By Sun and Candlelight

Ascension Thursday

When buttercups are golden

And daisies bright and gay

There comes a feast of Jesus

We call Ascension Day

A few ideas for today:

~ Read about the Ascension in our children's Bible.

~ Lay down in the backyard and watch the clouds.

~ Pick dandelion puffs and blow the seeds into the wind; make wishes upon them!

~ Go on a walk of our "boundaries" and photograph our yard. Ask for God's blessing on our little corner of the world.

~ Talk about what it means to be a parish. Read from This is Our Parish.

For tea:

~ Set our table with a green cloth and a vase of Ascension Flowers (lilacs). (Put them back outside before Daddy comes home, as he is allergic.)

~ Serve light-as-air meringue cookies, along with a zesty spring punch. If the day warms up and the ground dries out, have tea as a backyard picnic - otherwise partake on the deck.

~ Attend evening Mass.

Have a beautiful Ascension Day, my friends!

Riveted

The Toontown Times May Edition arrived in my inbox at five minutes to eight last night. What else could I do but let the boys stay up for a while and read all about it? :)

Afternoon Delights

Well, it's been a very nice afternoon.

I found a lovely craft blog and all because I made time to sit down and read this magazine (which also has a blog, and is probably too young for me, but I liked it anyway). In this post they talked about aprons which have been very much on my mind lately. They also talked about this sewing book which my friend Elizabeth recently recommended and naturally said book very quickly landed itself in my Amazon cart. Which is kind of funny because I have no sewing skills to speak of (and no sewing machine either), but oh, how I long to sew ...

By the way, in that post there are lots of links to apron patterns as well as a link to another nice blog that links to LOTS of homemade aprons for sale! (Just in case that sewing thing doesn't work out.)

And what, you might wonder, has been neglected whilst I look at these magazines, peruse these blogs and surf the virtual shelves of amazon?

Good grief! However did THIS happen? Not to worry, though, I'm on it.

Just let me finish this post.

Oh, and in completely unrelated news, a good friend and I are taking our bunch o' boys to see Shrek III on Friday; I'll order the tickets online tomorrow. I am sure I will enjoy the movie, though I suspect it might be a tad fresh. As the mother of all boys, I am required to enjoy the goofy-movie-genre on some level, even if I have to sometimes put my fingers in my ears and sing lalalalalala to myself.

But I must admit I'm really looking forward to seeing Nancy Drew on June 15th. She was hands-down my most favorite literary heroine when I was a girl. (Can you have a most favorite or is that being redundant, lol?) I read her books, over and over, and I wanted to be just like her, right down to her smart skirts and sensible shoes. The movie looks so cute I can't stand it. Bookworm wants to see it too, but I suspect for him it's more about a slight crush on Emma Roberts than anything else.

But you didn't hear that from me. ;)

Goodness it's a nice day. Warm and sort of cloudy, lots of birds singing, everything looks so green - it's like England. (I like to think.) I just brought in some lilacs (Ascension Flowers) for tomorrow and put a chicken pie in the oven. A rumble of thunder just pealed in the distance. We're cozy at home, as the light dims and we just may need to light a candle or two.

This post was a little punchy, I realize, but that's spring fever for you. I think it's officially set in.

Did I mention the Sox are in first place? :)

Happy Spring!

More Thoughts on Feingold & Food

A few readers left questions about yesterday's Feingold-friendly breakfast post, so I thought I would answer them here in case it might be helpul to someone else, or in case someone has suggestions, particularly for this first question regarding milk - how to save when buying lots of it for a large family.

From Melissa:

"What kind of milk do you use? Regular (non-organic) milk is $3.50/gallon here--a real budget buster when you go through one per day. If you do use organic, any tips on keeping the cost managable?"

First let me say, milk is allowed on the Feingold diet, but we choose to limit it with Earlybird (more on that below). We do buy organic milk as much as possible, or alternatively, milk that is free of growth-hormones. That said, only three of us drink it, so I know I buy much less than the average family. I try to limit milk servings to our three main meals a day, and encourage water and juice in between. I think that saves a bit, but I can imagine how much milk a larger family would go through in the course of a day when most, if not all, members are drinking it.

I have yet to price out all the varieties of milk available to us. In fact, I have set up a sort of "price book" for myself (an idea I first read about in The Tightwad Gazette). Mine is a small looseleaf binder in which I will keep notes on each item we buy regularly - where the best prices are, how to use it, store it, etc.

As with any grocery item, when buying organic milk, check the price on the store brand at a natural market; it might be less expensive than a national brand. Also, find out if there is a local dairy where you might buy direct, or perhaps, join a local food-co-op. You could check with your state's agricultural board or take a look at this Local Harvest website (big hat tip to my friend Theresa for the link).

If you have suggestions for saving money on milk - organic or otherwise - please do share them by leaving a comment below!

Speaking of milk, Theresa left this comment:

"We are looking into Goat's milk though because I am beginning to suspect that we may have a problem with milk based on Andrew's behavior on those days (like today) when we've had dairy for breakfast."

EB has issues with milk, too, though he does eat dairy foods in moderation.

A couple of years ago, just after he was first diagnosed with PDD-NOS, we tried a two-week gluten-free/casein-free diet. I had read that children on the autistic spectrum can benefit greatly from a GFCF diet, so we gave it a shot. It was very hard - the boy loves his bread!  Someone told me that any food your child craves is probably a trigger for them health-wise (i.e. physical or emotional symptoms).

After two weeks, we didn't see much difference, except with milk. He was drinking a lot of it at the time, and without it, he seemed to be calmer. So we cut it out completely.

We think with EB, he has certain levels of tolerance. He can handle dairy and wheat in moderation - too much of it is, well, too much for his system. If he binges on dairy or wheat he reacts to it with an uptick in PDD behaviors. For instance, he loves cream-cheese bagels, but he'll ask for them over and over. Same thing with homemade pizza. We find when we get away from those things he does better. He can have them again at some point, but we have to remember to keep it in check. There needs to be balance.

From LeeAnn:

"Dawn, your list of breakfast foods is so comprehensive, I'm having a hard time figuring out what is *eliminated* in this diet. Could you point out a few common items that EB cannot eat?"

In my breakfast post, EB can have everything I listed, only we need to follow the Feingold list and choose appropriate items. So for instance, he can eat cereal - but not just any cereal, it needs to be a brand that is approved. There are a lot of brands listed, many of them natural varieties - but some mainstream as well. We always have several types on the shelf - EnviroKidz are a big hit. Crispix is too. Since cold cereals can be expensive, I look for coupons, wait for sales, and try to watch how quickly we go through them.

