What About a Pig With Wings for Halloween? Get it? Swine Flu?

The girls all got their swine flu vaccine last week, and thanks to the innovative “shot blocker,” none of them even winced when they got jabbed. A “shot blocker” is a disk of sorts with picky spines on it that is placed on the area to be injected. The picky spines fool the nerve endings so you don’t even feel where the needle goes in. Our pediatrician’s office had one about a year ago – totally non-invasive. The FDA pulled them because the manufacturers were calling them pain relief or something stupid. As a result, the office had to stop using a thoroughly pain-free way of giving kids shots.

The next thing they did was figure out how to make their own – using a soap holder! But when it came time for Patricia’s shots during her well-child visit in August, someone had walked off with the soap-dish shot blocker! Well, when the girls had to go in for their flu shots, I brought my 88-cent Wal-Mart soap holder with me and they made one by cutting it in half, cutting the half into a horseshoe-shaped device and then cutting the points down to make them pickier. It worked like a charm. No tears, no fears. Brigid just watched as she got her shot. The site of the shot was sore later, but I don’t know if she’ll equate that with the pain of the injection itself. So all is well, as long as the vaccine protects them from this flu! Then we’ll have a lot more to worry about than the ouch of an injection.

Meanwhile, Jack and I both managed to get our flu shots at clinics held at the drug store. Lucky for us, we got them in good time. Now, there’s not a flu shot to be had in most of the county. We’ve all been nursing colds, however, with Brigid having a real hard time breathing at times. Of course, most of the kids in her preschool room have snotty noses and syrupy coughs. It’s a wonder they’re all not out sick. We just keep counting our graces and hope to make it through the season unscathed, or at least only partially scathed.

The two older girls and I spent Saturday all day at a scrapbook retreat in their old elementary school. A women’s ministry from the Assembly of God Church started holding these crops twice a year a couple years ago and we’ve been to every one. They grew out of their church basement and have held them at the old St. Peter’s school the last two times. It was a lot of fun for the day. Jack took Brigid to the lake for the day. It rained, but they had fun walking in the woods, visiting the horses and playing with Grandma and Granddad. The next day, our neighbor and tenant, Jenny, had a Halloween party that Brigid was invited to and Margaret and Patricia helped at. It was a good precursor to next weekend when the girls dress up for real and go trick or treating. Brigid has been practicing what to say at the door when we take her out. She said she’s supposed to say, “Trick or treat. May I have some candy?” I’ll have to keep an eye on her. She’s not far from the age Margaret was when, coming to her first house, walked into the living room when the guy opened the door to hand out the candy. Weather’s supposed to be fabulous – I’ll hold my breath. Nothing like a lifetime of having to wear you winter coat over your Halloween costume (Oct. 31 in Buffalo – ah, the memories…)