Tuesday, December 30, 2008

My Personal New years resolutions

This year I don't have a whole lot of personal resolutions...I've never really been the long list resolution type,mainly because I don't like false promises. I know I won't exersise more, or eat better, or yell at my kids less lol. But I do like to take the time to review what's wrong or right in my life and make a change, and the new year is always a fresh place to start.

For 2009 my biggest resolution is for my family and I to go back to church regularly. We are a strong Christian family who has let life's busyness and work get in the way of our worship...in 2008 we have realized we are becoming lukewarm Christians, and see the tole that is placing on our lives. Rob works days, and I work 3-11's and there is no way around that, which has put a hamper on when we can attend church. After I started work we began to only attend on the occasion Rob was off on Sunday mornings, then it became so I needed that time to catch up on all the sleep I miss during the week. Our church has been talking about starting Saturday Evening services for over a year now, which we kept saying, ok as soon as they start Sat. services we'll go regularly again, but we have decided we can't wait any longer. It took some searching but there is a large church a little over a 1/2 hour from our home that has a Sat. evening service. I have set my schedule for the start of 2009 to make sure I do not work on Saturdays. So that is my big resolution to attend church again, and get our life and family back on track w/ God.

The only other resolution we have is to pay off some debt. We are almost done paying off our van, we should be able to make a payoff w/ our tax return, and we are planning to use our payment $ to pay off some of these stupid little credit cards we've wracked up so we can get back on track w/ our finances also...

So there's my new years resolutions..anyone else making new years resolutions?

My blogging new years resolutions

So I mentioned that for the new years I wanted to have a few more daily themes that repeated themselves everyweek. For 2008 we had Menu Plan Monday, which I love so much I wanted to add a few more..so here they are!!!!!

Monday I will continue with Menu Plan Monday hosted by I'm an organizing junky. This is where I share what my family will be eating for the week, and I will share a recipe from time to time.

Tuesday will be Tackle it tuesday hosted by 5minutes for mom! This is where I will share a before and after pic of a project around the house I will tackle on tuesdays!

Wednesdays I will give you a window to my world! This is where I will share some random pic I took that will give you a glimps into my life

Thursdays will just be for random blogging, nothing special...thought it'd be too much to do something every day

Fridays will be... Food Review Fridays...this is where I review a GF/CF product we tried that week.

Tackle it tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday Meme

With the new year my plan for my blogging is to have more events that repeat every week...like menu plan monday...so I've been coming up w/ ideas for the past weeks, when this morning I ran into this one! Tackle it tuesday, I LOVE this idea!!! I hadn't come up w/ an idea for Tuesdays yet...I probably won't start this until next week, as today I need to tackle the entire house which has been sadly neglected since Christmas!

I'm throwing myself a pitty party

So it wasn't the WORST birthday in the world...no that would be the one where my parents took me to Chicago and my mom, aunt and aunts sister in law took me to this great dinner in the city. When we got back to my aunts house, my aunt discovered my uncle, his brother, and my step father, had dinged up her car while we were gone (dumb asses trying to drink and drive!) In which a huge fight errupted ending w/ me hiding in the bathroom, and my step father staying in a hotel. Yeah good times, it wasn't long after that, that I stoppped celebrating birthdays, that's how holidays, vacations, and birthday's were in my family...the pressure for that PERFECT day was too much and it always ended up in a fight. When I met Rob he was determined to change that for me, he wanted me to celebrate birthdays again...it took me a while to let my gaurd down, but I've finally started to enjoy my birthdays again, my special day, the day where it's all about me.

But today I felt like nothing was about me...my husband didn't get me a card, a $10 present, nothing. Seriously I haven't had a new pair of scrubs in over a year, you know how much it would have meant to me to get a new scrub top, or new pair of PJ's my family knows how much I love my PJ's, I haven't gotten a new pair of those in a year either...the only thing I asked the kids for was for once to be able to come home from work to a clean house...but NOPE... I got nothing. One of my co-workers offered to work for me today, but I declined, it was a very sweet offer, she thought I'd want to stay home and spend my birthday w/ my family, and usually I would, but it was obvious it was just another day to them, and it would hurt less if I was at work while they went about their day. Then after work I went to the store, got the food for the week. While I was in line I texted Tierra and asked her in she could help me bring in the grosheries, she said she would. I get home 10/15 minutes later, and find her asleep, SERIOUSLY you couldn't stay awake to help your mom bring in the damn food!!!!! WTF!!!!! Ugh I'm hurt, So I have popped open my new years eve coctail, and am sipping my sorrows away on some mailibu and pineapple juice...celebrating my birthday alone.

Monday, December 29, 2008

My first Blog Award

Your Top Health Blogger Award

Congratulations! Based on our review of your blog, Wellsphere has awarded you the Top Health Blogger status to recognize your contribution to helping people live healthier lives. We have prepared a personalized Top Health Blogger badge for you, which you can post to the sidebar of your blog. This badge highlights you as a top blogger within the Parenting community, and helps us distinguish you and elevate your postings on Wellsphere

We had ourselves a Merry Little Christmas!!!






Christmas has come and gone once again, and I must say it was a WONDERFUL Christmas, Isaiah was very good this year. Christmas Eve, I made a small Christmas dinner, a ham, some sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole. Christmas morning we opened gift, I got an AWESOME gift a new digital camera, I got Rob an accostic guitar. Tierra's favorite gift was her new cell phone, she was crying when she saw it, I have the cutest video of her opening it, but she won't let me post it lol. Isaiah's favorite gift was Mario Karts for his nintendo DS, Xander's was incredible hulk hands, which Isaiah now wishes he'd asked for lol. We also got the kids a wii, which we ALL love! After that we went by my moms house, and spent a little time there, at lunch exchanged gifts and came home and took a nap! Rob and I LOVE sharing a nap on Christmas day, thats our real gifts lol. Rob's family didn't have their family Christmas party until the 28...I was luckey enough to get called off of work (I was oncall but they never called me in) so I got to hang out the whole time, then we went by my nephews house w/ several of my brother and sister in laws and hung out longer...it was a really nice time!

Menu Plan Monday


This week, I'm going to be doing more slow cooker recipes than usual. I love love my slow cooker, I don't know why I don't make more meals in it, maybe it's my lack of numerous recipes, at any rate... I've got the urge for crock pot meals this week, so I'll be making my, as always everything is GF/CF and w/ as little soy as possible

Monday-Slow cooker BBQ ribs and baked beans, (I made these last week for the first time and they were a HUGE hit, and are back by popular demand this week)
Tuesday-Chili and corn bread
Wed-Pizza, and finger foods as we ring in the new year
Thur-Sweet and sour chicken
Fri-Home made chicken noodle soup in the slow cooker
I haven't picked out a recipe, I should probably use one since it's my first time ever making it homemade!

GF/CF/SF Corn Bread Recipe

I've searched for a while, for something simple w/out a 1000 ingredients. A friend lent me this recipe, I'm hoping it'll turn out good, it's just not chili night in our house w/out cornbread! I'll let you know!

BASIC CORNBREAD RECIPE

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup wfgf all purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk substitute
1/4 cup oil
Mix all ingredients together well.Bake at 350 in greased pan until done approx 20 min

Monday, December 22, 2008

Menu Plan Monday




Mon - Hawaiian Chicken
Tue - BBQ crock pot spare ribs
Wed - Ham, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole
Thur - eating at moms
Fri - pizza

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Finding Isaiah's missing Pieces

I have to say I get quite excited whenever I find anything medically that pertains to Isaiah, it's like someone took a puzzle and shook it up and dropped the pieces all over the place and I am looking all over for them trying to put him back together. Every piece of imformation I find feels like another puzzle piece getting me that much closer to having my son back.

The first 5 years of Isaiah's life he was mildly autistic, for the most part we had our son, with glimpses of autism. We often forgot he was autistic, his biggest problem was that he couldn't communicate, (he talked but you couldn't hold a conversation with him) he was a little more hyper and had more meltdowns than the average 5 year old, but it wasn't horrible. Then in Kindergarten everything changed...if I knew then what I know now I would have NEVER have gotten his kindergarten shots! But I trusted my Dr. who has an article hanging in every room that vaccines do not cause autism. After that I lost my son, we rarely see the little boy we saw before. Before we had Isaiah w/ glimpses of autism, now we have autism w/ glimpses of Isaiah...it's like he's trapped in there.

That is when I began searching to find him again...so every little piece of the puzzle I feel like gets me that much closer to finding my son, and maybe getting him back. When we first moved to our house 2 years ago our neighbors would say wow I'd never guess he's autistic...it was only when you'd try to have a conversation with him...now they won't let their kids play with him because he's too "bad"...it's been a heartbreaking 2 years losing him like this.