It's hard to make a generalization, but basically there are certain fruits and vegetables - such as apples and berries - that contain salicylates (chemicals produced naturally) that some people are sensitive to. (More information here.) EB can eat other kinds of fruits - he particularly loves melon, pears and bananas. He can't eat raisins, but he can eat dried pineapple or chopped dates. So it's just a matter, in most cases, of finding substitutes.

We're very fortunate that EB is not a picky eater. For example, when we began the Feingold diet, he was drinking lots of apple juice - yet he made a smooth transition to pear juice. We use an organic bottled juice which is, unfortunately, quite expensive, but there are other less expensive brands listed. (We cut his juice with 2/3 water by the way.)

Also, at the time, he was eating lots of applesauce (literally every day with almost every meal). We switched to "pearsauce" - which at first was jars of Earth's Best pear baby food, but that was crazy-expensive considering how much he could eat. So instead we buy organic pears (they go on sale a lot) and cook them down and mill them to make pearsauce. He loves it! (And it makes delicious pear bread to boot!)

It is important to note that this is all stage one of the Feingold diet. After four to six weeks on stage one, you are supposed to move on to stage two and start re-introducing things like apples and tomatoes. You watch for signs of intolerance. We have never done this, as we find EB does so well on stage one, we're not ready to make that leap yet, lol!

Most homemade foods, made with F-F (Feingold-friendy) products are A-ok too. So, EB may not be able to eat Chips-Ahoy, but he can eat homemade chocolate chip cookies.

I think it's important to have lots of choices available, so that the feeling of limitation is downplayed. That's why I just ordered organic lollipops and natural decorating sugars. We don't eat these things regularly, but on the occasion when all the other kids are getting a pop or are eating a colorful cupcake, EB can too.

A few other notes:

• Yogurt is OK, but not just any flavored, colored, mainstream brand that catches our eye. It must be one that is listed as tested and approved.
• EB can have jam, but only a few kinds are listed in stage one. I'm hoping to order some online, but in the meantime, I would like to make some homemade pumpkin butter and pineapple jam.
• Eggs, biscuits and ham are all super - with homemade biscuits, fresh eggs, and a ham from the list (several brands are suggested).
• Waffles - can't do regular ol' Eggos, but can do some of the organic kinds. Since these are expensive (and we can whip through a box in a day) I try to make homemade.
• Homemade muffins and coffee cake and other baked goods are all fine too. I couldn't pick up a coffee cake from the bakery - they might use artificial flavorings or preservatives. But really, homemade is so much better for all of us, and our budget!

Not all the items listed are obscure - many mainstream varieties are listed. But I do find more of what I need in a natural foods market. Organic or natural food products tend to use less or no artifical ingredients and preservatives, and these things are highly intolerable for a child with sensitivities. (For the record, all of us are sensitive to some degree - ever get a headache from Nutrasweet? I sure do.)

The trick for my budget (and time) is finding a balance. For instance, we can (and do) buy these delicious organic Krispy Rice bars. EB loves them and has one on the way home from speech twice a week. He likes to have them other times too, though. Since he eats them so quickly, I really should find a less expensive alternative - homemade granola cookies maybe. Save the bars as a now and again treat - not an everyday thing.

I hope that gives you some idea of how we have to make alterations. The diet is not difficult but it is something you have to think about and work around. In most cases I've found we can find an acceptable brand or a subsititution. The key for me is having meals planned out ahead so my shopping is efficient. I can't just grab anything off the shelf, so a carefully thought out list is a must for me if we are to have things to choose from and meals that are healthy and varied (and waste less food in the process).

And, as I've mentioned before, the Food List which comes with your membership explains all this in detail and provides all the name brands you can use.

Gill asks:

"How are things like fishsticks? I guess the coating is a no-no?"

Fish sticks are ok, Gill, if you use an approved brand. We happen to like Ian's frozen fish sticks very much (not sure if they are available over there). I would like to make and freeze our own - they sound so simple to do. I would just be sure to use a crumb coating made with crackers, cereal or bread from the approved list.

So, there's my very long question and answer post! I hope you found it helpful. Keep in mind, I am not an expert in any of this, and other than being a member, am in no way affiliated with the Feingold Association. I am just grateful that these food changes have helped my son, and in the process, helped me improve my food shopping habits.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day. :)

Jolly Good!

I just got my "Don't-Miss-List" from WGBH, and this jumped right out at me:

Masterpiece Theatre: The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton

I'd love to learn more about Isabella Beeton, and I'm very curious about the "secret life" bit. I hope it's nothing too dark.

Here's a quote from the website:

"Just as Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart have turned Americans into rabid consumers of cooking and lifestyle advice, the Victorians had their own evangelist in the shape of one Mrs. Isabella Beeton, author of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. How did a woman who couldn't cook produce Britian's most famous recipe book?"

It sounds very interesting, and at the very least, it should help tick away the time until Miss Potter comes out on DVD.

Boy, I love PBS. :)

Feingold-Friendly: Notes on Breakfast

I've been brainstorming some ideas in my food planning notebook, with particular focus on keeping meals Feingold-friendy, and I'd like to share my notes as I go. Eventually I hope to have a 2-week menu plan written out, but for now, I'm just getting the general ideas down on paper.

Mainly I'm working off a food list I made up long ago, adjusting it to to what we actually eat, and what EB can eat. I find that by sitting down with recipes and my Feingold food list, it is easy to quickly check ingredients, brands and possible substitutions. I note things to tweak right there on the page, then tear and file it away. I have a tote bag packed with my meal planning supplies - Feingold materials, magazines, recipes, grocery store flyers, coupon packet and notebook.

I do this at home, but you could easily do this at the library once a month or so. Just plan to spend some time poring over the current issues of food magazines, women's magazines - even parenting magazines, I find, have wonderful child-friendly recipes that are easy to adapt and assemble. Copy down recipes and ideas you want to try (long hand if you have the time, or make copies on the library machine).

I am slowly making notes as I go about how to make each food choice more economical and convenient, but in general, I try to watch for coupons (more organic varieties appear every week) and I check the weekly sales flyers for sale items. I am fortunate to live close to several markets, but I usually shop at one regular store and one natural market. In the summer months I will stop at the farmstand as well. If I can get my pantry better organized, I hope to buy in bulk more often (summer project!). Also, I hope to replace our freezer this summer (ours died a year ago or so). And I know I don't have to tell you all this, but the weeks I shop with a meal plan in hand, are the weeks we make much better use of our food!

Please keep in mind that any foods I mention are chosen in accordance with our Feingold Food List. You must join The Feingold Association in order to receive the comprehensive food list (which lists acceptable brands) as well as a plethora of other supportive materials, including a mail-order guide, fast food guide and a handbook with recipes, menu plans and coping stategies.

