Goal Update! {short term goals}

An update of my short term goals!

Short Term (within the next couple of months):

• Start replacing personal & household products with gentler alternatives free of petrochemicals & other "yuckies".  ONGOING - We've replaced our deodorant, shampoos, my body wash (& the kids'), toothpaste (ours, the kids were already using flouride/dye free), and lotion.  I still have a long way to go but this weekend I did clean out the upstairs bathroom cabinets and removed excess products that weren't natural.  I'm struggled with myself but have decided to go ahead and donate the unopened ones...I can't see throwing them away when 90% of the people I know are still using them.  Baby steps...
• Quit heating my food in plastic containers at work.  DONE - for the most part I'm successful at this.  Occasionally I miss and heat in plastic but for the most part this is going well.
• Spend time in prayer weekly for my family's health and the decisions we are making for our life style.  STRUGGLING - shame on me!!  I'll do better!
  
• Find a filtered water pitcher or tap filter for at home.  NOT COMPLETE - We've decided on a tap filter...now to just fit it into the budget!
• Buy more organic fruits & veggies.  FAIL! - Confession time...the last time we grocery shopped looking at the organic fruit didn't even cross my mind!!  ARGH!  I'll try harder!
• Be thankful everyday for our home grown beef! CHECK! - My folks just had a new beef butchered and I'm so grateful we were blessed with some!
• Continue persuing recipes using natural sweeteners...reintroduce refined sugar but no longer as a lifestyle. ONGOING - I've found many recipes using agave nectar as the sweetener...not so many using stevia.  However, I've had some discussions with people regarding these natural sugar substitutes and am still trying to decide if this is a lifestyle change for us or a period of time.  I definitely see a change in Natalee when she has something sugary but would like to eventually teach her how to control those moods rather than continually substituting sugar for her.  She's young..we'll see.
• Cut out food dyes.  CHECK! - I'm feeling good about this one.  Our families have been great and it's not been as challenging as I thought to cut out.  Food dyes were something I was pretty conscious off prior to our "big" revolution.
• Get a full length mirror for home & the classroom (great for teaching eye contact and self affirmation).  STILL LOOKING - I was hoping to not have to buy new but may not have a choice.
• Introduce self talk to Natalee - "I am okay. I can handle this!"  ONGOING - I've tried this a few times and she is resistant to it.  She replies "I'm NOT okay!"  But I'll persist.
• Stay calm when parenting Natalee (huge challenge for me). Be specific with her - don't say, "be good", say what I want her to do and not what I don't want her to do. This applies to a couple of my students, also!  ONGOING - This will always be ongoing.  I'm trying, really REALLY trying.
  
• Introduce "A Rule/B Rule" concept at home and school. "A" rules are non-negotiable, parent/teacher stated & enforced rules. "B" rules are when child gets a say in decision. Develop clear "A" rules at home and in classroom.  NOT DEVELOPED - I haven't attempted this yet.  Mike needs to help with the A rules at home.
  
• Be more diligent in use my Time Timer so children have a clear cut ending to a task.  ONGOING - I've been using it for Natalee's time outs and for almost all time outs in my classroom.  However, I need to be better about using it for activities.
• Stop telling my children and my students not to have their feelings. (Ex: Don't tell Natalee "that doesn't hurt" when she cries when we brush hair. For a sensory child it probably does hurt and I shouldn't stomp on her feelings. Help her express herself as a replacement for crying.). Listen like Minnie Mouse - 2 big ears, 2 big eyes, 1 small mouth.  WORKING - I'm doing this, especially at home!
  
• Create a calming "sleep environment" for my children.   CHECK - The children like the lava lamps we've put in, and I try to remember to go up when I get home & turn on their heater until bedtime and then turn it off so they don't get too hot.  They also listen to their Christian lullabies every night.  Strangely enough, they've switched beds & Natalee wants to sleep in the crib & Xabe in her daybed.  We'll work on transitioning Natalee back out of the crib and into her bed & Xabe into a twin bed.
• Find a place for self calming for home and students at school. Use this when I see children (Natalee/Xabe & students) are becoming overwhelmed.  STRUGGLING - anyone have any ideas?
• Increase fatty acids & amino acids for my children (real whole milk, butter, protein rich snacks).  ONGOING - the children are on raw milk 24/7 and we're all using real butter.  I'm much more conscious about our snacks, although we still do often have fruit which isn't very protein rich. 
• Buy Boston Ferns (oxygen generators) for home & school. One for children's bedroom, classroom, and living area!  STILL LOOKING - looks like I'll have to order some!
• Go to bed by 10:30 on weeknights!  CHECK! - for the most part I'm am accomplishing this one!
  

Making a Menu

I've found it's so much easier to eat naturally (or close to it) by making a menu.  I've tried lots of variations of this - monthly, every 6 weeks, a week at a time, etc., and I always fall short and quit doing it. 
Recently I started doing a two week menu and am liking it so far.  Once a month (after pay day!) I go and do the "main" grocery shopping for the month...then 2 weeks later Mike or I go again to get more fresh fruits & veggies and get the things we need for the next 2 weeks of menu planning.  I'm not against stopping at the bulk grocery stores we have in and around Memphis and consider them a blessing but I try to keep unplanned stops to a minimum as they add up quickly in the budget.  We've found it's usually better for Mike to do the 2 week mid-way stop for 2 reasons:  he's much quicker and he buys only what's on the list keeping excess spending in check.
The two week menu and my mind that's constantly turning to natural living have also made me much more aware of planning ahead.  I transfer our meats for the week from the freezer to the fridge a couple days in advance...no more microwaving to defrost or using hot water baths.  I also do a lot more preparing the night before which cuts down on mine and the children's frustration when everyone is starving 'RIGHT NOW!'  We're eating earlier most evenings, which means we have more time for our food to digest before bed time.  Occasionally, if we eat really early (before 6), the children (and sometimes mom & dad!) have a bedtime snack...cheese & crackers, peanut butter on crackers, fruit, granola.
I'm grateful I've found a routine that's working for us...now we're just putting new recipes into the menu and enjoying finding ways to eat smarter and healthier!
What is your menu planning method?  Anybody have any recipes to share??

The Sensory Smart Mommy Confesses

This blog isn't all about smiles & sunshine {just most of it}. I have to share my failure of the day. Today I was dozing on the couch at my folks' house & Natalee was supposed to be dozing in the recliner with her grandma & was really fidgety. She turned to my & asked "brush me mama" {Wilbarger Brushing Protocol followed by joint compressions...more about it later} & instead of seeing her need & responding I blew her off & told her id do it later. The brushing does seem to calm her and reorientate her sensory system...so frustrated at my lazy self for missing a chance to give her what she needed especially when she verbally expressed her need!
Everyday's a day to learn & grow...here's to righting wrongs & trying harder next time!

Protein Bars & Easy Homemade Biscuits {Recipes}

These were shared from a family member.  I haven't tried these yet but want to as soon as I get more agave syrup!  I think my kids would love them (and I know I would!).  I don't love coconut but can easily substitute it for something else.  A little flax would be good for the body in these bars as well.  Yummy!


Raw Protein Bar
1 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 mashed banana
1/4 cup pumpkins seeds
1/4 cup of other nuts and seeds you wish
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut.
I also throw in caco nibs instead of chocolate chips and dried unsweetened cherries or dried goji berries.
I also put in a scoop of protein powder which has been a blessing if you have to eat on the run. I use a plant based organic one with no artificial sweeteners, The possibilities are endless.
Mix altogether and pat down in a 6 x 8 pan or similar brownie size pan. Then put in the freezer for one hour. I put wax paper in the bottom of the pan first. When I pull them out the freezer, I pull them out of the pan and cut into bars and wrap them in Saran wrap. You then have a ready to go protein bars.

I've made these twice since getting the recipe from a friend/family member.  The link takes you to her original recipe...the one below is with my own minor tweaks in it.


