Pipe Cleaners - Cheap Entertainment!

This idea was another one from http://no1hasmorefun.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-to-do-with-samuel.html.  Super easy and super fun!  We had a great time with the pipe cleaners and my colander!  You can buy a nice sized bag of pipe cleaners (all of them that you see in these photos) at the Dollar Tree for $1.  The colander is my Pampered Chef one from the kitchen (a favorite wedding gift!) but any would work!  This activity is great for hand-eye coordination and could be done in many different ways...you can make monsters, aliens, fireworks...or you can just stick pipe cleaners in the holes!

Dough - Rolling in the Memories!

This brings me back to my childhood:

 (baby boy is teething and drooling...hence the chapped chin!)

Never do I remember a time when my mother made biscuits that she didn't give me a little dough and let me make some, too.  As a mother now, I realize what a sacrifice of self it is to give your children these opportunities.  It's another mess to clean (or 2 or 3 - floor, counter, hands), they are a little bit in my 'workspace' here...etc, etc.

What I didn't realize until I became a mother, however, is what a sensory experience my own mom was giving me.  A chance to work the dough, use the heavy rolling pin, sift through the flour...so much input taken from one simple activity.  And when you think of it - it's not cumbersome really at all.  Look at that mess...I made that.  Look at their clothes...they'll wash!  Look at my workspace...I can go somewhere else.  Look at their faces...pure thrill at being included in such a "grown-up" activity.  Thanks, mom, for teaching me right!

Goal Update!

I haven't fallen of the "wagon" of sensory smart living...we've been working hard at our home to be consistent with the children and are continually training in the area of obedience and desirable behavior.  We are putting sensory activities in our daily lives and working them into our routines.  It's nice to see these things become "the norm" and to see them working!

An update on my original goals that I hadn't met yet last month:
Short Term Goals:

• Start replacing personal & household products with gentler alternatives free of petrochemicals & other "yuckies".  ONGOING but daily improving.  Every time I shop or order I replace an old product with something "healthier" or better for us.  I'm dabbling in making many of our daily use items (lotion, for example).
• Spend time in prayer weekly for my family's health and the decisions we are making for our life style.  GETTING BETTER!
• Find a filtered water pitcher or tap filter for at home.  NOT COMPLETE - We've decided on a tap filter...now to just fit it into the budget!
• Buy more organic fruits & veggies.  IMPROVEMENT! - I chose organic fruits last shopping trip and there are several things that we are just cutting out of our diets.
• Get a full length mirror for home & the classroom (great for teaching eye contact and self affirmation).  HALFWAY - I have one for the classroom but still need one for home.
• Introduce self talk to Natalee - "I am okay. I can handle this!"  ONGOING - I've tried this a few times and she is resistant to it.  She replies "I'm NOT okay!"  But I'll persist.
• Stay calm when parenting both children. ONGOING - This will always be ongoing.  I'm trying, really REALLY trying.  I'm also trying hard at school.
  
• Introduce "A Rule/B Rule" concept at home and school. "A" rules are non-negotiable, parent/teacher stated & enforced rules. "B" rules are when child gets a say in decision. Develop clear "A" rules at home and in classroom.  NOT DEVELOPED - I had forgotten about these...I'm glad to be reminded so we can get on this!
  
• Be more diligent in use my Time Timer so children have a clear cut ending to a task.  CHECK - Working well at home and at school.
• Stop telling my children and my students not to have their feelings. (Ex: Don't tell Natalee "that doesn't hurt" when she cries when we brush hair. For a sensory child it probably does hurt and I shouldn't stomp on her feelings. Help her express herself as a replacement for crying.). Listen like Minnie Mouse - 2 big ears, 2 big eyes, 1 small mouth.  CHECK - Am very conscious of this.
  
• Find a place for self calming for home and students at school. Use this when I see children (Natalee/Xabe & students) are becoming overwhelmed.  STILL STRUGGLING - anyone have any ideas?
• Increase fatty acids & amino acids for my children (real whole milk, butter, protein rich snacks).  CHECK - I feel good about this.  There are no margarine sticks in my home and we've made lots of other improvements! :)
• Buy Boston Ferns (oxygen generators) for home & school. One for children's bedroom, classroom, and living area!  STILL LOOKING - looks like I'll have to order some!

