My someday list

I am not a high maintenance person. I know that is one thing that my husband is thankful for. The other night my husband and I went on a dinner cruise on the lake near us for his work. It was a networking type event, and was very nice. The food was good, people were pleasant, but he and I both kind of went, this is not our first choice of where we'd like to be. We would both be perfectly content with a night out consisting of a matinee movie and dinner. Even dinner at a fast food restaurant is fine, though a place that uses plates and washable utensils is a fun treat!! Right now, in this season of life, our focus is on our family, and I think that's kind of how God has it planned. This is only a season; the kids will grow. I'll go back to work full time someday, and then the bank account will hopefully grow too. There will be a time for vacations that don't involve costumed characters, for meals that don't come with free toys, and for quiet evenings. That isn't now. Someday we may have a few extra dollars to visit overseas, maybe even catch one of those European cruises, or my husband's first choice, travel back to Alaska. Someday. To everything there is a season....

Individualized Home Instruction Plan

So I help to lead a homeschool group, but I had a panic moment a few days ago. My quarterly report for my girls was due, oh, right then, and my letter of intent (letting the school district know I plan to do this again next year) was due in a few days, and I had nothing ready. We had done the school work, no problems there, but the record keeping and reporting was another matter. I dragged out the calendar and lists and got things together relatively quickly, phew!! And then, well, I was in the zone, so I dragged out stuff for next year too. In New York state we have to hand in an IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan) each year by August 15th, after we send it that letter of intent (July 1st), summarizing our plan for the next academic year, sort of a syllabus for each child you are homeschooling. You have to list off the required subjects and then how each one will be addressed. Luckily my girls are only two years apart, so we are able to do a few subjects together, Bible (we use Calvary Chapel’s free through the Bible curriculum), History (we use Ambleside Online’s free booklists), and Science (we like Apologia but are doing science as part of a co-op this year). We also do Literature together (sounds good, but it just really means we sit and read good books as a family). Even though I am personally anti-workbook, the kids like ‘em, so they have workbooks for Math and Language Arts (we use Alpha Omega for both). Besides that all, we fill in the blanks with field trips, reading, educational stuff from TV, and a few other co-op classes. Done!!!

I’ve mentioned to people before that this part of the homeschooling deal isn’t too bad – I enjoy planning it out and even teaching it all. The tricky part for me is the day in and day out living life right in front of and with your kids. It’s a good thing, but a hard thing. Because you are together so much, well, you can drive each other a bit batty. And it’s easy to get caught up in the lists of to-do’s and forget why it is that you’re doing this. It’s easy to neglect character development for the times table, and how goofy is that?!? So perhaps this year I need to write an IHIP for myself, and leave spots for me to back up, slow down and refocus, to make sure that I’m not getting off track. Not a bad plan :).

Baby Dolls

I got a glimpse of my daughter today hanging out with a few of her friends and she suddenly looked so old to me, so grown up. I'm not fully ready for that. I have always viewed my parenting job as one of preparation, of giving my kiddos what they need and training them up so that when it's time for them to head out on their own they'll be ready. But will I be ready?
I mean, we're still only at 10 years old here, so I have some time, but these ten years so far have flown by!! I'm not ready for, in another ten years, them to turn from my babies to someone's wife, for them to trade in their dollies for a different kind of babydolls . Yikes! I guess I better make the best of each and every moment!!

Missing It

More Max Lucado – there are just so many “nuggets” of wisdom, and of encouragement, in this book, God Came Near. This is speaking of the night when Jesus was born into our world….

“Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he has just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?”

Wow…. I say that a lot as I read his stuff. It has a way of just piercing right in and challenging me where I need it? How often am I just too busy to notice the amazing things going around me? How often do I miss the important things because I am caught up in the “tyranny of the urgent”, the many insignificant things that drain my time and my energy and are of little lasting importance? Wow…..

