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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Homemade Ice Cream and Sorbet

Way back when the hubby and I were just dating,I made some killer ice cream--pineapple and vanilla. Everyone raved about it for weeks. Back last year I broke down and bought a plug-in ice cream maker-one of the new fancy looking ones. I used it maybe 2 times and the results were less than what I had hoped for,so I boxed it up and banished it to the cabinet in the laundry room. Lately,we've been craving banana splits and ice cream--anything cool to beat this killer heat wave that's invaded the SOUTH.

I found some great sorbet (pineapple-passion fruit-chocolate)--ice cream (pumpkin pie,cappuccio)--and yogurt recipes. If they turn out,I will definately share them with you guys. I think I didn't freeze everything correctly the last time I used my machine. Wish me luck....I'm going to stash the parts in the freezer and pick out a recipe to try. I'm so excited!! I love ice cream-and yogurt-and sorbet!!!! Oh,and banana splits!! Can you tell I have a sweet tooth today?

What's for breakfast?

I'm pretty much stuck in a food rut lately-especially with breakfast. I love scrambled eggs,poached eggs-you name it I LOVE EGGS! I will usually toast a whole wheat sandwich round and add a slice or two of turkey bacon or canadian bacon and top that with scrambled eggs and sometimes a slice of cheese (think McD's egg mcmuffin ala homemade). But lately no matter how I eat my sugar levels have been too high. Yesterday I remembered I had some cottage cheese that I had gotten to use in a recipe that never happened. I added one of those Dole fruit cups (in juice not syrup)---and it was pretty good. I added a sliced banana and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds to that same mix this morning and that was breakfast. And it's been about 1 1/2 hours late and I'm not STARVING like I usually am right after breakfast. I mean I am hungry ALL DAY LONG lately--I think it's the monthlies knocking on the door too-and all the girls know that doesn't help one bit! So I think I have found a new breakfast for me-at least for a little while. My son came in earlier and asked "Mom,what's the white stuff you're eating?" "Cottage cheese and fruit". "Oh,ok,well it stinks!" Thanks alot,son! LOL Sometimes you just gotta laugh!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

some helpful books............

Here are some books that I have found helpful and informative about adhd,autism,asperger's syndrome and discapline advice-they are readily available on just about any online bookstore but I got them all from AMAZON.

The ADHD Autism Connection by Diane M. Kennedy

Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Child by Robert J. MacKenzie

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman

Misdiagnosis ADHD,Bipolar,OCD,Asperger's,Depression and other Disorders multiple author contributors

Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety by Nick Dubin

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching & Raising Children with Autism and Asperger's
(not just an activity book-I found alot of info about asperger's that I had not read anywhere else--great book) multiple author contributors

Empower ADHD Kids! Practical Strategies to Assist ADHD Children in Developing Learning and Social Competencies by Becky White

When My Worries Get Too Big! by Kari Dunn Buron

The Incredible 5-Point Scale by Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis

Mother Warriors by Jenny McCarthy

123 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan

Friday, June 17, 2011

a little about my son

My son is my pride and joy. He's an 8 1/2 year old bundle of endless energy. He loves to read-and was a young reader,learning to read at about 4 years of age. He loves learning about anything new--fireflies,outer space,puppies,the human body. He loves technology--cell phones,video games,digital cameras,digital video cameras. He is a little techno-whiz! And he has ASPERGER'S SYNDROME and ADHD. I wasn't really surprised at the ADHD diagnosis,but the AS diagnosis knocked me over. All I could hear was "autistic". I was in denial for a while-I went through a range of emotions. Once I let myself grieve a little for the diagnosis,I decided to get myself educated on this-find ways to help my son overcome it-or find ways to live life to the fullest with it. I had never heard of ASPERGER'S SYNDROME until early 2010 when we had Zachary tested for ADHD and all these other things came up. Some he didn't score high enough to be diagnosed with,but with ASPERGER'S SYNDROME he did. I started reading everything I could get my hands on. Sometimes I still feel like I don't know enough to deal with this issue,but I take a deep breath and try to take it one day at a time. We have good days and bad days and some so-so in between days. But he's still my son-still my pride and joy--my little boy that loves to learn. And I love him too.

In the days to come,I will add links to some websites that have helped me. I will add a reading list of things that I have read and find interesting. And if any of my readers have any fave resources,please share them with me and I will add them to the blog also.

Asperger's Syndrome.....What is it?