Long Term Goals (within the next year):

• Cut out -ites & -ates in foods (nitrites, nitrates, sulfites, sulfates) & MSG.  HALFWAY - MSG is pretty much gone...working on ites and ates.
• Reduce petrochemicals (cosmetic food additives, pesticides) & phenols (fragrances, dry erase markers, candles, etc).  HALFWAY - food dyes are gone, dry erase markers gone (using dry erase crayons), working on fragrances and candles.
• Reduce microwave use - consider (not for certain) getting rid of (I'm giving Mike a heart attack now!).  IMPROVING - using it much, much less!
• Read Raising a Sensory Smart Child and Creative Answers to Misbehavior.  HALFWAY - Continually reading Raising a Sensory Smart Child but finished the other book.
• Get a juicer.  NOT YET - Xavier really likes "juiced" drinks and will drink the Naked brand green machine juice with lots of good fruits & veggies in it including cholera.
• Try to find a rebounder (small trampoline) for school.  NOT YET
• Research & consider Dr. T.'s recommendation for all children with SPD/ASD/ADHD to take AFA (super blue-green algae) from SimpleXity Health and try some (for me first, then Natalee)! Dr. T sent a 9 page email detailing AFA, which considered all my questions such as side effects from "overdose" - NONE, it's likened to eating too much broccoli or spinach; there would be no side effect except maybe a tummy ache if you ate too much broccoli.  NOT YET - but not dismissed.
• Plan something monthly with my children individually that is high in quality time (no movies, etc) to fill their love tanks. AND something with my husband!  CHECK!  Natalee accompanied me grocery shopping and chose items for her lunches, Xavier and I went to dinner and for new sheets for his bed, Mike & I went for supper - all on separate nights!  (I was in high demand.)
  
• Set aside a weekly family night.  ONGOING - Mike and I are "turned off" (no computer, TV, etc.) until after the kids go to bed, so unless we have church or a meeting every night is family night!
• Step back and let my children & students be more independent.  ONGOING! but IMPROVING! - messes are what children are all about and I'm embracing this lifestyle. 
• Increase high quality centers at school (pretend shopping, more dress-up/imaginative play items, junior office area, etc).  CHECK - always thinking and open to ideas for new centers.
• Spend time in prayer daily (bumped up from weekly above) for my family's health and the decisions we are making for our life style. WORKING ON IT.
• Go to bed by 10:00 on weeknights!  SOME NIGHTS I DO ACTUALLY MAKE IT BY 10...I'm much more conscious about bedtime for myself.

Obedience Training

Can I just be honest with you?  I HATE the word obedience in reference to teaching little people.  I don't know why.  It's not because of what it means.  Honestly, it's just because it makes me think of....

puppies.  There, I said it.  I don't like to use the word obedience because it makes me thinking of training puppies on the farm.  *sigh*  That being said, I understand that it's my number one job to teach my children to OBEY me.  For when they can obey my voice they can learn to obey the voice of the Lord.  This weekend I realize it was more than time to crack down on the obedience training at the Beeler house.  (arf, arf!)

Coincidentally (or NOT) after I prayed about the best way to go about teaching my right brained 3 year old and ornery 19 month old to obey my requests instantly I came to the chapter in my Duggar's book about raising little people.  Let me tell you now that I'm a fan of the Duggar's.  They have 19 children and everyone of them is respectful and minds well.  Ornery?  Sometimes.  But kind, loving, thoughtful, and obedient (arf, arf!)?  Definitely.  So I think it's safe to say that they are a good, solid, Christian family to glean parenting advice from.

Their idea of well rounded obedience includes four points:  instant, cheerful, thorough, and unconditional.  This meaning that the child obeys instantly with a happy heart and does a complete and thorough job even if the task isn't "their" job.  I like it...I like it a lot.  

And how do I get there from here?

Because here's where the Beeler's are:

"Natalee, please come get your coat on." 

{Natalee, runs away to the other room.}

Mother loses patience, while trying to remember that defiance and an obstinate nature are part of Natalee's language delays and eventually makes a threat (which I would like to believe is a choice but she really already made her choice) to get Natalee to comply..."Natalee get your coat on or you're going to the corner."

*sigh*

I know that's bad.  Here's another bad example:

"Xavier, please go put these socks in the hamper."

X:  "NOOO way!"

*sigh*

That's bad.

Okay, no more sighing...time to buck up!  I feel like we've made valiant efforts at teaching the children to mind us...but what I'm realizing is that, especially for Natalee, it doesn't come "naturally" and she's going to need something concrete for her to understand.

