Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Exhaustion
I am suffering from exhaustion. Our puppy has been up all night for the past week. Nothing is working to get him to quiet down. Everyone else has been able to sleep through his whining. He also has learned how to climb out of his pen that we put him in the daytime when were not watching. So now his kennel is his only choice. In addition I am feeling rather ill. I think I'm going to bury my nose in a book again today and let the kids handle things.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Being Gluten Free
Today I'm feeling a bit inspired to talk about something close to me. If I haven't mentioned it before C has Celiac disease. This is a disease that changes the way you and your immediate family live their lives. Usually for the better.
On C's 10th birthday he had stopped growing for the third time in his life. Not just for a month but for an entire year, perhaps longer. The first time it happened, growth stopped from 6months to 13months old. This can be very significant in the development of a baby. But the pediatrician at the time just had me feed him fattier foods and was satisfied with his small weight gain. Then when he was 5 years old it happened again. The new pediatrician had his bone age done and checked hormone levels but other than his growth age being behind all was fine.
When the 10th birthday check up came around he was very ill. He had become gaunt and frail looking. He rarely had any energy and was so used to being in pain that he thought it was normal. He had also stopped developing academically and had frequent mood swings. He was also vomiting after almost every meal. My biggest fear was that he was developing an eating disorder. At first x-rays showed that he had a colon blockage the likes of which his pediatrician had never seen before. After several months of tests and procedures things weren't much better. Then we went to see a ped. GI. She was ready to write him off as having a weak stomach. Then as we were about to walk out the door I brought up the possibility of Celiac. My grandmother suffers from it but doesn't ever say much about it and I know she doesn't stick to her diet very closely. At that point we had the initial testing done. Sure enough that was what was afflicting our son. We then refused the next test to confirm the results because C had already been through so much. A intestinal biopsy just to act as a confirmation wasn't going to change how we would need to proceed.
Within a month of being gluten and soy (another allergy that showed up) free C was beginning to act like himself again. He had already begun gaining weight again and growing. His emotional health was slowly on the up swing so, his attitude was much better. The problem at that point was me. I felt like I had somehow failed him. Why hadn't I recognized the signs sooner? How were we all going to eat this way? How do I keep him from feeling like an outcast?
I studied everything I could get my hands on about Celiac. It is a highly genetic disease so myself, J and hubby have been tested. I will get S tested this year. I cannot tolerate much gluten but I don't have Celiac and neither do hubby or J.
Cooking is becoming easier but sometimes I still lack inspiration. But it is slowly coming. I am very slowly beginning to cook like I once did. As C's fears of eating anything that looks like gluten are starting to go away my want to cook is returning. For a very long time he just couldn't bring himself to even look at gluten free bread because it looked like the stuff that had caused so much pain.
This year it has been amazing to discover just how many places are willing to accommodate your gluten free requests. Last summer the boyscout camp he attended for a week made a special menu just for him. Many restaurants have a gluten free menu if you just ask for it. Also there are few fast food places that now have options (if you know what to ask for).
The hardest thing comes when people don't want to understand that it is not just an allergy. I'm certainly not discounting allergies esp. since many people can die from them. But sometimes people think that just because you can't see the effects of celiac immediately on the outside it must not be that bad. What they don't get is if I gave my son gluten in even the smallest form it is the same as slowly giving another child poison.
This week C goes in for another round of blood tests to make sure he hasn't had any gluten and to check his growth. It always makes me a little nervous. I am pretty sure he is still growing but we have reached the point where his peers are shooting up and he isn't. He will hopefully be delayed only by a few years. But we can't be certain. This is another gift of his Celiac.
But over all Celiac has lead to healthier living not only for C but for everyone in our family. Not being able to eat a lot of the junk out there has change us for the better. I look forward to being able to cook healthier food that a non gluten free friend won't know is gluten free.
On C's 10th birthday he had stopped growing for the third time in his life. Not just for a month but for an entire year, perhaps longer. The first time it happened, growth stopped from 6months to 13months old. This can be very significant in the development of a baby. But the pediatrician at the time just had me feed him fattier foods and was satisfied with his small weight gain. Then when he was 5 years old it happened again. The new pediatrician had his bone age done and checked hormone levels but other than his growth age being behind all was fine.
