Artifact Motherhood: Chicken Pox

A Letter to my middle child: Chicken Pox.

You managed to avoid it this far, but it finally caught you this week: the pox. Of the chicken variety. Not Monkey Pox (thankfully), which seems to be on the rise in the news. I know it’s fairly harmless in most cases but I’m still wary because I know it can turn nasty and my mind has a tendency to flit to the worse case scenario in certain situations.

You seem to be mostly fairly cheerful, but when you are poorly, you are not quite the same crazily bouncy boy as usual. You have been fairly glued to the sofa and the increasingly grating “Ryan’s World” that you seem to love. And poor boy you are not sleeping very well due to the incessant nasty itch. You are back in our bed, which I secretly love, although I would enjoy a little more sleep. Your little sister seems to be fascinated with your spots and we’ve watched the Topsy and Tim episode a few times about “the Time Topsy and Tim get Chickenpox” (or something like that). I think we could probably make a sitcom of our life..the things we get up to and the funny conversations we have. I love it that your Daddy has a diary that he writes all the funny things, or new things you three say and do. A new diary for each new year. Something to look back on one day. My brain is meandering from one thing to the next, like the week I’ve had, but my work keeps me sane. I’m off to work a wedding tomorrow and I get to hand over the childcare to Daddy (yay!). At least it’s half term now and he’ll be home to help out (being a teacher). But hey, I expect we’ll be doing this all again in 10-14 days when your little sister most likely gets it too, once Daddy is back to work. Happy Days.

Artifact Motherhood is a collaboration of artists/mothers from around the world. Sharing stories of the joys and struggles of our journey. Our hopes and dreams for our children. With little nuggets of wisdom here and there. These are more than photographs with dates written on the back. These are the artifacts we are leaving behind for our children and the generations to come.

Go next to the lovely and talented photographer Ann Owen to read her post in our blog circle and continue through all the artists to follow the loop.

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Rose Dedman is an award winning documentary wedding and family photographer working in Bath Bristol and beyond.