Just a note for the end of the year, since I haven't been too consistent lately...
I'm starting to think of my New Year's resolutions. Last year I had about 5 resolutions. I wrote them down and put them above my desk in the office. Do you know, that made a difference? I actually worked on each one of them. Some I did better with than others, but I made an effort on all of them.
So I am going to do that again this year--write them down.
One of them is to consistently write once a week on my blog!
Stay tuned, beginning in 2009!
Jeanette
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
My Life in a Month
Okay. I'm still here!
Have you ever experienced the moment when you have something to say, or in this case write, but don't have the time? Then time slips away from you and, lo and behold, a month has passed.
Well, that's what happened here.
What have I been doing in a month? Let's see. I am learning more about homeschooling. I have joined with a few other friends to begin a new organization to help women learn about homemaking skills. And we finally got another vehicle! Yea! Having two vehicles instead of just one is so much more convenient.
Our church hosted a conference, I started officially working again as a freelance editor and proofreader, and I lost a total of 18 pounds since May!
And now it's almost Christmas!
Wow. I think time flies faster around the holidays because there's so much anticipation.
Hopefully I'll get a few more posts in before the year turns into 2009.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Have you ever experienced the moment when you have something to say, or in this case write, but don't have the time? Then time slips away from you and, lo and behold, a month has passed.
Well, that's what happened here.
What have I been doing in a month? Let's see. I am learning more about homeschooling. I have joined with a few other friends to begin a new organization to help women learn about homemaking skills. And we finally got another vehicle! Yea! Having two vehicles instead of just one is so much more convenient.
Our church hosted a conference, I started officially working again as a freelance editor and proofreader, and I lost a total of 18 pounds since May!
And now it's almost Christmas!
Wow. I think time flies faster around the holidays because there's so much anticipation.
Hopefully I'll get a few more posts in before the year turns into 2009.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Friday, October 3, 2008
A New Fan of Cayenne
Cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar are my two newest favorites.
It all started with researching information for my six-year-old. One of the websites that I found and now love to peruse is earthclinic.com. It's a great collections of folk remedies that people have used and found to work (or not, as the case may be).
(Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Make your own judgments and remember to consult your doctor!)
So this past week my husband and I both got sniffles and snorts...and we both decided to use apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper. (You can go to earthclinic.com to read the particulars.) We added a tablespoon of one and a shake or two of the other to a glass of apple cider and drank it twice a day for about four to five days.
It worked for us!
No long-drawn out cold with sneezing and hoarseness for my husband; and no coughing or sneezing for me! (And believe me, in the past enduring a cold with my husband was no party.)
So now I'm a fan of cayenne.
Next I think I'm going to try a remedy for gray hair........
Till next time,
Jeanette
It all started with researching information for my six-year-old. One of the websites that I found and now love to peruse is earthclinic.com. It's a great collections of folk remedies that people have used and found to work (or not, as the case may be).
(Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Make your own judgments and remember to consult your doctor!)
So this past week my husband and I both got sniffles and snorts...and we both decided to use apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper. (You can go to earthclinic.com to read the particulars.) We added a tablespoon of one and a shake or two of the other to a glass of apple cider and drank it twice a day for about four to five days.
It worked for us!
No long-drawn out cold with sneezing and hoarseness for my husband; and no coughing or sneezing for me! (And believe me, in the past enduring a cold with my husband was no party.)
So now I'm a fan of cayenne.
Next I think I'm going to try a remedy for gray hair........
Till next time,
Jeanette
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sisters' Fun
Today was our second annual sisters' day.
What is a sisters' day? Well, it all started after our mother passed away a few years ago. We realized that our family was pretty much anchored around our mother. We all called her, and she would pass on everybody's news. When she was no longer here, we decided it was worth the effort to keep in touch and do what it takes to keep up the relationships our family had enjoyed for so long through our parents.
So today was a laid back sisters' day; just hanging out and eating and talking. And LOTS of laughing.
