Why the Chicken Pox Didn't Scare Me

It is a well established fact that the only sure comfort for sick children is Mom. We can make chicken soup, force the drinking of liquids, binge watch every PBS and Disney show on earth, but only cuddling with Mom is a sure way to soothe the cough-racked, fevered child.

Because of that exhausting fact most Moms try to avoid long bouts with sickness in their home. After all it means interrupted sleep, special foods, and getting way behind on normal things like dishes or laundry. Then there is the fact that the illness must run its course through the entire family. As a general rule we are a healthy family, but I do not willingly invite the flu or bad colds into our home.

In February I made an exception.

I invited The Chicken Pox over, and it has been with us for about 3 weeks.

My poor children have truly been good about not scratching at those alarming owies that showed up over night. They have downed more tea and cocoa than usual and been spoiled with long story sessions. What a bunch of troopers!

I am not against all vaccines. I have let the doctors poke my children several times (which always breaks my heart, because I hate needles myself). But I did know that I wanted my children to have The Chicken Pox as an actual illness. It is far more effective in the long to strengthening their immune systems. Thankfully, they are all quite young and so this experience, while unpleasant, has not been traumatic. 

There are so many amazing miracles that have been brought about by the study and practice of medicine in the past century. Life threatening diseases, such as typhus, small pox, and polio have practically been eradicated from the America way of life. But the miracle of the human body to protect itself against disease is one that can only be wrought by the kind and healing hand of God.

Sometimes our culture fights too hard against disease, making it look like the devil himself that can only be contained in an antiseptic atmosphere and hazmat suits. Yes, illness is hard, but our body was made to fight hard, not to hide from it. I love my children, and will be glad to stay up all night with them if they cannot sleep for a cough or sniffles. I use good medicine to make them comfortable when they ache and fight fevers. I took them to the doctor, who said all was well, they were in no danger. And I know that their little bodies are now better equipped to handle other disease for which there are no vaccines. 

As we move on with life, I am tired, but we are a well and strong family, Praise the Lord!

These three oils were amazing at relieving the itchiness of The Chicken Pox. Lavender baths for the win!

If you would like to learn more about the chicken pox vaccine go to the National Vaccine Information Center and if you would like to know more about essential oils Doterra has a great bunch of resources. 

Who Are You?

Do you ever notice how certain people in your life seem just like a character in some book or movie?
Like the author or director must have known this person, because it is so accurate. Have they met them?

Happens to me all the time.

I am pretty sure I have met a few characters from Anne, a Cinderella, a Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Mr. Fezziwig, and a few other less well known characters in the course of my life.

The other day I found my fictional persona. It is not as flattering as I otherwise would have wished, and similarity had Roman struggling not to smile.

It's Rabbit.

It was going to be one of Rabbit's busy days. As soon as he woke up he felt important, as if everything depended upon him. It was just the sort of day for Organizing Something, of for Writing a Notice Signed Rabbit, or for Seeing What Everybody Else Thought About It.
It was a Captainish sort of day, when everybody said, "Yes, Rabbit" and "No, Rabbit," and waited until he had told them.
The House At Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne

And if I am Rabbit, my children are definitely Tigger. Incidentally, Ethan and Saoirse regularly pray the Tigger will not bounce and mess up Rabbit's garden. Why? I have no idea!

I may be a bit prone to "Captainish" attitudes, but on the bright side I can be depended on, just like Rabbit. 

Before the Birth of One of Her Children

 

All things within this fading world hath end,
Adversity doth still our joys attend;
No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,
But with death's parting blow are sure to meet.
The sentence past is most irrevocable,
A common thing, yet oh, inevitable.
How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend,
How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend,
We both are ignorant, yet love bids me
These farewell lines to recommend to thee,
That when the knot's untied that made us one,
I may seem thine, who in effect am none.
And if I see not half my days that's due,
What nature would, God grant to yours and you;
The many faults that well you know I have
Let be interred in my oblivious grave;
If any worth or virtue were in me,
Let that live freshly in thy memory
And when thou feel'st no grief, as I no harmes,
Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms,
And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains
Look to my little babes, my dear remains.
And if thou love thyself, or loved'st me,
These O protect from stepdame's injury.
And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse,
With some sad sighs honor my absent hearse;
And kiss this paper for thy dear love's sake,
Who with salt tears this last farewell did take.

 

~Anne Bradstreet

Is My Life Intentional?

The past three days have been crazy.

On Sunday we had : bloody noses, black eyes, burns, and broken glass. All accidents, no tempers involved.

On Monday: constant phone calls, two hours of mopping with a two-year-old, making dinner for the family with the new little cousin, and meeting said new baby. Not to mention sub-zero temps!

On Tuesday: taxes with my sis, then bustling her wedding dress, calling a plumber because the kitchen sink won't drain, babysitting more little cousins, running out of dishes to cook with, and a bridal shower in the evening, coming home to find my desperate husband cleaning the foul-smelling kitchen sink (wondering all the while if his wife had to use so many dishes).

