gdata.io.handleScriptLoaded({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-26T08:12:09.894-05:00"},"category":[{"term":"homeschooling"},{"term":"IEP"},{"term":"liquid watercolor art activities"},{"term":"children's books"},{"term":"siblings"},{"term":"curriculum"},{"term":"OT"},{"term":"busy book"},{"term":"Testy Shop"},{"term":"Testy Homeschool \u0026 Teacher Shop"},{"term":"crafts"},{"term":"CEU Challenge"},{"term":"review"},{"term":"cardsets"},{"term":"quiet book"},{"term":"light box"},{"term":"preschool"},{"term":"language"},{"term":"therapy"},{"term":"Michael"},{"term":"supplements"},{"term":"weeklyreview"},{"term":"daily life"},{"term":"tidbits"},{"term":"blogging"},{"term":"audiofiles"},{"term":"app"},{"term":"giveaway"},{"term":"reference"},{"term":"car ride activities"},{"term":"Apraxia"},{"term":"Ava"},{"term":"SLP"},{"term":"articulation"},{"term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Testy yet trying"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"A Speech Pathologist Mother and Her Daughter Diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/Dala?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/Dala?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/Dala"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/Dala/-/Dala?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"https://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"27"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-1240030821579748590"},"published":{"$t":"2012-10-06T05:06:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-10-06T05:06:00.674-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Mistreated"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I have not shared this before, but I have a phobia.  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thefreedictionary.com/\"\u003eThe free dictionary\u003c/a\u003e defines a phobia as \"A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.\"  In my case, I have a needle phobia.  I've had this phobia for as long as I can remember.  This phobia played a huge part in my decision to choose natural childbirth - twice. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI manage it though.  When I need bloodwork or a shot, I don't say no.  I try to prepare the nurse ahead of time.  I explain, through tears, that I am going to get upset.  I will need to sit in a corner.  I am going to try to pull away several times.  I won't faint.  \"The key part,\" I tell them, \"is that I \u003cb\u003ewon't\u003c/b\u003e try to pull away once the needle is in.  I'm too petrified by then.\"  I have to tell them that last part or they freak out.  The entire experience is humiliating every time.  But I do it because I refuse to let this phobia make important health decisions for me. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLast week I was sick and my doctor wanted to run some bloodwork.  The extremely nice nurse I had been working with throughout my visit freaked out and left me in the midst of a panic attack to go get someone else to draw my blood.  I'm pretty sure that is the first time I've actually scared someone off.  She came back in with another nurse that she introduced simply as the office expert in blood draws. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wasn't completely listening at that point.  I really just wanted to get it done, but I nodded assent.  This woman came over to me and told me, \"Now, if you're going to behave like a child I'm going to treat you like a child and hold you down.\"  Somewhere in the back of my not entirely rational mind I was pretty pissed, but I certainly wasn't able to articulate anything at that moment.  She made the other nurse hold my arm down at the wrist and elbow while she used her body to restrain my torso.  Then they drew my blood.   \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeing restrained pretty much against my will at a time I wasn't able to even articulate a protest contributed further to my sense of panic.  To be honest, I felt somewhat violated and was left with a lingering sense of extreme dislike for that nurse.  I gathered my things and left as soon as possible. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy husband wanted to call the office and lodge a complaint.  My mother suggested I write a letter to the physician.  I would feel bad about that.  I don't hold grudges.  I don't want a negative letter to be put in her permanent file or anything.  Nevertheless, the incident lingers in my mind and I've been trying to put my finger on what exactly it was that I couldn't let go. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen I figured it out.  She said, \"If you're going to behave like a child, I'm going to treat you like a child...\"  That is \u003cb\u003enot\u003c/b\u003e how you treat a child.  And it is certainly not how you treat an adult.  No person deserves to be treated that way.  If anyone had tried to handle my child in that manner I wouldn't have permitted it and I probably would have complained to someone in charge.  Why won't I apply that same logic to myself?"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/1240030821579748590/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/10/mistreated.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1240030821579748590"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1240030821579748590"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/10/mistreated.html","title":"Mistreated"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-1907093431664164939"},"published":{"$t":"2012-09-11T05:01:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-09-11T05:01:00.504-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Experimenting on Yourself - Never Recommended"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Short Version:  \u003cbr /\u003eI am going through some serious psychological withdrawal symptoms and some physical ones as well.  This has made me uncharacteristically grumpy, rather depressed, and completely unable to focus.  This is how you loyal readers have been granted with a whiny post rather than a brilliant and informative one.  :-)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLong Version:  \u003cbr /\u003eAs you may know, if you actually make it down to the bottom of my \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/weeklyreview\"\u003eWeekly Review posts\u003c/a\u003e, my husband and I have been trying for a healthy lifestyle upgrade in hopes of reversing the steady upward trend in our weights we've experienced since we got married.  