This body

It seems like I wax on about body stuff here, taking care of it and such, but it really is such a huge part of our life, isn't it? We need to feed this body, clean it, exercise it (hopefully), and just do lots to take care of it. I want to do it well, not because of a desire to look the girls on the swimsuit calendar - that idea went away a long time ago, sometime between child #1 and 2, but because I really do believe that it's been given to us by God to take care of, and to do the things that we are supposed to be doing here. If we don't take care of it well, it won't work well, and that's just not responsible, is it? Anyway, easier said than done. I love junk food, I don't love exercise, and I don't always do all the research that I should on what is good for me. It seems like there is always a new idea out about nutrition, a new supplement on the market; it's hard to keep track! Lately I've been hearing lots about antioxidants and superfoods. There are even supplements that are full of good stuff that are supposed to also help you to lose weight, like Leptovox . Little steps are better than nothing, right? So I'll pass on the extra dessert today, and I will take my vitamins and supplements. Maybe exercise comes tomorrow :).

Majesty in the mundane

More Max Lucado...

"Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks. Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph's sadedle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can't take her eyes off of him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. "His kingdom will never end."

He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!!"

Wild. You know, it's easy to confine thinking about this much to the Christmas season, but wow. It really happened. It really happened for you and for me. Wow!

Relaxing....

Planning a camping trip soon, and I know it will be fun, but yikes!! The work and packing one must do to get ready to relax are lots!!! Sleeping bags, cooler, pillows, towels, clothes, tent stuff, cooking stuff, argghh! Ok - less blogging and more list making!! :)

Not it!!!

You know how when you're a kid you can call out "not it!!!" to get out of doing a multitude of things? It works in games of tag, in who has to clean up something, just for a bunch of stuff. Well, I keep trying that in my grown up life, but it doesn't work quite as well.

In our house there live two grownups, a ten year old, an eight year old, a two year old, a dog, a cat, three gerbils, four fish, and many plants in various stages of dying. Plus we homeschool, so we have books and projects, lots of piles of books and projects, and papers.... All of these things put together add up to one messy house.

When I walk into our house and smell the gerbil cages, or see a pile of papers that has collapsed onto itself, I've tried calling out "Not it!!", but the thing is, no one is listening!! No one is playing along with me. Well, I have delegated out the tasks that I can. My husband has sole responsibility for the garage. I don't clean the garage - I barely open the door - too scary. My oldest daughter cuts the lawn, with supervision, and has started doing some laundry. She also scoops her dog's poop, with much prompting. My younger daughter sets the table, does some tidying, some sock matching and laundry folding, and the little guy cleans up his own room. The dog even has the responsibility of cleaning up after the two year old, which she does quite happily, off the floor, off his lap, crumbs are hers!! So I guess it's working a little bit.


Saving energy by doing things smartly is a good thing, and I'm working on it. A tool that would be handy to have to help me to do that better is the new Dirt Devil AccuCharge. Neat products that have gotten so good at saving energy themselves that they are the first cordless cleaning tools to earn Energy Star approval. Soooo, I'll keep on trying, and maybe someday I'll be recognized for my superior cleaning and such too (hahahaha - sure :)).

Abundance

God is so good.

I was feeling very just worn out last night, through the night, and into this morning, kind of like a sponge that had been pressed, twisted, and wrung out. I was having one of those feels like there's nothing left to pull from moments. We've all had them, more often if you're a mom.
Anyway, getting grumpy, snapping at those I love, and feeling sorry for myself.

This morning I decided to do a short devotional, rather than jumping into the "to dos" and I read from my "Mom's Devotional Bible" 2 Kings 4:1-7. It's the story of a poor widow who calls out to help from one of God's prophets. She's destitute and the bill collectors are coming. She's basically empty - nothing there - my emptiness is pretty good compared to hers. Now maybe she did have a little pity party like I've been having and it's not recorded for us. All that it says though, is that she cried out for help. (We moms can do that? We don't have to be super mom and do it all ourselves?) Elisha (the prophet) asks her what she does have, she says nothing at all, except a tiny bit of oil. He tells her to go to everyone she knows and collect containers, and she does it. I think I'd be saying, "Ok mister, I just told you I am broke and the debt collector is on the way to take my sons as slaves because I can't pay him. Now is not the time to start a jar collection. Thanks sooo much for the help." That is probably why God has not chosen to record stories about me for future followers.... The widow just obeys. She gathers heaps of containers, and then starts pouring her tiny bit of oil, and pouring, and pouring. Under Elisha's direction she fills every container, and then the oil is finally gone. Now, because of her obedience, we are told she could pay her debts and live off the rest of the profits from that oil. Wow. I tell my kids obedience pays off, but do I really believe like this woman did? Or sometimes does God have to let us get so empty, like the widow, that we are ready and willing to believe? To obey?