On Wednesday: the plumber came with diagnosis of ice in the pipe, so the rental company needs to call in some bigger guns. I am trying to avoid the further piling of dishes by using paper plates and ordering pizza. My son had a crazy emotional day (I thought that was a girl thing?!) and my daughter is testing boundaries. Pregnancy has my body tense, emotions high, and ...well, just being five months pregnant!

It is almost nine pm. The wee ones are bathed and in bed, my husband is working, and I am reflective.

I received Tsh Oxenreider's book in the mail this week Notes From a Blue Bike.

Even before I became acquainted with Tsh's blog, the concept of living intentionally was one Roman and I had talked of a great deal. I think it is the historian in me that wants to make of the most of life. I started following Tsh after having a potty-training post recommended to me (hardly glamorous, but necessary).

When the book was announced I was really excited, and the first chapters have me intrigued.

The past few days have felt anything but intentional, and mostly chaotic. And looking ahead my calendar boasts more chaos to come (weddings, auctions, babies, living life with toddlers).

Whatever the calendar says, however my children behave, no matter how hormones are affecting my day, intentional living is the very idea behind Mommy, Hold My Hand. Taking care of all kinds of needs, being the available to my sister-in-laws, embracing the stage of renting, knowing that some days I can't do any of it let alone do it all. So thank you Tsh, for your timely book. I look forward to the rest of your journey on a blue bike. My own path will be different, but I pray it will be intentional.

Reading Goals for 2014

In my childhood, reading was the favored activity. From dawn to dusk any free time I had found me nose deep in a book. For several years I could read one a day. As my free time grew less and the books became more challenging (i.e. non-fiction) I went through one a week, give or take. And of course I learned about having multiple books stacked next to the bed all of which I was reading.
However, the past two years of motherhood, marriage, and generally living life left me with a shorter stack of books, and taking a lot longer to work through them. Last year I overwhelmed myself with a long list of books to be read in 2013, along with deadlines for finishing them. By mid-year I was frustrated whenever I sat down to read, and unable to focus on a once-loved activity. So I stopped reading my books and just read to my wee ones. Hardly stimulating material.

Throughout last autumn I learned a lot about how to say "no" to the world outside. This left me with a great deal of time that had hitherto been filled by church, extended family, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. And I found I could read again. Not the way I used too; after all I have a home to care for and children to invest in. I found I could read about two books a month. So in early January I made a list of books I would like to read. Books we have been given, books recommended, books that have sat on our shelves untouched, books borrowed. I organized by subject/genre, then picked three for January and three for February. And that is about as far as I have planned. I picked books that felt relevant to the needs of the hour. As the month draws to a close, I am trying to remember that it is not about finishing the final chapters of each book in a late night cram. It is about learning when to say "no"; to reading, to events, to outings, to the Internet. The needs of my life are my husband, two toddlers, and pregnancy. I can't do every good activity, clean every room, read every good book I hear of. But I am happy with how my reading is going so far. It is nice to pick up a book and read a page or two. Right now, it is not about finishing a check list. It is about choosing the best things over the good ones.

So did I read in January?

This has been a slow read, and more of a reference book. I am about half way through. It was passed on to me a while back by my sister-in-law. I picked it as a stimulator for ideas on managing my little family as we move out of the baby years. The author has a great deal of helpful thoughts. It is the small things that I that give me "Aha!" moments. Since I have a natural bent to organization, and was raised by an organized mother, the book feels like a repeat of things I already know. But I would recommend it to those who are looking for help in managing their homes.

Nearly at the end of this and I think I might need to read it all over again. This book was a gift last spring, but was so timely for right now as I re-evaluate a my stage of life.

 

I also have been reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as part of a large blog community.

Jane Austen and Motherhood is the reflective theme. It is fun to re-read this classic as a wife and mother. Whole new set of thoughts than when I was unmarried. The plan is to read through all six Austen novels this year. It is nice to have some familiar fiction to pick up now and then.

Those were the books I set out to read. A couple of bonuses came from a trip to the library.

This cookbook is now on my wish list. In the past month I learned a huge amount about making sourdough, a super simple pretzel recipe (Ethan loved making those) and successfully made croissants.

 

I picked up an audio copy of Wind in the Willows from the library, borrowed a beautifully illustrated version from my parents, and Ethan and I have enjoyed the adventures of Mole, Rat, Mr. Toad, and Badger over the past month. It was pleasant way to replace Netflix, and I hope I can find more stories to enjoy with my wee ones.

 

 

Along the lines of learning to say "no": The Art of Simple: To Don't Do, is a very encouraging article. I hope you are all settling well into whatever goals you made for 2014.

 

 

 

Real Motherhood: In Sickness and in Health

Welcome to the October Real Motherhood Link-up, hosted by Mandi and Sarah!