Telling stories about kids and grandkids (some of my siblings are older!) and husbands and friends. And laughing about our own idiosyncrasies. I'm sure no one else has ever dealt with such things... Did no one else but me, when growing up, claim certain possessions of their grandparents for when they were gone? That was one of our favorite pastimes! We would go through our grandmother's kitchen, put our names on slips of paper, and stick them in her dishes! (She told us we could!)
The thing was, when she did pass away years later, sometimes those slips of paper were still there, and whether we wanted that item anymore or not, we got them!
"No, Mom! I don't want that old glass jar!"
"Too bad--your name is in it!"
Of course, this made for some fun stories.
But in going through some items of my mother's this morning, and remembering other items we have from grandparents, we were making guesses at where some things came from. And it's sort of sad, in a way, that we no longer have the ability to ask and find out the history of these things. For instance, where did that pin come from? It says 50 years of Lion's Club, but neither of our parents were involved in the Lions. So how did that pin end up in my mother's jewelry box? We had to guess.
I would encourage you to write those things down. It will help those left behind to have a sense of personal history.
Till next time,
Jeanette
What is a sisters' day? Well, it all started after our mother passed away a few years ago. We realized that our family was pretty much anchored around our mother. We all called her, and she would pass on everybody's news. When she was no longer here, we decided it was worth the effort to keep in touch and do what it takes to keep up the relationships our family had enjoyed for so long through our parents.
So today was a laid back sisters' day; just hanging out and eating and talking. And LOTS of laughing.
Telling stories about kids and grandkids (some of my siblings are older!) and husbands and friends. And laughing about our own idiosyncrasies. I'm sure no one else has ever dealt with such things... Did no one else but me, when growing up, claim certain possessions of their grandparents for when they were gone? That was one of our favorite pastimes! We would go through our grandmother's kitchen, put our names on slips of paper, and stick them in her dishes! (She told us we could!)
The thing was, when she did pass away years later, sometimes those slips of paper were still there, and whether we wanted that item anymore or not, we got them!
"No, Mom! I don't want that old glass jar!"
"Too bad--your name is in it!"
Of course, this made for some fun stories.
But in going through some items of my mother's this morning, and remembering other items we have from grandparents, we were making guesses at where some things came from. And it's sort of sad, in a way, that we no longer have the ability to ask and find out the history of these things. For instance, where did that pin come from? It says 50 years of Lion's Club, but neither of our parents were involved in the Lions. So how did that pin end up in my mother's jewelry box? We had to guess.
I would encourage you to write those things down. It will help those left behind to have a sense of personal history.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Monday, August 25, 2008
Going for the Gold
I wanted to quit the first day.
But I said to myself, "Jeanette, just stick with it. You can do this! You have to do it!"
It was messy. But I persevered.
And then...it happened. My three-year-old got the concept, and now she pees in the potty!
I had been procrastinating potty training. For some reason, I was hoping that she would just pick up on the whole idea and do it herself.
Nothing doing.
So after some tips from a friend, I made up my mind that it was going to happen.
And I really wanted to quit that first day. Scrubbing the carpet all day did not do much for my mood.
But, I kept at it. The second day, I only scrubbed the carpet twice.
The third day, she got it.
"More pee! More pee!" she cries, running to Mommy. So we run to the little wooden potty chair I got out of the attic from my parents' house, and she does her thing. "I did it! I did it!" she proclaims afterwards.
Very cute. Very gratifying.
I have noticed that this type of change tends to takes place when I decide to do it and not quit. It takes that kind of determined decision to follow through and complete a hard task. A good lesson to learn.
I'm going to need it, for now we move on to the "second half" of potty training!
Till next time,
Jeanette
But I said to myself, "Jeanette, just stick with it. You can do this! You have to do it!"
It was messy. But I persevered.
And then...it happened. My three-year-old got the concept, and now she pees in the potty!
I had been procrastinating potty training. For some reason, I was hoping that she would just pick up on the whole idea and do it herself.
Nothing doing.
So after some tips from a friend, I made up my mind that it was going to happen.
And I really wanted to quit that first day. Scrubbing the carpet all day did not do much for my mood.
