In the Land of Affliction (O, Lord, Have Mercy on Me)

1. These have to be actual Quick Takes because I don't have much time to write this morning, which is why I knew I should have written this yesterday, but I was too busy trying not to die! Both Marshall and I have sinus infections and, being parents and responsible adults, we can't lie in bed for a week to recover. No, a few hours here and there, and that's all we get. Ah, to be a young adult again with nothing to do but sit and watch Lord Peter Wimsey videos all day (which is what my mother and I used to do when I was home sick).

2. There was no lying about for me this week since we finally obtained from the pediatrician a diagnosis for Miranda's strange rash: scabies. Don't look it up unless you want to be completely creeped out. So, in the midst of my exploding head, I was washing everything in Miranda's drawers (which inconveniently lie under her bed and could thus be harboring nasties), all of her bedding for the umpteenth time, every stuffed animal in the house, and all of Alex's bedding for good measure. (He shows no sign of them but I wasn't going to be too careful.) I lost track of how many loads of laundry it was after 9 or 10. I can't wait to see the water bill.

We treated Miranda's skin with the prescribed cream on Monday night and washed it off Tuesday morning, per instructions, and are now waiting for all signs of the foul creatures to disappear. Lord, have mercy.

3. In the midst of all of this, my callas are blooming, which should be rather cheering, instead of just a "That's pretty" as I rush by them. Here's a few photos, by request of my mother:

And my hydrangea, that has been swallowing a swimming pool's worth of water for the last few weeks, is finally starting to pay me back in blooms:

4. We have yet to make it to the pool yet, because of weather and parental illness, so we have hopes of trying again this weekend. Starting next week, I think they'll be open on week days. So, twice this week the kids did the sprinkler instead, so here's another mud picture for you:

He is a darling boy and cleans up quite nicely.

5. I got the final pages of my cross stitch pattern from my father-in-law this week (he's been scanning and enlarging them for me so I can actually see well enough to work) and I have more left than I thought, so I have switched from the "Of course I'm going to finish before we leave for CA" to "AAAAAGGGHHHH! I have to stitch every possible moment!" Which doesn't help when you spend your evenings feeling horrible because your head is threatening to explode, so this week not much got done. But, still, it's progress:

6. Angry Birds just got ported to Chrome, which means that Alex, Marshall and I have been playing it incessantly on 3 different laptops. Here are my children playing before school yesterday:

Miranda wants to watch so she shoves him aside in the rocking chair to make room for herself. Silly woozles.

7. My mother's book, Bathsheba's Lament, continues to earn praises and recognition from among a growing number of readers. There is a great review of it on the International Christian Fiction Writers' blog that you must read! There is another awesome review of Bathsheba's Lament on LeAnne Hardy's blog. Read it here. Remember, if you haven't already ordered a copy, you will find it available here, or, if you are a local fan, you can purchase my last remaining copy of the book.


Bonus 8. I really should be cleaning the front room up because we have a fun wedding to attend this evening (in the midst of all this chaos and since almost all of my babysitters are in the wedding or otherwise attending, I'm breaking in a new one tonight--pray my children are good to him!) but I'm already weary from running around town this morning restocking the larder. I hate being sick because I lose a week and the To Do list is unforgiving. But Miranda is done with school Monday, Alex on Tuesday, and on Wednesday at noon my mother will arrive. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy.


And here's Jen. Who is having a baby on Wednesday. Lord, have mercy on her.