Monday, November 26, 2012

Matthew Meets Jeff

A few weeks ago I saw in the paper that the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books was going to be signing the latest book in the series in Fort Atkinson.  Matthew just loves that series so I called the bookstore and got one of the few remaining spots.  They were only allowing 100 books to be signed during the event and only two people could come per book.

We got to the bookstore just as they were letting people come in and wait inside.  We had to pick up our copy of the book and then wait.  Eight-year-olds do NOT wait very well when they are excited, let me tell you!  He was so cute!  The author's staff was VERY efficient and when he arrived, they went through the line and got the name's of the kids on post-it's, then another staff member put the post it right where the author would be signing.  When we got to the author, the book was all ready to go.  He signed the book and then drew a quick picture of the main character's head.  Matthew was so shy but did manage to say "hi" before I took his picture.

It was so fun and so special to share this neat experience with Matthew and I hope he never forgets it.  And now that I think about it, this is the second celebrity Matthew has met and has a picture with.  We net Alton Brown when Matt was only 2 months old.  I should probably start a scrapbook for him....

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Health Update

I thought that I might update on the health issues in our household since my posting has been very minimal.  I have taken more to shorter updates on Facebook rather than lengthy ones here on the blog, so sorry for that.

Anna:  Arm is all healed!  She's perfectly fine.

Rob:  Went back to work with no problems.  He's normal-sore as opposed to super sore.  We finally got the insurance check a couple of weeks ago and while we are by no means out of the wood financially, we're a lot better off than we were for the last two months.

Me:  All of the stress from the injuries and finances has really taken a toll on my body.  I have been regressing to the point that I wasn't even sure all of that therapy was even worth it.  I did finish my sensory therapy a couple of weeks ago and there are really no changes.  What I have learned is that when I am hurting, even minimally, I can't handle Sunday church.  Wed is a give and take.  I have finished the evening in the van waiting for the children's programs to be done at least once.  The acoustics of the building are just rough on me.  We are going to tighten up my diet where I have let a few things loose, so hopefully that will help.  And as Rob continues to work and our finances straighten out hopefully the stress will vanish and my body can get back to normal.  It's just been a really hard couple of months.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Fun Times

Wow, my postings have really dwindled!  Thought I would take a moment and put up a post about the fun stuff we've being doing around here recently.

Rob and I had a chance to go on a date that turned out to be completely free.  Our local coffee roasters, Berres Brothers,celebrated 20 years in the business this past Saturday and Rob and I received an invite for a special tour.  We contacted Emilie, the kids favorite babysitter, and she offered to sit for free if we'd let her practice her budding photography skills on the kids.  No problem!  We got to try some of the new coffee flavors coming out next year and won lots of freebies.  I won a pound of coffee in a drawing, we both won free drinks answering questions (although Rob helped me answer mine), we played a game and Rob won a coffee scoop and I won a travel mug, we both won coffee packets, and in our last game Rob won coaster and I won a $5 gift card!  And we both got coupons.  We ate lunch afterwards in the cafe and I had a free lunch coming for my birthday plus 20% off Rob's lunch.  We used my gift card and the lunch was free!  The only thing we ended up buying was some more coffee b/c one of our coupons was only good that day.  We'll use the free drinks and the other coupon on my birthday to treat all of us to a hot drink.  It was really fun to do the tour and go on a free date.

Anna got to go to the annual children's class at MBBC put on by her former Sunday school teacher.  The class is for children up to kindergarten age so this will be our last year going :(  The students read to the kids and Anna found her new friend, Anna.  The other Anna is a student from China and she and my Anna had a ball reading and talking to each other.  Anna got to go in a costume and she wore a red skirt made by Grandma Litwiller and a shirt that said "Princess."  She got some fun toys and snacks as we left and had a marvelous time.

The boys were able to attend a class Halloween party for the first time!  The Johnson Creek library had a Halloween party for homeschool kids in grades K-4 yesterday.  They went in costume and had a grand time playing games, making crafts, and eating snacks.  The librarian sent me the menu ahead of time and read packages so I would know how to plan.  Thankfully the only thing they had to avoid was black licorice (which they don't like anyway) and the cookies.  I took some gluten free cookies for them to frost with the kids.  They were both very well behaved and had a grand time.  And I had a grand time reading a book in the corner of the library while I waited :)

I'll update later on all of the health issues and such, but I wanted to start with the fun stuff first!!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

How to Choose a Spouse

I was teasing the boys at dinner tonight as we were discussing Halloween.

Me:  Boys, when the day comes for you to propose to that special girl, the main question you need to ask her is "What is your opinion on Halloween?"  If she says she doesn't like it, then walk away.  I'm not letting her into my house.

Matt:  No, Mom.  First we ask her if she loves Jesus and then we ask her if she's willing to go gluten free.

Anna:  I'm going to find a man who is not already married.  If he's already married then I'll find someone else.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

81Things that Matthew Likes

For some reason unknown to any of us, Matthew decided to write up a list of things that he likes and he has allowed me to share this list on Facebook.  He said they are in no particular order and he wants to clarify that the people he loves, the rest he just likes.  I have left in the spelling errors on purpose.

1.  cake
2.  ice cream
3. soadapop
4.  hot dogs
5.  burgers
6.  culvers
7.  pie
8.  stufing
9.  mom dad ben and anna
10.  grandma and grampa litwhere and fulkerson
11.  gg and auant ruth
12.  abbie
13.  popcorn
14.  bananas
15.  grapes
16.  beries
17.  candy
18.  shrimp
19.  tuna fish
20.  steak
21.  chiken
22.  pbnj
23.  pizza
24.  pancakes
25.  wafeles
26.  bacon
27.  sausage
28.  davis
29.  tacos
30.  smoothies
31.  rice and shine
32.  calvin and hobbes
33.  thunder storms
34.  harry potter
35.  legos
36.  mollys bakery
37.  michky mouse
38.  tigers
39.  draculus
40.  my stuffed tiger
41.  joke books
42.  mario strikers
43.  spot it
44.   luigi
45.  fish
46,  mummys
47.  werwolfs
48.  craons
49.  chex
50.  slopy joes
51.  jamei and julleion
52.  pasta
53.  lions
54.  cats
55. kittys
56.  mushrooms
57.  birds
58.  flowers
59.  soup
60. Jesus
61.  God
62.  water
63.  blankets
64.  juice
65.  peopole
66.  cristmas
67.  bread
68.  monsters
69.  bears
70.  ron weasly
71.  hermione grager
72.  gold
73.  silver
74.  bronze
75.  snakes
76.  broclie
77.  fred weasly
78.  gorge weasly
79.  pumkins
80.  fruit
81.  pumkin pie

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Family Update

It seems like all I'm doing lately is given bi-monthly updates :)  I'm not even sure how many people are still reading my blog!  But here's how we're doing, person-by-person:

Anna:  Her cast is off!  She is doing just fine although she is supposed to avoid high-risk activities for another week.  We haven't been to a park in five weeks and the kids are chomping at the bit to go.  She is loving school and is sailing through our reading book with very few bumps.  She's a joy to teach!

Ben and Matt:  Both are doing very well in school.  Matt will be getting his first pair of reading glasses soon!

Rob:  Still at home.  He will probably be off work until October 15th at least.  His chiropractor said he seems to have "turned a corner" and so hopefully we will start seeing improvement.

Me:  Still hanging in there.  I am almost done with my latest round of treatments for my sensory issues.  I had a bad weekend last week, but I was far too busy and paid for it.  Holding a garage sale is a lot harder than it looks, especially when I'm the muscle!!  And the kids made more money than we did, so maybe they should have done all of the work!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Another invalid update

Anna:  We saw the orthopedic doctor on Friday and she had more xrays.  They showed us the comparison with the first set taken right after she broke her arm.  The arm has indeed straightened, there is a bit of new bone growth to help strengthen the arm, and new bone is filling in the broken spot.  She is healing great!  The doc even said he wished all the adults he treats could heal as quickly as children.  We see him again in two weeks and hopefully the cast/splint can come off at that time.