God, I know that you are able to fill me, to take the little bit that I do have and make it enough. Help me to be humble enough to ask for help, and then to take the steps you lay before me. Thanks for being patient with me.....

Meeting up

I've jabbered before about how this world of blogdom is a neat way to connect, to "meet" others that you would never cross paths with in real life... So I've met an architect who lives in the Phillipines and has a site at http://randomectomy.blogspot.com/ . Yep, chances are he and I wouldn't have bumped into each other at the grocery store, but now we've "met", and I've gotten a glimpse into his world, the shows he watches, the hobbies he has. Pretty cool....

And the ears...

And the pediatrician says that the ears are not infected, at least not just yet. So that's fun.... If we wait a little bit longer maybe the cold will settle in there, and then we can go in again and then start medicine. Wow - I'm cranky. No more chatting on here right now!!!

Ears

Hi ho hi ho, it's off to the pediatrician we go. Two year old reports that he has an ear infection and the doctor can fix it. Fun fun fun.....

Mommy bloggers

Wow - there are a lot of mommy bloggers, myself included, out here!! I didn't understand it until I started doing it, but I think blogging fills a real need that moms have, connection. It's so easy, especially if you are a stay at home mom, to become isolated in kiddo land, to allow your world to shrink to your four walls, only venturing out to buy baby supplies or run somebody to a lesson of some sort. Child rearing is definitely a series of seasons, and there is a season for really nestling in, but we are made to be social as well. Being social in the real flesh and blood world takes work, timing, maybe even showers and brushed teeth!! :) Being social in cyberland is quite a bit easier. You can chat with baby spit up on your shoulder, with a pile of laundry on your lap, and even with someone tantrumming behind you, and no one will ever know!!! This also translates to some amazing work from home opportunities. Now, I am a pro at finding work at home scams. My husband likes to tease me about the envelopes I have stuffed, things I have telemarketed, and even miniature doll furniture I have assembled, in the name of working at home, but the web has offered some legitimate work, albeit mixed in with some of the doozies too. One of the true paying opportunities is offered by SocialSpark, allowing mommies to do some blogging for pay, creating a buzz about products for advertisers. It's good stuff. Like any true job, it takes some time and work to get it going, but it's real, and it can truly be done with laundry in your lap - I've done it!!! :)"

God Came Near

I'm reading a book that I read years ago, more than once, but it just moves me each time... It's called "God Came Near", and it's by an author named Max Lucado. He is a pastor, but his books read like stories, just pulling you in and wrapping themselves around you. As I read through this time, I'm kind of going to use this blog as my journal, sharing highlights and such...

Just a taste tonight...

"Has it been a while since you have seen him? If your prayers seem stale, it probably has. If your faith seems to be trembling, perhaps your vision of him has blurred. If you can't find the power to face your problems, perhaps it is time to face him.

One warning. Something happens to a person who has witnessed His Majesty. He becomes addicted. One glimpse of the King and you are consumed with a desire to see more of him and say more about him. Pew-warming is no longer an option. Junk religion will no longer suffice. Sensation-seeking is needless. Once you have seen his face you will forever long to see it again."

This is obviously the beginning, or near it... The book is just all about showing us God, letting us see Him well, just really see Him. Good stuff. You ready?

Moving Fearlessly

So I visit a lot of websites, and read a lot of blogs these days, all different shapes and sizes, but once in a while one jumps out and grabs me. Today's website of note is http://movefearlessly.com/, and it is a digital scrapbooking storefront, but also has a blog at http://movefearlessly.com/blog/ . This author is just a compelling writer, and I walked away from my "time" with her feeling like I had really gotten to know her. I'm sure I'll be back for many more visits, to see how she's doing, to encourage and be encouraged, and maybe, just maybe, she'll even inspire me to blow the dust off of those scrapbooks on the shelf (what's five years of waiting? :) )

Another Blogger Resource

I found another neat blogging community today - there are soooo many out there!!Check out http://www.mybloglog.com/ for bunches of different communities to link up with. I am currently Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification with them, so I'll let you know how it goes....

Aloha!