I hope that my notes here give you some breakfast ideas, whether you follow Feingold or not. :)

Cold Cereal:

• With milk (for those who can tolerate it)
• In single-serve snack containers
• Organic "krispy" cereal bars
• Homemade "trail mix" with any combination of dry cereal, dried bananas/pineapple/mango/dates, coconut, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, pretzels, milk or white chocolate chips (store in small baggies as a take-along breakfast)

Notes: My middle son and I are the only two who eat our cereal with milk; the rest of my family eats it plain. I'd like to cut down on amount of krispy bars consumed (limit to after-therapy treat if possible).

Hot Cereal:

• Serve with fruit (diced or stewed and sweetened slightly), brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, chocolate chips, cream, low-fat milk or yogurt

Note: I saw a neat idea in Family Fun magazine, where you take rolled oats and a bit of salt, grind them in a blender or food processor to the consistency of wheat germ and then scoop the mixture into plastic resealable baggies in 1/2 cup portions. Add natural flavorings as you wish (let the kids personalize their own set of bags), seal the bags and shake. To serve, empty contents into a bowl and slowly stir in 1 cup boiling water. Cover and let sit for 3 minutes. Stir again; add milk if desired. My boys like a brand of really expensive organic "kids" oatmeal pouches in chocolate chip and cinnamon flavors; there's no reason I can't make up baggies like this for way less money!

Oats:

• Homemade granola (plain oats with a bit of honey and perhaps cinnamon for us) served over yogurt and fruit
• Granola-over-fruit baked crisp, served with yogurt or cream (lovely on cold winter mornings)
• Breakfast "cookies" made with oats and pearsauce (instead of applesauce)
• homemade granola bars

Note: I've bought the Irish tubs of oats in the past, but I think I will price the organic bulk oats at the natural market. If I store it well, it would be less expensive I'm sure. It would make sense, too, to make up large batches of homemade granola to store in airtight containers for snacking and recipes.

Yogurt:

• Plain or vanilla, served alone or with honey, maple syrup, or pureed fruit stirred in.
• Smoothies made up in blender (keep portion size baggies of fruit in freezer, ready to go)
• Frozen smoothie bars (like popsicles) make wonderful summer breakfasts (made in a popsicle mold if you have one, or dixie cups with craft sticks work, too).

Note: We buy the large containers of Stonyfield Lowfat Vanilla, though I've toyed with the idea of making our own. It would be more work, obviously, but I would think, less expensive and probably healthier (not sure about how the shelf-life compares). It would be a great idea to make up smoothie pops or cups (in tropical blends) to keep in the freezer - a handy breakfast, snack or dessert!

Fruit:

• Fresh fruit servings
• Fruit salad
• Fruit kebabs
• Homemade "sorbet" (frozen pureed fruit)
• A frozen banana coated with peanut butter and granola stuck on a popsicle stick
• Pearsauce (cooks the same way as applesauce)
• Baked fruit crisp (see Oats above)

Note: Buy organic fruit in season as much as possible (farms, natural markets) and freeze or preserve when we can. My biggest problem right now is making use of the fruit we have on hand before it's only fit for the compost pile. It's a balancing act, to be sure. We do use some canned fruit (pineapple, pears and a tropical fruit salad).   

Beverages:

Notes: Currently Earlybird drinks organic pear juice, Vruit (Tropical Blend) and occasionally lemonade (frozen, from concentrate). I would like to try making our own pineapple-carrot juice (we have a juicer) and homemade lemonade as well. I would also like to get him to drink more water. In the cold months it would be nice to start our day with homemade hot cocoa, hot vanilla milk or even hot lemonade with honey (nice for the throat).

Spreads:

• Butter (plain or flavored with honey or maple syrup)
• Cream cheese (plain or flavored with honey, syrup or perhaps crushed pineapple and shredded carrot)
• Pumpkin butter (as opposed to apple butter), made from scratch with canned pumpkin or fresh cooked pumpkin when available (lightly sweetened and spiced)
• Jam or jelly
• Homemade pineapple jam
• Homemade lemon curd
• Cinnamon-sugar
• Peanut butter
• Melted cheese

Serve with any of the spreads listed above:

• Rice cakes
• English muffins
• Bagels
• Homemade biscuits
• Toast sticks (We like peanut butter, jam and cream cheese, or butter and cinnamon sugar sandwiched between them.)

Notes: We have a bread machine that I never use. I would like to try making homemade bread, as we seem to go through several loaves a week.

Eggs:

• Quiche (large or individual size) made in homemade crust, with fresh organic eggs, milk and cheese, perhaps veggies and meat too
• Scrambled or omelette with above ingredients
• Served on homemade biscuit with a sausage patty or slice of Canadian ham (from approved shopping list). There's a recipe in the Feingold handbook for homemade sausage patties using ground turkey I'd like to try (cook and freeze). We call these breakfast sandwiches "scramblers." :)
• Wrapped in tortilla, or served in a pita pocket
• Homemade egg custards made in individual ramekins.

Cheese Quesadilla:

• Two plain flour tortillas filled with shredded cheese and pan fried or microwaved; serve in wedges.

Note: Currently we use a blend of Sargento shredded cheese because it's easier and the kids like the flavor. I'm interested in using our food processor to shred our own cheese - better for us and our budget.

Mozarella sticks

• Tasty and easy, but I think buying blocks of soft cheese and cutting them into logs or cubes would be worth a try.

Potato pancakes or zucchini pancakes

• Served with sour cream and/or pear sauce.

Homemade muffins and quick breads

• Using organic ingredients as much as possible as well as seasonal fruit. Bake and freeze in batches to have on hand.

Waffles:

Notes: We tend to buy frozen organic waffles, but it makes much more sense to make them ourselves from scratch ingredients or even a packaged mix. We do have a waffle iron; it cooks waffles in individual sticks - fun for the kids to dip in syrup or yogurt. We also like regular sized waffles served sandwich style with pb & banana or honey or jam.

Pancakes:

Notes: Use a FA baking mix or even better, make up a homemade pancake mix to store in bulk. When making pancakes, make extras to freeze. Pancakes are delicious with butter and syrup, or diced or pureed fruit, whipped cream too!

French Toast:

• Delicious with any of the spreads mentioned above!

Sunday Goodies: After Mass on Sundays we have coffee with my parents. I like to have a special goodie for that morning like a coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, pastries or homeade donuts. Any of these things can be made from scratch and kept Feingold friendly. We bought a donut pan at The Baker's Catalogue (only the mini version appears to be available now). We eat them plain, or we might frost them lightly. I'd like to learn how to make homemade pastries and fill them with pineapple preserves, lemon curd or fig jam.

