Can it really be possible we are coming to the end of another year of school for the kids? It doesn't seem like it was that long ago I was nervously anticipating the huge change that would come from having the boys back in school. To look back now at all that has transpired leaves me breathless to consider the greatness of all God has done this year.
Micah has happily settled in to high school, finding his niche in band. Next year he wants to do it all: marching band, jazz band, and the new wind ensemble he auditioned into. When I think about the options we were considering, it makes me thankful for the door that opened (or should I say the others that closed?) that allowed him to go to West. They have an excellent music program! He isn't sure what he wants to do in college yet except he is already contemplating a minor in music. We shall see what may come of that dream. He is such a special young man who loves the Lord and humbly serves our family and others.
Rachel--my goodness, how she has grown up this year. She's more than halfway through her time in braces, got contacts, grew several inches (along with Micah), and really has stepped up in her maturity. I have watched her writing skills continue to blossom and in math she has soared. We enjoyed Heart of Dakota very much. Looking back, I could wish I had placed her a little higher, but it is also hard to imagine not having this year of church history intertwined with the middle ages. I trust God does not waste anything, and she did really enjoy it! It was really neat to use HOD's student notebooking pages, leaving her a detailed record of things she learned this year, and helping me gauge how her handwriting, summarizing, and note-taking skills grew as the year progressed. She is well prepared for 8th grade! I have loved seeing her heart growing ever more tender toward the Lord and His word.
Josiah transitioned to school so well. An eager learner, he would often talk to me about the things he was soaking up with great accuracy. Somehow so many of his sensory issues faded this year as his mind found more and more things to keep him occupied. He is ending the year much stronger in math than where he began, and of course still loves to read his comic books. We are thrilled with how well he has done, with no academic or behavioral support needed apart from meeting with a social worker once a week for social skill training. We do need to be honest and admit it is not always smooth sailing for him, but are still thankful for the things he is learning about self-control...sometimes the hard way. A semester in speech at ISU has also helped him in so many ways. He wants to do right and is learning more about what that looks like as he grows, but he does need extra help understanding the skills necessary to make good choices.
We anticipate more changes next year with Rachel headed to private school. It will be the first time in over 15 years I will have no one at home with me during the day!! It's going to be an even busier season of life, but we continue to treasure our family times together. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to homeschool the kids for a time, and we trust God for what is yet to come, knowing there will be challenges even while acknowledging He can be trusted and His ways are always good.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
the climber
At our local children's museum there is a play area that wins all awards in the eyes of my oldest two children. It is a climber, a labyrinth that winds itself around and up from the second to the third floor. Both Micah and Rachel hesitated years ago, the first time they saw this climber, but Micah quickly overcame his fear and got busy with the task at hand, and since Rachel did whatever her older brother could do, she happily followed him wherever he might lead. The two have been climbing partners ever since.
Even with much coaxing, Josiah has never been comfortable about the climber. From the time he was a toddler, he's watched his older siblings trot off and spend most of their museum time there, but he's never had much interest in venturing in. With plenty of other sensory-related fears to help him tackle, I have never been one to urge him forward. But today, we found ourselves at the museum together sans older siblings. Sadly, they have outgrown these sweet childish pursuits, quite literally as they cannot fit in its small spaces with their adult-like bodies. When we reached the second floor, Josiah and I found ourselves in front of the climber.
"Why don't you try going in?" I asked Josiah. He shrank back but looked intrigued in spite of himself. "Look at this, Josiah. If you just go in this far," I pointed to the first carpeted rectangle, held up by diamonds of well-secured wire, "you can get right back out. Just try it and see how it feels."
Feeling a bit braver, Josiah took a step into the climber. "Now look," I said. "If you climb to this next place, you can get right back down and come out. What do you think?" Josiah tentatively climbed up one rectangle. He flashed a grin, got down, and came out.
For the next 25 minutes, I watched Josiah venture just one step further and then another, turning around each time to make sure he could find his way back out of the maze. Finally, feeling completely confident, his face lit up with a smile and he began to climb, around and up. I heard his triumphant little voice long after his body disappeared from my view. "Mom! I made it to the tippy top! Woohoo!"
Today Josiah learned a lesson about the joy of overcoming fear, and taught me one in the process. There are times I look at his ASD diagnosis and in every way, it resembles the tangled labyrinth of the climber. I understand enough about how he is wired to venture in a few steps toward helping him tackle the next challenge, then timidly turn around and to find my way back out again, denying and ignoring the unique ways we have to face situations. I balk, just wanting things to get easier rather than having to find the patience and creativity to meet the next difficult challenge. Looking up, there are places I cannot begin to imagine we might have to climb. Concerns about handling Josiah's food sensitivities as he grows, facing academic and social issues, and eventually letting this impulsive child climb behind the wheel of a car loom like insurmountable obstacles between Josiah's childhood and the day he will launch off on his own as an adult.