We've been tracking our activity levels (yea Fitbit - highly recommended) and calories in and we've both lost about 10 pounds in 12 or so weeks.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThen, on the recommendation of a coworker of my husband's, we read the book: \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/\"\u003eWhy We Get Fat by Gary Taubes\u003c/a\u003e.  It is a very interesting read full of history and research summaries.  I'm always disproportionately swayed by research.  I'll give you a hint.  This book essentially explains the science behind why an Atkins style low-carb diet works to help you lose weight, and helps with controlling blood sugar swings.  We decided to try it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHere's the problem.  I love carbs.  I like the sweet kind and the bread kind.  I don't actually much like meat or fats (although I do love cheese).  In fact, I would often substitute a small sugary item (hello mini ice cream cones) for a healthy snack during our previous 10 weeks of tracking calories under the assumption that 130 calories is 130 calories no matter what you're getting it from.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNevertheless, we came up with a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks that we were pretty excited about.  After all, after 10 weeks of eating only 1200 calories a day, eating as much as I like of a subset of foods sounded kinda fun.  We're all of 36 hours into our first week.  Neither of us are happy campers.  It is amazing how much I want something sweet even though I'm not actually hungry.  It is amazing how little I've been able to focus today.  I couldn't concentrate on the speech post I had planned.  I didn't get any work on the s-blends resource I'm putting together.  I usually enjoy those activities.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSomeone tell me that you've tried this low-carb thing and that things get better.  While I'm wishing, please tell me they get better sometime in the next 24-48 hours.  Please?"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/1907093431664164939/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/09/experimenting-on-yourself-never.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1907093431664164939"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1907093431664164939"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/09/experimenting-on-yourself-never.html","title":"Experimenting on Yourself - Never Recommended"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-9041935557902070355"},"published":{"$t":"2012-08-19T05:00:00.005-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-08-19T05:00:05.945-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tidbits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quick Trivia"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I'm pressed for time, and so in lieu of a full post here's five quick fairly random trivia facts about me.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003eI read an average sized paperback book in 3-4 hours.  This sounds wonderful until you realize how quickly I can blow through a $40, 5-book series and how long I have to wait for the next installment to be published.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eI'm a cat person.  Aside from two years in a college dorm, I've never lived without a cat.  Currently, we have four.  (I also adore ferrets.  I owned one in graduate school and refuse to get rid of the cage just in case we have room for another at some point in the future.)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eWhen we were young, I once told a cousin that I was going to have eight children.  I believe the assertion had something to do with why he should sit in the middle of the back seat and cede the preferred door seat to me.  (Don't ask.)  He likes to periodically ask me when I'm going to deliver the additional six children he had been promised.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eI'm fairly short - 5'1\".  My first job post graduate school was in a middle school and the children would often mistake me for another student in the halls.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eI have an inexplicable love of sharpies.  I recently told my husband that a bouquet of sharpies would be much superior to a bouquet of flowers.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/9041935557902070355/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/08/quick-trivia.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/9041935557902070355"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/9041935557902070355"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/08/quick-trivia.html","title":"Quick Trivia"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-1618532430080268038"},"published":{"$t":"2012-07-15T05:07:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-07-15T19:06:15.410-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Time to Stop the Upwards Creep"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've discussed this before.  I could search for the post (or two) and link to them, but I'm pretty sure that would be a depressing exercise emphasizing how long I've been postponing this particular battle so I'm going to skip that part.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI've been gaining weight.  Steadily.  I put on weight with the back-to-back pregnancies.  That's fairly typical.  Ever since I stopped breastfeeding though, I've been trending upwards rather than back down.  The craziness that was life with an infant and toddler, and then two toddlers, and then a preschooler and toddler (etc.) prevented me from focusing on it overly much.  Once or twice I'd try to start a regular exercising habit only to abandon it a week or so later.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's time though.  The children are older.  In about a month they'll both be in preschool five mornings a week.  My husband and I have been working on a new plan of attack for about a month now and so far it is working.  I'm down about 6 1/2 pounds. I have many more to go, but that's a pretty decent start.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe had to get geeky about it though.  We're using a calorie tracking app called Lose It on our iPhones.  It is a free app.  You can simply scan bar codes in and then choose your portion size.  It also has a pretty decent database if you don't have a bar code handy.  It's amazing how warped my sense of portion size had gotten.  Logging food intake is really powerful.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe're combining that with a device called a Fitbit.  