Everything I've listed here, when using approved ingredients and brands are A-OK for someone following the Feingold diet. As you can see, there really is a good deal to choose from. We do not make all these foods by any means - we tend, unfortunately, to rely on the same few meals over and over. But hopefully a rotating menu plan will hopefullly allow for a more healthy and varied diet.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this post maybe helped someone today. I know there's a lot here, and it might seem rather disjointed, but I hope once I get my menus in place it will all make more sense. You can find my previous Feingold posts here.

Have a lovely day!

My Apron for the Day

Well, I was so inspired by all the apron making and wearing going on around here I just had to participate somehow. I thought about it all morning, and it was all I could do not to steer the van over to the fabric shop on the way home from speech. (It would have been completely fruitless anyway with my three boys in tow, lol.) I'll have to look at patterns online today; I'm sure a google search will bring something up (and if you know of a place to look, please do drop me a line!).

After we got home, I remembered I do in fact have my grandmother's apron tucked away somewhere. As I remember, it's a pale green cotton with white embroidery and wide sash ties at the waist - so I got the boys their lunch and then set off to search. I couldn't find it (it might be in the hope chest which must be jimmied open by Bill as I can't find the key) but I did find a nice tea towel that my grandmother embroidered and monogrammed years and years ago. I simply fastened the towel around my waist with a safety pin! It might be cheating a little, but it did feel really nice to wear!

(I'm not usually so camera shy, but this was the one and only shot Bookworm got before my camera batteries died.)

The Kitchen Madonna, hostess of today's Apron Event, graciously left me a comment in my earlier post and she said this about aprons:

"They really conjure up all sorts of feelings in the woman who wears them and in those who see you in one! Really! Try it!"

My goodness, she was right! It felt very feminine and maternal. It felt like "this is who I am, this is what I do, and I'm proud." It also felt purposeful, practical and, well, nifty! I could see how pockets would be very handy and how an apron with a full bodice would also be convenient.

Just as I was getting the hang of it, the mailman appeared at the door and he barely batted an eye that I was wearing a towel at my waist. (Not that I'd expect him to of course, but I felt like quite the lady of the house, wiping my hands on my apron and rushing to the door to accept today's package. Which, by the way, contained organic lollipops for Earlybird, and this book, a Mother's Day gift from Bill.)

As the door swung closed, I paused to notice the spring birds singing, the leafy boughs bending in the breeze, and the sunshine washing our lawn in soft light. (Along with my makeshift apron, I daresay I slipped on a pair of rose-colored glasses.)

Here's a close up of the embroidery detail which includes my grandmother's monogram ...

Though, come to think of it, this is my mum's monogram too! I wonder if this tea towel was hers? I'll have to ask. Either way, I'm glad I pulled it out of the back of the closet. Until I make my own "official" apron, this one will serve me very nicely.

Honestly, maybe it's the glorious spring weather, but I have had such a nesting surge of late! Bill is putting up a clothesline for me, and preparing a small raised bed out back where I can grow some vegetables this summer. I can't wait to pick out a new broom, a few new sponges and make up a bucket of homemade lavender cleaner ... It's good to enjoy your work, don't you think?

I have always loved being a wife, mother and homekeeper. But you know, sometimes housekeeping can seem a bit more like a chore than at other times. Lately I have felt a renewed and deep sense of blessing - that these are my duties, this is my home, these are the people who rely on me for good food, a soft place to lie their heads, clean and fresh surroundings. How very blessed I am to call all these little tasks, this beloved place - all these dear people - my responsibilities.

We are all so blessed, are we not?

Are You an Apron Mom?

Did you hear the news? Thanks to a tip from Elizabeth, I learned that today is National Wear an Apron Day! There's more information at The Kitchen Madonna; I love this particular quote:

"As the search for domestic bliss continues, a search that includes cleaning and decluttering, cooking tasty nutritious meals, educating children, and the care and feeding of husbands, women will celebrate the difference they make in the lives of their families. They know an apron is like a uniform that conveys authority, unconditional regard, and motherly wisdom all at once. Apron Moms know aprons are about cooking and cleaning but they are also about emotional availablity, hospitality, and femininity."

Personally, I do not own an apron, but recently I've been thinking I should - what with all the extra laundry I seem to be doing (no shirt goes unsmeared in any given day around here). So I've been looking online and it seems most of the aprons out there are offered as patterns - in other words, I would need to sew it myself. Well, my sewing experience is just about nill, but I was toying with the idea of trying this ...

And then I saw THIS FABRIC at Susan Branch's delightful website and, well, that sealed the deal! It will be available to order online beginning May 25th. Now I just need to find a pattern, assemble the appropriate tools, carve out some time to work on it, ask my mum for help ...

I surely won't have one whipped up in time for today's national event, but maybe if I get to work straight away, I just might have an apron ready for next year. :)

(And while I'm at it, I must mention a series of free stationary pages on Ms. Branch's site - so lovely! I happen to be reading her Autumn from the Heart of the Home book right now - it's on sale for $6 at Barnes & Noble (go, run!), and it is pure cozy, comfy, uplifting joy. Reading her book inspired me to check out her website, which led me to her fabric, and now I will surely have to return later today to explore more.)

So, are you an Apron Mom today?

Motherhood: It's Not Just a Job ...

It's an adventure ...

Men at work ...

Mud for you, Mum ...

Dirt for you, Mum ...

Worms for you, Mum ...

I have to be HOW old to drive?

Thank you, my brother ...

On the road again ...

Family Room Fort

Battle Stations ...

Hey, Mum, are you listening?

My littlest prince ...

A toad for you, Mum ...

Making dirt angels ...

A dragonfly encounter ...

Out and about one hot summer's day ...

I know that sock's under here somewhere ...

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings ...

Happy Mother's Day! May your blessings be many and your days "full of adventure!" :)

The Cricket on the Hearth

We had just settled the boys into their beds when our calico, Penny, called for our prompt attention in the kitchen. Calling out as she does when she has something to share (most often a stray ribbon or a milk top) Penny stood perfectly still staring at a dark corner. A little light on the subject revealed ...

A Cricket! House or Field, we're not sure.

The cricket's ballad sets the sun,
Bidding farewell, the day is done.
While twilight ushers in the dew,
Welcoming chirps, that bid adeau ...

(From the lovely Little Cricket by Barry Clopton Lanier)

Crackerjack was especially excited by this discovery, having just recently read Cricket in Time Square for Book Group. All the boys wanted to offer our cricket (how quickly he became our cricket and not just the cricket) a temporary home. Nonetheless, we scooped him up gently with our trusty bug transporter (a plastic cup and a sheet of paper) and ushered him outside to the clematis vine by the front door.