Rob:  He saw the chiropractor on Friday and told him that he still has sharp pains periodically.  Turned out he had two ribs out of place!  He's been pretty sore since and the doc said Rob is worse off than he originally thought.  It's not looking too good for him to return to work this week either.  That puts us in a really tough spot as far as finances go, but we have already seen how marvelously God is taking care of us.

Me:  I went to an AM service!  First time in months!  I did have to use my ear plugs, but I consider it a success that I did not have to leave the service.  My parents are visiting and took us out for lunch and I was fine!  Usually a restaurant visit would really bother me after a church service, but I'm doing just fine.  Praise the Lord!!

The boys:  Both have thankfully kept themselves whole and well :) 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

First Day of School and update on the invalids

Yesterday was our very first day of school.  Our plan for this year was to have Rob teach Ben exclusively and I teach the other two.  We mapped out a basic schedule for ourselves, trying to stay within the boundaries of our normal "Rob at work" time frame.  Here's what we came up with:

Pre-7am--Any kids who wake up early do what we call basic chores:  make bed, brush teeth, comb hair, get dressed.  Then they start straightening their rooms.
7am--Somebody comes and wakes up Mom, who gets ready and makes breakfast
8am--Eat breakfast and read morning devos together after Dad comes downstairs.
8:30am--Ben starts school with Dad at dining room table, Anna starts school with Mom in living room, Matt gets independent work from Mom and works in his room
10am--Recess.  Ben and Anna should be finished by this point and Matt has already begun working with Mom
10:15:  Matt and Mom continuing working until finished
11am--Dad starts lunch
Noon-Lunch
After lunch--Downtime with Dad,
1:30-Dad leaves for work, rest of us putter around or run errands, then bedtimes start at 8pm.

And here is how it went:

Pre-7am--Children woke up at various times and played in their rooms
7:30am--Mom woke up and realized what time it was.  Found children in various places w/o any basic chores done.  Dad got up to supervise chores while Mom cooked breakfast.
8am--Children came down to eat breakfast, family devos
8:30:  This part actually went as planned, PTL!!
10:15:  Entire family left to take Dad to chiropractor and do a teensy bit of shopping at Pick 'n Save
10:45:  Mom and Matt get back to school
Rest of day as planned, except Rob didn't leave for work.

Today went a little more according to plan, just insert "Spur-of-the-moment trip to farmer's market" for "chiro appt", the kids actually did their chores and woke us up, and that's how it went.  Overall the plan is working very well.  We simply do not do well with a highly structured schedule (like MOTH).  I think it's going to work out well!

UPDATE ON THE INJURED:

Anna saw the orthopedic doctor last Friday and her arm has straightened.  She won't need a hard cast, so that's a praise!  We have xrays again this coming Friday to see how she is healing.  She is doing even better adjusting to using just one arm and has become independent in all areas except for dressing and bathing.  Nothing thrilled me more than when she met me at the door yesterday and said, "Mommy, while you were gone I went potty and I can wipe myself!"

Rob is still off work.  At this point he thinks he's about 50% recovered from his fall. He is trying to take walks as much as his body will let him to help with the healing.  He still can't lift much, but his mobility is greatly improved.  He has been able to drive a bit as well.  It only hurts him to get in and out of vehicles, but once he is in he's fine.  It will definitely strain our finances having him out of work, but we are trusting in the Lord to take care of us.  I think our family needed him home to deal with some heart issues that just needed Rob's special care. 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

One of Those Weeks

Life has been going along with some ups and downs since convention, but this week was a definite down.  I have been struggling with more sensory and pain issues during church, mostly going away but twice now I have had three-day flare-ups after attending the evening service.  And I've been very weak.  It almost feels like I was regressing! 

And then we figured something out this week--the pizza place next door is making all of us sick.  Rob's throat closes up when the wind blows the wrong way and I get real tired.  And we have noticed the kids having a few symptoms here and there.  So we are keeping the windows closed while PJ's is open and that has helped us tremendously.  Unfortunately we didn't figure that out until after our anniversary on Tuesday, so that day was not a whole lot of fun for either of us.  Finances are extremely tight now anyway so we didn't have any plans that we had to cancel thankfully.

And then on Thursday Anna and the boys were messing around on the top bunk of the bunk bed and Anna fell off and broke her arm.  I wasn't sure at first if she was really hurt or if she was over-dramatizing things so I had her get on my bed and lay down for a bit.  When she put pressure on her wrist and buckled down with pain, I knew something was seriously wrong.  I found a friend to meet us at the er to take the boys and we were off.  Thankfully the boys were still there when the ER doc arrived so they told her what happened (and Mommy found the kids had been jumping off the bed prior to the accident.)  Anna had xrays that confirmed she had indeed broken her arm.  Right now she has a partial cast on her arm.  She will have xrays done on Friday to see if she needs a full cast.  She's doing pretty well adapting to using her left hand and only needs minimal help from me.

And then yesterday Rob was carrying laundry to the basement when he slipped on a lid sitting on the stairs and fell down part of the stairs.  So he and I headed off to the ER after supper to see what was going on with his back.  Our neighbors came over to watch the kids and even put Anna to bed before we got home.  We opted to do Urgent Care vs. the ER and THAT was a BIG mistake.  We were there for over an hour before we even SAW the only doctor working in Urgent care.  She had two proceedures to perform before seeing Rob.  Had we gone to the ER there would have been more than one doc working, but at least we saw someone.  His xrays turned out fine and he was given heavy pain meds.  He slept well last night (and is still sleeping) and we are planning to see his regular doc and the chiropractor tomorrow. 


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Going to Convention

Last week I attended the 2012 Stampin' Up! convention and it was amazing!  I won't go into business details...that's for my business blog...but I know many of you were praying for me and my sensory issues and I wanted to update you on what happened.

I had many strategies to use, including rubbing my left arm, rocking my left foot, wiggling my fingers, and ear plugs to help trick the nerve and keep me from being oversensititive.  I had to use all of them from the airplane ride on for the first few days.  I noticed by the third day that things were getting a little worse.  I even had to leave my group and sit in the back of a general session on Friday, which was definitely a low point for me. 

Then during my Friday afternoon class I started paying attention to what was going on in every single class and general session:  loads and loads of picture taking.  Part of my therapy includes wearing glasses with flashing lights, so I started focusing for brief amounts of time on the flashing of the cameras.  And I started needing my ear plugs less and less.  By the time we got to the final general session on Saturday, the loudest gathering of them all, I only needed my ear plugs for ten minutes.  And I didn't use them at all on the plane ride home!

I know I'm not cured b/c I still needed to use all the strategies briefly at church last night, but I'm definitely improving.  Maybe the total immersion into light and sound shocked my systerm...I don't know.  But I feel different and I am definitely making a step in the right direction.  So thanks for all of your prayers--I could certainly feel them as well!!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Health Update

I have started my next round of treatment and some of it remains the same, like the vibration table and adjustments.  I'm also doing some therapy for the sensory issues.  Basically I listen to low tones for a bit then later I will use some glasses with blinking lights.  Right now I'm trying two things in church:  Wearing an ear plug and rubbing my left arm.  The ear plug did not really work last night but rubbing my arm did.  We'll see what he says at my next appointment on Friday.

I will also be starting iron supplements and I CAN"T WAIT!!  I'm just dragging every day and I know that's why.  Rob has been trying to feed my iron rich foods and I do notice a difference after I have eaten them. 

