Looking back ... a few things

I've been busy and keep meaning to figure things out on this new computer.  I think its going to take me a little while to get it sorted out so that I can do the things that I want to do on it.  Christopher did help me out with some things when he was here and I think I'm just going to need some lessons on it for awhile.  :-)

For those who use a Mac, I would love any tips or help you have to offer.  This is my first time on a Mac.  I'm especially interested in anything to do with photos.  Here is our  new computer.  I'm very excited about it and learning to use it!

We've had several medical appointments that I haven't shared about.  Eliana had her yearly cardiology appointment.  It was a long, long morning.  We went on Oct 31st and there were so many nice things set up at the hospital.  There were stations set up for the children and she visited one and got a new beanie baby which she loves.  She wasn't up for anything else.

She started fussing at vitals.  By the time we made it to the EKG, she was crying and screaming!  Next was the echo and she was inconsolable!!!  They pulled out all of their tricks - movie, bubbles, puppets, twirling lights - nothing helped.  I was even laying beside her on the bed and she just  cried and cried.  No reassurances helped.  : -(  It was hard.

Our last stop was to see the cardiologist.  We got into the exam room and as I was starting to get some things out for her.  She threw up.  Again.  And again.  Really did a number on the floor.  Ugh and yuck!  She thankfully mostly got the floor and not herself!  I cleaned it all up.  Didn't seem right to have someone else do it.  Though I did tell them after I cleaned it so that it could be mopped up again.  (She didn't get sick again.  Just so worked up from all of the crying.)

Anyway, as you can imagine by this time Eliana was less than thrilled to be touched by anyone!  Our Dr did manage a short exam and said that all looked the same.  She still has leaking at one of her valves (result of the surgery).  It isn't a problem at this point!  Thank you God.  The harder news is that we don't know if this will remain true.  It will depend on how her heart grows and how things around the valve are stretched.  She may need another heart surgery down the road.  I really didn't want to know that.  At this point though, I'm not going to worry about it as that won't help at all.  Just one more possibility of things to come - but hopefully not!

Joshua also had an appt at the diabetes clinic in the hospital.  His numbers have gotten bad and we are still working to try to get him in a better place.  We've made some adjustments that hopefully will help and give us more information on how his body is managing things.  Entering puberty though is already doing a number on him and from all that I hear, this will not change anytime soon.  So far, we are still seeing horrible highs and additionally lows in the middle of the night.  Still hoping and praying that we can him to a better and more stable place.

Also this week, I've watched friends walk through a very sad and tragic experience.  Its hard for me to even share this as words just seem inadequate.  Some sweet friends were excitedly waiting for the birth of their fourth child.  Their beautiful daughter was born late one evening on earth and soon after was born into heaven.  The grief and shock is unimaginable.  My heart just aches for them.

As I have been with them though, I see a strength and peace in the midst of the grief that I know comes from a deep faith in a God who loves them completely.  I'm encouraged by their faith while I grieve the pain and loss that this precious family is experiencing.

I wish I had words to make things better.  I know that all I can do is love on them - listen  - and be there for them.  Please pray for my friends as they walk this path which is not the joyful one for which they had been excitedly preparing.  Please pray for their family and friends.  Thank you.

With love
Leslie

Something so simple ...

and yet the impact is big!

I don't know about you but there are many areas in my home that are a struggle to keep clean.  One of those for us is the kitchen.  Specifically cups.  Have a drink for breakfast.  When you come through again, you grab a new cup because you don't remember which one you used the last time.  And so it continues, all through the day.  With many people doing this, it doesn't take long for the cups to really multiply!

Can anyone relate?!

Saw this at my sweet friend Angela's house and finally got around to making one for myself.

It's a place holder for your cup.  Fix a cup of water, drink and place it in the spot.  When you are thirsty again, go find your same cup instead of getting a new one.  Novel, huh?  Loving having just 7 dirty cups per day instead of 20 or more!

I just drew 5 circles and then colored them in each child's "color".  I let them decorate them.  Laminated it and it was ready to go!

I have found one problem with this one though.  I need to put Eliana on the front - nearest where she can reach as she just tends to grab a cup since she can't see the names on the cup spots.  ;-)

Thought someone else might enjoy this idea!  

Blessings

Leslie

Veterans Day

Thank you to all of the men and women who have or are serving our country.  I'm thankful for your service and sacrifice.

We attended a Veteran's Day Parade in Raleigh this morning.  It was cold, but there were still lots of people there.

 It was exciting to hear the bands playing.

 What I didn't expect were my eyes watering up so quickly.

 All of this hits closer to home now.  Two of the four seniors from last year - Christopher's friends - are now serving in the military.  Its personal now when I'm praying for protection, safety and blessing for our troops.

 Father, please protect our troops and keep them from harm's way.  Please give wisdom to our leaders.  Please use this experience to draw many close to you!

 Please bless these soldiers and their families.