An Autism Spectrum Disorder

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions called autism spectrum disorders. The term "autism spectrum" refers to a range of developmental disabilities that includes autism as well as other disorders with similar characteristics.

They are known as spectrum disorders because the symptoms of each can appear in different combinations and in varying degrees of severity: two children with the same diagnosis, though they may share certain patterns of behavior, can exhibit a wide range of skills and abilities.

As a result, general terms such as "low-functioning," "high-functioning," "autistic tendencies," "pervasive developmental disorder," and others are often used to describe children whose behaviors fall within the spectrum. Kids with AS share many of the same symptoms as those with "high-functioning autism."

It's estimated that more than 400,000 families are affected by AS. Because milder cases are being identified more frequently, the incidence appears to be increasing. However, like other autism spectrum disorders, AS is often difficult to diagnose and treat.

About Asperger Syndrome

The disorder is named after Hans Asperger, a Viennese pediatrician who, in 1940, first described a set of behavior patterns apparent in some of his patients, mostly males. Asperger noticed that although these boys had normal intelligence and language development, they had severely impaired social skills, were unable to communicate effectively with others, and had poor coordination.

According to the Asperger Syndrome Coalition of the United States, the onset of AS is later than what is typical in autism — or at least it is recognized later. Many kids are diagnosed after age 3, with most diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9.

AS is characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, and other peculiar mannerisms. Kids with AS often have few facial expressions and have difficulty reading the body language of others; they might engage in obsessive routines and display an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli (for example, they may be bothered by a light that no one else notices; they may cover their ears to block out sounds in the environment; or they might prefer to wear clothing made only of a certain material).

This is just a brief summary of an article I read at kidshealth.org-you can read the full article at the following link:

kidshealth.org

Thinking of changing direction of my blog.....

I have mixed feelings-not sure if I want to add a second blog or just want to expand this one. I've been meaning to add more about the daily life of living with a child with special needs--aspergers and adhd. My 8 yr old son has these issues and the more I talk with people I find out that there are alot of people out there dealing with this too-and other autism issues. It's overwhelming when you learn that your child has these issues and finding good info can be hard. There is so much info out there that finding exactly what you're questioning can be hard. A good support group is a must. I have a small one. I'd like to find a larger forum online maybe but just haven't taken the time to look for one. In our homeschool group,there are a few moms in this situation,and I just found out an old friend from an online group that I've been friends with for about 9yrs now just learned her daughter has asperger's and she is overwhelmed first with dealing with the diagnosis and then finding good information. So I've thought about adding what info I've found helpful here so that others can maybe use the information also. Hopefully,now that we are in the heat of the summer down south (heat indexes have been in the triple digits the past week and there's no relief in sight according to the weather man) maybe I can use some of our summer-time hibernating to add some things to my blog......

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Getting Ready For Another HomeSchool Year......

Both Zachary and I were sick alot during the winer months,so we're still trying to finish up some things in his 2nd grade studies,but I think I've finally made up my mind as to what we're going to use as curriculum for next school year. I've been thinking of adding some abeka curriculum to our "pick and choose" way of doing things. I had always thought of adding it when he was older,but the more I thought about it I decided to go ahead and do it now. We will still use some things from THE WELL TRAINED MIND/PEACE HILL PRESS resouces. I have a rough list of everything and all I need to do is get all of the item numbers and work on a price list-and see where would be the most cost effective place to order everything from. It's not as bad as I thought it would be to order from the publisher but I still want to compare prices. Zach's already flipping through a health/safety book I got for him already. LOL I'll let him stay up a little later to do that any day!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Have you ever hidden a gift? And then couldn't find it when you need it?

That's happened to me a few times. I'll see something at a great price that is perfect for someone on my list and I'll buy it and stash it somewhere and then when the time comes around for me to give the gift I can't find it! HA! Happened to me last Christmas-I had a SpongeBob electric toothbrush and a Spongebob watch for kiddo's stocking. I knew I had put it downstairs in the hubby's "cave" but when it came time for stuffing the stockings it wasn't anywhere to be found--and mom was NOT happy! Fast-forward 6 months later--hubby found it yesterday LOL--right where i had put it. He had covered it up with something. Kiddo was tickled to have the new happies last night. LOL

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Had nerve conduction test done today...........

