What to do with sick kids

So what do you do with more than one sick child? Here are a few things I've done so far:

• Run to the pharmacy/Wal-Mart and stock up on ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and Kleenix.
• Clean out the humidifiers and start running them all night and part of the day.
• Splurge and buy a (cheap) surprise game for the children--I'll pull it out when all else fails to entertain.
• Check the pantry and freezer to make sure there is enough food to feed the family in case I'm too sick to go to the store.
• Make up a detailed chart to keep track of temperatures and medication. After several years of just writing this down on scraps of paper, I finally made an Excel chart to record data on each child. This way I know each child's temperature and when they've had medication.
  

Do you have things that work well for your family? I'm always happy to hear suggestions.

Shower Power

I was complaining to Kirk that none of the cleaners seem to work like the old Shower Power did. He searched on the Internet and found out that you can still buy some direct from the family of the man who developed it (here). I ordered a few bottles, even though it is more expensive that way than when you could get it at Wal-Mart. Now I'll see if it really cleans things, or if I was just having fond, but incorrect, memories of it.

Another chocolate chip recipe

[This is a variation of a recipe I saw in the Penzey's catalog; I changed a few things, including amounts.]

Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 small box instant pudding mix (3/4 cup)
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nuts, chopped

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and pudding mix. Sift flour, soda, and salt, and add to the batter. Mix in chips and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. This recipe makes cookies that do not go flat and crispy; they are still soft and chewy a day or two afterward. I used chocolate pudding mix for a chocolate-chocolate chip recipe. You can also use a vanilla pudding mix for a more traditional cookie.

I probably wouldn't do pistachio pudding, though maybe with pistachio nuts instead of pecans or walnuts and red mini-M&Ms, it might work as a funny green and red Christmas cookie. I suppose you can also make this as a bar cookie by putting the batter in a 9x13 pan and baking for 15 minutes or so until done.

What to do with 280 straws

If you don't mind the mess, letting children play with straws can occupy them for hours on end. The only thing I don't like is if the straws then get used with liquids.
The children spent two days playing with these straws. We finally managed to clean them up after they were tired of that game.

Spritz cookies with Jell-O variation

Spritz cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 c. flour
Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg. Mix in the other ingredients. Put in a cookie press and form cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

Jell-O variation
Replace 1/3 c. to 1/2 c. of the sugar with Jell-O. The easiest way to do this is to pour the amount into a measuring cup and then add sugar to fill up 1 cup. (A 3 oz. package of Jell-O is about 6 Tb.) Mix and bake as directed above. You can use whatever color and flavor of Jell-O you wish. Smaller amounts of Jell-O will make the flavor and color a bit less intense.

Note: The Jell-O cookies in the cookbook don't seem to work well with the cookie press, at least for people at higher altitudes. This version seems to work fine, as you can see from the picture.

Volcanoes

You can make your own volcanoes and explode them at home. To do this the boys took some old play-dough and shaped a volcano out of it. I had them put it on a plate or tray with sides. Then we put a little cup in the top center (the crater or vent). I filled the cup with a tablespoon or two of baking soda. Then I poured white vinegar into the cup. It fizzed and "exploded." We did this over and over, adding more baking soda as needed, until the plate or tray was filled with vinegar. You can also put the vinegar in first and then add the baking soda.
Some books have you built the volcano out of plaster of Paris. I just threw away the play-dough when we were done.

"Play-dough" candy

Here is a recipe for some food storage candy that Mom sent. She said it was originally from me, probably when I was in grade school.


Peanut Butter Kisses
Makes about 24 kisses

2 cups dry (powdered, non-instant) milk
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut
Mix dry milk, peanut butter, and honey in two-quart bowl. Roll dough into balls. Roll balls in coconut.

I gave the children the crumbly mess and let them mix it up and play with it. It was sort of like edible play dough. I let them roll their snakes and balls and figures in some sprinkles. The candy doesn't really taste that good, but it is edible.
Lucy even enjoyed playing with the stuff and eating bits of it.