Hey all,

Checking in from the pox zone. Here's the latest.

In the news ….

• C discovered drying off the pox with a warm hair dryer brings itch relief

and just plain feels good.

• J still has not broken out!  
• My niece and a cousin who were with us the weekend Z broke out both came down with the pox this week. 
• Two different friends needed to get the pox and came over to play. Both families have since broken out with the pox.
• It’s day 22, for cryin’ out loud! Let's get this done already!
• Sadie only woke up once last night. The past few nights have been long and hard with fevers and itching. She talks in her sleep when she gets a fever, and coupled with itching I heard some pretty funny stuff. (And yes, when I discovered her usually 101 degree chicken pox fever had climbed to 103, I gave meds to bring it down).

3 AM conversation:

Me: “Baby, where does it itch?”

S: “Back here in the movies.” Pointing to her back. “The dogs are barking and I have to go.”

On meds/herbs and comfort

I started my poxy ones on a buffered vitamin C. Buffered so it doesn’t raise the bodies ph. This is to not only to boost the body’s defenses, but help with the itching from the inside out. The bummer is I didn’t start it until yesterday. I wish I knew about it sooner. I've also ordered some aloe vera capsules (to take by mouth). Aloe Vera is known to aid in the building of collagen, and prevent scarring.

Fashion for the poxy

Daddy's soft undershirts are key to keeping comfortable. They don't pull at the pox and are loose and baggy. 

 Little Miss thought they needed a little jazzying with stickers and a necklace.

What to do, When doing is tough

I found these cool Crayola paint brush + paint , all in one numbers. Though they each have their own set of water colors and brushes, these little brush pens were a fun distraction on an itchy day.

That's it for today's update.

This is Foxy, Poxy Mama, Signing Off

A brief smile from my poxy girl, thanks to a thoughtful brother

who cared enough, to sit awhile, and read her a very, silly book.

Fifteen days after Z broke out with the chicken pox, C & S took a turn. They have had an incredibly miserable 4 days – especially the past 72 hours. We are doing our best to keep them comfortable. The worst of it seems to end about day five and peak about day 3-4. J has yet to show any signs of the pox.

Saturday Morning

 Tuesday Morning

Poor C is miserable. But that's nothing! Little MIss has this times 10!

  Here is what has worked for us:

 Favorite soothing/healing rub: 2 oz of aloe vera, 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of roman chamomile.

 Soothing cloth soak: 1 cup of warm water, 1 tablespoon of calendula (C loved this)

*I mixed this in a big bowl, wet a washcloth, wrung it well and laid it over the itchiest of parts of the child. For C this was across his back.

Oatmeal bath: fill a washcloth with oatmeal (or an unbleached muslin bag), drop 4 drops of lavender onto the oatmeal and tie together with a rubber band. Wet and dab over the poxy child and then let the cloth soak  with them in the tub.

Baking Soda bath: 1 cup baking soda, 4 drops of lavender mixed into the bath water. (Little Miss also liked 2 tablespoons of almond oil mixed into the water.)

Homeopathy:  Rhus Toxicodendron

 Aloe vera plant to use as the pox are healing.

C is on day 5 and now likes Miracle Salve.

Lot's of fruit smoothies for the sores that are in their throats.!

Lavender and almond oil seem to do the best to sooth the pox

that are in the southern regions. Ugg!

I'm posting from the sofa, while gently rubbing a very itchy back and phantom itching myself.

It's all going to my head!

I

I am packing and planning for our trip to Montana. Trying to get it done before the homeschool conference this weekend. Andrew Pudewa from Institute for Excellence in Writing will be speaking - I love their writing program. And Susan Wise Bauer from Well Trained Mind will also speak.

A speaker I really enjoyed last year was Dianne Craft. She spoke on the biology of learning and how to help children through supplements (not drugs) who have mild to extreme learning troubles.

I have had an interest in alternative ways of treating medical maladies for about 13 years. She was a breath of fresh air. I initially went to hear her because of my interests but came away with more help than I knew to pray for.

Here’s the story: My son, 8 at the time was a great student and willing to do his work He’s a compliant kid and not one to complain. The second half of our school year, he became weepy and unable to focus on his work. I was obviously concerned. He was having a hard time thinking things through. At night, it was taking him hours to fall asleep.

Last summer, I saw Dianne speak at conference. I’ll spare you from too many details but I’ll tell you what we did and how it worked

I gave my son grapefruit seed extract - for fungus in the gut. Dianne explained there are hormones that are produced in the gut....fungus stops this from happening. Not good

Second I put him on Omega 3 & 6 oils

Third I put him back on probiotics - this increased his intestinal flora , allowing the gut to drain and absorb the nutrients more efficiently.

And he continued to take his multi vit.

With in 2 weeks, he was back to his old self. My 6 & 4 year old also took supplements. The 6 year old’s stomach aches went away and my 4 years olds mild eczema disappeared.

I didn’t want to bore you with too much info, but if anyone has a question please ask. You can also go to her website. www.diannecraft.org

I bought her tapes where she explains the nutritional needs of children and the difference between boy’s and girls. Fascinating.

This whole approach has allowed me to discern the difference between defiance and a nutritional deficiency in my kids. (Though they are required to have self control and not be disrespectful - they at least can share how they feel and I can assess it.)

Anyone with children would benefit from what she has to say. At least giving you a heads up on what to look for in your children.

Here is a recipe for a pesticide free mosquito repellent. It has been tried and tested in the wilderness, on camp outs, on the lake and on the irrigated, mosquito infested breeding ground of a walnut farm. Just recently my husband was on a camp out with the kids. The biting buggers skipped his well oiled arms and went for his unoiled, shirt covered back.

Ingredients:

almond oil (as a base/carrier because it is gentle on the childrens skin)

Essential oils (EO):

thyme 4 drops

lemongrass 8 drops

lavender 4 drops

peppermint 4 drops

I mix the essential oils into a small amber colored bottle that has a dropper.

The ratio is 2 drops of the essential oil blend to 2 teaspoons of almond oil

In a larger amber bottle, I mix the drops of the essential oil blend into the almond oil

We tend to get chewed on the most at night, so we use this on our family before bed at the beginning of summer for an entire week After that about every other week depending on need (like if we are camping...) because the oils soak into the skin and continue to repel the mosquitoes. Bonus: it smells so good and is super soothing. 

If you have never purchased EO's before, I would caution you to be careful of the cheep stuff. I trust the brands Natures Sunshine and Aura Cacia. Natures Sunshine, my preferred herb company has the EO’s is sold through a private distributer or you can go online and for a small fee buy your own from the company at a reasonable price. Aura Cacia sells the EO's and the almond oil which I purchase from our local health food store or co-op.

This recipe came from the book The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. It has taken me through 4 pregnancies, nursing, sick babies, sinus infection's, headaches, asthmatic episodes of a dust covered farmer, helped numerous friends.........A true treasure in my house.