Seeing Spots

It just figures.

This morning I wake up hearing the girls talking in their bedroom, just before the alarm is set to go off. I am encouraged, usually getting them out of bed is a lights on, cover yanking affair. Well to be fair to myself, I usually do start off a bit more gently. I go in, turn on the lights, and softly say, "Girls, princesses, time to get up..." hoping that my kind, loving words will be met with smiles and, "Good morning, Mommy!"

Usually I get the closed eye mumble from Amanda, as she stumbles out of bed and towards the bathroom, the covered head to toe silence from Sarah as she pretends that I do not exist, and the threatening low growl from Maddie, indicating that I may be harmed if I dare to yank her from her slumber. Eventually I do get the girls assembled in the living room, dressing and doing hair and the ritual dig through the giant sock basket for the daily pair of "close enoughs".

Today, Sarah was complaining that her head hurt. This is not altogether unusual or unexpected. I looked at her sad face, put my hand on her forehead and said, "Get dressed. Now." Well she started to do the whine, and I ignored her, until she pulled her shirt up and I saw them.

Spots.

I called her over closer, and there were probably a half dozen smallish pink spots on her back, torso and leg. Dammit.

I looked at her sad face again, and said, "Nevermind, kiddo, let's get some ibuprofen." So she took the medicine and laid on the couch, while I went about the business of getting the other girls going with soothing words and dulcet tones like these...

"OUT OF THE HOUSE!!! GET YOUR SHOES!!! BRUSH YOUR HAIR!!!! GET YOUR COAT!!!! BACKPACK!!!! MOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!"

Gentle only goes so far. At some point you have just got to get their butts on the bus.

So Sarah and her little brother relaxed, watched a movie, and then Sarah busied herself with artwork and practicing her big spelling words and reading, and I watched spots. I am not sure if they are Chickenpox, they have not yet formed blisters. I do know this much, the third grade just got hammered by the virus. I think Amanda got a light case of them, but we didn't know it until they were gone, but she has a couple of scabs that are suspicious. It happened when we all had colds and felt awful, and the kid is pretty itchy as a general rule.

The kids have all been vaccinated against them, but it doesn't always prevent the virus. Thankfully it makes it less severe, so much so that we may not have even noticed Amanda's case of it. I am not confining Sarah from her siblings, I am hoping they all get it if they are going to at one time. But it figures, right before Christmas.

So fun!