The past month held a lot for our family, including a week with the flu, a week with guests (with whom we shared the flu), the rapid onset of chilly autumn weather, and of course the common cold, which turns me into something of a giant hankie. The bright side to all the sickness is the extra time cuddling and reading to the little ones. The dark side...well every mother knows that!

 

Roman's cousin and his family from TN visited us for about a week in the middle of September.

It was a fabulous experience to open our home in Christian hospitality that blessed me a great variety of ways. I hope I will continue to have opportunity to bless others with my home.

My kids favorite visitors were the furry ones. Goodness, they just love dogs!

My battle of the month: Ethan hated being in the car. The second he was in he wanted to go home, he cried and screamed until we reached our destination (grocery store, grandmas house, etc.) and would do fine while out. When back in the car it was another tantrum until we arrived home. I thought I would never have a peaceful car trip again. Then suddenly, last week the tantrums ceased. I have no clue why they started or why they stopped. Sometimes you just have to ride the phase out.

Chilly autumn walks!

And now I must go wipe the noses after explosive sneezes, and wash sheets, and....

My Hiding Place

Motherhood has many joys, moments like these:

Sidewalk chalk with my little boy and seeing my little girl smile about food. These are good moments, the ones I would prefer to remember.  

But there are lots of moments that I would like to take a break, escape from the chaos developing around me. When they cling to my legs, and pull on my clothes, find messes I was sure I had cleaned, deliberately get into something they know is naughty, all accompanied by the constant call, "Mum, Mum, Mum!"

But I can't run away. Five minutes unsupervised and the mess increase by 10 times! And they are little, so I certainly can't leave them home alone to get myself a treat. So I tell my son, "Mummy needs to use the bathroom."

Little does he know that I am not there to just use the toilet. That tiny room with tile floors, and basic fixtures, is my small escape from the calling of motherhood. I crack open the small window and take in as much fresh air as I can. I wash my hands in the lavender soap a little longer than truly necessary. And if no child is banging on the door I might run the brush through my ruffled hair, just to sooth my equally ruffled temper. And when before the sounds outside that door mount to distress or disaster I say a quick prayer and go out to face it all again.

Occasionally, I try to hide my son in there, soaking and splashing in the tub. It works nicely most of the time. Then there is the time it doesn't. Having stuck the little ones in a mild and shallow bath, I cleaned up the cereal that had been spread throughout the entire kitchen. Then, while I toweled and PJed the baby sister, big brother puddled the entire floor (which needed mopping anyway) and dumped a large box of matches (left from Mums tub retreat of the night before) into his bath water. (Thank goodness he can't light them yet.) 

Right now I am really looking forward to the day we have a master bathroom!

Growth

Growth is unpredictable,
often imperceptible,

confusing, metaphorical
to the one who growing is.
To others may be visible
good and bad divisible;
the question is rhetorical:
are you doing well?
Look not to the oracle
rather to the miracle
do not be satirical
for God knows best indeed.
So if your feeling miserable,
wicked, and abominable
look at each past obstacle
and see the how God has led.
Your growth becomes a chronicle
massive, unconventional,
purposed, and intentional
the godly person made.

~Caitlin Mallery

Love My Husband

I am so glad to be settling back into life after our long vacation. Roman stayed home to work and that was a long 16 days away from his settling presence. I have learned so much of love from that wonderful man. We had a rough week adjusting, with some unexpected family crises. Thus blogging fell off the stove entirely. So I as learn to be grateful for everyday and moment I am given as life throws me curveballs.

My Cup Runneth Over

Jesus, I fain would sing a sweeter song

Than my glad heart has ever sung before;

For Thou, who has been bountiful to me,

Has filled my cup till it is running o'er.

Why hast Thou thus revealed Thyself to me?

Why has Thy secret unto me made known?

Why singled me from many loving hearts,

Whispering these mysteries to me alone?

Thou art too good, too great, too wise, too kind;

And even while to see Thee I entreat,

My weakness puts Thee from me, and I cry           

This is too great a joy, a bliss too sweet.

Oh stay Thine hand! I cannot, cannot bear

This weight of glory; cannot live, and see

The face that Thou in tender grace hast turned

On me, a sinful creature, even me.

Yes, I can bear Thy strokes, but not Thy love;

I can endure Thy frowns, but not Thy smile;

Frowns I deserve, and stripes I sorely need,

And Thine own choice has given them erewhile.

And yet amid my tears, my heart rings out

A richer song than songs it sang before;

For Thou who hast been bountiful to me,

Has given a cup today that runneth o'er!

~Elizabeth Payson Prentiss

Author of "Stepping Heavenward"

How...

How...
      ...do you determine what gets done in your day?
      ...can you feel accomplished if you do not have even the smallest passion for your life?
      ...will let go of the what you do not need?

He Works

To what greater end our struggles go,
What the result is only He knows.
So whatever trials I do receive
I'll trust Him through them patiently;
And in the end when earth is past,
I will in Christ be gold at last.

~ Caitlin Mallery