Meet Me in St. Louis?

We've been looking forward to this day all summer...the day my youngest brother and sister-in-law would move from Texas to Illinois.  Eric and I decided to schedule some fun family time in St. Louis to coincide with their move this weekend.  My parents came along with us making things even more fun.

Our first stop was The City Museum.  This place was crazy!  It's great for kids who love to climb.  However, the heights made me dizzy, so I found some safe places close to the ground to watch.  Josiah would not have done this even three months ago.  At one point he did stop and cry because he was scared, but Micah came to the rescue by carrying him on his back. 

Rachel climbing to new heights.

 It was 96 degrees outside.  The kids would have stayed out all afternoon if it had been cooler.

 Josiah must have gone down this slide about 100 times.  Eric had to lift him up, so he got a workout.  This was inside the museum, where there was a train ride, more climbing, a shoestring factory...so much to see!

Overall, we found The City Museum to be a kids' dream but a parent's nightmare.  There was so much to climb on, in, around, and through that the kids would disappear from our sight for several minutes at a time.  Not a happy feeling in downtown St. Louis.  However, if you're up to climbing in (or up!) after them, it's a great place to explore.

We spent the night at a motel that provided free supper and breakfast.  Overall, it was a great experience.  We took food for Josiah and still found a few things he could eat from the motel buffet, like baked potatoes and bananas.  Next time, I need to remember to bring condiments and butter!  A nearby Wal-Mart came in handy.  We let the other two kids eat whatever they wanted, but Rachel ended up with joint pain.  I think we know where some of her health issues came from and what has helped them clear up.  We were concerned about the taco meat for Micah (MSG?), so gave him a baking soda capsule after supper.  He seemed to do fine, although he did wake up with a headache in the night.  He blamed it on fumes from the pool.

The St. Louis Arch...we've been by many times but never have stopped.

 The kids with Nana and Papa.

 I think this picture was Eric's splendid work.

The free museum was very interesting and a great way to pass the time until our ride to the top.  There is a lot to see here about westward expansion, more than we even had time for.  Rachel loved the covered wagon, as we just finished reading a book about a girl who traveled on the Oregon Trail.  She told me, "Mom, I want a doll like that one."  We found one in the museum store!  My daughter never asks for dolls, so it was easy for me to buy it for her.

 Getting ready to climb in our pod!

We made it!  The kids were thrilled to be up so high.  I was looking forward to planting my feet back on firm ground, but enjoyed seeing their reactions and looking out the tiny windows at the city.  I have a sweet picture in my mind of my mom and Josiah peering out the window.  Oh yeah, there is one on my camera, too, but that one doesn't do it justice.

I didn't plan well for how long we would be staying at the arch.  Josiah was hungry before we were able to go to the top.  Thankfully, there was an old-fashioned mercantile store inside, where we were able to find kettle corn and dried pears that read clean.  They both worked out fine for him, with no reactions.

The arch was only 20 minutes from a Whole Foods, so we headed into St. Louis to find it.  This was the first time we'd ever been, and our visit was very enjoyable!  They had a deli where we easily found food acceptable for Josiah, and it was delicious.  We found to our delight that every aisle was stocked with food he can eat, and the store brand was not badly priced.  Hungry for variety, we loaded up on snacks and food items we can't find here: things like graham crackers, pretzels, cookies, soda, nuts, and even naturally flavored and colored gumdrops!

Finally, the real reason for our trip!  It was so good to see Michelle and Jared to help them move, but the time with them was too short and put an ache in my heart to leave.  It's so good to know they are just over 2 hours away now!  We can't wait to go back soon.

finding new favorites

Ah, sweet relief.  That's how I feel this morning, the first in over a week that I have awakened without a headache.  A funny thing happened when I took chocolate out of my diet; I found another headache trigger: tomatoes.  It seems that fresh are Ok but cooked and sauces are not.  Goodbye to pizza, spaghetti, and chili, some of my very favorite foods.  Thankfully, since Josiah is also sensitive to tomatoes, I know there are tasty alternatives.  Still, this week I complained light-heartedly to Micah, "I'm having to give up all my favorite foods!"  My sweet son gave me a hug and said, "Well, Mom, you are going to have to find some new favorites." 