Homemade Biscuits
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup whole milk/raw milk
Mix dry ingredients.
Add in butter with you hand {easiest way!} until crumbly.
Add milk.
Mix well, add a little more flour if too sticky.
Roll out on floured surface. 
Cut with biscuit cutters.
In the bottom of a large, shallow baking pan pour a little oil and warm it in the oven.  Take the pan out and flip the biscuits on their tops then back over so the tops are lightly oil covered.
Cook on 450 for 10 - 12 min.

These are best hot but easily rewarmed!  My kids have loved them with sausage gravy and then just plain with butter.  They aren't super thick and fluffy but definitely yummy!

Sensory Smart Encouragement

I've gone back and forth about whether to do this post or not but, as I said in the beginning, someday I want to print this all out for my kids and give it to them and these "reviews" and words of encouragement from others are a big part of that.  I've changed names, genders, etc. of those who have messaged me but here are a couple of the nice emails and Facebook messages I've received regarding the changes we are making.

• Just wanted to thank you for your hard work at doing all you can for Natalee and your students.  Since you've started blogging about it I've been following and researching more...Susie is ADHD and has been on meds for 2 years and, while they have helped her, after reading your post/links we've made changes.  She has been off her meds for 3weeks...John and I decided to make a change for the whole family but we knew it couldn't be too drastic.  We have lots of big plans but we started out just removing dyes...let.me.tell.ya wow!  It was such an easy change and within in a week we have seen awesome things from Susie (the same things her meds were doing).  She is also taking an Omega 3 vitamin as well!!  So thank you, thank you for opening up eyes!!  This transformation so far (we aren't done) has had wonderful effects :)
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
• I was reading through your blog which I found fascinating and give you kudos for doing what is right for your children. As I have told you before, we know that Samantha has slight Aspergers, undiagnosed, and when I was reading your blog...it totally described some of her tendencies dead on. We had a long battle that we have fought with it and we started when she was around Natalee's age. We do the probiotics and she has a LOT of digestive problems that we deal with, but they are minimal compared to what they use to be.   It was a long road, but you have totally got it and Aspergers can be treated and overcome in my honest opinion. We still battle some aspects of it....it you watch Samantha in the bathroom, she covers her ears because she can't handle loud sounds well and occasionally she will still flap her hands and jump up and down.
  I praise you for doing what is right....some like to criticize and think you are nuts, but you have to do what is right for your kiddos. My motto was to let God lead me in the direction that I needed and I was constantly asking Him to help me make the right decisions. I am going to add Natalee to my prayer list and I know you can help her overcome a lot of her obstacles.
  God Bless.
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
• I hope you are doing well. I have been keeping up on your new blog. I am touched by your honesty and determination on behalf of your children. It is simply beautiful. I can't remember if I shared with you that one of Sam's sons is on the autism spectrum so I too have been thinking about many of the diet connections you have shared. I also have been thinking about these things for myself as well. I have recently done a sugar detox and have moved to a mostly plant based diet. I have eliminated processed food and I have noticed a significant change for the better in my energy level and diet...she goes on to share some recipes with me that I'll share soon with you!
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
• Jenn- I was just reading your new blog - I hope you are super successful in all your changes! How inspiring! I was reading your post about the vitamins the kids take - how often do you order from Vitacost for the multi-vitamin? I'm thinking it might be a good idea for Charlie to be taking some sort of vitamin like that....We did get her some vitamins ordered for her child who is over one.  I'm no doctor but I personally think a multi-vitamin is a great idea for any child over age 1, especially by age 2. 
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• So I haven't commented on any of your new blog posts yet because I have been digesting them for awhile...however, I have been reading them! Originally I wanted to spell this all out for you in a cute card, but I wanted you to hear it now, especially after your status this morning. Your children are so very lucky to have you. I don't know what its like to be a Mom but I can imagine it is pretty wonderful if you are willing to turn your life upside down for them.  I have continually been amazed at the research you do and the time and effort you put into trying to find help for Natalee. I have taken the time to think over the goals you posted, I know that none of it will be easy and some will be much harder than others to implement, however I wanted you to know that you have my full support whenever and however you need it. I am willing to do whatever you ask when I watch your kids (I might need training on how to cook however...lol). You may not get me on an all natural diet quite yet but I am fully behind you when it comes to your kids and your family! So I guess what I really wanted to say is that if you feel in your heart that this is the best move for you family then I think you should go for it with all you've got. Some people may not understand where you're coming from or what you're trying to accomplish but we have to make sure those people don't get you down....from my baby sister, Lauren.
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
• As I sit here having just read your message my heart breaks because as a mother I can't fix this for you and that's what parents who love their kids are supposed to be able to do. That being said, I just want you to know that your dad and I are here for you to help in any way that we can. Jenn, I know I've said several times that Natalee will do what she needs to do in her own time, but I also realize that you deal with these problems every day and you are trained to recognize problem areas so for this I apologize if I've made you feel like you didn't know what is best for your own child, that was not my intent at all, if anything it was to ease your mind.
  So all that being said I agree with Lauren and Lance {who sent me separate inboxes} that God gave Natalee to the best set of parents He could have, because He knew that He could trust you to do whatever it takes to help her be the best that she can be. So know that your dad and I are board for the long haul. Love you.

The comments, phone calls, and personal inboxes from family have also been a huge buoy to me along this journey.  The chapters in this "book" wouldn't be complete without including these because, without all of this encouragement, understanding & support I probably would have wanted to quit a long time ago!  Thanks to you all.  If there's anyone else out there that is making changes or has a story to tell I'd LOVE to hear from you!!

Sensory Smart Starts

I have great parents.

I hope my kids can say that about me some day.

My parents gave me a great start to life. 
They taught me the importance of eating right.
Veggies, meat, milk, fruit.
Oh sure, we were also fans of sweets but rarely do I remember eating from a package.
So rarely.

When we vacationed during the summer we would pack meals with us - probably partially for budgeting purposes, but also because eating food mom prepared was so much better for us.

Here's how good they were...
I can remember camping during the summer and my mom packing and freezing our meals for a long weekend.  She is an amazing cook and an even better planner.  I've literally watched the woman make gravy over a camp stove.  At the time it just seemed "normal" but now that I'm the mom and it's my place to think about those things I become exhausted just thinking about it!

The other thing that sticks out to me was that, when we did travel and eat at restaurants (going to N.D. or on long trips) dad always looked for the "mom & pop shop."  I never understood that as a kid.  I can remember him saying, "let's find a place with some good home cooked food!" and us kids would beg for McDonald's.  We were so silly!!  Now I see that, while McDonald's or other fast food would have been cheaper the home cooked food was better for us.  It prevented us from traveling with tummy aches (which you DIDN'T want when you were packed 3 strong in the back seat of a Ford Taurus!).  To us, McDonald's was a treat, not a norm. 

I'm grateful for many values my folks instilled in me, but lately I'm so grateful for the good solid start they gave me in nutrition.  I'm glad (and proud) that my mother taught me to cook - not the "open a box" type of cooking but real cooking.  As I've gotten back to more "from scratch" cooking, the things I watched my mother do for years come rolling back.  Making the changes we've been making lately haven't been so difficult because hard work and thinking outside the box (literally & figuratively) are ingrained in me...

It also doesn't hurt that the support of my family is still strong and that they are being so great & understanding as we pave our own way!  Love you all!

Just to Clarify...

I just want to make a couple of notes to you, my faithful and dear readers.

I'm humbled and honored at how kind your comments and messages to me have been but I just want you all to know that I'm just a mommy trying to do my best for my family - not a doctor, therapist, or researcher.

I like to post things that are interesting, things I feel strongly about, things we're doing...really our journey on the road we're on right now.