It was a delight to make his acquaintance and we hope to hear from him soon!

Does this Make Me Elinor Dashwood?*

You scored as Edward Ferrars. Your  husband is most like Edward Ferrars of Sense & Sensibility. He is quietly impulsive, with an understated hint of romance. But once you get to know him, he's very affectionate, caring, and faithful. The two of you enjoy a calm, joyful life.

Who is Your Jane Austen Boyfriend/Husband?
created with QuizFarm.com

Hat tip ~ Love2learn Mom

*I guess I'll have to go and take this quiz again!

Just Checking

I was cleaning up the lunch dishes, standing at the sink, when Crackerjack came up to me, holding his hands out and looking them all over. He said to me:

"How many fingers are you supposed to have?"

Laughing a little (but not too much, I could see he was serious), I answered him:

"Ten! Or, eight I guess. Eight fingers and two thumbs."

He continued to turn his hands over and over, obviously counting and re-counting, so I turned off the faucet and asked:

"Why?"

Holding up his hands and wiggling all his fingers, CJ replied:

"Oh, I'm just checking, it was looking there like maybe I was missing one."

Poetry Friday: Spring Storm

I love a storm in early May
When springtime's boisterous, firstborn thunder
Over the sky will gaily wander
And growl and roar as though in play.

A peal, another - gleeful, cheering...
Rain, raindust... On the trees, behold!-
The drops hang, each a long pearl earring;
Bright sunshine paints the thin threads gold ...

(Please click here for the rest of the poem by Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev.)

The first thunderheads of the year moved through yesterday. Nothing came of them ~ just some ooh's and aah's from those of us who think storms are exciting (so long as they behave themselves). They reminded me we need to make a new storm candle for the summer. We've kept one since Bookworm was tiny ~ a special candle we light specifically, and only, when a storm is upon us. It lends an air of coziness and courage to a dark and rainy afternoon.

We used to light a Yankee Candle called Storm Watch, but it's long since burned down. Now we just make up our own with an unscented candle.

Happy Friday, everyone! Stop by HipWriterMama for the Round-Up!

The Fifth Sentence Meme

I saw this neat little meme at KC's this morning and decided to play along. Here's the deal:

Grab the nearest book.

1. Open it to page 161.
2. Find the fifth full sentence.
3. Post the text of the sentence along with these instructions.
4. Don't search around looking for the coolest book you can find.  Do what's actually next to you.

Here's mine:

"While gray squirrels are busily burying their single acorns here and there for the long winter that lies ahead, and red squirrels are stashing their winter supplies in various safe places, the chipmunk is busily gathering nuts and seeds and bringing them back to its burrow."

(In case you were wondering, the book nearest me at the time was The Beginning Naturalist by Gale Lawrence.)

If you decide to play along, visit KC and leave your link!

Speech with Earlybird

Earlybird had such a wonderful speech therapy session this morning I just had to post quickly and share, especially in light of my recent Feingold posts. His therapist said he did *awesome* and that he was especially conversational today (polite even, with many a thank you and sorry).

His conversational language has really picked up lately - he's so much more social and keyed into his environment, we've noticed. I think, also, as his language skills build (more words, more syllables, more sentences) he's become a more active - or shall I say more proactive - talker. It's so exciting!

EB has made some great strides with his multisyllabic words, too. For example I nearly jumped out of my seat when, driving by a large brick building the other day, he asked:

Mama, what dat?

Oh, that's a school, EB.

No. That a wy-ba-bee.

Yes, EB, it does look like a library! What do we get there?

Books!

Right!

I get books?

Love it!

EB has only in the past few months really caught on with the multisyllabic words, and he does sometimes drop the middle consonant (not all words, but some). I remember his therapist (I'll call her Dee here) mentioned that with a speech delay it is important that the child uses some sound, even if it is the wrong sound. To drop it completely makes a work incomprehensible, but any sound, right or wrong, keeps the word intelligible. For example, usually he says "mom-mee" but sometimes he drops it and says "maw-ee."

At speech and at home, EB uses flash cards for drilling target sounds. Today one of them had a picture of a pig wallowing in a mud puddle. The word Dee was going for was "muddy," but EB would repeat "mummy" instead. (I tried not to read too much into that, lol.) Dee said that's ok, and even a step in the right direction. She also stressed that when you slow the word down and stress the correct sound, he makes it perfectly - so he can say it, but he needs to remember to say it!

EB's patience has improved dramatically, too. Dee and I try to confer a bit before the boys and I head out, but sometimes keeping EB waiting can be a challenge. Bookworm is excellent at being in charge of EB while I listen to Dee; he helps him on with his coat and takes his hand, and then, as we leave, he walks him down the hall with me (and Crackerjack) following. Well today, EB waited, standing hand in hand with BW, listening to my conversation with Dee. I was grateful for those moments today especially, because I wanted to share with Dee a cute conversation I'd had with EB that very morning, and I'd like to share it with you. (Sometimes I toy with the idea of keeping a blog just for his progress that I can share with family, friends and therapists. Wheels turning ...)

The following is an example of how he's using language more ably these days. Earlybird called me to the family room this morning, his voice had just an edge of distress:

Mama, wook! A bee! (Pointing at the wall where I presumed there had just been a bug of some sort - he uses "bee" for all bugs.)

Where, EB? I don't see a bee.

EB peered at the wall, brow furrowed.

Huh? Huuuuuh?

(Mimicking the way his older brothers say "huh" in an exaggerated, perplexed way.)

Where did it go, EB?

On the counter!

On the counter? Well, if you see it again,  let me know, OK?

Ohhh-kaaaay! I'll tryyyyy!

Too funny! Lots of good words and so much personality, too!

Did I say this was going to be a quick post? :)

Best of all, Dee said he was very even-tempered and in a terrific mood. I told her we'd been making some dietary changes, and that his sleep had been really good too.

I don't mean to imply that all this progress is because we've tweaked his diet over the past few days, but I do think his diet has played a part in keeping him more balanced. He's been sleeping well too (till past five some mornings!) and I know that's helped him (and probably us, too). A friend of Bill's who has a daughter with special needs said that when her sleep patterns settled down and the quality and quantity of sleep improved she made great strides.

I truly hope - and pray - the same will be in store for Earlybird!

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing in our continuing journey. I'm still working on that next Feingold post (snack and meal ideas) - hope to have it up soon!

Everyday Nature: The Quiet of Morning

We've had some wonderful nature moments here this morning, and I wanted to share them in a post, not just in my nature notes on the sidebar. I took the picture above just minutes ago from our deck. The sun rises right behind our woods and I love how it glimmers through the greenery, gaining in strength as it climbs the morning sky ...

