'free' celery

I saw this idea over at 17 Apart and thought it would be fun to try with the boys. It couldn't be much simpler: just take your grocery store celery, and chop off the bottom (root) end. Put it in a little bit of water, not too much, and you'll see some new celery growing up from the middle in a few days. When the little roots appear, stick it in some soil in a pot, and see what happens! Don't forget to check the water level and change out the water every few days.

Sick update: things are looking up, and I still haven't had the worst part of it. (My fingers are crossed that I won't get it.) I'm still not feeling quite right, though. Hrm. Thomas is fully recovered, P is almost there, and Adam is much, much better today. Things are looking up!

may 5

"The piece I had been missing slid into place and I saw my life before me. Not as a finished project or grand achievement but as a daily ritual. Rising up to welcome the days as they come, each in their mysterious way the same as the last and yet, somehow great things occur under the false cloak of monotony. Forests grow, streams flow, people meet and fall in love and become families with great histories of tragedy and triumph, new life and eventually death. All in a day." -Steve Soule (Taproot magazine, Issue 1)

may 3

A few pictures from today, another day at home with plenty of germs and unhappy bellies. Ugh.
Thomas snuck out the back door while I was hanging out some laundry (oh, the laundry!). He was so gentle when he touched the tulips and muscari. He's feeling quite a bit better today, sweet kid.

 I love the light in our room.

This boy did not have a great day. He worked on some puzzles for a few minutes, but that was about all that he 'did'. Poor kid.

In unrelated news (yes, please!) I have a couple of things to share with you. Firstly, what you see above is a reCap Mason jar lid. I supported the KickStarter campaign and received two lids. They are awesome for a few reasons; firstly, they are leakproof, and secondly, they have that perfect little pour spout! It's absolutely perfect for mixing, pouring, and keeping homemade salad dressings.

Also, I posted about my Cuppow awhile ago, and had a few people e-mail me asking where they can be purchased in Nova Scotia. So I asked them, and have an answer! They're available at the Uncommon Group stores in Halifax, for $10. Or you can order them directly.

And lastly, I am enjoying my first issue of Taproot magazine! Adam bought me a subscription for my birthday, and I love it. (Incidentally, those nightstands which I picked up at an antiques place are the least functional and the awesomest looking ones, ever.)

Speaking of birthdays, the very, very best birthday wishes go out tomorrow to both my sister and my mother-in-law! I hope that you both have wonderful, perfect birthdays and get lots of love on your special day. (And, ummm... we'll get some things sent out once we're up and running again. Ahem.)

I have some tea steeped and the boys are asleep. My fingers are crossed for a quiet, uneventful night, unlike many have been lately - I'm really hoping that tomorrow is healthier!

purple, and on the mend

It's Tuesday, but it feels like Monday. We all stayed home and had a very quiet day yesterday, as poor Thomas has a stomach bug and Phillip was fighting an ear infection. (It's always. something.) At several points during the day I thought I might be getting it, too, but so far, so good.

I think I've mentioned Phillip's ears before, and his tendency to get ear infections with almost every cold. He's been on antibiotics several times since September, and I really don't want him to take more if he doesn't absolutely need to, especially since the doctors and pharmacists are having a hard time choosing one that he hasn't had recently or that doesn't give him awful stomach side effects. After his last bout, I decided that I was going to be proactive and come up with a plan. Teresa recommended HerbPharm's Garlic Mullein ear drops (no, this is not an ad and no one paid me a cent!) which I ordered after his last infection, along with an otoscope. He woke up in the middle of the night on Sunday, crying in pain, so we used some Auralgan drops to numb the pain so he could get through the night. We didn't know that those drops existed until his last infection, and the pharmacist recommended them. They are amazing. They numb the ear almost instantly, which is a wonderful thing in the middle of the night. He slept through until morning, when his ear hurt again and I looked at it with the otoscope. It was definitely red in there. I used some garlic ear oil drops in his ear three times yesterday, and twice today. I don't know if that's why, but his ear hasn't hurt since yesterday afternoon. I don't know if the garlic drops worked along with his body to fight off the infection, or if his body just took care of it, but this was certainly the best results we have ever had. Every other time that it's gotten to the point where his ear hurts, it has turned into a full-blown infection. He was thrilled to stay in his pyjamas all day, and he and I both had significant naps in the afternoon. Bonus: he smells like the most delicious garlic bread.
 
This morning, everyone was much better, and things are looking up. Phillip bounced out of bed and was excited to get dressed and get to school, and I was back at work where my home visit was cancelled because that family is sick, too. Hard to avoid, those germs. Thomas still isn't quite right. I'll spare you the details, but he's better than he was. Poor little guy.

So that's what I've been doing for the past few days - you? I hope you're having an uneventful week where everyone's free of pain, food is staying in and taking its usual route, and you're enjoying this first day of May.