Swine Flu

It has been fascinating to see and read the mania surrounding the Swine Flu (almost) pandemic.  The Fort Worth ISD has closed all schools until at least May 8th to prevent the spread of this disease.  Day cares, church schools, charter schools, and private schools are closing all over the metroplex.  Parents are trying to figure out what to do with their kids so they can go to work.  (I’m not answering my phone).  Doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and minor emergency clinics are busting at the seams with people wanting to be tested for the swine flu.

I’ll admit that I woke up this morning with an intense desire to run to the grocery store and buy an unreasonable amount of pantry staples, medical supplies, and Lysol.  Then I realized that Grace and I would have to touch a shopping cart.  Ewww…I guess that’s why they invented Purell. 

Politicians are even (*gasp*) talking about closing the Mexican border!  It’s amazing that ONE confirmed swine flu death has the power to do this, especially when compared to decades of tolerating the influx of Mexican drugs, criminals, and illegal immigrants who drain our educational and health care resources. 

Disclaimer:  Before I get a bunch of e-mails decrying my hatred of Mexicans, I want to assure my readers that I welcome Mexicans (or any other nationalities) who wish to honestly and legally follow the correct procedure to immigrate to the United States and become tax-paying citizens.  This is the historical foundation of our country.  I just have a problem with the lack of importance (even from conservatives) that our politicians have placed on protecting our citizens from the above mentioned negative results of a relaxed border.

My friend Larry wrote a hilarious post entitled “Mexico:  The Gift That Keeps On Giving.”  You can click over and read it, but here’s my favorite quote:

“Rumor is Congress is voting to call it [Swine Flu] the George Bush Flu, under the reasoning that everything else bad in the world is the fault of George Bush, so this must be also. The bill has stalled, however, as all the Democratic Congressmen are adding so many pork laden riders to the bill it resembles a bucket of slop.”

Priceless.

Dairy-Free Update

We are doing very well on our dairy-free journey.  I can definitely see a major improvement in Grace’s eczema, which is the biggest benefit.  Another area of change is in her general energy level.  She seems to be more active and happy.  And she is sleeping less.  For most people that’s not a benefit, but for Grace it is.

For years people have told me how wonderful it is to have a child that sleeps so well.  Grace LOVES bedtime, naptime, and anytime that she gets to go to bed.  She has always slept more than the recommended amount for her age…I’ve even asked our pediatrician about it, and she’s told me it was fine.  At four years old, she is still taking a LONG nap every afternoon, waking up only when I tell her she must get up.

Her naptimes have been shorter in the past couple of weeks, and we’ve let her stay up later because she’s been so energetic.  I hadn’t connected this to our dairy-free journey until I read on a website that elimination of dairy (or any food that is deemed intolerant) will result in an overall increase of energy and mood. 

Without thinking, I let her eat a piece of pizza last Saturday (with lots of cheese).  On Sunday night I was trying to figure out why her eczema flared up again, and I realized that she had eaten cheese!  Duh!  (Way to go, mom…).  At least it reinforced to me that we are on the right path.

As far as replacing the dairy products, she is enjoying soy milk and soy yogurt.  (I’ll admit that I’m not crazy about soy products…they have a slight chalky aftertaste, but Grace hasn’t noticed at all.)  The best-tasting milk replacement (to me) so far has been almond milk. 

This stuff is FABULOUS.  Even if you don’t need to go dairy-free, it is a delicious treat.  It really does taste nutty, and it has less calories than fat-free cow’s milk.  Lot’s of nutrients and vitamins, too.  It’s quite expensive in the regular grocery store, but I have found that my Whole Foods market does frequent sales on this product. 

We are still considering allergy testing, just to reinforce that we are doing the right thing…and to see if there are any other allergies we might have missed.  We’ll discuss it with Grace’s pediatrician on our next visit and go from there.

Playtime

I had to post this picture because it is so stinkin’ cute!  Grace’s friend has been helping her put on her jewelry and fix her hair for over an hour now.  He knows all about this because he has two older sisters! 

They play so sweetly together.  He is ALL BOY, but is also very tender and gentle with Grace. 

