Wildcat,
I only had one child, but I know how stressful one can be. I've been told by a girlfriend if you have 2 you need to multiply that one by 3. Cause you have each individual child and then their interactions with each other. Then add a husband - ha! You do have your hands full.
It sounds as if you have many positive parenting qualities. You take the high road, the hard road and are a disciplinarian...it's easier to just give in, let them have their way, etc. Snickers of jealousy maybe, snickers because they can relate....it does not matter, you are doing what you think is best and it is the toughest route - but in the end is the pay off, with a respectful, well-behaved child. Keep up the hard work....sounds like you are doing great!
I do have to say, that I think you and I both need to take the time for ourselves though. Among all the activities that we have going on, we've seem to forgotten ourselves. Without us, we cannot take care of them. Let's work on that.
Rose306 gave many home remedies that I was brought up with the hot steam, the gargling and momma always fixed a hot totty, is what she called it. Warm tea, a bit of honey, water and a dash of whiskey (we didn't know it was in there until after we were grown). She always bought into the eucalyptus whatever - I smelled that so much in my life!!!!! I guess, use at your own risk...but I know I survived and my son did too.
Hope you take that time for you, your children get better and you have some R & R (rest and relaxation). I know that is difficult with children.
2 hours straight of 
. He was MAD MAD-DOG mad. He froze for an hour waiting for the bus to get home. after he organised a special day with her aunt to get her ears pierced as a birthday present... the estranged aunt who is separated from his brother that is her god-mother and she aaadddordes!!! On the day that started with a bus driver on our street who criticized papa for roughly grabbing cocotte from the snow banks in the street and ploping her on the side walk and stepping back so as to scaple her for scaring him. 
so he got to carry the screeaching kids 
.
also, put a big pot of water to boil throw in some rosemary or ecalytus, throw towel over your head and keep breathing until you clear all the snot out of your head - gross, yes - but that's where the germs are. and lysol - what a great product! 
I buy bags of a million t-i-n-y but t-i-n-y seed mixed colour beads and I sort the colours. It is exactly like doing a puzzle but there is the three dimentional component of feeling the beads. And I have touched these in a month. My regular puzzles are also alone downstairs collecting dust. I did see the psychologist when I nearly dragged my boss to H/R and had a jealous fit... and she said these a 
