As if parents needed one more thing to worry about, this year we have to add Swine Flu to the list. The 2009 H1N1 Type A Influenza Virus (the official name for Swine Flu) is supposed to be particularly severe, but unfortunately the symptoms are like regular flu symptoms, which means you and your doctor won’t know, just based on symptoms, if it’s Swine Flu.

The regular, seasonal flu is already easily confused with a cold. So along with stocking up on antibacterial gel, you might want to brush up on the distinctions between a flu and cold with following chart.

Comparing the Symptoms

Is it Serious?

If your little one has the flu, watch for the following symptoms that signal a child needs urgent medical attention:

• Have fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Have bluish or gray skin color
• Are not drinking enough fluid
• Are not waking up or not interacting
• Have severe or persistent vomiting
• Are so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Have flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Have fever with a rash
• Have a fever and then have a seizure or sudden mental or behavioral change.

Adults with the flu and experiencing any of the following symptoms should seek urgent medical help:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then come back with worsening fever or cough

Trick out your Halloween dinner table with some of these spooky treats. It’s probably the only way to get something healthy into the bellies of your little goblins.

	APPLE BITES These toothsome treats are a fun and healthy break from Halloween sweets. Just quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, and then press slivered almonds in place for teeth. If you’re not going to serve them right away, baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning.
	EDIBLE EYEBALLS Set out a platter of these creepy peepers, and your party guests are bound to do a double take. Simply slice carrots into 1-inch-thick chunks, top each with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive, and they’re ready to serve.
	GHOST TOAST Looking for a treat that truly embodies the spirit of Halloween? Try serving some of these flavorful phantoms. For each, toast a slice of white bread and then cut a ghost shape from it. You can do this freehand using a knife, or you can use a gingerbread-girl cookie cutter. When the cutouts have cooled, spread on a generous coating of whipped cream cheese. For eyes and mouths, add raisins.
	ENGLISH MUMMIES These yummy mummy pizzas make a quick and fun Halloween lunch or dinner. To create one, first spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like). Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils. Lay strips of cheese (we used a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy’s wrappings. Bake at 350° until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty, about 10 minutes.
	MELON BRAIN Created from nothing more than a small, round seedless watermelon, this spooky cerebral creation is bound to turn heads. First, use a vegetable peeler to remove the entire green rind, exposing the inner white rind. Then slice off the bottom of the melon to make a flat base that will keep it from rolling. With a toothpick, outline squiggly furrows that resemble the folded surface of a brain. Finally, carve narrow channels along the tracings with a sharp paring knife (a parent’s job) to expose the pink fruit beneath the rind.

For more creepy cuisine visit FamilyFun.com.

When a kid wakes up crying late at night, you might think it is a bad dream. I know I did. Shortly after we potty trained my oldest daughter, she awoke upset, in tears and completely inconsolable. I picked her up and brought her into my bed. (Big mistake.) As I snuggled and tried to soothe her, suddenly she peed all over me and my bed!

Frustrated and shocked, I changed her into fresh pajamas, laid her back in her dry bed and then went to deal with my now soaked sheets. As my husband and I remade our bed, we wondered aloud if perhaps that was the source of the tears — she needed to go to the bathroom. We theorized that being new to potty training, in her sleepy state she must have had trouble connecting that uncomfortable, “I have to go” feeling to what it really meant (go to the bathroom), and instead got incredibly upset at this discomfort that interrupted her slumber.

So a few nights later when she again woke up in tears, we rushed her to the toilet. She went number one, and we laid her back in bed. End of story. No rocking or singing needed, and more importantly, no pee everywhere.

I figured this strange behavior was unique to my Attalie, but a few nights ago as I was relaxing on the couch with my Halloween edition of Martha Stewart Living, I heard some whimpering and Piper appeared in the hallway completely, upset and throwing herself about in a fit. The light bulb went on — she too is newly potty trained. I picked her up and rushed her to the bathroom, calmly trying to explain to her sleep-walking mind that she just needed to go potty. I sat her on the toilet and she instantly started going. Aha! I was right. As I was silently (an prematurely) congratulating myself, unfortunately her temper fit continued, and her flailing about caused urine to spray all over me and the bathroom. An improvement over my previous wet bed, but still incredibly unpleasant.

I showered off and cleaned the bathroom, and started wondering if this was normal behavior. I’d never heard of anything like this, but perhaps it is one of those odd things that all kids do and parents just don’t think to talk about. Or maybe my kids are just strange?

Regardless, I thought I’d mention it as a warning to other unsuspecting parents: if a potty-trained child wakes up crying, do NOT let them in your bed. Get them to a bathroom, quick!