When the 10th birthday check up came around he was very ill. He had become gaunt and frail looking. He rarely had any energy and was so used to being in pain that he thought it was normal. He had also stopped developing academically and had frequent mood swings. He was also vomiting after almost every meal. My biggest fear was that he was developing an eating disorder. At first x-rays showed that he had a colon blockage the likes of which his pediatrician had never seen before. After several months of tests and procedures things weren't much better. Then we went to see a ped. GI. She was ready to write him off as having a weak stomach. Then as we were about to walk out the door I brought up the possibility of Celiac. My grandmother suffers from it but doesn't ever say much about it and I know she doesn't stick to her diet very closely. At that point we had the initial testing done. Sure enough that was what was afflicting our son. We then refused the next test to confirm the results because C had already been through so much. A intestinal biopsy just to act as a confirmation wasn't going to change how we would need to proceed.
Within a month of being gluten and soy (another allergy that showed up) free C was beginning to act like himself again. He had already begun gaining weight again and growing. His emotional health was slowly on the up swing so, his attitude was much better. The problem at that point was me. I felt like I had somehow failed him. Why hadn't I recognized the signs sooner? How were we all going to eat this way? How do I keep him from feeling like an outcast?
I studied everything I could get my hands on about Celiac. It is a highly genetic disease so myself, J and hubby have been tested. I will get S tested this year. I cannot tolerate much gluten but I don't have Celiac and neither do hubby or J.
Cooking is becoming easier but sometimes I still lack inspiration. But it is slowly coming. I am very slowly beginning to cook like I once did. As C's fears of eating anything that looks like gluten are starting to go away my want to cook is returning. For a very long time he just couldn't bring himself to even look at gluten free bread because it looked like the stuff that had caused so much pain.
This year it has been amazing to discover just how many places are willing to accommodate your gluten free requests. Last summer the boyscout camp he attended for a week made a special menu just for him. Many restaurants have a gluten free menu if you just ask for it. Also there are few fast food places that now have options (if you know what to ask for).
The hardest thing comes when people don't want to understand that it is not just an allergy. I'm certainly not discounting allergies esp. since many people can die from them. But sometimes people think that just because you can't see the effects of celiac immediately on the outside it must not be that bad. What they don't get is if I gave my son gluten in even the smallest form it is the same as slowly giving another child poison.
This week C goes in for another round of blood tests to make sure he hasn't had any gluten and to check his growth. It always makes me a little nervous. I am pretty sure he is still growing but we have reached the point where his peers are shooting up and he isn't. He will hopefully be delayed only by a few years. But we can't be certain. This is another gift of his Celiac.
But over all Celiac has lead to healthier living not only for C but for everyone in our family. Not being able to eat a lot of the junk out there has change us for the better. I look forward to being able to cook healthier food that a non gluten free friend won't know is gluten free.
U-Turn
The road was closed yesterday so we couldn't go to the snow. The mountains were gorgeous so it did make for a wonderful drive. The kids feathers were just a little ruffled since they were all bundled up and ready to play. Hopefully next time.
Today I plan on dusting off my sewing machine and finishing some projects I started a while ago. One is a doll for J. It's a beautiful Waldorf doll she has named Pipi. But the only thing I ever got around to finishing last summer was her head. So there's no time like the present!
Today I plan on dusting off my sewing machine and finishing some projects I started a while ago. One is a doll for J. It's a beautiful Waldorf doll she has named Pipi. But the only thing I ever got around to finishing last summer was her head. So there's no time like the present!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Snow
Today we are going to the snow! Everyone is super excited. It has been raining so much this week, it has also been very cold. All the mountains surrounding us are covered so we won't have to drive very far. Now the trick is going to be getting back before the rain starts again today.
The kids are also going to be in for quite a shock! I don't think they realize how cold the snow will feel. But then again I don't think they'll care!
The kids are also going to be in for quite a shock! I don't think they realize how cold the snow will feel. But then again I don't think they'll care!
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Flow of Change
Reflecting back on all of my years homeschooling I realize that every year this month always brings about the same change. I always re-evaluate what we're working on, taking stock of what works for the kids and what doesn't.
Interestingly just as I was writing about making the kids more organized last week I happened upon a book that I set aside a few years ago. The book was "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Dr. Oliver DeMille. It has a great theory that resonated with me when I saw him speak a few years ago. Then funny enough two days later at a dinner party a friend told me that day she had been to workshop with Dr. Demille and how wonderful it had been. This was too good of a coincidence for me to pass up. So I have spent the past week reading everything I can. Luckily my friend has quite a library of TJE writings.
I think the reason it hits home for me is because I have felt for a long time like my children a just going through the motions of school, even though they are at home. They only seem to be retaining things that interest them and they are not learning how to think. Just spit out the facts one day then forgetting them the next. So, I am excited to see where this next little journey leads us.