Since we've started biomed I've started to see my son more often, God how I've missed him! I don't know how far we'll be able to recover our son. Every time I find a new piece to his puzzle its like a high...and it feels so good to finally have hope again!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Cod Liver Oil Study

This is the newest med we are doing w/ Isaiah, his Dr. put him on Cod Liver Oil...as I did my part to make sure I am as educated as possible on Isaiah's treatments I found one medical paper by Dr Mary Megson in which she discusses in a scientific way her work around cod liver oil supplementation, principally in relation to Autism, it had so much information that pertained to me and Isaiah. This was a very interesting paper...I got lots of great information out of it, so I thought I'd share, and as I read it jotted down my thoughts and feelings along the way...

In the very first paragraph it discusses the link between autism and the pertussis vaccine, which I find ironic running across this in the wake of the DOD announcement that DTaP causes autism.

Just in the beginning she talks about one or more parents of these children suffering night blindness, that pertains in our case (me), she also mentions the thyroid...which Isaiah has a rare genetic condition, that my grandfather shares, (it's x linked recessive so I am a carrier and all my sons have it) where on paper he appears to have hyperthyroidism, although he does not. I just feel like we're finding more and more pieces to Isaiah's puzzle here!

I can't copy and past from the paper because of the form it's downloaded in, but I have a link below,

She talks about disorders of the eye, which when Isaiah was diagnosed with his eye muscles are weak and his eyes don't come together properly(which for the life of me I can't remember the name of right now, the eye Dr. said it was common in autistic children)...also the other thing that grabbed my attention was families with Colon Cancer, which we do have a family history of on my mothers side.

I highly recommend you taking a few minutes and reading this medical paper


http://www.scribd.com/doc/2574676/Cod-Liver-Oil-suplementation-for-autism-and-psychological-disorders

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Back and busy!!!!

Tierra and I are back from Florida...man when you're gone from home for a week, I think it takes 2 weeks to catch back up!!! Tierra and I had a GREAT time in Florida! We went to all the parks at least twice, we walked around so much my feet STILL hurt lol. Her team didn't place in the top 5 which sucks, they honestly didn't do very well, maybe it was nerves or something I don't know but they did 100 times better at their last competition. Tierra did good, she nailed her parts, but the team as a whole...not so great. Oh well, we had a great time anyway! It was nice having some time for just me and my baby girl, we don't get that enough!

Isaiah is doing well, we are still seeing his DAN! Dr. and seeing great progress. His stimming is starting to lessen which is a wonderful thing for us, because with the stimming comes the hyper behaviors. He also has his first little girlfriend...it's pretty cute. Her name is Summer, he sits by her at school and they talk on the phone, she asked him if he wanted to be boyfriend/girlfriend and he said sure lol. I'm sure he has no idea that WHAT is meant by being someone's boyfriend, in his mind a girlfriend is a friend who is a girl. Poor kid is so literal he just doesn't get concepts like that.

Santa came to Xanders class the other day, I have a pic of him w/ Santa, and he's not smiling I asked him if he was scared of Santa, he said no I was just nervous lol!!! I just LOVE hearing this kid talk!

I can't believe Christmas is sooooo close!!!! I've barely started Christmas shopping! Tierra and Isaiah both want a nintendo ds game for Christmas that is sold out in all the stores, so I've bought those online, and they promise me I'll have them before Christmas, other than that, I haven't bought anything! They aren't asking for much this year, which is NICE! Tierra wants games for her nintendo, Isaiah wants guns and one game, and Xander wants EVERY toy on tv lol. So being that no one is being real specific this year I guess I'm safe to do late minute shopping. I'm off work Sat...so hopefully I can go get it all done.

Well that's about it for us right now :)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Side effects of DTaP...AUTSIM

Well, it explains why Isaiah went from Mildly autistic to moderatly autistic after he got his kindergarten shots :(




Adverse Events Frequency Links to Clinical Management Information
Local Reaction Up to 1 of 4 children.
This problem occurs more often after the 4th and 5th doses of the DTaP series than after earlier doses.
LR2: Local Redness or Swelling < 30 mm
LR3: Local Redness or Swelling 30 to 50 mm

Fever Up to 1 of 4 children.
This problem occurs more often after the 4th and 5th doses of the DTaP series than after earlier doses.
SE2a: Mild "Viral"-Like Symptoms
SE3: Severe and/or Prolonged Nonspecific Symptoms

Fussiness/Irritibility Up to 1 of 3 children.

This problem generally occurs 1-3 days after the shot.
SE-xxx: Other Systemic Events

Drowsiness Up to 1 of 10 children.

This problem generally occurs 1-3 days after the shot.
SE-xxx: Other Systemic Events

Anorexia Up to 1 of 10 children.

This problem generally occurs 1-3 days after the shot.
SE2a: Mild "Viral"-Like Symptoms

Vomiting Up to 1 of 50 children.

This problem generally occurs 1-3 days after the shot.
SE5: Nausea and/or Vomiting
SE18: Gastrointestinal Illness

Seizure About 1 of 14,000 children. SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Inconsolable Crying, 3 hours or more Up to 1 of 1,000 children. SE-xxx: Other Systemic Events

High Fever, Over 105°F Up to 1 of 16,000 children. SE3: Severe and/or Prolonged Nonspecific Symptoms

Large Local Reaction Up to 1 of 30 children.

Sometimes the 4th or 5th dose of DTaP vaccine is followed by swelling of the entire arm or leg in which the shot was given.
LR4: Local Redness or Swelling 50 to 120 mm, but not extending below elbow
LR5: Local Redness or Swelling > 120 mm without complications

Anaphylaxis Less than 1 out of a million doses. SE11: Anaphylaxis, Generalized Allergic Reaction

Long-Term Neurologic Reaction, Including Seizures, Coma, or Decreased Level of Consciousness Rare. This is so rare that it is hard to tell whether it is caused by the vaccine. SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Permanent Brain Damage Rare. This is so rare that it is hard to tell whether it is caused by the vaccine. SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Nodule LR1: Subcutaneous Nodules

Arthus-Type Reaction LR6: Local Redness or Swelling > 120 mm or extending below elbow

Brachial Neuritis LR7: Numbness, Burning, or Tingling At or Distal to Injection Site
SE14: Focal Neurological Disease

Peripheral Neuropathy LR7: Numbness, Burning, or Tingling At or Distal to Injection Site
SE14: Focal Neurological Disease

Hypersensitivity SE9: Generalized Skin Reaction (pruritic or non-pruritic), not suggestive of anaphylaxis

Autism SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe


Demyelinating Diseases SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Encephalopathy SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Guillain-Barré Syndrome SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Hypotonia SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Hypotonic/Hyporesponsive Episode SE13: Neurological Disease, Severe

Cranial Mononeuropathy SE14: Focal Neurological Disease

Respiratory Tract Infection SE17: Respiratory Illness

Diarrhea SE18: Gastrointestinal Illness






http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/12/dtap-side-effec.html

Monday, December 8, 2008

Leaving for Florida

In a few short hours my daughter and I will be on a plane headed for Florida. Her cheerleading team has once again made it to the National Cheerleading Competition in Orlando Florida!!!!! I'm so excited for the girls, they have worked so hard to get here. So there will be no posts from me this week, no Menu Plan, as I'm sure my children will be eating hot dogs and spegetti all week long lol, well they might have sloppy joes and tacos too! Those are the 4 things my honey makes lol. See ya when I get back, hopefully w/ the news that we made it to the nations top 5!!!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Autism Parents: Tom Daschle wants your story

Daschle asks Americans for health care stories


Email this Story

Dec 6, 5:16 AM (ET)

By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama and his aides are determined not to repeat the mistakes the Clinton administration made 15 years ago in trying to revamp the nation's health care system. Some of the lessons learned: Move fast, seize the momentum and don't let it go.

Tom Daschle, Obama's point man on health reform, discussed the early strategy for revamping the nation's $2 trillion health care system. Details of Obama's proposals won't be finalized for a while, but the political and public relations strategy is coming into place.

The strategy begins with giving people the chance to highlight their concerns and experiences. Daschle invited people around the nation to hold what amounts to house parties from Dec. 15-31. Obama's transition team will gather the information that's provided from those meetings and post the material on its Web site, .http://change.gov

By asking anybody and everybody to share their health care experiences, Daschle is confronting one of the major criticisms of 15 years ago: that the effort to craft former President Bill Clinton's plan for universal coverage was too secretive.


"We have to make this as inclusive a process as possible," Daschle, the former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, said in a speech in Denver, his first since Democratic officials confirmed last month that he had been offered the job as health and human services secretary and that he had accepted.

The effort will expand the circle of people who believe they have a stake in next year's debate, analysts said.