I just heard this conversation from the living room:

Caleb:  “OK, you need to wear this necklace now.”

Grace:  “Well, I like this one."

Caleb:  “No, that one doesn’t match!  The jewelry has to match your clothes.”

Grace:  “Okay.  You can put it over my head.”

Caleb:  “Don’t you just love it?!”

Grace:  “It’s perfect!  I LOVE it!”

This age is so much fun…….

Update:  They are now pretending to be super heroes while using their super bracelet powers to fight the “bad guys.”

Health(ier) Cupcakes!

I found a quick and easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes several days ago, and I tweeked it a little bit to make them healthier.  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes, and each one (including icing) has 122 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 2 grams of fiber. 

To amp up the nutritional benefits a little, I did a 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour mixture.  I also did a 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda mixture.  In place of the normal vegetable oil, I used unsweetened applesauce.  Grace and the other kids I babysit gobbled them up and didn’t even know they were healthier!

Also, this is the perfect recipe for kids to help cook in the kitchen.  It’s so easy…no mixer, one bowl, and simple ingredients.

Fat-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 c. white flour
• 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. Splenda (granulated for baking)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tbsp. cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa – yum!)
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 7 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. water

Sift first 7 ingredients together, then add remaining ingredients. Pour into cupcake pan (with liners). Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, remove from pan, let cool and frost.

Easy Icing

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp. flavoring (almond, vanilla, etc.)
• 3 tsp. milk (or water or any other juice or drink)

Stir together.  Use one teaspoon of icing for each cupcake.  Shake a few sprinkles on top for a festive look.  Enjoy!

Monday Milestones

This was a hard week.  I ran out of HMR food and shakes, and my food delivery has (possibly) been lost.  Every two weeks I place an order, and it usually takes about 4 business days to be delivered to my door.  I placed my last order on April 13th, and I’m still waiting.  My credit card was charged through PayPal.  I tried to call the customer service phone number for the independent company that distributes the food for HMR, but the number is “no longer in service.”  Hmmmm.  The only other way to contact the company is via e-mail, and I sent one stating that I have not received my purchase.  No response yet. 

So, what I ate this week was up to me.  I don’t mind fixing my own food…I actually enjoy it.  However, I really missed the shakes.  They are totally worth the money.  They are delicious, provide excellent nutrition, and are completely satisfying.  I basically stayed hungry most of the week since I wasn’t drinking the shakes.

However, I still managed to lose three pounds.  It was quite surprising when I got on the scale.  (I guess my competitive nature won…I was DETERMINED to not gain weight without my HMR food.)  I met my exercise goal and drank plenty of water, so that was a big part of it.  My total is now 37 pounds in 13 weeks. 

My monthly check-up went well and my blood pressure reading was 126/70.  The nurse practitioner was very encouraging and told me to keep going.  She also warned me to not become discouraged if my weight loss slows a little this month…it’s bound to happen, and I should keep my eyes on the big picture, remembering that this is truly a lifestyle change and not just a temporary diet.  It’s really nice to see myself slowly moving down the BMI chart.

I’m not sure when I’m going to get more HMR food/shakes.  If I don’t hear from the company by the end of the business day today, I will request a reimbursement from PayPal and purchase food/shakes from a different distributor. 

My goal this week is to stay consistent with low-fat/low-calorie food and exercise.  I’ve given up on the “cutting back on caffeine” goal for the moment.  Morning coffee and Sonic Happy Hour took a front seat this past week.  One challenge at a time…

Love Those Clearance Racks

Last night, after Todd got home from work, we went to the local mall for some family time.  Todd walked around with Grace and took her to the mall playground while I went to Gymboree to spend a gift certificate.  I found a beautiful smocked Sunday dress (originally $49.00) on sale for $7.99.  I also found some cute summer shirts for $4-6 each.  If you’ve ever been to Gymboree, this is CHEAP.  I was able to get several items of clothing (including matching hair accessories) with Grace’s gift certificate.