This week also saw the start of two new classes for C&J. They both began working with a Spanish tutor and a writing instructor. They loved the writing class. It is just a story writing class but it really inspired them which made me smile. They both loved the Spanish tutor as well. They can't wait until the next lesson!
Oh and if your wondering how my organized day went. It went really bad. It was nice to have a framework but beyond that nothing on the agenda was accomplished because things are always changing here sooo much. So we'll see.
Interestingly just as I was writing about making the kids more organized last week I happened upon a book that I set aside a few years ago. The book was "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Dr. Oliver DeMille. It has a great theory that resonated with me when I saw him speak a few years ago. Then funny enough two days later at a dinner party a friend told me that day she had been to workshop with Dr. Demille and how wonderful it had been. This was too good of a coincidence for me to pass up. So I have spent the past week reading everything I can. Luckily my friend has quite a library of TJE writings.
I think the reason it hits home for me is because I have felt for a long time like my children a just going through the motions of school, even though they are at home. They only seem to be retaining things that interest them and they are not learning how to think. Just spit out the facts one day then forgetting them the next. So, I am excited to see where this next little journey leads us.
This week also saw the start of two new classes for C&J. They both began working with a Spanish tutor and a writing instructor. They loved the writing class. It is just a story writing class but it really inspired them which made me smile. They both loved the Spanish tutor as well. They can't wait until the next lesson!
Oh and if your wondering how my organized day went. It went really bad. It was nice to have a framework but beyond that nothing on the agenda was accomplished because things are always changing here sooo much. So we'll see.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Boy Interrupted
The best laid plans lay to waste. This saying is especially true in our household. No matter how much I plan, something gets thrown in to monkey wrench my idealism. It can be very challenging for me sometimes because I like my days to have a plan. I also like things to work out to my expectations. I guess you could say I have a bit of tunnel vision when it comes to how I foresee the day progressing. And this would be why the powers that be chose to give me S.
S is unpredictable in everyway possible. He truly keeps me on the edge of my seat. After having him, I had to stop keeping to all my routines that I used to have with the other two children. This was a combination of his personality and the age difference between him and the older two. But now I find myself wondering if he would do much better if he had a set little schedule of his own. I am also wondering if this might benefit C & J as well.
I have been trying to get C & J to become more independent with their study time but I am finding that it is now interfering with our time as a family. For example, they both waited until after dinner last night to do the loose ends of their school work for the day. Of course, neither one finished and they will be working toady, which they were supposed to have off for C's birthday. SO I think next week I will try a more time approached schedule and do some rearranging of our homes school materials. Hopefully it will lead us in the right direction.
I am hoping that this will also give me more academic time with S. He seems to finally be ready for projects. He is also sitting still long enough to take in what I'm teaching him. I am very excited to move into this next phase with him.
On another note, we had to change C's birthday plans to Tuesday instead of today. Like his mama he doesn't take to change very well and was not very happy about it. We did compromise a bit for today. Plus everything is still the same it just got moved a few days. He understands why but he's not thrilled. But then again what kid would be. I'll just be working extra hard to make today a little extra special for him.
S is unpredictable in everyway possible. He truly keeps me on the edge of my seat. After having him, I had to stop keeping to all my routines that I used to have with the other two children. This was a combination of his personality and the age difference between him and the older two. But now I find myself wondering if he would do much better if he had a set little schedule of his own. I am also wondering if this might benefit C & J as well.
I have been trying to get C & J to become more independent with their study time but I am finding that it is now interfering with our time as a family. For example, they both waited until after dinner last night to do the loose ends of their school work for the day. Of course, neither one finished and they will be working toady, which they were supposed to have off for C's birthday. SO I think next week I will try a more time approached schedule and do some rearranging of our homes school materials. Hopefully it will lead us in the right direction.
I am hoping that this will also give me more academic time with S. He seems to finally be ready for projects. He is also sitting still long enough to take in what I'm teaching him. I am very excited to move into this next phase with him.
On another note, we had to change C's birthday plans to Tuesday instead of today. Like his mama he doesn't take to change very well and was not very happy about it. We did compromise a bit for today. Plus everything is still the same it just got moved a few days. He understands why but he's not thrilled. But then again what kid would be. I'll just be working extra hard to make today a little extra special for him.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Birthday
C this year hiking with a friend
C at 7
Tomorrow is C's birthday. As I said before he will be a whopping 12 years old. He has asked that instead of a party we go to Universal Studios and bring his friend. This seems so grown up! Mind you, I did tell the kids no parties this year since last year I threw three big ones.
