Sanka, Are You Dead? Yah, Mon!

I haven't had time to read blogs in a while, much less post. Even when I check my email, I only scan my inbox for items that require my immediate attention. Yesterday was the last day of what GL's school calls Winter Break in order to avoid offending hundreds of imaginary people. So I thought today would be the day we could begin getting back to our routine. I'm glad Christmas Vacation was only eight days; disruption to routine is bad enough, but GL always thinks everything is permanent. He asks about school many times a day, but he keeps insisting that he was expelled from school and can never go back.

Yesterday we all woke up with sore throats. Last night, GL started throwing up. I think I'll be sitting on the couch a lot today; the laundry can wait. Enough spreading the sunshine!

Which brings me to the award I got this morning. Rules are here.

1. Thanks, Dee.
2. http://www.snippetsnstuff.com/2012/01/how-lucky-am-i.html
3. Cyan. Mama Bear. I agree with Dee's answer. Coffee. Neither. (I didn't log in to Facebook for two weeks and didn't miss it. Logged in to see what I'd missed. Nothing. And I'm not a Twit.)  Reading. Giving presents. To myself. July 4, 1776. Freshly ground whole wheat.

Read the blogs in my sidebar. They each deserve an award.

Jewel has a new Fan!

The first and last time I heard Jewel, I thought, "Whatever." But she got GL to sleep during the day when he really needed it. He has been calm ever since he woke up.

Resting at Last!

 MB and BB spent the morning getting organized and starting to pack for camp next week. It's a camp for people with disabilities and their families. GL will have a one-on-one buddy to assist him as needed with each activity. MB will go to the Moms' group, and not have to worry about him. BB will be in a mixed group, some disabled and some sibs, but a different group from his brother. It's the only way to convince him he's "off-duty". No, we don't ask him to look after his brother, but he tends to think of himself as a third parent, despite our efforts to convince him otherwise.

I think we are starting to feel a bit better, but we still all have the sniffles and feel tired and out of sorts. GL never admits to being tired, sick, or in pain. He just gets irritable and looks for someone (usually BB) to pick a fight with. He wouldn't stop annoying everyone, hitting his brother, or hitting himself, so I gave him his PRN. It didn't seem to help. He insisted that he felt fine (as usual) but I noticed a cough and a sniffle, so I gave him Tylenol and Benadryl. MB had some errands to run, and she took BB so they could both get a break.

GL would lie on the couch, start to close his eyes, then hop up and run to another room. A minute or so later, he would be back on the couch. I put on some music and convinced him to take his shoes off. Then I went to the kitchen and started preparing a batch of soup for the Crock-Pot. In a few minutes, he was asleep. He never sleeps during the day. I know we may pay for it tonight, but I think it's worth it.

P.S. He's up now, but he slept for an hour and a half in the middle of the day. I think he needed it.

Update

Mama Bear found a new job, which she started this week. It's full-time, with benefits, but pays 20% less than her old job, so we are considering where to go from here.

We all have some kind of sinus / allergy thing, with headache, runny nose, irritated eyes, and sore throat. Even GL got it this time. BB ran a fever briefly, but so far, no one else has. We're all taking cold medicine at night, otherwise we keep waking up because we can't breathe. If we take it during the day, we get sleepy, but without it, the pain makes it hard to focus.  Pray this passes quickly.

Keeping Warm

The whole family have colds. I don't usually feel too bad just sitting around, but as soon as I try to get up and do anything, I'm tired and out of breath. And this morning I woke up with a sinus headache that won't go away. I did manage to shovel the part of the walk I wasn't up to finishing yesterday. I even got GL to help a little. He's got more energy than anyone else, and wants to go, go, go! The forecast calls for snow tomorrow, followed by freezing rain, followed by more snow. The rest of the week looks like cold with occasional snow. Time to stay close to home and make chili.

Here's my recipe:

Gringo Chili
1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion (Dehydrated minced onion keeps longer, doesn't need chopping, and works just fine.)
2 T chili powder
2 cans (15 oz ea.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (10.75 oz ea.) tomato soup

Chop the onion to the desired size. Some people like big chunks. Others like it so finely minced, it almost dissolves. Brown the ground turkey along with the onion and chili powder in a soup pot. Why dirty an extra pan? Add the beans and tomato soup, plus one can of water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue heating until chili resumes boiling as soon as you stop stirring. Optional: garnish each serving with a handful of crushed Corn Chex. (The off-brand works just fine. Stir it in, and it gives a flavor like crumbled corn bread in your chili, but without the fat.) If you're a real wimp, cut the chili powder in half. It's best to let each person salt and pepper his or her portion to taste. I usually make a double batch, because that's what fits in my soup pot, and refrigerate the leftovers in individual portions in Smart Spin containers.

Flu Ride

at least it's not this bad...

Flu Ride
by Bob Rivers
to the tune of Sleigh Ride


Just hear those noses snifflin’
Sore throats ticklin’ too
Come on it’s lousy weather
To be sufferin’ inside with the flu
Outside the snow is fallin’
Your fever’s at 102
Let’s take some Alka-Seltzer
And a box of antihistamines too

We’ll bring some Kleenex with us
And sing a chorus or two
Let’s let my red nose lead us
In a sleigh ride in spite of the flu

Hack it up hack it up fling it up let’s go
Phlegm chunks in the snow
We’re coughing up a yellow and green rainbow
Cough it up cough it up cough it up oh man
There’s some on my hand

My glands are puffed and swollen
And every hour I pee
My throat’s as rough as leather
And raspy as it can be
Let’s take some Kleenex with us
And sing a carol or two
We’ll make our noses redder
On the sleigh ride
To go with the flu

My kid came home from preschool with a cough today
He’ll infect the whole darn neighborhood in about a day
Well be calling in sick to work until the diarrhea stops
At the pharmacy we’ll get lots more pills to pop
Pop pop pop

I took every medication I can legally buy
For coughing sneezing sniffling and the watery eyes
I’ll be gettin’ real drunk on NyQuil
I’ll take Contac ‘till I’m high
This wonderful buzz is great
But I’m glad I don’t have to drive

Just hear those noses snifflin’
Sore throats ticklin’ too
Come on it’s lousy weather
To be sufferin’ inside with the flu
Outside the snow is fallin’
Your fever’s at 102
Come on it’s lousy weather
For a flu ride together with you

Creeping Crud

We all have the creeping crud here. I'm tired, but I can't sleep. Read a few blog posts last night, but was too tired to get far. How far behind am I? Google Reader will only tell me 1,000+ posts. How many +? Who knows?