Living Allergy Free - One Mom's Life

Fruity Chicken Kabobs

2008-07-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

INGREDIENTS

1 cup lemon juice
2 (8 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, juice reserved
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 cup spectrum shortening or other butter substitute melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
24 large strawberries
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix together in a shallow bowl the lemon juice, juice from pineapple can, salt, pepper and 1/2 of the cinnamon. Place chicken in mixture to marinate in the refrigerator approximately a hour. Heat grill to a medium temperature. In another small bowl combine the melted spectrum shortening or other butter substitute , 1 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Lightly oil grates. Using metal or soaked wooden skewers arrange chicken, pineapple chunks and strawberries on each stick. Brush kabobs with butter substitute mixture and grill, turning on all sides, strawberries are sizzling and chicken is cooked. Approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Recent Activities

2008-06-06T08:16:00.004-05:00

The storms in Kansas have been a bit scary. Last night the air force base tornado sirens were going off. We very orderly grabbed supplies and headed into the basement. When the sirens stopped and the warning was over, we preceded upstairs to eat dinner. The rain was coming down so hard it actually came in under the front door. While everyone was downstairs I ran upstairs for a second to grab a sweatshirt and some socks for everyone. I stepped out on the front porch for a second and it was so ominous outside. Makes you realize how furious nature can be and how much we are at its mercy. The kids did very well. They were nervous but acted pretty calmly and orderly. My laptop helped keep my third son in the correct area of the basement with the other kids.

We are going to church regularly now and the kids have a three week session of Sunday school, starting this Sunday. I am hoping everyone is well enough to go. All four kids have got a nasty cold. I just came down with it the other day. During this time of year it is very hard to tell how much allergies are complicating this bug. It has been extremely humid here from all the storms and so thick outside. We will just have to wait and see how everyone is feeling on Sunday. Each of my boys will be in their own Sunday school class. The class for my daughter does not start up until fall. I have also applied for my oldest to be in a technology camp this summer. Both of our oldest boys have another session of swim lessons that start up soon. We are wrapping up the school year as well. I have most of the books for my second son already for next year and am starting to get the curriculum together for my oldest and third son for their 2008-2009 year. My daughter is a sponge and is picking up bits of all the curiculium.

My third son is carrying books around with him all day. He asks, "Me read to you?" He means will you read to me, but that is how it is coming out. He is talking so much more and I am so glad to see him taking to books like this. It can only help with his speech. Reading to all of my kids has been a joy and I think it helps in so many ways. With our third boy it is a wonderful way to ask questions and help him with his speech. I know he knows so much, yet can't fully express what he knows, how he feels.. I often think how frustrating that has to be for him. One of those magical little moments is when your child learns something and they share that with you. He is having more and more of those. He is a wonderful little boy.

My daughter is full of energy and such a talker. She imitates so much. She is potty training right now. I have found it is a bit different with girls. She is so particular. She asks for very specific color or prints of things. Everything from her drinking cup to her underwear. She loves rainbows, butterflies, pink and purple. Every time I sit down she imitates the way I sit. She has the sweetest little voice and when she smiles, the world stops spinning and she just glows. She is such a sweet girl. Mind you very determined and particular with a heart of gold.

I am really glad they are getting more involved with things and people in the area. It is a good feeling to start to branch out and get involved. They grow so fast and it is such a privilege to be able to take part and watch the kids growing into such kind hearted individuals. Not a day goes by I don't thank my lucky stars.

On the Grill!

2008-05-26T10:43:00.001-05:00

2 Recipes this time around.

I received lot's of requests for a BBQ sauce to go with the Chicken Nugget recipes I sent last time.

Plus, A new treat. Grilled Zucchini

BARBECUE SAUCE

One (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar - packed
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients in a saucepan and stir. Over medium heat bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour on low heat, stirring occasionally. This recipe makes approximately 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce. This is a wonderful barbecue sauce for your summer time grilling.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI

4 8-oz zucchini, cut lengthwise into halves
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried)
15 ounces canned chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked, dry-packaged chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Hollow out zucchini with a sharp knife, leaving 1/4 inch shells, set shells aside. Chop zucchini flesh. In a large non-stick skillet, sauté chopped zucchini, bell pepper, onion and garlic until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomato and basil and saute, about 5 minutes. Mash half of the drained and rinsed chickpeas and set aside. Add the chickpeas to side of skillet and mix chickpeas into zucchini mixture.
Spoon mixture into zucchini shells cover and grill, over medium-hot coals. They are done when the zucchini shells are crisp and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Chickpeas can be replaced with pinto or other beans.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2008-05-09T08:43:00.007-05:00

I just want to say Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I know what I am looking forward to this Mothers Day. My husbands gift of a family picture (Thanks Honey, means a bunch!) and some special one on one time with each of the kids. In the past, I have really enjoyed when each of the kids have picked an activity to do with me. Whether it is us planting a flower that they each pick out, playing a video game, or even making a special desert in the kitchen with them. I am looking forward to our house being filled with activity and maybe a few relaxing moments at the end of the day with my husband! I wish everyone a beautiful Mothers Day filled with many hugs and kisses. Thanks for everything you do!