"Last time, we're talking 15 years ago, in part because the process was done behind closed doors, it was hard to see what the impact would be on people," said John Rother, public policy director for the advocacy group AARP. "It was about systems, it was about budgets, it was about insurance companies. It didn't translate to people very easily."

"They are clearly trying to do it differently and help the American public see the case for reform in human terms," he said.

Daschle maintains the efforts to bring about universal health coverage in the first two years of the Clinton presidency took too long. In a book published earlier this year, he urged the next president to act immediately to capitalize on the goodwill that greets any incoming administration. His speech and recent behind-the-scenes meetings with lawmakers and consumer groups address that point.

"We need to be on the offense," Daschle said.

He cited other lessons, too. This time around, lawmakers can't try to address every detail when it comes to legislation.

"Details kill," Daschle said. "If we get too far into the weeds, if we produce a 1,500- or 1,600-page bill, we're going to get hung up on all the details and we're never going to get to the principles."

Once Congress does take up a health plan, it also can't divert attention to other subjects, he said.

"Let's not put it down, let it lie there for months and months and figure out a time when we can get back to it later," Daschle said at a Colorado Health Care Summit organized by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.

Nevertheless, any health care overhaul will have an enormous price tag. During the campaign, Obama said he planned to pay for expanding health coverage in part by increasing taxes on the wealthy and requiring larger businesses to provide health coverage or contribute a portion of their payroll to a new public insurance plan. The current recession provides a significant obstacle to both options.

Daschle did not provide any details about how the incoming administration would pay for expanding coverage. Instead, he made the case that not dealing with health care would make the country's economic problems worse because companies like General Motors spend more on health care than steel and Starbucks spent more on health care than on coffee.

"Health care is going to destroy many of our manufacturing industries unless we fix the system," he said.

While Daschle did not go into any details about what shape Obama's health plan will take, he did promise that health care remains a top priority.

He outlined an array of problems with the current system familiar with many of its participants: high costs, lack of access and mediocre quality. He said the myth has long been that the U.S. had the best health care system in the world, but statistics and an increase in medical tourism show that's not the case.

Many of the interest groups integral to revamping the health care system have acknowledged that the status quo can't continue. But details will determine whether an agreement amenable to all sides is possible.

Health insurers put out their own plan earlier this week that mirrored some of Obama's proposals, like expanding government programs such as Medicaid to help out the poor. But the insurers' plan also differed with Obama's on two key points. They want to require that people buy health insurance, while Obama only supported a coverage mandate for children. They also oppose requiring companies to provide insurance or pay into a pool, referred to as the "play or pay" mandate.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: DTaP causes autism

I listed the article below for everyone to read, but I have to share my feelings...I am in tears reading this. I had sluffed of the idea of vaccines causing Isaiah's autism because we know Isaiah has had autism since he was an infant...we don't know why we don't know how but we know he has it...some parents their children were fine then they got the MMR shot and bam they were gone, that wasn't the case w/ Isaiah, we've never had him...since he was a baby he's shown signs of autism. But now to know that a shot he recieved as a very young baby, is known to cause autism is breaking my heart. To think he could have been, should have been, normal, how different our lives could be...should be, I don't know if I should be pissed, sad, or happy, I'm a mixture of emotions right now. Anyway here's the article:

When it comes to fighting autism, maybe we should send in the Army.

Autism and the military have a deep history together. Children of service members are reportedly almost twice as likely to have autism (1-in-88) than those in the general population (1-in-150). Meanwhile, the Department of Defense quietly spends millions in taxpayer dollars researching the possible causes of autism at far-from-the-spotlight centers around the country.

Recently, several documents have been brought to my attention which, when viewed together, suggest that the Department of Defense has legitimate concerns about vaccine injuries and their possible connection to autism, perhaps more so than other branches of the Federal Government.

These documents raise several questions that I am currently trying to get answered from DOD officials:

1) Autism may be an "adverse event" of Tripedia (DTaP) use

According to the website of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network, run by DOD and CDC, autism is listed as an "adverse event" associated with use of the Tripedia triple vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

My questions are: Why does autism appear here? Does VHC consider autism to be a possible adverse event of DTaP use, or has it simply been reported that way by parents?

2) Patients who have bad vaccine reactions should avoid multiple vaccines in the future

According to this VHC slide, any patient who has a "Systemic Event" following immunization - defined as "symptoms and signs of illness after vaccination" and "any reaction that does not involve the injection site" - should avoid multiple vaccines in the future, if possible.

My questions are: Is that standard DOD policy? Is there an alternative schedule for these patients? Does this advice apply to children of service members as well? Why is this information not shared with civilian doctors and pediatricians?

3) Patients who develop serious neurological diseases might need vaccine exemptions in the future

This VHC slide says that a patient who develops a severe neurologic disease following vaccination might need temporary or permanent exemption from future vaccines. Such diseases include peripheral neuropathy, encephalopathy (including autism, presumably) Guillain-Barré syndrome and progressive focal neurologic disease. Such patients should be given temporary exemptions from future vaccinations.

Meanwhile, risks for recurrent reactions should be assessed before additional doses are given, and "permanent vaccine exemption may be required."

Again, is this DOD policy? Are such exemptions given? Because autism is listed as a "severe neurological disease," would those patients (ie, children of service members) also be exempt from future vaccinations? And, on a related note, does VHC consider autism to be a "neurological disease," as opposed to a developmental/behavioral disorder?

4) Mercury, and possibly thimerosal may cause autism and dementia

According this slide (#22) on the vaccine preservative thimerosal, from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), "exposure to mercury in utero and children may cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment." The slide also seems to indicate that autism and dementia might questionably be "health effects" of mercury or thimerosal exposure.

My question is: Why does autism appear on a list of health effects on a slide about thimerosal, even if it is followed by a question mark?

5) Alternative biomedical treatments may be prescribed for thimerosal exposure

The same slide says that "treatments" for thimerosal exposure include: "Methyl-B12, ointment DMPS, & glutathione (GSH)." These are all alternative (some would say fringe, radical and dangerous) treatments being used today by thousands of autism parents and their children's physicians, with varying degrees of success (including reports of full recovery).

Methyl-B12 - has been shown to repair damage to the process of methylation, and to restore methionine and glutathione levels in patients with autism to within normal ranges.

DMPS - is a sulfur-based amino acid used in the process of chelation - in which sulfur molecules bind with heavy metals such as mercury, and eliminate them from the system.

Glutathione - is a sulfur-based protein that binds with heavy metals and eliminates them from the system. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant. Many children with autism show signs of glutathione depletion, heavy metal accumulation and oxidative stress.

My questions are: Was the speaker simply refering to treatments that some people have tried, or is the AFID endorsing these treatments for thimerosal toxicity and/or autism? On what evidence is this based? Are Methyl B-12 and GSH, like chelation, cosidered standard of care in the military for mercury toxicity? Can you explain why autism families in the military have these treatments covered, (at thousands of dollars a year), even if they also have an autism diagnosis? Is this why military insurance will pay for visits to doctors in the Defeat Autism Now network, which advocates the use of these non-traditional treatments?

I eagerly await the replies from VHC and AFID officials, and will update this blog as soon as I hear anything.

Meanwhile, regardless of the Pentagon's positions on the above questions, we know for certain that DOD is concerned about the risk of injury from multiple vaccines.

In fact, it may even need to reconsider the practice.

"We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations exist," US Army Colonel Renata J. M. Engler, MD, director of the VHC, (a "collaborative network" of the Defense Department and the CDC), wrote to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). "These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations."

"The more drugs one is exposed to, the greater the likelihood of having an adverse event so as vaccine numbers increase, and (sic) we will see more people who have efficacy or safety issues," Col. Engler said. "The standard of care (ie, in the context of mixing vaccines) is to minimize drug exposures because of the recognition that the more drugs being used, the greater the chance of a reaction and potentially a serious adverse event."

I wonder when the CDC and America's pediatricians will issue an equally thoughtful and cautionary statement, instead of their usual reassurance that small children can easily get 100,000 shots at once, without a single "serious adverse event" among them.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Menu Plan Monday


Monday-Sloppy Joes
Tue-Meat loaf and mixed veggies
Wed-Pizza...I just found some GF/CF pizza crust that I'm going to try this night
Thur-sweat and sour chicken
Fri-homemade crock pot chili

Friday, November 28, 2008

GF/CF/SF/ Whipped Cream

Another recipe great recipe find, that I must save!

Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free Whipped
Cream by Christel King, winner of the Harris Whole Health Healthy
Recipe Contest Last Month, reprint permission of Harris Whole Health
>
> Many of you may know Christel King from
GFCFRecipes. com fame. Thank you Christel for your creation!
>
> This could easily be gfcfsf whipped cream,
cream cheese spread, oreo middle, homemade candy bar cream, cream
pie filler, vanilla ice cream, etc (note: generally, whipped cream
doesn't fall into anyone's idea of healthy food. (But) it is very
challenging to find gluten, dairy and soy free alternatives for
cream. Technically, the recipe fits the guidelines because it IS
largely fruit based, it is very low in sugar and has no hydrogenated
fats. That being said, it is very high in fat and calories and
should of course be used sparingly!!! )
>
>
> Ingredients:
>
> *3- 8oz cans of coconut milk (2 chilled,
one not)
> *1 teaspoon Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder
> *2 teaspoons Frontier Vanilla Flavoring
(alcohol free version)
> *1 teaspoon sugar
>
>
> Directions:
> In a large bowl empty the NON chilled can,
then open the 2 chilled removing ONLY the white solid matter into
the bowl. Add in the sugar, vanilla flavoring, and vanilla powder.
Whip for 3 min.
>
>
> Variations:
>
> For whipped cream- you have it made now!!
>
>
> For vanilla ice cream- simply freeze
>
>
> For cream cheese- let it ferment in the
fridge for 3 days
>
>
> For an oreo center- for the outsides of
oreo mix up Miss Roben's graham cracker mix, Melt one bag of Enjoy
Life Foods chocolate chips mix together, add in 1/3 cup coconut
flour. Press out on cookie sheets BETWEEN 2 waxed paper sheets,
slightly freeze, and then cut out with glass cups. On another cookie
sheet also with wax paper lining the BOTTOM only, lay out the above
whipped cream recipe. Slightly freeze and cut out with smaller
glass. Layer chocolate layer, vanilla layer, chocolate layer and
freeze- you have gaffs Oreos, you can also bake instead of freeze
the chocolate layers at 350 degrees for 10 min watching them
closely, this makes them more crisp verses no bake style.
>
> For a Pie filler- boil 2 cups of fruit per
pie you are making, add in 2 teaspoons corn starch, mixed with 4
teaspoons water to thicken. Add in 2 cups of the above whipped cream
for a 1:1 ratio blend and fill prepared pie crust (use Miss Roben's
corn free Pie Crust Mix or Mock Graham cracker mix). Refrigerate to
solidify.
>
>
> For an Oreo pie- do the Oreo chocolate
recipe with 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips, line pie pan with crust,
melt other 1/2 bag of choc chips to coat the pressed pie crust.
Pour in Organ whipped chocolate moose as directed on pouch. Layer
whipped topping above on, and sprinkle lightly on top with authentic
foods vanilla powder to look baked.
>
> Use on granola, on fruit bowls etc.
>
> For candy bar- blend Miss Roben's Mock
Graham cracker mix and 1/2 of whipped cream. With 1/2 this mix blend
in 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips (melted) with it, and other 1/2
bag of choc chips as normal. Form both mixes into strips and bake at
350 degrees for 10 min. Melt the other 1/2 of a bag of gfcfsf
chocolate chips. Place a chocolate graham on bottom layer, whipped
cream in the middle, vanilla graham on top and dip in the melted
chocolate. Sprinkle sliced almond and shredded coconut on top and
refrigerate and enjoy when solid.

Monday, November 24, 2008

FINISHED MY THANKSGIVING DAY MENU PLAN!!!!!

Well, it took almost the full 8 hours of searching recipe after recipe to find what I needed for this ONE meal lol...good thing I LOVE thanksgiving, I really really love this holiday, next to Christmas, it's my favorite!

SOooooooooo...here's what I've come up w/ in 8 hours lol

Appetizer:
Veggie Tray
Shrimp Tray
BBQ meatballs
Deviled Eggs

Dinner:
Turkey
sweet potatoes
stuffing
Green bean casserole
home made cranberries
mash potatoes w/ home made gravy
bisquits

Desserts
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie

Soooo that's it, that's what I accomplished in 8 hours! Yes that really took 8 hours lol

pie crust

ok, think i will make a cherry pie using this recipe for the dough

1 cup almond flour
1 egg
1 cap Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp cf Margerine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
enough sugar substitute or honey to sweeten crust
pinch of salt


Recipe


1. Mix all ingredients together until they form a ball. The ball should have a little moisture to it, but not liquid.

2. You can taste it to make sure there is some sweetness and hint of cinnamon and butter.

3. Smooth pieces of dough into pie tin with fingers until the crust is made.

4. If making pudding/cream pies, bake crust first at about 325 F until just turning a slight golden brown.

Note: If pre-baking (for best results) vent the bottom of the crust using the tines of a fork and use pie weights such as dry beans inside the crust while baking. .................................

easier pumpkin pie recipe

Pumpkin Pie


Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup milk substitute (coconut milk, rice milk, etc.)
1 cup maple syrup
2 eggs (or flax seed egg replacer)
1 9" pie shell

Mix the pumpkin and spices together. Add the remaining ingredients and stir slowly until just mixed. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake at 425 for 15 min, then reduce to 350 and bake for another 30-40 min. Allow pie to cool before serving.

ignore me...

Sorry guys I'm at work, and have the day on the computer (watching over a suicide patient) so I'm using my 8 hours to find GF/CF recipes for my thanksgiving meal...so I figured the easiest thing to do is to copy and save them onto my blog...so just ignore me today...or check out a few recipes yourself!

GF/CF French Fried Onions for the green bean casserole

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH FRIED ONION RINGS


2 or 3 big sweet onions

enough milk sub for soaking onions (I used Dari Free)


gluten free flour (I used rice flour)

oil for frying (I used corn oil)

Slice the onions and separate into rings.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Oil should be about an inch deep. When the oil is hot enough, a flick of water will make the oil sizzle.

Soak the onions in milk,

Put the flour in a large zip lock bag and add some of the onion, shake up...

Place the onions in the frying pan with the heated oil.

The onions will start to get thin and loose their round shape, turn over and cook other side

When the onion rings have finished cooking, lay them on a paper bag or paper towels to cool/drain some oil.


Store in air-tight container, top your casserole, or eat them!

These tasted so good, I wanted to just eat them...can't wait to try them on the casserole tomorrow!

neat stuffing recipe

QUOTE
Gluten Free Stuffing (Shauna James Ahern)

2 loaves gluten-free bread, diced into one-inch cubes, toasted and cooled (we used 1 loaf Kinnikinnick white sandwich bread, thawed, and cubed and then toasted in the oven on broil for a minute or so on each side)
2 large ribs celery, medium diced
1 large yellow onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Sautee the onion and celery in olive oil on medium-low heat until they are translucent. You will be able to smell the onions cooking at this point. (Take a deep whiff. That's a beautiful smell.) Add the garlic, as well as the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Stir these in and cook until you can smell the herbs, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat.

Bring the chicken stock to boil on high heat. Place the egg yolk in a medium-sized bowl and carefully ladle two to three ounces of the chicken stock to the egg yolk, slowly, while whisking the mixture. Add the rest of the chicken stock to the egg mixture at this point. (Ladling a small portion of the stock into the egg first, and blending it, will prevent you from having scrambled eggs.)

Add the cooled celery, onion, and herbs mixture into the stock and egg mixture. Toss the bread cubes into this mixture and stir it all around with your hands (or a spoon), to coat the bread. Add the salt and pepper and toss the bread again. Place all of this into a greased casserole dish (big enough to hold three quarts) and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for twenty minutes at 425?, then remove the foil and bake for another ten minutes. Take a toothpick and stick it into the stuffing. If it comes out clean, the stuffing is done. If not, bake until the toothpick comes out clean.

Serves six to eight people, depending on their appetite for stuffing.

POP Syndrome

Thought you guys might like this:

POP Syndrome

The AMA* has just released information regarding a new and relatively
unknown condition plaguing a growing segment of our population. While
it is unclear exactly how many people are affected by POP Syndrome,
the condition seems to have a genetic component connecting it to
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD and a myriad of other disabilities. The
genetic connection is undeniable as POP Syndrome almost exclusively
affects mothers of disabled children. More puzzling is the fact that
the condition appears to lay dormant in a mother and only becomes
apparent shortly after her disabled child enters the public school
system.

POP Syndrome comes with a host of symptoms and unusual behaviors,
including but not limited to the following:

-Sufferers are frequently observed repeatedly calling school
officials and then leaving messages as if they expect their call to
be returned.
-Mothers with POP Syndrome are often seen meeting with school
officials. To the casual observer, this may seem normal. However,
this futile exercise so closely resembles talking to a brick wall, it
is deemed an unusual behavior.
-The condition appears to affect communication and causes the
sufferer to echo the same phrases over and over again. These echos
usually include phrases such as, "We need to schedule an IEP
meeting", "I'll need that in writing" and "Why not?".
-Eye twitches and unexpected outbursts of foul language are also
common with this disorder.