I also love how we begin our mornings. So quietly, so slowly. The light is just creeping through the woods, and my boys are still asleep. I like to raise their windows so that as they wake, they feel the gentle breeze and hear the wakening woods. I think it is a comforting and cozy way to start their day.

In the winter of course, I can only crack the windows (if at all) but our temperatures have been in the 80s lately, and so we are having a touch of summer here in mid-May. Today, as soon as the soft light worked its way through our house, I made the rounds from room to room lifting blinds and throwing windows open wide.

The day was dawning so beautifully. The woods were literally alive with all the bird song and yet, one call lifted clearly and loudly above the rest. Crackerjack and I had been listening to that song, wondering what bird could be making so piercing and distinctive a call. A few moments later, as I made Earlybird's bed, I heard the song even more clearly and called CJ to the window. There, sitting on the gate just outside EB's window, was a tiny Carolina wren, singing his dear little heart out!

We were so close we could see his beak moving, notice the way he tilted his head back as far as he could in order to belt out his call as boldly as possible. We watched him for several minutes, marveling at his tiny perfection. This impossibly small bird has such a large voice! In just another minute he was joined by a second wren, who could only be his true ladylove, and together they flew into our neighbor's shrubbery.

Amazingly, at the very same moment, a young cardinal pair met up on the fence post and followed suit, heading for the very same shrubbery!

"That must be their church," said Crackerjack. "It's marrying day!"

You know, he might be right, for they could not have picked a prettier day! :)

Before the breakfast routine began, I grabbed my camera and headed to the deck to snap a few pictures of the sunrise. Sure I was still in my pajamas, but our yard is fairly private, and really, who else is up at this time? Just as I chased off a neighbor's cat skulking around the potting shed, a flash of dark and white tail feathers in the cherry tree caught my eye. I was immediately reminded of the slate-colored junco, but of course they've been gone north for some time now. I tried to make out the shape and call of this mysterious bird, but with little success. I took a few more pictures before heading in, and here's what greeted me at the door:

Our three cats were keeping a close eye on me - and the birds as well! :)

A few moments later, the same bird I had glimpsed turned up at the feeders and CJ and I got a closer look. It was definitely an Eastern Towhee, a spring migrant who visited us this same time last year! A female, according the description in our trusty Birds of New England. Her song was a clear and charming cherreee! I took some pictures through the dining room windows, but they all came out quite blurry. Hopefully she'll stop by again - perhaps she's making a nest nearby?

How exciting to have so much activity here so early in the morning! It's just barely 7 a.m.! Now the boys are all up and we're sharing our stories with the sleepyheads who missed the excitement. I've just come from the front door where we waved Daddy off on his day. Up and down the street neighbors are hauling trash bins to the sidewalk and pulling cars out of their driveways. A school bus just trundled by. The quiet has been replaced by the bustle of the workaday unfolding. The Blue Jays are calling from the treetops and the squirrels have made it to the feeders. Our early morning time has passed.

Really, there's just no time like the earliest hours for observing the beautiful and sometimes surprising nature all around us! But let's keep our eyes peeled, because I am sure there will be more to see before this day is done.

I hope your day today is just lovely, perhaps filled with a nature moment or two! 

The Feingold-Friendly Shopping Cart

Writing this post is very timely for me, as today is Wednesday, aka kitchen day - the day I look through (and hopefully clean) our cabinets, refrigerator and freezer. I also begin a shopping list for Saturday's marketing:

My list is actually outdated; I haven't updated it in years!

I wanted to share with you all what I bought on my shopping trip last weekend. As I mentioned, this past weekend was a "big shop." I try do a multi-store, re-stock shopping trip once a month or every six weeks. Most Saturdays I just head to my local Shaw's and within an hour I've got my list completed, my cart filled. So what I am sharing here is not the norm for us, but I wanted to kick off our two-week diet diary with plenty of choices for meals and snacks.

Now, before I unpack my cart, I wanted to say a couple of quick things.

First, I left a lengthy comment in my previous post addressing a few questions that arose in the comments. In it I mention how we do not all follow the diet to a "T" as EB does. I also mention that we asked our pediatrician about the diet before beginning it (or soon after we started). Let me say I love our pediatrician. He is very open to natural remedies - he has never once put my children on antibiotics - and he is very supportive of our homeschooling. He was not against us trying the Feingold diet, but he didn't seem to think much would come of it. But he encouraged us to try it, to see if it helped at all, which, of course, we did, and it has.

Back to the groceries. I shopped at two stores last weekend - my regular supermarket and the natural foods market. Between the two stores I was able to get most of what I wanted. Some items (such as an appropriate jam) I will look for online.

I will be working off this list to outline what meals and snacks we can serve to EB. I also will be looking at each item and seeing how that could be purchased, made or served in a more economical way (chicken nuggets, cookies and pancakes come to mind).

So here we go ...

Beverages:

• RW Knudson's Organic Pear
• Vruit (Tropical Blend)
• Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade
• Minute Maid Frozen Limeaid
• RW Knudson's Pomegranate
• Dole 100% Pineapple Juice

Baking:

• Ian's Panko Breadcrumbs
• Jiffy All Purpose Baking Mix
• Bob's Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit and Baking Mix
• Dr. Oetker Organic Cake Mix: chocolate and vanilla
• Sunspire All Natural Peanut Butter Chips
• Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Arrowhead Mills Cornbread & Muffin Mix
• Dr. Oetker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• Dr. Oetker Organic Chocolate Brownie Mix

Breads:

• Vermont Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf
• Matthew's Golden White English Muffins
• Matthew's Whole Wheat Hamburger Rolls
• Manny's Flour Tortillas

Breakfast Cereals:

• Envirokidz Panda Puffs
• Envirokidz Gorilla Munch
• Mother's Cocoa Bumpers
• Nature's Path Organic Honey'd Corn Flakes

Dairy:

• Stonyfield Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt
• Horizon Mozzarella Sticks
• Land O Lakes Sliced American Cheese (from the deli)
• Sargento Four-Cheese Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese (no spices)
• Horizon Organic Whipping Cream

Desserts:

• Barbara's Chocolate Chip Snackimals Animal Cookies
• AhLaska Organic Chocolate Syrup
• Edy's Frozen Fruit Bars: Lemonade
• Nabisco Teddy Grahams: Honey
• Luigi's Real Italian Ice: Lemon
• Newman's Own Fig Newmans

Eggs & Egg Substitutes:

• one dozen free range large eggs

Fruit

• bananas
• pears
• mangoes
• Dole Tropical Fruit Salad (canned)
• Dole Pineapple Chunks
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• kiwi fruit