As anyone who's read a few of my posts knows, I am a mom of a few small kiddos, so my vacations currently consist of camping, weekends at water parks and such, but someday, someday the second honeymoon will come around, and Hawaii is on the short list of places I'd like to go. I've come across a few sites that offer some great information about Hawaii (http://blog.going2oahu.com ) and flights to it ( http://cheapflights.going2oahu.com ), and they will be bookmarked for that day!!

A Bigger Peace

I talked a few days ago on here about making and keeping peace in my family and such, and then today I came across someone asking for people's views on attaining world peace. I am really not by nature a pessimistic person, but I have to say on this one, not going to happen. That's not to say that we shouldn't strive for peace in every level of our lives, all the way up to the world level, because that certainly is a worthwhile goal, and brings rewards even in the striving, but we live in a broken world full of broken people, and those simple facts aren't changing. I derive most of my values from the Bible, and there is LOTS in there about being a peacemaker, so I do say press on!!

"He has committed us to the message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19b, The Bible

Truth Laid Bear

I am still such a blog newbie!! I love, however, finding little, and large blog communities and digging around. I found a big blogger "ecosystem" today at http://www.truthlaidbear.com/ . Very cool stuff. They log and sort all different kinds of blogs, and it's just fun to browse there. Anyway, just wanted to share... :)

Moms

My mom spent the weekend with us. It was wonderful to see her, but hard. Hard because it makes me realize how much I miss having her nearby all of the time. She is an amazing lady, loving and devoted beyond measure, fiercely protective, determined, never ending in perseverance in spite of crazy obstacles, incredibly smart, funny, a little quirky (so that's where I get it from :)), and just really neat. Each year that passes in my grown up years helps me to see a little more clearly how much she loved and loves my sisters and me, and now our families. When you're in the middle of growing up you don't really see things the same way that you see them on the other side of things, as a parent. Parenting is hard, and like my mom, I am not doing it perfectly, but I hope down the road my girls will look back, and through teared up eyes, smile as they remember. I hope that they'll make the same phone calls that I've been making, saying the "I'm sorry"s and the "thank you"s that should have been said years ago, and I hope that they'll learn to cherish the gifts that we've been give in each other.

Payday loan

Money, money, money.... As a grownup it's a never ending issue, isn't it? We budget, we plan, we think we have things covered, and then, surprise!! Tires go flat, doctor copays spring up, shoes get holes, and the budget is broken. What to do to make things stretch to cover until the next payday? Ideally you'll have an emergency savings account, but we don't live in an ideal world, and sometimes that account gets used up or just never gets started. Second best is a rich relative who doesn't mind floating an interest free loan. Again, not always going to happen. Sooo, another option that I've found out about is Loans Until Payday . This organization can offer a payday loan to you with only a three minute application online and no credit check. If you have a need for cash in between your paydays, you have a steady job, and you are able to pay back this loan, this could be a lifesaver!

Peacemaking

It seems like much of my time involves keeping the peace, or making peace, between my two girls in the midst of a squabble, between one of the girls and our little guy here, between kids and dad, between husband and wife, even between the cat and the dog. And that's just inside of our four walls. Then there's peacekeeping to be done in our homeschool group, in our church, in our extended families. Part of that is just hardwired into my personality. I just really like for folks to be getting along, and I'm usually pretty good at helping to facilitate that. Sometimes my husband picks on me for my incessant need to promote peace.

"There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace." Proverbs 12:20, The Bible

"He has committed us to the message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19b, The Bible

So it's a good thing. It's not just that I like to exist without a lot of conflict. God has called us to this, to try to live in peace, and to try to create it around us. It doesn't come easy in a house with three young kids who are together 24/7, two imerperfect grownups, too many animals, and all of life that swirls around us, but we'll keep plugging away, and enjoying the joy that is our reward.

Mind-Body Connections cont. AGAIN

Ok - so it's been a week or so, or more, since I attempted to finish up sharing some of what I learned at the convention about the "Biology of Learning and Behavior." Let's try again :).

"Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1, The Bible

How am I doing in taking the best care I can of this body, to make it pleasing to the One who made it? Or taking care of the little ones He's trusted me with, mind and body? The more information I've been given about how to do it well, the higher standard I think He'll hold me to - scary!!

"Children act how they feel." Sydney Walker MD,

When I heard Dianne Craft speak a few weeks back about learning and behavior, one of the key things she touched on was the massive essential fatty acid deficiency that is going on in so many of us today, because of the changes in our diets, and the changes in the way that food is processed (and the amount of processed food we eat).

