More Pox!

Just as expected, more pox broke out today! We have two more definite cases and one suspicious kid! Mister Thorns will be bringing home more acetaminophen (which I believe my readers across the pond call paracetamol), we are amply supplied with benadryl, calamine, oatmeal and baking soda and Popsicles. I have been blessed, though I doubt my 'itchers' will agree in a couple of days. Pray for the poor wee ones who will be suffering. Your prayers are apparently very efficacious, we may be finished with this in the first month of the new year!

Be sure to click on the dots image to see where you can buy this lovely wallpaper!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From the Thorns household to your home, we wish you a very happy and very Merry Christmas. May God bless you abundantly this Christmas season and throughout 2008. For us, I think there are many changes on the horizon. Please pray for us and know that we pray for you. Here is a great post on the Maternity of Mary. This post, from the Digital Hairshirt just touched me, I thought I would refer it to you.

Overheard in the Thorns household

If you were a fly on the wall today you would have enjoyed a little conversation between 7 year old son and myself. First you should know that I do in fact encourage belief in the "Mom has eyes in the back of her head" philosophy of parenting. It is quite good at keeping your children honest. They never know what you may be 'seeing' or hearing for that matter. I always love to have an opportunity to exhibit my skills to my children to reinforce this adage.

Today my son asks me, "Do you really have eyes in the back of you head, Mom?"
"Of course I do."
"How did you get them?"
"When I became a mommy."
"Do all mommy's have them?"
"Yes."
"Do Daddy's get them too?"
"Do you think your Daddy has them? Does he always know what is going on in this house? Can you fool Daddy?""
"No, Daddy doesn't always know, and we can fool him."
"Do you think Daddy has them?"
"No. But why doesn't Maria (six year old sister, pox sufferer at the moment) have them? She will be a mommy someday."
"Well, if she is a mommy she will get them, but not until."
"Well how come Daddy's don't get them?"
"Because only Mommy's do."
"Why can't I get them?"
"Because you are not a mommy."
"Do you see better with the eyes in the front or on the back?"
"Depends."

I anticipate more questions on this in the future. This is my analytic philosopher son. LOL. He is so smart about some things, but this one apparently offends his sense of justice, and his sense of reason. He is, rather amusingly, quite stumped. I have demonstrated enough to him, apparently, that I do have these eyes to make his little mind spin off track. He won't let up until he solves the mystery, which we all know of course, he never will. Insert evil mommy laugh ;-)

No Doubt About It

We have the pox! My poor baby has pox marks everywhere! I'm glad for it, but right now I just wish she was well, it is tough to watch them suffer through an illness even when it truly is the best thing for them. Thank you for the prayers! Incidentally, none of the others have any symptoms yet. I think we are doing this the drawn out way. I will try to keep you posted!

Prelusion to the Pox

Unbelievably so, I'm having more computer woes. But it matters not as the pox are beginning.

One child is mildly afflicted. This is the child who had the direct exposure. I only know this because I've been watching like a hawk since my last post on the topic. We have 7 red marks with little blisters, and the start of a temperature...very likely the pox. I would like to see more so it can definitely be labeled as the pox, but I recall from our first bout with this (over 10 year ago) even a mild case is still a case of the pox and it counts. I will be giving the children a very long bath shortly, that ought to serve to promote the appearance of the pox!

I will keep you posted.

For those interested, if you would like to visit and expose your own children you are welcome to do so, contact me through my email. Izzarina, you are invited to call if you are up to the drive! You know how to reach me!

What Three Year Olds Do For Fun (at least in my family)

This is a list I sent to Listoff in June. He did post a few of them on his blog. I thought I would put up my full list today for your enjoyment in this season where everyone is harried and could use a good laugh!