But it IS important...because if I can't teach the children to obey me, how will I ever teach them to obey the Lord?  {ahem...something I could probably work on myself!}

So, we are utilizing 2 of the obedience tactics also found in the Duggar book.  The "Yes, Ma'am/Sir" chart (we're using a calendar) and the "obedience game."  We started both of these tonight.

The "Yes Ma'am" calendar is just what it sounds like...I printed a calendar for each child and each time they reply to a task immediately with no fits and a "Yes ma'am" {or "sure mama", etc} they get a mark on the corresponding day of the calendar.  In the Duggar house they turn in their marks weekly and earn a penny per mark...I knew that to draw on Natalee's language learning tendencies and Xavier's age appropriate understanding their reward would have to be more immediate, so for awhile we'll be turning in marks nightly and eventually spacing it out.  The obedience game was a great way to get my point across as to how important the marks are...you gather the family in a central location (for us the living room run) and give the children a short, attainable task.  Ask them to respond cheerily with "okay daddy" or "yes ma'am mama" (etc) and off they go to do their task.  Each cheery response and obedient action earns a mark.  So we played the game tonight and, besides the training that it instilled in the children, it was fun and silly and easy.  "Natalee, turn in a circle," and she would giggle and turn in a circle after replying "yes ma'am!"  Natalee has quickly caught on that her cheery responses and positive attitude earn her marks and she likes to see them tally up on her calendar!  She was quite pleased with her pay-out of 15 pennies after the game!  Xavier needs to work on his cheery responses!  I don't expect him to get the full blown "yes ma'ams" out but he did say a couple times "tay mama!" and off he'd go to do his little task.  He had a couple of meltdowns and chose to go play house during the game so his payout of 6 pennies wasn't as high as sister's and he was a little upset about it.  I'm not sure how much of it he understands but I'm thinking he'll be able to catch on to the correspondence between marks on his paper and pennies...and then what earns him a mark on his paper.

We chose for the children to have to turn their papers into daddy for payout because we want them to understand that ultimately daddy is the head of our home and they have to answer to him.  It would be much worse for Natalee to have to explain a day of poor marks to her daddy and see his disappointment than if she had to turn it in to me.  

  

Counting marks!

 

The therapists can be proud that I worked and OT activity into payout time by having the children put their coins directly into their piggy banks!  

Overall, I'm excited about the possibility of this bringing happier, more compliant children into the Beeler home.  It's not that I want to completely bend the children into becoming what they aren't but I think if I don't teach them to obey now then I'll lose their hearts for me and for the Lord later.

I'm anxious to hear if any of my blog followers out there have any other techniques that they use for teaching their children to mind cheerfully but instantly.

Ice Cube Trays

This post is brought to you by a "why didn't I think of that?" moment!  Ice cube trays are an ingenious method of play.  Better than egg cartons because they don't flip over when you bump the lid (a frustration for Natalee).  Cheap (2/$1 at the Dollar Tree).  AND versatile!  I can't tell you how many times the kids have gotten these out the last 2 days and sorted, filled, and dumped the items from our craft bins in them.  Ice cube trays...who knew!?

Tired boy!

 

Of course she sorted by color.  Sometimes you have to let her stay in her world where things are safe and the same!  Another day I will drag her out of her safety net and we'll do something different with the pom poms and trays...maybe a "salad" of different colors in each slot!  But for today, for this activity, it got to be her way.  And she did GREAT!

Zen

Saturday night Natalee and I accomplished one of my short term goals and went off to Kirksville by ourselves...just us two girls!  She got to be an active participant in choosing healthy items for her school lunches and we got some much needed mommy & me time.  We spent the majority of our time at Hy-Vee but also ran to the Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart.  I'm doing less and less grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (which means spending less time there, which makes me smile).  I'm so appreciative of Hy-Vee's health food section and their all around healthier choices.  They even have dye free go-gurt (yogurt in the tubes) which are a huge treat for Natalee!
At the Dollar Tree we were looking for some specific items.  Based on this blog a friend linked me I realized that with some inexpensive staples we could quadruple the level of our craft station play and keep busy hands and minds active instead of tugging at mama or squabbling with one another.  We were on the hunt for ice cube trays, pipe cleaners, and a couple other items for preschool and found all we were after.  Something not on our list but that I couldn't pass up were these cute miniature Zen gardens.  I saw them and dismissed them, then realized that for a dollar they really were a pretty good sensory experience...so I got 2.  Not buying duplicate of everything is something I need to work on, and I'd like to think that had these been larger or more expensive I would have settled at one and made sharing a priority for this activity, but as it was each child got their own with $1 of their Valentine money from Grandma Num & Papa and Natalee was quite pleased to pay for hers herself.
I got them out today and already they've paid for themselves with the level of activity they've gotten from the child.