At this time, there is no known cure for POP (Pissed Off Parent)
Syndrome. Until a treatment becomes available, these brave mothers
will live in the shadows of our society...twitching , cursing and
dialing.

*Angry Mothers Association.

another cream of soups recipe

1 cup dry milk powder
1 cup white rice flour
2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons powdered soup base (like chicken soup base, onion soup base)
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
TO make the soup, blend 3-4 Tablespoons mix with 1/4 cup cold water.
Add 1 cup hot or cold water or stock and cook over medium heat till
thick. Then you can add what ever you want. Broccoli, chicken,
potatoes....

Gf/CF pumpkin pie recipe

Think I'll give this one a try! Doesn't look too hard

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

(Serves 8)

Cookie-Almond Crust

4 cookies (I used Pamela's ginger cookies)
Handful of sliced almonds
About 4 ounces marzipan (mine was hard, so I microwaved to soften)
About 2+ tablespoons coconut oil (use more if necessary) or ghee or gfcf
margarine

[Any cookies or nuts would work for this crust. But you may need to add
sugar, if you're not using marzipan or lots of sweet cookies.]

Pumpkin Filling

3 tablespoons cold orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons gelatin (from 1 package)
1 cup coconut milk (other milk subs would probably work okay too, but nothing quite thickens like coconut milk)
2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large egg yolks
1 (15-ounce) can plain pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Pulse cookies, almonds and marzipan in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add warm coconut oil in steady stream through feed tube while pulsing until crumbs are evenly moistened and resemble damp sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch pie plate and spread evenly over bottom and sides; wipe out food processor bowl and reserve. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or dry measuring cup, press and smooth crumbs into pie plate (see illustration, at left). Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Stir orange juice and vanilla together in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice mixture and set aside to thicken, about 5 minutes.

4. Combine 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and spices in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form at edges; remove from heat. Whisk remaining 1/3 cup sugar and yolks together in medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour hot mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pot with heatproof spatula, until custard is thickened and registers 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. (When properly cooked, custard should form slight ridge on tip of spatula when bottom of pan is scraped and spatula is lifted.) Immediately pour custard over gelatin mixture and stir until smooth and gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Puree pumpkin in food processor until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. With machine running, add remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk through feed tube in steady stream. Scrape sides of bowl and process for additional 10 to 15 seconds. Add pumpkin mixture to custard mixture and stir until completely smooth. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Chill pie, uncovered, until filling is just set, about 3 hours. Cover pie with plastic wrap and continue to chill until fully set, at least 6 and up to 24 hours. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

__._,_.___

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Progress We've Made!

Well, as of today it has been exactly one month since our very first appt w/ our DAN! Dr. I NEVER would have guessed that, in a months time I would have gone from skeptic to believer!!! Yes, when I very first heard about this whole biomed "movement" I thought it was just a bunch of parents who were seeing what they wanted to see while throwing all their $$$ out the window. So I say I went into this more than skeptical, I expected it to fail, The progress Isaiah has made in a months time is phenomenal. The biggest change in our/his lives to date is the meltdowns! A month ago Isaiah had on average close to 20 meltdowns a day...now we are down to maybe 1 or 2 a WEEK!!!!! Yes a WEEK!! I would have been FLOORED w/ one or 2 DAY, but a WEEK, this has CHANGED the quality of our LIVES DRAMATICALLY!!! Fixing all the problems in his body is going to take alot of time, there is still alot of work to be done, but the fact that THIS much has changed this fast gives me great hope for our future...for the first time ever.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Another great poem!

I need to start a section just for these wonderful poems!

The Misunderstood Child
A poem about children with hidden disabilities

by Kathy Winters

I am the child that looks healthy and fine.
I was born with ten fingers and toes.
But something is different, somewhere in my mind,
And what it is, nobody knows.

I am the child that struggles in school,
Though they say that I'm perfectly smart.
They tell me I'm lazy -- can learn if I try --
But I don't seem to know where to start.

I am the child that won't wear the clothes
Which hurt me or bother my feet.
I dread sudden noises, can't handle most smells,
And tastes -- there are few foods I'll eat.

I am the child that can't catch the ball
And runs with an awkward gait.
I am the one chosen last on the team
And I cringe as I stand there and wait.

I am the child with whom no one will play --
The one that gets bullied and teased.
I try to fit in and I want to be liked,
But nothing I do seems to please.

I am the child that tantrums and freaks
Over things that seem petty and trite.
You'll never know how I panic inside,
When I'm lost in my anger and fright.

I am the child that fidgets and squirms
Though I'm told to sit still and be good.
Do you think that I choose to be out of control?
Don't you know that I would if I could?

I am the child with the broken heart
Though I act like I don't really care.
Perhaps there's a reason God made me this way --
Some message he sent me to share.

For I am the child that needs to be loved
And accepted and valued too.
I am the child that is misunderstood.
I am different - but look just like you.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Menu Plan Monday

Mon: Colorful Kielbasa
Tue: Hawaiian Chicken
Wed Spaghetti
Thur: Home made GF/CF chicken nuggets
Fri: Chicken Broccoli and rice casserole

Colorful Kielbasa

This was a favorite of ours from pre GF/CF...I am attempting to make it autism friendly tonight!

It calls for a cup of condensed cream of celery soup, I found 2 recipes for this
The small version
1 cup cold milk sub
2 tbls cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp gf/cf butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

for cream of mushroom add 4 oz can of mushroom pieces
for cream of celery 1/2 cup auteed chopped celery
for cream of chicken 1/2 cup chicken pieces

the large version you make ahead and store...I THINK I'm gonna try this one, since i have a ton of our favorite recipes that call for cream of something soups

2 cups dry powdered milk sub
3/4 c corn starch
1/4 cup bouillon granules
1 tbs dry onion flakes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbs dry celery flakes
1 tsp salt

mix and store

to prepare combine 1/3 c mix and 1 1/4 cups cool water in small sauce pan...stir in and bring to boil over med heat

Boil and stir a full min remove from heat.


Colorful Kielbasa


1 can condensed cream of celery soup
3/4 c water
1 tbsp butter
1 lb smoked kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup long grain rice
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
1 cup shredded cheddar (I'll be omitting this from his portion)

In a skillet combine soup, water, and butter...bring to boil. Add Kielbasa and rice...reduce heat and cover, simmer for 15-18 min or until rice is ALMOST tender.

Stir in peas, cover and simmer 15 min or until rice IS tender, and peas are heated threw

Remove from heat

Sprinkle w/ cheese and cover let stand until melted about 5 min.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

wow

OMG, so last night I was at work, and I called the kids on my lunch break and Isaiah informs me that he ate a piece of toast, apparently Rob made the kids cinnamon toast, Isaiah's on his bread, and Xanders on reg bread...Xander didn't finish his piece, and I guess Isaiah ate it...this kid is NUTS this morning!!! I can't believe how horrible he's stimming, and making wild noises, and the spontaneous mischievous actions. ..like I had him in the bath, I went to pack his lunch and come back and he's wetting the dog...The past 2 weeks have been so wonderful, and peaceful ...I just can't believe one piece (actually less cuz Xander ate some of it) can do this to these kids, and to think I was giving him 2 pieces everyday, along w/ other gluten and casein products. It's just amazing!

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

By Ellen Notbohm
South Florida Parenting

Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the unpredictability. The only consistent attribute, the inconsistency. There is little argument on any level but that autism is baffling, even to those who spend their lives around it.

The child who lives with autism may look "normal," but his or her behavior can be perplexing and downright difficult. Today, the citadel of autism, once thought an "incurable" disorder, is cracking around the foundation. Every day, individuals with autism show us they can overcome, compensate for, and otherwise manage many of the condition's most challenging aspects. Equipping those around our children with a simple understanding of autism's most basic elements has a tremendous effect on the children's journey towards productive, independent adulthood. Autism is an extremely complex disorder, but we can distill it to three critical components: sensory processing difficulties, speech/language delays and impairments, and whole child/social interaction issues.

Here are 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.

1. I am a child with autism. I am not "autistic." My autism is one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)?

2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. This means the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you, but I am really just trying to defend myself. A "simple" trip to the grocery store may be hell for me. My hearing may be hyperacute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today's special. Muzak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough. A coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can't filter all the input, and I'm in overload! My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn't quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn't showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they're mopping up pickles on Aisle 3 with ammonia. ... I can't sort it all out, I'm too nauseous. Because I am visually oriented, this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is too bright. It makes the room pulsate and hurts my eyes. Sometimes the pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing. The space seems to be constantly changing. There's glare from windows, moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion, too many items for me to be able to focus - and I may compensate with tunnel vision. All this affects my vestibular sense, and now I can't even tell where my body is in space. I may stumble, bump into things, or simply lay down to try and regroup.

