Our apologies to Philadelphia.

by | Updated: December 4th, 2016 | Read time: 2 minutes

I was so afraid about air travel with three kids. Ha! The time we spent in the air was the easiest part of our three-day weekend to my hometown of Philadelphia. Which is sometimes called “The City of Brotherly Love.” But is now likely going to be renamed, “The City of Pink Eye.” All three of my kids ended up with the telltale eye goo at some point during our voyage. And I feel like they exuded a more-than-normal amount of snot and tears and other germs while we were traveling. Purell only goes so far…so sorry, Philly! Pink eye was only among a few of the gifts we gave to the land of cheese steaks and Septa. A few other, more specific apologies:

-To the people dining at Smokin’ Betty’s restaurant on Sansom Street: I hope your meal wasn’t completely ruined by the screaming baby who kept angrily hurling corn muffins from his high chair. The corn muffin particles likely had pink eye germs on them (he woke up the next morning with oozing eyes) but hopefully, they didn’t land on your table.

-To people visiting the Franklin Institute on Saturday: That little girl who started shrieking, “Everybody is laughing at me!” during the electricity exhibit when her hair got all static-y? She belonged to us. She is going through a “sensitive” phase. I told her you weren’t laughing at  her but with  her. She said, “But I wasn’t laughing.”

-To women who used the ladies’ room at the Corner Bakery & Cafe on 17th Street: Sorry, there was no changing table. I know you got an eyeful. But it was either the bathroom floor or change him right in the middle of the restaurant!

-To the other people staying on our floor at the Windsor Suites Hotel: I’m really sorry. Hope you were planning to wake up at 5:35 a.m. on Sunday, anyway.

-To Pat’s Steaks, the Liberty Bell, the Please Touch Museum and half a dozen other Philly tourist attractions, plus a handful of very close, long-time friends: I know I said we were going to visit. Sorry we never got a chance. Although I don’t think you would have wanted us in this condition, anyway!

Jorie is the “Vitamom” who edits Momonomics.com. She has three kids, ages 18 months to 9 years, and she is somewhat addicted to Vitacost.com’s No Pudge fat-free  brownies, which she probably eats in quantities large enough to create at least some  pudge.