The barking seal at our house

I hate having sick kids! It makes me feel so sad and helpless when I see their little bodies hurting them and there's not much I can do about it. We woke up about 4:30 this morning with Grace just hysterical; crying, coughing, choking, trembleing, burning up with fever. I couldn't make her understand what I was saying. She didn't want to be held but when i put her down she just staggered around and couldn't stand upright. I almost had her in the car and to the ER right then, but she started calming down, though she wouldn't take the Tylenal I was trying to get in her to get her fever down. All this of course woke up Sam who was terrified, not to mention sick himself with a pretty bad cough he's had all week. We finally got Grace settled down and in bed with Rob, while I took the floor next to Sam so he wouldn't be alone. Grace had two more 'attacks' over the next two hours, but then woke up at 8 very happy and chipper, though with a barky cough and a sore throat. She says everything she eats is 'spicy' because its hurting her throat. I'm sure all you more experienced mothers reading this have already diagnosed her, and you'd be right: croup. I suspected it this morning and we just got home from the docter. He gave her some meds that should make tonight much better and also reminded me of the old trick of putting the child in a hot, steamy shower and then taking them out to the cold air. He says there is no scientific evidence that this works, but he's been telling people to do it for 50 years and it almost always helps. So we're gearing up for tonight and hoping for the best. At least with her cough, or bark I should say, she's having a hard time hiding from me today!