Not just that they've kept the children busy but that they've given them: (1) a new experience...indoor sand and (2) lots of discussion with each other.  I was surprised at how much my children conversed with this little activity.
 
Originally I had Natalee at the dining room table and Xavier at the craft table, but she asked to be moved by him so I let her.  They talked and talked and traded rocks, raked each others sand, made mountains, roads, and the list goes on.

I'm not sure what the storage will be for these little Zen Gardens but I think I can easily throw them in Ziplock bags and put them up for another day.  I do recommend setting them down in a pan or tupperware or something unless you like sand all over your house...it's very hard to expect little people to keep the sand in that tiny little box with no spilling!  The bins and sand will also make a great sensory tool for writing letters, drawing shapes, etc.  I think we got a pretty good buy at $1 each and our house is now feeling quite Zen (you know, without all the Buddhist brainwashing and etc!). :)  Maybe calm and collected is a better phrase! :)

Natalee's Evaluation Meeting

I'm sure my few faithful readers have noticed that I've been a little absent the last couple weeks.  Part of it is that our many changes are becoming routine...which is very very nice!
The other reason, however, is that I've been processing the information from Natalee's evaluation meeting (which resulted in her eligibility for ECSE) and trying to decide how to record it here.
First and foremost, Natalee's meeting was handled very lovingly and professionally.  I appreciated how sensitive but straightforward my co-workers were as they went over her testing results.  As prepared as I thought I was it was still difficult to have all of Natalee's struggles laid out on the table.  I handled the information regarding her motor skills way better than I did the behavior information and the language results.  The short version is that Natalee was identified as a "gestalt" language learner.  Most children are analytical language learners and I was very curious (after the tears were over...maybe 5 days after the meeting) to learn specifics about the differences in the 2 and start finding ways to help Natalee understand the world around her.
Our speech pathologist gave me some great hand-outs on understanding gestalt language learners and I've done some online research.

• Gestalt learners are typically considered "right brain" learners.
• Gestalt learners are descriptions of the same learning style. They see the ‘whole’ and then work with the parts of the whole.
• Gestalt learners are creative, mechanically inclined and do better in art and math. They may drift from their lessons and may or may not return to the assignment because their curiosity pulls their attention in another direction.
• The 40% of Right Brain learners have drifted in and out of their language lessons, creating remedial readers who suffer in every school subject requiring reading. They are also tagged as the ‘trouble makers’ because they drift from the reading lessons to pursue other interests and usually require some physical movement to stay on task, which distracts teacher and peers. {This makes me very sad for my students.  It also makes me consider homeschooling in all seriousness because I see where Natalee could easily be marked as a trouble maker in school.}
• For Right Brain, kinesthetic and ESL learners to process lessons for decoding, they must have material present in three sets, all followed by practicing one lesson before moving to other lessons.  Material must be: Seen and heard; Seen and repeated; Seen and used by the student.
• The following are basic characteristics of gestalt learners.
  • But first, it is important to know that after all of the decoding skills are mastered; after reading stories are processed; and after academic subjects are tackled, there is one overriding skill (the most important ability needed for complete academic success); this is the ability to visualize what is read and what is heard (like seeing a picture or movie of the topic). This visualization skill comes naturally to about 50% of the population; the other 50% must practice the skill, if at all possible. Right Brain learners usually have the natural ability to visualize ideas and concepts. Logic or analytical learners have language skills and may need more instruction on visualization.
  •Right Brain Gestalt Learners
  If the Right Brain (Gestalt) is the dominant brain, it will process information much differently than the Left Brain learner. Right Brain learners process information from a whole concept to the individual parts of the topic. Therefore, they should be taught differently than a Left Brain dominant student. {Most schools teach to the majority...the "left brained analytical learner."}
  Processing:  From the whole to the pieces in a contextual manner.  Through image, rhythm, movement, emotion, and intuition.  In language – The Right Brain (Gestalt) provides the images, emotions, and dialect of language that guides comprehension.  Right Brain learners have been referred to as creative because of their spontaneous and curious nature.  If left eared dominant, a Right Brain (Gestalt) learner will prefer to listen to the overview, story, dialect and emotion of the information.  Right Brain (Gestalt) learners tend to have good memories for faces, underlying meanings and emotions, and whole concepts.  If right eared dominant, auditory access is limited during stress.  Taking in new information by hearing it is difficult.  Right Brain learners tend to be kinesthetically expressive.  They communicate well with bodily gestures and like to engage in some slight physical action as they learn.  Gestures and body language may be very expressive.  When left hand dominant, a Right Brain (Gestalt) learner is kinesthetically able; even under stress they can communicate kinesthetically (by movement).  Learns by manipulating objects and doing hands-on learning.  Under stress, they are less able to use words to express themselves.  All Right Brain (Gestalt) learners welcome movement to anchor learning.  Movement and verbal communication are essential to anchoring new information.  When dominant foot is on same side as Right Brain, person will have difficulty moving forward under stress.  Prefers drawing and manipulation.  Is a “now” oriented person.  People-oriented.  May lose track of time--forget to return to a task in class or does something else instead of homework.  Free with feelings.  Looks for similarities.
  When Under Stress:  Loses ability to reason well.  Acts without thinking.  Feels overwhelmed.  Has trouble expressing self.  Cannot remember details.  May appear emotional or spaced out.