Grains & Rice:

• Lundberg Long Grain White Rice

Meat & Poultry:

• Coleman all-natural ground beef
• Wild Harvest boneless chicken tenderloins
• Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon
• Wellshire Farms Original Style Sausage Patties
• Gardenburger Original Veggie Burgers

Nuts, Seeds, Peanut Butter:

• Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

Pancakes, Waffles, Mixes

Van's Mini Homestyle Waffles

Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake & Waffle Mix

Pastas

• Wild Oats Organic Penne Rigate
• VitaSpelt Spelt Rotini (new)

Prepared Foods:

• Annie's Homegrown Organic Macaroni & Cheese: Arthur

Sauces:

• Hunt's Original Style Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
• Amy's Premium Organic Pasta Sauce

Snacks:

• Late July Organic Bite Size Cheddar Cheese Crackers
• Lundberg Honey Nut Rice Cakes
• Premium Soup & Oyster Crackers
• Lay's Original Potato Chips
• Envirokidz Organic/Gluten-free Krispy Rice Bars (chocolate)
• Bearitos Unsalted Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
• Bachman Kidzels Pretzels
• Pringles Original Potato Crisps

Soup:

• Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth

Vegetables:

• red potatoes
• carrots
• Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin (canned)
• corn (frozen)
• peas (frozen)
• McCain French Fries
• Ian's Alphatots
• broccoli
• asparagus
• lettuce
• spinach
• sweet potato

Non-Food Items:

• Seventh Generation Free & Clear Automatic Dishwashing Detergent
• Seventh Generation Ultra Laundry Powder
• Ivory Soap
• Rainbow Unscented Bubble Bath for Kids
• Tom's of Maine Gingermint Anticavity Toothpaste with Baking Soda
• Buzz Away Sunscreen Lotion with Citronella

And there you have it - our shopping cart unloaded. Like I said it was a very "big shop!" :) I'm still working on putting it all away, lol!

I'll be working on the next aspects of following Feingold (meal ideas and money-saving) over the next few days, and will post more when I can (maybe by the end of the week).

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Feingold and Our Earlybird

Now this could easily become an enormous post in no time flat, so I am going to try very hard to be as concise as possible. I think I might break this post up into a few posts, actually:

• Why we follow the Feingold diet.
• What went into our shopping cart last weekend.
• What meals and snacks we make on a regular basis.
• Ideas for making an organic/Feingold diet more economical.

I'd like to first talk a bit about our experience with the Feingold diet, and specifically how it has helped our Earlybird. And before I begin even that, here is a link to the Feingold website so you can see what I'm talking about in case you are completely lost at this point, lol! :) Simply put, the Feingold diet is a set of guidlines that can help some people with behavioral, physical and/or emotional disturbances.

As I've mentioned before, we have our youngest son, Earlybird, on the Feingold diet, albeit loosely. By loosely I mean that we adhere to most of the guidelines, but after two or so years, have found what seems (or seemed) to work for us. Recently however, I've been revisiting the guidelines, and I realized we were transgressing left and right. Several things EB was eating routinely were not on the approved list.

This re-connection came about when I renewed our membership to the Feingold Association. I felt we could use a refesher so I requested new materials (since the old ones had long been misplaced.) Along with the food shopping guide came a fast food guide, mail order sourcebook and we will be receiving the monthly newsletter as well.

Yesterday we began a two-week trial during which we will stick to the diet strictly and record EB's meals and behaviors. At the end of two weeks we'll look at the chart for any patterns. We will also consider if we're ready to move on to stage two (something we've never officially done).

We stumbled upon the Feingold diet two years ago, just before EB was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). Children with PDD-NOS present some, but not all, autistic symptoms, and to varying degrees. EB has a severe speech delay and also some late gross motor skills (sat alone late, walked at 20 months, jumped late - that kind of thing). Eight months of OT helped enormously with the motor skills - he's pretty much on an even track there, now. He's been in speech therapy for a year and a half and his improvements have been wonderful. His therapist, whom he sees twice weekly, is *awesome* and has given me concrete activities (and much encouragement) to use in working with him at home.

Thank God, EB has many strengths as well. He does not have the eye-contact issue; he looks you right in the eye and in fact seeks face-to-face contact. He loves to be the center of attention (sometimes too much, lol!). He is very bright and though it is hard for him to articulate, he learns and understands things well. In other words, his receptive speech is far better than his expressive. It's important to remember this because often we excuse behaviors that should not be excused - he knows right from wrong and much more can be expected of him at each step of his progress.

We need to remind ourselves of this, while still making allowances for his challenges. For example, he knows what "no" means, but he can't be relied upon to not walk in the street. He did this just the other day. We usually keep a lock on the gates to our back yard but one was left open. Bill and the boys were out back, and I was working in the dining room when I saw EB pass through the front gate, and head for the street. Bill was upon him immediately (our radar is fine-tuned, I assure you) but not before EB had run across the street to see the neighbor's construction site. Obviously I don't need to say how frightened we were by this - it served as a reminder that he still has safety issues. We are always tweaking the skills-to-work-on list. We need to be careful for him, all the while working on strengthening and expanding his abillities.

EB is also extremely affectionate, loving, sunny and happy. He kisses and hugs perhaps the most of all my three sons. His emotions run strong both ways, however! He has a temper and can act impulsively and aggressively - it is something we are working on all the time. He's easily overstimulated, especially in large noisy crowds. A trip to the zoo, or a train show or even a busy playground can be a significant challenge to say the least. You have to be organized and thoughtful about those opportunities - they need to be presented in small manageable doses. He has to learn to tolerate - and enjoy! - these activities, and we need to keep them safe for him. He has some issues with hyperactivity and attention - he has not been diagnosed with ADD but I see some of that in him.

EB is 5 now, and it was around the age of 2 we began to suspect something was "off." We see to it he gets the best therapy we can find (we are very fortunate to live in the northeast in this respect) and we work at home with him, surrounding him with love and support and the kind of atmosphere that allows him to grow and focus.

Now about that Feingold connection. EB has always been highly sensitive to things that are strongly scented or dyed - regular laundry detergent gives him itchy rashes. Laying on a new carpet turns his ears red. Finger paints that are stinky and colored with chemicals get in his skin and affect his behavior. It sounds strange, but it's true. We've seen it happen too many times to ignore it. For instance, last night he got a bit of lawnmower oil on his hands and within 30 minutes his face became beet red and puffy.

So we knew early on this child had multiple sensitivies. But how many we were not sure - and of what kinds - physical or emotional? Both?

Both.