He's right, of course, and here is one of them.  I love the cupcake recipe made from coconut flour from a friend's blog, and tried topping it with a caramel icing.  The frosting was melting into the cupcakes in this hot summer weather (even with the AC on), so I stuck the pan of cupcakes in the freezer.  What a great treat to pull out on a hot summer's day!  Besides the icing, it's relatively low in sugar, another thing my body is not dealing with well right now.

In the end, it is more than worth it to be headache free.  I'm looking forward to many happy mornings to come!  And, happily, the tomatoes ripening in my garden will be something I can still enjoy.

Caramel Frosting

2 T. butter
3 T. milk
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Boil first 3 ingredients for 1 min. on high.  Beat in powdered sugar, 1/2 c. at a time.

history lessons

In school I learned about the Puritans, the formation of the colonies, the American Revolution...but so much was left out.  The book Forged in Faith by Rod Gragg fills in the blanks by revealing how our country was shaped by Biblical principles, how the stage was set for the Revolution by the Great Awakening, how religious liberty became the way of life in early America, and so much more.  This is a great read; I'd highly recommend it or any other title by this author.

glimpses of the future

This week, I saw my 12-year-old carrying a 15 month-old, and delighting in caring for 2 more children under the age of two.  Then he asked if he could work in the nursery.  It put a lump in my throat.

My 10-year-old is asking when she can babysit, because in 2 days, 2 different people commented on how well she interacts with younger kids.  Of course, she's so tall that she looks older than she really is, but I can definitely see babysitting and teaching in her future.

And, I took this picture of this terrific twosome.

I was reminded recently that a mom's job is not to be a cruise director* but to train up children with skills they will need to function as adults.  I've spent too much of my time arranging fun activities or encouraging academic achievement and sometimes have forgotten there's so much more to parenting than that!  As my kids approach their teen years, I see so much they need to learn.  The good news is, we still have time... and we can certainly have fun in the process.

*Life Skills for Kids, by Christine Field

Feingold Anniversary

Wow.  It's been one year.  Last summer at this time, I was checking ingredients, pulling food out of my cupboards, and learning to shop and cook an entirely new way.

What a difference a year can make!

Last year, the problems escalated when the older kids came home from school for the summer.  This summer, it is a blessing to have all three kids together.  Now they can disappear for hours on end without a problem.  (Not that they're perfect or anything, but they really enjoy being together most of the time.)

Then, I could hardly get my youngest interested in toys for 5 minutes.  Now, he will play independently or sit and look at books without being coaxed.  It's still not his best skill, but it has come sooo far!

One year later, what amazes me isn't completely about how Feingold affected Josiah, but how it's affected the rest of us.

My older kids are concerned about what is in food.  They have good reason to be, because all of them react to some food or additive in some way.

We've pinpointed Micah's digestive troubles to MSG (we think.)

Rachel's health issues have disappeared.

I no longer make weekly or biweekly stops at the pharmacy for my family.  I'm off twice-a-day Nexium, and have given up chocolate (for the most part) and cut way down on my sugar intake.  Wow do I feel better, and have more energy and less headaches and PMS symptoms.  We have used some supplements which replaced medication in our budget, but our need for some of them has already diminished.

I've learned how to cook, really cook.  When Eric and I were talking recently, we even agreed eating out isn't as much fun as it used to be, because home-cooked meals taste so much better.

Josiah hasn't been on an antibiotic for a year and a half, except for ear drops for an ear infection from the swimming pool last week.  I didn't believe it when I first read that kids on Feingold get sick less often, but I do now.  He rarely even had a cold last winter.  I'm hoping my older kids will follow suit now that we've discovered their sensitivities.  Time will tell.

My grocery bills have fallen back down close to their pre-Feingold levels, thanks in part to no longer having to be gluten-free.  I use less coupons (not that I was ever a pro at this but I did try my best).  Now I buy more ingredients and far less processed food.  We eat a wider variety of foods, in spite of Josiah's numerous food sensitivities.

