Works of Mercy

As part of our Lenten work, the kids and I have been memorizing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It is probably a vain hope, but in my fantasies, I imagine that enough repetitions of "Bear wrongs patiently," will rub off.

As I struggle to force a screaming, flailing toddler into a shirt and pants, I wonder: is clothing the naked still an act of mercy if the naked don't want to be clothed?

Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday, but there are no ashes on my forehead.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat and have felt worse as the day progressed, which might have been caused by the fever I realized I had. So while my husband wrangles kids and sings at Mass, I'm home with the wild child (a.k.a The Worst --though possibly cutest-- Baby in the World).  An atypical beginning to the Lenten season -- although, I've actually never had a "typical" Lent, so I'm not sure what that would be like.

For one thing, ever since we started keeping Lent, I've been pregnant or nursing. So wholesale fasting hasn't worked out too well. In our first Lent, we arrived in England a few days before Ash Wednesday and returned home on Palm Sunday. Nothing quite so crazy since then, but never normal.

I miss not being at the Ash Wednesday service. I love the feeling of the liturgical start to the new season. However, I suppose sucking up those small sufferings and frustrations are what one does in Lent, so I begin now with this one (and the crying, angry baby, who didn't want to be left behind when everyone else walked out the door).

The Hazards of Siblings

Though the great sickness is at least at a standstill, the three year old collapsed onto the sofa for an early nap. I caught her brother racing cars down the tempting incline of her back.

Quick Takes

--1--

My youngest child shall hence forth be known as Vector. In other words, he was the cause of bringing illness into the house this week.

Beware of any child who suddenly gets cuddly. On Monday night, he curled up in my lap as I sat in the rocking chair. A few moments later, he leaned over and doused me thoroughly in the contents of his stomach.

Miserable Tuesday morning with further stomach emptying episodes, by evening he was back to his normal climbing, into everything deviltry. 

--2--

Wednesday was the calm before the storm. At almost precisely 1 a.m. on Thursday, my oldest daughter came down to report that my three year old had thrown up all over herself and her bed. Bathtime, laundry and a pallet in my room proceeded. An hour or so later, the oldest brought herself down. More sheets to wash.  

We were up the rest of the night holding bowls for sick girls, emptying bowls and switching stuff from the washer to the dryer. Some how getting three loads of laundry done before 5 a.m. doesn't really make one feel efficient and productive.

--3--

As the night wore on, my stomach starting hurting and my head started spinning. I begged in a half awake way to at least make it until actual morning before getting sick myself. Will power or grace kept me going. I didn't get sick until 8 or 9. I was sure before then that it was coming though. I'd walked into the kitchen after that sleepless night and thought that coffee sounded like the worst thing in the world. Since I consider my morning cup of coffee near unto ambrosia after a normal night of sleep, this wasn't a good sign. Although I was wiped out and exhausted all day, the worst past very quickly, thank goodness.

--4--

During my bout of misery, a friend happened to post this link on Facebook. Nothing in there that I think is ridiculous to try during a stomach bug, but honestly -- the plural of anecdote is not evidence, as my husband likes to say. While her family sipped black tea and took charcoal tablets, and got better in 12-24 hours, mine sipped ginger ale and nibbled saltines, and got better in 12-24 hours. No proof as to why some people got sicker than others nor why it ended when it did.  Whole, natural foods are good, and I wouldn't recommend a permanent diet of ginger ale and saltines, but it didn't make us sicker or induce a longer lasting misery either. So when you get sick, eat what makes you feel better and return to a normal diet when you do.

--5--

Today, no one new is sick, although I'm a bit suspicious of those who haven't gotten it yet.  I think it will be a good day to continue our Renaissance movie fest and watch The Agony and the Ecstasy. Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison. Awesome. They have movie days in school, why shouldn't we?

--6--

My week has been too taken up with illness to come up with seven of these. So this will have to be it. Stay away from sick people.

Quick Takes at Betty Beguiles this week.

Reasons Against Cultural Education

As part of our study of the Renaissance, the kids watched Taming of the Shrew the other day. Now my seven year old is chasing her big sister around yelling, "Wretch! Wretch! Vile Wretch!"

No word on what the older sister did to offend on this occasion, nor as to why the younger sister feels such an affinity for Katherine.

The Reason I Usually Keep Markers on the Top Shelf

While my back was turned...

Quick Takes

--1--

Just in case you all got the mistaken impression that I have it all together, the other morning, I found my 18 month old sitting on the kitchen counter, munching on an apple he'd helped himself to as well as a leftover pancake I hadn't put in the refrigerator yet, whilst spooning the sugar out of the sugar bowl into a dirty teacup (with a generous helping for the counter).

--2--

Further evidence?  Look what is still sitting on my front porch greeting visitors?

At least the Christmas tree is down and out of the house.

--3--

But in good home management news, my husband (note that it was not me, who deserves the credit here) did a massive cleaning of our bedroom and we've managed to keep it clean for two whole weeks.  When something has been a mess and is finally clean, I practically want to throw a party just to show off the lovely clean space. This might have something to do with the facts revealed in the first two quick takes.

--4--

We started our school back this week after Christmas break. Monday was difficult. My seven year old told me it was all my fault that she'd forgotten how to do everything, since I had chosen to give them such a long break.  Tuesday went much better though. This week has been the last week in our second quarter. I'm still in the process of writing the plans for the next quarter. It is a slow process which always makes me envy those people who buy a set of plans, buy the books to go with those plans and call it good. But whenever I look at the plans I could buy, nothing quite suits me, and so I go on writing my own. 

--5--

By the way, I've uploaded a few more things (mostly last quarter's plans) to my St. Bede's Academy page.

--6--

If you are wondering, I still haven't found a new doctor or midwife. What? I still have a pumpkin on my front porch and you expect me to get in a hurry about these things?

--7--

Currently stuck in my head, thanks to children replaying it and then singing raucously around the house:

Thai Lentil Soup, or I would have taken a picture, but the locusts ate it all

My original plans for dinner didn't appeal when the time came to cook them, and yet the children keep insisting on being fed multiple times per day, whether I want to cook or not.  So I had to figure out what did sound good to me, and I decided on Thai lentil soup. Only, I've never cooked such a thing and had no recipe. A bit of Googling didn't yield quite what I was looking for, so I had to start inventing -- and fortunately for me, my pantry was well stocked with strange food items.  Here's the recipe, for posterity and because I've been told I need to make it again soon, so I'd better remember it.  This makes a lot, but my family ate every single bit (not that my family isn't on the large side) -- even the 3 and 5 year olds asked for more than one helping.

Thai Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb. French lentils
10 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
dash of fish sauce
salt and red pepper flakes to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
chopped peanuts or cashews to garnish

• Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat and saute onions until very soft, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, place lentils in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water for 15 minutes. 
• Drain lentils. When onion is softened, add garlic, ginger, lemon zest and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add lentils, broth, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
• Cover and bring to a boil. When boiling lower heat to a simmering temperature, uncover, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add cilantro. For a thicker soup, blend part of the soup in a blender or for a few seconds with an immersion blender.
• Garnish with peanuts or cashews.