I am grateful there is a Voice right by my side, to encourage me, guide me, and give wisdom for each step, the loving presence of a heavenly Father who knows Josiah better and loves him more than I ever will. There are things about Josiah's upbringing that I need to consider and think about that may be variations from that of a typical child, but I'm also learning that much of what I need to give him is also the same as that of any of my children. Josiah needs love, he needs to learn grace and know the victory Christ has won for his sin, he needs encouragement, and he needs to know how to access the God of the Bible who will walk with him through every challenge.
I'm gaining confidence that someday I will hear a much deeper voice say, "Mom! I made it!"
There is something inherently joyful about having the confidence to climb.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
treasuring the Word
In the midst reading Anne of Green Gables aloud to my daughter recently, I had to stop at the end of the following paragraph and sigh, so complete was my delight in reading such well chosen words that painted a picture of longing not only on my mind but also in my heart:
"The Barry garden was a bowery wilderness of flowers which would have delighted Anne's heart at any time less fraught with destiny. It was encircled by huge old willows and tall firs, beneath which flourished flowers that loved the shade. Prim, right-angled paths, neatly bordered with clamshells, intersected it like moist red ribbons and in the beds between old-fashioned flowers ran riot. There were rosy bleeding hearts and great splendid crimson peonies; white, fragrant narcissi and thorny, sweet Scotch roses; pink and blue and white columbines and lilac-tinted Bouncing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribbon grass and mint; purple Adam-and-Eve, daffodils, and masses of sweet clover white with its delicate, fragrant, feathery sprays; scarlet lightning that shot its fiery lances over prim white musk-flowers; a garden it was where sunshine lingered and bees hummed, and winds, beguiled into loitering, purred and rustled."
It reminded me of another paragraph that left me the same way feeling the same way in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm:
"Mr. Cobb felt like a fish removed from his native element and left panting in the sand; there was no evading the awful responsibility of a reply, for Rebecca's eyes were like searchlights that pierced the fiction of his brain and perceived the bald spot on the back of his head."
As avid reader and aspiring writer (in my best daydreams), I love to soak up beautiful words. Whether they are written on a page, spoken in a conversation, or launched from a pulpit, I tend to gather the ideas they express like precious stones to turn over in my mind that I may admire their beauty and take in the message they are meant to convey. The best words speak not only to my mind and heart, but also to my soul, and they do not leave without transforming me into something I was not before I heard them.
But there is one Word that is like a diamond among pebbles, that is worth pondering and treasuring long after other words have ceased to work their wonder. That Word is Jesus.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Before there were words, there was the Word. That Word spoke the universe into existence, breathed life into the first man, pronounced the curse on the first sin; directed, pleaded, promised, and warned through Israel's history, and then the unimaginable but wonderful happened.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14)
That Word came to man by becoming man, and so brought redemption from the curse, kept every promise, pointed man back to God, and gave hope of future restoration.
This year, I want resolve again to marvel over this Word, collecting the treasures Jesus intended to convey in His coming to this world. I trust by the end of this year I will not be the same person, but instead be transformed by the power of the message God sent in Him. Will you join me?
"The Barry garden was a bowery wilderness of flowers which would have delighted Anne's heart at any time less fraught with destiny. It was encircled by huge old willows and tall firs, beneath which flourished flowers that loved the shade. Prim, right-angled paths, neatly bordered with clamshells, intersected it like moist red ribbons and in the beds between old-fashioned flowers ran riot. There were rosy bleeding hearts and great splendid crimson peonies; white, fragrant narcissi and thorny, sweet Scotch roses; pink and blue and white columbines and lilac-tinted Bouncing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribbon grass and mint; purple Adam-and-Eve, daffodils, and masses of sweet clover white with its delicate, fragrant, feathery sprays; scarlet lightning that shot its fiery lances over prim white musk-flowers; a garden it was where sunshine lingered and bees hummed, and winds, beguiled into loitering, purred and rustled."
It reminded me of another paragraph that left me the same way feeling the same way in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm:
"Mr. Cobb felt like a fish removed from his native element and left panting in the sand; there was no evading the awful responsibility of a reply, for Rebecca's eyes were like searchlights that pierced the fiction of his brain and perceived the bald spot on the back of his head."