Surprisingly children actually love a good, spooky tale every now and then. With Halloween just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time. Here are some of our favorite Halloween books:

	Pumpkin Pumpkin. This beautifully-illustrated book contains minimal words and is great for new readers (or parents wanting to hurry along bedtime). It begins with a little boy planting a seed that eventually sprouts and turns into a big pumpkin.
	The Ghost Family Meets Its Match. A personal favorite, this spellbinding story chronicles the history of a large house built in the 1880s. Left empty by an African explorer, a family of ghosts moves in. The ghost family scares off would-be buyers for decades, but in the 1980s a family moves in that strangely isn’t repelled by all the ghosts’ nasty tricks. Perhaps they have a secret of their own?
	One Witch. A wicked counting story that follows a witch as she prepares an “oozing stew” for all her Halloween guests (including you!) Your little one will enjoy the fascinating, yet creepy illustrations.
	The Witches’ Supermarket. An intriguing story about a little girl who stumbles into a secret grocery store just for witches. Luckily it’s Halloween and she’s dressed as a witch. The detailed illustrations of the supermarket — the produce section is stocked with “poison apples” and “goatweed” — are fun to read for kids and adults alike.
	Trick or Treat? Board Book. Perfect for even the youngest trick or treaters, this life-the-flap book is filled with all the spooky favorites: a pumpkin, bat, spider and owl. On my daughter’s favorite page the flap reveals two children in their Halloween masks.

We made Snickerdoodle cookies as a family on Sunday evening, and they were gone in a flash. Everybody was craving more today, so we made them again tonight. (Don’t you wish your mom had let you have cookies two nights in a row?) As we made the dough up tonight I was realizing that this is probably among the simplest cookie recipes, and the ingredients are all really inexpensive. Not that chocolate chips really break the bank, but when your watching your pennies every little bit helps, right?

So here is a refresher of my favorite Snickerdoodle recipe — they come out soft, buttery and satisfyingly chewy.

Snickerdoodles

½ cup Butter or Margarine
1 cup Sugar
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Egg
½ teaspoon Vanilla
1-½ cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat till combined, scraping sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until it is combined. Cover and chill one hour. (Cookie dough meant for shaping often needs to be chilled first for easier handling).

Combine the two tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 24 cookies.

Why do kids like to run around naked? Ever since we potty trained my two year old, we can’t seem to get her to keep her clothes on. I swear every time I turn around, the kid is streaking around the house in her birthday suit. What’s worse, both my girls have been obsessed with the Hannah Montana movie lately, and watch it at least once a day. So more than once, I have walked into the TV room to find my child, nude, standing on the table and singing the “Boom-Boom-Clap” song from the movie.

Table dancing at two. Do you think I should be worried?

Packing lunch is probably one of the last things on a Mom’s to-do list each day, so it’s easy to see why PB&J makes pretty regular appearances. Don’t get me wrong, I love peanut butter, but if you are looking for a way to liven things up — and maybe even add a few extra nutrients — I have some ideas for you:

Upgrade the bread. Switching to a whole-grain bread can make a big nutritional impact. Shop carefully though, making sure the packaging says “whole grain” and not just “100% Wheat.” Labels can be deceiving; if you’re not sure how to spot the real whole grain read this. Also consider switching to whole-grain pretzels, crackers, etc.

Try tuna sandwiches. Of course there will always be a few picky eaters out there that won’t take to tuna, but a lot of kids enjoy the mild and satisfying flavor. Plus tuna sandwiches are the perfect hiding place for veggies like cucumbers, celery and carrots. If you’re worried your kiddo might object, don’t mention anything about “fish” — for all they know, it could be chicken. Speaking of which, if the tuna isn’t working out, chicken salad sandwiches provide a lot of the same benefits and might be easier for your child to swallow.

Forget the fruit snacks. Although they are called “fruit” snacks, there is not much fruit in them. Plus your dentist will thank you for leaving out these sticky numbers. Give your child fruit snacks the way Mother Nature intended. Some kid-friendly favorites: grapes, blueberries, bananas and cut-up melons.

Watch the juice. Packing a juice box is a good idea — especially if you freeze it beforehand so it can double as an ice pack to keep the whole lunch cool — but you need to be picky about which juice you choose. Look for one that contains no added sugar. Since a child’s recommended daily intake of juice is fairly low (for kids age 6 and under, it is just 4 to 6 ounces a day), try watered down juices like R.W. Knudsen’s Sensible Sippers (with the Berenstein Bears characters on the box), which have a nice flavor but a lot less sugar. Better still, you could try good old H20!

Pack some love. Including a note from Mom on the napkin is a great way to help your child feel loved, which might be just the reminder they need if they’re having a rough day at school.

What are your sack-lunch tricks?

A pacifier keeper never looked so good! Binkies are known to stray so keep yours on a tight leash. Lots of cute and unique designs only $8 at cuckooboo.etsy.com