I had received the following article in the Schafer report yesterday and decided I would post it for Mothers Day.

Happy Mother's Day: Mothers Lie

By Lori Borgman

Expectant mothers waiting for a newborn's arrival say they don't care what sex the baby is. They just want to have ten fingers and ten toes.

Mothers lie.

Every mother wants so much more.
She wants a perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin.
She wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly.

She wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two).
Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions.
She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class.
Call it greed if you want, but a mother wants what a mother wants.

Some mothers get babies with something more.

Maybe you're one who got a baby with a condition you couldn't pronounce, a spine that didn't fuse, a missing chromosome or a palate that didn't close.
The doctor's words took your breath away.
It was just like the time at recess in the fourth grade when you didn't see the kick ball coming, and it knocked the wind right out of you.

Some of you left the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, took him in for a routine visit, or scheduled him for a checkup, and crashed head first into a brick wall as you bore the brunt of devastating news.
It didn't seem possible.
That didn't run in your family.
Could this really be happening in your lifetime?

There's no such thing as a perfect body.
Everybody will bear something at some time or another.
Maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, therapy or surgery.
Mothers of children with disabilities live the limitations with them.

Frankly, I don't know how you do it.
Sometimes you mothers scare me.
How you lift that kid in and out of the wheelchair twenty times a day.
How you monitor tests, track medications, and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear.

I wonder how you endure the clichés and the platitudes, the well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you've occasionally questioned if God is on strike.
I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy columns like this one-saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you're ordinary.
You snap, you bark, you bite.
You didn't volunteer for this, you didn't jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling,
"Choose me, God. Choose me! I've got what it takes."

You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back and put things in perspective, so let me do it for you. From where I sit, you're way ahead of the pack.
You've developed the strength of the draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil.
You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule.

You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability.
You're a neighbor, a friend, a woman I pass at church and my sister-in-law.
You're a wonder.

A Week Goes By!

2008-05-05T08:08:00.007-05:00

Last week ended with a recheck on my surgery. I had to be put on an antibiotic. When my OBGYN gave me an exam she found a second lump in my other breast. This Thursday I have to go in for a mammogram and ultra sound. Basically, I have discovered that with what I was originally put through I should have had the mammogram and ultra sound done first. Then have been sedated and had a breast specialist do the surgery. It still has not sealed completely. So , now I am going through this all over again. This has become incredibly frustrating. In all honesty, I just don't have the time to deal with this and go through this. Not to mention having my mind wonder when I find or the doctor finds a lump. These doctors appointments, surgery and tests are simply taking to much time and that is something there never seems to be enough of. My husband has been very supportive and says getting this stuff done is more important. I just worry about him having to take time off work. I will know more on Thursday but the doctor also wondered if the first one was removed all the way so this is really just a mess. She assured me she would send me to a breast specialist to have any further surgery done. I guess the reason I went to my MD with this was we were not planning on our family getting larger so I figured the MD could watch my feminine stuff. Apparently, not the right assumption.

So, it was a rough last half of the week. Saturday was nice. Sunday morning we went to church. It was a very nice service. The boys were all dressed in ties and were perfect gentlemen. My daughter was adorable in a little satin white and rose colored summer dress. My oldest handled it beautifully. My third son started stimming right before service. Fortunately, they had a nursery that you could see right in from the chapel. He really did well and played with a couple other children. My daughter handled the service very nicely for about 30 minutes then I went into the nursery with her for the last 15.

I think for most they walk into a Church and can just pop their kids in the nursery, Sunday school etc etc etc. Not here. Before I let my son stay I had to explain his situations and food allergies and I had to visibly see him in case he got aggressive. Also my daughter being allergic to wheat and soy could simply not be in there without us. Crackers and goldfish were being eaten. Well, you know how kids eat! Anyway, we decided not to put the older kids in Sunday school until we checked the church out and got a feeling for the messages it was teaching. I also have to contact the Sunday school teachers, show them how to use the epi pens explain the situations and allergies. This church has a very nice set up and the pastor seemed to be teaching a very up beat, inclusive, positive message.