The heat is not helping us one bit, but thankfully I do have an air conditioned bedroom.  I have noticed an increase in my pain levels and it's definitely from the heat.  Swimming with the kids does make me feel a whole lot better so we go as often as we can. 

In just over two weeks I will be going to convention and I plan to take each day at my own pace.  At least that's the plan :)

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Bragging on my boys

This week was VBS at our church, although I guess it was really Neighborhood Bible Time.  Not growing up in fundamental circles, I had no clue what this meant but Rob did...and it sounds like the program hasn't changed one iota since he was a boy except for the videos to watch on-line each night.

Anyway, the kids had a blast going each night and tonight was the awards night.  I did not attend the ceremony because of my sensory issues, but I wish I had because Ben was 2nd place out of the 1st graders and Matthew was first place over both the 3rd graders AND all of the Primaries!  So proud of my kiddos!  They do a great job memorizing verses and just love every minute of the time they had.  Thanks to all of the workers!

Anna also came home with her ribbons for each day's achievements.  I was able to help her class by prepping the crafts ahead of time and handing them over to the craft person.  I was happy to be able to find some way to help out!  Oh, and another mom's daughter who has celiac made g-free cookies so the kids had a cookie too!  Good stuff all around!!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Bragging on Anna

Anna has been very busy making "cards" for all kinds of people.  She even took a purse full of them to church yesterday to hand out to her friends.  But today she amazed Rob and I with this one:

She wanted to make a card for Sophie, my chiropractor's little girl who is around Anna's age.  So she stamped all kinds of pictures all over a piece of typing paper, then she wrote her own name on the back.  She's been touch and go about writing her name recently.  She showed me the paper and said, "I wrote Sophie's name on it, too!"  And there, plain as day, were the letters "S-O-F-E" in Anna's handwriting.  I thought maybe one of the boys had helped her, but both of them were downstairs playing Wii.  So Miss Anna, age 4 years and almost 3 months, sounded out a word by herself and wrote it out phonetically!!  I am amazed!!  She can't even read yet...or at least I don't THINK she can :) 

Saturday, June 16, 2012

A school update

It just occurred to me that I never did an end of the school year update!  We ended about a month ago and I have been so tired that I haven't felt like updating anything.  So I'll give a little update on each child's progress this year.

Anna:  My little sweatheart completed Sonlight's Core 3/4, which is mainly just reading good children's books.  She enjoyed her special reading time with Mommy each day and has been begging to learn to read.  I have kind of started her on the 100 easy lessons book, but either she's not ready or she needs another method.  She knows all of her letters and sounds so we may just skip that book and use Sonlight's LA for Kindergarten next year, which worked better for Ben.  We also did some preschool math workbooks and games, like Mighty Minds, and she is VERY good with numbers and math concepts.  She will be working through Sonlight's Core 4/5 next year and the Primer book in Math-U-See.  We're also working a wee bit on handwriting.  Right now she copies pre-printed letters and does pretty well.  For summer school, she is working through the four-year-old books for Think it Through from Discovery Toys and she just finished the library reading program.

Ben:  Oh my, did this little guy grow by leaps and bounds in kindergarten!  He was very resistant to learning to read and found it quite difficult, so we tossed the 100 lessons book and just worked slower through the Sonlight program.  Now he is reading easy readers and working slowly into chapter books.  I would have never thought he would progress so far with his reading!  Rob and I are very impressed with him.  He flew through the last half of his school readers (he did LA-1 this year) with ease.  He also completed the Alpha book in Math-U-See with no problems (that's a first grade book for those that don't speak "homeschool.")  Math is definitely his strong point!  His handwriting is behind for sure, but I have decided with all of the kids to just let them learn that skill as they are ready.  I figure if it was good enough for Abraham Lincoln, it's good enough for them :)  For summer school Ben is doing all of the math workbook pages we skipped, devotional book for the Wed night program at church, and some phonics books from the Think it Through set.

Matthew:  This child is my voracious reader.  He did LA for 4-5 grade this year and excelled.  He can literally read anything he picks up!  Right now he is almost finished reading the third Harry Potter book (and that's where he has to stop until he's older.)  He started it Wednesday night and is almost finished!  He completed the Beta math book this year, which I think was his only real challenge in school.  Otherwise he just flew through the rest of his material.  I need to get this guy into a spelling bee b/c he can spell almost anything w/o much help.  For summer school he is doing the same as Ben with the addition of the Bible Bee. 

Next year school will be a bit different.  The plan right now is that I teach Matthew and Anna while Rob teaches Ben.  We have found that Ben and I do not work well together, so our current solution is to hand him over to Rob, who does work well with Ben.  I'm very relieved b/c our only other choice would be to send him to school and I can't imagine what that would do to him emotionally if he gets sent away and his siblings get to stay home.  We love our life as a homeschooling family and can't imagine doing anything else!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Health Update

It's been a looooong time since I did an update on my health so here goes!  I have officially finished the first six months of treatment.  In mid-May I was retested to see what has improved and how much more work is yet to be done.  Almost all of my numbers improved over last time.  Some of them are not yet at optimal levels, but those are the ones that take longer to fix.  The two main areas that regressed deal with the inflammation around my heart and my iron levels.  My food info was also retested and I can have everything except gluten (lifetime on that one anyway), potato, and quinoa.  The last two are a little tricky b/c there are flours and starches in gluten-free foods that contain them, but they don't seem to bother me.  Potatoes and quinoa in regular form do.  I know I have to avoid gluten for sure b/c it bothers me fiercely if there is even a trace in my food. 

I am overall feeling better, but the lower iron levels do make me tired during the day.  Hopefully we'll see an improvement soon.  My biggest other problem right now is the continuing sensory issues.  I no longer have that bizarre ear thing going on, but rather pain that shoots up my left arm when something is too loud.  It happens most often in church.  I've been trying to attend different services and try different combinations but so far nothing has worked.  I've varied where I sit in church to no avail.  This past Sunday I tried just the AM service and as soon as the organ began, pain shot up my arm and didn't leave until the next day.  It has been suggested that I might try sitting in the foyer, but I really don't see the point of attending the service when I'm only listening.  I may as well stay home and listen to the service on-line. 

So here is where we are at:  as far as treatments go, my doctor will be presenting me with a new plan of attack on Thursday.  It will be more of a fine-tuning rather than an all out attack like the first six months.  We also have to make sure we can afford it.  The church situation is a matter of prayer right now.  I will still take the kids on Wednesday nights but Sundays are up in the air.  I'm such a horrible, miserable person after attending church on  Sundays that I have to make a choice:  Be in pain and avoid the fam all Sunday afternoon or skip being fed spiritually and being part of the corporate body of believers.  Prayers for wisdom are appreciated.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The swing set

Yay!!  Our new swing set!!  Back when the tax money came in, we told the kids that we could only afford to buy a pool pass for the summer or get a swing set.  They opted for the pool pass and I told them they would just have to pray in the swing set.  So they did.  Both boys prayed that God would provide us with a swing set that only cost $10.  I began searching Craig's List and could not find anything decent that was under $100.  We looked at garage sales and either saw metal sets (too flimsy for my kids) or were beat out by other garage salers. 

So the boys continued to pray.  A friend of mine knew we were looking for one and she found an ad in the paper for a free swing set.  Free usually translates into "old and junky" so we were skeptical, but we called the number anyway and set up a viewing.  The kids and I drove past the house on our way to church that night and took a look.  And fell in love!  It looked perfect!  We met the owners the next day and it turned out they attend our church.  We were all excited for the perfect fit.  Rob had a friend at work who had a large trailer so he came over and helped Rob move it.  They did have to take it apart into three pieces and Rob ended up buying three new bolts so we've now spent $1.08 for the set.  We figure we have $9.92 left for the missing slide. :)

Sunday, April 29, 2012

An Update

I haven't updated in awhile, but that doesn't mean nothing is going on!  I have had a pretty rough time this past week, which is due to the cleanse.  At times it feels like I'm going backwards, but according to my doctor I've had it pretty easy compared to other patients doing the same cleanse.  May 10th is Pill Liberation Day and I'm going to mutiny if he suggests one more cleanse!