Most of this information was acquired at: www.readkwik.com/PDF-9%20R-Brain%20Logic-Gestalt.pdf

I find it refreshing, although a little nerve racking, to have something make sense to me when it comes to understanding how Natalee operates.  All along I've know she's not autistic but autism was the closest thing I knew of that I could liken her behavior, language and functioning to....but researching this gestalt language learner helped me make much more sense of our world right now.  Many children with autism are also gestalt language learners, but not all of them.  I do believe Natalee also has some huge sensory defenses that we're going to have to work hard to curb, in addition to her being a gestalt language learner.  I am glad, however, to be armed with this information, so that we can start praying about decisions we need to make for the future and begin to help Natalee use her special language abilities for the most benefit for her, as well as teach her new skills so that the world makes a little more sense to her.


Off we go to continue the journey...

Sensory Smart Sleep

Around a month ago, Xavier began to flat out refuse to sleep in his crib.  Scream, cry, gag, repeat.  Natalee always asked to sleep in his bed so one night out of sheer exhaustion I switched them.  And like a magic charm they both slept and went to bed without crying.  So...we left them.  Night after night Natalee slept in the crib and Xavier slept in the day bed with the pretty flannel sheets and purple comforter.
But, alas...all strange things someday have to come to an end and I decided it was time to get the 3 year old out of the crib.  Obviously, it wasn't a possibility for the 19 month old to go back to the crib so that meant it was time to take it down.  (*insert mama's tears).  The daybed Natalee is in has a trundle so that is what we decided to put Xabe on and as the fellas (Mike & Phil) started making the switch I tried to explain to Natalee what we were doing.

She took it much better than I thought but had a lot of anxiety about not having the crib.  While I think she liked the "security" of the crib I don't think she could rest as well as possible in it because it was such a small space.  As we talked, it hit me that maybe if we switched the placements of the beds so that Natalee's bed was where the crib was that she might feel better about it.  So we took her upstairs and explained to her what the options were...she seemed very happy to be back in her daybed in the place that the crib was.  This, of course, required a little more work for dad but he graciously did it.
Bed time was a breeze and both settled right in.  Here's hoping the sensory smart arrangement makes it through the night!

 

Preservative Alert - BHA, BHT, TBHQ, MSG!

A friend of mine asked about the preservatives BHA & BHQ.  These preservatives *should* be labeled on the foods they are in and (tragically) you'll find them in many "common" foods...boxed cereals, crackers, etc.
The preservatives may not be labeled with their abbreviated name but are sometimes spelled out.  So, friend, here are the things we are steering clear of at the Beeler house...

BHA = Butylated hydroxyanisole
TBHQ =  Tertiary Butylhydroquinone
BHT = Butylated hydroxytoluene
MSG = Monosodium glutamate

Having foods with these preservatives certainly won't kill any of us (tomorrow) but for the long term outlook of our good health and behavior control we are most definitely steering quite clear of them!

Hope that helps!

PS - Don't despair about missing your favorite cereals or crackers...Hy-Vee in our local area has a terrific whole foods section with suitable substitute products with not a bad price gap!  

Let the Child Lead

In Isaiah 11 at the end of verse 6 the Scripture says "and a little child will lead them."
If only this phrase were easy for me to remember day in and day out.
I am not a lover of messes.  I want to be...I'm just not.  I try to embrace messes, enjoy them, find the child-like delight in them...but I know I so often f.a.i.l. at this!