It's like a fancy pedometer that talks to your computer and you can link the Fitbit data to Lose It.  It'll track steps, stairs climbed, and even your sleeping patterns.  It'll tell you how active (or sedentary) your lifestyle is and then estimate the number of calories you burn in your average day.  As it turns out, I'm pretty darned sedentary.  I spend a lot of time at a computer.  I needed to adjust my dieting calorie goal down about 250 calories beyond the target Lose It gave me in order to lose a pound a week.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI'm pretty sure the Fitbit was my missing link.  I had tried calorie tracking before, but always abandoned it when it didn't seem to be working.  I needed to know the piece about my habitual activity level so that I could start in the right place.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the same time, wearing the Fitbit is encouraging me to be more active.  I climb up and down the stairs a few extra times so I can get a badge for doing so 10 times in the day.  (I have yet to get the badge for doing 25 flights in a day.  I need to try that one day next week.)  I take a walk with the kids so I can get 1000 more steps in.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe Lose It / Fitbit combo and regular weigh-ins showing it is all working is pretty motivating.  Pounds are dropping off.  I have more energy.  I am having far fewer blood sugar \"crashes\" and random cravings.  It's all pretty nice actually.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMore importantly, this is sustainable.  When I reach my target weight, the Lose It / Fitbit combo will give me an accurate idea of what I can eat to maintain that new weight, but not start gaining again.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLose It is free.  If you have a smartphone, you can use the app.  If not, you can use it on your computer.  I highly recommend it.  If you have some extra cash to commit to the project, check out the Fitbit on Amazon too.  It's been a big part of the weight loss puzzle for us."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/1618532430080268038/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/07/time-to-stop-upwards-creep.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1618532430080268038"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1618532430080268038"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/07/time-to-stop-upwards-creep.html","title":"Time to Stop the Upwards Creep"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-8441802588215267382"},"published":{"$t":"2012-06-23T05:08:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-06-23T05:08:00.736-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tidbits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Date Nights"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"My husband and I have recently begun trying for regular date nights.  We're aiming for about once a week.  That pretty much means that instead of engaging in independent pursuits for an hour or so after putting the children to bed and before falling asleep exhausted we are trying to spend a couple of hours together.  We've been picking out a movie to watch.  We watched Salt and Knight and Day.  Knight and Day was surprisingly enjoyable.  Salt was fine although not spectacular.  Last night we rewatched the first Bourne movie which we hadn't seen in years.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMy first rule for picking out a movie is that I absolutely do not want it to make me cry.  When I only get a couple of hours a week to escape into a fantasy world the last thing I want is to spend the experience getting put through an emotional wringer.  That rules out dramas, war, romances, and most romantic comedies.  I'm also not a huge fan of horror.  That pretty much leaves action, action/comedies, and some sci-fi/fantasies.  Given that I've seen about five non-children's movies in the last five years, that leaves plenty of movies to choose from.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt isn't exactly high-class entertainment or an elaborate \"date\", but it is some uninterrupted time spent snuggled up next to my favorite person in the world.  That's all I need to make me happy."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/8441802588215267382/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/06/date-nights.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/8441802588215267382"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/8441802588215267382"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/06/date-nights.html","title":"Date Nights"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-5271607473277805542"},"published":{"$t":"2012-06-16T05:05:00.013-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-07-29T16:12:41.492-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"I fell in love with a tree... (A Story of a Quest)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It all started with a children's book.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe children and I were heading to check out at the library and Ava spotted one last book attractively displayed on an endcap.  It showed a little girl in a green dress with a crown of pink flowers in her hair swinging from a tree full of pink flowers.  She snatched it up and added it to our pile.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lW4N9_M7w5g/T9tPGQB278I/AAAAAAAACSo/PsC6T9VINA8/s1600/A%2BTree%2Bfor%2BEmmy%2Bcover.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"320\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lW4N9_M7w5g/T9tPGQB278I/AAAAAAAACSo/PsC6T9VINA8/s320/A%2BTree%2Bfor%2BEmmy%2Bcover.jpg\" width\u003d\"277\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLater that week, when we finally got around to reading \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561454753/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1561454753\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eA Tree for Emmy by Mary Ann Rodman\u003c/a\u003e.  It turned out to be a pretty sweet picture book about a girl who loves the mimosa tree in her grandmother's field and so asks for one of her own for her birthday.  She and her parents found it difficult to find one and finally end up with a baby sapling from the ground below her grandmother's tree.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs I was driving around town, I began to notice beautiful fern-like trees with gorgeous pink blossoms.  There's one on the drive to my parents' house.  There's another on the way to the school where Ava has speech.  