Rob will be undergoing allergy testing tomorrow.  His gluten issues have gotten so bad that he can't even walk into a room with cookies, etc w/o feeling his throat tighten.  We'll see what the test shows and how to proceed from there tomorrow.

We have four weeks of school left and I am pleased that we will actually finish our cores this year.  It's been a rough year with the move and my health issues, but God has been good and we've been able to get through all of the material. 

Miss Anna had a trip to the ER this week.  I had been napping (bad fibro day) and came downstairs to find her sitting on Rob's lap.  She had stuck a Craisin up her nose and he couldn't get it out.  He had tried every trick he could think of, but she just kept sniffing it up.  Because he could no longer see it, he assumed it had gone into her sinus cavity.  He had to leave for work, so I took the troops to the ER (per the doctor's orders, as we called him first.)  The nurse was examining her when Anna made a funny face and sneezed hard twice.  Out came the Craisin!  Everyone in the room just kind of said, "Um...okay!  That was easy!" and we left.  Goofy kiddo.

Matthew has been taking art lessons through the city park and rec department.  He loves it and I have seen improvements in his artwork already.

The kids finished their Truth Trackers program just this past week.  All three of them earned their medals for the year.  They do not have an awards ceremony for the little ones, but Matthew's class did so I got to see him get his medal.

I think that's about it around here! 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

How to Handle Food Issues

For quite sometime, I've had this blog post welling up inside of me. As you all know, my family has undergone a major change in our dietary habits. We are gluten-free family-wide, and I am also dairy, soy, and egg free at the moment. I meet people all of the time who can't believe we can actually eat this way and survive, and others who have to start on this journey but deem it impossible. I really want to answer all of these issues with one post, so hold on for a bumpy ride. We'll do Q & A format from real questions I've been asked and real objections I've heard.

Q: It's impossible to eat this way (as stated by my pediatrican.)

A: No it's not. It's not only very possible, but leads you into healthier eating for the whole family. And honestly that's the silliest thing I've ever heard!

Q: Is your food bill enormously high? I mean, gluten-free stuff is too expensive!!

A: Yes, it is pricier, but let's think about this: If you are going from eating white bread, white flour pastas, white flour cookies, white flour crackers, and other such things to trying all gluten-free versions of the same, it is more expensive. But here's the deal: All that white bread stuff is bad for EVERYONE not just the gluten-free person! And even the whole wheat versions aren't much better! When we started feeding our kids fruits, veggies, cheese sticks and Simply Gogurts for snacks with the occasional homemade treats, our grocery bill decreased significantly. Rob takes leftovers to work, we also eat popcorn for snacks, etc. We do buy gf flour and pasta, but we also look for the best prices and those things do not comprise the majority of our meals. We're actually spending about the same amount on food.

Q: It seems too hard to get started. How did you get used to it?

Yes, it was hard to start. It's hard to look at how you were eating and realize there are many things you can never have again. But then you start to realize how much of what we enjoy in life is tied to food. And instead of focusing on food at social gatherings, focus on the people! Food is only here to sustain our bodies, not entertain us. We recently went to our Sunday school class' breakfast and I couldn't eat a thing on the menu. I brought my own smoothie and had a marvelous time talking to a few friends. I barely glanced at the food table! Change your attitude toward food and it's not so hard!!

The other thing that is hard is changing how you buy and how you look at the items you buy. Yes, it will take three times as long to go through a grocery store, but pretty soon you will get used to what things you can buy. And you HAVE to view the old food as poison to your body.
No one wants to eat poison, right?

Q: But if I eat gluten free (or whatever-free) I won't have anything left to eat!

A: Did you hear my eyes rolling in my head? Sorry, but that objection brings out a rather unspiritual side of me :) You CAN eat meat, fruits, veggies, and nuts. And if your only sensitivity is gluten, then you also have dairy, eggs, and soy. And corn. Get the picture?

I also heard a great piece of advice for starting out on a new eating plan: Find one or two things to eat and just feed that to your family every day until you find one or two more. Pretty soon you'll have a very diverse menu. Remember, we are sustaining our bodies, not entertaining ourselves.

Q: But I'll never feel full only eating that stuff and how will I get fiber in my diet?

A: At first, you body will feel hungry all of the time. I think it took me about three weeks before I felt full eating a meal of mainly veggies. But the point is it DID happen! And it WILL happen to you! You can't look at the immediate and the now...you HAVE to stay focused on the future and how much better you will feel when your body gets used to a new normal (and please apply that principle to every aspect of your life!!). There is far more fiber in fruits and veggies than in wheat products. And just think of what God put into the Garden of Eden...anything in boxes? Bags? Nope, just good stuff that our bodies were intended to eat. (Although there may have been a Reese's tree but I haven't found that in Scripture yet!)

Let me also say as a side note that my kids are far healthier now that they were before we started this journey. They have barely been sick this winter and when they were sick, they got over it quickly. Ben and Anna's airborne and pet allergies are gone, as are mine! You will do your family a real favor in the long run by dumping the preservative-laden junk food and eating mainly real food!

Q: We all know you love to bake. How are you doing that now?

A: At first, we did buy a bunch of alternate flours and search out gf recipes. Then I got to thinking: Can't I just take my existing recipes and substitute the flours? So I did and so far the results have been great!

Q: I still think it's too hard and I could never do it.

A: Then you're not ready. I wouldn't have been ready a year ago, but God slowly changed my thinking and we started making small changes that have led to bigger ones. When you're ready, I'll be here to help you :)


And for those keeping up with my weight loss, my total loss as of yesterday is 26 lbs!!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter 2012

We had a marvelous time today as a family. I have to say that I enjoyed celebrating Easter far more than Christmas this year, mainly because I feel so much better! And, we did the whole day at our own pace.

Last night, we did the traditional Paas coloring of the eggs. The kids were so excited---and then as all of you know, had to wait! Wait for the eggs to boil, wait for them to cool off, wait for the color tablets to dissolve, wait for the eggs to be colored....etc, etc. And when we were done, they said, "That's it??" Anna doesn't remember doing this last year, so it was fun to see her get excited about everything. They finished putting stickers on the eggs this morning while I made a gluten-free coffee cake.

We opted not to do our egg hunt in the morning this year simply because we wanted to take our time and enjoy it. The boys were up at 6am for some reason and I thought that they might be excited about our afternoon. But no...they were discussing the real meaning of Easter! I was very surprised and please to hear them talk about the meaning of the day and review the entire Easter story. Anna popped up next to me a 1/2 hour later talking about the same thing! It is such a joy to hear my children excited about celebrating the resurrection of our Lord rather than finding a bunch of colored eggs and candy. (Although Anna did mention that the thieves hanging next to Jesus were wearing green and red underwear--must have been in a picture she had last week in Sunday school.)

Our Adult Bible Fellowships traditionally have an Easter breakfast, so we decided to bring a gluten-free coffee cake so that Rob would have something to eat. I fixed that while he prepped the ham. Good thing he loves puzzles so much because it almost didn't fit in the crock pot! I gave Matthew and Anna each a piece of the cake for breakfast and then sent one to church for Ben. His Sunday school teacher decided to bring in breakfast for her students and contacted me with the menu. He was able to have the eggs and juice, but I sent him coffee cake in place of her muffins and Chex cereal in place of the Fruit Loops.