For example: the notes I made about my conference with Dr. Taylor were the highlights that I found interesting, not the facts that I am sure are true.  If you had pitocin with your delivery or have a blond haired/blue eyed child your kid is not doomed to a life of ADHD.  Just because I give my kids a vitamin regimen every night doesn't mean that you have to.  Please know that I'd LOVE to visit with any of you about the things I post...just please don't confuse me with something I'm not.

I'm just a mommy who loves her kids so ferociously that I'll climb the mountain to the top today and then do it all over again tomorrow.

I love you all and pray that God blesses you on your journey to your own healthy lifestyle!

The "Other" Kid

I have 2 children...

 

One may be a little more sensory challenged than the other but this blog is certainly not dedicated solely to her.  This healthier lifestyle is for all of us.  It's not a bandwagon...it's a series of choices that will define how we live.  Okay, it kind of feels like a bandwagon right now, but some of it's becoming habit - a feeling of normalcy.  

• Normal to read labels.  
• Normal to politely decline the cashier's offer of a sucker at the local Dollar General (kudos to her for whisper asking me first before just offering it!).  
• Normal to get on my knees in the same DG and quiet & soothe the sobs of  my 3 year old when I switched packages of batteries and she'd already carried around the first package for 5 minutes, thus becoming accustomed and attached to it.  
• Normal to HAVE to go to the store tonight for batteries because the star making turtle wouldn't turn on this morning and tonight's crisis wouldn't have been worth skipping the stop.  
• Normal to still be talking about the hole that someone had in their sock last Monday.
• Normal to delight in everyday with my TWO God given blessings. 

Xavier is struggling with eating.  Like it's probably been about 3 months since eating was a "normal" routine for him.  We put him at the table, he gets down.  Not just at my house, but at the babysitter or grandma's house.  I'm trying not to read too much into this but it's getting old.  I'm so thankful for the nutrients he's getting in his milk but tired of dumping plate after plate of food.  He eats snacks - fruit, crackers - and breads (pancakes, etc) sometimes but has gotten either so picky or so indifferent about trying things on his plate that often he says, "I done" before his bib is ever snapped.  We've had trouble with his eating before when we started introducing baby foods...but there's really no stage to go to from solids so I'm not sure how to handle this.  He did eat for the sitter today and yesterday at least one meal...but one meal a day isn't really great.  :(  We did have him adjusted by a chiropractor on Tuesday and he put his neck & back into place so we're sure it's not his alignment causing discomfort.  If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them! 

Thursday's Uniform

Today was Thursday Therapy day.  Natalee's Physical Therapists kept her super busy again this afternoon and she was again exhausted when she got home!  She loves going and talks about her Miss Meagan often.  Tonight when we left Natalee gave Meagan a big hug and told her "thank you" without any prompting.  

Next week she will add Occupational Therapy into her schedule and will go for an hour!  Considering that 30 minutes wears her out I imagine an hour will do her in completely!  We don't make any other plans for Thursday evenings so we can come home, lounge, eat supper & send Miss Thing to bed early.  She was in at 7:30 tonight and fast asleep soon after and mostly laid on the couch or sat in her little recliner before supper.  I'm certainly not complaining because we are grateful for this service the school is providing for our little girl and know how important these therapies are.  

I'm grateful that we, as parents, are welcomed in to observe and glean ideas from the therapists that we can implement at home.  Tonight Natalee's activities included tricycle riding (I'd LOVE for her to learn to ride!...this is something we've worked on and not accomplished at homme so we need help with it!), balancing on one leg on a platform ball while doing fine motor activities, jumping on a trampoline (trying to jump independently, jumping while throwing a ball, getting on and off the trampoline without assistance), & big steps with a resistance band & walking sideways & backwards.

You'll notice Natalee is wearing the same outfit today as in last Thursday's therapy post.  This morning when I was preparing her for the day & told her it was a Miss Meagan therapy day she immediately said, "Oh, I gotta get my Cancun shirt."  Sure enough, when I racked my brain I remembered Meagan commenting on her Cancun shirt...so apparently Natalee's made this her Thursday uniform.  I will try to get her to switch things up and move past that mind frame.  Maybe Miss Meagan would like to see a sparkly butterfly shirt or a Curious George shirt! :)

Small Changes

Sometimes I forget it's the little things that make a huge difference to the detail oriented child.

I get it.

I like detail.

If there's a small piece of dirt on my carpet, a hair in my shower, you can bet my eye is going to zero in on it and immediately clean (not a clean freak - just notice the little things).

So it's not surprise to me that my daughter, who already struggles with out of routine, out of normal changes, would notice a detail and be bothered.

Example:  I had a huge, green, painted & laminated Christmas tree on the downstairs bathroom wall this Christmas.  I had big plans for it that never happened.  Anyhow, tonight, while Natalee was in the shower I realized it was still up and took it down.  Note 1 - don't do things "behind" the SPD/Asperger child's back.  If I'd talked to Natalee about taking it down before doing so then the ensuing discussions and confusion following would have been much less.  As it was, her dad finally negotiated her concern & upset into a plan to get big white paper and make a new poster for the wall this weekend....oh well, never mind the plans for the vinyl sign I had for that spot.

Example:  Tonight at Awana was Hawaiian/Tropical Night. 
ME: "Natalee, tonight is a special night at Awana.  It's Hawaiian night - you can wear a flowery necklace, your sun glasses, a hat."
NATALEE: "No!  I has to wear my Puggles shirt!"
ME: "Yeah, sure, you can wear your Puggles shirt and something special like a flower necklace or a flower in your hair or sunglasses."
NATALEE:  "No!  I has to wear my Puggles shirt and my blue Puggles bow and get my backpack to go to see Miss Amee (her leader)."
ME: "But why don't we at least put a flower in....okay, yes, honey...that sounds great."

To Natalee "fun nights" aren't "fun."  They aren't traumatizing, she doesn't fly off the handle (maybe if I'd made her wear something different), she copes fairly well - she just fails to see their humor.  Black & white - no gray in the middle!

Being "black & white" isn't all bad...having a very defined sense of what's right & wrong.  It's just another little difference that makes this big world a smidgen harder to understand. 

Why Real Milk?

I had a couple of comments asking why we've switched the children to real milk and in turn real butter and other seemingly "fattier" foods so here's the "skinny" (or not so skinny) on why:

I went to a conference a couple of weeks ago with Dr. John Taylor and in it he spoke about how all children, but especially children with SPD (sensory processing disorder), autism, ADHD, & Asperger's, exhibit many of their behaviors and symptoms because they aren't getting enough real good fats and amino acids.  He noted that the easiest, #1 way to increase these for children would be to put them back on whole milk.  For adults?  The verdict is agreeably the same.  Mike and I are working our way to whole milk...maybe we'll never make it to retraining our taste buds to love fresh cow's milk but whole milk would be a step up from the 2% we're drinking. 

So why did WE choose fresh farm milk instead of just whole milk from the store?  Well...we didn't.  It chose us.  Actually, I don't believe in coincidence but I do believe in God's power and His work...a couple of days before my conference when I was dropping the children off at the babysitter I commented to her that Xabe hadn't eaten well but thankfully he was still drinking his milk by the gallons.  I joked that I was going to have to buy a milk cow for the back yard and our sitter's husband graciously said, "if you all want milk, just let us know...we have plenty to go around" (they are dairy farmers).  So after the conference I texted our babysitter and asked if they were serious???  And, {blessing to us} they were serious!  I do not in any way feel like the fresh milk will harm our children, and in reality, they've been drinking this milk since they were weaned from the bottle (while at the sitter's) so their bodies are already adjusted to it.  Here's what I considered before deciding for certain to make this switch, given the warnings by many people and organizations about how dangerous raw milk can be:  God designed the cow and it's milk WAY before he made machines and 'stuff' to 'fix' it, my mom grew up drinking raw milk (they were dairy farmers) and it didn't kill her, my brother-in-law grew up drinking raw milk & it didn't kill him, my sister's friend, Leann, grew up drinking raw milk & it didn't kill her and she's sure it made her have super healthy antibodies (ask her...she'll tell you!)...do you see the trend?  So now you know...our children are happy little cow juice drinkers and I'm learning new things like shake the cream before you pour. :)

If I had it to do all over again I would have never switched them off whole milk after starting them on it when they weaned from the bottle and I probably would have searched for a healthier alternative than soy milk for Natalee when she was going through her stage of allergies.  But we're in the here and now...not the past!

