Snow day number 4!

I'm not sure how many of you have been following the national weather news but Kansas is getting hit with a second blizzard today. The first blizzard we had was great!! We had gently falling snow, around a foot, that the kids were able to play in. Over the weekend the weather was actually gorgeous with lots of sunshine! 

This second blizzard however is not going to be good because of wind. Our weather forecast is calling for a possible foot of snow accumulation but I don't think that's going to happen. I woke up to look out the window and the snow was blowing horizontal down the street. The winds are blowing about 30 mph with gusts into the 40's! I thought it was great when I heard we were going to get so much snow but who knew that two blizzards could be so very different. 

So....this is snow day number 4. Though the boys have been out to play over the last five days Yahoo and I have not. Thursday afternoon she was running a temperature that spiked up to 104 a couple times. I thought it was coming down Saturday but no go, it spiked up to 104 again Sunday morning. Considering the blizzard that was coming we opted not to wait and DR took her to the ER yesterday morning. And guess what? She had an ear infection!! She never messed with her ears and even when I asked if they hurt she told me no. I think I'm going to have to invest in one of these because that's the second of my kids that have gotten ear infections without complaining about hurting ears.



By the way, that's called an Otoscope. Does anyone have one or ever used one? Are they hard to use? 

So Yahoo and I have been stuck in the house since Thursday. My boys don't know yet that there's no school, they are sleeping away and I'm not going to wake them! They've been able to play outside but not today. Over the weekend Yip even got to spend the night with his best friend so Yap had 24 hours of brotherless time! But that still didn't keep them from arguing and picking at one another when Yip returned. 

I'm just hoping we can stay busy enough today that there won't be too much fighting. We might have to get creative today with our indoor time...or I might just have to threaten them within an inch of their lives!! 

Snow day number 4. This must be some sort of record for Kansas! I don't think they've had a blizzard like this since 1971, much less TWO blizzards! Yep, it's windy. Yep, I'm stuck in the house with three kids and have a bad case of cabin fever. Yep, we are sick. But I wouldn't trade it for anything because all that means MOISTURE!! I'm already dreaming of what all that wonderful snow is doing for my garden plot. 

Yep, I'm in the middle of a blizzard but I'm still thinking of spring!! 

Germs, germs and Home Remedies

It's that time of year when the germs are rampant and vicious. Luckily our house hasn't been hit by any nasty flu viruses but this weekend we were hit by a pretty nasty cold and cough. DR and I were hit the worst. How is it that kids can get sick but they still have the energy to keep going? But when adults get sick, we get knocked down to our knees! 

This time of year I really don't like the idea of dosing my kids up on a bunch of store bought cold medicine. A lot of times I don't even think the stuff that you can buy from the store even works. Except NyQuil...I'm a huge fan of NyQuil only because it totally knocks me out! But it sure doesn't cure anything. 

This winter I've tried out a few different home remedies. Why not? I feel a lot better giving my kids something natural to relieve their symptoms than something full of funky chemicals. 

This first recipe was given to me by a neighbor who found it somewhere on Pinterest. 

MAGGIE’S COUGH REMEDY
¼ teaspoon Cayenne
¼ teaspoon Ginger
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Honey 

Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water. Add honey and shake well. Take 1 Tablespoon as needed for cough. Hoo-wee.
Note: this doesn’t dissolve perfectly. Always shake well before using.

If you make this in small batches as the recipe is written, there is no need to refrigerate.
If you prefer, you may refrigerate this. It keeps as long as you need it. I like to make small batches (it is so easy to mix up.) and use it up in a just a few days.

I gave a does to Yap last week after a particularly bad coughing fit. Afterwards he downed about a pint of water, it is rather spicy, but then he confessed that it wasn't as bad the store bought stuff. 

My favorite cold and cough medicine was shared on my friend's blog Amy's Assorted Adventures.  My kids really don't like this one though, they think it tastes too much like onions. I, on the other hand, could drink this everyday, cold or not. Of course maybe I like it so well because there's a bunch of whiskey in it.

First I slice 3-4 onions and pour a cup of honey over them. This needs to sit for 5-6 hours during which time the onions will soften and all the healthy goodness will seep into the honey. Next pour a cup of boiling water over a tablespoon of dried thyme and leave this to sit until it cools completely.
Strain the honey/onion mixture and the thyme 'tea', Combine them with a cup of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Whisk in a teaspoon of dried ginger. Lastly add one cup of whiskey, any kind will do. (Kids 1Tablespoon 2-3 times a day, Adults 2-3 Tablespoons) 

The last home remedy I've been using is one I found on Facebook but I really doubt it works. The folklore goes that if you cut an onion and sit it by your bedside that it will "draw away" the germs. I don't think it works, germs are spread by contact, but why not try it? 

How are you feeling this winter? Are you staying healthy? Have you any home remedies that you swear by? 

Sunday Devotions - Strength in Sickness

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. - Isaiah 40:28-31

Last weekend I missed posting my usual Sunday devotions because the week prior my family was battling a nasty stomach bug. While this particular sickness knocked me down for a couple days, my kids bounced back much quicker. I wish I had a child's energy! 

As I think of my older friends and relatives, who are fighting illness and diseases like cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's,  I realize that sickness is a part of getting older. No matter how healthy of a life I lead this body won't last forever. Sometimes the thought of growing older and the possibility of serious illnesses can be disheartening. But God never gets sick; God never grows weak.

Being sick is no fun and battling a serious illness can be devastating to our spirit. But we don't have to fight alone. If we put our faith and hope in the Lord our strength will be renewed! Even if our sickness takes our physical bodies, our faith in God will provide us spiritual strength forever! 

Dear Heavenly Father, Our physical bodies are fighting battles, some more serious than others. Lord help us heal our spirits first and foremost and then help us heal our bodies. Amen. 

On the Sick and Injured List

I wasn't very good about posting this past weekend was I?

I have a good excuse though...I was side lined. This may be the only time where Payton Manning and I ever have anything in common. We are too injured to work. Geez, I just wish he and I had that rich and famous thing in common too.

What is my injury you ask? Ha!

I cut my finger.

"Whoop de doo!", you say? Oh believe me, I let out a whoop!

*sigh* I was cutting celery last week with a very sharp knife and sliced the tip of my finger. I'm such a clutz. I've cut myself with said knife at least a half dozen times. You'd think I'd learn and just get rid of the knife. But it just works so well. (Obviously!!! DUH!)

It may not look bad since it's all wrapped up but I'm not taking off the bandage to show you the extent of it. It bled through 4 band-aids and I (eeewwww) found the big chunk of skin still left on the celery when I returned to the kitchen. I haven't been able to type for four days because of it. (boo hoo)

And to give my weekend an even bigger kick I was sick in bed over the weekend with a stomach bug. Why is it that little injuries, oh like the tip of my finger, hurts worse than large injuries? Can anyone explain that? I've broken bones and injured myself lots and it's always the little body parts that hurt the worst.

This little guy was the only productive thing I made all weekend.

Cute isn't he? I think he's fairly symbolic of the my weekend; band-aids and bugs.I just hope this week is more productive :)

P.S. - I need more pretty band-aids;

I've used more for bugs than I have for my finger!