Make Your Own Throat Lozenge

I have the world's worst sore throat. It's been going around the preschool teachers and I'm its latest victim. It has been diagnosed in others as a virus that mimics strep but isn't. All I know is that it feels there's glass shards in my throat. And guess what? You can't not swallow if you don't want to either. It's like breathing or something. I know because I've tried. Last night I woke up with tears on my face it hurts so bad. I got a prescription for some numbing stuff to gargle and was told to take Mucinex and Ibuprofen. And to watch my mg's because I was poppin' them 4 at a time without any pain relief. Well, the numbing gargle works great on my tongue and only about 50% relief for the throat. What's weird is that I keep looking at my throat expecting to see fire engine red and it absolutely looks normal! How can that be?!

After talking to my uncle on the phone this morning he suggested I get Halls Plus with 10 mg of Menthol....the hard core advanced vapor action lozenge. It takes a virus of near epic proportions to make me actually put a cough drop in my mouth and this is a blog worthy event because I'm on my 4th one of the day. I really, really, really detest the things. They make me gag. I think they are all disgusting, so I thought I would try to invent a new, perhaps slightly tolerable tasting lozenge that I could stand for 1-3 minutes of throat numbing blessedness. I combine the dreaded Halls Honey-Lemon Plus with Hot Tamales. I have a bunch of Hot Tamales lined up and pop them one at a time and adhere it to the side of the disgustomundo cough drop and try to pretend it's all cinnamon vapor action and none of that menthol I hate so much as my throat gets slightly numb. When I can start sensing the yuckiness, in goes another Hot Tamale. And when I hit the supposedly "soothing syrup center" I gag and spit it all out. There's not enough Hot Tamales in the world to cover THAT up!

Jo Anne, thanks for the 3 boxes of Hot Tamales you dropped off...they'll go a long way for the other lozenges I'll be going through for the next 3-5 days this virus will last.

P.T. Day 5 & 6

Day 5 was photographed by Dad

and yes, that is a disclaimer! Dad did a much better job for

Day 6 of Project Taryn
Does anyone wonder if her room is
clean yet?! My guess is no!
Project Taryn was just for cleaning her closet,
to get help cleaning the entire room, I think
Mariah will bargain for alot more!!!

Short Cut to P.T. - Day 4

Mariah went in for a haircut today and decided to go short. She was thinking even shorter, but Lori thought it best not to go too drastic. I assured her Mariah is very decisive, but they agreed to go with a one-two punch (no reference to what looks like a shiner but isn't!). I ran an errand to save Mothers Day for a preschool class and got to see the results afterwards - isn't it cute?!

Project Taryn: Day 4

Mariah likes the logo on the back of the shirt. I heard she left orders that it had to be photographed. There was another photo of Taryn from the front, and I'm not sure who took the photos, I think it was Mike, but let me just say, Taryn looked anything but angelic! Probably because she had to have this photo taken. It's not an side of us that usually makes a gal smile. But, trust me, Taryn - you have nothing to frown about!!!

P.T. - Day 3

Didn't want to make you wait another couple of days to see how Taryn was dressed by Mariah today. Taryn already has her outfits preselected by Mariah for the week - she gets to choose each day which one she feels like wearing. And she made sure she had final VETO! So, sorry no Prom Dress will be worn to school! That would have been a good one though. But, proud to say, this Mama raised a smart girl!

P.T. - Days 1 & 2

Inquiring minds want to know how the bargain is going?!

Day One

Oops, wrong picture

but hey, this is what it looks like

after 4" of rain - GREEN!!!

Day Two
(haven't seen that tunic top in awhile - I like it Mariah!)

Project Taryn

A unique bargain was struck between sisters. Taryn had a rather large scale cleaning project on her hands in her bedroom and thought Mariah might want to help. In the past, she has been a generous employer in garnering assistance for these all day events. Taryn was flat broke until yesterday when the neighbors had her babysit and they paid her very well since their toddler didn't nap and was quite the little terror (we call that hazard pay); but I think Taryn wasn't willing to part with her pay so soon. So, this must be where the sisters haggled and came up with......Mariah gets to choose Taryn's outfits for a week! Taryn came down in a cute little pair of capri's, a green shirt and hoodie and asked me if I liked it and that Mariah choose it for her for today - Day One of the bargain. This should be interesting. I think I will photo journal this!

We must have been on the same wavelength, because while the sisters were making their deal, I read in the paper about a Project Runway style fashion competition at a local college of fashion & design and immediately thought Mariah would love it. I have seen her sketches of outfits and they are pretty good considering she is 11 yrs old! So we will get all dressed up and go out to TPAC to watch a fashion show in person and see Johnathan Kayne, Project Runway contestant, and Miss USA 2000 Lynnette Cole choose the winner of the student's designs in evening, bridal, men's wear, daytime, urban and 'tween clothing. Maybe I'll even let Mariah choose my outfit for the evening!

Move Over Popcorn!

Before the infamous game of spoons, before the midnight run to the airport, way before the Memphis Music Festival, Indy & Trevor & Matt went to the glow-in-the-dark mini golf. Trevor & Matt even brought their own glow-in-the-dark putters, purchased at Walmart. During the entertaining evening, the guys remembered some comment I had made about Taco Bell sauces. It was kind of fun to see who could get the most in one grab and I liked having them on hand for our own tacos. Well, they came home with a sack full!!! They said they took turns going in. I poured out the popcorn in this container and put the taco sauces in - 110 of them! Gib used a couple today, so my guess is the three of them grabbed close to 115! Since they took so many, I'll overlook the yucky hot and fire sauces. We like the original mild Taco Bell Sauce. I sure hope they also ordered a taco or three to offset the 100+ sauces now missing. LOL!