With vinegar and brown paper ...

from Google Images

The other night, I was reading aloud to the boys from The Five Little Peppers and How they Grew when we came to a scene when little Phronsie Pepper fell down the stairs.  She was checked for injuries and then her head was covered with vinegar and brown paper.  What?! 

I had no idea that the second line from the old "Jack and Jill" nursery rhyme was legitimate! (Where his head was mended "with vinegar and brown paper.")  So I just had to google it.  I learned from the "History House" website that yes indeed, apple cider vinegar was used to treat bruises, wounds, and other injuries.  (We still use ACV today for many health issues!)  The brown paper used in the 1700s-1800s "was made of old rope, canvas and other sacking, and could be very coarse, but it was found to be useful when applying a substance to the skin." So, brown paper was soaked in cider vinegar and then applied to the skin.

Not the most pleasant smelling treatment, but it sounds like it was quite effective!

Earlier this month, Hunter's chick Carla was murdered.  We were all so sad and wished it had been ANY other chick than Carla.  Hunter had really bonded to the little fuzz ball and had surprised us all in rising up to pretty much exclusively care for the four Silkie chicks.  He was proud of his work.  So yes, it was sad. He had me frame a picture of him holding Carla and he put it in his room.

Thankfully, some friends had some new baby chicks and offered us one.  Hunter was delighted to pick one out and become the proud owner of Kelly.  Here are pictures from today - Kelly is almost 3 weeks old:

Kelly gets to have all kinds of fun.  She plays in the sandbox with the boys, rides in a big toy train Hunter has, and yesterday she went to Tabby's cross country meet with us:

Hunter has also been working on becoming an electrician.  He wanted me to replace the old, discolored switches, receptacles, and plates in two rooms that I have painted.  Since the parts are super cheap, I let him.  Great life training!  He did a great job, was very safe, and everything works nicely.

Tabby is still having the stomach problems, at least once a week.  She has an appointment with a pediatric GI doctor in September.  Until then, we are treating them as "abdominal migraines" which is the best we can currently figure.

I wanted to put the treatment we are using here, in case it helps someone else.  Whenever possible, we try to begin treatment as soon as she feels the pain begin.  She gets Ibprofen (600 mg.), a (non-drowsy) Claritin, and we apply our "heating bear."   (It's a little bear that I had gotten to use with Lilly that is heated in the microwave.)  She lies down until feeling better.

Last week it lasted a couple days.  This past Wednesday it, thankfully!, only lasted a few hours.  One new treatment we added this time was to rub on Young Living's Pan Away essential oil onto her belly.  (I mixed 5 drops with a teaspoon of fractionated coconut oil. Here is where I got the info.)  I put a hot washcloth on the oil on her belly, then some thin plastic (clingwrap would work), then the heating bear on top.  We were shocked that her pain fell from a "9 out of 10" to a "5" in only about an hour.  By bedtime, she was very sore but pain free!  We will never be without Pan Away now, that is for sure!

Yesterday she was happy to go to school and even run in her cross country meet.  She went a bit slower, pacing herself, but finished strong and felt great after.  Thank you God!

check out that smile!

Lord willing, we will have some answers soon.  And thank you everyone, that have been praying for her.