I found the Feingold website after a google search for "red cheeks and hyperactivity" led me there. A few days of reading led us to believe this diet was worth trying. The first thing we took away was apples - and let me tell you, this boy loved apples - and right away we saw some improvement. He was calmer, and his speech made more sense. He was using his words instead of just gesturing. At that point we decided to continue.

So we did, and we have, though up till now it's been sort of modified. We have seen an absolute connection between food and behavior, of that I am sure. It is most apparent when he eats something that he shouldn't - such as a brightly colored lollipop or birthday cake or God forbid, a hot dog (the run-of-the-mill, nitrate-laden kind). We once let him have Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts and for days he was out of sorts - not using words, frustrated, teary, distracted, miserable.

Let me pause here to say, we are not by any means experts in any of this - diet, nutrition, mental health or childhood development - we are just parents who have found that feeding our child in this way seems to help him feel better, learn better and behave better on a consistent basis. We would go to the ends of the earth for this child - for any of our children - so how hard can shopping and cooking a bit differently be? It is a challenge I am ready to take on if it means an easier life for EB and us all.

More to come soon, because, as I feared this post did indeed become enormous. But I felt it necessary to fill you in a little on Earlybird's challenges and how we came to follow the Feingold diet in the first place. I will post next (hopefully tomorrow) about just what was in our Feingold-friendly shopping cart this weekend.

Enjoy this glorious day, my friends, and give your little ones a big hug! They are - each one of them - our greatest blessings in life!

Our EB digging right into his Feingold-friendly party food!

Good News for Lost Fans:

ABC announced today there will be three more seasons of Lost, the one and only television series I watch! (Be careful of that link if you have littles around; it opens a video clip of the show straight away.) ABC is planning 16 uninterrupted episodes per season, so that's 48 more shows to get to the bottom of all this.

Full story at CNN.com.

There will also be an ABC special on May 17th called Lost: The Answers. From the press release:

"Hosted by "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof (also a co-creator of the show) and Carlton Cuse, the special will revisit mysteries that have been solved, including why a polar bear is on an island in the South Pacific, who the real father of Sun's baby is, what caused the crash of Oceanic flight 815, who was in the hatch, what happened to the Dharma group, how Locke ended up in a wheelchair, what Kate did to become one of America's most wanted, and the identity of the real Sawyer -- who conned James Ford's parents - leading to their deaths. In addition, mysteries that remain unsolved will also be explored."

Hat tip: The Lost Blog

Happy Monday: This and That!

SO much to discuss today, I'm just so excited. First, and most happily, today's the day for Jennifer's Loveliness of Gardens Fair! Jennifer is the perfect hostess for this fair. Her love of gardening is so sweet and contagious. Stop by and take time to smell the flowers here. :)

So what's this picture all about?

Well, a few things I got pretty jazzed about this weekend ...

First, in our Sunday paper this weekend was an ad (and a coupon!) for Michaels Arts & Crafts. Now there's nothing too extraordinary about that, BUT! Apparently when I wasn't paying attention, a whole new line of craft materials was introduced there - and not just any crafts, but MARTHA crafts! I cannot wait to get over there and check them out - I'll bet they are lovely! Seriously, I have never seen better craft ideas than in the pages of Martha Stewart's magazines, and to have the supplies available so readily just puts the icing on the cake. Can't you just imagine what her holiday crafts will be like this fall?

Now, in more Martha news, this week on the MARTHA television show, it is Scrapbooking Week. I haven't scrapbooked in years, but I still drool over all the supplies and slick magazines. I'll bet the shows will be fun to watch. I TiVo the Martha show every day, in hopes I'll get to sit down and watch it later at night (or on the weekends) - something I haven't done since Christmas, actually - but I will make a effort to carve out some mommy time to tune in later today.

Oh, and one more Martha thing! If you are a Martha fan like I am, she is now putting out a bi-monthly newsletter, called, fittingly, The Martha Stewart Newsletter. It's filled with personal notes, informal conversation, reviews and that monthly calendar like she used to have in her flagship magazine, Living, before people got snarky about it. I happened to enjoy that calendar. I liked seeing when Martha was, for instance, canning tomatoes and cleaning her screens. I'm nosy like that, but honestly, I loved the seasonal rhythm of it, and I loved the gentle reminders.

Oh, and the cake picture on the left is from the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. The only thing I read in there is the food section, and this weekend they featured a banana cake. Not a banana bread, mind, but a CAKE. Crackerjack literally grabbed the page from my hand and said, "Mama, you have to make this and then you have to blog about it!" Does this boy know his mama or what? We must wait for our bananas to ripen, and when they do, we'll bake, and when we bake, I'll post. :)

A few more things! (Lol, you'd better grab yourself another cup of coffee, I'm on a roll.)

I had a nice conversation late last week with Theresa about the Feingold diet, and it re-energized my commitment to making it easier to follow. I did a huge Feingold-friendly food shopping trip this weekend (see above), and I'd like to post about what I bought and what I plan to make/serve with it all. This is not any kind of expert opinion - just (as usual) me thinking aloud. I have found that on our better weeks, when I am really organized and efficient, keeping EB on Feingold is not difficult at all, but I haven't been that organized in a while.

Starting this week I plan to do the 2-week diet diary - keeping track of what he eats and his behaviors through the day. Here's my clipboard with this week's chart:

I also got a package in the mail this Saturday - a book I ordered last week:

Can't wait to dig into it - improving habits is an area I really want to work on with my boys (and me!). The company that publishes this book, Simply Charlotte Mason, is one of the Homeschool Blog Awards providers, and they recently contacted me to offer one of their e-books! I had already ordered this spiral-bound edition of Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook, so I will peruse their other listings eagerly this week!

The other thing I did late last week and over the weekend was to map out the remaining eight weeks in our academic year. I've been chomping at the bit to plan next year (I always get itchy at this time of year) but I reminded myself we still have plenty to get through before July 1st! (We break for July and August.) I looked through our ed. plans and all our curriculum and figured out what we still have on our plates. Then I divvied the work up over the next eight weeks (beginning today) and tweaked our daily schedule. It does not seem quite overwhelming, but we do need to get down to business - stat! Now, though, I'm free and clear to start planning out the 2007-2008 learning year! Bring on the catalogs!

OK, I've kept you all long enough. :) One final note - our weather is going to be gorgeous this week - sunny and very warm. I'm just betting the cherry tree will break into full fuschia blossom and then - then! - we might see the Baltimore orioles! (If the sparrows don't eat all the buds as they seemed to do last year, lol.)

Have a great week, everyone! I might be a little quieter than usual (she says after a mammoth post) as we delve into our newly tweaked (i.e. heavier) workload this week. See you soon!