What Three Year Olds Do For Fun

• Swing from the curtains/climb the curtains until the rods bend
• See how many different things will fit inside the VCR or DVD player, until it won't work any more
• See how many CD ROMs can fit into the computer at one time
• Spread 'armpit perfume' all over big brother's room
• Pretend the dog is a horse and try to ride it.
• Wake teen siblings at 6am by throwing water at them
• Rub magnets on the computer screen to watch all the pretty colors
• Pick flowers for mommy out of any garden they want to
• Rubber stamp art on the walls and furniture
• Hide big sister's cell phone and blame it on the dog
• Paint the wall with lipstick
• Flood the bathroom
• Paint lamp with nail polish
• Spray an entire can of blue silly string (which stains, by the way) all over the living room
• Tell mom, "I made lunch" and serve chocolate chip sandwiches to everyone
• Use bathroom cleaner for hairspray
• Cuts own hair with nail trimmers
• Cut all the hair off big sister's American Girl doll so it will look like Harry Potter
• Use white out to paint the floor
• Torture the cat by locking it or zipping it inside any container that it fits in
• Eat all big sister's Easter candy
• Enlists a five year old sibling to assist in stacking enough objects so someone can reach the cookies on top of the refrigerator
• Lock siblings out, because she can now reach the lock
• Uses permanent marker to decorate herself
• Hides so well in the house that Grandma is ready to call 911, until the giggling gives her away
• Uses baby powder to make it snow inside the house
• When Mom is cleaning for company, uses honey to decorate herself, the dog, and the kitchen, and then sprinkle pretty sugar on top
• Gets naked as the door bell rings to go stand next to Mommy as she answers the door
• Picks gum off the underside of the church pew to eat it

Blogroll

Two new additions for you to check out!

Happy Hearts at Home
Alexandra is a lovely Catholic mom who has an awesome blog featuring many great values for the frugal homeschooling family.

Catholic Mom of 10
Jackie is a mother from across the pond in the UK, with ten children, whose blog is faith filled and informative as well as entertaining to read!

Stop in to see them, and tell them Lily sent you!

Changes

We are going to have bad weather again today. I’ve posted a couple of times about the winter wonderland we live in, out of the last seven days we’ve had snow or wintry mix weather for six. My four wheel drive is getting a real work out after snoozing all summer. Considering the mountainous drive to go to the TLM and the snow clouds in the sky, then factoring in that the children all have colds and my husband is not home today, I opted to go to the local church for Mass. It is good for me to do so as it reminds me of why I travel ;-).

Today, the priest was promoting the new missals he is encouraging us all to buy. Last year he ordered for anyone who wanted and paid for, the St. Joseph’s Sunday Missal for $5. This year, he suggested that everyone purchase the hard cover 3 year Missal for $20. He will place the orders for anyone who wants them, he suggested purchasing them for FHC and Confirmation gifts, etc. Then to encourage people, because $20 per Missal is a bit pricey for most families this time of year, he added, “You will only need to buy it once. It will last forever, unless you lose it or break it somehow which is unlikely because they are well made. (Pause) Or, unless the Church decides to change things again. Of course, Vatican Councils don’t happen very often, so that seems unlikely too.”


My first thought was that he needed to get in a dig at the way the tide is changing, and perhaps because I’ve asked him to say the Latin Mass and he flat out told me he never would. Upon further reflection (I’ve been stewing on his attitude) I decided that this may be a good sign. A couple of years ago, the possibility of the Latin Mass making a comeback would never have crossed his mind. Now he’s adding little jabs in his everyday address, or in his Sunday announcements. Methinks this may be a good sign. Perhaps this priest is a little nervous about Benedict XVI. Liberal priests should be nervous. It seems Benedict is looking to return to the core teachings of Catholicism, the things that the implementation of Vatican II seemed to have dropped. Now, this is the priest who removed the tabernacle from the main church because people should not focus on the tabernacle but on the priest during Mass. The tabernacle was distracting people from what he (the priest) was doing. I guess he should be nervous. And there is yet to be a crucifix in the middle of the altar.

There is another hope, as our liberal bishop is soon to retire, perhaps over the next 3 years. Maybe, oh just maybe, we’ll get someone who is less ‘the new springtime’ and more traditional. One can always hope, and pray. In our diocese we have been asked to say at every Mass, the prayer in time of change. Of course no one says the prayer to St. Michael anymore.




PRAYER IN TIME OF CHANGE
Beloved Jesus, anoint us to do your will.
May the joy of your dwelling in us draw us closer to each other.
Expand our vision to recognize your plan;
warm our hearts by the flame of your Love;
open our lips so that we can speak your Word;
extend our arms so that we can embrace each other as your
people;
speak to us so we can discern the role you have for us, your
Body, your Church.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, empowering us to become vital
expressions of growth in your changing Church.
Your Kingdom is now!
Help us to discover and live your will.
Amen.
Created by:
Deacon Warren A. Dorsch
Pastoral Associate Jackie Jefferson

Chicken Pox Panic

There is a Chicken Pox Panic in our town! Excellent news for this mom who does not vax against the pox. I'm certain one of my littles was exposed, her friend has come down with it! Hmmm, with the likelihood of successive cases instead of concurrent cases (nothing is ever easy with childhood illnesses, I have memories of 6 weeks of stomach flu) we could be dealing with the pox in the Thorns household through February or March. But it will be time well spent! I would rather deal with it as an immune parent of sickies than have them deal with it as sick adults. I cannot tell you how happy I am that this is panicking the town!