But, I kept at it. The second day, I only scrubbed the carpet twice.
The third day, she got it.
"More pee! More pee!" she cries, running to Mommy. So we run to the little wooden potty chair I got out of the attic from my parents' house, and she does her thing. "I did it! I did it!" she proclaims afterwards.
Very cute. Very gratifying.
I have noticed that this type of change tends to takes place when I decide to do it and not quit. It takes that kind of determined decision to follow through and complete a hard task. A good lesson to learn.
I'm going to need it, for now we move on to the "second half" of potty training!
Till next time,
Jeanette
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Absolute Best Granola Bar
A few of us women-into-organic-natural-cooking recently took a road trip to some Amish stores known for their bulk items and organic items. Wow. I could have used a lot more cash than I had budgeted for.
With a few hundred more I could have gotten that gallon of local raw honey, a gallon of my absolutely favorite soap/cleaner, and a lot more raw, organic nuts! Not to mention my son's favorite hot dogs.
Ah well. As it was, I came away with some organic pecans, organic raisins, organic sunflower seeds, unsweetened and unsulphured coconut, a quart of local raw honey, organic potatoes, some organic granola cereal...and an interesting-looking, homemade granola bar.
My goal this weekend was to re-create this granola bar. So, going online, I found a recipe that had similar ingredients, modified it, and made my pan of no-bake granola bars yesterday.
Oh...my...goodness.
These are the absolute best granola bars I have ever eaten, beating even the best store-bought. They are SOO good.
Unfortunately I can't give you an entire recipe, because I didn't measure everything. I just dumped!
But if you're adventurous, here's what I did.
I toasted 4 cups of organic quick rolled oats, 1/4 cup pecans, 1/4 cup almonds, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds.
Once they were cool, I put them all in huge bowl and added a bunch of coconut and a bunch of raisins.
Then you take equal parts of peanut butter (I used organic, of course) and honey, add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla, and heat it on the stove. Do not boil; just heat enough to mix it together. Then pour over your granola mixture and stir, stir, stir. How much peanut butter and honey? Well, I didn't measure. But I'm guessing I used close to 1 and 1/3 cup of each. You can start with a smaller amount and keep making the peanut butter/honey mixture until your granola is the consistency you want. I like softer granola bars!
Take a 9 x 13 pan, grease it (I used organic coconut oil), pour in your granola, pat it down, and refrigerate. Once it's cool and ready to eat, cut into bars and wrap them individually. (Makes 24 bars.)
You won't be disappointed!
My husband took one bit and said, "Ohh, these are good. They are the best I've ever eaten." High praise!
A very profitable road trip.
Till next time,
Jeanette
With a few hundred more I could have gotten that gallon of local raw honey, a gallon of my absolutely favorite soap/cleaner, and a lot more raw, organic nuts! Not to mention my son's favorite hot dogs.
Ah well. As it was, I came away with some organic pecans, organic raisins, organic sunflower seeds, unsweetened and unsulphured coconut, a quart of local raw honey, organic potatoes, some organic granola cereal...and an interesting-looking, homemade granola bar.
My goal this weekend was to re-create this granola bar. So, going online, I found a recipe that had similar ingredients, modified it, and made my pan of no-bake granola bars yesterday.
Oh...my...goodness.
These are the absolute best granola bars I have ever eaten, beating even the best store-bought. They are SOO good.
Unfortunately I can't give you an entire recipe, because I didn't measure everything. I just dumped!
But if you're adventurous, here's what I did.
I toasted 4 cups of organic quick rolled oats, 1/4 cup pecans, 1/4 cup almonds, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds.
Once they were cool, I put them all in huge bowl and added a bunch of coconut and a bunch of raisins.
Then you take equal parts of peanut butter (I used organic, of course) and honey, add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla, and heat it on the stove. Do not boil; just heat enough to mix it together. Then pour over your granola mixture and stir, stir, stir. How much peanut butter and honey? Well, I didn't measure. But I'm guessing I used close to 1 and 1/3 cup of each. You can start with a smaller amount and keep making the peanut butter/honey mixture until your granola is the consistency you want. I like softer granola bars!
