Update On Sean

It's been a while since I posted an update on Sean, my friend Jackie's baby, so I thought I would do that today. He is doing incredibly well, truly a miracle baby on many accounts. He has the shunt in his brain, which he will probably have for the rest of his life. The doctors (and Jackie, as much as possible) monitor the fluid level in his brain and can adjust the shunt to meet his needs. The shunt that he has is supposed to last him quite a while, but he will probably need to have it replaced at some point in time, due to growth. Sean is developing very well. He gets physical therapy from an in-home service, who also assesses his cognitive development on a regular basis. It's like our version of Early Intervention. He has some muscle weakness, which they continue to work on, but as of yet has no apparent cognitive deficits. Amazing! Looking back, it seems almost impossible that we thought he would not survive. The first doctor Jackie saw actually told her to terminate the pregnancy. It goes to show that humans do not always know what's best, and science isn't always the tell-all. Sometimes all you need is a little faith.

Little Frustrations

Another snow day. No school for Jacob, no work for me, and we are all stuck at home together, in the throws of cabin fever, easily aggravating one another. Honestly, when school was canceled today, I felt my blood pressure rise. First of all, I am taking this time unpaid, because I am out of sick time now, and moreover, what am I going to do with these kids? You wouldn't think it was possible for a 7 year old to fight with a 2 year old, but it is. Andrew takes Jake's toys, Jake screams at Andrew and then Andrew loudly babbles something incoherent garble with a few recognizable words back at Jake. I try to ignore it for as long as I can, until the chaos is unbearable and I inevitably start yelling at both of them! Doesn't this paint a pretty picture for you all? Don't you want to come and visit? Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

This got me to thinking, however. I recently had an email exchange with one of my friends whose children are grown. She made mention of the phrase "Small kids, small problems. Big kids, big problems." I joked with her that I would blog about it...well, here I go!

The phrase is one I have heard several times before but never really gave much thought to until Jacob entered first grade. I was struck by how profoundly his emotional well being and my lack of ability to help him made me feel. It was the first time in his life that I felt so helpless. I would watch him walk away from my car in the morning, most of the time by himself because he didn't know the other kids yet, and my heart would be in my throat. I thought all day about him in that big school, with few friends, daunted by the enormity of his new situation. I cried on the way to work. I cried at work. I cried at night. I just wanted to be there for him during the day, to smooth things out for him, to prevent the pain of adjustment he was experiencing. That anxiety on my part was by far harder to swallow than any other parenting hurdle I had yet experienced, and it was then that it dawned on me: this is just the beginning. As he grows, the challenges that he will face will also grow, and my ability to intervene will simultaneously shrink.
Babies are exhausting. In the beginning you are sleep deprived and your body aches in places you weren't even aware of before your child's birth. As they grow, they bring with them a whole host of frustrations and worries -which day care to choose, illnesses galore, potty training, temper tantrums and the terrible twos, to name a few. I'm at this point with Andrew. He's a nightmare to my type-A personality. He is into everything possible. He's very resourceful too. He uses whatever prop he can find to enable himself to reach what I thought I had secured from his grasp. He's also a crybaby. He's easily frustrated and goes into immediate tantrum mode when something doesn't go his way. It's maddening at times. There are days when I just feel like throwing my own tantrum. Truthfully, sometimes I do!

I try to remind myself of this: "Small children, small problems. Big children, big problems." Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not, but the point is that all the things that Andrew is doing right now are a) developmentally appropriate, and b) not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Although I may feel like I am going to have a nervous breakdown if he finds yet another drawer to empty out, I know that will not happen. When he is 16, out driving with his friends and doesn't come home on time, what will I be thinking? Probably that I wish he were two again, scribbling on the kitchen floor. Right now he is here with me, under my control. His problems are frustrating, but relatively easily fixed and they don't involve the intense emotional facet that the later developmental years will. And, as I know from my own mother as well as my friends with grown kids, watching your adult children face their lives, make their own mistakes and ignore your well thought out advice are doubly trying times. Everyone needs to forge their own path, make their own mistakes and eventually live their own life. I imagine that one of the hardest aspects of parenthood is transitioning your child into that autonomy while you wean yourself out. You pray that you have laid a strong enough foundation for them to make the right decisions and then you allow their ships to sail. I will be standing on the shoreline, biting my nails until my own children's ships return to dock! In fact, I may tether myself to the boat!

