apartment before. And it's right by the closet where all of our storage stuff is....




Speaking of what Miami breeds, I swear we have been sick about every other week since we've been here. And the inbetween weeks were filled with teething children (even Cash, getting his 2-year molars). That's made for some real fun times here, let me tell you. But it ticks me off, because my ONE consolation about moving to Miami was this: well, there's not really winter there, so at least we will get sick less.

Oh how wrong I was.

And we dont' just get runny noses here. We get mega viruses. Things that come with fevers and chills, stuffiness and congestion, and some form of pooping issues - all rolled into one. So I've tried to figure out why - when the weather here is good, there's not that change of seasons / winter weather to bring on all the illnesses. I've decided it must be that the hot, humid climate here just breeds all this nasty, funky stuff. All these foreigners bring it in and it just breeds here and mutates and just basks in the freaking heat and humidity. GRRRR. So much for my one advantage. And it's not like it's just the kids that get it. Every time they get something, I get something. I know getting sick is supposed to make you have a stronger immune system, but I don't know if I buy that. I got sick when I was a kid, and now I just have to go through it all over when I have kids. The stuff they get now isn't the same stuff we had 30 years ago, it's all mutated. So I don't even think all that getting sick as a kid helped gave me any advantage to being able to fight stuff off now.

And on a side note, whenever people hear that I moved from Wisconsin, they say, "Oh, you must love the weather here then." Last week I finally decided that, no, I would actually rather spend a year in Wisconsin than a year here, having to endure these summers. Maybe there's hope. There have now actually been two non-humid days since I've lived here. Let's hope there's more where that came from. We'll see what I say after the winter here.

10 comments:

emily j said...

We're supposed to get snow here this weekend (ugh!!) I'm hoping that makes you feel better about Miami :)

Anonymous said...

You are hilarious! I am so sorry about your bugs - real and viral like! I can just see you flinging that thing across the parking lot - lol. You are a great writer. Thanks for making me happy.

Anonymous said...

Oh, anonymous here, again. My husband went to med school in Washington, D.C. When I would see a roach, I would spray it with hairspray and they would curl up and die. We put a live one in a plastic bag in the freezer for like three hours and when we took it out after about 15 minutes it started runny around! Gross.

Krista said...

Just found your blog. I had to laugh at your bug story! I could just see your face and hear your tone of voice! I can totally relate with the colds--my boys traded colds one winter and it was brutal! My younger has a nose that runs like a faucet and has a major drooling problem (that we are now going to occupational therapy for). He was just slimy and wet all the time.

We are in a major wrestling phase right now. I can't imagine what it will be like for you with 3! It is very entertaining sometimes, but not so much at other times. I've decided they just need a big room with nothing in it so they can wrestle. Fun times . . .

And just keep eating chocolate! It keeps you sane. The harder the day, the more chocolate I eat!

AnnaMarie said...

Thanks for the glowing recommendation of Wisconsin!

Jess said...

I cannot imagine the humidity and heat there. I complain about WI summers being miserable!
I hope all your immune systems catch up with Miami soon...you deserve some sickness free/teething free time!

Unknown said...

Oh Man!! I hate when everybody is sick all the time. Well I have discovered, that anytime we travel somewhere, or move to a new state we all get introduced to "new" forms of different germs.

Whenever we traveled from Cleveland to Utah, one person would get sick and then everybody (including Brandon and I) would get sick. Including me once getting Pneumona-which was SO horrible. Agghh!

When we moved here we all had colds, fevers, diarrhea (including that crypto crap,) and were vomiting at different times for four straight months during the summer. It was horrible!! We have not been sick since with ANYTHING!! So hopefully soon you will all get used to living in that viral and bug infested cesspool.

Aloha_Misty said...

We were in Hawaii during the winter last year and decided that the humid weather just helps everything to grow so that you get sick all the time...too much fun! At least ours was never worse than a cold...As for roaches they are nasty little creatures. Greg (my husband) had one trying to crawl in his ear one night while he was sleeping. It was quite hilarious!

Tania said...

Jen, really? You thought that was a toy????? What are you giving those babies to play with?

You crack me up EVERY SINGLE TIME I read your blog. I just wish I was there to help out - take the boys so you could take a nap. I swear naps make anything better.

So glad you're back. Those 3 boys are gorgeous, and I love seeing them.

Melanie said...

Well I think you just traded one horrible season for another. Summers are pretty great here in WI but the winters can bring on actual depression. I think the only "perfect" weather is Northern CA. But the cost of living is high because the weather is so great. Soooo...cant win. I think winter will be great in FL though.
Of course you have crazy bugs and viruses! Your in the tropics! Im surprised they dont make you get shots before entering FL!