After reading \u003ci\u003eA Tree for Emmy\u003c/i\u003e I realized they were probably mimosa trees.  I also quite liked them.  Once I became aware of them I saw them everywhere.  Driving around town with the family, my conversation with my husband would be peppered with interjections of \"Mimosa!\" accompanied by a pointing finger.  On the train at Six Flags, I spotted and pointed out several.  Taking the children to their private speech therapist, I noticed a gorgeous specimen across the street.  Michael and I walked over to look at it close up while Ava was having her turn.  I'm sure it had been there the entire year and a half we've been driving there, but only now did I notice it.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs we were driving home from Six Flags I decided to see if I could just buy one.  Enough with the love from afar, I wanted to just get one.  I had already decided earlier this spring that I wanted to get a flowering tree and hadn't quite decided which one yet.  Now I was sure.  I began searching online vendors.  Of course, the abrupt decision to buy one ruined the anniversary (next week - 8 years) surprise my husband had been planning.  That was sad, but now we would get to choose one together.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThere are pink varieties (the most common), white varieties, and a dark pink (flame) variety.  (Go here for \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.creatorspalette.com/OrnamentalShadeTrees/Albizia-Mimosa-Silk-Tree/Albizia-julibrissin-Fan-Silk/6453961_Lh4Qk3/409203601_DY4tB#!i\u003d409203601\u0026k\u003dDY4tB \"target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eoh so pretty pictures of flame mimosas\u003c/a\u003e.)  Looking at pictures online I decided that the flame variety was the most striking one.  Only one online vendor carries it right now.  It doesn't ship until fall.  And it is rather pricey.  So, I decided to look for it locally.  We visited and called several nurseries and none had what we wanted.  I went back to the online vendor and searching for a coupon code stumbled across hundreds of very passionate negative reviews about this particular nursery so we decided against ordering from them.  As it turns out, \u003ci\u003eA Tree for Emmy\u003c/i\u003e was right about it being difficult to get your hands on a mimosa tree.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThen I remembered how Emmy got hers.  One night, after dinner, our family went on a baby mimosa hunt.  We drove and parked by the mimosa tree near my parents' house.  It was on a common ground so I thought we could look for some babies growing under the tree.  We brought buckets and little gardening spades just in case we might find a baby tree to dig up.  The children were quite excited about going on a quest for baby mimosas.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIsn't the tree amazing?  We nicknamed it \"Mama Mimosa\".  But no baby mimosas were growing under it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37-gn0kIjyc/T9tVJXmszNI/AAAAAAAACTE/bowy5QS-YSs/s1600/mama%2Bmimosa.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"241\" width\u003d\"400\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-37-gn0kIjyc/T9tVJXmszNI/AAAAAAAACTE/bowy5QS-YSs/s400/mama%2Bmimosa.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThen I looked down the hill and spotted three more mimosa trees growing on the banks of the dry creekbed.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taXAt7RcHIY/T9tVYI2UqvI/AAAAAAAACTQ/Wpj928b4sLk/s1600/steep%2Bhill.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"400\" width\u003d\"357\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taXAt7RcHIY/T9tVYI2UqvI/AAAAAAAACTQ/Wpj928b4sLk/s400/steep%2Bhill.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI was determined to try everything to find some baby mimosas.  But did you see that hill?  And the rocks?  The children thought all those rocks looked like a lot of fun.  I thought dragging two small children down that hill carrying buckets and gardening tools sounded like a recipe for disaster.  One one hand, I really wanted to search for some baby mimosas.  On the other hand, I like my children healthy with no broken bones and no head injuries.  Fortunately, just then a friendly neighbor passed by walking her dog.  Hearing of our quest, she offered to let us go through her backyard down some steps to the creekbed.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTo make this long story slightly shorter...\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-284TPPhmdOs/T9tVohMKEAI/AAAAAAAACTg/Z2mWENrmw4w/s1600/baby%2Bmimosas.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"400\" width\u003d\"396\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-284TPPhmdOs/T9tVohMKEAI/AAAAAAAACTg/Z2mWENrmw4w/s400/baby%2Bmimosas.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe found 11 seedlings.  They had sprouted in a shallow patch of eroded soil in the creek bed.  They had managed to grow in less than an inch of dirt over gravel and rocks.  They would have been washed away with the next hard rain.  We brought them home and potted them.  To the best of my minimal gardening ability I am pampering them.  (Please don't die, please don't die!)  And now I have my very own mimosa.  Well, to be more specific, I have eleven mimosas.  \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAccording to internet research the mimosa tree has as average lifespan of 10-20 years and grows to a height of 20-40 feet.  So 1-4 feet of growth per year.  How many years is that until blooms?  Of course, I'll have eleven trees by then and what on earth will I do with eleven of them?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe end.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePS:  If anyone has a flame mimosa tree near them and would be willing to collect some seed pods and mail them to me in the fall I would be forever grateful."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/5271607473277805542/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-fell-in-love-with-tree-story-of-quest.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/5271607473277805542"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/5271607473277805542"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-fell-in-love-with-tree-story-of-quest.html","title":"I fell in love with a tree... (A Story of a Quest)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lW4N9_M7w5g/T9tPGQB278I/AAAAAAAACSo/PsC6T9VINA8/s72-c/A%2BTree%2Bfor%2BEmmy%2Bcover.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}}]}});