We have also switched completely to butter in cooking, baking, etc., however I mentioned in a goals update post that I hadn't convinced Mike it would be a great idea to get rid of his soft tub of margarine to go to butter.  Little did I know that you can leave butter out so it's soft & servable but I've gotten many comments telling me that you can!  (Thanks you all!!)  While at the store this weekend I bought a small tub of butter just for trial - ingredients are only cream and salt and we had it with bread tonight with no complaints from the eating crew.  It looks like the Beeler's will be looking for a butter dish just like Grandma had!  (Wonder how I thought SHE kept her butter soft??)  I'm not currently making my own butter but I'm intrigued by trying new things so maybe someday...probably not until summer though.

So there you have it...how our dear friends and children's babysitter & her husband saved us from putting a cow in our back yard {smile} and why we switched to whole milk & butter when all of America swears they'll make you fat.


Photo Courtesy of: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html

We've also been blessed to find a co-worker friend of mine who will sell us good brown chicken eggs.  During the spring & summer we were able to buy eggs from my niece's very happy, wholesome chickens but they are taking a season off so we were back to the store for our eggs until just today when I got 3 dozen pretty brown eggs!  Thanks, Leslie!

This article gives a lot of good information on the benefits of raw cow's milk:
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html

I really do enjoy & appreciate your comments AND questions!  Answering them helps me remember WHY we're doing this and how we're getting there!

NO Surprises!

Ah, another weekend down.

Another lesson learned.
Imagine that.

What would this life be if I wasn't able to still learn new lessons every day?

So here you go - my lesson for your benefit...maybe you can learn from it too:

Sunday was "church day" and as always my children were happy to get ready and happy to go.  Mike's sister and her boyfriend had come back to town for an overnight visit and gotten in early enough to make it to church.  Natalee LOVES all her aunties and uncle figures and has especially bonded with her Miguel.  I thought it would be nice if I would not tell her that they were coming and let her be surprised.  Everyone likes surprises, right?

Yeah, right.
WRONG!

We arrived at church and Mike immediately shuffled off to the sound board.  In our congregation everyone is mixed - gender, ages, etc., when we are seated and generally our families sit together.  Our church family was slim because of the slick weather but, as I suspected, Kea & Miguel had arrived.  I expected Natalee to get excited, immediately run to them, and ditch me for the rest of church (provided she was sitting nicely and I allowed it!).

Instead,

she immediately withdrew, became very quiet and very sober, and came directly to me.
This is very unusual behavior for Natalee - especially if you know her and she knows you.
All during the service she kept putting her head on my shoulder, looking around with big eyes, and occasionally her eyes would fill with tears.  I asked her several times if something hurt her - her tights, her shoes, etc., and every time she whispered back, "no" but still she was sad and withdrawn.

Had I not just read the chapter in Raising A Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel & Nancy Peske I might have missed what was happening.  I might have told her to straighten up, liven up and get over whatever was wrong.  Instead I recognized Natalee's behavior as an overreaction to an unexpected situation.  In this case, as described in the book, Natalee's response was to withdraw, to seek the safest place she knew (mom), and to try to block out her overwhelming feelings by shutting down.

Confused yet?

You see, in my opinion, Natalee was really actually overjoyed, super-excited, ecstatic to see Kea & Miguel.  But by me not preparing her for their arrival like I ALWAYS do she didn't know how to respond.  Unexpectedness.  And what looked like underreacting was actually overreacting.  Later in the day, once Natalee had warmed to the thought of her dear loved ones being home, she WAS able to show her joy and her emotion and she visited, rocked, played, and loved on them.

So what's it matter?

It matters because:  the next time something surprises Natalee she could totally flip the other way and become a human pogo stick - bouncing up and down, unable to sit, totally overstimulated.  Or...she might withdraw again. The key is that I (& we as a community that love & support her) recognize these emotions and these reactions and help her work through them.  If I had been callus and told her to buck up she probably would have had a meltdown during church.  Maybe not about me saying "buck up" but about something miniscule that didn't amount to much.  But by understanding her, being in her shoes, and loving her enough to help her work through it I not only avoided a meltdown but instilled in her that she is worthy of my deepest love and understanding.

Truly, my heart broke so much for her Sunday, not being able to express herself, that tears ran down my cheeks twice when she buried her head on my lap.

A mother of one of my dearest preschoolers journaled to me today a reminder that said, "Natalee is of God's most precious design and nothing about her is a mistake."  I know this - I know that He didn't error when He made her but sometimes I carry a lot of guilt wondering if I errored in the decisions we made when she was young - round after round of antibiotics, allowing vaccine combinations we weren't comfortable with, starting so many types of foods so young...

but alas, we can't go back so we must charge forward and vow that everyday we'll learn something new and figure out how it applies to our life.

Lesson #2 - Natalee is much like her mother and all other kids on the autism spectrum that I've met in this way:
surprises = NO fun!

I'll know better next time!

JUST WHEN I FEEL DISCOURAGED...

I was getting SO discouraged because I thought no one was commenting (or reading for that matter!) my blog but it turns out SO MANY OF YOU ARE!  

I set my comments to "moderation required" meaning I have to check them and okay them before they post.  I didn't realize they showed up in my dashboard.  Duh!  Got them all checked in and posted up now and I appreciate each and every one of them.  I've gotten so many nice and encouraging emails & Facebook inboxes from family & friends and I can't thank you all enough for the love and support you are showing our family.  May God bless YOU all as you find your own journey to health!

Grocery Shopping

Last night my hubs and I went grocery shopping without the children.  I was very anxious about how this trip would go.  The key things that we determined to eliminate this trip were: MSG, BHT, dyes, and of course sugar (aspertame, Splenda). 
I had made my menu for the next 2 weeks and the grocery list off of that.  We stuck mainly to the outer parts of the grocery store.  We did venture in the aisles for a few things and there were a couple of cans that made it into the cart that might not make other cuts next time (when we eliminate more petrochemicals, etc).  But overall, it wasn't as stressful as I feared. 

I am anxiously awaiting my materials from the Feingold Association, which include a shopping guide.  This guide eliminates petrochemicals, preservatives, dyes (and I think a couple of other things) and tells you the brand of whatever you're looking for that would be acceptable to purchase.  For example, if I was looking for relish but all I could find had dye in it I would look it up in my guide and "bingo!" there it is.  I'm a little nervous that the products in the guide won't be readily available where I live but we'll see.  Our main shopping choices are Aldi's, Hy-Vee, & Wal-Mart.  Might be that a trip to a big city every couple of months will be in order!  Obviously the Feingold doesn't cut out ALL things that we don't want to consume (for example, Coke is "ok" on the Feingold but we're cutting out sugar so Coke is not "ok" for the Beeler's - read this article to find out WHY it's not "ok" for anyone!) but it's a great, easy beginning point and I can't wait to start it! 

My dear friend, Lori, is on the roll with me and will be getting her materials and beginning her program too!  Here's to a healthier, calmer, more sensory smart life!!

**SIDE NOTE:  In the healthy snack mix I posted last week I wrote that I included bugles, which I did.  They contain BHT, which are on the "not okay" list.  I'll substitute them with something else next time!