Take a 9 x 13 pan, grease it (I used organic coconut oil), pour in your granola, pat it down, and refrigerate. Once it's cool and ready to eat, cut into bars and wrap them individually. (Makes 24 bars.)
You won't be disappointed!
My husband took one bit and said, "Ohh, these are good. They are the best I've ever eaten." High praise!
A very profitable road trip.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Food Fights
No, I don't mean the kind where you throw food. Although that could happen.
Rather, I am referring to the battles that parents MUST win...the kind that go like this:
"I want you to eat one bite of that pancake."
"Waaah!"
"No. You must sit there till you eat one bite."
"Aagggh!"
"One bite. That's it. Then you can get up."
"No! No! No!"
"Too bad. One bite."
I had this kind of battle two times in the past week. One with the three-year-old, which lasted an hour and forty-five minutes. The second one was today with the five-year-old who is almost six. That lasted only forty minutes.
Ever have one of those battles?
I won both of these particular battles because I was more stubborn. I just decided that the particular child I was dealing with was going to sit there until whenever. No limits. Till bedtime if necessary. (Both these battles took place at lunchtime...while Daddy was at work!)
I had to decide, I told my husband later, that I meant what I said. If I said "Eat two bites," then I had to stick that. Otherwise, later on, my children would not believe me when I said something. So that is one of my goals. Mean what I say, and say what I mean.
Would that we would take God at His Word like that! If God is always true, then He means what He says and does not say anything that He does not mean. With that perspective, reading the Bible opens up a whole new level.
Hopefully it doesn't take us as long to obey.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Rather, I am referring to the battles that parents MUST win...the kind that go like this:
"I want you to eat one bite of that pancake."
"Waaah!"
"No. You must sit there till you eat one bite."
"Aagggh!"
"One bite. That's it. Then you can get up."
"No! No! No!"
"Too bad. One bite."
I had this kind of battle two times in the past week. One with the three-year-old, which lasted an hour and forty-five minutes. The second one was today with the five-year-old who is almost six. That lasted only forty minutes.
Ever have one of those battles?
I won both of these particular battles because I was more stubborn. I just decided that the particular child I was dealing with was going to sit there until whenever. No limits. Till bedtime if necessary. (Both these battles took place at lunchtime...while Daddy was at work!)
I had to decide, I told my husband later, that I meant what I said. If I said "Eat two bites," then I had to stick that. Otherwise, later on, my children would not believe me when I said something. So that is one of my goals. Mean what I say, and say what I mean.
Would that we would take God at His Word like that! If God is always true, then He means what He says and does not say anything that He does not mean. With that perspective, reading the Bible opens up a whole new level.
Hopefully it doesn't take us as long to obey.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The First Priority: Regularity!
Our children are always a hot topic for moms.
There are a couple of us moms at my church who talk together about our children, what we're doing that works, what new food or health issue that affects us, or just how much sleep we did or didn't get as a result!
Up to this point I don't think I have formally constructed my advice regarding autism or other behavioral issues, but now I'm going to write some things down.
Please keep in mind that this is not medical advice and in no way should be construed as such. This is simply my opinion based on my own experience and reading.
My top 3 areas to address are:
1. What are the child's bowel movements like? I know for my son, constipation or holding back affects him. We have learned to watch frequency, and if he goes more than three days without a significant bowel movement and he no longer sleeps through the night, we give him something that makes him go! When that stuff just sits inside the intestines, it backs up and can become toxic, affecting mood and behavior and sleep. Usually not for the better!
2. What proper nutrition is the child missing? Again, if we run out of something that my son gets on a regular basis (for instance, cod liver oil), it shows up in his behavior.
3. Are there any toxins or allergens affecting the child's system? I know that gently detoxing my son's body through clay footbaths made a difference in his behavior and comprehension. We also did an elimination diet and have ended up following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for him. Cutting out grains and sugar in my son's diet made a huge difference!
There is a verse in the Bible that says people perish for lack of knowledge. So perhaps my biggest piece of advice would be, start researching. Start reading. Study the issues. Sift through what you find out. Don't stop.
