Exiting Summer. Entering Fall.

I hate changing seasons. Well, it is easier for me to transition from winter to spring. In fact, I enjoy i, knowing that we have months of warmth to look forward to makes me tolerate the chill in the air. Not so with Fall. I hate going from warm to cold. It is the first cold draft that is the worst. As you go on and the temperatures dip lower it becomes easier to bear as you have had some time to become accustomed to it. But this first sudden drop sneaks up on you so fast.

It was a mostly uneventful summer for us. That is good I guess. Too much excitement is not good for one's health. Says I. Anyhow, after today it will be unofficially Fall. The kids go back to school. Parents get a break from those "I am so bored" complaints. And the flu season begins.

I get sick twice a year. Once in the fall and another time in the spring. As a mom I struggle with keeping my girls safe from injuries and illness. I can only do so much before one of them will eat something off the floor.

Currently we all have our first taste of a seasonal cold. Not as devastating as the ones in the spring but annoying enough. It is bad enough that we can no longer give children under 6 cold medicine. (I still give it to my 2 yo. Shhh! Don't tell anyone!) :-) I give Tylenol to both as needed. But I am trying to go back to the natural remedies that our mothers, grandmothers, and their grandmothers used to give kids.

So far I am experimenting with the garlic and honey tea. My older child refuses to drink it but the younger one will drink it with no hesitation. We will see how if it helps or not soon enough. I give them a warm bath in eucalyptus oil and it seems to help relax them. I notice the night cough is gone when I do that. I also rub them down with it and that helps as well.

The important thing is to keep them warm and cozy and try to make them as comfortable as possible. That brings up another point that I hate about transitioning into fall. Any season as a matter of fact. I have to have two different seasonal clothing in the closets as the days may start off cool, then get warm, then get cold at night. It is really annoying when you have limited closet space and have to be combing through the clothes to get rid of the sleeveless shirts and shorts, but keep the short sleeve shirts and throw in a few long sleeves, pants, and jackets.

Now that our outdoor time will be severely limited I am already plannign ahead to see what activities i can get them involved in during the approaching winter. I know what it is like when the kids get cabin fever, but Mommy does not do cold weather. Which brings me to my last point.

I am one of the many people who require lots of sunshine and warm weather in order to function. It is a condition known as SAD...Seasonal Affective Disorder. Most commonly known as the winter blues. I have planned a trip to Jamaica for a couple weeks during the winter, but unfortunately that will not compensate for a half year of undesireable weather. It is hard to be cheery around the kids and I often lack the desire to do anything outside of my bed.

As with anything else, we just have to take things one step at a time. Expect the best, prepare for tthe worst, and be thankful for the in-between.