As avid reader and aspiring writer (in my best daydreams), I love to soak up beautiful words. Whether they are written on a page, spoken in a conversation, or launched from a pulpit, I tend to gather the ideas they express like precious stones to turn over in my mind that I may admire their beauty and take in the message they are meant to convey. The best words speak not only to my mind and heart, but also to my soul, and they do not leave without transforming me into something I was not before I heard them.
But there is one Word that is like a diamond among pebbles, that is worth pondering and treasuring long after other words have ceased to work their wonder. That Word is Jesus.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Before there were words, there was the Word. That Word spoke the universe into existence, breathed life into the first man, pronounced the curse on the first sin; directed, pleaded, promised, and warned through Israel's history, and then the unimaginable but wonderful happened.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14)
That Word came to man by becoming man, and so brought redemption from the curse, kept every promise, pointed man back to God, and gave hope of future restoration.
This year, I want resolve again to marvel over this Word, collecting the treasures Jesus intended to convey in His coming to this world. I trust by the end of this year I will not be the same person, but instead be transformed by the power of the message God sent in Him. Will you join me?
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
a better way
Today is a holiday from school, with much joy in the house as my children spend time together in ways that school days do not allow (alas, I miss this about homeschooling!) Eric and I have been busy with errands and Thanksgiving preparations, and I've been guiding the kids into a few activities I know will bless others. And the tension begins to build as Josiah grows frustrated with some of his tasks, usually expressed in disapproval over the way I am doing things. This is a small reminder of how his mind processes life and tries to make sense of so much extra sensory "noise" by insisting on order and his own, often narrow way of thinking.
Having my youngest in school has put a buffer between us that is much appreciated. He has a teacher telling him what to do all day, and because she is the teacher guiding children in a highly structured environment, he gladly and humbly obliges (at least so far as I can tell). When he gets home and it is mom doing the directing, he bristles, hems and haws, and otherwise makes it clear that if he were in charge, this or that would not be done in this way. Because his teacher is the authority and there is uniformity in his day he trusts her, but somehow he's not quite sure he should feel the same way about mom's instructions in the more unstructured setting of our home.
However, at one point this morning while I was making his gluten free rolls, I saw a glimmer of something else, something that gave me hope. He eyed my yeast and water mixture with great suspicion, started to protest the process, and then took a deep breath.
"Ok, Mom. I trust you." He patted me and walked away with a smile.
Once again, I am humbled by a little boy and the way the need for order and control in his life mirror my own. How often do I look at the things God is doing in my life, see the chaos that seems to characterize my own existence, and try to insist that He do things my way? That somehow, my plans would turn out infinitely better...(deep breath) than they would with the God of wisdom sovereignly working out His great purposes in ways I could never improve upon.
"Have Your way, Lord. I trust you."
Having my youngest in school has put a buffer between us that is much appreciated. He has a teacher telling him what to do all day, and because she is the teacher guiding children in a highly structured environment, he gladly and humbly obliges (at least so far as I can tell). When he gets home and it is mom doing the directing, he bristles, hems and haws, and otherwise makes it clear that if he were in charge, this or that would not be done in this way. Because his teacher is the authority and there is uniformity in his day he trusts her, but somehow he's not quite sure he should feel the same way about mom's instructions in the more unstructured setting of our home.
However, at one point this morning while I was making his gluten free rolls, I saw a glimmer of something else, something that gave me hope. He eyed my yeast and water mixture with great suspicion, started to protest the process, and then took a deep breath.
"Ok, Mom. I trust you." He patted me and walked away with a smile.
Once again, I am humbled by a little boy and the way the need for order and control in his life mirror my own. How often do I look at the things God is doing in my life, see the chaos that seems to characterize my own existence, and try to insist that He do things my way? That somehow, my plans would turn out infinitely better...(deep breath) than they would with the God of wisdom sovereignly working out His great purposes in ways I could never improve upon.
"Have Your way, Lord. I trust you."
this moment in time
It's so hard to find time these days to blog, but today I'm trying. Here's a glimpse into my children's lives in this busy season of one in elementary, one in junior high, and one in high school!
