Lying low

My kids are not altogether well at the moment.

Daniel seems to have come down with the chicken pox. I have no idea where he may have picked it up (like a bad penny). It's certainly not the worst thing for him to have it at his age - he's little enough that though you can't explain to him why he shouldn't scratch, he's also not too inclined to do so, combined with the fact that his most affected area is under a diaper, and thus unreachable. Still - poor lad. He's definitely not a stoic, but is sharing his discomfort with all.

Abi is also not well. Nothing specific, just a general malaise (how often do I get to use that word??). She can function for a while, then lays down and reads or even sleeps. She's not terribly interested in food, though she has yet to turn down any Halloween candy. And for the record, I'm pretty sure she doesn't have the pox - she had them when she was about Dan's age, so I reckon she's probably safe.

The other kids are okay, health wise, for the moment. Noah had the chicken pox vaccine when he was little, so he's unlikely to get it, but Anna and Ellie haven't had it (the virus or vaccine), so I'm kind of waiting to see if they come out with little rose gardens of their own. But when two out of the five are out of commission for a while, it seems to make everyone a little more subdued.

This makes for a slower pace for sure, but I'm convinced it's not altogether a terrible thing. Of course, I would prefer my children to be happy and healthy - who wouldn't? But while the afternoons are quieter a little longer to accommodate the longer naps and outings have to be missed, we'll make the best of it. Lego creations are flourishing, goodies are being cooked and baked, books are being read, and snuggly little bodies that are usually so busy are cuddling up for naps on Mommy's lap. Not a bad thing at all.