 

This weekend I was grating soap for our laundry and Natalee was SO interested in what I was doing.  She stood right beside me and kept asking, "Can I see it now?  What's it look like now, mama?"...and then the question I knew was coming, "Can I touch it?"

I swallowed my own "mess maker" anxiety and said, "sure sweetie" and she had a blast.  I have a super awesome grater so as I emptied the scoop into the glass laundry soap canister she began jumping up and down.  It took me around 30 minutes to grate the bar of soap I wanted to do and the entire time Natalee stayed engaged in simply making "castles, cakes, and other imaginary structures" with her fingers in the soap inside the canister.  She paused only once to ask me if she could move from standing beside me to sitting in her booster, and then once more to give her baby brother a turn (he wasn't too interested). 

The long and short of this post is to remind me how good this was for Natalee to allow her take the lead and have mommy say YES to her mess for once.  Not only was this terrific sensory integration, it was terrific confidence boosting and mommy time.  

Here's to many more messes!

The Left Behind - My Sweet Xavier

Today the little brother was left behind.  If Natalee would have had her way, and he had his, Xavier would have come along to school with Natalee today...but alas, preschool is not the place for a 1 year old...even if that 1 year old is a super duper little brother!

Lora Jean said that when Natalee got her shoes on for preschool, Xavier wanted his on, too, and he didn't seem too impressed that she got to leave on the bus without him. She quickly got him playing with the other little girl that was at her house today, though, and said he seemed undisturbed by Natalee's absence.

However, tonight at the supper table, after Mike heard about Natalee's day I asked Xavier how his day at Lora Jean's was.  He was quiet at first, but then got one great big alligator tear that rolled down his cheek & said, "Natalee bye bye." 
Poor little babe.  He broke my heart and at the same time I'm so encouraged to get a glimpse into how much they love and treasure each other.  Love you, my Xaber man, and your sweet tender heart!!

~~Xavier still got his turn at talking to Grandma Num about his day.  You don't have to go to preschool to get a turn talking off Gma's ear!!

Natalee's First Day of Early Childhood Special Education

Today was Miss Thing's first day of ECSE preschool.  I was so nervous about the whole situation that I was almost sick the night before.  Nerves about how she would feel on the bus, what she would think of sharing "mom" with other children, how she would react to her peers, etc., had my stomach churning all weekend.  Top that with my uncertainty on whether this is for certain the best placement for my child and you'll understand why I spent much of the weekend on my knees in prayer.

Natalee was most excited about riding the school bus.  I really thought her excitement would dim in the moment and she would get anxious but her dad (who drove back out to Lora Jean's to put her on & play the daddy role) says she never waivered.  He got great pictures of her first big bus ride!

 HUGE grin peering out that window!

Natalee did quite well at school.  She had 2 small tantrums and showed some anxiety about what was going to happen next.  She seemed more than ready for lunch time and was super excited to carry her lunch bag in and empty it out, though she didn't eat much.  I packed crackers with mild cheddar cheese, an apple with peanut butter, a surprise organic 'no sugar added' juice box, and a small cookie but she only picked here and there and seemed more interested in what was happening around her.  I was proud that she didn't seem phased by the fact that the other children were all having the same food on a tray and didn't even ask for their food. 

 

By 1:00 dismissal time Natalee was definitely exhausted and Lora Jean reported that she crashed soon after arriving back at her house.  Overall, she did well with it all...she spoke to her new friends, participated in some of our songs and activities, and did her best to stay with the routine.  The fact of the matter is that I am mom, I'll always be mom, and even at school I'm first and foremost, mom.  I realized today how important it is for me to try super hard to be, to all of my students, some sort of mom figure because what they need most at their tender age and stage of development is a calm, loving, reassuring person who tells them everyday that they are important, kind, and smart.  

Starting Small

Are you interested in making some healthy changes in your home but aren't sure where to start?  Not interested in shopping online?  Don't want to spend a lot of extra $$ on your already strapped grocery bill?