On a different subject. My third son constantly walks on the balls of his feet, sensory issue. He can do some damage by doing this so I decide to come up with a little game and try some inventive stuff to help him learn to correct it. You can buy special shoes for it, but I am trying to get him to learn a different behavior and recognize the behavior. Also it is important to recognize he exhibits a behavior because he has a need for that sensory input. So as he walks I kneel down in front of him and scoot backwards as he walks forward. I wrap my hands on his feet and apply some gentle pressure and we say flat feet, flat feet, flat feet HUG. The pressure is what he is getting and it is the stimulus that is causing him to walk like that. He actually does really well with this. He giggles and after a few steps gives me a hug. I think the root of correcting behaviors needs to be based in recognition of the behavior and this has done that. Now I can say, "flat feet, flat feet," and he can correct it himself for short periods of time. Wednesday, I am going to share this little trick with his OT specialist. Maybe it could work for someone else too.

I have to get back to school, but swimming tonight. The boys are really loving the lessons! We have a busy week ahead and lots to do.

What a Great Evening!

2008-04-22T08:24:00.007-05:00

Last night was swimming. My husband stopped at the health food store after work to pick up a pizza crust and my daughters calcium supplements. After he pulled in and shared his "HI" and kisses with everyone he raced in to change from his work attire. Then we all loaded in the car to head to swimming. It is such a great feeling to be with my husband at these things, knowing we are experiencing lifes treasured moments together.

After watching the boys for a while, we headed over to the basketball courts. My husband and I played basketball with our third son and little girl. It was so much fun. They had such a blast. My daughter is very active and sports oriented. I can not wait to coach something for her. She just loves everything. My son was having a good time too. I believe at 7 he can start taking part in a special olympic sports program and I am very eager to be involved with that as well. It was so adorable seeing them try to dripple these big balls. It was nice and my husband and I got to shoot couple hoops as well. I love seeing the kids take part in what ever they choose, not limiting things to boy vs. girl.

I have often used my daughters big doll house and dolls to practice social stories with my son and it works great. I have always taught the boys how to play with dolls. To be honest homeschooling has one great effect not often talked about. Kids emulate what they see. If they see little ones being mothered all day it is something they pick up and just do brilliantly. My boys are wonderful with little kids. Even my daughter helps tuck my sons in at night. Anyway back to the swimming evening.

I talked to my oldest sons coach before class and she was very understanding and noticed she worked much better with him. Both boys would look up at us as they would do something new. We would see a big smile and giggle. My second son is moving a bit faster, which we expected. They had him jump of the diving board last night. He would walk to the end bounce a little and sit down. He seemed very nervous. Bounce sit down, bounce, sit down. Finally he plopped in. It was kind of a half plop. As though only a portion of his body was willing to leave the diving board. This caused him to catch and scrape his arm on the diving board. Both my husband and I cringed. Took my breath away for a moment. He really handled it well. For the last couple of minutes he sat on the edge of the pool. He didn't shed a tear, but it looked like it hurt when he showed me it. The scrape covered most of his inner arm. I was eager to get him home and get that cleaned out. The boys were both very proud and excited about the swimming and everyone had a good time. My husband was giving our second son a pep talk on the way out and I was doing the same for our oldest. The 6 of us headed toward the car and home sweet home.

As part of our nightly routine I read to the kids for about an hour. I read some kind of classic or children's novel for the older boys. Something ongoing, they can become immersed in. The smaller kids are into the shorter stories and kids books. This is a wonderful time and I have always done this with my children from birth on. Before we began reading I asked my son if he was ok about the diving board. He said, he was scared and wasn't sure he wanted to try it again. I told him I understood and made him promise me he would talk to his teacher first thing on Wednesday and tell her honestly how he was feeling and what he was thinking. I think honest communication is so vital. I know it is sometimes not what we like to hear or easy to say, but sometimes we just have to. In this case I wanted to make sure his coach was understanding how he was feeling so he doesn't become so scared he gets hurts worse. I think the sign of a good parent, coach or teacher is to ask questions on questions. Unfortunately, you cant always rely on that. So, I believe it is really important to teach your kids it is of the utmost importance to express their feelings. All I can say is that they are turning into wonderful young men. He seemed ok, with a hug and a kiss. I also promised him we would work on it outside of class. As I kissed their cheeks and tucked them into bed, I told all the kids how proud I was of them.

It is Spring!

