Fur is the cure

Jimmy is rarely sick, but three weeks ago he had stomach flu, and then just this week a nasty cold.

Besides any presentation of symptoms like vomiting, fever or runny nose, two things always alert us when Jimmy isn't feeling well. First, he crashes out and sleeps in the middle of the day. This from a boy who (much to my everlasting chagrin) stopped napping at two-and-a-half. Not even the longest and most boring of road trips lulls him to sleep. Second, and this is the clincher, Will curls up and cuddles with him.

In fact, we can always tell when somebody is coming down with something at our house because Will becomes very specific in his furry ministrations to that person, climbing into bed and snuggling. Our very own fuzzy Florence Nightingale.