We had a nice church service, although I did have to leave during the choir number. Still having some problems, but thankfully I did not have my usual over-stimulated issues this afternoon (I'll give an update on the fibro/sensory stuff in another post). When I picked up Ben and Anna from junior church, a worker popped out to tell me that Anna had been in trouble! First time that's ever happened! Apparently, she wouldn't stop talking during the story and had to be removed from the room. I have NO IDEA where she gets the chatter box stuff from.....

Lunch today was ham, mashed potatoes, and sauteed green beans. We picked up Easter cupcakes from Molly's yesterday, so the kids and Rob had a yummy dessert. (I was given a teensy weensy bite.) After lunch, I went to the backyard and hid the colored eggs, candy, and some toys. Grandpa and Grandma Litwiller sent some money for the kids, so we did buy a small amount of candy and a little toy with it. Rob and I bought them each a small outside toy and a family gift: a croquet set!

The hunt was an absolute blast! The kids were so fun to watch and they did a great job not picking up someone else's candy. (They were all labeled with initials.) I even hid one extra egg full of loose change and Ben was the big winner. We napped afterwards, then went back outside to play croquet. Anna got a little frustrated, even with Daddy's help, so we just let her play on her own. Eventually she gave up and came over to be my cheerleader. We made up our own rules, broke them, then make up some more :) The important thing is that we were out there as a family having fun. And I won. That's also important.

Rob and the kids are at church tonight. I wish I could be with them, but I don't think I want to do a Sunday night until I can fully handle Sunday morning. Anna usually stays home with me, but Rob wants to start training her in the service. We'll see how this one goes :)

Happy Easter!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Anna's Story

Anna was playing with her little Magni Doodle yesterday and was drawing circles. While she was drawing them, she was telling a little story about doorknobs. Then she turned to me and said, "Mommy, will you write down my story?" So here is what she dictated to me.

Once upon a time, a momma was cooking breakfast, and then she was cooking lunch, and then she was cooking supper. And then she put her children to bed and then she went to bed. Then there was a great big sneak who sneaked in the night and turned the little boy's doorknob in the only house in London. And then there was a princess who turned the little boy's doorknob and the momma woke up and said, "You may sleep in the extra bed we have." And then the princess killed the bad guy and she had a knife to cut off his neck. And then it was morning time again. The End.

Can you tell she has two older brothers??

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Fibro Treatment Update

I have been feeling so much better lately that it's been hard to stop and focus on what still needs improvement. There is more work yet to do, especially in the area of my sensory problems. I have been paying more attention lately to what sets me off, and it's mainly church (or large group gatherings) and playing Wii. And don't combine the two in the same day :)

I payed very close attention in church today and noticed that only the sound system bothered me. I was fine during the music service, but noticed the problems creeping up when ever someone spoke into a microphone. It's hard to describe what I'm feeling, but I'll give it a go. Basically, I feel funny in the head :) My ears start to feel....something...not numb, but more of a foggy feeling. See, hard to describe! But I know when it's happening and it triggers my "flight or fight" reaction. Sometimes it gets so bad that I have to leave the service. And on a bad day in church, it will continue to bother me when I go home. I can't stand being around the kids when they are noisy and everything makes me cranky.

Today I was feeling a little off after church, but then we went out to a restaurant afterwards. The music combined with the chatter of the patrons (and my own children) made me want to leave before we even got our meals. I stuck it out, but am still feeling "off" today. I had to take a nap when we got home just to get some relief. And of course, I am still unable to go back to church for the Sunday evening service. I can't imagine how horrible I would feel subjecting myself to that two times in one day.

I did play some Wii this afternoon (my arms and hands finally feel good enough to do that again) but the sensory part set me off again. I think it's worse b/c of church this morning. So, I know I'm going much better once I can get back to two services on Sundays and I can play Wii.

I have started the next round of stuff, which is targeting my gut (cleaning out any parasites that are in there) and cleansing my nerves. I have nine bazillion pills to take this time but I'd rather do that than another powder. But I end up drinking a huge amount of water to get all that stuff down, so I'm wondering if it's an evil plot to get me to drink more water :) I will be doing this stuff until early May. It might make me feel crummy tomorrow or Tues, but so far I'm fine. Diet is still the same.

In other news, we found a fabulous gluten-free bakery and it's only 1/2 hour away. We bought bread (cheaper than any we found around here) and some baked goods. Rob and the kids enjoyed coffee cake and some cookies that were divine!! (Yes, I snuck a bite or two!) The bakery has a gluten-free mini-grocery store attached to it and we picked up a few things we can't find in Watertown. We love it and would like to make a trip there about once a month.

And I lost another pound this week!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Anna's Fourth Birthday

The birthday princess is sound asleep right now, so it's safe to say her birthday is officially over :) We had a very nice day today keeping her birthday low-key. I know she wanted a big party, but Mommy doesn't do more than one a month!

We celebrated her birthday with the family-at-large at the beginning of the month, so today was all about the five of us. After Mommy got up, Anna got her present from the brothers. She really wanted a mermaid Ariel doll, but those things are not dressed modestly and I don't want her playing with something dressed in a way we won't let her dress. So, we found a compromise. Ben and I found a mermaid outfit for an Ariel doll and Anna can put it on her Ariel ballerina doll, which has a painted-on one-piece suit. Perfect! She was so happy to finally have her mermaid :)

She had to wait for Daddy to wake up to get her big gift, but she didn't end up waiting long b/c Rob couldn't sleep. He took her up to the attic where she found a box containing a large dollhouse, perfect to play with all of her Disney Princess dolls. It even came with some furniture. Rob spent a good part of the morning putting it together and it is so cute!

I always let the birthday child choose the menu for the day, so we had sausage and pancakes for breakfast. I had to pop online to find a gluten-free pancake recipe and finally found one that everyone likes. Rob threw in some chocolate chips as a special treat.

For lunch, Anna chose a picnic at the park. Really, when have we EVER been able to have a picnic on her birthday?? So I packed up lunches and we all trooped to the park. We were even able to feed the ducks, who were competing fiercely for the food.

We came home and had Anna's birthday cake. I tried out a new gluten-free cake mix and it was okay, but I think they would have been better will smaller pieces. Then the kids played while the adults crashed :)

For supper, Miss Anna chose homemade mac 'n cheese, which is easy to convert to gluten-free: all we have to use it brown rice noodles and a gluten-free flour mix. She kept saying over and over again how much she loved her birthday! Oh, she did get the traditional phone call from my parents, who sang to her, and a call from Aunt Mandy and her cousins who also sang to her. She kept saying she just wanted her cousin Kenzie to come and play.

Tonight at church, she moved up a class and was SOOOO excited to go! She didn't even fuss about her Tiny Tracker shirt.

So I no longer have a baby in the house, even though she'll always be my baby. And I'm okay with that :)

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Fibro Update: Week 3-2

It's been awhile since I've posted about my fibro treatments, mainly b/c I feel so much better that I had better things to do! I really do feel like a new woman these days. My energy levels are up, I'm more active, and I am "waking up" to all kinds of things around me. Let me kind of bullet point the changes as I think of them.

1. I feel like spring cleaning, and I haven't wanted to do that in years. I'm looking at my home with new eyes, seeing the potential, and actually wanting to do something about it.

2. I sewed! My hands have been way too sore to even attempt sewing in several years, but I have made a few hairbows and repaired one of Anna's princess dresses.

3. I can bend over and pick things up w/o any pain.

4. I can take longer walks and not feel out of breath.

5. I have more energy to take the kids places and no longer dread going to the park. In fact, the last two park visits I stood up talking to the moms the entire time.

6. I have taken the kids shopping by myself several times and don't feel overwhelmed.

I have had some pain flare-ups, but they have been short-lived and I've recovered faster than before. I finished my last cleanse last week and am waiting on some stuff to come in for the next round 'o fun, but it should be the least inhibiting thing by far.

