Kissing it Better

A couple of nights ago, when Elizabeth asked me to read to her, I responded, "Sweetie, Mommy can't read to you because she has a very bad headache." Elizabeth replied, "Mommy, I kiss it better." She proceeded to kiss my forehead in several places and then said, "It better." A few minutes later, she requested, once again, that I read to her. When I told her that my head hurt too much to read, she stated, "I kissed it better." I answered, "I know, but it still hurts." She said, "I kiss it better." She immediately started kissing my forehead. Upon stopping, she handed me a book and said, "Now read it."

Snow Day Snowflake Photos

Remembering Snowflake Bentley, Brendan decided to use his EyeClops and take some photos of snowflakes. I really like the second photo.

Magnified 200 times

Magnified 100 times

Magnified 100 times

Magnified 100 times

Magnified 100 times

Chickenpox Tips

I have had several friends ask me for tips regarding the chickenpox, so I thought that I would share them here while two of my children are still recovering and ideas are fresh in my mind.

Look at the chickenpox as an opportunity to spend time with your child, reading a lot of stories and playing various board games. Chess was popular in our house. Brendan taught me how to play. I was surprised to learn that Finnian and Patrick already knew all the pieces and the moves that they can make. Patrick is quite good at the game. Finnian occasionally views it as a game of war and makes me smile with his exclamations.

Stock up on popsicles, ice cream, and juice. The popsicles and juice were used to share chicken pox germs with friends who visited and because they were something special for the sick children (we don't usually eat popsicles in winter, and ice cream and juice are rare treats). One family brought a candycane to our house to help spread the chicken pox germs.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) might be needed for the fever. We also gave it to some of our children when they felt particularly uncomfortable. We buy the Kirkland Signature brand acetaminophen for children from Costco because of the cost. Costco charges $4.59 for two decent size bottles.

My four older children enjoyed taking lukewarm baths with Aveeno added to it. (Since purchasing the Aveeno, I learned that it is produced by Johnson & Johnson. This company contributes money to Planned Parenthood and manufactures birth control. For this reason, I usually don't buy their products.) My two youngest enjoyed lukewarm baths with nothing added to the bath.

Most of my children felt more comfortable wearing their father's or big brother's undershirts turned inside out. My youngest didn't wear a shirt. My youngest son found that boxers with the cotton covering the elastic waistband were a lot more comfortable than underwear.

We applied bacitracin antibiotic ointment to chicken pox that were particularly bothersome with great results. I tried calamine lotion initially, but the children did not like it. The bacitracin even worked to heel a picked pox that looked like it was getting infected.

One of my boys held ice packs on chickenpox that were particularly uncomfortable and said that it felt really good.

We encouraged our children to offer their suffering for others. One of my daughters did this exceptionally well. Despite being completely covered with chickenpox, she never complained once. When I asked her if she was offering up any discomfort, she humbly said, "Yes."

When friends left our house, we tried to remember to tell them, "May the pox be upon your house!"

For those who might be wondering why friends wanted to expose their children to chickenpox, please visit http://www.cogforlife.org/ and/or http://www.soundchoice.org/

If your family contracts the chickenpox, I hope that everyone recovers without any scars.

Reaping the Benefits of Chickenpox

Finnian came downstairs this morning, climbed on my lap, gave me a kiss, and said, "I have something that is a little red on me. I think it's chickenpox." He showed me his red blistery spot and I confirmed that he has chicken pox. He was very excited and proceeded to ask, "Can I have a popsicle? Can I watch a movie? Can you take me a bath? Can I have ice cream?"*

I told him that he could eat a popsicle after breakfast. When he finished his popsicle, he once again asked, "Can I watch a movie?" I responded that he could do so after his sisters practiced piano and violin. He responded, "Take me a bath." I told him that I would give him a bath tonight.

I have never seen a child so excited about being sick. Hopefully, his excitement continues to outweigh his discomfort.

*No matter how many times we tell him, he never says, "give me a bath."

Chickenpox

My four chicken pox-ridden children have recovered and tell me that it wasn't too bad. They enjoyed playing board games, listening to stories, watching movies, and playing with some friends who visited.

My youngest has had chickenpox since Wednesday evening and is requesting some of the same benefits that her older sisters and brothers had, popsicles and ice cream.

I am wondering when Finnian will have some real spots.  I say real spots because one day, he pointed to a mole and said, "Mommy, look.  I have chickenpox." I explained that it was his birthmark mole. Later, he pointed to a freckle and told me, "Mommy, I have chickenpox. See." I looked and shared that it was a freckle. During dinner that night, Finnian said, "Daddy, I have a lot of prickles. Mommy told me."* Hopefully, he reacts as well to chickenpox.

*Finnian has two freckles at most.

I Don't Want to Hurt Your Feelings

Patrick: "Mommy, I want to listen to you read, but I want to listen to Daddy read, too. I like Daddy's story, so I am going to listen him read. I am sorry."

Saturday Routine

I am finally getting back into my Saturday routine of ironing clothes and listening to Audio Sancto.

This past Saturday, I listened to three incredible sermons:

• The Errors of Russia: How They Affect Family Life
  
• The Errors of Russia: Their Plan and the Plan of Heaven
  
• The Errors of Russia: the Plan of Heaven -- Model the Holy Family
  

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Guess Who? Saints Edition

Last night, I was thrilled to find a new version of Guess Who on Jessica's blog. She had seen Guess Who...of the Saints on Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families.  Today, I made our own template of saints (pdf), including the large pieces (pdf), and then my son cut them out, etc.

What I really like about Guess Who? Saints Edition is that it appeals to older children, too.  Instead of simply asking questions about what the character looks like, the children (ages 6 and up) are asking questions about the saints.  During one game, I heard:

"Was the saint a male or female?"
"Female"
"Was the saint a martyr?"
"No"
"Was the saint from France?"
"No"
"Was the saint from Hungary?"
"Yes"
"Oh, it's St. Elizabeth of Hungary!"

I am expecting that the questions might become more complex over time.

The Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

From February 11 to July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin came down eighteen times from heaven (Introit), and showed herself to St. Bernadette Soubirous (Collect), in the cave of the rock at Massabielle (Gradual). On March 25, she said to the little shepherdess of 14 years of age: "I am the Immaculate Conception"2. Today's feast therefore recalls Mary's triumph over the serpent (Tract) which the septuagesimal liturgy has in mind.

Like the woman seen by St. John "clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars over her head" (Epistle), the Virgin of Lourdes "is clothed in a robe and veil as white as snow, she wears a blue girdle and on her bare feet rests a golden rose3 all symbolic of her virginal love. She exhorts to penance the unfortunate children of Eve who have not been like herself preserved from sin. On the day of the Annunciation4 she declared her name to us, to manifest that it is on account of the Incarnation (Collect) that God has vouchsafed to her "not to be tainted with the original stain" (Tract).

Remembering that Mary is "the ark of the new covenant (Epistle), let us go with confidence to her who "full of grace" (Offertory) visits our earth to multiply in us the gifts of her riches" (Communion).

Every parish priest says Mass for the people of his parish.

St. Andrew Daily Missal 

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!