Micah: relishes playing trumpet with great improvement shown with no braces, found soccer was not for him, enjoying high school with band and lunch his favorite times of the day, two more months until driver's education begins, pizza, youth group, missions-minded, hugs, delightful, cowboy hat, black or gray, technology class, misses homeschooling, music
Rachel: writing, writing, writing!, stuffed animals, braces, Siberia and Siberian Huskies, cousin Anna, cell phone, art projects, broken toe, tacos, chocolate, youth group, worship team, piano and clarinet but "mom please can I stop playing clarinet?," science classes at the discovery museum, little girl turning young woman
Josiah: school is awesome!, science and astronomy, dogs and cats, pizza, Star Wars, library, reading books, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes, music, embracing every day with enthusiasm, turquoise, making friends, loving Jesus, hugs, archery, Playmobil, growing up in so many ways
Micah: relishes playing trumpet with great improvement shown with no braces, found soccer was not for him, enjoying high school with band and lunch his favorite times of the day, two more months until driver's education begins, pizza, youth group, missions-minded, hugs, delightful, cowboy hat, black or gray, technology class, misses homeschooling, music
Rachel: writing, writing, writing!, stuffed animals, braces, Siberia and Siberian Huskies, cousin Anna, cell phone, art projects, broken toe, tacos, chocolate, youth group, worship team, piano and clarinet but "mom please can I stop playing clarinet?," science classes at the discovery museum, little girl turning young woman
Josiah: school is awesome!, science and astronomy, dogs and cats, pizza, Star Wars, library, reading books, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes, music, embracing every day with enthusiasm, turquoise, making friends, loving Jesus, hugs, archery, Playmobil, growing up in so many ways
Friday, September 13, 2013
in full swing
Since it has been almost a month since my last post, I just thought I would provide a quick update.
Micah is enjoying high school. At the last soccer practice before his first game, he broke his pinky and is in a cast and then a splint for 6 weeks, cutting his season quite short. Although it is a bit frustrating, he's had a terrific attitude and is serving his team from the sidelines. He says he does not care to do soccer again, not because of the injury but because he has realized how good the other players are. (He may have had potential as a goalie but finds the footwork challenging.) This is the time to find out what he likes and doesn't! This week he stayed after school for an outdoor adventure club hosted by his math teacher who is in the army. Their first activity is paintballing. My guess is that is something Micah will like!
Rachel has settled into her school routine and loves her studies so far. It took us both about a week to learn a new way of doing things, but now it feels very comfortable and she is able to work fairly independently in most areas. Saxon math is going well and I'm surprised at how much we both enjoy it, but should have known their systematic way of doing things would click for her. When she's done with school she goes off on her own to write stories. I love seeing Rachel's creative side!
Josiah loves school--what a blessing! He comes home very excited every day, telling me the things he's done and learned. I am seeing so many changes in how he behaves at home now that he's being kept busy and having more stimulation throughout his day. He seems to thrive on a fast pace, but he's always had challenges in what to do with his free time since imaginative play is so difficult for him. It's been encouraging to see his papers come home and have a glimpse at how quickly he's picking up writing and math. The school is collecting data to see what kind of help he may need, but so far his teacher reports that he's been doing great!
All three kids are in BSF this year thanks to a friend who offered to take them to the evening women's class. It's going to be a blessing to study Matthew with them!
Micah is enjoying high school. At the last soccer practice before his first game, he broke his pinky and is in a cast and then a splint for 6 weeks, cutting his season quite short. Although it is a bit frustrating, he's had a terrific attitude and is serving his team from the sidelines. He says he does not care to do soccer again, not because of the injury but because he has realized how good the other players are. (He may have had potential as a goalie but finds the footwork challenging.) This is the time to find out what he likes and doesn't! This week he stayed after school for an outdoor adventure club hosted by his math teacher who is in the army. Their first activity is paintballing. My guess is that is something Micah will like!
Rachel has settled into her school routine and loves her studies so far. It took us both about a week to learn a new way of doing things, but now it feels very comfortable and she is able to work fairly independently in most areas. Saxon math is going well and I'm surprised at how much we both enjoy it, but should have known their systematic way of doing things would click for her. When she's done with school she goes off on her own to write stories. I love seeing Rachel's creative side!
Josiah loves school--what a blessing! He comes home very excited every day, telling me the things he's done and learned. I am seeing so many changes in how he behaves at home now that he's being kept busy and having more stimulation throughout his day. He seems to thrive on a fast pace, but he's always had challenges in what to do with his free time since imaginative play is so difficult for him. It's been encouraging to see his papers come home and have a glimpse at how quickly he's picking up writing and math. The school is collecting data to see what kind of help he may need, but so far his teacher reports that he's been doing great!
All three kids are in BSF this year thanks to a friend who offered to take them to the evening women's class. It's going to be a blessing to study Matthew with them!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
soccer!
It seems I must give equal time to all 3 kids tonight, so my addition for Micah is this: he made the JV soccer team at West. Go Wildcats! There are several home games this season. Feel free to come cheer him on!!
just me and my daughter
I'm experiencing more emotions than I can count as we anticipate the start of a new school year and the boys heading off to public school. However, almost lost in the shadow of all the details of shopping for school supplies, having my youngest start school the same year the oldest begins high school, registration, and school meetings is one very special fact: I have Rachel all to myself this year!