I have to admit that every time my oldest gets another year older there is a certain pang in my heart. On one hand I'm happy that he's getting older, but on the other it makes me sad to see it happen. Honestly, I think it happens with all three but since it's C's birthday I'm just noticing it today! So happy birthday to him!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Baxter
This is a picture of Baxter asleep on hubby's lap. He is such a little cuddle bug! He has a great personality and follows me everywhere. Now if we could just get him 100% potty trained I'll be set!
Inspiration
This is the work that completely inspired C to be an architect when he is older: Zaha Hadid . We saw drawings and models of her work at the Guggenheim in July of 2006. It was life changing for him.
The Newborn and The Firstborn
I am still here but I feel like I have a newborn all over again. Who ever said a new puppy would be easy? I knew what I was getting into but perhaps just not to the extent. Baxter has to be watched constantly since we're in the middle of potty training. He also can't go in public until he is 16 weeks old. That's the one thing I wish I had know beforehand. Our life is currently chained to the house since we don't want to leave him alone for more than 2 hours at a time. But he's still worth it.
Also constantly on my mind this week is my oldest. C is turning 12 this week. I can't believe he is already that old. I think it would help if he looked as old as he is. All the other kids around his age are having their growth spurts and he has fallen even further behind. His best friend was over yesterday and to my surprise C barely comes up to his shoulders! I am so crossing my fingers that he is still growing and will have his growth spurt late like the doctors say. He has a friend who is 14 and only a few inches taller than him, he is now going to be getting hormone injections. I really don't want to cross that bridge.
We also had a big realization on his academic front this week. Because C went to school in K and 1st grades and came into K reading he was never taught phonics. I had been suspecting it for a while now. We took him to get tested last week and our suspicions were correct. I think this is why he seems to have so many strange issues academically. He is very intelligent but struggles in odd ways. So now it all makes sense. I just need to get it corrected now. I have a feeling after it is rectified he will soar again.
But he is still an incredible kid. He does so many things everyday that are completely selfless. I still will never believe his ability to construct things. For Christmas he got a huge Lego Star Wars piece and had it put together in less than three days. (not working on it constantly) Some day he wants to be an architect and I can see it suiting him well. So only time will tell.
Next time I promise a puppy picture!
Also constantly on my mind this week is my oldest. C is turning 12 this week. I can't believe he is already that old. I think it would help if he looked as old as he is. All the other kids around his age are having their growth spurts and he has fallen even further behind. His best friend was over yesterday and to my surprise C barely comes up to his shoulders! I am so crossing my fingers that he is still growing and will have his growth spurt late like the doctors say. He has a friend who is 14 and only a few inches taller than him, he is now going to be getting hormone injections. I really don't want to cross that bridge.
We also had a big realization on his academic front this week. Because C went to school in K and 1st grades and came into K reading he was never taught phonics. I had been suspecting it for a while now. We took him to get tested last week and our suspicions were correct. I think this is why he seems to have so many strange issues academically. He is very intelligent but struggles in odd ways. So now it all makes sense. I just need to get it corrected now. I have a feeling after it is rectified he will soar again.
But he is still an incredible kid. He does so many things everyday that are completely selfless. I still will never believe his ability to construct things. For Christmas he got a huge Lego Star Wars piece and had it put together in less than three days. (not working on it constantly) Some day he wants to be an architect and I can see it suiting him well. So only time will tell.
Next time I promise a puppy picture!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year!
Okay, okay I still have not found the camera battery charger. Maybe someday I will. I am hoping in the next day it will turn up since we have a new addition to our family coming this weekend. As a Holiday gift to our family we are getting a new little puppy. I will post a picture here as soon as I can. He is an adorable little cockapoo. For those wonder what the heck? It is a cross between a cocker-spaniel and a poodle. He's adorable with golden curls. We have decided to name him Baxter. I had to veto a lot of names like, Frodo, Pippin and Golem.
We have decided to wait on buying a house after all. Hubby is a little nervous about the state of things. So we'll be staying put. Which for once is just fine with me. So we're off to visit Baxter. I promise the next post might actually be on Homeschooling and our trip over the holiday. Right now I think I just have puppy on the brain!
We have decided to wait on buying a house after all. Hubby is a little nervous about the state of things. So we'll be staying put. Which for once is just fine with me. So we're off to visit Baxter. I promise the next post might actually be on Homeschooling and our trip over the holiday. Right now I think I just have puppy on the brain!
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