2008-04-21T09:32:00.005-05:00

Thank goodness for some warm weather and a chance to get out and have fun. The boys love their weekly swim lessons. They get so excited and it is great exercise for them. I need to talk to the teachers tonight about my oldest. It is really important that when auditory processing takes a while teachers are given an alternative means to help in the processing of directions and such. So many people just tell kids with these issues they are not listening. A hand on the shoulder, giving the processing time instead of vocal bombardment, can make a world of difference. My younger two want to go in the pool during the lessons too. After my surgery heals I think we will all be in the pool.

My daughter is talking up a storm. We even went this weekend and got her some little girl lip gloss. She picked her own out. WARNING, watch the ingredients. I found soy in a bunch. It is hard, she has both the gut allergies and food allergies. It is very special having someone who loves such a variety of different things. I guess people call girls who like a bit everything tom boys. But I have to say, I call it well rounded. She is so much like me growing up, in that she loves to play dress up but give her a bat and ball and she has a great throwing arm. She loves to ride her bike, play baseball, and loves the written word like my oldest boy.

Things are going well. My second son is a great reader and enjoying it. Every time I see him sit down with a book I think about the hours and frustration he went through to get to this point. I am so proud of him. I love teaching the kids and seeing this just makes my heart illuminate and flutter. I love summer and it is a great time to get out and study nature and science experiments. Being out and making observations is great for my third son. He is looking more and more at books. Even being a bit of a prankster. He has a delightful personality and I believe the writing work we are doing is helping his speech and definitely his pronunciation. He has a new OT therapist and having all therapies and allergy shots on one day has worked out great.

We are now in the process of looking for a church to attend. I have found a couple to look into locally. Both United Methodist with contemporary services. Lots to do and not a minute to waste. These kids just grow up to fast.

My husband has been working on a political blog. He is wonderful writer and feels very passionately about things. We have a ton of projects to get done this summer and most importantly to do them as a family. The nice thing about our family is we are side by side for our struggles and all enjoy in each others accomplishments.

My thought for today. Sometimes I think in an effort to remain independent parents put up a wall to their children, claiming such separate lives that it leads to a serious lack of invovlment and distance. Then there is the flip side. A parent who lives through their child, pushing the child to do what they would have done. I take each day for what it is worth a gift and remember to live WITH my husband and children ( not through them or completely independent of them). It is so much fun watching the kids do what they enjoy, swimming, baseball, etc. It isn't just that though, it is letting them know you are there for their struggles as well. It is my hand in my husbands and the sense that as a team we will be there for our family. It is like taking in a deep breath of fresh air. Knowing you may not always smell roses but that the wind changes and life holds to much not to embrace every moment. Every smile is a new fragrance blowing the breeze and every huge accomplishment is a double rainbow. May everyone enjoy many rainbows this spring!

Allergy Free Chicken Nuggets for Kids

2008-04-17T14:04:00.002-05:00

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (certified gluten free)
1/8 or less tsp Red pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Chicken tenders
2 tablespoons Spectrum All-Vegetable Shortening

DIRECTIONS

Coat a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish with Spectrum All-Vegetable Shortening; set aside. In a large bowl combine oats, red pepper, chili powder, salt if desired, garlic powder, cumin and pepper. Dip chicken in water, then coat with oat mixture. Press chicken into mixture firmly on both sides. Place in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear. Flip once half way through baking.

Thank you

2008-04-17T13:37:00.005-05:00

Thank you for all those who supported us on the Autism CARE walk. It was truly a wonderful experience as a family and community. For some great photos of the event go to http://www.autismcarewalk.org/Photo-Gallery

One Thing Turns into Another

2008-04-17T12:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day. Wednesdays are always so hectic. Started out rushing around in the morning getting everyone ready. We dropped my husband at work, then off to OT and Speech therapy with our 4 kids. After my sons two therapies we ran across town to allergy shots. Then raced back home to make lunch, cookies and raced off again to pick my husband up. We picked him up and raced over to my appointment. I found a lump in my breast a few weeks ago and was told last week the doctor thought it was a sebaceous cyst. Not harmful and not even sure it was part of the breast tissue itself. The removal of a sebaceous cyst turned into a lumpectomy. Apparently it was a fluid filled cysts in the breast. He took a margin of healthy tissue around it for a biopsy. I just wasn't prepared for that. Actually I was holding up fine with the numbing he did on it until I heard the scissor snipping sound. Then I felt a bit of one snip toward the end.
I was a blubbering mess after, not sure why.