Dianne listed off some behavioral characteristics of essential fatty acid deficiency: inattention, impulsivity, anxiety, dyslexia, dyspraxia(coordination problem), ADD, sensory integration problems, hyperactivity, speech problems, and auditory processing problems. Yikes! And physical ones: excessively thirsty, dry skin, asthma/eczema, warts, bumps on back of arms, dry hair, chapped lipps, prematurity, white spots on fingernails (zinc deficiency - zinc is needed to use EFAs), and LOVES butter and mayo (trying to get those fats!).

Quick rabbit trail - she mentions Sensory Integration problems - here are a few markings of these: sensitive to loud noises, transitions are hard, grinds teeth, dislikes being in a group, delayed language, food textures bother them, selective eater, chews on clothing, clothing tags bother them, socks have to be seamless, and dislikes non-soft clothing. All kids may have one or two of these "issues" to a certain extent, but SI kids REALLY have them , and they can be consuming.

There may be other things that are feeding into these things we, or our kids, are struggling with, but if it really is something as simple as an essential fatty acid deficieny, how sad would it be to not correct something so easily correctable? All that we need to do is stop eating so much processed/boxed foods (good oils are removed to help product last longer and bad oils are added that our body can't use well), eat more fish, use more real butter and mayo, and drink more water. Additional supplementation with fish oil and primrose oil can also be helpful, and actually has been shown to raise levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin!! A recommended supplementation regimen (by Dr. Sturdy) is 500 mg DHA, 1200 Eve Primrose Oil, and 120 ius' vit. E. You can find this blend already in Nature's Way EFA Blend for children. You can also find the fish oil component in cod liver oil (that stuff really is good for us!!)

Oh, one more quick thing - Lecithin - found in oatmeal, eggs and soybeans, is a happy thing to go along with the EFAs. It actually breaks down the EFAs so our body can use them better. As a side perk, it calms the nervous system, settles down hyperactivity, lowers cholesterol, improves auditory memory, and improves chemical brain activity. Not bad!! Dianne Craft (http://www.diannecraft.org/) recommends taking it in granule form for best results (it can be sprinkled on or added to all kinds of stuff).

So that's it - food for thought... oh, how punny!!!

Have a good one!

Pizza Hut's Book It for Homeschoolers

I was planning to go to bed a while ago, but my mind was wandering, and I got thinking about the Pizza Hut Book it program (http://www.bookitprogram.com/enrollment/homeschool.asp) and wondering when I needed to sign up for next year. (Homeschooling mom problem - never really stop planning and thinking school stuff!) So I googled it, and found out that would be NOW. So, if you haven't done so yet, homeschoolers don't sign up as a group from here on out. Each family is on it's own. Head to the link above and sign up quickly, before spots are filled up. If you haven't done this program before, it's great - free personal pizzas and prizes for reading. Great incentive for kiddos and fun night out for the family. It's for grades K-6, and that's about all you need to know. Go do it :)!!!

Good intentions

I had such great intentions of being one of the faithful "daily bloggers", the ones who have something meaningful to share every single day. Well, then life with kids kind of says YEAH RIGHT! Meaningful stuff happens, but I am running so fast that I forget to notice, and certainly to share it. Soooo, here I sit rambling, after not having blogged for a very long time, ready to try again, tomorrow... We'll see how that goes :)

Flag Day

Quick - origin of Flag Day?
Me neither...
Well, here you go...
In 1885 Bernard Cigrand was a young teacher, and decided to assign his students to write essays about the American flag and its significance. This was the beginning of a 31 year mission to bring about a national flag day. In 1916 Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14th as Flag Day, to be annually commerated.

Blogging for Dollars

I have another website/blog that I use primarily for blogging for pay - http://www.tryingtostayhome.faithweb.com . I am having a hard time getting that one up in Google ranking, or even on the search engine. Any ideas? Maybe it's too paid work heavy... Still trying to figure this all out...

Two steps forward, one step back

So I've been taking my acidophilus for over a week now, and started my grapefruit seed extract. I've been eating more raw food (fruits and veggies) and encouraging my family to do so too. Good stuff. But I also stopped at Cumberland Farms and bought myself a 32 oz Mountain Dew today, and rummaged through the fridge and found an old bag of half eaten peanut m and ms. Can we call it two steps forward and one back? Still moving in the right direction?

