in pursuit of wild things

We did end up going to Marion last Friday and shopping at our favorite Amish grocery store. I got a new sack of flour, cheese, honey, and twenty pounds of potatoes for only four bucks (just the potatoes were four bucks not the whole shopping trip). The honey was a good deal since it was marked down due to hardening. We then drove the long way to Paducah (through Salem and other small towns). I like going for a drive with my husband because we talk…sometimes just about the scenery. Sometimes we talk about the important things or what we would do if we won the lottery. We dream together…we do not do that often enough.

I canceled school on Monday since Middle Boy and Sparkles were sick. Sparkles had (and still does) a terrible cough and Middle Boy was feverish. Oldest finished up his study on The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow. Littlest pestered me most of the day to go to school. I thought his request for school was a bit funny since we do not work with him at all. He just hangs out with us while the others work. Most of the time he plays on his own and sometimes he pesters some of the kids to play with him. Sometimes he sings his ABC’s as loud as possible for some attention. Somewhere along the line he started saying his letter z as “zed”. I’m really not sure where he picked up the British pronunciation for the letter z. My husband theorized he might have learned it from the television show Top Gear (the British version which we prefer over the US version).

Anyway, Littlest pestered me to go to school and then told me he wanted his own school books. He asked most of the day for his own school books. Homeschool mom’s dream right there…a child begging to do school work. I ordered him the preschool set from Christian Light Education.

My chest started tightening yesterday. The kids have been sick this past week and as they started to get better I felt sure that the chest cold would pass me by. We tried to start school yesterday but before we could really get started I abandoned my goals for the day. I could feel my good health spiraling and fever set in.  We only managed to get in two half days of school this week. I feel terrible. My body aches…even my toes feel sore and if I move too quickly my head starts to spin. Any deep breaths result in spasms of painful coughs. Breathing hurts. I am freezing and burning at the same time…strange sensations come with sickness.

I feel blessed in this little sickness. Oldest stepped up and made supper for his siblings last night. He fed Littlest before eating his own meal. He brought me water and checked on me every now and then. He apologized to me when he could not help Littlest with something and I had to get up and tend to him. He’s a better kid than I give him credit for. I am with my crew all the time so I know their character faults…but they have strengths too. I should spend some time recognizing and appreciating their strengths.  My husband came home with Lunchables last night so the kids would have something easy for lunch today. My guy, he’s the best.

Sick or not I’ve got work to do today. Freezing weather is coming in Saturday night and possibly a winter storm as well. I need to get a grocery list together and get as much laundry done as possible. I like to have the laundry done before severe weather sets in.