The kids and my husband waited in the car during the procedure. When I got in the car I wasn't really sure how I was feeling, but told my husband I could handle taking the kids to swimming so he could make an interview his boss wanted him to give. Thank goodness my husband is a caring husband. He said he was taking the rest of the day off and took us home.

We loaded into the house and started getting dinner around. I was in a lot of pain, even my arm hurt. I sat on our reclining chair with my daughter and I felt blood gush from the stitches. I lifted my shirt and it bleed right through my shirt. We really were not sure what to do so my husband took us into the ER and that was our evening. They said I had a hemostasis and gave me some pain medication, cleaned and redressed the stitches to help. Last night was like a half sleep. I had to sit up and try and sleep and my little princess was up and down and up and down.

Today my husband stayed home and has done a wonderful job taking care of everyone. He is quite a man. I think he has gotten a crash course in dealing with our daughter. Very self determined, a bit indecisive and incriedibly persistent. She is wonderfully independant, very empathetic, loving and sensative. She melts your heart with her cherib face, but dont let that fool you, my girl knows how to take care of herself. We joke around and make muscle like body builders and say GO GIRL POWER!!! My husband is doing a great job and I really appreciate the help.

At the moment I am trying not to think about getting the results back, I am a bit scared. Right now I am just concentrating on keeping the stitches clean and doing school work with the kids. I am so use to giving the kids big bear hugs, not being able to feels like torture, but hopefully this will heal quickly. As many struggles as we go through, I am always thankful for the love, compassion and commitment of my husband and children. I am hoping to sleep a bit better tonight.

What a day!

2008-03-28T07:37:00.004-05:00

First thing in the morning my second son jumped into bed with me, school books in hand and said, " I am going to get ahead on my homework." So with pride in my heart and sleep in my eyes I sat up and went over his English lessons, phonics and writing. He is very self motivated and just takes to things. I was not only proud because of his self motivation but he brought me the subjects he struggles with the most because of his dyslexia. After that we rushed around to get my husband to work.

We finished up some chores had a few more school lessons, then had lunch. I am in the kitchen all the time. I hate when I can't come up with things everyone likes. Some days you just can't though. The day before I came up with a great chicken oatmeal tender recipe (will post soon) my second son loved, but my oldest hated. Then for lunch that day it reversed. Eventually I will find things that are hits for everyone. Try, try and try again.

After lunch we raced to our doctor appointments. My oldest for his 11 year check and my 5 year olds check up. When we were in the office it was a bit chaotic. My daughter had just woke up from the car ride over and was a bit edgy. As the nurse took us back and checked the kids weight and height my daughter showed her disapproval of the situation. With a a big hug and some comforting she calmed down by the time we were in the room.

The nurse told my two boys to strip down to the undies and put a paper robe on. Of course my oldest didn't wait for the door to shut or her to leave, just started stripping down. She scurried out and said, "guess he is not modest." We were both red in the face and I laughed and said, "guess it comes with being in a big family."

When the doctor came in my second son was doing some rather odd things. Purposefully trying to get my goat. To the point where the doctor started giving looks and I had to count and tell him to start behaving. He was in quite a mood. This was so odd because he had such a good morning and this was a 180 degree turn. I try and have specaial talks with him often. About having brothers with disabilities and such. It is not difficult for me to understand his perspective. My father is so much like my older son. As I walk around the house and watch him, it takes me right back to living at home. Right from his addiction to the written word, stimming , blocking out things around him. It is one thing to be an avid reader, but another to read so rapidly you read from cover to cover regardless of the length of the book, that is my father and my son. Both run on few hours sleep. My son literally carries a book open around with him all day and falls asleep with it in his hands. I use to see my Dad asleep on the couch holding a book the same exact way. I also have a brother who was a handful, who has now been diagnosed with a mental illness. So we relate well when we talk and I can tell he feels better. Back to the doctor visit.

When the doc was checking my oldest son out he said, "changes are a happening, the big P word, PUBERTY". My reaction, Yikes, I am not ready for that. He said it is a train and it is coming down the track, watch out. I said, " well, if I know I am not ready for it my eyes will be open that much wider." We both laughed. Truthfully I knew but hearing it had a whop of a impact. I actually had to acknowledge it! YIKES!

