Baby It's Cold...Inside?

cold season
Cold and flu season is in FULL SWING here in freezing cold NJ, and the Groff household has taken a serious hit. As I alluded to in the last post, Hershey had the flu, Emma and I both had a stomach virus (Emma's virus landed us in the ER at 1:00 in the morning), and Jane had strep throat.  Poor all of us.
Sicky Boo
The part that really stinks extra about the girls being sick this year is that they totally know that something is wrong, that something is hurting, but they don't know how to tell us.  Which results in a lot of whining, wailing, and reaching out to us screaming "UPPP UPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!"  I swear, one day I felt like I had lifted weights all day long after putting the twincesses to sleep.
And they are BORED.  I've started breaking out the emergency Christmas toys because they've been home for a week and they are literally climbing the walls.
Emma Upside Down
Elephun
Blown Away
It was really fun when the balls all rolled under the couch and when I turned on the elephant a volcano of Cheerios came flying out.  Hmm...
Whenever we are all sick, I find myself going back to the same few comfort items to help relieve the ick.  This time around, it's been over a week that one and/or all of us have been sick, so I'm starting to go to desperate measures.  One blogger who I follow, Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth, posted a couple of natural remedies that she swears by, and Hershey came home tonight to me swallowing garlic by the clove.  A little voodoo anyone?
Here's what I rely on (religiously) to get us through the snot.
Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier.  We have one in each bedroom.  They are a bit of a PITA because we have to empty them and refill them every night, and it's important to sanitize them once a week (I spend about 15 minutes every weekend doing this step, and I'm not even sure that what I'm doing is always the right way), but I think that they're totally worth it.  Emma and Jane have been snot-mongers since day one of daycare, but it's always coming OUT instead of compacting IN. I contribute that partially to the humidifiers.  Plus, they help with the winter dry skins.
Vicks BabyRub.  I definitely follow the directions and rub on the girls' necks, chests, shoulders, and backs, but an old wive's tale says to also rub it on the bottoms of their feets and put on socks, so we do that, too.  I swear it helps them sleep easier through the night when they are stuffy.
Boogie Wipes .  These are so much easier on the girls' sore little nosies.  I feel so bad wiping and wiping at their raw nostrils, and the saline in these makes it somewhat easier on them (and me!).
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  Hershey and I eat it with crusty bread and butter and dip the bread in the juice, but I strain most of the liquid out for the girls and serve with toast squares.  Either way, we put Parmesan cheese on it and it is so delicious!  I love this recipe.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer.  This thing was a LIFE SAVER for this past illness.  I hated having to take rectal temps.  Be sure to allow the thermometer a couple of minutes in between readings to re-calibrate.  Whatever that means.
TEA TEA TEA.  Cammomile tea.  And honey.  I give the girls spoonfuls of warm tea and a teaspoon of honey whenever their throats seem to be hurting them.  I swear it works wonders.
The only other advice that I have to get you through this disgusting season is to bundle up and get lots of Elmo on your Netflix.  The girls are finally at a point where I can lay on the couch and snuggle with them under a blankie for about 20 minutes at a time, and that is the best part of my day.
What are you doing to survive this nasty cold and flu season?  I'd love to hear from you!
Have a great weekend, friends!  xoxo

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Tornado Twins

18 months
Well, another month has gone by and I have barely had a chance to BREATHE let alone sit down to write a blog post.  The last month has been a true trial of love and extreme patience.

 First of all, the girls have been SICK SICK SICK.  They both had bronchiolitis, which if you remember from January, we are right back to the inhalers like we were with the RSV.  Luckily we have dodged stomach viruses (for now).  However, Emma had an ear infection 2 weeks ago, and now Janey is on the verge of one.  Oy.

 We have also been trying to catch up with family and friends, as we have been literally imprisoned in our home for 2 months because of sicknesses.  Hershey was sick, I was sick, and the girls have been Sick.  Whew.  We are ready for a break.

 Trying to keep the girls busy and entertained while they are sick is proving to be a challenge.  I mean, how do you explain to a one year old that they are sick and need to stay inside, warm and cozy, so that they don't get worse?  There's just no way.  So we've been using our imaginations...










As you can see by our beautiful sectional sofa behind them, Jane and Emma have started a climbing stint.  A couple of weeks ago, Jane went right over the arm of the sofa onto her head on the hard wood floor.  I think I lost a couple of years off of my life on that day, and now we have to find creative ways to keep them off of the couch.  I am now raising puppies. Hmpf.  

 And just to prove that I am raising puppies, Daddy decided to keep the girls occupied one day while I was making lunch to keep them out of the oven, off of the couch, and out from under my feet.  The results were frightening...











As you can see, it all went downhill very quickly.

 Last weekend, we got to see Hershey's sister and brother-in-law (the girls' godparents).  It was a much-needed visit with them, since we haven't seen them since the summer and we missed them so-so-much.  The girls have been getting quicker to warm up to people who they haven't seen in a while, so they had a great time playing with all of Hershey and Heather's old toys with their aunt and uncle and Grandma and "Papa".  Adorable.








Today and tomorrow, we have a much-needed break -- HOORAY FOR TEACHERS' CONVENTION!  Although, I don't know how much of a break it is for Hershey and I.  Hershey is sick (again), and the girls are in rare form.  This morning, we got up at 6:30, and I made them a BIG breakfast, which they proceeded to throw all over the dining room softball style.  They then fought and pushed and shoved each other for about half an hour, at which point I brought them upstairs and let them tear the bathroom apart so that I could shower.  Story hour came next, and when we got home, they fought and stood on chairs until I served them lunch, at their big girl table...




This adorb-ness lasted precisely long enough for me to take these pictures, because immediately after this, that handful of peas that Jane is holding went onto the floor.

The one lovely thing about the past 8 weeks is that we got to thoroughly enjoy the fall foliage on our property.  It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL where we live, with all of the mountains and lakes.  I even made an attempt at decorating our front doorstep, although we never got to carve our pumpkins since we were all sick the week of Halloween!




I don't know about the rest of you, but I am totally ready to kick this holiday season off!  We may have even already read How the Grinch Stole Christmas with the girls once or twice.  We are hosting Christmas this year (the first time my husband will EVER get to just stay home for his birthday!), so we are now in a mad dash to try to finish the last of our really big home improvement projects by then, all while suffering from constant runny noses and coughs.  Nothing that a little Hug Machine can't cure.

Sorry for the SUPER long post.  Hopefully I'll be able to get on to keep you updated more often, which will mean shorter posts!

Happy holiday season kick-off everyone!  xoxo