I was headed down to meet Todd at the playground area when I walked past The Children’s Place.  I was actually going to practice some restraint and keep walking when I heard an employee call out to me that all clearance rack items were an additional 50% until closing that night.  Holy cow.  I suddenly remembered a 15% off my total purchase coupon I had received in the mail that I had thrown in my purse several days ago.  Needless to say, I veered into the store and went straight to the back to my beloved clearance racks.  It looked like a feeding frenzy with lots of moms and strollers trying to maneuver through the racks, but I managed to find the following items:

• Sunday dress - $4.99             ($4.24 with coupon)
• Casual cotton skirt - $2.99    ($2.54 with coupon)
• Khaki shorts - $3.99              ($3.39 with coupon)
• White shorts - $3.99             ($3.39 with coupon)
• Purple shirt - $1.99               ($1.69 with coupon)
• Turquoise shirt - $1.99          ($1.69 with coupon)

There were so many other deals that I could have snatched up, but I reasoned that she really didn’t NEED them, even though they were cheap.  Now Grace is set for summer/fall!

Things I Love Thursday – Cool Whip Lite

We recently started a dairy-free journey with our 4-yr-old daughter.  Eliminating milk products seems to be helping her eczema and giving her more energy. 

Our daughter loves ice cream, and we would often give a scoop to her after dinner as a treat.  Specialty dairy-free confections can be quite expensive, so I bought a tub of Cool Whip Lite.  I called it ice cream and gave her a scoop after dinner with some strawberries and a little drizzle of chocolate syrup.  She loves it and doesn’t miss traditional ice cream at all! 

 

On my low-calorie/low-fat eating plan, I can use a small scoop as a treat over berries for only 20 calories and 1 gram of fat.  Sometimes I even add a scoop to my smoothies to make them taste creamier.  And the price is great…I usually pay under a dollar per tub!  I also don’t mind going with the generic brand if it comes in a “lite” variety…it cuts out 1/2 the calories and fat of the regular variety.

Also, to give whipped topping a boost, try mixing in a drop of liquid flavorings.  My favorites are:  vanilla, almond, lemon, and coconut!

For more Things I Love Thursday posts, visit The Diaper Diaries.

Works For Me Wednesday – Creative Exercise Ideas

 

I’m on a fitness journey, and I’m always looking for new and easy ways to get some exercise.  I used to be a member of a local YMCA gym, but budget and time constraints resulted in me cancelling my membership several months ago.  I have a great treadmill at home, so it’s easy to get in some good cardio, but I miss the weight machines tremendously. 

I started looking around my house trying to figure out what I could use as free weights.  Canned food items in the pantry work well for arm curls and lifts.  For an extra challenge, I dug out some reserved gallons of water from my garage. 

Then I realized…I have a 33-pound 4-yr-old!  So yesterday after my treadmill session, I shamelessly used her as my resistance training.  I lifted her like a barbell.  I flew her back and forth like Superman.  She sat on my ankles for leg lifts.  She laid on my back while I attempted push-ups.  She was beyond delighted as we “played” for about 30 minutes.

And this morning it even hurts to type.  Seriously, I don’t remember being this sore after the first time I used weight-lifting machines.  It’s a great way to work my muscles and be a mommy at the same time, and that works for me!

For more works-for-me tips, visit We Are THAT Family.

Creepy Is His Thing

If you are a fellow Lostie, check out this video of Michael “Benjamin Linus” Emerson on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Jimmy asked him to read the poem “Little Boy Blue” as creepily as possible.  It was awesome.

Making a Treat for Daddy

This afternoon we read the Golden book “We Help Mommy.”  This is my all-time favorite book from my childhood, and Grace loves it too.  In the story, the little girl bakes a pie for her daddy as a treat.  Of course, Grace asked if we could make a treat for daddy, too? 

I recently ran across an egg-less, butter-less, milk-less cake recipe that I wanted to try, so I thought we would bake some cupcakes and ice them together.  Grace got really excited and ran to the pantry exclaiming, “I’ll get my apron!”  I got tickled because my favorite line from the movie Bolt is the hamster gleefully exclaiming, “I’ll get my ball!” 

Grace tasted so much icing that I’m amazed there was any left for the cupcakes!  She finally figured out that the most efficient way to eat icing was the direct approach.

