Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Spaghetti

 

 

 

 


Maggie and Nah Nah had a great day making meatballs for lunch yesterday. She loved rolling them and said that they felt like "greasy play doh". She had a blast and ate every bite of her lunch.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Rachel can drive?





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Our good friend and Maggie's mentor, Rachel, is getting her driver's license this summer. She wanted to drive us to Newnan on Saturday to go shopping. ENJOY!

Dinner to celebrate







We went to dinner on Friday night to celebrate my mom's last day of school. We went to a great seafood place in Opelika. There's a big front porch where you can feed the ducks and turtles. It was so fun and the food was amazing!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

He's 8 and he's great!




Today, my first child turns 8 years old. We got Willie as a little bitty puppy. He was born under a house to a terrier/schanuzer mama with black curly hair. He had a gash on his back leg and maggots got in the wound. Because of this, the shelter was going to put him to sleep. Luckily, Cheryl Cantrell rescued him and his 2 brothers.

We went to her house and saw the puppies. They were bottle fed babies and very people friendly. Willie was a 2 month old fat little blonde lab looking puppy. We picked him out and he became my first child.

He's outlived a lot of animals in our lives and he is still just as crazy as ever. He's eaten linoleum in our first apartment and ate the hamburgers that we were going to cook for our guests to his first birthday party and the craziness goes on and on.

Today, he turns 8! He loves Maggie.  

We went to church to put up something and I forgot he was in the house. In honor of his birthday, he ate Maggie's pizza. Since he's the birthday boy, he didn't get into too much trouble. He must like to do things like this to keep us reminded that he is the birthday boy.
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Monday, May 11, 2009

Starting again....

I joined weight watchers online last night. again. for the 3rd time. Is the 3rd time really the charm?

I just really want to be healthy. Honestly, I am quite comfortable at my weight. I've been here for so long. My jeans fit because I buy this size. I've bought this size for a really long time.

But, it's not a healthy weight. It keeps my blood pressure at a borderline level. I am exhausted. I want to nap every day at 3 p.m. I keep thinking that if I was exercising and eating better, I wouldn't want to hit the couch and sleep away the afternoon.

I want Maggie to have a healthy mommy. I want to be a mommy who is active and has energy to do things with her, even at 3 p.m. in the afternoon.

I feel a little discouraged. I have tried so many times before and I've failed. What makes this time different? Honestly, I don't know.

I am just hoping that it's different this time. I told Maggie that I was trying to eat healthy and exercise. She is so proud and told me that she wants to eat healthy too. She asked for an apple tonight and asks me questions about healthy food all day long.

I don't want to pass on my unhealthy habits to her. I think that if she sees me doing the right thing than maybe she will grow up and have different habits.

Maybe this try will be different?

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Mother's day book giveaway

In honor of Mother's day. I'm giving away 3 books on my blog. If you would like to enter to win it, just leave me a comment with your name and what books you would like to be entered to win.



The first one is entitled Dear Mom. This was a great book. I read a couple of books with my teen small group when I was in youth ministry by Melody Carlson. It's a great book for moms who are parenting teenaged girls.

Here's a little summary.
Popular novelist Melody Carlson gives moms straight talk on the secrets their teen daughters harbor—without the angst, arguments, or arm-wrestling. She looks at the heart and illuminates how to talk to teens so they hear, connect despite the differences, and strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.


The next book is entitled Mama’s Got a Fake I.D. This book is perfect for us moms who are trying to figure out where we fit in. So many of us struggle with our identities. Who are we? Who are we besides being moms? How do we figure out our identity in Christ as moms? It's a great book.
Here's a summary.
Caryn Rivadeneira helps women reclaim their full identity as multi-talented people whom God wants to use in a variety of settings—including in their homes. This inspiring, practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn how to express who they are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others.
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.

