Thursday in the house of the (Cold) Sick-OOOss

Well, Happy Holidays to the A Family!  We are one SICK household!  Ms. 4 yo brought home a cold from Pre-K and has managed to knock my Hubby and myself DOWN!  I have been sick for over a week now and it just plain stinks!  To top it all off Ms. 4 has a bad cough. Once she gets going it makes her puke!  Ms. 2 yo seems to have the best Immunity- she has a touch of the runny nose but luckily (yes, I am knocking on wood here) she has not developed this God, Awful, Chest pulling cough!

I have spent several nights knocking myself out, thanks to Tylenol Cold Multi Symptom night time relief - but it is only managing to knock me out- not the cold.

What are your thoughts on the FLU vaccine?

Well, I guess I should pre-face with the fact that I for-went the Vaccine this year.  I have been a believer for five years and last year did me in!  I received my vaccine and right after I was catching EVERYTHING that came down the pike!  I even got the worst stomach flu EVER!  I seriously thought I was going to die- and to top it all off, I had to go to a Chicago Bears game that Hubby got tickets to for Xmas- and I was a pale, miserable mess!

So, ever since then, I vowed that I was no longer going to be inoculated with said Flu Vaccine.  But, I did get my kids the nose swab this year.  I felt like if i didn't, would that make me a  BAD Mom?  I have gotten them the vaccine loyally, their whole lives.  Plus, I am justifying my actions with the fact the Ms. 4 is in Pre-K and catching "germ-ans" all the time.

Its kind of a tough pill to swallow, her being sick all the time.  We managed to only have one illness during her almost 4 years of life.  When she was two she got a high temp and we had to take her to the hospital.  She pulled through, but it was an entire night awake and a lot of medication.  Since, she was always healthy as a horse!  And Ms. 2 follows suite!

So, here we are this year and since starting Pre-K in August, she has had constant running nose syndrome and 2, YES, 2 colds this year!  What the heck.. But she is a trooper, sort of at least.  I have to give her night time Triaminic at 5 pm for it to unwind her by 8 pm.   If I give it to her at 8- we have all sorts of problems because we are overly tired and HATE sleep!

God, I love being a MOM!  I don't know what the heck my life would be like if I didn't have my kiddo's.  (This might be my Meds talking.. just saying)

So, I have survived yet another day, managing to only HACK up ONE lung today.  I am begging at this point for this crap to leave my body and let me be healthy through the rest of the season - but my hoarse voice is seriously FAILING me.

So, if I am distant, this is the reason.  Life sucks when your sick!!!  So eat more Chicken and Dumpling Soup!!

Chicken and Dumplings RECIPE!!

1 Sam's Club Rotisserie Chicken (take off all white meat and will get about 3 cups)  abt  $5.00
2 Boxes of Chicken Broth  ( I buy box at Sam's Club for abt $6.00)
Frozen onions (I buy in Frozen foods at Kroger's and keep on hand for abt $2.00)
Carrots (about 5 cut up)
Celery  (about 4 cut up)
8 Frozen Pillsbury Biscuits  (I buy Frozen from Sam's club  abt $6.00)
Dried Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Take out Frozen biscuits and put on counter to thaw.
2. Shred Rotisserie chicken and get all white meat off bird. Put into stockpot with any dripping from rotisserie chicken and add 1 cup of water.
3. Add 1 box of chicken broth.  Let simmer for 30 Min's.
4. Chop carrots and celery up and simmer with a dollop of olive oil and frozen onions until tender.  Add to stock pot.  Let simmer for 30 additional minutes.
5. Put flour down and thawed biscuits and use pizza cutter to cut thin strips.  Add to stock pot.
6. Add another box of chicken broth.
7. Add Dried Parsley.
8. Leave on Med/High heat for 30 Min's and let simmer.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!