By two pm Emma and I were seated together in a cold tub...

Sometime during the night, the number of lumps under blankets in my bed rose from three, the standard number to four. Emma had crawled in with us and the temperature of hte balnkets around her increased somewhat, making me wonder if she was brewing a temperature. Sure enough when morning dawned and I rolled my sleepy body out of bed Emma was in deed not looking her normal chipper self. Her eyes had that 'sunken, I'm not well' look to them and when I touched her forehead, it was hot. I dug about in my children's medicine drawer, the one dedicated to fever relief. (We have many medicine drawers, an adult pain relief drawer, another for asthma meds and so on.) I found some orange gooey stuff and convinced Emma that it would make her feel better.

By the time we were ready to leave for church she was almost as good as new. I most relieved as it was going to be a busy, busy day. Today was First Communion for two children we knew, Aiden and Theresa. We wanted to be there to help them and their families celebrate such a special day. After that we were going to pick up the rental we needed for our drive to Ohio, as well as a U-haul, buy groceries for the children staying home, return to church for the Parish picnic and then leave for Ohio.

It was about one pm when we pulled into the drive from getting the gorceries and the childrne hoped out eager to load the van with the baking that had been done the previous two days before. Three Alexanders cakes, 190 pretzel rolls and two roasts. Despite the boding clouds and drizzle, we were all hoping that the rain would hold off until the picnic was over. As I gathered Emma up to bringher in, I noticed that we had that not good feeling back in her eyes. I was going to give her some more Motrin but got distracted by some other activity and Hugo called me. Emma was curled up beside him and was shivering. I took her temp and it was over 105.

By two pm Emma and I were seated together in a cold tub, I in my bathing suit and she with a dripping wet cold face cloth over her head. My husband was drizzeling tempid water over her that made her scream, "No, not told water Daddy, I needs hot water, I better now, I better! Her teeth chattered, and she began to shake even more. I checked her temp again - it was 107. Fighting panic, I turned the cold water on even further. Emma continued to scream as we tried to calm her down. Gradually we managed to get her temp back down to a manageable 103.

So my list of excuses as to why I might not be about for a few days has changed to just one - Emma is sick. Our priest has prayed over and annointed her with oil and friends are praying for her as her little body fights this virus. So I ask all of you (again) to join your hearts with ours as we pray for her to recouperate quickly; and that my husband, who now needs to drive to Ohio without my help, will be safe.