When it came to my third sons check. The doctor noticed the extreme difference in him. He tested him for 5 year old stuff. Scattered on what he knew and didn't . He was stimming most of the time. I would bring him in with our clap to three technique I came up with. He would respond to the doctor and go back to stimming. Actually it was much louder than normal because he was wearing the paper robe that made a ton of noise as he went back and forth and hand flapped. He did really well and the doctor seemed really happy to see how much progress we have made. He knows I homeschool and work with Heartsprings. He has several doctors and specialist and they keep very good track of sending records and coordinating his care. He has neurology, psychology, OT, Speech, allergy and his regular MD. So it was a good check up and all went well. I bit chaotic, noisy but we coasted through. At the end of the check he did something he had never ever done before. I actually had to hold back the tears. At one of the points where he was near the doctor he grabbed the doctors stethoscope and pushed it to his cheek. Slightly off on the positioning but the doctor smiled. He said,
"I WANT TO BE A DOCTOR." I told the doctor he had never said anything like that, ever. He kept repeating it as he would grab the stethoscope. This was the most sponatious age appropriate thing he has ever done. Such a complexity of events. Him showing such progress in some areas and deficits in others, continuous darting back and forth while hand flapping, and then displaying one comment that just blew me away!

I think this describes most of our days, bit of a roller coaster. Always special things to remember and be thankful for.

CARE Walk

2008-03-18T16:41:00.005-05:00

Please support us as we participate in The Autism CARE Walk at Heartspring on April 12.

How can you help? Just visit My CARE Walk page at: http://www.autismcarewalk.org/Reva and click the 'Sponsor Me' tab to make a donation on my families behalf.

Funds generated from this event will help benefit local children who are on the autism spectrum through workshops and programs offered by Heartspring's Community of Autism Resources and Education (CARE) program.

Thank you!

Summer Plans

2008-03-13T17:19:00.005-05:00

What is new for the upcoming months. Swimming, swimming and more swimming. Fortunately we have access to several pools in the area so, swimming it is. The kids are starting to ride their bikes, play football and baseball in the yard and will start swimming class next week. The boys love the water and I hope they will really learn how to swim this year. I have a feeling my little girl has a bit of me in her and will be a little fish. So my mission this summer, fins for all! These little bits of warmer weather have made us all eager for warmer weather and summer fun!

I have found a few good grilling recipes I am eager to try out. I also love summer because of the fresh summer fruit, a real treat with all of our dietary restrictions. I hope we get our garden going this year. One of my favorite things at are old house was our strawberry patch and fresh tomatos from the garden. The kids had such a good time learning from watching the garden grow and picking everything from green beans to strawberries. I am not much of a gardener but it sure is fun trying!

Roasted Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes

2008-02-29T11:50:00.004-06:00

1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 can of diced tomatoes (29 oz)
1 large onion, chopped
garlic powder
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup water
2 1/2- to 3-pound whole chicken (you can also use chicken quarters)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rinsed chicken into a roasting pan, season with pepper inside and out. Add tomatoes, onion and artichokes.

Sprinkle with spices. Pour the water, oil and lemon into the roasting pan.

Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Baste chicken and vegetables occasionally with pan juices, adding a little water if it starts to seem to dry.

Increase oven temperature to 450 F. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until chicken is brown and juices run clear.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. With a slotted spoon, transfer artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and onions around the chicken. Use drippings and add water and cornstarch to bring to a boil and make a gravy. Cover with foil or the top of the roaster to keep warm while gravy is being made.

Maple and Apple Porkloin

2008-02-22T15:00:00.005-06:00

2 one pound boneless tenderloins
5 Red Delicious apples, remove core and quarter
Real 100% Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Salt & pepper to flavor

Place pork loins on a small baking sheet. Add apple slices to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Drizzle with syrup. Broil for 10 minutes on the medium rack. Turn and broil 10 more minutes. Check for doneness, broil a few more minutes if necessary. When done let set at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick slices. Place on platter and cover with cooked apples and fresh maple syrup.

Things to make you smile

2008-02-22T13:51:00.003-06:00

My children decided to spend a break after lunch pretending to be a train. My second son in front, baby girl behind, third son behind her and my oldest was in the rear. As they choo chooed around the house they would stop in the kitchen, look up at me and say, "emergancey refueling"! I then handed them raisins as they choo chooed by. Some things just make you laugh!

Raisin Sauce

2008-02-09T15:09:00.004-06:00

6 tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp all spice
1 cup raisins
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup brown sugar

Add all the ingredients to a medium sauce pan, whisk. Then heat to a rolling boil. It will turn a nice deep brown color and thicken. Serve hot over warm honey baked ham, chicken breast or other meat dish.

2008

2008-01-29T11:43:00.000-06:00

Last year ended eventfully and this year has begun in the same fashion. Around the Holidays we witnessed a leak from our ceiling in two rooms. Apparently we had a snow drift form in the attic from the roof vents. Got to love that Kansas wind when it creates a tornado effect out of snow in your attic. I was quite shocked but we have since gotten it repaired.