Till next time,
Jeanette
There are a couple of us moms at my church who talk together about our children, what we're doing that works, what new food or health issue that affects us, or just how much sleep we did or didn't get as a result!
Up to this point I don't think I have formally constructed my advice regarding autism or other behavioral issues, but now I'm going to write some things down.
Please keep in mind that this is not medical advice and in no way should be construed as such. This is simply my opinion based on my own experience and reading.
My top 3 areas to address are:
1. What are the child's bowel movements like? I know for my son, constipation or holding back affects him. We have learned to watch frequency, and if he goes more than three days without a significant bowel movement and he no longer sleeps through the night, we give him something that makes him go! When that stuff just sits inside the intestines, it backs up and can become toxic, affecting mood and behavior and sleep. Usually not for the better!
2. What proper nutrition is the child missing? Again, if we run out of something that my son gets on a regular basis (for instance, cod liver oil), it shows up in his behavior.
3. Are there any toxins or allergens affecting the child's system? I know that gently detoxing my son's body through clay footbaths made a difference in his behavior and comprehension. We also did an elimination diet and have ended up following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for him. Cutting out grains and sugar in my son's diet made a huge difference!
There is a verse in the Bible that says people perish for lack of knowledge. So perhaps my biggest piece of advice would be, start researching. Start reading. Study the issues. Sift through what you find out. Don't stop.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Dawn of Communication
Five minutes ago I was ecstatic and just had to tell someone...
Our son (age 5) was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at age 2 1/2 and has been nonverbal this whole time. BUT, that is changing! He has been saying approximations of words that are starting to make sense to us. Just two days ago he touched a door and said "door." Today I was pouring milk for my daughter and he said "milk." And just this evening, five minutes ago, it dawned on me that he was saying a sentence. What I heard was, "I...bee...peevee." After a few minutes of interaction, I got it. "Oh! You want the computer. 'I want computer,' is what you are saying!" He said a sentence!!
And now he is playing a new program I put on the computer today just for him. A great reward.
Even though it is 9:30 p.m. and he should be asleep.
Oh well.
I'm happy that we are beginning to understand some communication!
So I just had to tell someone.
Praise God! Thank You!
Till next time,
Jeanette
Our son (age 5) was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at age 2 1/2 and has been nonverbal this whole time. BUT, that is changing! He has been saying approximations of words that are starting to make sense to us. Just two days ago he touched a door and said "door." Today I was pouring milk for my daughter and he said "milk." And just this evening, five minutes ago, it dawned on me that he was saying a sentence. What I heard was, "I...bee...peevee." After a few minutes of interaction, I got it. "Oh! You want the computer. 'I want computer,' is what you are saying!" He said a sentence!!
And now he is playing a new program I put on the computer today just for him. A great reward.
Even though it is 9:30 p.m. and he should be asleep.
Oh well.
I'm happy that we are beginning to understand some communication!
So I just had to tell someone.
Praise God! Thank You!
Till next time,
Jeanette
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Rising Above Fuel Costs
I have been thinking too much about fuel oil lately.
When an issue like the rising cost of fuel is on the news, in the paper, and on everyone's lips, it's hard to look on the bright side.
But turning around my perspective is a must.
Instead of focusing on rising costs, I need to think about how many resources are available. Rather than be afraid of not having enough, I need to be thankful for much. From worrying about winter, I need to enjoy summer!
Fuel oil costs are double already; God has enough to cover that (and then some). Prices are going up at the grocery store; God knows where the sales are at. Even stamps rose again; God is bigger than a stamp!
You'd think by now we would know enough to focus on God's ability and power rather than ours. After all, God walks on gold; it's what heaven's streets are paved with!
Whew! I feel better.
Till next time,
Jeanette
When an issue like the rising cost of fuel is on the news, in the paper, and on everyone's lips, it's hard to look on the bright side.
But turning around my perspective is a must.
Instead of focusing on rising costs, I need to think about how many resources are available. Rather than be afraid of not having enough, I need to be thankful for much. From worrying about winter, I need to enjoy summer!