My children are both still relatively small, as are my parenting problems. I have only sampled what is to come, but I have had enough to realize the significance of letting go of the little things. The fights on snow days will make good stories to tell them when they are older (especially when they complain to me about their own kids fighting!). "To everything there is a season." Now is the season to enjoy the snow, enjoy the beauty of youth in my home and embrace whatever hurdles the days bring. That said, knowing and doing are often two different stories. It is now time for me to get working, and put this theory into practice. After all, my kids will only be 7 and 2 once, and believe it or not, I will miss it when it's over.

Some Stories About The Boys

I'm home with a sick Andrew today - another ear infection. He's miserable, but has managed to take two naps, so I'm hopeful he is on the mend. He didn't sleep a wink last night, which meant that we also did not sleep. I should be napping instead of blogging, but I thought I would take a moment during the week to update my page. I don't often get the chance, so here are a few stories of the boys.

I mentioned before that Andrew has become obsessed with Elmo. He can now name all the characters! I think that's pretty amazing, and they are all different colors, which gives us the opportunity to work on some color recognition too. He's a little slow with that part, but it's coming.

With Andrew's obsession, we have all been subjected to watching video after video of Sesame Street. At first Jacob rolled his eyes at the shows, but we have caught him watching intently on several occasions! I even heard him singing along to a CD in the car the other day! What amazes me, however, is that Jake doesn't know the names of the Sesame Street characters! He loved Elmo too, but apparently his attraction didn't go any further. He has asked me several times what the name of the vampire is, because he likes him. Then he referred to Bert as "that banana guy" the other day. "You mean Bert?" I said. "Yeah. Bert. His head looks like a banana." Yep. I guess it does!
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One day, while playing Mario Kart with Jake, he yelled out, "Mama Media! That's fast!"
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My mom jokingly said that she and my dad were looking to sell their house and move into a small bungalow. Jake very sternly said, "Mimi, what's a bingalow?"
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Jake's new obsession is Indiana Jones. Somehow he convinced my mother to order him a real Indiana Jones whip. When he informed me of this development, I was a little worried, to say the least. Visions of a tortured Andrew ran immediately through my head. I said, "Well, if you get a whip, you need to know a few rules. One: you can never whip anything living. Two: it must be used outside."
"Oh! But Jacob S and I were going to resurrect a dinosaur together! Please if I resurrect the dinosaur, can I whip it to make it move?"
"Oh, OK. But that's the only exception. If you resurrect a dinosaur, you can whip it." Haha!

Then a few days later, my mom told Jake that the whip was on its way. He said,"Oh good! It'll be here by tomorrow, because we got home from Florida in one day!" (He thought she ordered it from Disney World) She told him that it might take a few more days, because they were shipping it "pony express." "Oh Mimi! How cool! They'll bring it to me on a horse! Yes!" This whip just gets better and better!

More Recipes (2)

Thought I would share some more recipes. Has anyone tried any of the recipes I have posted so far? People rarely comment on the blog, so I don't always know that anyone is even reading it, unless I get an email from time to time. I'm curious if anyone else has an opinion on the food.