Pray for us that we have sick kids soon, now they will not have to consider the vax as adults! Time to go stock up on comfort items! Maybe I should buy this book!

I will keep you posted, and if the throes of the illness gets me down, you can all remind me this is what I had hoped for! ;-)

Divorce takes toll on evironment, take two

Last night, I was telling my husband about my the post I wrote yesterday on this topic. Knowing my husband as I do, it was evident that he thought I was kidding when I said I posted about divorce being bad for the environment. Today, after running an errand, my husband came home with our local paper, featuring a front page article about divorce and the environment. Not to get on another rant, but our local paper ended the story with this little pearl:

"The best advice to those who are miserable together is not, however, to avoid divorce for the sake of the environment, but to find someone else as quickly as possible."

This seems to be advising people to jump from the frying pan into the fire! I cannot endorse encouraging divorce on any level, and I cannot understand telling people to rush into another relationship for the sake of the environment.

Divorce is one of those issues I cannot comprehend.

Editorial note: Be sure to read the post, "Divorce is Bad for the Environment" which is the post referred to in the first line.

Divorce is bad for the environment

Of all the reasons I could think of to remain married, this one would not come up on my top ten! What would be on my top ten list of reasons to stay married? In no particular order:
1. Marriage is a sacrament, divorce is NOT recognized by the Catholic church. To remain within the Church, you must remain married. Marriage is a VOW made before God, and it is not to be taken lightly, it is 'Until death do us part.'
2. Children deserve both parents at home. Children are a natural product of a healthy marriage. When you have a good marriage, with God at the center, you will be open to life and you will probably have children. Divorce is hard on everyone, parents of course, but can be devastating to children.
3. Divorce is emotionally draining.
4. Divorce is financially devastating.
5. Divorce is selfish, marriage is selfless. There are many divorced people in my extended family (currently, more than have remained married, and we are Catholic going back as far as we can trace our geneaology) and with one exception of abuse, most of the reasons are selfish.
Reasons I've been given, not that anyone need explain to me, yet they do, affairs (selfish), want a better provider so I can have better things (selfish), not happy (selfish), didn't love my spouse any more (selfish), cannot imagine staying with my spouse forever (huh? why did you get married? selfish), you get the idea. I don't know anyone who would say marriage is easy, always happy and always rewarding. But, over time, it has its rewards. Worst case, the rewards are not in this life but in the next. In most cases, there are more good times than bad. You just have to weather the storm. Like with any investment, there are 'market swings' and you need to hang tight and have faith. Why is marriage any different? If you say 'I deserve to be happy' I will say you are selfish. We all want to be happy, but happiness is only found through selflessness, not through selfishness.
6. Marriage is hard, but divorce is harder. If your spouse is working long hours and you are alone with the children pulling your hair out, it is still easier than trying to do it all alone. Even if you feel alone, you are never alone if you have faith, faith in yourself, faith in your spouse and, most of all, faith in God. Sometimes just giving your spouse that faith is the only thing required to get through the tough places. Reaching out, giving that leap of faith, may be all they need to 'rise to the occasion' and justify that faith, returning it to you in spades.
7. Divorce causes lonliness. Tearing yourself in half , marriage makes one therefore divorce leaves half, is lonely and painful. Friends of the couple must choose when there is a divorce. It is rare that friends remain friends all the way around.
8. Divorce causes depression. A harder life, loneliness, financial stress, unhappy children, separation from God, depression is only to be expected.
9. Divorce can make you sick. When you are sad, depressed, lonely and stressed, your immune system weakens. This is a most unfortunate occurrence as when you need strength to pick yourself up and move on, you are in your worst state of health.
10. Excepting cases of annullment, you cannot receive the Eucharist. This is really covered by number one, but this point bears repeating and deserves its own enumeration as it is so important. The inability to receive the Eucharist removes an important source of Grace.

There you have it, and nowhere on this list is the fact that divorce is bad for the environment.
Editorial note, be sure to read the post entitled, "Divorce Takes Toll on the Environment, Take Two" which is a follow up to this one.