We moved her desk upstairs and right in front of the window per her request. I can see why she would like this spot and may have to steal it from her someday. Will the desk ever look that clean again in the next 9 months?
It was really hard to choose where to place Rachel in the Heart of Dakota curriculum, as studying ancient history intertwined with Biblical history was so tempting. However, in the end it made the most sense to go with the middle ages because that is a better reflection of where she fits skill-wise. She also jumped at this study since it includes a Shakespeare unit: that means theater!! Since HOD is a 4 day a week program, we have time to read The Mystery of History: Creation to Christ on Fridays. The best of both worlds, so long as she can keep it straight in her head. Timelines will help.
Josiah is off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for 3 days, so Rachel and I are jumping in with half days this week. The curriculum is a lot like Sonlight (what we have used the past 2 years) in terms of being literature-rich, but very different with more hands on and writing/narrating/reflecting on what is being read. Almost everything we are doing this year is new: we are trying Saxon math and a different Spanish program, too. I'm anxious to see how it goes! But also wondering how summer ended so quickly...
getting ready for school
It's been a wonderfully busy summer. The kids found their niche in activities they enjoyed, we spent plentiful time with the neighbors (much of it poolside while our kids had swim lessons together), and we had a fun family trip to top things off this past weekend. It's so hard to believe school starts in less than a week!
To give an update on Josiah, the private school where we had planned to enroll him called me mid-summer and asked to set up a meeting ASAP. I had a sinking, empty feeling in my stomach about what was about to transpire. After receiving his evaluation from the psychologist, they recommended switching him to public school as an opportunity to have a strong start and receive more services. It was a time of learning something of God's wisdom being greater than my own, and humility in having to undergo such a meeting at all, swallowing all my "but you don't even know him yet..." comments. Yet through it there was a calm assurance that God is sovereign as He leads in this journey, and as always He can be trusted.
Our initial meetings with our local public school have been nothing short of incredible. The principal was on the phone welcoming me within hours after I emailed her, and she has done everything she can to make us feel at home. The sensory room at Josiah's school is top notch (wish I had one here!) and he will have access to the help he needs from his first day with adjustments and an IEP meeting as needed once he has a few weeks of school under his belt. I still have some jitters about how things will go, but have seen so many ways God has been working in preparing both Josiah and his mommy for the days ahead.
Another help this summer has been the start of occupational services through Easter Seals. Our OT has been wonderful and Josiah has responded well to the Alert program she is using with him. His "engine" (body speed) tends to run a bit on the fast side most of the time, and together we are implementing strategies to help him become more aware of his body and tools he can use to slow things down. I am learning words like "proprioceptive" (input to muscles) and "vestibular" (having to do with balance), and why swimming and gymnastics seem to be such favorites. His body craves the input those activities give him!!
It's a humbling experience to parent a child with special needs, and even more humbling when having to work with others regarding his educational plan. I think back to the days when I worked as a special education teacher and wish I knew then what I do now about how it feels to be on the other side of the table. In the midst of it all is a child who is precious, made in God's image and just the way He intended him to be this side of heaven. That of course doesn't mean we aren't going to do everything we can to help him learn to live with and manage some challenges.
Please pray for us, especially Josiah, on this journey! We so appreciate it.
To give an update on Josiah, the private school where we had planned to enroll him called me mid-summer and asked to set up a meeting ASAP. I had a sinking, empty feeling in my stomach about what was about to transpire. After receiving his evaluation from the psychologist, they recommended switching him to public school as an opportunity to have a strong start and receive more services. It was a time of learning something of God's wisdom being greater than my own, and humility in having to undergo such a meeting at all, swallowing all my "but you don't even know him yet..." comments. Yet through it there was a calm assurance that God is sovereign as He leads in this journey, and as always He can be trusted.
Our initial meetings with our local public school have been nothing short of incredible. The principal was on the phone welcoming me within hours after I emailed her, and she has done everything she can to make us feel at home. The sensory room at Josiah's school is top notch (wish I had one here!) and he will have access to the help he needs from his first day with adjustments and an IEP meeting as needed once he has a few weeks of school under his belt. I still have some jitters about how things will go, but have seen so many ways God has been working in preparing both Josiah and his mommy for the days ahead.
Another help this summer has been the start of occupational services through Easter Seals. Our OT has been wonderful and Josiah has responded well to the Alert program she is using with him. His "engine" (body speed) tends to run a bit on the fast side most of the time, and together we are implementing strategies to help him become more aware of his body and tools he can use to slow things down. I am learning words like "proprioceptive" (input to muscles) and "vestibular" (having to do with balance), and why swimming and gymnastics seem to be such favorites. His body craves the input those activities give him!!
