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
Monday, August 25, 2008
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
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