Best cure for cough and colds

“Daddy,” my 4-year old asked. “Are you still sick?”

“Uh-huh,” I said.

I have the cough and the colds. I got it from my 2-year old. That’s OK. It’s a badge of honor, if you ask me.

“Don’t worry,” my 4-year old said. “I’ll take care of you.”

I smiled.

“I’ll get you a big hat and big blanket so you’ll feel warm,” he said. “Then I’ll hug you and give you some love.”

Got some snow photos? See one of mine at mikeleonen.com. I tinted the image a little and placed it inside a digital frame. If you like a similar look and feel for your snow photos, let me know at [email protected].

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Morning exercise

Photo illustration by Mike F Leonen

I try to teach my little ones good habits like exercising. So, each morning, I call my little ones to attention, stand them in front of me and do some stretching, jumping jacks, frog leaps, push-ups, sit-ups and jogging around the playroom.

They think I’m nuts.

So I explain the virtue of exercising. It’s good for the heart. It’s good for the lungs. It keeps everyone healthy and wise.

They still think I’m nuts. That’s OK. They exercise with me anyway—or, at least, their version of exercise.

My 1-year old acts like a drill master. He walks in circles while shouting, “Ah-ging. Ha-ha. An-tu. Ti-por.” (Translation: “Jogging. Ha-ha. One-two. Three-four.”)

My 3-year old, in the meantime, dances like a monkey and do cartwheels ala Spartacus of Lazy Town.

“Daddy,” my 3-year old asks. “Do you know that seven rhymes with eleven?”

I give him the look, my what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about look.

“Seven eleven,” my 3-year old repeats. “That’s where you go every night.”

“Oh,” I say.

“And buy junk food,” he adds.

I do my sit-ups. Frantically.

“You eat too much junk food,” my 3-year old says. “That’s why we exercise, right?”

Busted. Again.

“Wow, Daddy,” my 3-year old adds. He shows me two fingers and counts them. “You did two sit-ups.”

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Cough, colds and the dentist

I have the cough and the colds. I hate the cough and the colds. They make me cranky.

Worst, I had to go to the dentist. She wanted to do some drilling.

“Do you floss regularly?” she asked.

“I do,” I said. “Once a week.”

My dentist called her assistant. She wanted to make sure my chart reads: “Patient does not listen to dentist.”

I should tell my 3-year old about this. It’s a lesson, I think.

“Daddy, are you sick?”

“What?”

“Sick,” my 3-year old said, pointing to my runny nose.

“Oh,” I said. “Yes, I am.”

“When I’m sick, I drink lots and lots of water,” he said.

Uh-huh.

“When Mommy’s sick, she drinks lots and lots of water,” he added.

Okay.

“How about your little brother?” I asked, referring to my 1-year old.

“He drinks lots and lots of milk.”

“How about Daddy?”

My 3-year old gave me the look. Then he said: “You drink lots and lots of Coke.”

Hmm. I think I just got scolded by a 3-year old, don’t you think?

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Rashes and Danny Phantom

“Your little brother has the rashes,” I tell my 3-year old. “It’s called Roseola infantum.”

My 3-year old looks at me.

“Do you know what Roseola infantum is?” I asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Danny Phantom,” he said.

I get the connection, I guess. Phantom rhymes with infantum. The connection, however, ends there. Danny Phantom, a character at Nick TV, is a kid who could turn ghost to fight bad ghosts. Roseola infantum, according to WebMD, is a mild illness common in children 6 months to 2 years old.

I tell my 3-year old this. I tell him Roseola caused the high fever that his little brother felt for the past three days. I tell him Roseola also caused the rashes appearing in his little brother’s face, arms and legs.

“These are the symptoms of Roseola infantum,” I tell my 3-year old. “Sudden high fever that suddenly ends two to three days later, followed by rosy-pink rash lasting one to two days.”

My 3-year old looks at me, saying nothing.

Then he smiles.

“Nah,” he said. “You’re kitting me. It’s Danny Phantom!”

For more information about Roseola infantum, visit WebMD . Although Roseola is considered a mild illness, consult with your doctor if your child suddenly develops high fever or rashes. I did.