Pray for our Little "Octo - potamus"

Jonathan is just loving school! and ALL his new friends. and his awesome teachers. and getting to leave the house with the big kids two mornings a week. and show and tell. and playing on the playground. and learning about lots of things like "O says 'o' as in ostrich, octagon and octo-potamus!" Each week they work on a new number and letter, and in the process have several fun activities that go along with their letter of the week theme. It just so happened that he picked the "octopus" book to take in for show and tell (he usually tries to find something for show and tell that uses the letter of the week for that week) on the same day they did these "octopus" hats and ate octopus... (a.k.a. "octo-dogs") for snack. He cracked us up when he informed us, however, that the picture of the creature on his book was not an "octopus," but rather an "octo-potamus." Makes sense, after he hears his mom talk about the different animals we might see in Niger in kids' Sunday School classes at our supporting churches.

Yesterday morning, our little octo-potamus was running a fever... and while we weren't sure at first if it was a reaction to immunizations earlier in the week or something more, we've come to the conclusion (sneezing, coughing, not much appetite, high temp) that it is the flu. And since the lady at the Health Department told me (when we were in for said immunizations) that about 90% of all flu right now is H1N1... well, you can figure that we figure that's what we've got. He's quarantined the best we can in a family of 10 ... with the computer, some toys and lots of blankets on a pallet in the floor of our bedroom and is amazingly cheerful for one running a 104' + temp. We'd appreciate prayers for wisdom, strength and stamina, a relatively quick return to health for our family (we don't think he's the only one that will "get it" - and we do have an asthmatic and a younger than 1 year old in the family) as well as lots of grace... the little one is still having a few whooping cough episodes on a nightly basis and now another bug has come to call.

"C'est la vie aux Étas-Unis!"

And, if you know of any sure fire "oinkments" to make it go away... or just to give us all a laugh, send 'em our way! God is good, even when we don't agree with Him, isn't He?

Off to make some chicken noodle soup...