Monday Musings--24 January 2011

Right now...it is 6:00.  It is dark, still quiet.  I think Una is in the bathroom, as the light is on in there, and her alarm went off a few minutes ago.

This weekend was...kind of a drag.  Sick kids.  Una had a really sore throat all week, and felt dreadful early in the week.  Since one of the girls at last week's party came down with strep throat, I have been vigilant and Una has not been permitted to go out to do the farm chores in the morning.  Sebastian, Gabriel and Adrian all had their turns at feeling rotten, too, this week.  So Saturday they watched videos and played games, and pretty much took it easy.  Yesterday everyone was well enough--no really sore throats or temperatures--to get to Mass.  After Mass, everyone seemed well enough, but at home, in the late afternoon, Dominic began to cry and say that his ear was hurting.

Unlike myself as a child, my kids have not been prone to ear infections.  Most of them have had one at one time or another, and a couple have had antibiotics for it, but generally, if someone complains of ear pain, I use either Auro Homeopathic ear drops and acetaminophen, or some garlic-infused olive oil in the ear, and it is usually taken care of in a couple of days.  Dominic had to be held down for this procedure.  It was unpleasant, but it did help him.

Last night I dozed off at about 9:45, only to have Gemma awaken a few minutes later.  I got her back to sleep.  At 10-something, Dominic came into the room.  He lay down on his pallet on the floor and went to sleep.  Then the baby must have awakened Adrian, because he came in and lay down beside Dominic.  Bret got up at some point to take some Tums.  And Dominic awoke after midnight for another dose of acetaminophen and a heated rice-pack.  I did finally sleep  from about 12:45 to 4:45.

Some plans for this week:  School, naturally, but I need to rework my lesson plans a bit.  In religion, which I usually do as a group, I have to give some individual focus.  Una and Sebastian need some more discussion on the Sacrament of Confirmation, as theirs is coming up next month (it was to be in May, but we have the opportunity for them to receive the Sacrament in the Extraordinary Rite, and are delighted), Gabriel needs no real preparation for his First Holy Communion in May, as he has been ready since autumn, but some Eucharist-focused reading would benefit him.  And I need to begin preparing Adrian for Confession.  He will be 6 next month, and I would love to have him make his first Confession next autumn or so.

I really really really need to do up menu plans.  Dinner-preparation time has been my bane since Christmas vacations ended.

I need to order a Lego-something-or-other for Adrian.  The local Wal-Marts didn't have much selection, and Lego is THE thing with my boys.  That, and the computer games they are permitted for 45 minutes a week if they do their schoolwork without too much griping.  Gabe actually lives for those 45 minutes.  The rest of the week, he draws computer games, if you can imagine that.  And I need to paint a shield for Adrian as well.  Papa made wooden shields to go with the wooden swords for Christmas, but they are unpainted and need some "bling".


If I have some time to myself, I want to...work on a bit of knitting and get the last two cases done for the pocket watercolor sketchbooks I am making.  Then I can case them in and finish them.

Prayer intentions for this week:  I pray that Dominic's ear infection clears up without a trip to the doctor; I pray for the graces I received in Confession yesterday to carry me through week.  I pray that I cam make school go more smoothly so that we can have more time for reading aloud, playing games and doing crafts.
I pray for the kind intercession of St. Francis de Sales, a first class relic of whom I am in possession, and whose feast day is today.

Something that makes me smile:  
From St. Francis de Sales:  "Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself."
And this:  She is wearing the hat!

If you would like to join in with your own Monday Musings, feel free to grab the header image and then link back to your post in the comments here.  Have a blessed week!