Don’t worry…I didn’t cheat on my diet.  Cupcakes are not a temptation for me, as I am not a big cake-lover.  (If we had been baking chocolate peanut-butter chip cookies, however, that would be a different story.)  Grace was very proud of our decorated cupcakes and told me, “Daddy’s gonna be like…wow!…I loooove them!”

I can’t imagine why she, like, talks that way!

Monday Milestones

It was nice to get back into a routine this week.  I got in four good workouts on the treadmill and several additional walks outside with Grace.  I did cheat a little at the Ranger baseball game and eat some popcorn.  And a few french fries.  And a bite of cotton candy.  But I didn’t even touch Todd’s funnel cake!  (Small victories…)

All in all, I lost two pounds this week.  That brings me to 34 pounds in twelve weeks. 

I have a lighter schedule for the next several days, so my first goal is to get in five workouts.  My second goal is stay away from junk food (even tastings…’cause they leave me hungry for more)!  My third goal this week is to drink more water and less Diet Coke.  I used to be so good about only drinking water and diet lemon-lime soda, but lately the caffeine has slowly crept back into my diet. 

I have a monthly check-up at my doctor on Friday, just to keep track of my progress and check my vitals.  I go to a really great nurse practitioner who has been very encouraging.  She never seems to be in a rush and is always personable.  I actually feel like I’m getting my money’s worth for the visit! 

Todd got some good news this week, too.  He had his yearly physical exam and blood work done, and his cholesterol count came back well within the normal range for the first time in years!  In the past, his count always ran a little high.  I am totally attributing it to the way I am cooking now.  Less fats, more vegetables, etc.  He will always be a big meat-eater…he considers it a part of his masculinity!  However, now he is getting oven-roasted or cooking-spray-stir-fried veggies as sides instead of loaded mashed potatoes or butter-and-bacon green beans.  Thankfully, as long has he has a slab of meat on his plate, he’s happy!

View From The Top, Part II

I wrote a post several weeks ago about a strange incident that happened in our church.  Well, today we witnessed a repeat performance. 

The same man came back this week for the worship service.  From the choir loft, I watched him sit on the last row of the ground floor.  I honestly don’t know how our pastor kept his concentration, because I couldn’t stop watching him thrash his arms and head about during the whole service, including most of the sermon.  If he wasn’t imitating a Richard Simmons exercise video, he was throwing his black hat in the air.  And by “throwing” I mean executing a high spin-toss with a great one-handed catch.  At least a hundred times.  I was actually impressed at his eye-hand coordination.

I saw no evidence of whiskey this time (other than his behavior).  I’m not sure what this man’s story is or why he acts the way he acts, but I know that God has placed him in our worship service for a reason.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling him into a new life. 

I just wish he wasn’t so disruptive to other people who are trying to worship…

Calendar Time

I decided several weeks ago that I needed to work more on Grace’s concept of time.  She’s ready to learn the days of the week and the months in the year.  She needs to gain a better understanding of “today”, “tomorrow”, and “yesterday.” 

I came across a great product when I was on Amazon looking for a birthday present for my sweet niece.  I ended up buying two…I shipped one to Hawaii as a gift and got one for Grace and me to use together.  Here’s the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magnetic Calendar:

We love it!  I hung it in her bedroom (out of reach), and every morning the first thing we do is calendar time.  We review the month, date, day of the week, and planned activity.  We’ll talk about today, yesterday, and tomorrow by pointing them out on the calendar.  There are tons of magnetic pieces to put on the days, so we can fill up our calendar and have lots to talk about.  Our most-used pieces are:

• Play with friends
• Go to the park
• Go to the library
• Go on a picnic
• Ballet class (this won’t officially start until Sept., but we pretend now)
• Go to church (this one wasn’t part of the set…I made it custom from the extra blank ones that are included)
• Clean room

There are also pieces for “sunny”, “cloudy”, and “rainy”.  So, we look out the window, talk about the weather, and decide which piece we will use today.

This is a great product, and I’m so glad that she’s learning good kindergarten skills now.  Another side benefit is that it’s helping Grace to learn more patience.  If we know about a special activity in advance (like the Ranger baseball game we went to earlier this week), she has a visual representation and a better understanding of how long she will need to wait for that special day.