Quinoa Pudding

Note - Quinoa is a grain. (Pronounced keen-wah) You can get it in the organic food section of the supermarket. Depending on the brand you buy, you may need to rinse it first. It's very, very tiny - like couscous, so you would need a sieve. I buy a brand that doesn't require rinsing. The recipe says to serve the pudding warm, as a dessert. I actually prefer it cold, as breakfast. And you can substitute any fruit. I have tried raisins and craisins instead of the pineapple, just because they are cheaper this time of year. I like the craisins the best.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups apple juice
1 cup chunked pineapple
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt to taste (I don't use any)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Place quinoa in medium saucepan with water. Bring to boil over med heat. Cover pan with lid, lower heat, and allow to simmer until water is absorbed - about 15 minutes. Mix in remainder of ingredients, cover pan and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Garlic Soup

Greg thought this one sounded gross, but honestly, when it was complete, we both thought it was really good. I used 3 sweet potatoes, to make the soup very thick, but that is a personal preference. We ate this with baked chicken and a salad. Yum!

9 cloves of garlic, crushed (I only used 5 and thought it was plenty, but if you truly love garlic, be daring and add all 9!)
2 medium sweet potatoes
1.5 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 T butter

Cut sweet potatoes into chunks. Add everything, except butter to a pan. Cook until vegetables are tender. Puree in blender in batches. Add butter and serve. Use more or less broth to obtain desired consistency.

Red Pepper Stir Fry

Greg and I both really loved this one. I added slices of beef, sauteed, to add some protein, and served it over brown rice. I also used some organic soy sauce and a spoonful of additional chili paste as garnish after preparation, because it doesn't make a lot of sauce. I actually doubled the sauce ingredients (vinegar, sesame oil and chili paste). I had to buy the garlic chili paste in a health food store, because the ones available in the supermarket were loaded with preservatives. I found a great one that had just garlic, chilis, sugar and vinegar. We love the paste and use it on other foods as well. It has a kick to it, so if you don't like spicy foods, this recipe may not be for you.

1 large seeded red bell pepper, cut into two inch long strips
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp minced garlic (I used one clove, crushed)
4 thinly sliced shitake mushroom caps (I used a presliced mix of mushrooms)
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp chili garlic sauce

If you are eating this with beef, saute your beef in olive oil first. If you are not using the beef, start by sauteing the the garlic for 30 seconds in the olive oil (use a large skillet, because you will be adding all of the ingredients eventually. ) Mix in peppers and stir fry one to two minutes until tender, but still crunchy. Stir in mushroom caps and stir fry for another two minutes. Add scallion and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Whisk remaining ingredients together. Pour mixture over vegetables. Season with salt to taste.


Turkey Sweet Potato Hash

This was another one I thought was really good. I used chicken instead of turkey, because I think turkey can be dry. We mixed in some of the chili garlic paste with the finished dish and it was great!

1.5 cups sweet potato, baked or boiled, peeled and chopped
2.5 cups turkey, cooked and cut into small chunks
1/4 c chicken broth
1 tsp canned diced green chilis (I actually used the entire small can, but we like chilis)
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 large egg white
1 tsp salt (I didn't use this much - just a sprinkling - you can add more later if you want it)
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 scallions, chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup roasted sweet red pepper (I just chopped one and added it uncooked)

Preheat oven to 400. Boil or bake sweet potatoes and cut into cubes. Take 1 cup of the sweet potatoes and set aside. Mash the remaining sweet potatoes. Mix together mashed sweet potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, turkey, red pepper, chilis, 2 T cilantro, 1 chopped scallion, egg white, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Heat skillet on med heat and add oil and butter. When hot, add the hash mixture. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the bottom sets. Turn once and cook another 2 minutes. Turn into a baking dish and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Top with remaining scallions and cilantro. Serve with salsa on the side (or chili paste!)

Nelno

Andrew has recently become obsessed with Elmo, who he refers to as "Nelno." We have Elmo books, a doll, tons of DVD's and now we even have Elmo slippers. What a life!

