Ying And Yang

This week the Girl got Scarlatina. Scarlatina is diet Scarlet Fever - and no less horrible for it. Symptoms include a very sore throat, a rash, high temperature and - weirdly - it makes your tongue look like a strawberry. Entertaining, but unpleasant. Less entertaining was the moment when, having given her the first dose of antibiotics she threw up in my face.

Naturally once the doctor had made his diagnosis (and commented "Bloody hell, is she only three? I wouldn't want a fight with her.") I headed to Google to find out more. Scarlatina was a major cause of infant death before a vaccine was devised in the 1920's. So as she lay on our sofa having liberally coated me in vomit I could help but think how lucky we are that we live in the 21st century. I started thinking about how my grandmother had so many siblings for no other reason than the tacit acceptance that not all of then would make it through childhood. This thought, as well as the judicious application of a nice Rioja made me quite emotional.

Since the Girl is so robust, she shook the fever off in one night and the next morning got jacked up on Calpol and turned into the Tasmanian devil. It was a relief to see her feeling so much better. It was a feeling of relief that lasted almost 24 hours until I got a text from the Wife

Would have been home an hour ago but Girl still laying in the footwell of the car.

For the Girl "feeling well" translates as "physically able to make Mummy and Daddy cry." As we struggled to keep our hands from her throat the relief evaporated and was replaced with...

Well. I wouldn't say it would be nice if she got Scalatina again. I love my daughter, and want only the best for. So maybe something mildly debilitating would be okay. Narcolepsy maybe.

How serious is a heart murmur?