Luckybeans

Keeping Up with the Sickies

It is an interesting thing to be responsible for sick children in the midst of it all. The outside world doesn't grind to a halt just because someone else needs you right now. Papers must be written, analysis run, labs completed, books read, lectures attended. Floors must be swept, dishes cleaned, laundry washed, food prepared, seeds watered. Paperwork must be completed, bills paid, ballots signed and delivered, permission slips checked off, phone calls and emails returned. And on top of it all, Simon is on another coast (at least on the same continent, though) which means I must juggle it all on my lonesome.

I should be a jibbering wreck. I really should be.

Do you sense the "but" coming?

Here it comes:

I am not. It has been a blessing. No, not the vomit bowls and yucky tissues flung far and wide and the trips to the doctor who could not identify what the heck that rash was, no sirreee. Not those parts. The slowing down and taking time to be with people who need me because I love them and they are my people parts. 

I ate later breakfasts and turned in work that was less than perfect, but perfectly satisfactory. I read lots of Calvin and Hobbes and Asterix and Elsa Beskow. I watched someone play Oregon Trail and far too many episodes of Kipper and the Muppet Show.

I hung laundry out to dry with Bella, and sat on the grass beside her while she read.

I had Asher help water those seeds and we took the time to savor the garden.

I spent a long time watching him kick a soccer ball around, his stream of chatter completely uninterrupted the entire time (seriously-- look how often his mouth is open; it's because he is TALKING).

Tomorrow we are down to one (significantly less) sick boy at home and everyone else back at school. But come Friday, they will all have the day off, and i am looking forward to it. I refuse to be concerned by such trivialities as midterm exams and writing revisions. I have far more important things to attend to.

I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who left comments on this post. It is so encouraging and delightful to hear from you. I wish I had the time to send replies to each and every one of you as you surely deserve, but I just can't right now. So I simply say, thank you.

 

Oh My Golly Gosh

What a week this is turning out to be! We have certainly covered the good, the bad and the ugly quite throroughly.

I had my last visit to the doctor for a good while (I hope), but Ana caught a virus that laid her flat and then Asher caught a stomach virus. He woke me up at 2am, having vomited copiously all over his bed, the carpet, the bathroom... I have never missed Africa and her tiled floors so much as I did at 3am this morning.

Asher is now lying in bed, resting, sleeping, reading and learning how to sip gingerale veeerrrryyyy ssslloowwwwwwlly indeed. This, and apple juice gelatin cubes, is all he's managed to keep down. Poor boy. At least he is no longer panicking and saying he thinks he is going to die.

We have also begun a bit of preparation for Ayyam'i'Ha. We baked pepernoten, haji badam and pecan Mexican wedding cakes (I think the last estimate was around 350 cookies in the house). We put a hyacinth in the family room, sent out parcels and hung up the bird banner. There has been a lot of hiding behind closed doors to work on things. It is that time of year!

Ana's birthday came and went, and was a lovely day. Simon had flowers delivered. Bella made her a prayer book. Asher wrote her a poem. We went out for ice cream, and she got to talk to her daddy (all the way from Juba), her grandparents, and two sets of aunties and uncles.

I finally finished my midterm exams and papers, and caught up on everything I have missed recently. And Simon sent me flowers. That was unexpected, and lovely, and I have learned to appreciate the orange ones, too.

Now if only we could just get healthy, all at once! The sun is shining, the first daffodils are peeping out, and I even spied a solitary crocus on our lawn.

 

 

 

 

S L O W L Y

Today was my first full day back in classes. I made it through. Barely.

Anyway. It has been nice to move about at least a little bit, and earlier in the week there were a few puddles of sunlight to relish, Ana's donut fundraiser, and a visit from my mum bearing tulips.

I have been taking great comfort in decidedly everday things like silks over the heat vents and lego men to tea that help me feel like the world has not entirely shifted beneath my feet. 

And there was this tree, but I do not think my photos capture just how magically sparkly and lit-up it was:

The fog has lifted, and the rain returned. Oddly, the temperature has risen, but it feels far colder wet than it did misty and frosted.

Oh dear. I fear I am reduced to discussing the weather again.

What it looks like around here

Grey. Drizzly. Dark and damp.

I had to collect Asher from school early on Friday-- he has been running a low grade fever and coughing ever since. So to battle we go:

with endless cups of Sleepy Rabbit tea and honey, chicken broth pulled from the deep-freeze (it tasted funny to him, he is so congested), Badger Balm and oscillococcinum, oranges and tissues and lots of resting.

Today Bella is also feeling less than wonderful, and has kept him quietly entertained. One of those days when no one quite gets all the way dressed, and the living room is left just like this:

Healing

It has been a very busy weekend, and I will be back tomorrow with more on that, but for now the focus is on the most important thing we did: healing.

Asher finally rid himself of his fever, although a cough still lingers. And Bella has managed to rid herself of two styes. They started on Friday morning in one eye, and quickly spread to the other. She was miserable and feverish, and could hardly see. I was very hesitant to put her on antibiotics right away, so decided to see what we could do at home. And it worked beautifully. Today there is only minimal swelling in one eye, and no redness, pain or fever. For those of you who would like to know what we did (and also so I will remember this for next time) here was her regime:

1. Lots and lots of water.

2. Hot parsley compresses every two-three hours for fifteen minutes (a cloth dipped in parsley "tea" and kept warm).

3. Homeopathic remedy Hepar Sulph Calc (3 tablets at 30X, 4x/ day).

4. Rosehips and echinacea 2x/ day.

Styes, especially horrible angry ones like hers were, usually take a minimum of a week to clear, even with antibiotics. I don't know which part of our regime worked, or if it was a combination, but the healing was amazing. I wish I knew how to treat more things like this.

Keep well, and see you tomorrow.