The Nation's Retirement Fund

I once read an article about saving money for your children for college. It's great to prepare ahead for them. There are a multitude of services and college funds to which parents can contribute. The article went on to explain each. What struck me the most in the article was this financial advice: don't put money into your children's college funds unless you are also capable of saving for your own retirement without undue stress. You cannot adequately care for another person, if you don't take care of yourself first. While it is important to provide for your child's education, it is more important to secure your own finances, not just for yourself, but also for your child. Being unprepared for your own future, will inevitably tax the child and counteract all of the good intentions that were poured into said college fund. It made a lot of sense.

This idea is not new. It's the age old adage; you can't love someone else until you really love yourself. Being responsible does not mean being blindly selfless. It means preparation, careful thought and foresight. Perhaps a college fund is not the best illustration for my point. A college fund, after all, is (arguably) not a necessity in life. Maybe taking one's health into account is a better example. One cannot adequately help or care for another, if that person is in a bad physical condition himself. You get the point.

I have recently been witness to several arguments regarding other world nations and the US responsibility to them, namely their children. One person, in reference to Haiti, stated that we as a nation owe no assistance to the people of Haiti or their children while our own children are suffering so miserably. This person stated outright that they didn't care about Haiti and, in fact, the out pour of aid to Haiti enraged them. My first thought, which I kept to myself, was "Wow. That is incredibly harsh and insensitive."

The second person argued that it is by all means our responsibility to help these children. As God's children, all the children of the world are our brothers and sisters. If we as a nation have the means and capability of outreach, then why on earth would we deny it? They argued that it is our Godly duty to assist others and in turning a blind eye, we are committing sin. Hmm...yes, good argument, and by all accounts one with which any philanthropist would agree.

Then I thought, "do we really have the means to pour aid into other countries?" Are we actually so privileged? Is the United States healthy enough to assist other people? I suddenly started taking the side of the first person, with some addendums.

In my job, every single day, I am witness to the failure of this country to care for its own. I see the bleeding sickness of our economy right before my very eyes, in the face of 3 and 4 year olds. I have gone into the homes of many parents who have empty freezers and no vehicle to drive to work. The parents sit on a waiting list for adult health insurance that is over two years long, and pray in the meantime that they do not incur an accident as simple as a broken thumb, which would set them back thousands of dollars - money they simply do not have. Many of them have no winter clothing and rely on agency help to keep their children warm. Some of them are living in conditions that I wouldn't have found acceptable in my drunken college days. Their houses are in ill repair and in bad neighborhoods, but they can't afford to move. The children cannot play outside because there is no yard,or drug dealers walk their street. When I go to visit these homes, I am glad that I don't drive a flashy car. I turn my engagement ring around so that the diamond is on the inside of my finger, because I don't want any of the families I serve to feel that I am richer than they are, and therefore looking down on their life condition. I feel pangs of guilt for my own good fortune with each home visit I complete. I could just as easily have been in their shoes.

Granted, some of these people have brought such hardship on themselves. I don't deny the fact that many people are lazy, looking for handouts, taking advantage of the system with complete disregard for the physical or emotional welfare of their children. However, I also see many, many families who do not fall into this category. I see parents who work two and three jobs at minimum wage, just to pay the bills. They hardly see their children. They don't sleep. Every day is burdened with worry. They can't afford a car or food or insurance, and are just squeaking by on their utilities. They don't qualify for a child care subsidy, because they make too much, but just the cost of childcare is eating away most of their paychecks. They read to their children every night, try to attend all of the school functions, take their kids to the doctor when they are sick. By many accounts, their ideologies are just like mine. They are the working poor, those who are truly suffering from the failures of this nation.

One can argue that even those parents who are strung out on drugs, third generation welfare recipients, mentally ill and incapable of mature thought beyond themselves are also victims of our failures as a country. Why have we allowed this to continue? What can we do differently to enable these people to get up and out of public assistance, instead of relying on it as a lifestyle? What was once intended as a helping hand has in itself become a handicap. People feel hopeless. Hard work is pointless. Why should they struggle like the working poor mentioned above when they can get by on the same budget for no personal effort? Can you blame them for thinking this way? Isn't it human nature to take the path of least resistance?