 Please help us to always be thankful for the many freedoms that we have and for those who have fought for them.  Amen.

 We waved our flags and cheered.

 We were there to show our support and to give thanks.

 I didn't expect something to make me laugh near the end of the parade.  There were quite a few of these little trucks (maybe 12?).  They go FAST!  They were zooming in circles and curves.  My boys were loving it.  Quickly I heard one say ... That is what I want for Christmas!  And not surprisingly, a different son said almost the same thing to my friend.  LOL

 When we got home, Joshua made this tribute to our military.  I love it!

Thank you again and God bless you all!

Blessings
Leslie

Beyond Co-op: Sarah Plain and Tall #4

I have a new computer and will post a picture when I figure out how to do that.  For now, my things are still spread between 2 computers, but I'm trying to learn how to use the new one.  (Thankfully Christopher came over last night and helped me with a few things.  Not why he came over, but it was a nice side benefit.)

We had our last co-op with this wonderful book last month, and I wanted to post on it before too many more details slip my mind.  (Umm ... a little late for that though.  If any of you co-op friends are reading this, feel free to add in details that I have missed.)

We started with a devotion and then had a lesson on leaf/tree identification.  I have been to so many of these classes over the years and yet I still have so much to learn!  I never fail to learn something new from each of them.  This was an excellent presentation!  Don't you just love this beautiful display?!

We did an experiment to learn why leaves change color.  Read more about it here  

 Each child was given a bag in which to collect leaves from various trees.

Time to explore.  It is always fun to learn what is inside seeds and nuts from various trees.

 And to find things in nature that you can actually eat.

 Thankfully our dear friend Yvette is a wealth of knowledge on leaves, trees and more so that those children who had less knowledgable moms didn't suffer.  LOL

 This is a hemlock tree.  Its the one new tree I tried to take from the day.  Lets hope it sticks.

 We headed into the woods and it was a beautiful day for exploring.

 I thought this dried up creek bed was beautiful.  I love the way the sunlight comes through the leaves of the trees.  Beautiful!

 Another fun find that had nothing to do with trees - a turtle.  The kids kept him for a short time and then returned him to his home.

 The second part of our co-op focused on writing lessons.  I'm thankful for the time Vickie has spent teaching them these lessons as this is also not one of my strong points.  Wonderful detail and descriptions of how to build good characters.  The children listened to several stories to illustrate some of the concepts discussed as well.

 This was the last co-op on Sarah Plain and Tall and it was fitting to talk about the ending of the story.  I think in some ways, this story leaves you wondering ... what is going to happen next.  I'm thankful there is a sequel and look forward to studying this in the  spring.

As always, it was a fun morning, filled with lessons, laughter, friendship and fun.  I remain thankful to be able to travel this journey with friends.

Blessings

Leslie

Mother Son Night at ChickFilA

A few weeks ago, I went out to dinner with my 3 youngest boys to Chick-Fil-A.  They were having a Mother-Son Date night.  The tables were nicely set.  We were seated when we entered.  There was entertainment (magic show) while we were there.  Our orders were taken at the table.  It was all really nice.

Of course, the best part was just spending time with my boys.  I think they enjoyed a night out too!  We don't eat out often and these days it seems even less as we are figuring out the gluten free stuff.  It was just a fun night.

I'm thankful for my boys (missed you Christopher) and love hanging out with them!

Still trying to figure out my new computer.  More on that later.

Blessings
Leslie

A visit to the doctor

So, its been about 2 weeks without my computer.  I am using a laptop for emails, but don't have access to my documents or photos yet.  Roger has been working on getting everything moved to a new computer but it isn't all there yet.  Its been challenging - and sometimes frustrating.  Though to be honest, I've mostly not worried about it since there is nothing much I can do.  (Wish I could do this with all areas of my life!!!)

I am missing blogging though - and getting further and further behind.  LOL

I did want to post a quick update though.  I took Eliana in to see the pediatrician this week.  Her last visit was in June (several times) for another round of blood work to confirm Celiac disease.  At that appointment she weighed 27 pounds and was 35' tall.  Definitely on the petite side for a 4 year old!

The doctor immediately noticed her color and her demeanor and said how much better she looked!  Happy and  social and just back to herself.  :-)  Thankfully we had no "owies" at this appointment which was a nice change from her last round of visits.

The big news ... her height and weight.  This appointment was really to check and see how she was doing since diagnosis.  (And as a parent of a child dealing with a medical condition, I have to confess that sometimes these meetings seem like an evaluation of my ability as a parent to help my child monitor his/her medical condition.  Is the number going to reflect that we have done what we are supposed to be doing?  I've at times been made to feel like I not doing a great job, though never by our wonderful pediatrician!)  Anyway, it was nice to feel like all the work that has gone into changing her diet has made a difference.

Are you ready for her numbers?!

She has gained ...   3 pounds!