Sensory Smart Supports

Last night the sensory smart mommy & sensory smart daddy went on a faux date and left the sensory smart babies with the sensory smart grandparents.  Translation:  my husband and I went grocery shopping and pretended it was a date and my folks were gracious enough to keep the children all night.
I was anxious to have them spend the night but only because change (even fun change) is hard for Natalee.  She, of course, was excited and jumped at the opportunity to stay and Num's and Papa's and never wavered when we left.  Neither did Xavier for that matter and he's been kind of clingy lately.

However, today I was reminded of one of the key elements I learned in Dr. Taylor's lecture:

Treat" SPD by emphasizing prevention using the "Big Four" factors:

• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Stress
• Chemicals

To minimize stress you have to:

• Prep for the Stress
• Cope During the Stress
• Recover After the Stress

Let's be clear about 1 thing:  stress does not always mean a "bad" or unpleasant situation.  In this case, I'm referring to a "good" stress, simply a change of routine.

So I feel like I did an okay job of preparing Natalee for a change in routine...although I didn't give her much notice we did talk about it before and she was allowed to come home and back her overnight bag, choosing favorite toys and loveys to take with her.

I know my parents did a fine job of helping Natalee stay grounded while she was with them.  My mother is the epitome of calm, they used the time-out method and did not spank, and she slept all night.  I also know that, while my folks might not totally 'get' all of the changes we are making ('get' meaning understand why or what we're doing...hey, I'm not sure I 'get' it yet, either!) they would never deliberately go behind me and give the children something they know we're trying to cut.  We are blessed with having accepting, understanding, open-minded parents.  So, I did not worry about the children's nutrition or their care at all and my mom was even gracious enough to double check a supper idea with me before forging ahead (have I mentioned how much I love my mom?).

Coming home today I should have thought about the "recovery" portion of this 3 tier scheme and helped Natalee become regrounded at home.  But...I didn't.  I didn't think about it.  Mom even mentioned this morning that she was a little "busy" but it still didn't cross my mind to help her reorient her sensory system.  Weighing against us also today was the fact that she'd had a sugary ice cream sandwich with the babysitter on Friday so that was working out of her system.  Needless to say this afternoon was wiry, combative, full of NO, and "busy."  I should have brushed Natalee, found her a quiet place, helped her bring it back together...instead I put out fires all afternoon and was very exhausted by bedtime.  Couple that with a grouchy toddler who I'm struggling to figure out right now (cranky, not hungry, super tired = growth spurt or teething??) and it seemed like a long day.

I'm determined to not get myself down with all the "I done wrongs" so want to spend a minute on something "I done right".  I did give the kids a nice soak upstairs in the big tub with Epsom salts and baking soda.  The salts are good for muscle relaxation and combined with the soda they are supposed to work with Natalee's herbal therapies to help pull the toxins from her body.  They splashed a huge mess upstairs but I ignored it and allowed them to because they were giggling together and that's a huge step up from shrieking at one another.

Just another day, just another learning experience, just another reminder that the sensory smart mommy has to be "on" all the time, except for when we are blessed enough to have one of our "sensory smart supports" volunteer to be on duty!

Physical Therapy- Day 1

Natalee had her first physical therapy session today. Well, first session since she was dismissed over a year ago after she met her goals at that time. I'm appreciative of how kind & caring her PT & student PT were and how quickly they transitioned her from one activity to the next.  A couple of times I caught myself thinking "why didn't I think to do that with her?" I'm glad to have her in their expert hands where their minds are trained & full of ideas to help her! I'm also thankful that they seem unfazed that we come from work so we come as a family.  They even let us sit in the therapy room so we can listen and sometimes see what Natalee is working on, though I did try to stay out of her line of sight for the most part as I know how easily distracted she can be.  Today Natalee practiced balancing on one leg on a balance ball, jumping on the very resistant trampoline, catching & throwing, kicking, walking with a stretchy band around her legs & walking backwards. They were prepared for her when we arrived and didn't lapse the whole time we were there, even when she said "I don't like this game" to their catching activity!  She is also absolutely exhausted tonight!  Her little body is curled up in the chair with dad and she usually plays hard until bed...lots of work for little muscles!  Thanks Meagan & Megan!

Confession

Today the sensory smart mommy {me} lost my patience with my preschoolers.  *sigh* 
They are growing in number.  My patience is not.
I'm not complaining.  I'm just overwhelmed with finding a way into each and every one of their little systems.
They are all so different.  So complex.  So diverse.

Tomorrow I vow to try harder to take more deep breaths.  I vow to try to remember that each one of my preschoolers could easily be my own child.  I vow to remember that most of their behaviors stem from a sensory need.  I vow to *try* to uncover what that need is.

And when I get home tomorrow night....I vow to do it all over again with my own children.

Goal Update!

Today we replaced the children's 2% milk with not just whole milk but with real 'from the tank' whole cow's milk.  Our babysitter, Lora Jean, and her husband, Dean, are dairy farmers and have blessed us with milk for the children from their tank.  Mike was amazed at how much more milk they drank at supper tonight than they do usually (and we thought Xavier drank a lot of milk on a regular day!!).  Changing Mike & I's taste buds over from 2% will be another process... :)

Also, in the goals update, I have not used margarine in recipes or baking for almost 2 months.  Our next step will be changing over our Country Crock soft margarine to butter.  I so like having soft margarine ready for me in the tub.  Baby steps, baby steps...

I am looking for Boston Ferns and full length mirrors still.  Mike and I have also looked online at juicers and water filters but will look in the store when we go this weekend. 

I helped Natalee self talk her way through hair brushing this morning...I empathized with her hurt when we unsnarled her hair and talked about other options instead of brushing (letting it stay ratty for the birds to live in or cutting it shorter).  She is frightened of hair cuts and didn't think letting birdies live in her hair was a good idea (although funny) but the talk helped her get through the brushing much easier than me saying, "you're fine, that doesn't hurt, sit still."

My classroom store center is off to a great start!  The recycled goods are coming in and a fellow teacher has a shopping cart & cash register for us!  I'm excited about it!

I went to bed at 10 last night and am pushing my 10:30 night tonight but will be close!  I felt better this morning, having had a decent night's rest.

Progress is progress, no matter how small!

Adding to the GOALS!

2 more goals to add...

Short Term = get over my fear of baking with yeast and try make homemade breads and other "yeasty" yummies!

Long Term = learn to can!  Stop being intimidated by canners and learn to use one (oh Mrs. Biiiishhh!!!).

Reflection

This post bares my heart and shows you were I'm coming from...and why.

GOALS

I said in my last post that knowledge is dangerous...because when you know better you have no excuse for not trying to do better.
It's exciting to have a positive mindset when thinking about making changes for the better but also exhausting, intimidating, and overwhelming. I tend to be a "right now" personality with a not "right now" budget. In order to not overwhelm my husband (interpreted as "him not want to kill me") or our extended families (interpreted as "them not want to disown me") I decided this has to be a gentle, affordable, step-by-step process that makes gradual changes.
To hold myself accountable and organize my thoughts I'm thinking of this in terms of "short term" (immediate) and "long term" goals.

Short Term (within the next couple of months):

• Start replacing personal & household products with gentler alternatives free of petrochemicals & other "yuckies". This week we started with our deodorants (Mike & I) and shampoo when I placed a Vitacost order for the kids' multi-vitamin. Okay, DID YOU KNOW that your deodorant/antiperspirant has ALUMINUM in it??? When I learn junk like that I just want to scream "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Aluminum in it's many forms is a huge no-no for ASD and SPD kiddos...their brains can't process the toxin and sends them into overload. I'm thinking if it's a no-no for kids on the spectrum it just as well be a no-no for everyone. Come on commercial manufacturers...give me a break! It's in my lotion, too. :(
  
• Quit heating my food in plastic containers at work (I already knew better, just need to be held accountable).
• Spend time in prayer weekly for my family's health and the decisions we are making for our life style.
  