Now I think about those children living in Haiti, in Africa, Russia, and Afghanistan. Do they deserve help. My goodness, yes! Of course they do. My heart breaks for every one of those people, children and adults. I cannot fathom living in such hardship or against such adversity. But how can we as a country justify an out pour of money and aid to other countries when our own children are suffering so greatly? Our own children are starving. They are bouncing from foster home to foster home, with no permanency, no one to call "mom," no bed of their own. They too need adopting. Our own children are witness to domestic violence and disease just as frightening as the war and illness that plague other nations, and it's not just a little. It's a monumental amount. Our own country is not healthy. We are ridden with disease. It's easy not to see it, when you are not exposed to it. This stain is all but hidden from the middle and upper classes. We live in our own secluded neighborhoods with safe streets and decent housing. We may drive through bad areas, but we don't see inside the homes. We hear blurbs from time to time on the nightly news, but the harsh reality of our sickness remains hidden from view, like a clogged artery that goes unnoticed. How long will it be before we suffer a massive coronary?

The problem is that we as a country have the capability of change, whereas some of these underdeveloped nations do not. Do I think that we should provide aid to Haiti? Of course I do. But I also advocate for the changes that we need here first and foremost. We are among the world's privileged. We don't need to turn a blind eye to the third world. In fact, I think it would be unethical to do so. We can help others in need, but we need to start here first, repairing our own blight, building our own retirement so to speak. Our children are our future, and from what I see right now, our future is bleak.

Video Link

A friend of mine sent this video to me. Having worked with people with special needs, I found this particularly touching, but I don't think you need experience in the field to appreciate it. It's short - check it out if you have a moment.

http://www.stservicemovie.com/land.php

Addiction

Five weeks have gone by since I started the purification program. I had my follow up test at the doctor's on Friday and the results were good, but not great. I had hoped that I would have improved more than I did, but it seems that I really did a lot of damage in my younger years. He assured me that the body continues to heal after the purification program is over, as long as I continue to eat healthfully. I also remember the other doctor saying that it took him several years, and several processes, to get to the point where he wanted to be. Those things considered, I suppose I did OK.

The test showed that my hormones are indeed out of whack, so the course of action now is to straighten them out. I still get headaches around my cycle, but not in the middle of the month. That's pretty cut and dry, if you ask me. And hey, I'm glad to have it narrowed down to one particular time of the month. It's still a vast improvement over the constant headaches I had before, and proof that the purification program did indeed fix some things.

What amazes me, however, is how strong my sweet tooth really is. Even after 5 weeks of no candy and no carbs, I still crave sugar on a daily basis! In the beginning, I thought about milk, bread and cheese a little, but after a while the desire to eat those foods dissipated. But not sugar, specifically chocolate. Those urges continue, as strong as ever. This whole process reminds me of quitting smoking in so many ways. The urges are so strong and need to be overcome. In fact, in the beginning, I even thought about smoking!! I wouldn't smoke at this point, not even if I were drinking. In fact, over time, I have become very bothered by cigarettes and their smell, so it surprised me that the thought even crossed my mind. I believe the reason can be traced back to overcoming an addiction. I have a true sugar addiction, just as I had a nicotine addiction, and my mind reels for sugar substitutions as I try to overpower the addict within. I did, after all, frequently smoke instead of eating. It seems perfectly logical that my old coping mechanism would pop up now.

When I was in my third year of German in high school, I decided to also take Latin. I enjoyed Latin, but the whole time I was in that class, I continually wanted to speak German! It drove me crazy! One day I mentioned this to the teacher and she informed me that it is human nature to refer back to one's first second language when in an atmosphere where what is being spoken is not your native language. I saw this again when we visited Montreal. They speak French. I only know a few short phrases in French, and if someone replied to them I would have no idea what they were saying. Still, the entire time we were there, I wanted to speak German, not English! It was as if, against all rational thought, I expected people there to understand me if I spoke German. It was simply because I was not in my native atmosphere, and my mind therefore relied on the only other language that I could speak. Throughout my travels abroad, this phenomenon occurred over and over. The brief and passing thoughts of smoking must be a similar mechanism. Overcoming the sweet addiction, I look back to the one other strong addiction I overcame.