She  has grown ...  1.25 inches!!!  I was stunned by this one!  In just 4 months!

Just shows that it really is important for her health that she be gluten free.  I knew that, but it is still nice to see that it has made such a huge difference.  I can see that too though in just the way she feels.  She is so much happier now than she was earlier this summer.

Next week we have another appointment.  This one is her yearly visit to the cardiologist.  I'm expecting it to be an easy one and hoping for no surprises!

More later as soon as I can figure out how to upload pictures from my new computer.

Blessings
Leslie

Virus

My computer has a virus and my sweet dh is trying to fix it.  It's been about a week now without it.  I can't access my pictures,  documents and much of my email.  Will try to catch up when things are fixed.  Hopefully soon.

Blessings
Leslie

Produce Co-op

I am really enjoying being a part of a produce co-op this year.  It is forcing helping us to eat more fruits and veggies.  That is a good thing.  Another bonus is that it is helping greatly with our food bill!  I highly recommend doing this if you are at all interested.  I know many areas have co-ops.  For various reasons, we decided to start our own.  Here is how it works for our group.

1.  We have 6 families.  So all food purchased is divided by 6.
2.  We shop once per week - usually on a Friday or Saturday morning - early.  We shop in the bulk area at our Farmer's Market.  Going early makes for a better selection.
3.  We shop in pairs.  Helps with making decisions and just makes it more fun.
4.  We come home, sort and then wait for the others to pick up and pay.
5.  We aim to spend between $25 and $30 per week.  We hope to get at least 4 fruits and 5 veggies.  We often have 10 or more different items.

The first photo above is what the back of my van looked like filled with produce.  The photo below is the boxes of food spread out on my driveway.

This is one weeks worth of food.

The selection varies week to week.  We have a list of "please do not buy me this" so that nobody gets something that they hate.  That being said, we have tried some new things just to see.  

A couple of times we have compared what we've purchased to what it would cost in the store.  We have found that the same produce in the store would cost $50 to $90 more than several of our local grocery stores.  Its a great savings!  

Just wanted to share in case someone else was looking for a way to save money and eat more natural foods.  This is working well for us!  

Blessings

Leslie

Beyond Co-op: Sarah Plain and Tall #3

We continued our fun learning with Sarah Plain and Tall.  In this co-op we learned about shells.  We spent time learning about the basic types of shells.   We learned about bivalves, tusks, chitons and

There was a wonderful display with pictures and also lots of real shells to examine and touch.

We learned about the animal inside a conch.  (A sock was used for demonstration purposes.)

After hearing about the various shells and the animals that lived in them, it was time to get hands-on with the learning.  The kids volunteered to be various mollusks so we could learn more about the unique characteristics of each one.  First up, was the gastropod.  Animals in this order include conches, snails, slugs and more.   The animal has eyes on stalks, The smaller pair of tentacles is used for the sense of smell and touch.  Of course there is a large shell in the animal's back.

A bivalve - clam, scallop and oysters fall into this category.  These animals have shells that are in two halve or two valves.  The "foot" sticks out and is what the animal uses to dig or to move.

Joshua volunteered to be a tusk - a tapering shell shaped like a tusk with openings at both ends of the shell.

Last up was the chiton with a shell composed of eight separate plates.  

After learning about shells, they each had the opportunity to pick two shells and draw them in the notebooks which we made in the first co-op.  I am glad for the opportunity to have done this nature notebook to go along with Sarah Plain and Tall.  We have sporadically done nature notebooks over the years, never really sticking with them for long.  I purposed to do better during this study.  What I found was that Isaiah really enjoys doing this!  That really encourages me to do more of this!

Can you pick out the various "shells" that the kids enjoyed for a snack?  There is one of each of the four we talked about.

More information on how to identify a shell for those who wanted to learn more.  Shell Detective information can be found here.

For the second half of our co-op we focused on writing - specifically on how and where to get ideas for a story and character development.  The kids were challenged to come up with various ideas, to think, create and brainstorm.

Not sure how to flip this picture as I took it upside down.  Anyone else know?  One of the resources used for this lesson.

The kids split into two groups.  One worked on creating an idea folder where they could jot down ideas they had for setting, characters, plot, etc.  This is something to add to as they have fresh ideas.  They were encouraged to think that ideas are everywhere if they will just take time to look for them!

The other activity was to work on their characters.  They drew a picture of their character on the outside of a file folder.  On the inside, they wrote ideas and thoughts about what the character is like - physical descriptions as well as character traits.  Some of the kids were excited to share what they had come up with too!

Once they finished in one area, they changed places and worked on the other.  Writing is an area in which I've always struggled.  Its good for me (and my children) to have some help in this area.  I want them to see writing as fun (it can be) as well as know things they can do to improve their skills.  (I can use these tips too!)

All in all, another wonderful co-op.  Love this time and this style of learning.  :-)

Blessings
Leslie