This is a glimpse of how a family manages to get through a bout of the plague. I highly recommend keeping these suggestions in a mental file.

Here is said family's recycle bin. Note how Mom and Dad deal with stress by drinking cheap beer and large quantities of wine. Oh, and see the Mueslix box? That's what happens when you haven't been to the store in over a week and want to make Magic Wheaties Meatloaf, but after you've started mixing ingredients together you realize there isn't a Wheatie to be found.

If your substitute choices are Kix or Mueslix, go with the Mueslix. It's a good alternative, but you will have to take some time to pick out the raisins.

This is what happens when a six year old plague victim gets tired of playing with his Matchbox cars. He makes stick figures out of the track. Don't be alarmed when he tears it apart limb from limb.

These are bath toys, and because Mom's tend to make plague victims bathe a lot, these toys get frequent attention. If the victim happens to name them...oh say, Jessie, Jessley, and Jorley. I highly suggest knowing those names, which one is which, and be able to make up some great stories about the three of them on the spot. Because a soaking-wet, tired, rash-covered, feverish, projectile pooping kid tends to be a little sensitive.

Get used to running out of clean clothes. It's okay. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sending your daughter to bed with plaid pajama bottoms and a camouflage top, and putting your son down for the night in fire engine pants and a green, dinosaur shirt. No one can tell they don't match in the dark.

And finally, about that laundry...if you wear a zip-up sweatshirt to pick up your daughter at school, and you don't have a clean shirt to wear under it, make sure the plague victim you're holding doesn't pull your zipper down. Just sayin'.

Labels: Family Life, Kids, Photos, Ramblings