Then we traded in two cars for a full size van. We so desperately needed this for room. Second reason, we needed to cut down on insurance and car payment cost. The one thing we did not count on was a full size van not fitting in a 3 car garage. Sounds odd, but not when you find the van to tall to get in. So, we have one vehicle a three car garage ,but no garage for our van. Setting aside that fact. Having the van has been a gift and is so nice for everyone to travel in, well worth it.

This year I had to pull my daughter out of speech therapy. My sons four therapies a week doubled in cost , so we had to make a tough choice. Fortunately, they are sure it is just a speech delay with her. So we are working hard on repetition to increase her speech skills.

My Autistic son has made leaps and bounds. He is four and knows all the ABCs and sounds, can write his first and last name and I am starting him on some reading. His communication is still very limited but I have actually seen him start to pull himself out of some of his stimming behaviors at times and even pick up on a facial expression on occasion. My older boys are just angels with him, even my 2 year old daughter is eager to help.

At times I worry about the older boys. They are so understanding. This year I am trying very hard to make sure they have some special things for them. We are planning a trip to Florida and the boys are just so excited about that. Also, things like family bowling and setting up an art studio in the basement. Come spring baseball will start and my second son is talking about soccer this year as well.

I have also been in touch with a friend from high school. It has been so nice chatting with her. I think the last time we saw each other was maybe our freshman year of collage. She was always and still is so much fun to talk to and be around.

This year I am doing couple of more things, distress, organize and create a small business. The link to Graphic Treasures is by my links. I also have created a poetry blog listed under Reva's favorites. So this year I am hoping to increase our income a bit ( help with special diets and copays that sky rocketed), and plan things out a bit better and keep organized.

I am also looking for a homeschool group for the kids to socialize with regularly. My son with Aspergers would really benefit from more interaction with his peers. He reminds me so much of myself. He is so good with little kids and adults and older kids. Kids his actual age seem to be the most difficult for him. I think I find that as an adult I feel myself. As a child I often felt like a little adult a bit trapped by my young face. I see that so much in my son. I was always so determined and never saw a gray area, my son the same. I often tell him what gets you through things is knowing yourself and being true to yourself because one day it will fall into line. I know it will for him, he has such a true heart.

My second son is about at a year for his allergy shots so we are hoping to see some positive effect from them this spring. Diets are going well and hopefully everyone will stay healthy the rest of the winter.

AS I read my children a story last night, they each pleaded for one more chapter. As I left the room I just thanked god for each day we are given the gift of another chapter and another opportunity to end each with a hug, a kiss,a good night and an I love you.

The Photograph

2008-01-18T09:03:00.000-06:00

There is a moment, when time stands still.
It is the moment when you and your kindred spirit stand tranquil,
Gently supporting each other.
When you see the creation of your souls combined,
Twinkling toes and actions sublime
and oh what thoughts and words flow from their beautiful minds.

All is faded back
Except for those in the photograph.
This image can not be torn nor fade,
For it is in the safest place for which it may stay
In your heart and mind to keep.

But then another image comes and cuts deep,
It is the image of a Mother and a Father,
Which time has aged as no other.
For you see a future and feel what has passed
and know that the images taken by the mind are what makes magic last.

By Reva Carpenter

Beef Tips over Noodles

2008-01-11T12:15:00.001-06:00

Here is a great recipe!

Ingredients

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp pepper
2/3 tsp salt
2 lb pot roast
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups water
a handful of fresh parsley chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, cut into small pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped
i bag of Mrs. Leepers vegetable twists (gluten free)

In a crockpot on low add all ingredients except the pasta. Let it cook for 6-8 hours. Pull the roast out and cut it into small pieces, put back into crock pot for 1/2 hour or so. Before serving cook Mrs. Leepers pasta according to cooking directions on package. Once the pasta is done, place aside. Then on on a seperate dish take out meat from crock pot and cover immediatly so it does not dry out. Place the rest of crock pot ingredients in a pan on stove heat and add more cornstarch as needed to make a gravy. When serving, place noodles on plate, then lay beef over that and cover with gravy. Serve with a baked potato and green vegetable. This is a huge hit and very filling!

Oatmeal Meatloaf

2008-01-11T10:32:00.002-06:00

Ingredients

1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup certified gluten free oats
Ener-G egg replacer - one egg worth.
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomato sauce, oats, onions, salt and pepper. Add in ground beef, mix well. In a separate cup add 1 1/2 tsp egg replacer to 2 tablespoons water. Stir and add to beef mix. Mix lightly. In a 9 x 13 pan shape beef mix into a large brick shape. Lay bacon strips over top and wrap sides. Bake 1 hour. Drain, let stand about 15 minutes. I found after this is cooled for a while it tastes the best.