Can we say OUCH!!? The tech that did the first part of the test was training a new girl and I understand that but OUCH!! That hurt! And it took twice as long because she was training her. And why did noone tell me that they stick you with needles too!? I mean come on,warn,a woman,please! That part didn't really hurt too bad-they were thin needles kinda like accupuncture needles and a few of them only hurt when I had to move certain parts of my hand/arm with the needles still there. One part was he would push down on my arm and I had to push his arm away--I couldn't do it with my left arm. That worries me some. I have to wait to get the results from my other doctor,so it will probably be next week sometime. The test was at 9am and my left palm up by my thumb hurts like HECK from where he stuck the needle. I toughed it out all day but ended up taking mega ibuprofen a few hours ago-can't tell it's kicked in yet. I HURT!!!!

And I didn't have a sitter so I had to take my 8 yr old with me. He was sooo ansy and irritable. Next time I'm scheduling when hubby can stay with him. REALLY! I found out late yesterday after my pedicure appt that I had another dr appt scheduled for late this afternoon (my sleep study dr) and I thought I'd be able to make it but both kiddo and I were tired and too grumpy to even attempt it-my hands hurting didn't help any so I had to reschedule that.

On a brighter note I can not wait until tomorrow. Our homeschool group is celebrating the end of another school year tomorrow with a pool party (although some of us will continue to do schoolwork with our kids throughout the summer). Food,good friends,more food and fun time in the pool. What could be better!? I had ordered a new swimsuit especially for this party as a kind of splurge for myself and it shipped out earlier this week but instead of the delivery guys bringing it to my house they took it to the post office-so it won't come in till tomorrow around 4pm....BLAH!!!! I guess next time I'll pay extra for shipping.....

Sunday, June 5, 2011

My hands hurt...........

Over the past few years,I've noticed that my hands just aren't as strong as they used to be. I love to cross stitch and crochet but my hands literally ache when I do those things. It's gotten so bad now that the simple tasks of holding a toothbrush, holding onto the steering wheel, stirring a cake mix make my hands cramp and throb. The tips of the fingers on my left hand are literally numb all the time. It feels so weird. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and both hands will be throbbing and hurting so much I want to cry. Just holding a book hurts my hands so much that I could barely hold the prayer book and song book in church today. I've tried arthritis pain meds and stronger pain meds-nothing helps. I even have two of those carpal tunnel hand braces that I wear when I am desparate for relif,but it's only temporary-nothing I've found so far does really any good.

I went to see a dr a few years ago and he felt around on my hands but was more interested in scheduling me for a BOOB job than anything else. And I didn't even go to him for that reason LOL. Needless to say, I haven't been back to that quack! My husband made me see our family dr about the issue again friday. His experience tells him it's carpal tunnel problems. I kinda knew that but I've also found out I had thyroid issues and sometimes that can make CT problems worse. I was hoping it would just be the thyroid and a stronger medicine might make it all go away. I'm waiting for a call back from the office to tell me when the appointment will be. I don't want surgery. I did a little research online and have had other friends who have had the surgery tell me about it. I really hope this is something that is an easier fix,but I have a feeling it won't be. I don't like the idea of having both hands operated on. My husband tells me that we'll do whatever it takes to get my hands to feeling better. (It's not his hands that they will operate on if it comes to that is it? LOL) He means well and I love him for saying that. I'm just tired of hurting---and not being able to do the things I enjoy doing. Something's gotta give.....

Sharon Sala----BLOOD TIES 2nd in a trilogy

I have to say that Sharon Sala is my favorite writer-hands down. My all time favorite book of hers is Annie and The Outlaw . My copy is well worn. I love that story.

Blood Ties is another winner. It's about a young woman who after her father dies learns that she is NOT who she thought she was. She is given a notebook that tells the tale of how she ended up with the man who raised her as one of his own. And it's not a pretty fairytale.


Blood Ties by Sharon Sala

Thursday, June 2, 2011

My First Book Review.......DEAD WRONG by Wendy L. Callahan



This will be the first book review I've done on my blog. I hope to do many more.

I usually don't read dark tales-I am more of the "trashy modern or historical romance" type reader--when I'm not reading parenting books or homeschool "how to" books. This short tale was a delightfully dark detour from that. Once I started reading,I didn't want to stop. It pulled me in and I could feel the tangle of emotions of the main character,Shiva. Even though it was dark and definately a departure from what I normally read,I really enjoyed it. The story was engaging and had you guessing up until the very end. And at the end,it made you want to know what happened to the characters after the last page. It's short,but it's a good read. She has a fresh voice and fresh writing style and I like that. I hope to read more from Ms Callahan in the future.

If you're interested in reading it yourself follow the link below.....

Dead Wrong by Wendy L. Callahan