The last book is entitled Enduring Justice. This last book is good, but not my type of book. It's a mystery book and just not my thing. However, I think it's cool that she is from Lawrenceville, GA where Steven was a youth intern. Here's the summary:
Hanna Kessler’s secret remained buried for decades. But when the shadows of her past threaten those she loves and the system fails FBI Agent Michael Parker, setting a white supremacist free, they must learn the difference between vengeance and justice is their choice to heal.
Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Maggie's morning musings


This morning, Maggie went to the back door and was talking outside. I asked her about who she was talking to. She said that she was talking to God. She was just thanking Him for making us and for "creating our beautiful earth".

Then, a little while later, she was talking outside again. This time she was talking to the birdies who have nested in our tall sanctuary air vent. She chirps at them a lot and thinks it's so cool that they are living in our church. She asked me "if the birdies were homeschooled". I told her that I just didn't know. She said, "I was just wondering because they live only in the church and don't go anywhere. I wondered if their mommy just taught them in their nest."

Friday, May 1, 2009

A giveaway

As you know, Maggie has troubles with her tummy. I found out about this new product that is available for kids. It's called Florastor KIDS. It's a natural, yeast based probiotic that adds in the growth of good microorganisms. It's in a powder form that can be placed in your child's water or juice.

I have a box of FLORASTOR KIDS to give away. There are 20 powder packets. Please leave me a comment and I will include you in the drawing. I will draw from all entries next Friday.

I have included a Q and A from a pediatrician about this product.





Q&A with James Sears, M.D.

Tiny Tummy Troubles and Florastor® Kids

Pediatric diarrhea can be extremely stressful for parents, especially in babies and toddlers. Adult anti-diarrheal medications are not recommended for young children, which often leaves parents with only “watchful waiting” as an option.

Probiotics are a new health buzzword, and can be a drug-free method of helping to manage children’s intestinal issues. However, it’s important to do your homework. Because probiotics are supplements and therefore not subject to government regulation, it’s important to look for a probiotic that has sound scientific testing behind it, and that is appropriate for your child’s issues.

Dr. James Sears, board-certified pediatrician, author and co-host of the CBS-TV show “The Doctors,” has recommended Florastor Kids to patients for years, first of all because he’s seen its efficacy in pediatric diarrhea, and because it’s backed by scientific studies.

Dr. Sears answers some common questions about Florastor® Kids below:

Q: What are the most common causes of pediatric diarrhea?
A. Like most things in pediatrics, diarrhea is usually caused by a virus. The most common diarrhea-causing viruses are Rotavirus and Norovirus, but most parents just call them “stomach flu”. Kids can also get diarrhea as a side effect of antibiotics.

Q: How should a parent handle food and drink for a child with diarrhea?
A: The key to treating diarrhea is to keep your child hydrated and nourished. Breastmilk, formula, or electrolyte solutions are best for this, also, easy to digest foods will help keep the tummy happy. Cow’s milk can make diarrhea worse, so lay off this for a few days.

Q: At what point should a child with diarrhea be taken to the emergency room?
A If your child is losing more fluid than he can take in, he runs the risk of becoming dehydrated. This is especially true if he is also vomiting. It’s often the second day of illness when a child will become dehydrated, so watch for decreased urine output – number of wet diapers is less, or trips to the bathroom are less. If your child becomes lethargic, this is also a reason to call the doctor.

Q: Do you recommend probiotics for kids?
A: I’ve been recommending probiotics for years, and it’s now a recognized treatment for kids when they have diarrhea. When kids get diarrhea, a probiotic can help replenish the “good” bacteria that is supposed to be living in the intestine – which will improve their digestion.

Q: What is Florastor Kids?
A: Florastor Kids is a natural probiotic that supports the presence of beneficial (“good”) microbiota in the intestines, which helps keep pathogenic (“bad” or “disease-causing”) microbiota (like bacteria and viruses) from attacking the gut.

Q: What is the active ingredient in Florastor Kids and how does it work?
A: The active ingredient in Florastor Kids is a freeze-dried form of yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii lyo. It helps promote the growth of good microbiota, while attracting and removing pathogens from the intestines.

Q: Have any clinical tests been done to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Florastor Kids?
A: Yes. The active ingredient in Florastor Kids, Saccharomyces boulardii lyo, has been studied in more than 40 clinical trials. Studies have been published in top medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and Gastroenterology magazine.

