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Monday, November 11, 2013

Falling Behind

Long Weekend

Eating restrictions and braces adjustment don't mix. And I got to visit my family this weekend, so I didn't cook much. I did cook a roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, turnips and mustards for my mom. Thankfully, it was all soft.
Came home to Bardan in the pepper plant

I spent the weekend eating soup, soft breads, and cooked veggies (mashed potatoes..my favorite).  Even today, I ate soup since my mouth is still a bit tender.  Oh, well....tomorrow is another day.

Super thankful for my husband, though.  He stayed home to help with an Eagle Scout Project and went to a new members class at church.....Love you, Babe
He's mine...back off!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Day 2

Awesome things happen with leftover homemade bread, olive oil, and spices....See my croutons!!!
                                                          SO PROUD!!
We didn't eat them though. We ate.......
                                                             TA-DA!
This is chicken tacos on whole wheat tortillas, cheese, and white sauce (sour cream, cream cheese, home grown cayenne peppers, and stock from the chicken).

And.....
These were dry beans, not canned :)
In the beans, I put dry beans, water, bell pepper, onion, and molasses in the crockpot.  Please don't ask for measurements...I'd have to say enough.

But seriously.....I want ice cream.....This isn't hard. It's that I want what I'm not allowing myself to have.  I'm glad Mac asked for an ice-cream machine for Christmas. If "Real Food" sticks, an ice-cream machine will be useful.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Real Food Challenge

So my husband decided that at some point in the near future he'd like to lose weight. 

Fantastic! 

He wants to cut out processed foods.

That's good for you, but I can see extra work in my future....

It's a good idea to cut out any ingredient the kids can't read.

Ahhhh! I knew it! Extra work for me! Challenge accepted (He knows he's loved)

So I decided to give it a go first, see how it works. When pay day comes around, I'll start making shopping choices to switch the whole family over, but I'm the Lone Eater for now. Note: they will eat what I make. If "real food" is what is cooked, they have no choice but to eat it.

So step 1:Research

www.100daysofrealfood.com

Step 2: It's not pay day, so how can I do this without going shopping. To the pantry, Bat-Man!

I need to make changes to the rules on the web link above to fit my budget.

1. Meats, veggies, fruits, milk, cheeses are all acceptable.
2. If it was a staple 100 years ago, it's a staple now. (This is how I'm justifying my flour, grits, and sugar. Anyone who says grits isn't real food is insane.)
3. If the kids can read the ingredients list, it's acceptable.

Step 3: Cooking

Rolls made for lunches. The kids are use to this, so it can be incorporated immediately. (Thank you bread machine!!!)

 Looks like Kraft, but it's not.  Elbow macaroni, heavy cream, butter, and cheese. They had no idea it didn't come from Kraft. 

Here we go.....

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Sharing My Experiences

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Sharing My Experiences:      Parents and grandparents of children on the Autism Spectrum are use to the sight in the picture above. Not the cast, but the Legos. ...

Sharing My Experiences

     Parents and grandparents of children on the Autism Spectrum are use to the sight in the picture above. Not the cast, but the Legos.

     Today, I met a grandmother of a possible Autistic child while taking my boys for speech.   He was diagnosed as Autistic by a pediatrian, not a doctor who specializes in the Autism Spectrum.  After a while, she decided to change doctors, and the new doctor suggest take the child for brain seizures. She is hoping that her grandson has brain seizures, not the Autism, so that they can medicate and have a "normal" kid.

     She asked my opinion on the matter because she was so lost. I shared my experiences with doctors, specialists, labeling, and such.  I told her about how she needs allow herself to grieve over the loss of the grandchild she dreamed of, and the for life that she dreamed for him.  That would allow her to cope with what was in the future.  Many parents and grandparents don't realize that grieving over their ideas give such release.  We miss something very real to us, but we gain so much more after we let go of our "dream".

    God has something very big planned.  He allows us to participate in His glory.  I have no idea what is planned for my babies or me.  I have 4 kids, and 3 are classified as special needs.  2 of them are on the Spectrum and 1 is hard of hearing.  I often ask God how He could possibly trust me so much.  I know He doesn't make mistakes.  And my babies are absolutely perfect the way they are made, and I wouldn't change them.......so that means He must have more faith in me than I have in myself.

     It's hard.  I've been driving to therapy for 9 years!!!!  A majority of the time, I drive that twice a week.  Not to mention, it's expensive and exhausting.  Parenting is hard enough without trying to interact with children who communicate so differently.

    Still, I wouldn't trade, fix, or do without any of them.  As Psalms 139:14 states, they are "perfectly and wonderfully made" by a Creator that has big plans for us all to bring Him glory.  He has selflessly allowed us to play a special part in His creation. He gently guides us in becoming beautiful souls that make Him smile as we plod this path that He specially designed.  I trust that in His infinite wisdom; He prepares us for the time that we are caught up with Him.  Until then, I hide myself in His arms, holding on, and refusing to let go.  I can only begin to understand Psalm 17:8, "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings."

  As, I typed this, Daniel and Hannah brought me an early Mother's Day gift.  They made a flower out of paper and a pipe cleaner.  Daniel wrote "love is superior" and he rubbed deodorant on the paper.  He said the smell pleases him.  I know why instinctively.  It is soft and noninvasive.  Such sweet spirits.



      

Friday, March 23, 2012

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Thinking Back

Appreciate the Small Stuff!: Thinking Back: DISNEY We love to go to Disney.....and to go often. Why? Why in the world would we go to the same place all the time? See the same shows? R...

Thinking Back

DISNEY
We love to go to Disney.....and to go often. Why? Why in the world would we go to the same place all the time? See the same shows? Ride the same rides?

Planning is easy. And (if you know how to do it right) once you get there, you can park your car and not drive until you are leaving.  Also, the kids know exactly what to expect.  Everyone can relax.  It's AWESOME!!!!
Gabriel is drawing with chalk at Downtown Disney.  They had artist everywhere.  The main focus was on chalk art, similar to in Mary Poppins.
 The kids and their grandpa.  The in-laws LOVE Disney as much as the kids do.  This is at the campgrounds.
 Wayne and I don't have many pictures together.  So I took one while we were giving the kids a snack in the Land.
Shhhhh! He doesn't know that I'm posting this one.  Epcot is by far Wayne's favorite.  He likes to take me into Norway.  Wayne's parents use to "shop" for him a girl in Norway.  They figured girls are tall, fair skinned, and blond.  What more could he want???  Well, I'm tall, fair skinned, and blond, but no Nordic heritage.  I guess he likes to show them that Americans can grow anything they can (and taller).  He keeps me laughing.