Fuel oil costs are double already; God has enough to cover that (and then some). Prices are going up at the grocery store; God knows where the sales are at. Even stamps rose again; God is bigger than a stamp!
You'd think by now we would know enough to focus on God's ability and power rather than ours. After all, God walks on gold; it's what heaven's streets are paved with!
Whew! I feel better.
Till next time,
Jeanette
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tickled Pink at The Rose Garden
The best part of our mini-vacation getaway was...(drum roll, please)...The Rose Garden.
We just arrived back today from our one-night stay in Gettysburg, sans children. (For the first time in 5 years!) The kids did fine with their grandparents. And we confess that we did miss them. On the other hand, it was nice to eat a meal without jumping up to take care of spills or dropped food, etc.
So what did we do on our one-night vacation? We ate, slept, and watched TV in the hotel room! It was great! Other than a little shopping at the outlets, we stayed in the hotel and didn't go anywhere.
The peaceful solitude was refreshing. But that wasn't the best part, at least for me.
No, I was tickled pink to walk into a health food store I had heard about by word of mouth a year or so ago, and find out that they had cold storage bulk organic grains! Yippee!
You may be wondering, "What in the world?"
After our son was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, I started doing research, particularly on diet. (He currently is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is another story.) One of the things I learned about is the proper way to store grains...in the cold. It seems that whole grains can go rancid rather quickly if not stored at or below a certain temperature.
Previously the closest place that did cold storage bulk grains was over an hour away from my home. But The Rose Garden health food store is a mere 40-minute drive. I was tickled pink! My plan is to go once a month and stock up on oats and barley and almonds and all sorts of goodies. What a find!
What a blessing!
I told my husband, "Isn't that just like God? The provision was there all the time; I just had to know about it." You see, God's provision for our needs is there; we just have to know it.
What a great mini-vacation!
Till next time,
Jeanette
We just arrived back today from our one-night stay in Gettysburg, sans children. (For the first time in 5 years!) The kids did fine with their grandparents. And we confess that we did miss them. On the other hand, it was nice to eat a meal without jumping up to take care of spills or dropped food, etc.
So what did we do on our one-night vacation? We ate, slept, and watched TV in the hotel room! It was great! Other than a little shopping at the outlets, we stayed in the hotel and didn't go anywhere.
The peaceful solitude was refreshing. But that wasn't the best part, at least for me.
No, I was tickled pink to walk into a health food store I had heard about by word of mouth a year or so ago, and find out that they had cold storage bulk organic grains! Yippee!
You may be wondering, "What in the world?"
After our son was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, I started doing research, particularly on diet. (He currently is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is another story.) One of the things I learned about is the proper way to store grains...in the cold. It seems that whole grains can go rancid rather quickly if not stored at or below a certain temperature.
Previously the closest place that did cold storage bulk grains was over an hour away from my home. But The Rose Garden health food store is a mere 40-minute drive. I was tickled pink! My plan is to go once a month and stock up on oats and barley and almonds and all sorts of goodies. What a find!
What a blessing!
I told my husband, "Isn't that just like God? The provision was there all the time; I just had to know about it." You see, God's provision for our needs is there; we just have to know it.
What a great mini-vacation!
Till next time,
Jeanette
Friday, June 27, 2008
Reaching That Weight Goal
It's not been easy, but victory is mine!
For the past seven weeks my husband and I have been following Michael Thurmond's Six-Week Body Makeover eating plan. We both ended up being the types who can eat lean meat, some carbs, and lots of vegetables. Today, I reached my first goal! Yippee!
And that was without doing the cardio exercise.
When you've got two kids whom you must take with you wherever you go, walking for an hour a day is not feasible!
But good-bye 15 pounds anyway! (Boy, was that celebratory small dish of dark chocolate ice cream really good!)
Now for my next weight goal...three more pounds.
Back on the wagon, Sprecher!
Cutting out grains and sugar really did a lot for me. Not only did I lose weight, but eczema disappeared, and dry skin on joints started clearing up. Isn't that interesting?