Q: How do the effects of Florastor Kids differ from those of bacteria-based probiotics, such as acidophilus?
A: One of the key differences in a yeast-based probiotic, such as Florastor Kids, is that it can not be killed by antibiotics, and it, in turn, protects the body’s own flora during the course of antibiotic treatment to guard against antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea occurs when antibiotics disturb the natural balance of “good” and “bad” microbiota in the intestinal tract, causing harmful bacteria to grow far beyond their normal numbers. The result is often frequent, watery bowel movements.

Q: Which kids could benefit from Florastor Kids?
A: Florastor Kids has been proven effective in managing a wide variety of intestinal problems, but is often used to help with:
• Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea (AAD)
• Acute gastroenteritis (general, sudden onset diarrhea)
• Traveler’s diarrhea
• Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (C. diff)
• Chronic inflammatory intestinal conditions, such as Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s

Q: Why would a parent choose to treat a bout of diarrhea with Florastor Kids as opposed to an anti-diarrheal product?
A: Anti-diarrheal medications such as loperamide (Imodium) are typically not recommended for young children. Florastor Kids helps remove toxins from the intestines and at the same time bolsters the body’s defense against the pathogens.

Q: How should Florastor Kids be taken?
A: Florastor Kids is a fruit-flavored powder that comes in packets. The powder can be mixed into water, milk, juice or soft foods (such as applesauce), and should be taken twice a day.

Q: How long can Florastor Kids be taken?
A: There is no reason that Florastor Kids can not be taken every day, but it is most often taken once symptoms start, and until symptoms stop. It is recommended to start taking the same day as antibiotic treatment and stopping it once the course of antibiotics is complete. For those wishing to protect themselves from traveler’s diarrhea, it is recommended that Florastor Kids be taken starting four days before the trip starts, and finishing four days after the trip ends.

Q: Who should not take Florastor Kids?
A: Children under two months of age, as well as those with yeast allergies and central venous catheters.

Q: Does Florastor Kids need to be refrigerated?
A: No. Florastor Kids’ freeze-drying process means that the product does not need to be refrigerated, making it ideal for travel.

Q: I went to a few pharmacies in my area and could not find Florastor Kids on the shelves. What can I do?
A: Try asking the pharmacist. Even though it does not require a prescription, many pharmacists may keep it behind the counter so that they can explain its benefits, particularly if they recommend taking it with antibiotics. On www.florastor.com there is a list of local and online pharmacies that stock Florastor Kids.

Obsession with infomercials

My daughter was watching a few minutes of tv this morning. Her favorite new commercial came on tv.My daughter has always been obsessed with infomercials. Her current obsession is called the "touch and brush". It comes in a variety of colors....even chrome! It dispenses toothpaste for you so you don't make a mess in the bathroom. It sticks to the mirror and dispenses the toothpaste for you right onto the toothbrush. She wants one but her dad thinks that it would be a better gift for Maggie's mom.

Her first infomercial love was aqua globes. She got it for Christmas this year. What 4 year old gets excited about a thing that waters your plants (we have no plants) while you are on vacation?

I must admit that she comes by this love of infomercials genetically from her mother. When I was in elementary school, I became obsessed with something called "sherlock". It was a tool that could "sock it up in seconds". I would quote it all the time. If you turned the tool around, it untwisted just as easily. sigh. I can't find a picture of it to show you this magical tool. Guess what I got for Christmas that year? I was estatic. My dad even got a block of wood and put screws in it so that I could practice with my "sherlock socks it up in seconds".

Unfortunately, there are days when my daughter watches too much tv. Darn that Nick Jr. I hate how many commercials are on that channel. I try to get her outside and dig in the yard with me, but there are some days when she watches too many infomercials. This is evident in the fact that she was begging for a snuggie for her last birthday.

I told her that I wasn't going to get it because it would be too big for her. To which, she sighed and said, "Mom, it fits all sizes and even kids, too." Then, she paused and said, "I don't think it will fit dogs and kitties, though."

Hmmmm....maybe I should invent a snugglie for dogs and kitties?