• Find a filtered water pitcher or tap filter for at home.
• Buy more organic fruits & veggies (I'm bad about his - insert personality attribute #1, cheap!).
• Be thankful everyday for our home grown beef!
• Continue persuing recipes using natural sweeteners...reintroduce refined sugar but no longer as a lifestyle.
• Cut out food dyes.
• Get a full length mirror for home & the classroom (great for teaching eye contact and self affirmation).
• Introduce self talk to Natalee - "I am okay. I can handle this!"
• Stay calm when parenting Natalee (huge challenge for me). Be specific with her - don't say, "be good", say what I want her to do and not what I don't want her to do. This applies to a couple of my students, also!
  
• Introduce "A Rule/B Rule" concept at home and school. "A" rules are non-negotiable, parent/teacher stated & enforced rules. "B" rules are when child gets a say in decision. Develop clear "A" rules at home and in classroom.
  
• Be more diligent in use my Time Timer so children have a clear cut ending to a task.
• Stop telling my children and my students not to have their feelings. (Ex: Don't tell Natalee "that doesn't hurt" when she cries when we brush hair. For a sensory child it probably does hurt and I shouldn't stomp on her feelings. Help her express herself as a replacement for crying.). Listen like Minnie Mouse - 2 big ears, 2 big eyes, 1 small mouth.
  
• Create a calming "sleep environment" for my children. (After the conference I obtained some lava lamps and we're using those for calming. Natalee likes them very much.)
• Find a place for self calming for home and students at school. Use this when I see children (Natalee/Xabe & students) are becoming overwhelmed.
• Increase fatty acids & amino acids for my children (real whole milk, butter, protein rich snacks).
• Buy Boston Ferns (oxygen generators) for home & school. One for children's bedroom, classroom, and living area!
• Go to bed by 10:30 on weeknights!
  

Long Term Goals (within the next year):

• Cut out -ites & -ates in foods (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, sulfates) & MSG.
• Reduce petrochemicals (cosmetic food additives, pesticides) & phenols (fragrances, dry erase markers, candles, etc)
• Reduce microwave use - consider (not for certain) getting rid of (I'm giving Mike a heart attack now!).
• Read Raising a Sensory Smart Child and Creative Answers to Misbehavior.
• Get a juicer.
• Try to find a rebounder (small trampoline) for school.
• Research & consider Dr. T.'s recommendation for all children with SPD/ASD/ADHD to take AFA (super blue-green algae) from SimpleXity Health and try some (for me first, then Natalee)! Dr. T sent a 9 page email detailing AFA, which considered all my questions such as side effects from "overdose" - NONE, it's likened to eating too much broccoli or spinach; there would be no side effect except maybe a tummy ache if you ate too much broccoli.
• Plan something monthly with my children individually that is high in quality time (no movies, etc) to fill their love tanks. AND something with my husband!
  
• Set aside a weekly family night.
• Step back and let my children & students be more independent.
• Increase high quality centers at school (pretend shopping, more dress-up/imaginative play items, junior office area, etc).
• Incorporate sensory rich activities into home (showering, hair & teeth brushing, toileting,) and school routines.
• Spend time in prayer daily (bumped up from weekly above) for my family's health and the decisions we are making for our life style.
• Go to bed by 10:00 on weeknights!

Anybody want to join me in any of this???

Conference with Dr. John Taylor, Ph.D.

For some reason this is the post I've been avoiding. Telling you the "stuff" I've learned. Admitting what I know means being responsible for changing bad, unhealthy habits. And that's tough stuff.

Here's what you should know about me:

#1 - I'm cheap!
#2 - I like easy!

Basically, that's it. Cheap and easy...not exactly a stellar bi-line, huh? Meaning that when change is costly or time consuming I'm resistant. No one said this mommy gig was easy...

This past week I went to a conference with some co-workers. I was wearing my "teacher hat" while I was there but my "mommy heart" was shining through. The conference was with John F. Taylor, Ph.D. and titled Autism, Asperger's, SPD, & ADHD. Let me tell you - this guy was rocking! Totally into natural alternatives...not condemning modern medicine but offering so many other options to try first. And he was FULL of such good, wholesome information.

He challenged me.
He appealed to both my teacher hat and mommy heart.
He made my mind roll.
At one point I leaned to the co-worker next to me and said, "my heart is racing!" I'm pretty sure she was concerned I was going to crawl over the table and run to the front of the room to hug Dr. Taylor!

(I'm such a nerd!)

So here's what I learned. To many this might be long and boring and you won't offend me by skimming it (okay, maybe a little but I'll get over it)...but maybe, just maybe it'll help someone, and at any rate I'll have it to look back on as a resource. In the following post I'll lay out some short term and long term goals to get the Beeler family to a healthier lifestyle...but for now here's an "info dump" of my new found knowledge (mostly adapted from Dr. Taylor's seminar & taken from his manual):

From the section on Autism:

• People with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) cannot eject toxins/poisons like a "typical" person because they are enzyme deficient.
  
• Petroleum is the #1 poison. The toxin doesn't go to the liver for break-down, it goes to the brain which in turn messes with functioning. (SIDE NOTE: Did he say PETROLEUM!? Like that's in everything!? Oh. dear.)
• Dr. T. listed a large amount of visual anomalies in ASD kids...the one that stuck out to me was that they often have difficulty understanding where they are in a physical space which can lead to balance problems and trouble interpreting space and time (4).
• Huge correlation to the digestive system...children with ASD have gut overrun with yeast, mold, & fungi which leads to food allergies (hello, Natalee Beeler!). Emphasize importance of Probiotics!! Allergies cause brain disruptions! On a "flare up" day symptoms will be worse.
• Treatment Do's: TOXINSULATE! (more on this later), wise nutrition & digestive care, minimize allergies, integrate social competence (training in social do's & do not's)

Dr. T's section on Asperger's was the section that rang the most "true" to me out of the Autism, ADHD, and Asperger's groups (all of the children with these disorders have SPD). Hearing him talk about Asperger's children made me realize that he was pretty much describing Natalee, meaning I have more on my hands than just sensory processing disorder...that's okay, but was just a new feeling for me. There was also a lot in this section, however, that did not describe Natalee - lending me to realize that a diagnosis really wouldn't help us much b/c no two cases are alike. The highlights of the Asperger's section included:

• Children have muted body language (can make eye contact but resistant to it, etc)
• Trouble with peer relations
• Difficulty predicting what others will do or feel
• Extremely naive socially, easily duped, easily talked into mischief (9)
• Repetitive motor (jumping)
• Likes to talk about "safe" subjects
• One track mind
• Gross/fine motor impairment
• Produces overly precise enunciation of words
• May speak out of the blue, talking about something not connected with what's being talked about or what's happening
• Tendency toward auditory sensory avoidance (not just loud noises but new noises, repetitive noises, low continuous sounds, etc) - INDICATIVE OF A MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY (EPSOM SALTS!!!)
• "Binary Logic" way of thinking - this makes a lot of sense to Mike b/c he understands binary logic...basically it's an "on or off" way of thinking. Black or white. Yes or no. No abstracts, rule bound, can seem oppositional to adults b/c the child can't get outside their "norms" or "rules" even if it means obeying a request. The computer analogy he gave was: huge hard drive but very small processing chip: the child can handle huge amounts of information but process only a tiny amount of stimulation or thought at any one time, and the more abstract, the more difficult and overwhelming (11).
• Easily annoyed, low tolerance, perfectionist, EMOTIONAL VOLATILE MOOD SWINGS, often has anxiety that looks like anger (SPD).
• These kiddos crave routine, structured activities, & clear communication.

The ADHD section was intriguing because we have SO many kids in the public school system with diagnoses ADHD & that are taking medication as a treatment. Basically Dr. T. describes ADHD as having 4 symptoms: hyperactivity, distractibililty, impulsivity, and indecisiveness.