However, just as I needed to quit smoking, I also need to beat the sweet tooth. In looking at my body systems, my pancreas was one organ which was not operating at an optimal level. The fact that I could be facing diabetes early in my life is an eye opener. My grandmother developed diabetes in her 40's. She constantly battled poor eating habits and off and on exercising. While I exercise more regularly, I follow in her footsteps when it comes to eating sweets. As a child, I often fixed my own breakfasts and lunches. I remember eating two Little Debbie snacks for breakfast, and taking a tub of Marshmallow Cream and water for my lunch to school! Although quitting smoking was very hard, and took many attempts, I think the sugar junkie in me will be harder to overcome. Those eating patterns are so ingrained, set in my thinking for the last 33 years, and steeped in a family who also revels in dessert as well.

People can carry a family predisposition to having less resistance to developing Type 2 diabetes, but that doesn't mean that people with diabetes in their family are destined to develop the disease. It's a manageable disease, when cared for appropriately, but I don't want a manageable disease. I would prefer not to have any diseases at all. I am hoping that the desire for a healthy future is enough motivation to prevent me from eating that entire box of chocolates that Greg got me for Valentine's Day. We will see...in the meantime, I will continue to test, and strengthen my willpower, for my health's sake.

Snow Pictures

All children over the age of 5 must work for food!










Snow Ambush!












"My turn!"











Nik and Jacob stop for a photo-op









"Holy cats! The snow is up to my butt!"











"Too fast, Dad!"










"Oh the possibilities! Snow cones, snow burgers, snowsicles..."

Snowed In

After nearly three feet of snow this weekend, it is somehow possible that we are looking at another 7-10 inches before the end of today! As I sit typing, looking out my living room windows, I see huge chunks of snow, swirling around the blowing branches of the pine tree in our yard. The furniture on the back porch looks like it's been topped with some kind of marshmallow filling, and I feel like I've been transported to somewhere much farther north than central Pennsylvania. Just last week I thought, "it's been a pretty good winter so far." I should know better than to think such thoughts! February has just begun, and now I wonder how our area will handle this much snow, let alone any storms that might follow.

As of Tuesday, the roads in the borough I live in were still not cleared. It felt as if I were driving over a washboard. The corners and intersections? An absolute mess, with rivets of snow nearly preventing my tiny civic from rounding the turns. On the way to work yesterday, I said to Andrew, "These roads are a mess!" He agreed, matter of factly stating, "Mess. Vacuum." If only it were that simple!

Jacob, on the other hand, is thrilled with the weather. He was dismissed from school early yesterday and took that opportunity to play outside with his friends. This morning when I informed him of the school closing, he literally danced a jig in joyful celebration! To be a kid again...can't you all remember the eager anticipation of waiting for the final word on school during snow storms? I admit that I am partially glad to have the day off of work (I follow the school district schedule too), but for me, it doesn't mean relaxation and play. It's a chance to catch up on all the things I have let fall behind. In a way, it's more work!

For now, we will have to endure the cabin fever. The fact that spring is only 6 weeks away is our saving grace. The end will arrive. We just have to keep trudging through the knee deep, freezing cold piles of snow in the meantime.

Holy Snow, Batman!

The total for our area was 20.5 inches! Greg shoveled ALL day, and Andrew and I looked outside in amazement at the piles upon piles of snow. Jacob reveled in it, playing outside most of the day.




"Mmm! Snow!" He tried to eat every drop brought in on anyone's shoes.









The back porch, before the end of the storm...

