Seven Kids: Illness in a Large Family

We've been sick this month. My oldest came home from Boy Scout camp with a cough. I figured it was a "camp cough" sort of thing. You know, sanitation isn't the best at camp.... and all those hours every night around the campfire aren't great for lungs either. A week later he was still coughing, hard. And he would do a "whoop" and seem like he was going to throw up. Uh-oh. Classic. I took him to the doctor first thing the next morning. Since it was a last minute urgent appointment, we didn't get the regular doctor- someone we hadn't met instead. She was wearing a mask, she wanted to test him for Whooping Cough. And she asked him to go ahead and take a Z-pack (antibiotic) just in case. It's a 5 day test, 5 day antibiotic- she called after he finished the meds to say the test was conclusive- he had Pertussis. "But he's vaccinated...." She laughed. "Pertussis is the least effective vaccine." She also insisted the other 6 children have prophylactic Z-packs. One was already coughing. So they all started antibiotics. Jeff and I too.

The day the rest of us finished our antibiotics, the oldest, youngest, next youngest were all laid out sick on the couches in the living room. Their symptoms- varying degrees of fever and extreme fatigue. They were all fine next day, but another day later the 7yo was down. Two days later it hit *me*. I felt that bone-numbing fatigue with varying low fever for a WEEK. As I started to come out of it, dh seems to be heading into it.

Coincidence? Two days ago I had Chloe's Virus Killing Soup and now I'm feeling better? Well Jeff had the soup too and he's just started feeling crummy. Need to put garlic on the grocery list and make another pot. (The first pot was blessedly made by and delivered by a lady from church. Thanks!)

As these things align in my own little universe, there was also a thread on the Sonlight forum concerning pandemic disaster preparedness, and a lady who finds it a fascinating hobby had posted useful information... I was trying to figure out how to save/store that info. So-- Here it is. On my blog.

BUT...I wanted to share with you a couple of lists and two good recipes that EVERY MOM needs to have at hand...just in case of family illness.

I recommend that everyone get a stash of these supplies and keep it in the linen closet (or in a box under the bed)

=Thermometer
-Soap
-Box of disposable gloves (They sell these at Wal-mart, but also at my grocer)
-Acetominophen (Tylenol)
-Ibuprofen (Advil)
-Bleach (REAL...chlorine bleach--UNSCENTED!)
-Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (those little pumps are great next to a sick one's bed
-Paper towels
-Tissues
-Surgical face masks (Wal-greens/ Wal-mart/ pharmacies)
-Sugar, baking soda, salt, sugar free Kool-Aid packages, and
SALT SUBSTITUTE (highlighted because most households do not have this on hand.) It is sold next to the salt.

MAKE YOUR OWN ELECTROLYTE DRINK:

1 qt water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
3-4 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt substitute

Mix well. Can be flavored with lemon juice or sugar free Kool-Aid.

If a family member is having trouble keeping down any fluids, this can be spoon fed. Some will prefer it cold...others just room temperature. KEEP SPOONING. This is the mix that is used in crisis situations world-wide, when IVs are not available. It can save lives. NOTE: Check with your pediatrician or other MD re: their opinion on the situation. In normal circumstances...an MD will want to SEE a child who is dehydrated.
This mix is for when things go bad in society or when there is an epidemic...and a doctor visit may not be possible.

To make a good disinfectant...mix 1 gallon of water with 1/4 cup of bleach. Make a fresh batch every time it is used.

Bolt

The canine twist to The Truman Show, Bolt is a dog who is an action hero who doesn't know that he's simply a character in a TV series. That is, until his Girl is kidnapped and he escapes from the set to find her.

The mechanics of the movie are fantastic-- sharp CGI, excellent voice actors, engaging characters. The action sequence in the beginning scared my 3 year old, in fact she spent most of the movie in my lap with her face buried in my chest. The rest of the kids absolutely loved this movie- it was fun even for the teens.

We appreciated that it had absolutely no foul language or sexual content. Although the action sequences tended to be more violent than little ones can handle, they captivated the rest of us. The story moved at a good pace, and the plot was not altogether predictable. This is one we would purchase and keep around.

Something you really need to know about homeschooling

Today on The Pioneer Woman's homeschool blog, there is a post about teaching Language Arts/Creative Writing. Read it. Learn it. Live it.

Ask my kids' teachers how it's gone for my kids.

Creative Writing and Chillin'
So, let’s review: Please don’t ruin your child’s love of writing by getting all caught up in grammar, spelling, punctuation or, for the love of all things good and right, handwriting or staying between the lines!!!!! Just let them write naturally. (If you can’t read what they wrote, ask them to read it to you) OR borrow one of Mrs. G’s favorite responses to nearly everything: huh…interesting. MRS. G. PROMISES YOU THEY WILL NOT TURN OUT ILLITERATE AND UNEMPLOYABLE.

How hot is it where you are?