And I have lost a total of 21 pounds so far! The early spring weather did present a new problem: I had no summer clothes! I didn't anticipate having to shop this early for new things. So I have made two trips out and now have the bare minimum wardrobe. I don't want to buy too much b/c I'm still losing weight and I made sure my new things have drawstrings so I can pull them in and try to make them last the summer. But I suppose if I have to go shopping again, it's not all bad, right?? :)

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Trip to Illinois

It had been six months since we ventured out of state to visit family. We've had a few visits up here, but my health has not permitted us to travel at all. We had a rather packed visit, but it was fun and while it left me sore, I did better than I expected.

We took off Friday morning and while we had planned to let Rob sleep, the kids were too excited. I'm glad we left when we did because they got tons of snow up here during the day! So glad we didn't get stuck in it. We arrived in the early afternoon and Rob and I went out to shop for the birthday parties. We had dinner at a Chinese Buffet/Hibachi grill with the Litwillers. It was kind of surprising to see how little of the buffet Rob and I could actually eat. Thankfully there was a wonderful hibachi grill, so we loaded up on veggies and meat. The chef was surprised to hear that we didn't want any sauce, but soy sauce contains gluten so we had to go with just water. It was delicious.

Afterwards we all headed back to Rob's parent's home and had a party for Ben and Anna. All of the cousins ripped around the house and we had a great time celebrating the two of them.

The next day was rather busy for me. I did a workshop for my sister in the morning, ate a salad on the road and got to my mom's just in time to set up for her workshop! Anna came with me to my sister's so she could play with her cousin. The boys and Rob paid a visit to GG, which is always one of the highlights of each visit. During my mom's workshop, the kids and Rob went out with my dad and had a fun time. We crashed that evening pretty hard.

The next day, we went back to Normal and attended church with my sister. Well, Rob, Anna, and I did. The boys went to church with my parents then met us for lunch. Anna got to go to Sunday school with her favorite cousin. We enjoyed the service, bought Bibles at the bookstore, and then went to lunch at Qdoba. I'm SO glad I don't have a corn issue. Tacos have been a real lifesaver!

We went back to the church for my nephew's baby dedication and then on home afterwards. And then my real fun began as I furiously prepped for the vendor fair I did yesterday, but that post will be on my stamp blog :)

Ben's 6th Birthday

Wow...it's been awhile since my last post! We've had quite a bit going on and I've been healthy enough to enjoy it, so that's probably why. I have a few posts to make and I wanted to start with the funnest: Ben's birthday. Our middle guy turned 6 this past Wednesday....where did the time go??

We had a family party for he and Anna last weekend down in Illinois. It was supposed to be mainly for Anna, but it's kind of hard not to do both of them when their birthdays are so close together. Ben's Aunt Kim made a cute pirate cake for him and my sister did a Tinkerbell cake for Miss Anna. The kids opened a pile of presents, then ripped around with their cousins for the rest of the evening.

We decided to have Ben's kid party the day before his birthday, since his actual birthday was a Wednesday. I didn't want parents to have to rush their children from school to our house to home to church. As it was, I should have pushed the start time back by a half hour---I didn't realize the Christian school got out at 3:15, so a 3:30 start time was a little early. Ben was supposed to have six kids coming, but three of them (siblings) didn't make it b/c their mom flat out forgot. We still had a great time and played piratey games, ate ice cream cake, and opened gifts. Rob flexed time at work so he could be with me for an hour of it. He made balloon swords for the guests.

And then Wednesday was Ben's actual birthday! I made a big breakfast for him (gluten-free sausage, gluten-free muffins, cheese sticks, and yogurt) then we had no school per his request. When Daddy got up, Ben found out the big surprise: he got to pick out a new bike! The bike was from us and both sets of grandparents. We went to Farm and Fleet first, but they only had one bike in his size and he didn't like it. Then we hit Wal-mart and looked over their large selection. He picked out a red shiny bike but hasn't had much chance to ride it. The inner tube blew, so Rob took it back and instead of fixing it (as they said they would do over the phone) they gave him a free inner tube. Rob hasn't fixed it yet, but that's okay b/c the bike is a bit bigger than his old one. He's riding the old one right now, getting used to bike riding again, then Rob will get the new bike working.

We went to El Mariachi's for lunch and came home to finish off the cake. Ben did say his birthday didn't feel like a real birthday, but that's only because he had already had his parties. Next birthday is Miss Anna's, but she's not having a kid party although she keeps trying to talk me into one! Next year :)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Valentine's Day

I'm not a great lover of Valentine's Day, but this year we decided to have some fun celebrating it. Rob had already surprised me with a dozen roses the day before. I left him a card in the bathroom when he came home from work :)

But the funniest thing we did was go on a date. Funny, because of how we told the kids about it. I had told them a few days prior that they would be getting a Valentine's gift, but they only got to play with it for a little while. They drove themselves crazy trying to figure out what it was and had all kinds of crazy guesses. They had already received little treats from different relatives and enjoyed each card, but Mom and Dad's gift was just driving them nuts!

On the morning of Valentine's, they came downstairs to find a hand-stamped candy bar holder for each of them, complete with candy bar. But that wasn't the gift. Rob woke up around 11:15 and took them out for a Daddy-surprise: lunch from Taco Bell. Mommy left at the same time to pick up the "toy," which turned out to be their favorite babysitter (who happens to be homeschooled, thankfully!)

Emilie and I got back before the kids and Rob, so when they came in, they were very shocked! They also declared she was much more fun than a puppy, which was their last guess. Rob and I were barely missed as we backed out the door and went on our date. We had a wonderful time eating at our new favorite restaurant and shopping for new clothes.

So not a bad Valentine's Day for a Valentine's hater!

Fibro update: Week 2-4

I have learned a lesson this week: Don't cheat on the diet. I've taken small bites here and there of things, but in honor of Valentine's day, I cheated and ate some chocolate. And then I took it a little further and had some cookies with the kids on Friday. BIG mistake! I started feeling fatigued all over my body again. I think it was good for me to cheat, however, since I can now really tell what's hurting me. And I know that I have to keep all of that stuff out of the house or I'll eat it. (We were trying out the WhoNu? brand of cookies--which taste pretty good!)

Otherwise, things are still going well. I've had more energy this week and have started craving the things that are good for me. Dr. W said that would happen. Last night Rob wanted ice cream and asked me what I wanted. After thinking through my options, good and bad, I settled on a smoothie. And that's genuinely what I wanted! I have never liked fruit (in my adult life) but now I'm craving it more and more. I even had a supper Friday night of nothing but an all-fruit smoothie and raw veggies. And I was satisfied!

My doc also asked me to record a little video of my progress thus far and he is planning to use it in his upcoming fibro seminar. I'm also going to write up a testimonial for his website.

I think I'm finally ready to take back a few of the household chores from Rob. This week I'm going to try doing the dishes. And I'm starting to care more about how the house looks, so we're going to systematically work room by room and straighten as well as decorate. I'm tired of the empty walls!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Fibro update, weeks 2-2 and 2-3


The above photo is a pile of clothing that Rob and I can no longer wear. We went through our closet and tried on everything. Rob has slimmed out of all of his pants, suits, dress shirts, and most of his polos. He's currently out shopping for a thing or two to wear to church tonight! We're planning to get him new suits once he stops losing weight and are going to Kohl's on Wed with our 30% off coupon to replace some of his other items. He figures that since moving from Cali, he has lost 40 lbs. I have never seen him this slim, and it's all due to our change in diet. He has been avoiding most of the same things as me, but mainly the gluten. As an interesting side note, he is no longer lactose intolerant! He plans to ask the doc about that one, but we're wondering if a gluten intolerance was masquerading as a lactose intolerance. Can't wait to hear the answer!