Business Help

Well, it seems like lots of the people I rub shoulders with are small business owners or self employed, and I've come across something that might be helpful for all of them, all of us... It's an Online Time and Expense program that helps businesses track timesheets, business expenses, payroll and billing.

They even share Timesheet success stories on their website. Anyway, it's a free software program, so wouldn't hurt to check it out. Happy check it out-ing :)

More Body-Mind Connections

So I shared about the connection between our gut and our physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health a few days ago.

When I listed to Dianne Craft speak (www.diannecraft.org) she shared some great stuff about essential fatty deficiency too, but oops - little people awake and needing help. I'll be back!

Transformer Car

Every once in a while I get a request to do a post that I really don't understand, and this is one of them. It's for Chevrolet Europe but I don't really get it. Take a peek at the picture below. It's something about this transformer car. I wouldn't ramble on about something that I found really bad,, so I'm not saying that. I'm just confused, which is not at all unusual. So, take a peek at the car doing strange things, think about those old transformers in the box in basement and enjoy :).

How it's going

So it's been over a week of trying to not drink Mountain Dew. I've really only made two days totally. A few days I had a 20 oz in the fridge I just kind of sipped off of. Wow. This is making mre realize how hooked I really am - what is in that stuff? Oh, but it's good!

Blog Contest

There are definitely many, many bloggers out there who are much more blog savvy, computer savvy and well, just smarter than me. :) One such blogger is running a little contest on his website, and asked me to link up these words:
linux, robot kits, pic programming, virtual volunteer
I don't exactly understand it all, but if check out his site - www.cruzinthegalaxie.com - there's some good stuff happening there!

Body-Mind connections

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, The Bible

We attended a homeschool convention last weekend (I know, a wild group!!) and heard and excellent speaker on a topic I hadn't really put tons of thought into before. The title of her workshop was called "The Biology of Learning and Behavior." You know, I have a degree in Psychology, and one in education as well. I've been a Christian for years, reading my Bible lots (sometimes more faithfully than others) for many of them, but I had a "lightbulb" moment when I heard her speaking.

Much of what I'm going to summarize here is on this speaker's website, http://www.diannecraft.org/ , but I still want to throw out what I brought away from the talks I heard.

Dianne wove together well the different parts of these bodies that we've been given, the different parts of us, spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, and then broke it down even farther into chemical. I like her approach, because she didn't seek to excuse problems in learning, or in behavior, which is a pet peeve of mine: "I can't help behaving this way, _____ made me do it!!" She rather sought for an explanation so that parents can more intelligently, and more thoroughly, help their kiddos to become all of who God made them to be.

"Children act how they feel." Sydney Walker in The Hyperactivity Hoax

Many quotes and statistics dotted the workshop, and I just walked away feeling like I was a lot more equipped to take care of myself better, and also to train my kiddos to do the same.

One of the key pieces that we learned about was "upset gut", or digestive system, and how so many behavioral, learning, and physical issues are tied into an unhealthy gut. Another quote: "Over 95% of the calming neurotransmitter, Serotonin, is made in the Gut," Michael Gershon in The Second Brain. Some behavioral symptoms of an unhealthy gut: mood swings, spaciness, anger/irritability, inconsistent performance, depression, memory problems, inappropriate behavior, talking loudly, Sensory Integration issues, inattention, and Asperger and Austistic-like behaviors. Some physical symptoms: canker sores, stomach-aches, leg pains, sugar cravings, food and other allergies, enuresis, nervousness, sleep problems, cradle cap, lactose intolerance, thrush and athlete's foot, immune system disorders, and impulsivity. A histamine release is also triggered, which is a neurotoxin to our bodies, causing excess mucus, exis acid, stomaches, dark circls, cnifflin, snoring, excema, and asthma and bronchitis. Wow!

Serotonin is in the health news a lot. We know that it is the happy neurotransmitter in our bodies, relaxing us, helping us feel better, helping us handle stress better, focusing us, but it also reduces impulsivity, promotes good sleep, and actually acts as an antidepressant. Sooooo, if we have an unhealthy gut and that's where most of our Serotonin is made, that's not a good thing. Our body is not working in the way that God created it to. Scripture tells us to take care of the bodies that we've been given. So how do we fix this?
It really isn't too complicated - yeah!!

