Dear Universe,

I am begging, no, pleading with you, to work with me here.  I have received these three pieces of information in the last two days:

- There is a fever virus going around
- There is a five-day-long stomach bug going around
- There are lice in the second grade

Thankfully, Little Man got the first out of the way, and while this hampered my sandal shopping and pedicure getting, I did not complain because I did not want to tempt you into smiting me.  But I have been walking around with a nervous tick, so wound up am I with fear of impending doom.

Please, please prevent any of these things affecting my children or the grandparents caring for them,  before we leave for Brazil, or while we are there.  I need to get on that plane with my eight books and T's iPad full of movies*, without the fresh memory of my children puking, and I need to return without my mother in-law having had to shave my children's heads and throw out all her sheets.

Once we hit the tarmac back in New York, all bets are off.  Send the plague.  I'm sure I'll be too hungover to care.

*Should we be separated, and I wind up in steerage, I mean coach, I will not have access to on-demand movies.  I'll be damned if I'm going to be forced to sit through The Vow or One for the Money against my will.