I have lost 16 lbs so far and am losing at a much slower rate than Rob. That's partly due to the fact that I am not allowed to exercise yet. We are still working on breaking down the bad stuff in my body. But I have lost enough weight to drop two sizes. I'm doing a little better than Rob in the clothing department, but I also need a shopping trip this week.

I have been feeling quite a bit better and the only real noticeable pain left is in my arms. I finished round one of the cleanse I was doing...thankfully!! That powder tasted just plain awful and made me feel sick all morning long. Round two is only 21 days and the powder smells and tastes like vanilla, which is a huge improvement! It also doesn't make me the least bit sick. After this round, I will take a pill that will rid me of the bacteria. Oh, and on this round I can have all fruits and veggies back along with nuts, so I don't have to be quite so careful. It looks like I can have quinoa and a few other alternate grains, but I'm going to double check with the doc before I eat them.

During therapy, I have been doing a few extra things. One is a wobble board, which is kind of fun, and I have been able to tackle the hand-bike much more easily than ever. I did it for ten minutes this week. When I first started, I couldn't even handle one minute!

So things are going much better. I'm so thankful I have stuck it out and am excited to see where I'm at in another month or two.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Fibro Treatment Update: Week 2-1

I have just finished week one of the second six weeks of treatment. I must say, it was SOOOO nice to only go in two days this week! I don't mind the treatments and I like the office, but it does cut into the school schedule. On days when I have nowhere to go, we get everything done in the mornings and the day seems to go so much better.

This week, he started something new: aricular (sp??) therapy. Basically, it's acupuncture on my ears. And yes, it hurts. I was a little sore after Monday's treatment, but Thursday's let me very sore and with some nerve pain. He told me that's b/c I'm out of balance and as everything gets back into place, it will not hurt anymore. I also worked on a wobble board, which is supposed to help straighten out my brain. (No jokes, Dad!)

I've gotten more used to the diet and surprisingly don't feel as hungry as I used to. We have gone out to eat once this week and I was again able to find something. Last night I took the boys to turn in their Book-it coupons and grabbed supper for Anna and I from Culver's. I found a great salad that I just loved. And it's a good thing I don't mind eating my salads dry!

Because Rob is showing signs of gluten sensitivity, we've made the decision to take the entire family down the gluten-free route quicker than we anticipated. I made a huge list of meals the kids enjoy and went through my cookbook, marking down how to make things gluten-free and getting rid of recipes that show no hope of transition. I was amazed to discover how many of my favorites are already gf or lend themselves to simple changes. And our local butcher is starting to sell gluten-free pizzas! Rob and the kids went and got some yesterday and said they were great.

I also started baking for the family again. GF bread is very expensive and since Rob and I prefer to home make our food anyway, we invested in the myriad of ingredients needed to bake gf. I have made sandwich bread, chocolate cupcakes, and blueberry scones so far. We didn't get our brown rice ground up enough for the bread, so it tasted very "ricey" according to Matthew, but we think we've already fixed that problem. The cupcakes were AWESOME, although very light so the kids had to eat them with a fork. I make a big breakfast for the kids on Saturday mornings, so we tried out the scones today. The kids gobbled them right down! We'll see what Rob thinks when he wakes up. It feels so good to be baking again!

Oh, and how am I feeling? A little sore here and there, but better. I've had a head cold all week, so it's hard to tell what is the cold and what is the fibro. Otherwise things are going along well.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Fibro Treatment: Week Six

Six weeks of treatment down! This means I am done with three-day-a-week appointments. Now I will go two days a week. I have no real news to report on the treatment front. The nasty powder stuff tastes far better in a shake than it did alone and we have settled in to the diet once more. My resolve was shaken when my wonderful sister-in-law sent cake pops for the kids and gluten-free cookies for me, but I put them in the freezer and they will be the first thing I enjoy when the sugar ban is lifted.

I am feeling so much better overall. Here's a list of some things I've been able to do that I would NEVER have done a month ago:

1. Vacuumed the living room, including using the hose to get under the radiator.
2. Shopped for two hours with Rob
3. Cooked a large breakfast for the kids AND made my own at the same time
4. Took Anna to storytime and did not go crazy from the baby/mom noises
5. Stopped to talk to people in church on Wed nights and have been able to follow the conversation w/o feeling I need to escape b/c I can't focus

I still have a ways to go and there are still some mountains to climb, but I feel better overall and am slowly seeing my life returning to normal.

The Rest of the Family

News about my fibro treatments have taken up much of my blog time, so I figured I'd give everyone else a fair shot :)

Rob: The greatest husband ever is doing well these days. He's working 12 hour days 5-6 days a week, so he's tired much of the time, but he's doing well. He kicked his caffeine habit and is more awake now than when he was downing coffee and Coke all day long. Rob has opted to eat with me on my diet and is losing weight as well. He has discovered that he has a gluten sensitivity. Since eating with me, he has noticed whenever he has certain products (namely white flour) his throat constricts and he feels sick. We have decided to take the family to a gluten-free diet sooner than anticipated. And he celebrated his 34th birthday on Friday by taking a vacation day. We went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and then had a fun family day. He tried making a gluten-free pizza crust for supper but it did not work out....good thing we live next door to a pizza place! He and I went on a date Saturday and had a wonderful time, especially since we both bought a new pair of jeans. I have dropped one size and he dropped two!

Matthew: Little Man is doing well. He is still enjoying school for the most part and excelling. As I have been feeling better, we've been adding a few things back here and there and I am able to keep on top of his readers better. He has the tenderest heart of all three of the kids and has been very helpful to me. He's also my little food evangelist. We have been teaching the kids more and more about how harmful fast food is to our bodies and Matthew said, "What? Is that legal for McDonalds to sell food like that?" And then he proceeded to rant and rave about McDonalds for a long time :) I think my work is done....

Benjamin: Oh, little Ben, my most confusing guy right now. He's an angel 80% of the time and so very helpful, but then that little Ben-with-the-horns starts whispering in his ear and he can be a total terror. We're doing our best to help him out, but there are days that I'd like to string him up by his toes. He did have a little accident last week when taking out the trash. Some broken glass inside the bag poked through and sliced his knee, resulting in seven stitches. He's a tough little guy, though, and after the initial cut never cried once! He gets the stitches out tomorrow. He's also doing well in school and his reading, while progressing slower than Matt's at that age, is still coming along nicely.

Anna: She's still my little sunshine, but she has cloudy days for sure. She copies big brother Ben and gets herself into trouble more often than I'd like to admit. But, she is such a fun little thing to watch! And her sense of style is just hilarious: I never knew so many sparkly things in pink and purple matched! She looked at herself in the mirror on Wednesday night and declared that her Tiny Trackers shirt was ugly. I told her to add an accessory to the ensemble and that perked her right up. And then today she told me my church outfit didn't match. Her favorite movies right now are the Spy Kids movies and she runs around catching spies all over the house...all while holding her baby doll :)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Fibro Treatment Week 5: Indian Giver Week

Yes, I realize the term "Indian Giver" is both insensitive to Native Americans AND inaccurate both historically and culturally, but it still means someone who gives things then takes them away. And that's the best description of what happened during my fifth week of treatment. Let me take you through the emotion and details involved.

On Monday, I was told that the results of the rest of my tests would be back that week and I would find out where my food sensitivities were. Fabulous! This is the news I was waiting for so I could get some other foods back and be able to start on a new normal way of eating. Wednesday was that day, and I was told I am sensitive to dairy (but might not be forever), still have to watch the eggs and beans right now, and gluten, of course. BUT--I could have dark chocolate and a whole list of alternate grains. I'm also fine with corn and potato, which was a big relief. (Coffee is also fine, but he'd rather I lay of it for now.)