One of the big reasons for an upset gut is that the bacteria and yeasts in our gut, things that are supposed to be there, are just out of balance. Our culture is a sugar laden culture, and sugar grows yeast, lots and lots of yeast. Many of us have way too much yeast growing in us because we feed them way too often. The yeast can actually get a little overexcited and start making little holes in our gut wall. Things that we are eating that were never intended to enter our bloodstream, things that were intended to pass on through the body, are leaking through and causing all sorts of problems. We need to get rid of some of those naughty little yeasties and get balanced.

Three steps and that's it to get your gut balanced and clear the way for your body to work in the wonderful way that it was designed:

• Take acidophilus (available at health food stores and online) 3 times a day for 3 months. This "plants" good bacteria in your gut. Capsules can be opened and mixed into food for kiddos.
• After a week of the above, take grapefruit seed extract tablets 3 times a day for 3 months, if over 6, or 1/2 tab 3 times a day if younger. This is an antifungal, which will help weed out the "bad guys" in your gut. Garlic is also an antifungal.
• Reduce sugar and empty carbs. Change breakfast menu to include more things like eggs and sandwiches, less empty carbs (cereals). Change snacks to more healthful ones, and add more raw food to your diet. Drink more water.

That's it. We are jumping in and giving this a try, so I'll let you know how it progresses. I've heard lots of success stories, and I figure that it can't hurt. God created our bodies to be his temple, He says. It's probably about time that I clean it up....

Office talk

So I've been out of an office environment for quite a few years, and there are a lot of officey things that I have no idea about, even though I help to run a home one. I've been hearing about SLOBS lately, an acronym for something found around offices. I think I have some in my house too! "So who are the SLOBs, or Strange Little Office Beings as they're officially known? Though you may never have actually seen a SLOB lurking around your desk, you've almost seen the evidence of their existence. After all, where do you think all those missing pens go? SLOBs are strange little things; no one knows quite how they came to exist. In fact all we do really know is that wherever there are office supplies you're sure to find a SLOB." Interesting, hm? I wonder if they sneak into houses to grab the missing socks too!!

Office Depot Slob's Racing is a new online game that let's you see these little SLOBs up close, and have some fun too :)

Quitting Mountain Dew

Truly thank God, I've never been addicted to alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. Unless you want to count caffeine. I am a diehard Mountain Dew junkie. We're talking get headaches without, think about when next getting it, pretty sad. So I'm trying to quit. We'll see how that goes!

Hiding

So we've had a few rough days here... maybe fall out from too much busyness, maybe something more, not sure. A tempting thought when we've been heading in the wrong direction is to just start over. I'm NOT talking about ditching my family, at least for more than an hour or two :), but the idea of just packing up and starting again, somewhere new, fresh start. We don't have the ability to do that right now, but you know what new show has kind of captured my attention lately? One that is pretty much based on folks in witness protection, having to start over, but in hiding. It's USA Network's new original series In Plain Sight. I can live vicariously through them!! If I had to go into hiding, I think I'd head to Alamogordo, New Mexico. I mean, who would look there?

It's a gorgeous area, but it's really kind of in the middle of nowhere. Alamogordo actually is a fair size town, with amenities and such, but I remember visiting some very remote towns up on the sides of the mountains in the picture. That's where I'd go. But, since I've shared it here, should the opportunity ever come up, I guess I'd better head in the opposite direction now!! :)

Pool

Anybody else have an "easy set up pool"? Can we all do a collective laugh at that one!?! Much of today spent wrestling with one... not much to show for lots of work today. Deep breath in and out.... okay - time for getting supper moving and off to softball!

Summer shopping

I've mentioned before that I like the outdoors. Camping, hiking, fishing; our family likes them all (not me so much with the fishing, but I'm outnumbered.). We like to have clothes that fit our lifestyle, that are comfortable and can stand up to a little bit of abuse. I think I've found a website (http://www.lapolicegear.com/) that offers this kind of clothing. They have all sorts of things that they deal in, but the 5.11 Tactical Shorts caught my eye. Not only do they appear to be sturdy and practical, LA Police Gear is currently offering free shipping, free return shipping, and a free hat when you buy just two items. Buy more and they have more incentives. I like it! Free stuff. Good stuff.