Down for the count

Did you ever feel like winter is just like someone pushed a "pause" button and everything (like the sunshine, playing outside, and spending time with friends without worrying how many days it will be until your kids are sick) just hangs there until spring? I am feeling like that today. My two older boys are sick this week. Bradyn has had sniffles, but they seem to be getting worse instead of better-maybe slightly better this morning than yesterday. Sunday afternoon Hunter woke up from his nap with a fever and now he has the cold symptoms, too. It's no fun for them, although they do an admirable job of keeping on playing with a snort every now and then. It's also no fun to try and keep them away from their little brother. That means constantly telling them to step back from his play area and to wash their hands, to cover their mouths when they sneeze...yada yada. We have tried our best to keep the kids at home , but they still seem to pick up viruses every time we do go somewhere. Do people knowingly visit public places while sick? Last week we went to a really nice italian restaurant and were enjoying our meal when someone came in and sat in the booth behind us and started coughing, sneezing, blowing her nose, etc. right behind us. We knew it would be a matter of days. Now, I know that on the scale of illnesses, a cold bug is a pretty mild one. It could be a LOT worse. The thing that gets me is that some of these bugs can be alot worse for a tiny baby than they are for adults or older children, and it seems like people just don't realize that. SO, I guess we will continue to be hermits for the remainder of the winter season(except for the commitments we already have)...and hope my poor boys don't go stir crazy. Only....3 more months to go. Bleh.