It's a humbling experience to parent a child with special needs, and even more humbling when having to work with others regarding his educational plan. I think back to the days when I worked as a special education teacher and wish I knew then what I do now about how it feels to be on the other side of the table. In the midst of it all is a child who is precious, made in God's image and just the way He intended him to be this side of heaven. That of course doesn't mean we aren't going to do everything we can to help him learn to live with and manage some challenges.
Please pray for us, especially Josiah, on this journey! We so appreciate it.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
banana oatmeal breakfast cookies
There is a whole lot of summer fun happening at the Rhodes' house, which is one reason I seem to find less and less time to spend blogging. But this recipe is worth keeping in a safe place and sharing with others!
Rachel recently returned from a 6 day youth trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan. It was so good for her to get away with her peers to serve God and deepen relationships, but it was also a good way for her to learn how to work around her food issues. With a lot of detective work behind us, we've found that there are several foods that trigger IBS symptoms including table and fruit sugars, and corn. She also seems to do best for now with a gluten and dairy free diet. So we packed up a cooler and sent her on her way with foods she could easily grab and warm up.
Breakfast was a puzzle for me until we sampled this breakfast cookie recipe at our annual neighborhood Fourth of July party. While waiting for a friend to send me the banana version, I made some with pumpkin and blueberries to send on her trip. As you read this recipe, remember it came to me without any substitutions, so would be fine as is for those who don't need to make any. We substitute coconut sugar for regular sugar because that seems to be much easier on Rachel's tummy, and of course use coconut milk instead of regular milk. She enjoyed the pumpkin version, but this banana recipe just can't be beat! We would have sent these, too, but an experiment with adding dark chocolate did not settle well for my daughter. We're trying again today without the chocolate, and I'm enjoying the aroma of a freshly baked batch right now!!
Rachel recently returned from a 6 day youth trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan. It was so good for her to get away with her peers to serve God and deepen relationships, but it was also a good way for her to learn how to work around her food issues. With a lot of detective work behind us, we've found that there are several foods that trigger IBS symptoms including table and fruit sugars, and corn. She also seems to do best for now with a gluten and dairy free diet. So we packed up a cooler and sent her on her way with foods she could easily grab and warm up.
Breakfast was a puzzle for me until we sampled this breakfast cookie recipe at our annual neighborhood Fourth of July party. While waiting for a friend to send me the banana version, I made some with pumpkin and blueberries to send on her trip. As you read this recipe, remember it came to me without any substitutions, so would be fine as is for those who don't need to make any. We substitute coconut sugar for regular sugar because that seems to be much easier on Rachel's tummy, and of course use coconut milk instead of regular milk. She enjoyed the pumpkin version, but this banana recipe just can't be beat! We would have sent these, too, but an experiment with adding dark chocolate did not settle well for my daughter. We're trying again today without the chocolate, and I'm enjoying the aroma of a freshly baked batch right now!!
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- 3 cups quick cooking oats (can use gluten free)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/2 cup milk (or milk substitute)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup mashed banana or about 3 bananas
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries - optional (I think adding any fresh berry would be wonderful, too!)
Thursday, June 27, 2013
at the extreme risk of sounding like a commercial
Our family is loving Zipzicles! There are some great recipes on their website. We've tried pureed frozen cantaloupe (which my kids won't touch but somehow frozen makes it different), and the Spinach Surprise. So much better than the dye-filled and artificially flavored alternative!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
handwriting tricks
I've been trying Dianne Craft's handwriting therapy with Josiah, and within four weeks we saw glimpses that it was starting to pay off! This is pretty fuzzy thanks to the phone pictures, but here's a before and after. The biggest change for him seems to be that writing his letters is more automatic. The fluidity seems to be transferring from his brain to his pencil! There are less reversals happening, too. Another trick I learned recently for "b" and "d" is to have the child pretend that the "b" starts like a bomb dropping from the sky and then explodes into a circle, and the "d" begins with a dog's face and ends with his tail. It seems to help! That's not to say we don't have a long way to go, but it's encouraging to get this far so quickly.
Yes, it's summer, and yes, we're doing school, but just a little bit. The funny thing is that before we can do handwriting, Josiah insists on doing everything else, too. That means we are reading science, history, Bible, doing a finger play, and read aloud all before we do the one thing I wanted him to do that day: handwriting. Well, worse things have happened.
In spite of the Abeka pages, which I used only to compare now to then, I've continued to find Handwriting Without Tears is an effective curriculum for Josiah. He really remembers the picture cues they give to form each letter.