3. Please remember to distinguish between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to). Receptive and expressive language are both difficult for me. It isn't that I don't listen to instructions. It's that I can't understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: "*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*" Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: "Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It's time to go to lunch." This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it's much easier for me to comply.

4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. It's very confusing for me when you say, "Hold your horses, cowboy!" when what you really mean is "Please stop running." Don't tell me something is a "piece of cake" when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, "This will be easy for you to do." When you say, "It's pouring cats and dogs," I see pets coming out of a pitcher. Please just tell me, "It's raining very hard." Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres and sarcasm are lost on me.

5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It's hard for me to tell you what I need when I don't know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused, but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation, or other signs that something is wrong. There's a flip side to this: I may sound like a little professor or a movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits, because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, television or the speech of other people. It's called echolalia. I don't necessarily understand the context or the terminology I'm using, I just know it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.

6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of patient repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transitions between activities, and helps me manage my time and meet your expectations. Here's a great web site for learning more about visual schedules http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/newweb/content/rsn/autism.asp

7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do. Like any other human, I can't learn in an environment where I'm constantly made to feel that I'm not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however constructive, becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you'll find them. There's more than one right way to do most things.

8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don't want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it's just that I simply don't know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, I may be delighted to be included.

9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. This is termed "the antecedent." Meltdowns, blowups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented.

10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts such as, "If he would just ..." and "Why can't she ... ?" You didn't fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you, and you wouldn't like being constantly reminded of it. I didn't choose to have autism. Remember that it's happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you I'm worth it.

It all comes down to three words: Patience. Patience. Patience.

Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. I may not be good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed I don't lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates, or pass judgment on other people?

You are my foundation. Think through some of those societal rules, and if they don't make sense for me, let them go. Be my advocate, be my friend, and we'll see just how far I can go.

I probably won't be the next Michael Jordan, but with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.

They had autism too.

Freelance writer and consultant Ellen Notbohm is a columnist for Autism/Asperger's Digest and co-author of 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Future Horizons). She favors "common sense" approaches to raising her sons with autism and AD/HD. She lives in Oregon.
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew , By Ellen Notbohm, South Florida Parenting - link to this great article.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I'm still here.....

The first time I heard this song, it melted my heart, the words just seemed like they could be from an autistic child talking to the world. This is one of my new favorite songs, I put some of Isaiah's pictures and set them to the music...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Menu Plan Nov 10-14



Sunday~ Chili
Monday~ Baked Potatoes with left over chili
Tuesday~ Mosticolli and salad
Wed~ Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
Thur~Chicken A~la~King served over noodles
Fri~BBQ crock pot ribs and baked beans

Snack~
FRUIT SMOOTHIES
FRUIT MEDLEY

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops,
This is an old pre diet recipe that I am going to convert this week
It calls for Pork Chops (or chicken breast)
2 Jars of Apricot preserves
10 tablespoons of onion soup mix

Mix Apricot preserves and onion soup mix set aside. Brown pork chops. Add pork chops to apricot mixture and bake.

To make the Dry onion soup mix (since the stuff I use to buy isn't GFCF)
3/4 c instant minced onion
1/3 c beef flavor instant bouillon
4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery seed crushed
1/4 tsp sugar

combine ingredients and store in airtight container
5 tablespoons = 1 package onion soup mix


Chicken A LA KING

2 cups cooked cut up chicken
1 can Campbell's chicken and rice soup
1 can milk sub
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch

mix soup veg chicken milk in pot heat thoroughly
mix water and cornstarch stir until thickened
serve over mashed potatoes rice or noodles

Fruit Medley
3 11 oz cans mandarain oranges drained
1 16 oz can pineapple chunks
2 sliced bananas
2 cups minature marshmallows
2 cups coconut flakes

mix and refridgerate

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Afraid to jinx it

So I've been thinking it, but have been too scared to say it out loud, praying it isn't just a coincidence...but I think I can safely say I am seeing a change in Isaiah...he stims so much less now, he's not as hyper, his meltdowns aren't quite as frequent. Getting ready for school this week has been almost easy! He hasn't battled me about eating, he has had some mild meltdowns, and some stimming but not near as much as usual. Today Tierra and I went to walmart and I asked Tierra if Isaiah seems different to her at all, she said YES HE DOESN'T DO THIS (mimicked his usual hyper jumping up and down w/ making a weird noise stim). My heart just melted, ok it wasn't just me seeing what I want to see, someone else sees it too! And she's pretty impartial. I mean she knows we've found a new Dr. and are trying things to help Isaiah be more normal, but she doesn't know any of the details, or what might change. So I feel I can safely share this, I am almost certain, my baby is healing!!!

Here's what we've done so far...
October 23, Met our DAN, and began mixing the Biomed w/ chiropractics and acupuncture (not needles just a painless laser)
October 24, started the GF/CF barely soy diet,
October 30, started epson salt baths
October 31, 2nd appt w/ DAN, this is also the day we noticed his psoriasis that we've been battling for 4 years had magically disappeared
November 3, began taking Probiotics...

Monday, November 3, 2008

Menu Plan Monday is now GF/CF

Menu Plan Monday new Pictures, Images and Photos

Photobucket

All dinners are served GF/CF/ and low or soy free

Monday Sweet and sour chicken w/ white rice
Tue Pot Roast
Wed Tacos w/ rice
Thur BBQ Chicken Breast w/ baked beans
Fri Meatloaf w/ baked potato



Sweet and sour chicken recipe:
This will be a new recipe for me...it LOOKED great!

1lb chicken breast cut up
2 tsp gf/cf/sf oil
6 carrots
1 onion
1 green
8 oz pinapple (reserve juice)

for the sauce:

1/2 cup pinapple juice
1 cup water
2 tblsp vinegar
1 tblsp soy sauce ( BTW walmart carries GF/CF soy sauce YAY!!!)
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp corn starch

directions
cook chickenin lrge skillet w/ hot oil...set aside
cut carrots onions and green pepper into 2 inch long strips, set aside
mix sauce ingredients together heat to boil stirring frequently...set aside
cook carrots w/ a little water in covered skillet for 5 min
add onion cook uncovered 2 min
add green peppers and SS sauce cook uncovered 1 min
add cooked chicken and drained pinapple
heat to cook threw

Serve over rice

Serves 4

Sunday, November 2, 2008

What Isaiah wants everyone to know...

A friend of mine has this posted on her myspace, and it really hit home with me...I hope everyone who ever comes in contact with Isaiah, or any autistic kid for that matter, would read this, and get a small glimps into what life is like for our children.

Nobody can see my disability. I look just like every other kid -- attractive, walking, making sounds. They can't see how my neurons are scrambles in my brain. They can't see the misconnections between my left and right brain. Nobody can see that I have autism spectrum disorder. Nobody can see that my body is sick. No one can see that my stomach is in knots from my digestive system not working. No one can see that my body and mind are starving because my cells don't make the right enzymes to digest food. No one can see that I suffer from low blood sugar because i can't properly metabolize nourishment. No one can see that my body is attacking its own nerve cells from autoimmune dysfunction. No one can see that mercury ,lead, and arsenic cannot be excreted from my body, so it keeps building up in my brain. No one understands that my body cannot tolerate normal enjoyments for children, like bright, vivid colors and loud noises. I desperately want to be a kid and enjoy these things, but my body just won't let me. But everybody can see how inappropriate my behavior can be when I am out in public. Everybody can see how immature I can be compared to other kids my age. Everyone sees the 2-year-old's tantrum when things have been too overwhelming for me. Everyone sees my frustration from trying to cope. Everyone sees my screaming & fighting. Everyone just assumes I'm being bad, not that my body hurts, my eyes are in pain from colors, my ears ring with loud noises not heard by others. Everybody sees my tantrums when I don't get my way. No one sees that I can't explain my fear when I think I'm not being understood. Everyone may see me scream if my mom takes something away from me. No one can see that having something of comfort can keep my fears under control for me, and taking it away makes my nerves explode in anxiety. No one understands how hard I have to work just to keep my behavior from reacting to the chemical imbalances in my body that make me feel horrible. No one can see that, no matter how hard I try, sometimes I cannot control it. No one can see the shame I feel after I've had a meltdown from my body's problems. What they don't see is that I'm a person. I have feelings and want to be loved and accepted like everyone else. What they don't see is that, when they look at me like I need a good spanking, I understand that I'm not capable of controlling my body. What they don't see is that I scream because I don't know how to say, "Help me." What they don't see is that I hear every ugly word they say, but for the life of me, I can't make my mouth say what I'm feeling. But they don't see that as a disability. They say I'm unmanageable. They say I'm a problem .But I'm not a problem. I have autism spectrum disorder. My mom has taken me to more specialists than you can ever imagine. She's read more books and done more research on my disease than a parent would ever want. She has tried special diets, supplements, drugs, and various metabolic therapies. She has prayed for guidance and asked for discernment on how to help my body. And behavior, oh yes, has she tried everything to help my behavior. Stop telling her all I need is a spanking. If a spanking would stop all this, my mom would gladly exchange my disability for a spanking. She knows better than any of you what I need to help me, and what we both need is your understanding, not ignorance. I just want to be accepted and understood. No blamed and shamed. I want to be appreciated for my gifts. I do have some if you look more closely. I want to be cared for as a person. I want you to care, even when I act like I don't. I want to be respected, just like you do. I want you to respect my mom and dad for all the hard work they have done to help me try to lead as normal a life as possible. I want you to respect my family and all the struggles we have endured because of our love for each other. I want to be loved like any other child. And I need you to role model respectful behavior for me so I can be respectful, too. I want you to love me just like Jesus would. Debi Tyree

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!!!!


