My cousin by marriage, Dana, of blessed memory, was a petite, sweet, fiery, passionate woman who shared many of my own likes & dislikes. We were the same age as well. We lived far apart but whenever we were together there was no shortage of conversation.
Today she would be 50 years young.
She passed 15 days after her 38th birthday, far too young.
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one. I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways. Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days. I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun; of happy memories that I leave when life is done. ~Afterglow, Anonymous.
We had planned a smallish gathering for the big game today. Our “Souper bowl party” menu included soup, salad, snacks and Sundaes. The Little Mister wanted to be our mix master. But with all the sickness bouncing around our house we cancelled. All the kiddos who are feeling better (the youngest ones) are super disappointed to not have friends and party foods today.
Mom is disappointed too but too tired to put much energy into that disappointment. Mostly I’d just enjoy some uninterrupted sleep. But I’ll put on my happy face and enjoy what we have here together.
All in all we’re on the upswing. The Littles are feeling better. Bigger kids are too but still tired. Dean was the last one to catch on so he’s bringing up the rear. Hopefully by this time next week we will all be ready for some fun!!
So the game will be on later. I’ll throw together a party mix for snacks and brew some iced tea and we’ll make do. I’m not a fan of either team so Eeny, meeny, miny, moe and I’m rooting for the Bengals.
It’s that time of year, cold & flu season. We’ve been pretty healthy this winter, just an occasional sniffle here and there. But Lil Mister came down with a cold this week and it’s starting to cycle through the rest of the kids.
I’ve used natural/traditional medicine for the past three decades. Spanning herbs, homeopathics, essential oils and good old fashioned remedies like chicken soup for a cold.
I’m not afraid of germs and viruses, typically, being firmly in the camp of “exposure is good for them/us” so I thought I’d share some of my go-tos for my family’s respiratory issues.
*Insert Disclaimer here*
The opinions & information contained in this post are for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice.
~Totally not a doctor
First and foremost, I let fevers run their course. I believe a healthy fever is your body’s best defense. I stay diligent and observant over my littles. I rarely use a thermometer, opting for touch to let me know how they’re doing. If I’m getting concerned I’ll take their temp. I keep them hydrated with clear liquids like water, herbal teas, diluted fruit juice. I keep them covered and warm but not over heated. I’ve been known to employ wet socks treatment for a high fever that’s making me (and them) feel uncomfortable. An ice pack can offer them local comfort while allowing their body to work.
Most Alaskans have Vitamin D deficiency. And Vit D supplementation has been linked to reduced incidence and severity of colds & flu. We regularly consume Vitamin D3 + Vitamin C during the winter months. I have these on auto-ship so we stay stocked up. If one of my littles has the sniffles I add elderberry gummies or syrup. I offer the bigger kids zinc lozenges and oil of oregano.
For sore throats I usually send them to gargle with warm salt water or oil of oregano, depending on age. Rub diluted peppermint & lavender oils on their neck area. Warm liquids like herbal teas or lemon honey water usually offer them some comfort. Plus I keep a variety of lozenges, suckers and cough drops in our “medicine cabinet”.
I have a few EO diffusers in the house but for the youngest I use a little travel model and EOs like peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender.
Mini diffuser
Dry winter air is exacerbated in our climate by heating with wood stoves. Our air inside our home can get so dry it causes nose bleeds. Using a vaporizer next to their beds help moisturize the air. Plus we keep a large crock on the wood stove filled with water to evaporate into the air. I like to keep Thieves oil or On Guard blend in this water pot. The kids also like vapor steam bath or shower bombs.
Current household humidity.
Another important tool for dry sinuses is nasal saline spray. The non-medicated type. If you’re a hardy soul you could use a netipot. That’s a hard sell for my kids but nasal spray is doable.
I like to serve warming soups when they’re sick or sometimes even clear broths if they can’t stomach much food. Also offering fresh fruits and easy to digest foods. Water bottles with a slice of lemon are kept topped off.