There is still a lot to tweak, but I'm so happy to be on this side of the year!

17 years ago today...

Happy Anniversary to my best friend!  God has been faithful, and I am still smiling from ear to ear.

Happy Birthday, America!!

Josiah, ready for our annual neighborhood party, complete with bike parade.

 Rachel won a prize in her age category for decoration.  I don't know how they chose, as all the bikes looked so cute!  She thinks the eagle attached to the front was the winning touch.

 Josiah was soaked before he was through.

 Micah and Rachel helped throw candy for the kids' candy parade.

 This was a fun idea for water balloons, but it didn't last long.  The kids preferred to declare all-out war.  Food, adults, anything nearby found themselves to be a target.

Face painting: Josiah asked specifically for a "green butterfly," which had to be repainted three times due to all the water fights.  He even got hit with a water balloon while his face was being painted!

We are thankful for our country's birthday!  And Josiah got the "fireworks and Fourth of July" he prays for all year long.  Barely, as our fireworks display started with a glitch, but we finally saw them from behind our house when they got everything fixed.

Lemon Pasta Bake

With an overabundance of parsley in our garden, it's a perfect time to make this recipe, a family favorite!

Ingredients


• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti

• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced

• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested

• 2 cups Sour Cream

• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste

• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese

• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.  In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.  Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, July 1, 2011...

Outside My Window...the wind is blowing strong, but will not be much help in today's heat wave.  Welcome to July!!  

I am thinking...about a comment a friend made earlier this week.  She said the depth of our first conversation with a new friend sets the tone for the depth of future conversations.  How true this is!  If I'm content to only talk about the weather, we never seem to get very deep.  

I am thankful for...a summer of refreshment, the first in a very long time.  My youngest is no longer waking up with the roosters, and I have extended time to spend in God's word.  A lighter-than-usual summer schedule has lent itself to less running and more time to read, be spontaneous with the kids, see them find creative ways to fill down time, cook, weed the garden, and more.  

From the learning rooms...Rachel is studying 7 multiplication facts at a time, 5 times a day until they are mastered.  It's working!  Music is filling our home with trumpet, piano, and violin lessons.  It's amazing how quickly they are improving with lessons every week.  Josiah has developed a love for Cuisenaire rods and Wedgits.  

From the kitchen...I am trying to find ways to use our fresh parsley.  Watch for a favorite recipe soon!  I am also trying to stop using chocolate, switch from canola to coconut and grapeseed oil, and cut down on sugar.  One child is insisting on eating baked potatoes for breakfast.  She's never liked cereal much, but now I agree.  It's not the best start for the day. 

I am wearing...a sleeveless top, to celebrate the heat wave.  

I am creating...lesson plans for fall, in pencil.  Just something to start with and see how it goes.  

I am going...to pick up Micah from church camp tonight!!  

I am reading...Life Skills for Kids.  Instructors' guides.  Parts of Living By the Book for Bible study.  The Care and Keeping of You and Anne of Green Gables to Rachel (a shortened version).  Rapunzel to Josiah, repeatedly, after watching the movie Tangled.  Torches of Joy, a book from Core F for fall. 

I am hoping...in God and His promises, encouraged greatly by the life of Abraham.  I'm also hoping that in two more weeks, I will lose my thumb splint!  

I am hearing...the pitter pat of 4-year-old feet on the kitchen floor.  My youngest is the only one home this morning. 

Around the house...we'd like to paint Rachel's room.  I'm glad we've put it off, though, as she changed her mind about the color.  We really need to paint a lot of rooms, but hers will be a good one to check off the list next.  Never mind that it was just painted last summer.  I'm not overly fond of gray, either.  

One of my favorite things...time for Josiah to chime in.  Every day since he was two years old, he has thanked God for fireworks and Fourth of July in his prayers.  Here they come again!    

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Plans?  For once, I have very few.

Here are two pictures I am sharing... 

I am taking part in the Simple Woman's Daybook.