You know you are a mother when...

You have to cancel your day, your week because you notice that some little person has these covering their tiny body. And your heart hurts for them.

Chicken Pox. It is in the midst of moments like these that it hits me that I am a mother. And that even though I would do anything for her to not have to go through this, there is nothing I can do to prevent it. It is a right of passage. For Ayla as a child. For me as a mother. We have to experience the chicken pox whether we like it or not.

Ayla has been such a good sport about it and has not complained. She has a much milder case than I had when I was 6 or 7 and probably the most miserable I have been in life. She hasn't had a fever, and has not scratched purposefully. If she accidently touches one of the pox then she gets the sadest face and voice as she says worriedly, "I scratched one!" When we assure her it will be alright then she goes on playing.

It was Monday morning when I was comforting her that I noticed one on her face, then her neck and instictively I lifted up her shirt. Her stomach was speckled with them. I knew instantly what they were and had to tell Angie that I wouldn't be able to go to the Y and that she probably shouldn't come over with Skylar to do our Photo assignment that was due Tuesday. I also had to let the sister that was coming for a VT interview know. The nurse I talked to told me that it was probably not chicken pox since Ayla had been vaccinated, but I knew that it was. They are pretty unmistakable.

Well, Angie was fine with the chance of Skyzie getting them and so she came anyway. Thank you, Angie. It was so much fun to do the assignment together and to use you as my model. And Ayla was much happier to play with Skylar than boring, old me. And you are much easier to photograph than wriggly kids.

So far none of the other kids have gotten it, but Sienna had to miss gymnastics on Tuesday and I had to arrange for Hunter to go to the Blue and Gold Scout Banquet with some friends since Brent had to stay home with the quarantined and I had to go to a yoga class for my upcoming teacher training and my photo class. It turned out that after all the phone calls I made to the scout leaders and friends, and all the talks with Hunter apologizing, and me feeling guilty about missing his thing, the banquet isn't until next week. Which is a good thing but also very frustrating at the lack of organization. It was a crazy Tuesday.