Most importantly I encourage them to rest. Even if that means propping them up on the couch in front of the TV and putting on a kid movie. With their water bottle, a waste basket nearby and a box of tissues with lotion. Or letting them sleep in my bedroom with the blackout shades. And of course, staying home when we’re sick.
Now, to keep me onsies as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Taking my supplements, staying hydrated, rinsing my sinuses… Avoiding alcohol, getting rest, eating well… Not much else I can do but pray!
Lil Bit and Lil Mister have been working on a Rainforest Lap Book lately. We’ve watched lots of YouTube videos about rainforest facts: animals, vegetation, and conservation.
Lil Mister’s cover.Inside
They’ve colored and pasted their bits and pieces together to create an informative little folder. And today we topped it off with making rainforest gum from scratch.
Wrapping gum pieces in waxed paper.
I like having them do lap books because they can take as little or as much time as they (or I) like creating and gathering information. It’s hands on so better for their learning style. Having something that they make to eat or drink is always fun. Experiential learning, tasting their lesson.
They also learned about medicine that comes from the rainforests of the world like quinine. So they got to sip some tonic water to taste it! Not exactly their next favorite beverage.
Lil Bit’s coverInsidePages under the flapLast page under the flapBackside of the flap, the info about the gum we made.Lil Bit’s lap book is more elaborate.
Next on the list is a desert lap book. Woo hoo, more fun times. And I think we’ll get some cactus to cook and eat.
We hosted our friends last night for New Year’s, it’s become our annual tradition. They stay the night so no one has to drive home late at night in potentially inclement weather or with other unsafe drivers on the road. Then we have breakfast the next day, or lunch perhaps, depending on how long we sleep.
We had so much food last night! Both Mo and I made enough for an army! 😆 But 13 people is not army it seems. Lots of leftovers! But we had the good stuff!
Taquitos, egg rolls, wings, salmon ricotta crostini, buffalo chicken dip, beef Lil smokies, humus, veggies, cheese ball, chips, Texas Caviar, cows in carpets (what the kids have named our kosher hotdogs baked in crescent rolls), cherry bars, peanut butter cookies, candy, pistachio truffles, (with most of it being gluten free) and the drinks…. All the drinks. We had our very own junior “mix master” who whipped up some great mock tails for everyone to enjoy!
Jake came down with the dogs so the pups had a party of their own. Complete with hats and leis. (See previous post!) And after midnight he and the dogs went home (he lives across the street and up the hill).
I made two breakfast casseroles for brunch, a sausage-hasbrown & egg dish and stuffed banana bread french toast. Mo brought zucchini muffins and we had a refreshing peach shrug to drink, which happened to make a good belini with the left over prosecco from midnight! We make do!
We were creative with getting sleeping quarters set up for everyone but we did it! It’s a lot of fun to have our friends over like this. Reserved for special occasions (or very bad weather)!
It’s a great way to start the new calendar year! I hope yours was just as wonderful!
Our homeschool group hosted the second annual holiday/winter party craft show today. Three of my kiddos were inspired to create goods to sell. A great learning opportunity.
The oldest had her stickers and digital art, of course. But this year she added some graphic acrylic charms and jewelry. The Alaska shaped keychains were popular!
All set up and ready to sell!
Lil Bit got in on the action by creating some jewelry too. She had an array of earrings, bracelets and zipper pulls. She made the first sale with a nice pair of earrings!
Some of Lil Bit’s earrings and bracelets.
Little Mister spent his time creating fridge magnet clips and snowmen magnets. They were very popular! He got very creative when designing these clips. I was quite impressed with his style.
Little Mister’s fridge magnets.
They two girls manned the booth and handled the transactions. They had to keep a record of who sold what so they could rightfully divide the profits up at the end of the day.
They each were pretty happy with their earnings. Thing 1 needs to get her shop going so she can sell her inventory!!
All of that learning plus they got to see some friends and celebrate our STUCO sponsored food drive for the local food bank. Raising 615 pounds of food in total! WTG IDEA!!
Alaska on my mind... 