Germ-aphobic

Having worked for years in the food service industry, sanitation and sterilization are very familiar concepts to me. And my husband, as a Firefighter/Paramedic, cannot get through a work day without medical gloves, vacuum sealed equipment and numerous hand washings. And yet, with all the education and awareness, not to mention potential hazards, swirling through both our minds it is often short of amazing how very low key we are about germs.

Sure, I have baby wipes in all my purses, sure we run E's sippy cup through the dishwasher periodically and sure, we vacuum and sweep and Lysol. But, if I'm honest, our five second rule is more like 2 minutes, (because, let's be realistic here, sometimes whatever it is they drop is pretty hard to find under that high chair.) and I don't always wash her hands after we come in from playing outside and there are just some instances when you cannot, no matter how much you want to, control what they put int their mouth. Like dirt. Or their friends toys. Or some random food they find on the floor in a public place.

Yes, indeed. Last Sunday during church E made a break for it, crawling under the row of chairs in front of us and out of my reach. Before I could subtly and quietly contort my body into the position needed to peer between chair legs and shoot her my death ray "get back her now or else" look I saw her begin picking up heaven knows what kind of little tid bits off the carpeting and pop them into her mouth.

But what was I to do? It was the middle of the sermon! I could not reach her! I could only watch and despite it all smile, as in an excited kind of glee and an (appropriately enough) Manna from heaven appreciation, my daughter enjoyed treasure hunting for someone else's mislaid snacks. And I could be glad that though I thoroughly understand germs I also have a healthy respect for the immune system.