Life with children

The rains came back this week, and there is no sign of it letting up again. It's kind of felt the same with health conditions and kids in our house lately. In the past month, we learned what head lice looked like! I've never had them, nor have the kids, until now. Cerys has had them twice in the past month. They are ugly, disgusting creatures and it's impossible to get rid of the little white egg sacks that cling to the hairs. Lice are one of those creatures that cause me to ask, God, why on earth did you create them?! What were you thinking!!

We also have ringworm, another lovely sounding disease. Well actually, it's a fungus and thankfully has nothing to do with a worm. Dylan must have picked it up from a friend or an animal.

Then we have issues with constipation...again the daughter. And so we'd had lots of talk about bodily functions and high fiber diets. We've resorted to recording everything she eats and drinks, and a big sticker chart to encourage her.

And now today, Brenin has four unknown blistery spots on his leg which look like chicken pox. However, his chest and back are clear, and that's where chicken pox usually start. Nearly his entire nursery class has gone down with chicken pox over the past month. In fact, one was sent home yesterday with the tell-tale spots. So we're thinking this is it...but then again, who knows.

I feel like I'm drowning in mysterious or gross health issues. But when I start feeling too sorry for myself, I think of little Madeliene, lost someone in Portugal, and how her parents must feel. Or I think about a book I'm reading right now (Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies) and a story about parents having to pound their two-year-old's back every day to clear the mucus so she doesn't drown from cystic fibrosis.

And then i think that perhaps lice and ringworm and constipation and chicken pox arent' so bad after all.

On the positive side, Brenin's enjoying being home. He helped bake cookies...or at least lick the batter off the mixer paddles! That was always the best part of baking cookies with my mom.