• Petocin given during or immediately prior to birth doubles the chance of ADHD (teardrop - by are OB/GYN's pushing this drug???)
• Children with 3+ ear infections before 24 months have a higher rate of being diagnosed ADHD (correlation with prescription antibiotics) - SIDE NOTE: Did you know it takes 24 months for good bacteria to regrow after 1 round of antibiotics??? (Dear Natalee - please forgive a naive mommy for allowing you to have some many antibiotics and prescription medicines when you were little...I promise, I didn't know better, but my heart still breaks at the trouble I've caused you.)

And the section that holds my heart and wins the prize for most highlighting during the conference...Sensory Processing Disorder:
He had SO much meat in this section that it's impossible for me to highlight it all now. This is the section that I'll use to help Natalee understand her body and her world... he gave parenting tips, therapy tips, play tips, socialization tips...the whole gamut. A couple of high points to note included:

• How to prevent sensory overload using the "Big Four" - (1) Sleep (9-10 hours at least!), (2) Stress (help child stay cool, calm, collected), (3) Nutrition (proteins, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, water), (4) Chemical Exposure (there are 6000 petrochemical poisons in foods!!)

Okay - so there is my information overload "dump." In coming posts I'll be blogging lots more about SPD; about how to teach stress prep, coping & recovery; and lots more about how we are integrating these things plus healthier eating and living into our daily lives at home and in my classroom!

Homemade Granola & Modified Snack Mix

UPDATE (JAN 21, 2012) - In the snack mix below I originally included bugles.  They contain BHT and this family will no longer be consuming them.  Next time I'll substitute them with something else!

As I mentioned previously we are doing a sugar fast here at the Beeler house. Ready for confession #1? Last Sunday we cheated on the fast. Daddy accidentally made muffins out of a package without considering the sugar content and I wasn't strong enough to tell any of us, especially Natalee, who already had it in her head that we were eating them, that we weren't having them. I made a batch of homemade muffins with Stevia but the packaged ones were done first, the children were screaming with hunger and I caved. Du, Du, Duuuuuu.
And....no one died. BUT Natalee had a HORRIBLE day Sunday and Monday. Both days she bit (Sunday me, Monday Lora Jean). She was misbehaved, tantrum throwing, hi and low. By Monday evening/Tuesday morning she had cycled back down...and I knew there was something to this sugar fast and we weren't ready to re-introduced refined sugar quite yet.

So, healthful cooking here I come. My goal in this journey is to not go overboard, to not waste money or other resources (though big parts of me want to purge my pantry like you wouldn't believe), and to make slowly increasing changes that affect us for the better over periods of time.

The children have been eating homemade granola at Lora Jean's and LOVING it (have I mentioned what a blessing Lora Jean's guidance and friendship are to me during this!?). Shock to me, considering I've never given them granola before in my life. But, since they think it's great as a breakfast, snack (and sometimes a lunch or supper for Xavier), I decided I better make some myself. And it is delicious! I eat it in my oatmeal and love it like that but had it plain with milk this morning and it was also very tasty. It will become a staple in the Beeler household.

These recipes came from Lora Jean, who was kind enough to share with me, and I tweaked one to suit the Beeler family (Beeler dad isn't too adventurous when it comes to healthy eating and I wanted it to be something he *might* eat so mine is plain, simple, but healthy & yummy). Here are Lora Jean's recipes:

Sugar Free Granola

10 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup ground/chopped almonds

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup water

1 tsp. stevia powder (may vary on brand used)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure oil and water in glass measuring cup.

Add Stevia, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir well and dump over dry ingredients.

Mix very well and put in a shallow layer in a heavy pan. Bake on middle rack for

30-45 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until toasted.
This is the original one she made that my children gobbled down.

Homemade Granola Cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir and heat together the following:

1 cup pure organic maple syrup

1 1/2 cup butter

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar free apple juice concentrate

1 tbsp. maple or vanilla flavoring

1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients:

12 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats

3 cups unsweetened coconut

1 cup ground flaxseed

3 cups chopped/ground pecans or almonds

Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Bake on cookie sheets or a large pan for 20-30 minutes

stirring every 5 minutes to avoid burning edges.

Store in airtight container. Makes 24 cups.

You can substitute whatever you want to make up for the

19 cups dry matter. Try wheat germ, oat bran, sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds

or anything you think sounds good. Can also substitute peanut butter

for 1/2 of the butter for a delicious variation! After it is baked you can even throw in raisins or dates if that's your style!

I made the second recipe and substituted half the butter for natural peanut butter, took out the coconuts (neither Mike nor I care for them) and instead just used another 2 1/2 cups of oats. I also put my nuts in my hand chopper (from Wal-Mart) and chopped them finely so they blended in well. I love the way the recipe came out and am thinking in my mind how to make it into granola bars for snacks for the children (and me!). When shopping for this recipe I was very grateful for the bulk grocery stores we have in our area. They make shopping less expensive and more efficient and I was able to get the oats, flax, and almonds for much less than at Wal-Mart.

Tomorrow my niece is having a Pow Wow birthday party and I volunteered to make a snack mix to munch on before and after lunch. I wanted it to be something my kids could eat so I took a recipe I already had and modified it. I turned out fine and my worry in substituting the Stevia for sugar was all for naught.

The original recipe read:
Sweet Party Mix
2 packages Bugles or Chex
1 package Fritos
1 package natural Cheeto puffs (okay, the recipe didn't say natural Puffs - that was all me! the original kind have food dye in them!)
1 package mini pretzels (rods or twists)
3 blocks unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

I modified the recipe by omitting the sugar and substituting a little less than 3/4 cup of Stevia and 3/4 cup of sugar free apple juice concentrated (since I had it left over from the granola!).

Mix the snack items.
In a heavy bottomed pan on low heat, melt butter. Add sugar, garlic, and Worcestershire. Stir until smooth and well combined.

Remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients until well coated. Bake for one house at 250*F mixing every 15 minutes. Allow to cool and store in air-tight containers.

If anything, this snack mix might be a hair too sweet. I think I could have reduced the Stevia to a little less than half the called for sugar and still been plenty okay.

This made a ton of snack mix. Is it the absolute healthiest thing on earth? Certainly not! But it is much healthier than a boughten snack mix, was certainly easy enough and is pretty darn close to as sugar free as you'll find. It is also free of MSG and food dyes. You can substitute anything you want for the snack items you put in the mix - nuts would be a winner - and make it as healthy (or as not!) as you'd like. I baked mine in a stoneware deep dish and a black heavy baking pan - baking in shiny aluminum for health purposes would be a big no-no (more on that another day).

SO, the lesson learned today: don't be afraid to try to substitute Stevia or another natural sweetener in for sugar instead of just writing off a recipe. My next stop is going to be trying to bake something for a yummy treat!

I'm excited to be taking this HEALTHY journey with my friend Lori (read about the beginning of her journey here). We work together and she has a son who is also challenged by sugars, milk, gluten and dyes. We're new at this, starting together, and very excited!!

Current Treatment - What We're Doing Now and How We Got This Far

About a year ago when Natalee was 2 I looked at her and realized it been a long time since I'd seen her without dark circles under her eyes. She just didn't look "healthy." That broke my heart.

Our babysitter, Lora Jean, was becoming more active in her side business of selling herbal supplements and I was getting very interested. Natalee had had 2 sets of bilateral ear tubes, specialist appointments with her ENT, a neurologist, and an allergist. It seemed we were constantly off to a doctor and she constantly had a runny nose, fever, and randomly vomited for no good reason.

At 15 months Natalee was diagnosed developmentally delayed and at 18 months her neurologist diagnosed her with muscle spasticity of the lower extremities (legs). She began PT services at 19 months and came leaps and bounds in a few short appointments were we got tips for how to help her. But still, she wasn't healthy.

As the months went by and I became more knowledgeable in herbal health I began making subtle lifestyle changes. Keeping the family away from food dyes and processed foods - trading pharmaceuticals for herbals. I rekindled a friendship with a family member who I consider to be a "naturalist" and she became a great resource for me.

