Thank you for being a voice of common sense in this paranoid age. Today, thanks to the ever-present sensationalist media, parents imagine their kids are exposed to all manner of unseen dangers that didn't exist a generation ago. The late comedian George Carlin said (paraphrasing somewhat), "What do you have an immune system for? To kill germs! And how can it do its job if it doesn't have germs to practice on?" Go ahead and let your kids play in the dirt. They'll thank you later.

Wow! I have hors d'oeuvres under my nails for a tasty treat; anyone care to share?