I hope everyone had a nice Halloween, it was a BEAUTIFUL one!!! This is only the 2nd Halloween I ever remember where we weren't bundled up in coats...usually you pay $50 for a stupid costume nobody ever sees because it's too cold to show it!!!! But tonight was beautiful. The kids didn't have school today...so I got to sleep in YAY ME!!! Then we went to Isaiah's appt w/ his DAN Dr. that went well, and we're on to step 2 where we're starting some supplements in addition to the diet. We are a week into the diet, and I haven't seen much if any change, until today...a physical change. I was running my fingers threw Isaiah's hair loveingly, when I relized something was missing. For the first time in 4 years there was no psoriasis. Isaiah has had a patch of psoriasis on head, a round spot at least 2x2...well it's gone completely. Mind you I have tried every single product on the market and have begged the pediatrition for something stronger because nothing has gotten rid of it. I mean we're talking to where its thick and bleeding when it's at it's worst...and now it's gone, not a cm of it left...so that's exciting. No changes in behaviors though, but hey it's only been a week!!! So after the Dr. appt we went to the orchard, they had an AMAZING event set up there, I hope they make this a yearly tradition it was so cool! Everything was free (which normally for a family of 5 you're looking at dropping $100 down for a day trip)...they had BOO CHOO rides (this little make shift train attatched to a tractor), hay rides, trick or treating in the animal farm (which I must say they got as much candy there as they did trick or treating in our entire neighborhood!), Pete the pumpkin eating dragon (made out of a crane) was "awake" (during normal days he only "wakes" up once an hour to do a show) Isaiah LOVES Pete...every since our first trip there 4 years ago, Isaiah waves to Pete every time we drive by the orchard. It was so much fun! Then we went home and it was time to trick or treat. Xander lasted an hour then he was ready to go home. So I took him home and Rob and the older two finished trick or treating. They have WAY too much candy...but we sure did have alot of fun!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

GF/CF/SF

Well, our first appt w/ our new DAN Dr. went great. Isaiah responded well to him. I like him and his knowledge and ideas. We will be mixing BIO MED,Chiropractics, and acupuncture for Isaiah's treatment. I don't know if or what insurance will cover because autism isn't "treatable" in their opinions so at this point in time they don't HAVE to cover these services...hopefully some day that will change.

So we are day three on the gluten free, casein free, soy free diet. We haven't seen any changes yet obviously, it's still way too early, I'm hopeful yet sceptically anxious.


Breakfast hasn't been as hard as I thought. I found a few cereals he can have, and he likes the almond milk yay!!! At this point he can still have eggs, and I found GF/CF/SF sausage patties.

Lunch is harder. Friday I sent him PB&J on rice cakes...but he didn't like the rice cakes. Oh well trial and error.

He goes back Friday for his next session w/ Dr. Chris.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Defeat Autism Now

We finally got our first DAN (Deafeat Autism Now) Dr. here in the suburbs! Before you either had to drive to Indianapolis or Chicago for one. Isaiah has an appt with him October 23.I've been a little reluctant to the whole biomed thing. I'm not the type to blindly jump on a bandwagon, and would never switch up my child's diet or start giving supplements on my own. But, I'm willing to safely try it under a trained Dr.'s guidance. Hopefully we'll see the improvements in Isaiah that so many other parents have seen in their autistic children...if not at least we'll know we've tried.

Like Me

Anyone who knows me...knows it takes alot to reach my heart...only 1 movie has ever made me cry, I watch people dieing every day at work and it almost never phases me...It take alot to move me...but this had me in tears. Maybe because it has so much to do w/ the struggles we're going threw with my autistic son, and my heart breaks for him every day, but since it moved me so much I really wanted to share this.

Like Me

I went to my dad, and I said to him,
There’s a new kid who’s come to my school.
He’s different from me and he isn’t too cool.
No, he’s nothing at all like me, like me,
No, he’s nothing at all like me.

He runs in a funnyish, jerkyish way,
And he never comes first in a race.
Sometimes he forgets which way is first base,
And he’s nothing at all like me, like me,
No, he’s nothing at all like me.

He studies all day in a separate class,
And they say that it’s called Special Ed.
And sometimes I don’t understand what he’s said.
No, he’s nothing at all like me, like me,
No, he’s nothing at all like me.

His face looks kind of different from mine,
And his talking is sometimes slow.
And it makes me feel funny and there’s one thing I know;
He is not at all like me,
No, he’s nothing at all like me!

And my father said, "Son, I want you to think
when you meet someone different and new,
That he may seem a little bit strange, it’s true,
But he’s not very different from you, from you,
No, he’s not very different from you".

Well I guess, I admitted, I’ve looked at his face;
When he’s left out of games he feels bad.
And when other kids tease him, I can see he’s so sad.
I guess that’s not so different from me, from me,
No, that’s not very different from me.

And when we’re in music, he sure loves to sing.
And he sings just like me, right out loud.
When he gets his report card, I can tell he feels proud.
And that’s not very different from me, from me,
No, that’s not very different from me.

And I know in the lunchroom he has lots of fun;
He loves hot dogs and ice cream and fries.
And he hates to eat spinach and that’s not a surprise,
Cause that’s not very different from me, from me,
No, that’s not very different from me.

And he’s always so friendly, he always says hi,
And he waves and he calls out my name.
And he likes to be friends and get into a game,
Which is not very different from me, from me,
No, I guess that’s not different from me.

And his folks really love him, I saw them at school,
I remember on Open School Night -
They were smiling and proud and they hugged him real tight,
And that’s not very different from me, from me,
No, that’s not very different from me.

So I said to my dad, "Hey, you know that new kid?"
Well I’ve really been thinking a lot.
Some things are different ... and some things are not ...
But mostly he’s really like me, like me,
Yes, my new friend’s ... a lot ... like me!

By: Emily Perl Kingsley

Friday, October 10, 2008

I wrote the teacher

So here was her responce, I just LOVE his teacher!

Mrs. ****,

I'm so sorry to hear that he is feeling left out. It appears that there is some apprehension or shyness when he's in the classroom with the students. When we work in small groups he seems to feel proud when he excels and interacts with the kids. However I feel it is very important to help him feel more comfortable with his classmates. I will check on places Isaiah isn't in my class to see if there are kids he's playing with at times. I will also find out who he would like to play or work with and buddy them up. Do you feel he would like to be moved to another table and sit with other kids? I can move several students if you think it will help.

The things we try will be done in such a way that he won't be singled out. Your input and suggestions are very important. Let me know what you think of the suggestions I have.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

I wish children came with instruction books

I don't know where to start, I'm just going to ramble for a minute because I don't know what else to do:::sigh:::: When Isaiah was in the special ed preschool they recommended he be put in general ed classes w/ special ed help. I always hoped and worried we made the right choice...and figured time would tell. Last year he did great...but it was kindergarten when everyone is friends. This year I ask him every day who he plays w/ at recess and he always says no one. It breaks my heart that my little boy has no friends. Maybe I should have him back in a special ed school. He's so in between, he just doesn't fit in anywhere. There's nothing in the world worse than being lonley, having no one to talk to, to relate to, to be friends with. Everyone should have at least ONE best friend in the world. I just so sad for my little guy. I just want him to have one friend :*(

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

I'm Single

Well, for the week anyway...Rob is out of town for a class he needs for work, It's gonna be so wierd. The kids will go to his sisters house after school, I will be at work. Since I get off work so late they will sleep over and she will drop them off here in the mornings. So after work there will be no husband or children in my house...I don't think I've slept in a house by myself...gosh EVER???? I moved out of my parents house, to a house w/ people, to having my daughter...so I"ve always lived w/ someone else...it will be strange living alone for a week!

Monday, October 6, 2008

No Menu Plan Monday...

I won't be doing a menu plan this week. Rob will be out of town from Tuesday morning threw Friday evening...I work all week and the kids will be with my sister in law after school, so there will be no one to cook for except me,so I will probably just do tv dinners this week or eat at the hospital cafeteria.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

His voice is music to my ears!