So after my appointment, we hit the grocery store and I found myself some treats to make up for my miserable, treatless Christmas. I bought dark chocolate (70% or higher), gluten-free egg-free dairy-free cookies, and some grains to start making my own baked goods. (By the way, those kinds of cookies taste WAY better!!) To celebrate, we made up some cookies that fit the bill and I had plans to try out some bread on my own, hoping to make it cheaper than you can buy in the store. Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows how much I LOVE to bake! I had two glorious days of thinking I could settle into my new way of life.

Yeah. So then I went in on Friday and was told that I am now starting a cleanse. I was given the world's foulest mix to drink in place of my yummy greens drink and some more vitamins to take. The purpose of these things is to get out the bacteria in my gut and heal my slightly leaky gut. I only have two types of parasites, one known and one unknown, so I'm doing better than most of his patients. These could have been in my system even from childhood, so it's hard to tell what caused them. Let's just say the children have been reinstructed on handwashing techniques.

And the diet that goes along with the draught of living death (really, the stuff tastes like bad coffee gone bad) eliminates some of the things I HAD been eating! No potatoes, tomatoes (nightshade veggies), mangoes, bananas, mushrooms, nuts, corn and a few other things. No sugar (bye-bye dark chocolate) or alternate grains. PHOOEY!!

So I started the stuff on Saturday morning and felt like I was going to die. Not only did I have that wretched taste in my mouth all morning long, I felt like I had stomach flu w/o the pleasure of getting sick to make me feel better. And I have a really bad head cold on top of it all. Seriously, could this whole thing get much worse?? It's the first time I've wondered if I shouldn't just find a prescription med for all this nonsense.

And what really didn't make sense is why I couldn't have things that are not on my sensitivity list. I get the sugar--it feeds bacteria. But the rest just didn't make sense. So we muddled through the weekend, Rob fixing what he could (including a form of french onion soup that can only be described as an epic fail) but we were just chomping at the bit to get to my Monday appointment.

As nicely as I could (or maybe not) I kind of attacked my doc, the man who up to this point I did not question in the slightest. Apparently, I should have asked more questions on Friday as I could have avoided a weekend of misery. I can mix the Repairvite (a.k.a. sludge) with a smoothie for breakfast. Now that's better! And I only have to avoid certain foods in the mornings, maybe lunchtime. So my beloved potatoes are back. I just can't overdo the other foods so they don't interfere with the powder.

But. And this is a really big but....I am doing this for two months. Yup, two months of no sugar or alternate grains. No treat on Rob's birthday, no Valentine's, no nuthin'. And if I cheat, it only sets me back further. Seeing as I NEVER want to go through this again, I'll be good. I sent all the dark chocolate to work with Rob, gave the kids the remainder of my gluten-free treats, and I'm planning a big reward for myself when I come out on the other side, hopefully a much healthier more energized me.

Oh, and total weight lost to this point is 14 pounds. So that's something.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Fibro Treatment, Week Four

Well, I have now gone four weeks under the fibro treatment I can honestly say that I'm starting to feel better. I'm not going to be running a marathon anytime soon (or ever, if I'm honest) but I am noticing subtle differences. The biggest change has been mentally. I can focus for longer periods of time and actually paid attention during the entire sermon this morning. I have always had a hard time concentrating on lengthy classes and sermons, so I was quite surprised when the service ended and I had paid attention to every word! I am also able to focus more on conversations with others, so I don't feel like avoiding people in church or getting out of a conversation quickly.

I am still in pain, but I'm better able to manage it. I've also been doing some thinking about how I've pulled myself away from so many activities, so I am adding a few to my schedule, but they are things that will help me therapy-wise: specifically, I'm going to another SU demo's card night for more art therapy :) Right now I feel most like myself when I'm focusing on stamping or when I'm homeschooling the kids, so those activities will get the most attention.

I am also trying to work on my sleep habits. That's a hard one to do, seeing as my body is all messed up in that regards. Right now I'm trying to get to bed at the same time each night and then get up around the same time each morning, no matter how I feel at bedtime or in the morning.

I'm still on the same diet, but it sounds like the test I did to find my food sensitivities is done. My doc is just waiting for the results. So, I should know this week!

Thanks to all of you who have been such wonderful cheerleaders. I really appreciate all of the support I've received, especially in regards to my choice to use a chiropractor over a conventional medical doctor. It means so much to know that I have people praying for me and cheering me on.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Pepper Incident

Tonight I made some Annie's Mac and Cheese for supper and as usual, Matthew headed for the pepper. He just likes a little seasoning on his food :) Since he's careful, I let him pepper his own food. But not Ben. Well, I wasn't paying attention and the next think I know, Ben has the pepper right next to him and he's chugging water. I looked at his bowl and there were pepper flakes everywhere! He took another bite or two, then refilled his water cup. And then asked if he had to finish supper.

Well. This momma is not about to let good food go to waste (especially semi-expensive mac and cheese) so I told him yes and he could drink as much water as he needed to. He was at the table for an incredibly long amount of time and drank five cups of water, but he finished it.

And you guessed it....there were five trips to the bathroom prior to his bedtime! On the last trip, I told him, "This is what happens when you do the pepper yourself!" He decided that he'll let Mom season his food next time :) And I'm REALLY thankful that he's never wet the bed and gets up at night if he has to use the bathroom....but we'll see what morning brings....

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Drain Monster

Anna has been petrified of drains since toddler-hood. She never likes hearing the bathtub drain out and absolutely hates drains in public bathrooms. She'll cling to the wall and skirt around them to get to the toilet and keeps a watchful eye on them at all times! I've tried explaining to her that the drain is not going to hurt her, but she just doesn't believe me. So I made up the drain monster.

At our old place, whenever I pulled the plug and we heard the drain monster gurgling, she would furiously get all of her toys out of the tub. I told her the drain monster doens't like to eat little girls, but he'll eat her toys. And he ALWAYS attacks Daddy when he takes a shower after work. (Daddy confirmed the report.) Then I told her a few times that the drain monster WAS hungry for little girl, but he couldn't get through the drain and she couldn't slip down. It seemed to work for awhile, then she got scared again.

So then I told her that the drain monster doctor told the drain monster that he was too fat and had to go on a diet. He was no longer allowed to eat little girls because they are too fatty. That finally got her over her fears of the drain and then we moved and our new tub didn't make any noise when draining. Until tonight. Rob and Ben cleaned it out better and it began to drain more efficiently, so once again we have a drain monster. I told her he missed drinking her bath water because she tastes so sweet and she reminded me that he's on a diet and can't eat her.

Sometimes getting a child over a silly-to-us fear takes an equally silly story :)

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Cutting Anna's Hair

I decided to trim Anna's hair the other night. It grows so slowly that it has only been trimmed once in her short little life. Some of it is growing uneven, so after her bath I told her I was going to cut her hair, but just a bit. Right before I started, she asked, "Will it hurt?" I told her that she wouldn't feel a thing. Then she got real quiet and after a few snips said, "Makaila had her hair cut and she looks like a boy." (A friend of hers had a hair cut and the lady cut it much shorter than her mother wanted it to be.) I explained that she'd still look like a girl :)

When we were all done, I showed Anna how little of her hair was trimmed off. She glanced at it, then immediately got on the step stool and looked at herself in the mirror, turning her head both directions multiple times. Because I had moussed her hair and scrunched it, it did look a little short. She started to panic and said, "It's too short!!" I explained that it would look a little longer in the morning when it was dry. Poor little thing--I didn't realize how traumatic a haircut can be when you're only three!

And yes, she was fine in the morning. Her new obsession is headbands and she still looks like a girl in them :)