A few tips from a mom who has been there (okay, I'm still here!):

• Look at the changes as an investment...healthier life choices will hopefully lead to less medical bills, less sickness, less long term health risks.
• Make changes a few at a time...see below for my list of easy things to start with.
• Keep your eyes, your ears, and your options open!  Order from health websites with a friend(s) to share shipping (many give you free shipping if you order a certain amount!), etc.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions!  Do you think any of this comes to me naturally?  Very little of it!  The only thing that comes naturally is my fierce desire to raise my family healthy and naturally...the rest I'm learning as I go!  I'm constantly texting my family friend, Breanna, our babysitter and friend, Lora Jean, my sister, Lauren (to get the scoop on what she's learning!), calling my mom to see how to make something from scratch.... see a theme?  I'm always asking questions, constantly bugging someone, and learning everyday!

Here is a list of the specific changes we started making to become a healthier home.  These are easy things to start with...you can do these!

• Cut out food dyes (flip the box and read the label, starting at the bottom...when you see Red 6, Yellow 5, or the phrase "artificial colors" stop reading, put the box on the shelf and walk away!).  This includes soaps, shampoos, etc.
• Change your deodorant.  Go aluminum free!! 
• Switch from imitation vanilla to the real deal!  Tastes better and is so much better for you!  I'm excited that a friend is making me some REAL vanilla right now...it's sitting on the shelf doing it's thing as I type!
• Cut back on sugar.  If you think you can, do a couple week sugar fast...you'll be amazed at how much less you crave it after the fast.
• Start cutting out preservatives.  Start with MSG, BHT, BHA...there are healthy alternatives to lots of products out there that don't include this yucky little preservatives in them. 
• While you're going aluminum free in your deodorant, consider doing the same in your lotion and your baking powder!  That's right...I learned this weekend that some baking powder has aluminum in it!  NOOOOO!  Why anyone thinks it's a good idea to put aluminum in things I'll never understand.  I want to meet the guy that was standing around at the baking powder factory when they decided to throw a little shaved metal in the mix.  I know, I know...I'm dramatic!

Okay, those are enough changes to start yourself with.  Don't feel overwhelmed.  You will make mistakes.  One bite of meat with MSG in it at a family reunion won't kill your kid (it might make her naughty but that's another post!).  Do the best you can.  Pray often...and hard.  Keep your eye on the vision of a healthier future for you and your family.  And feel proud of yourself...you are doing great things!

Homemade Granola Bars - Forging My Own Path!

I've searched for awhile now for a homemade granola bar recipe that suited my fancy.  I've found some with agave nectar (and while I like it, it's quite expensive so we're using it sparingly!), and some that used honey as the main sweetener but that included rice krispies cereal (which contains BHT, something we're trying to steer clear of in the Sensory Smart home), and so tonight, after looking at a few more recipes I threw up my hands and made my own!  They turned out well and are setting up right now.  I cut one out for a bedtime snack for the children, chopped it into small pieces & threw it in the freezer and the small pieces set up nice and chewy but not hard, just like a granola bar is supposed to be!  So I *think* when the bars set up they'll be a hit!

Here's the concoction if you want to give them a go!

4 1/2 cups homemade granola (I used the P.B. option on the 2nd granola recipe from the linked post)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup peanut butter (truly I just used a big spoonful, I'm guessing between 1/4 and 1/3 cup)
1 to 1 1/2 cup "extras" (mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, dates, cranberries, etc)

In a small saucepan combine butter, honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook and stir for about a minute, then pour over the granola mixture.  Add the "extras."

Pour the mixture into an 8x12 pan that is sprayed with olive oil cooking spray (or greased with butter).  Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 300 degrees, until light golden brown.  Cool for 2-3 hours (I'm guessing!?) before cutting into squares.  Store in airtight container.

Okay, here's the colossal mistake I made...I decided to win mom of the year by allowing the children to put some mini chocolate chips in our bars (OKAY, I was craving a little chocolate too!..we're doing great at keeping our sweets sparing around here!).  If I was a planner I'd remember to get carob chips to try, but, alas, I am not.  Without thinking I threw the chocolate chips in with the granola...what do you think happened when I poured that boiling hot mixture on them?  Yep, melt city.  So our bars are "chocolately" coated and more like a dessert bar.  However, it makes me feel good to know that the granola ingredients are good for us, the honey is a natural sweetener with only a touch of brown sugar, and the peanut butter is a natural protein booster.  So, next time I'll be sure to hold the chocolate chips until after the melted sauce is on the granola.  Or even wait and sprinkle them on top, lightly pressing them in, after the mixture is patted into the pan.

Also, without the peanut butter the honey and butter would have made plenty enough "sauce" to make the bars stick.  So if you aren't into peanut butter or want some plain, leave it out!  Easy peasy.  Do please note the size of pan I used.  The bars would have been very thin if I'd used a 9x13 pan...so if you do that up everything just a little.