Delicious Chocolate Covered Cherries

2008-01-11T10:32:00.001-06:00

Ingredients

1 Large jar of Maraschino cherries
3 tablespoons Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening
3 tablespoons Light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Confectioner's sugar
2 bags of Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Miniature Candy Liner (tiny cupcake tins)
1 Box of Toothpicks (if cherries have no stems)

Drain maraschino cherries. In a medium bowl combine shortening, corn syrup and salt. Stir in confectioner's sugar. Knead mixture until smooth. Shape about 1 teaspoon of the sugar mixture around each cherry. Place on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet, chill. Melt chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds then stir. Take chocolate out about every 15 seconds and stir until melted. Holding cherries by stems or by tooth pick, dip one at a time into the chocolate. Place each cherry in the miniature candy liners. Refrigerate until chocolate is hardened. Store the candies covered in the refrigerator. The Enjoy Life Chocolate melts easily. These are a wonderful treat!

Pork Loin

2008-01-11T10:31:00.001-06:00

Ingredients

1 3-4 lb pork loin
1 flat red or white onion, sliced in circles
1 bag frozen chopped spinach thawed and water squeezed out
1/2 lb bacon cut in small pieces plus 1/2 lb bacon put aside
salt
ground pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 hand full of chopped fresh cilantro
a couple of sprinkles of dried red pepper
garlic powder
1 small drained can sliced black olives
1 small drained can of diced tomatoes

On a large cutting board place loin front to back (not long ways) with a sharp knife make a long slice like a sub sandwich bun. Lay it open and in this order lay and press the following ingredients on the meat evenly.

First the onion, spread the spinach, sprinkle garlic powder on top, olives, lay the bacon pieces evenly, season with all herbs. Press all ingredients down onto the meat. Roll tightly and use butcher's twine to wrap it.

Rub top with olive oil and garlic powder garlic. Place in low roaster on rack and lay a few bacon strips over the top. Add tomatoes last 10 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees for about 2 hours or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees. After removing it from the oven let it rest for about 20 minutes. Use the drippings to make a gravy with cornstarch and water. Slice and serve!

Blueberry Pie

2007-12-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

Blueberry pie was one of my favorites growing up. I was always eager for the Christmas season and this was one of the reasons. My grandmother always had the most wonderful pies waiting for us over the holidays. This is a tasty treat I am so glad I can make for my kids!

My third son has the most adorable way to pronounce Blueberry Pie, " Blueblblberry Pie". HE was so excited while this was cooking he couldn't quite get the blue and berry together and kept pronouncing the blblbl in between! So with out further ado its Blueblblberry Pie for the Holidays!

Ingredients

Breads from Anna Pie crust mix
1/4 cup Coconut milk
3/4 cup Spectrum vegetable shortening or olive or canola oils

Filling

6 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar, or choice of sugar substitute
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon spectrum shortening

Prepare pie crust following directions on the back of pie crust mix. Substituting coconut milk for milk options and leaving out vinegar. I found it much easier to flatten with my hand on parchment paper then dealing with a rolling pin. Place inside 9 inch pie baking dish. Set aside and heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl mix all ingredients for filling. Mix well and place inside of crust. Lay second crust over top and seal. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes of baking. Remove for the last 15 . Total cook time about 45- 60 minutes.

Chocolate Harvest Fruit Cake

2007-11-16T08:05:00.000-06:00

Ingredients

Namaste Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves
1 Cup sugar
1 Bag Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Pear
1 Baking Apple
2 Cups Apple Juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries or canned cranberries

Prepare Cake as directed on Namaste Cake mix. Add Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, Cloves and Vanilla into batter and mix before pouring into pan. I also use the egg replacer in this mix.

After the cake is baked and is cooling prepare the topping. Slice the pear lengthwise and the apple horizontally, both un-peeled. In a medium saucepan add the apple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil on medium heat and add the fruit. I have to use the canned cranberries due to the dried fruit being contaminated with nut. Reduce the heat, simmer and cover for 2-3 minutes. Remove form the heat and let set for 5 minutes. Then Strain the fruit out and let cool. Arrange the fruit on top of cake, alternating fruit and randomly placing the cranberries. In a bowl slowly melt the enjoy like Chocolate Chips with the microwave. Then drizzle across the top of the cake! Your Holiday treat is ready to serve! Enjoy!