Even Jake's bike need shoveling out!

Purification Complete

Yesterday was the last official day of the purification program. It feels fantastic to have completed it! I'll admit, I did steal a few mini-marshmallows from Andrew along the way, but other than that I was able to make it three whole weeks eating only the specified foods. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I am now completely off of medication and my headaches have improved drastically. I went 10 days with no headache at all - the longest time in two years! While my sleep is still rather disturbed, I have a marked increase in energy throughout the day too. I'm hoping that as the topamax works out of my system, I will see an improvement in my sleep. If not, I can try to remedy the insomnia with supplements. It feels so liberating to know that I am no longer attached to a medication, especially one that had so many detrimental side effects.

In thinking about the root of my symptoms, I have come to believe that, while some of it is linked to the foods I had been eating, most of the damage I did was a result of over-use of medications. I have alluded to the fact that I had some eating and body image issues in the past. When I was 12 years old, I bought my first pack of diet pills at a local drug store. I continued use of diet aids off and on for 15 years. On top of that, in high school and college, I sometimes used cold medication to give me an added energy boots. I never thought twice about popping 4 Motrin at one time for a headache, taking NoDoz to help me stay up to study or taking Benadryl regularly to help me sleep. I was on countless prescribed medications over the years too, some, like the Topamax, with serious consequences for the human body. That monumental pill popping, along with the normal exposures we get from foods, alcohol, and the fact that I smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day for ten years, led to a complete overload. It makes sense. Needless to say, I will be thinking twice about what pills I take from this point on.


I believe that God places us in certain circumstances because that is where we need to be. There are vital lessons to be learned, benefits to be reaped from every situation if examined closely enough. Unlike much of life's schooling, the lessons I have learned recently are straightforward. There are many things that I dislike about my job, but it was my job that actually saved me in this instance. It was a coworker who recommended the doctor I am seeing, who in turn has done more for me in the last 4 months than any other medical professional, without the use of anything artificial. The woman who referred me is a very considerate and friendly woman, but she isn't someone who I interact with outside of work. If I hadn't been at my job, interacting with Jami, I would not know about Dr. Luke. I would still be struggling with the headaches, still miserable. I am extremely grateful for having had that conversation with Jami, for her referral, and ultimately, for being employed by Head Start. It's a gratitude that I have passed on by referrals of my own, and something I intend to continue.

Going through this program has also truly opened my eyes as to the effects of the things we ingest. It has given new meaning to the "body as a temple" view. I have even thought of how God, as our father would want us to treat ourselves. (Bear with me here, this isn't going to be some majorly religious jaunt) Think of your own children and how concerned you are with what they are eating: are they getting enough nutrition, eating their vegetables. We talk to our kids about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes because we love them, and we want them to lead long, healthy lives. Now think how frustrated you feel when you provide them a plate at dinner only to have them bemoan the healthy foods and then try to cajole you into a heaping dessert. If they could only understand the value of what you have placed before them and the detriment of the sugar fix!

God has placed before us a wealth of nutritional possibilities, and the knowledge to clearly see the benefits and detriments of the choices we make. He has given us everything we could possibly ask for in order to lead healthy lives. But what do we do with it? Do we choose the healthy food? Not usually. On top of that, we desecrate the foods that he has given us by adding preservatives, dyes, all kinds of artificial ingredients and then processing them into something that isn't even recognizable as its original form. How sad would it make you, as a parent, to see you children doing that, over and over and over, destroying the foods you provided and thereby also bodies that you gave them? You know the dangers and the health consequences they are going to endure later, but they don't, and they don't listen to what you are telling them. This is what we, as God's children, are doing.

I'm not riding a naturalistic high horse. I'm not saying I'm going to boycott chocolate or chips for the rest of my life. I think all of that is OK with moderation. I just think that in trying to improve our lives, we humans have actually caused ourselves a lot of problems. God doesn't need to be improved upon. That's the attitude I plan to take on my eating from now on, eating foods in their most natural state, the less processing and the less additives, the better. I've started with myself, and Greg is following suit. Now the tricky part - changing the kids. It'll be a slow process, but much like anything worth pursuing, well worth the effort.