I didn't realize how comfy my house was... then friends came over and wanted to stay. It's 104 again today. I was able to keep my A/C at 84 most of the day. I have large porches over the doors. And most of the windows. The windows that aren't under porches have UV screens on them that block the sun (but not the view). In addition, I have curtains-- and I keep them drawn. Yes, it's dark like a cave but you get used to it. I tell people if you don't like it, go outside! You put your hand behind the curtain and you can feel the heat behind it KWIM? We keep most electrical appliances off, as they all generate heat.

Running cold water over your wrists and feet can cool you down a lot. I will make ice water baths in the sink, for plunging your arms into. A really short shower in cold water will keep you feeling cool for a while.

As for productivity- we aim for low productivity. Most work is done early morning, or late evening. Daytime we just lay around keeping cool, like lizards.

Two Atheists Speak Out About Becoming Pro-Life

How I Became Pro-Life (ok, she also has a post on how she changed from atheism to Christianity)

The Abortion Debate is Changing

I have always been pro-life, but I have never "voted prolife" as I am not a one-issue voter. I actually don't feel that this is a political issue, and it's not as simple as legalizing or illegalizing abortion. What I do know is that personally, I'd rather be safe than sorry. If there is any chance that a fetus with complete human DNA is a person, then I better respect its right to life. If there is any chance that I'm sliding on a slippery slope, I vote to find something firm to hold on to.

Don't take your iPod to church? You've got to be kidding me!

One of my e-maginary friends posted a link to this article titled, "Don't Take Your iPod to Church" in which the author begins an attempt to persuade us that using that type of technology- an electronic Bible- is somehow morally questionable.

Is he freaking out of his mind? In a follow up post, he chides

I offer special thanks to people who offered such incisive, head-in-the-sand feedback as this: “Maybe @challies should worry about people who don’t bring any type of Bible to church instead of chiding technology” or “Why don’t we just go back to scrolls and the original languages, while we’re at it?” I guess it’s not worth responding to some comments.

His thesis statement (buried in the 3rd or 4th paragraph- why do preachers have such long, windy introductions?) seems to be "A trend we see today through today’s digital technology is the exaltation of this kind of knowledge, cold facts, at the expense of more intimate knowledge. This is true, I’m convinced, when we take our iPods to church." He restates it in his conclusion, "Yet at the same time it may just be changing how we understand, perceive and gather information. We must exercise great caution that we do not lose knowledge of with our newfound ability to find knowledge about."

To really get into the meat of this guy's persuasive argument, one must go to his third article on the subject:

In a previous article I introduced Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman and their contribution to my thinking on technology. From McLuhan we learn that we cannot neatly separate the medium from the message and from Postman, an interpreter of McLuhan, we learn that every medium carries with it some kind of a worldview—that every medium carries with it “a predisposition to construct the world as one thing rather than another, to value one thing more than another, to amplify one sense or skill or attitude more loudly than another.” Also from Postman we learn the simple truth that “a technology does what it was created to do.” Over time we will learn what it is that a technology was created to do; rarely do we know in advance how a technology will play out. We tend to be immediately positive about technological innovation, but from these two men we learn that there ought to be a certain caution, a hesitation that causes us to look before we leap, to think before we wholeheartedly embrace a new technology—like reading the Bible on an iPod.

So let’s look today at why reading the Bible on an iPod is not the same as reading it in print.

He goes on to argue that digital media is inherently non-linear and inherently interactive. That God had Scripture committed to books (and before that scrolls and before that memory)." This takes me back to the guy's comment above about "let's go back to scrolls." Scrolls are obviously more linear than books! For the record, books are also interactive- between the author and the reader, and then the reader usually takes it then to a book discussion group or even just conversation with another. Strangely, the author is using a digital, non-linear (you can't even bring up the articles in linear form to read them from top to bottom) and interactive medium to put forth this (flat) argument. He even says "But through it all I’m seeing some great discussion and am being asked lots of interesting questions." So does he want linear and non-interactive, or not?

I will continue to take my iPhone to church. I like having 100 Bible translations available to me without having to carry 100 books. I like having my notebook there where I can't lose it, and I can search it by keyword. I like being able to open up my notes and have my Scripture there, to reference when I come here to blog about what God is speaking into my life.

Renovation Notions

Well, it's been almost 2 years since we decided to stay here and renovate our house, rather than move. Two years later-- I wish we'd gone ahead and done what we could to move down to '02. (78702, that is.) But I can tell you this-- our house looks mahvelous. We did it as green as we could:

• reused 2x4s as we pulled them down
• composted 98% of the drywall we pulled down
• used all low-VOC paints
• chose long-lasting materials
• purchased locally and/or from companies who have made commitments to being low-impact or green
• pulled nails from boards and recycled the metal
• recycled any cardboard, styrofoam, plastic or paper that came into the house

And don't neglect the simple fact that staying here, instead of moving to a bigger house, is green as well.

Here are some pictures from a year ago.

Here are some from today:


This is my new Forbo Marmoleum floor.