God is faithful to care for our needs, even looking after small details like a young boy's handwriting. We are so thankful for His love and help! He so often sends it in ways I don't expect.
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Thursday, June 20, 2013
looking to God
"Our desire, therefore, is not that we might be without trials of faith, but that the Lord graciously would be pleased to support us in the trial, that we might not dishonor Him by distrust."
George Muller, 1840
George Muller, 1840
Saturday, June 15, 2013
wisdom in pictures
The most popular person is always the one who brings the food.
There is nothing like silence and reflection to refresh the soul.
Follow in the path of someone wiser, but don't be afraid to be yourself in the journey.
Looking up can give a whole new perspective.
There are discoveries if you just dig for them.
There is no limit to what you can do with cardboard boxes, stuffed animals, and imagination.
Play is always more fun when in the company of others.
Friday, June 7, 2013
uncovering a talent
Ending a great week of camp with awards...these counselors were amazing!
"The greatest archery award goes to: Josiah
June 7, 2013"
look again
Josiah has had a terrific week at Camp Takoda, the autism camp hosted by Easter Seals and run by the Autism Society of McLean County.
For good or for bad, I had my hesitations about signing him up, wondering what kinds of behaviors he might imitate or how he would feel about being identified with other kids who were at all ranges of the spectrum. Before even getting out of the car on our first day of camp, I quickly spotted a camper with a helmet to protect himself from self-injurious behaviors, and walked past children who were humming, rocking, and engaging in self-stimulating behavior. Counselors wore T-shirts highlighting the symptoms of autism. One sported a pink shirt with the caption, "start seeing autism." When I saw my son settled with a friendly group of boys about his age, I felt better and bid him the farewell he was so anxious to get out of the way so he could get on to his day.
Each afternoon Josiah came home from camp talking about the exciting things he had done: the boat rides, the fishing, being afraid of the zipline, the bulls-eyes he made in archery, shooting a BB gun for the first time, the water games, and a scavenger hunt. What a week of FUN he has had! He has also shared with enthusiasm the names of the boys he has made friends with. There have been no questions about anyone's behavior, no wondering why he is at camp with children who may act a little differently (or very differently!) than what he may normally see. And last night, as I pondered his week and how he has responded, it hit me why.
When Josiah looks at his new friends, his untrained eyes do not see autism. He sees children with names, particular likes and dislikes, who say things that make him laugh and have shared his exciting adventures. He sees KIDS.
I also can't remember when I have seen so many parents gaze upon their children with such looks of love, parents who have learned the lesson Josiah's innocence has taught me this week. Surely, there are times when we need to stop seeing autism.
"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
For good or for bad, I had my hesitations about signing him up, wondering what kinds of behaviors he might imitate or how he would feel about being identified with other kids who were at all ranges of the spectrum. Before even getting out of the car on our first day of camp, I quickly spotted a camper with a helmet to protect himself from self-injurious behaviors, and walked past children who were humming, rocking, and engaging in self-stimulating behavior. Counselors wore T-shirts highlighting the symptoms of autism. One sported a pink shirt with the caption, "start seeing autism." When I saw my son settled with a friendly group of boys about his age, I felt better and bid him the farewell he was so anxious to get out of the way so he could get on to his day.
Each afternoon Josiah came home from camp talking about the exciting things he had done: the boat rides, the fishing, being afraid of the zipline, the bulls-eyes he made in archery, shooting a BB gun for the first time, the water games, and a scavenger hunt. What a week of FUN he has had! He has also shared with enthusiasm the names of the boys he has made friends with. There have been no questions about anyone's behavior, no wondering why he is at camp with children who may act a little differently (or very differently!) than what he may normally see. And last night, as I pondered his week and how he has responded, it hit me why.
When Josiah looks at his new friends, his untrained eyes do not see autism. He sees children with names, particular likes and dislikes, who say things that make him laugh and have shared his exciting adventures. He sees KIDS.
I also can't remember when I have seen so many parents gaze upon their children with such looks of love, parents who have learned the lesson Josiah's innocence has taught me this week. Surely, there are times when we need to stop seeing autism.
"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
Monday, June 3, 2013
new addition
Cats are like potato chips...you can't just have one.
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Meet Legolas (Lego for short), our 16 week old male tabby. He is as sweet and affectionate as can be. So far Prisma is not amused.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
candied nuts
A friend served these nuts at a party this week, and they were so delicious I asked her for the recipe. She makes them in her stir crazy popcorn popper! Since we only own an air popper, I tried them in a saucepan on the stove top today and they turned out great. They make a nice GFCF treat with the extra advantage of getting nuts into otherwise picky children--a little protein with the sugar. If you want to reduce the sugar to 1/3 or even 1/4 cup (along with the water), I think the recipe would still work.