A few months ago I had the impression from the Holy Spirit that I should cut out grains and sugar. So when we started this eating change in May, I definitely was curious as to what changes in my body might take place.
After a few days, my body started getting rid of some stuff because I had a major headache for about two to three days. I'm guessing it was a sugar withdrawal. It was not fun. But today, it has been well worth it.
Now I don't have to go buy the next size up of clothes. In fact, I need to go try on my "skinny" pants to see if I can fit back in them. I keep these pants to help me stay focused!
On to the next goal...
Jeanette
For the past seven weeks my husband and I have been following Michael Thurmond's Six-Week Body Makeover eating plan. We both ended up being the types who can eat lean meat, some carbs, and lots of vegetables. Today, I reached my first goal! Yippee!
And that was without doing the cardio exercise.
When you've got two kids whom you must take with you wherever you go, walking for an hour a day is not feasible!
But good-bye 15 pounds anyway! (Boy, was that celebratory small dish of dark chocolate ice cream really good!)
Now for my next weight goal...three more pounds.
Back on the wagon, Sprecher!
Cutting out grains and sugar really did a lot for me. Not only did I lose weight, but eczema disappeared, and dry skin on joints started clearing up. Isn't that interesting?
A few months ago I had the impression from the Holy Spirit that I should cut out grains and sugar. So when we started this eating change in May, I definitely was curious as to what changes in my body might take place.
After a few days, my body started getting rid of some stuff because I had a major headache for about two to three days. I'm guessing it was a sugar withdrawal. It was not fun. But today, it has been well worth it.
Now I don't have to go buy the next size up of clothes. In fact, I need to go try on my "skinny" pants to see if I can fit back in them. I keep these pants to help me stay focused!
On to the next goal...
Jeanette
Saturday, June 21, 2008
What to Do With a Busy Toddler?
What to do with an almost-three-year-old?
In child rearing, everyone talks about the terrible twos. We've managed to navigate the twosome years, but as we approach my daughter's third birthday, I'm beginning to wonder, "What about the busy three-year-old?"
Sometimes I don't feel very creative. And I scratch my head and wonder, "What shall I do with my children today, God?" I think I'm going to the library again and look up books on activities for toddlers. And I think I'm going to re-visit a website I had found a couple of weeks ago that I found very helpful! If you google "raising godly tomatoes" you'll find it.
That's a great website for mothers with young children. This website was created by a lady who got lots of questions about raising children, as she had quite a number of them and they all turned out okay! I find advice and ideas from experienced parents to be more helpful, sometimes, than the advice and ideas from "experts." I know what I'm supposed to be doing; I just need to get ideas on how to do it!
The ultimate in child-rearing, though, is to listen for answers when I pray, "What shall I do with my children today, God?" Whenever I do, things turn out well.
I need to listen to my own advice!
Can anyone tell I've had a long day today?
Till next time,
Jeanette
In child rearing, everyone talks about the terrible twos. We've managed to navigate the twosome years, but as we approach my daughter's third birthday, I'm beginning to wonder, "What about the busy three-year-old?"
Sometimes I don't feel very creative. And I scratch my head and wonder, "What shall I do with my children today, God?" I think I'm going to the library again and look up books on activities for toddlers. And I think I'm going to re-visit a website I had found a couple of weeks ago that I found very helpful! If you google "raising godly tomatoes" you'll find it.
That's a great website for mothers with young children. This website was created by a lady who got lots of questions about raising children, as she had quite a number of them and they all turned out okay! I find advice and ideas from experienced parents to be more helpful, sometimes, than the advice and ideas from "experts." I know what I'm supposed to be doing; I just need to get ideas on how to do it!
The ultimate in child-rearing, though, is to listen for answers when I pray, "What shall I do with my children today, God?" Whenever I do, things turn out well.
I need to listen to my own advice!
Can anyone tell I've had a long day today?
Till next time,
Jeanette
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Neurodevelopmental Physical Therapy
Carolyn Heil is an incredible physical therapist.