Milk. The enemy?

I mentioned in a post last Friday that Grace has been having a bad flare-up of her eczema.  We have dealt with this since birth.  I have tried every possible cream, ointment, lotion…both prescription and over-the-counter.  Many times something will help for a time, but inevitably she will have more problems and whatever I’m using at the time will stop “working.”

Last week we were in crisis mode.  When I got her out of bed last Friday after a restless night of fussing and crying, I noticed smears of blood on the sheets.  She had scratched behind her knees so much during the night that it drew blood.  I had to do something.

I spent more time researching various eczema websites and most of them mentioned one recurring theme:  food allergies.  The most common offender?  Milk.  It was not a stretch to consider that milk could be the underlying cause of her skin problems.  I myself was taken off dairy products at 10 months old, which my mom says resulted in much better health.  We know already that she is allergic to eggs, which makes her more likely to have other food sensitivities.

Long story short…I stopped all dairy products last Friday and her eczema is at least 75% better than this time last week.  No milk,  ice cream, yogurt, or cheese.  I realize that dairy products provide needed nutrients for kids to grow, so I bought a couple of substitution products. 

For her morning cereal, I used soy milk with extra calcium.  She didn’t even notice.  I also bought soy-based yogurt, which she loved.  I even bought Cool Whip as a treat in place of ice cream.  I haven’t bought any cheese substitute yet since I’m still looking at my options.  I also purchased some almond milk to try, but I’ll wait until we finish the soy milk.

I know we’re still in the early stages…it’s only been a week.  But, I cut out all additional treatments, oil, and lotions (other than the Cetaphil cream for moisture) to try to get a more accurate picture of what an elimination of dairy might do for her.  I really can’t attribute her improvement to anything else.

So we’re starting a new journey…no more pizza, mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate milk, pudding, yogurt, ice cream, Goldfish, string cheese, butter, etc.  I’ll do my best to find alternate products so she will not feel deprived and get the nutrition she needs.

There’s a lot of buzz on the internet about coconut milk products, and they look yummy!  I had to call a bunch of places before I found a store that keeps them in stock, so we’ll try them out, too.  I also found a great recipe for coconut milk ice cream that looks super-easy and delicious.

I’m really hoping this is “the answer.”  Only time will tell.

“Polar bear poop. Got it.”

Hurley had a plethora (bonus points if you know what classic comedy movie overuses that word) of one-liners tonight.  My favorite?  To Miles:  “Maybe he’ll let you hold baby you…”  And how funny was it that Hurley was writing the script to The Empire Strikes Back “with a couple of improvements?”

We learned that Miles has a gift to communicate with dead people.  Something he and Hurley have in common!  I enjoyed seeing their friendship develop in the Dharma van.  It was also interesting to see Naomi working to recruit Miles to go to the island.  And the guy that kidnapped Miles in the van was on the second plane that crashed. 

Roger is a mean drunk and unpredictable.  Sawyer has a seen-too-much security co-worker that is now his prisoner.  Kate can’t keep her mouth shut.  Jack is acting suspiciously submissive.   All this adds up to things spiraling out of control for poor Sawyer.  And I’m assuming that he doesn’t know about Horace’s "package-delivering” activities? 

I had already figured that Dr. Chang was Miles’s father, so that wasn’t a huge surprise.  We are presented with yet another messed-up parent-child relationship.  I predict that Miles will “communicate” with his deceased father and gain resolution that his father did love him.  Of course, he will need to travel forward in time and avoid Ben’s massacre in order to do this. 

Did you notice that the chalkboard Jack erased showed that the Dharma kids were learning about Egypt? 

And I’m dying to know what kind of experiments are being done with polar bear poop. 

My DVR cut off on the last couple of minutes, so the last thing I saw was Miles looking in the window, watching his dad hold him as a baby.  Any enlightenment would be great!  I heard something about Farraday appearing?  If so, it’s about time!

Overall, I didn’t love this episode, but that’s probably because I finally watched last week’s episode earlier this evening.  Uh. Maze. Ing.