Candied Nuts
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 C. nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds--FG stage 2, etc.)
1/8 c. water
Melt ingredients on stove top or in stir crazy popcorn popper until sticky crystals begin to form. Spread on waxed paper and let dry. Store in airtight container.
Candied Nuts
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 C. nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds--FG stage 2, etc.)
1/8 c. water
Melt ingredients on stove top or in stir crazy popcorn popper until sticky crystals begin to form. Spread on waxed paper and let dry. Store in airtight container.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
learning curve
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer..." Romans 12:12
So what about the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) diagnosis? There is so much there I could not see before, but am noticing with opened eyes. Inconsistent eye contact, impaired play (which we noticed but now understand a little better), desire for sameness, pronounced sensory issues, some social skills difficulty, and some dysgraphia all point to a correct diagnosis. We still feel his symptoms are mild but there are many challenges we look forward to helping him overcome or at least manage through therapy. He's on the waiting list for a social skills program and speech services through ISU that should begin this fall, and he will begin occupational therapy to target sensory issues sometime this summer. Next week he gets to go to a day camp through our county's autism society and Easter Seals that sounds like a ton of fun!!
At my husband's request, I contacted the private school where Micah and Rachel spent their early elementary years. That was when we saw God had gone before us: they have hired a special education teacher who seems like she will be a great resource in meeting some of Josiah's special academic and social needs. Josiah spent part of an afternoon visiting the first grade class, loved it, and is going to try first grade there next fall. The class he will be in is small and looks to be fairly full of little boys! We are looking forward to the social interactions school will afford him--not from a homeschooling standpoint as much as an ASD standpoint. While I can see pros and cons to homeschooling versus going to school, this is how we sense God is leading at this time.
As parents, we want to embrace all God has brought us. The years since we have added Josiah to our family have been challenging but also full of His grace. A few months ago we saw glimpses of what life would be like if we didn't have the dietary tools He has placed in our hands: most certainly we would not call Josiah's symptoms mild. Instead what we saw briefly was a little boy out of control. To think of where we could be makes me so much more thankful for where we are through many answers to prayer--both others on our behalf as well as our own pleas for help.
The best gift I know to give Josiah is my love. Whether it is spending a Saturday making homemade gluten free, casein free, additive free (and the list goes on) food, or patiently (I hope!) redirecting him when he gets "stuck" while playing with his friends, or laying aside my desire for time alone to come up with a new way to keep him entertained in play, my prayer is that my own response as his mom would not be one of complaint but gratitude. I say it is my prayer, because I am much in need of my Potter to shape a clay that is yielded instead of stubbornly set in my own way. There are struggles to parenting any child; what I face are just the unique difficulties in meeting the special needs of this particular one. Somehow, I trust God can continue to give me a greater heart of compassion for my special little boy, and perhaps words to encourage others who walk through similar challenges. So each morning I take a deep breath, offer up a heart that has yet to be perfected in love, and walk through the day with a Father willing to teach me more of His compassion. Josiah is a gift to us, and we know God's ways are good.
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" John 9:3
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
family fun!
Every summer, Eric's family chooses a day or more to spend together doing something fun. Some years we've done as little as watch the fourth of July parade and fireworks in Rockford (the best we've seen in Illinois!), others have meant something a little more involved. It seems like every few years we end up at an indoor waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. After doing this since our kids were quite small (there was a time Micah was the only one of our three around), we have come to treasure these times. My oldest niece and nephew are now young adults, and finding a date we can all be together is getting tougher. It's a blessing when it happens!
This year we had a small picture of how wonderfully God redeems. Last time we were at this hotel in the Dells, Josiah was having the toughest summer of his life. He was miserable the entire time, terrified of being in the water and overwhelmed by the sensory stimulation.
As you can see, this time was quite different!
Our youngest niece in this family is 9, and is having a great time with her uncle!!
These two girls are only 9 months apart. I like to say that A was our inspiration for having Rachel. :) They were overjoyed to discover that they had matching swimsuits and were often mistaken as sisters. Inseparable, those two!!
Rachel conquered the Hurricane!
Getting ready to disembark so they can go again, and again, and again. I've been on this ride once and will never go again.
Favorite spot to congregate: the hot tub! Micah moved too fast to get many good pictures of him. He rode every slide there was to ride.
Grandma is watching in the background. In all the years they have treated us, she's barely made it into a swimsuit. Eric's parents give me a whole new appreciation for what it means to have a blast watching others have fun.
That blur is Josiah, who worked up courage for a waterslide just his size.
Again, and again, and again.
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