Xander has been such a late bloomer, he only JUST started talking this summer at 4 years old. I can't tell you how I worried, w/ already having an autistic child...although he showed no other symptoms and seemed to understand and follow commands unlike my older son, it's impossible for a mother not to worry when something isn't quite right with their child. Now that he is starting to talk hearing him is music to this mama's ears. Today he proudly showed me his homework, and told me how you make a D, w/ a stick down then you go back up and you make a big fat belly! I said who taught you that, he said My cheacher (teacher) taught me that, that's what her said. It's so neat to hear him speak in sentences and sponanously tell me about his day (something Isaiah still rarely can do). I told him how great his homework looked, and what a good job he did, to which he replied THANKS MOM! and gave me a great big hug...With Tierra I really took having a conversation with her for granted, it's such a special thing to be able to do with your child, I really treasure it now.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Menu Plan Monday

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Monday- "McRibs" (my copy cat version of McDonalds mcrib sandwhich)
Curly Fries
Tue- Crock Pot Chile and corn bread muffins

Wed-BBQ Chicken breasts and cheesey brocolli rice

Thur-Spegetti and garlic bread

Fri-Fozen pizza's

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Bored

Does anyone ever feel bored w/ life? In my line of work, I know how precious life is, and I know if can change in the blink of an eye, and I know not to take it for granted and not to waste a single day...but KNOWING all of that and applying all of that are two different things. I just feel so bored with life. Whenever anyone asks me what's new, I cringe...it just seems like nothing's ever new and nothing ever changes. I wake up take care of the kids and go to work. Seriously same crap different day. I feel so guilty I feel like life is passing me by. I don't know how to get out of this slump, how do I bring some excitement into my life? Any ideas???

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tagged by Christina

Tagged by Christina

I got tagged by Christina! The directions are to post a favorite pic of me and my children and answer the following questions, then tag as many as I'd like!
Here we go:

1. How many kids do you have? 3

2. What are their ages? 11,6,4

3. What time do you usually start your day? 6am Mon-Fri, Weekends depends on where we have to be and what time, but if no where...noon if I can help it!

4. What do they eat for breakfast? Tierra and Xander eat cereal. Isaiah likes to eat breakfast at school

5. Do they get to watch T.V.? Yes, it is always on in the background but they barely watch more than 5 mins here and there while playing.

6. What's their favorite activity? Tierra is cheering and shopping. Isaiah and Xander like playstation and playing w/ his friends, and guns and swords

7. Do you get a break during the day for some "you" time? Yep every night when I come home from work, everyone is asleep and the house is so quiet, I get on the computer and try and relax

8. How do you end your day? read above

9. What's your best parenting advice or tip? hmm, gosh pick your battles I guess. You can't stress about every little thing you'll make both of you crazy

10. I tag anyone and everyone who reads this and has never been tagged...TAG ur it!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Menu for the week Sept 8-12

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Monday... Taco Bake and Spanish Rice
Tuesday... Colorful Kielbasa and bread
Wed... Beef noodle bowl and salad
Thur... Cranberry Chicken
Friday... Slithering Stromboli

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Great News!!!!

FINALLY, some good news on my Grandma, she saw the oncologist today, and because they caught the cancer so early they are able to get away with just doing a lumpectomy. They dont believe she'll even need radiation or anything. Sounds like it will be a nice simple procedure and she'll be fine THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!

Monday, September 1, 2008

What's for Dinner this Week

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Monday.... (Labor day) Hamburgers and Hot dogs on the grill, corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans and watermelon

Tuesday.....Egg Salad Sandwiches (that I never made last week lol) and mac shells w/ Velveeta cheese

Wed.... Chicken, Broccoli, rice and cheese casserole

Thur...Garlic Chicken with egg noodles

Fri.. Tater tot casserole and corn bread muffins

Saturday, August 30, 2008

losing my job

Ugh, rumor has it (from a supervisor not just the rumor mill) that they are closing down my department. We always worried this would happen w/ the new hospital buy out. I'm in a float department where we cover the staffing needs of the whole hospital. I'm sure they would offer us jobs w/in the hospital, but our department makes alot more money than the other departments. I'm bummed I love my job and love the pay. I don't know what I'm going to do, I can't imagine taking a job on the floor making 1/2 the $$$ I do now::::::::::sigh:::::::::

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

So it's not monday...but here's the menu for what's left of the week anyway

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Wed: Meatloaf, baked beans, corn bread
Thur: Egg Salad Sandwiches, Velveeta shells and cheese
Fri:Spaghetti garlic bread

Chore List

Monday...Pick up house, Dust, Vacuum, 1 load of laundry
Tuesday...Sweep, mop kitchen and bathroom floors, 1 load of laundry
Wednesday...Clean bathrooms, 1 load of laundry
Thursday...Organizing day, spend the time reorganizing whatever is getting out of hand, 1 load of laundry
Friday...Do whatever didn't get done earlier in the week, plus 1 load of laundry

Sat&Sun realistically are too busy with the kids activities to plan any cleaning schedule.

Ok, here's my daily Grind....

Here's my M-F schedule, now just need to figure out which chores get done on which days.



6:00 am Get Tierra up for school
7:10 am Tierra leaves for school
7:15 am Get Isaiah up for school
8:10 am Isaiah leaves for school
8:30-11:00 am nap
11:00 am M/W/F Get Xander ready for school
12-2pm Thursday Xander has speech
Monday 12:30pm-2:00 House work
2:00-2:30 pm get ready for work
2:30 pm leave for work
12:00 am get home from work.
12:00 am Eat dinner, fold load of laundry unwind of computer before bed
2:00 am go to bed

Need to get organized...

OK summer's over and believe me when I say I took the summer off and relaxed. I did the bare minimum of cleaning, cooking, you name it! I relaxed and enjoyed my summer and it was great. But a family can't function like that on a permanent basis, not effectively anyway. So I need to get back into a routine, I need to get myself back on a schedule, and do my weekly menu's again, and get a list of certain chores again. It's time to quit slacking and get back to reality...So I need to work on a daily/weekly schedule that I can commit to and follow and hopefully motivate myself to get back on top of things. So that is on my to-do list, this week, so starting Monday I will have a comprehensive effective plan put into place.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I can't believe this is happening!!!


Isaiah started first grade today. He's been so excited about it, I thought he would jump out of bed and drag me out of the house this morning. But instead he woke up and said "I can't believe this is happening" lol!!! My baby was NERVOUS!!! He knows he's in for a long day. He wouldn't even eat breakfast the poor thing! But he got dressed with the cute little outfit his sister picked out for him, and grabbed his over stuffed back pack and his lunch lovingly packed by his mama and trotted out the door. He was unusually quiet the whole ride to school. We got there, and I walked him in and he met his teacher and recognized a few of his friends (and of course the one kid he can't stand ended up in his class lol). I'm so nervous for him! I hope he does ok...man I wish I could be a fly on the wall in his class today!!!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Middle School, Football, and Cancer

Today was a day full of mixed emotions, lets see...my baby girl went off to Middle School today, embarking on a new chapter of her life. With the pride and excitement I feel, it's hard not to feel a twinge of sadness watching her become less and less of a baby every day.

My middle one had his first foot ball game today, it wasn't an actual game per say, but what they call a scrimmage just 2 teams playing against each other, but nothing that actually counts on the roster. I was very proud of him, unlike what he's been showing in practice he actually did good out there. If they were keeping score I'm pretty sure his team would have lost, but that's OK, because he REALLY tried, and that's what's important to me.

Then on a crappy note, we got the test results back and my Grandma has breast cancer. I'm obviously devastated by the news, but hopeful that we caught it early and MAYBE there's some hope in it, although I know she will not doing anything very aggressive. My Grandma is a wonderful woman, she is the strongest Christian I know, she is my hope and inspiration in life, she's so smart and strong and just too incredible to describe. I'm sure God can not wait to have her home with Him but I'm selfish, and there's not a whole lot of great people like that in my life, and I really want to hold on to the ones I have. So anyway that was my day with its ups and it's downs...it sure was one heck of a day!

School begins


Where did the time go, I know it's cliche to say "it seems like only yesturday", but MAN how does time get away from you like this, I remember when I got pregnant with my first precious gift from God, I felt like I would be pregnant forever, then she was born, and I felt like she would stay a baby forever...you reach milestone after milestone and it's hard to imagine that you will ever be at the next one, but before you know it you're there. So here we are at another milestone in our lives, MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!! I'm excited and nervous as we begin this new venture of our lives. I am proud of the person she has become so far, and pray that as she grows into the person she'll become, she doesn't change too much. I pray she keeps her sweetness, her innocence, and her kind and loving spirt.