My son was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum when he was 2 1/2 years old. Like most parents, I started researching. One thing I came across was the idea of neurodevelopmental physical therapy. In other words, by using specific moves and muscles, you can retrain the brain. I live in Pennsylvania, and all the information I found was from California! That was clear across the country.
Then I heard about Carolyn Heil, a physical therapist in my backyard, so to speak, whose work was similar. I was amazed--it was like an answer to a prayer I hadn't even prayed!
My son has been seeing Carolyn for almost a year and half now. He has made tremendous progress. (This is not the only intervention we are doing, but it certainly has been significant.)
For those of you who are interested and are in the local area, Carolyn Heil will be speaking on the connection between neuromuscular development and learning on Monday, June 30, in Shippensburg at Living Faith Chapel.
Here is the address to get directions from the Internet:
Living Faith Chapel
8770 Possum Hollow Road
Shippensburg, PA 17257
The presentation is from 7 to 9 p.m. and includes a question and answer time. It is for adults only, please. No child care provided.
I highly recommend it!
My son was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum when he was 2 1/2 years old. Like most parents, I started researching. One thing I came across was the idea of neurodevelopmental physical therapy. In other words, by using specific moves and muscles, you can retrain the brain. I live in Pennsylvania, and all the information I found was from California! That was clear across the country.
Then I heard about Carolyn Heil, a physical therapist in my backyard, so to speak, whose work was similar. I was amazed--it was like an answer to a prayer I hadn't even prayed!
My son has been seeing Carolyn for almost a year and half now. He has made tremendous progress. (This is not the only intervention we are doing, but it certainly has been significant.)
For those of you who are interested and are in the local area, Carolyn Heil will be speaking on the connection between neuromuscular development and learning on Monday, June 30, in Shippensburg at Living Faith Chapel.
Here is the address to get directions from the Internet:
Living Faith Chapel
8770 Possum Hollow Road
Shippensburg, PA 17257
The presentation is from 7 to 9 p.m. and includes a question and answer time. It is for adults only, please. No child care provided.
I highly recommend it!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Mini "Date" Ideas
Like any other couple with young children, finding time to spend together one-on-one can be challenging. I have a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl (who will be three in just a couple weeks, praise God!). If it weren't for grandparents who willingly baby-sit, I don't know when my husband and I would get out!
So I often think of things I'd like to do. And if I write them down--which I'm doing right now--they are much more likely to happen!
Here are my ideas of activities this summer for either just me and my hubby or all of us together. Perhaps you'd like to try one too.
1. Explore the downtown shops and little restaurants I've never set foot in...yet.
2. Visit nearby national parks.
3. Plan a "mystery date" for my hubby and take him to his favorite restaurant (and then to Borders where he can peruse his fantasy sports magazines to his heart's content).
4. Go to a motel for at least one night and get some extra sleep! (For the first time in five years, we actually are doing this! Staying overnight in the hospital for the birth of my daughter did not count.)
5. Go to a furniture store and "window shop."
6. Check out the local museums and historical society.
7. Lose weight--no, wait, that's for January!
These few ideas should take us up through August. There are only so many free weekends left in my calendar already.
Till next time,
Jeanette Sprecher
So I often think of things I'd like to do. And if I write them down--which I'm doing right now--they are much more likely to happen!
Here are my ideas of activities this summer for either just me and my hubby or all of us together. Perhaps you'd like to try one too.
1. Explore the downtown shops and little restaurants I've never set foot in...yet.
2. Visit nearby national parks.
3. Plan a "mystery date" for my hubby and take him to his favorite restaurant (and then to Borders where he can peruse his fantasy sports magazines to his heart's content).
4. Go to a motel for at least one night and get some extra sleep! (For the first time in five years, we actually are doing this! Staying overnight in the hospital for the birth of my daughter did not count.)
5. Go to a furniture store and "window shop."
6. Check out the local museums and historical society.
7. Lose weight--no, wait, that's for January!
These few ideas should take us up through August. There are only so many free weekends left in my calendar already.
Till next time,
Jeanette Sprecher
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