God Is Laughing

This picture was taken during the last day of the big ice storm we had. If I had had enough batteries I could have taken it on our walk outside. Ice sheeted everything, each blade of grass, each leaf. If you were careful, you could remove the ice and you were left with a perfect duplicate of leaves made out of ice. But I chose this picture because it looks like I feel.

Nicholas did NOT throw up again at 6:30 pm last night! He waited until 12:30.

As for me... yesterday I realized that I was itching. My thighs and my stretch marks were itching me. And when I finally bothered to look, I saw that I was covered in bright red patches. The itching spread up my belly and around my neck. I seached the house for something to help, but of course I had gone on this cleaning spree JUST LAST WEEK and thrown out all the hydrocortizone and Benadryl because the expiration dates had passed.

So last night, I did what I haven't done in ages. I left the house AFTER THIS BOYS WERE IN BED.

I knew CVS would be open, so I pulled my long coat over my loose pants and pyjama top and headed out. Of course, I was reminded as soon as I stepped out of the car that there are people, many many people, who actually leave the house after 7pm on a regular basis. In many places you cen't even GET a dinner reservation until at least 8pm. This sin't one of those places. But there are still movie theatres and stores and for goodness sakes it was SATURDAY NIGHT! And there I am in my pyjamas completely out of my element.

I got cream and benadryl, and they each worked for about three minutes. All night long I did my best not to scratch. I still have no idea what this is. Here are a bunch of possibilities I have considered: Hives, Fleas, Body Lice, Any Kind of Lice, Scabies, some form of deadly Cancer. (yes, there are a few reasons I never became a doctor.) Since it started I have bathed, scrubbed my skin, ignored fancy lotions, washed my hair, and done a load of aundry in hot water. (I will never wear those jeans again, will I?) Today I will change the bedsheets and wash them, and wash all the rest of my clothes, all in hot water. I have no idea what this is, but I'm terrified I'm going to pass it on to th boys.

There is a good chance that tomorrow morning I will be calling the doctor for Nicholas AND for me. In the meantime, I know that God is having a good laugh loading on these little challenges just as I start to think I can cope.