Our Speckled Little Girl

Like most parents I allowed all my children to be vaccinated for the chicken pox. I remember having them as a four year old and it was not a pretty sight. I remember looking in the mirror and screaming and crying because I looked so bad. I had so many poxes on my face and all over my body. I was in sad shape.

Then there was Drew who got them at Ole Miss. Having the chicken pox as an adult is worse then having them as a child - he also was in sad shape.

So we were both pleased that our children would not have to live through them.

Imagine my surprise when Benjamin and Melissa came down with them three and half years ago. We think they got them from playing at a Burger King playground. A friend also came down with them at the same time - the lunch play date was the only place they all three were together without William (who was in school).

At the beginning of this week I started to get phone calls telling me that some of Melissa's friends at school had the chicken pox. I was not concern because we had the shot and the pox. Even when I sent kids home with the spots at school this week, I was not concern.

Then I looked at Melissa after school on Friday.

Spots. Spots. Another spot. Itchy, itchy chicken pox (a line from a children's book).

Yep. She has them again.

She's still not nearly covered in the extent that I was as a child nor is she as bad as she was three years ago, but she has them - no doubt about. She is sad that she will miss being in the children's program tomorrow at church. (All three of our kids had parts. William took over her lines.)

And tonight we are having the office Christmas party here - with one little speckled little girl quarantined in my room.