The summer of 2011 I started Natalee (then 2 1/2) and Xavier, 1 on a daily multi-vitamin and Omega-3. These quickly became a normal part of our supper time routine and the children enjoyed their "gummies" very much.

I can't remember when I finally noticed that Natalee didn't look as "delicate" anymore. Certainly the summer weather took some merit for that, but I also attribute it to her vitamins.

Additionally we had her adjusted by an OMM, using a gut instinct I got when reading an ad in the newspaper for the new doctor at the local clinic in town. I immediately warmed to Dr. Waddington as he took time to talk to Natalee and then me and had a kind and gentle manner with both of us.

Prior to our visit with Dr. W., Natalee's primary language was to repeat what I told her to say. Mike & I had worked hard to give her the skills she would need to be functional in society, however she had difficulty understanding when to use the language phrases and social cues we had taught her. When we arrived at Dr. W's he bent down and asked Natalee how she was. After giving her the usual wait time, I prompted, "Natalee, say, 'I'm fine, thank you.'" She did and we went on.

During the visit Dr. W. manipulated huge knots out of Natalee's neck and spine. While he worked we also talked about her nutrition. I assured him she ate good meals - neither Lora Jean nor I were processed food cooks. But when he asked if she ate many green leafy veggies or nuts I chuckled and "um, no." As he finished her treatment he suggested we try Epsom salt baths with Natalee. He suspected that she was magnesium deficient based on my report of her leg muscles spasming at night, meaning she (nor Mike & I) ever got a full night's rest, and my report of her diet void of leafy veggies & nuts.

Epsom salt is magnesium. I didn't know that! What did we have to lose? If it worked we would all rest better and she would be more functional during the day. I went straight to the pharmacy and bought Epsom salt...4 pounds. We started with a high does (per Dr. W's instruction) - 2 pounds per tub every other night for the rest of that week. The FIRST night she slept all night. Since then (about 6 months ago) I can count on one hand the number of times she's gotten up in the night. After we got her levels back up with the high doseage baths, we tapered them off and currently do a regimen of one a week with only 1/2 pound in the water.

At our 2 week check-in with Dr. W., the change in Natalee was dramatic. She had climbed on a piece of furniture (the TV stand) for the first time...not that the TV stand was an appropriate place to climb but this was the first time her body felt the urge to try!, she was talking in fuller sentences using her own individual thoughts - not pieces of information we'd taught her that she was parroting back, she was SLEEPING at night and more alert during the day.

Our visit with Dr. W. further encouraged my belief that maybe I really could help Natalee feel better by using natural avenues...and better the lives of the rest of the family in my efforts.

The magnesium added a third supplement that we were giving Natalee in some way.

And so fall continued and we found a happy medium for awhile. I continued to watch with weary eyes as Natalee grew and I began picking up on more and more sensory seeking behaviors. I noticed she didn't quite "get" some things - she was very black & white. While the magnesium had made a huge difference we still had some obstacles.

Fall spiraled into winter and my concerns grew as Natalee neared age 3. As an ECSE teacher I know the importance of early intervention. I live and breathe it. Natalee had long since been dismissed from PT services, but I was starting to see that gap widen again too. She began flapping her hands but not as often as she jumped - slamming her feet into the hardwood floor. That and other negative behaviors started sending the warning bells off in my head - so much screaming, melting down, drama & trauma. The house was unsettled all the time. She would cry. Xabe would cry (b/c he's a baby!)...Mike and I couldn't wait to put them in bed every night. I HATED that feeling. I live for my babies and want to enjoy every minute - not wish them away. Lora Jean was seeing the same trouble - grouchy Natalee, pinching, hitting, tattling, sensory seeking, etc.

Out of desperation I asked our dear Lora Jean for help. She dug into her company treasure chest and brought out the autism card. Literally, a box she has with cards on it that have treatments for different conditions. We discussed it and decided to begin after the new year.

We're currently on week 2 of a 2 week sugar fast. It's been successful enough that I'm in no rush to go back on sugars. The whole family has done the fast (dad & I were not as diligent as we have been with the children) and only once has Natalee asked for something sweet. We're using Stevia as our sweetener for things and adjusting to it just fine. It's helped that Lora Jean is changing her life style for her own personal reasons but they correspond with what we are doing. In addition to the fast the children are taking a Probiotic to help build back the good bacteria in the gut. I face a lot of guilt with myself for allowing the children to take so many antibiotics when younger (especially Natalee)...especially after I learned yesterday that it takes 24 months for the "good guys" to grow back after a round of antibiotics! Can't go back so must move forward...

For various reasons I've added in other supplements gradually to the children's regimen and realized yesterday that they have quite a pile they take! Xavier needs calcium for teething relief and I can't see as how it hurts Natalee so she gets some too. Vitamin D to help absorb the Margnesium and a Vitamin B for energy & metabolism (I'm not great about giving the Vit B to them daily for some reason). So the rundown, for my own records of what the children get daily:

Natalee:
Omega-3 (brain & eye health)
Multi-Vitamin
Probiotic (healthy bacteria!)
Calcium (also takes these sometimes)
Vitamin D
Vitamin B
and her treatments from the Autism card:
Thai-Go
Metal Detox

Xavier:
Omega-3 (brain & eye health)
Multi-Vitamin
Probiotic (healthy bacteria!)
Calcium (also takes these sometimes)
Vitamin D
Vitamin B
he's also currently taking Elderberry chews as he had a runny nose & I am trying to be more preventative.

So there you have it. I'm the crazy mom who gives her kiddos a pile of yummy, good for you vitamins everyday.

Up next - what I learned at my conference yesterday, more lifestyle changes, integrating sensory processing into our everyday lives, Natalee's journey into ECSE, and much more!

Becoming a Sensory Smart Mommy

I'm no expert.

I'm a mom.

I'm also a teacher. An Early Childhood Special Education teacher.
Which is really a long title for "I teach special preschoolers."

I LOVE my preschoolers.
I LOVE special learners.
I LOVE having a difficult child to "unwrap."

I did not dream of being the parent of a special learner.

I thought I was empathetic when I told parents that their child qualified for special education services based on delays in the areas of cognitive, motor, speech/language, adaptive behaviors, or social/emotional development.

I. knew. nothing.

My daughter is very functional. She's the low end of "special." Sometimes I think this is the hardest spot to be in. I expect so much from her...I sometimes forget that her brain twists things so that the world around her doesn't make sense.

Natalee has undiagnosed Sensory Processing Disorder.
Undiagnosed because we haven't taken her anywhere to get a diagnosis. But as a professional I can pick apart her file and "see" it. As a mommy my heart can feel it. I see the anxiety rise when the environment gets loud, the room is hot, there are new people, and someone asks her a question. I stand beside her when the routine shifts unexpectedly and she doesn't know what to do so she melts. I lift her up when things don't make sense to her and she gets confused and doesn't know what to do.

Natalee is not autistic. She makes eye contact. She has social ability (delayed but in tact). She communicates her needs and wants clearly. Natalee probably has Asperger's. She gets fixated on one topic. She likes sameness. She is black & white (literal). She has a rigid imagination.

Natalee is a little girl. She is 3. She is funny, loving, lovable, ornery, sincere, thoughtful and perfectly made in the image of Christ.

This blog is a journey of helping Natalee journey out of her world of sensory processing disorder into a world that is hopefully more comfortable and makes more sense to her. It's not about changing her into someone else - it's about loving her enough to help her feel the best and be the best that she can be.

Not everything we try will work. I want to record those things too. Some things will work really well. I want to share those successes. My hope and intent is to create a log so that when Natalee and her brother Xavier, and any other future children we might have, look back they know that every weirdo "not the norm" decision we made we did for them. To give them every chance at living long and healthy lives.

To my babies...this is for you.