More Recipes

Sweet Potato Fries:

1-2 Sweet Potatoes
1-2 T olive oil
Cinnamon to taste

Peel sweet potato, slice into strips (I like mine pretty thin, so they get crispy). Sprinkle with cinnamon and saute in the pan of olive oil until cooked. Hint - work in batches and put only enough to cover the bottom of the pan, if you like crispy fries.

Vegetable Soup:

2-6 garlic cloves (I used 4)
Medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 turnips, chopped
½ head of cabbage, chopped
1-2 medium zucchini, chopped
6-8 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth
1 large can of organic diced tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced (I used 2)
Crushed cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tsp minced oregano

Saute garlic and onions until soft. Add broth and ½ to whole can of tomatoes with the juice. Add cayenne pepper and bring to a boil. Add carrots and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add rest of herbs and cabbage. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, simmering for a final 15 minutes. Add broth or more water as needed for the consistency you like. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Chili:

2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 ¾ cups chicken stock
1 bunch small scallions, chopped
4 ribs of celery, diced fine
¼ cup red bell pepper diced
1 clove of garlic, chopped ( I used 2)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup butter
1 tsp cumin
1 T chili powder
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup water

Turn your slow cooker on and let it warm while you prep. Saute the scallions, celery and bell pepper in the butter. Add the chicken and cook just until the color begins to turn. Combine the chick stock, canned tomatoes, water, garlic, cumin, and chili powder in the slow cooker. Add the chicken and veggies. Stir once to blend. Cover and cook on high for one hour and then turn to low for an additional 4-5 hours.
The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I also added about ½ cup brown rice to mine, just to thicken it a little.

Chicken Wraps with Sweet Potato and Garlic Spread:

2-3 chicken breasts
Oregano, garlic powder, and whatever other spices you like to season chicken with. I used paprika and salt.
1 medium sweet potato
4 T butter
Garlic (I used 3 cloves)
Sea salt
1 head of romaine lettuce leaves
1 purple onion, julienned

Preheat oven to 375. Cut chicken into strips and apply seasoning. Bake chicken for 23-35 minutes, turning half way. While chicken is cooking, prepare the sweet potato spread.

This is not how he said to do it, but this is how I did it:

Peel and dice the sweet potato. Boil it until tender. Add garlic and butter and mash it all together.

Cut the end off the romaine lettuce leaves. Spread the sweet potato spread on the leaves, add onion, chicken, salt and pepper, wrap and enjoy! These are yummy!

Spinach Rolls:

This recipe is time consuming, but it’s really worth it! I had left over turkey mixture that I formed into a mini loaf and froze, too! Really good!

1 bunch fresh spinach
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup uncooked brown rice (not instant)
2 cans organic chicken broth
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 egg
Pinch salt

Wash spinach, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, onion - chopped, garlic - chopped, uncooked rice, salt and egg. Use a spoon to dip out and place a rounded tsp on each leaf and roll. Place in a deep baking dish. Keep rolling the spinach leaves and layering them. Pour 1/12 cans of broth to cover the rolls. Bake covered for about 45 minutes, check the juices and add the rest of the broth, if needed. Uncover the last 10 minutes.


Red Wine Vinaigrette:

This is recipe of a friend. It’s an old favorite I thought I would post.

¼ c red wine vinegar
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
½ c safflower oil

Night-Night

Obsessed with putting his toys to sleep, particularly his bee, tiger and baby, Andrew insisted on taking the baby to bed last night. Usually he puts it to sleep on the floor beside the crib, but he wanted it with him, beside him when I laid him down. He fell asleep with his arms around it, but when I went back to check on him with my camera, he had rolled over. How sweet - a boy and his baby.