Remember, I'm no world class chef.  This recipe is a combination of about 7-8 different recipes that I looked at.  If you don't like it, well, forge a path and try one of your own (& share it with us!).  If you do make them I'd love to know what you think!!

Rickets?

I got an inbox from my sister today that I can't get out of my head.

She's a 3rd year nursing student doing her OB/Peds rounds right now and today she learned that rickets is making a comeback in America.

Do you catch that?

In. AMERICA.

Do you know what rickets is?

Rickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. It leads to softening and weakening of the bones.  (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001384/)

Back the unfortunate childhood diseases wagon up there.

Did that read "caused by lack of vitamin D & calcium...???"  You mean like, lack of SUNSHINE & MILK?

This disease in AMERICA?  Are. you. kidding. me?

Do you want to know what's sadder?

Lauren furthered her inbox to me by saying that, while this isn't an epidemic in America (yet!), it's being caused by children staying indoors in front of the TV's & video games day in and day out and drinking soda instead of milk.  If you can afford to buy your kids soda you can afford to by them milk.  Trust. me.

I've thought about this all day.  I can't get passed it.  Are we one of the "smartest" countries in the world or aren't we? 

Why are our children obese? (see above - duh!). 

Why are childhood disabilities making a comeback?  (see above - duh!). 

Shame on us, America. 

We can do better than this!

 

http://www.thachers.org/rickets_photos.htm

We are a wealthy nation.  We should be helping children in third world countries overcome rickets, not giving it to our own. 

It's time to put our game faces on. 

A SENSATIONAL Rearrangement

It's been awhile since our current toy arrangement has "worked" for us.  After Christmas we kinda let things fall where they may and never really revamped the system.  

It was time.  

Our children are coming into a new stage in life where they like to be crafty.  {insert mom's 'mess' anxiety}.  Play-doh, glue, paper, cutting, crayons...have all become a part of our daily routine.  Natalee & Xavier are also very into imaginative play - probably because that's what Mike & I value as good quality toys.  Things that lead to open ended play.  Kitchen set, train tracks, baby dolls, trucks & automobiles, farm set...real life settings scaled for little people.  I'm not a fan of talking, singing, noise making toys.  Not just because of the noise, but because they don't lend much to the imagination and are usually made to be played with in one way.  {Don't get me wrong...we have a few...and are thinking about getting an Innotab or LeapPad for the children...the verdict's still out}.

Anyhow...it was time for a face lift at the Beeler house.  I get anxiety about rotating toys because it makes me sad to put toys away...#1, for fear I'll forget to get them back out,  #2, for fear the children will "miss" them, and #3, because I hate breaking up "sets".  It's time to get over that!

For the first time in a long time I went through the toys and chose some to put up on rotation.  I don't think I did a very good job of this but I tried.  I put away the stroller, the fridge to the kitchen set (they never played with it but I hated to put it up b/c it's a "set" with the stove), several balls, the chatter phone, and other smaller toys.  In retrospect I could have put away a couple of baby dolls, 1-2 of the toy cell phone choices, etc...but at least I did some!  The thing is, we have a LOT of toys but not a lot of single toys.  The things we have belong to something.  For example: they have a lot of food and kitchen accessories but it all goes together.  Make sense?  I guess that goes along with our lack of singing, obnoxious, single toys for exchange of good imaginative play sets.

So, here's the revamp.  I should have taken before pictures.  I NEVER do that - ARGH! 

Here's the playroom:

 

To the left is the kitchen set and the 3 stacker drawers with food, dishes, etc.  To the right is the Christmas train table.  Then, under the window is the cradle.  I'm sure you look at those TWO vacuums and think "put one of those away!" No can do.  Those are the ticket to brave children when I vacuum with my Kirby.  It's worth it...trust me.

 To the left of the window by the kitchen there is a table with 2 drawers.  Those drawers were full of stuff we hadn't touched in the 3 years we'd been here.  So, they got emptied and most of it donated to the Clothes Nook in town...they are now home to the baby doll clothes & bottles & accessories.  You can also see in here the red dress up trunk & in the back corner the Little Tykes washer/dryer set.  On top of the washer/dryer is the Critter Clinic Natalee got for her birthday.  They both love this toy!

 This 3 tier stacker is the only "single" toys we kept out.  The top houses about 1/3 of our ball population.  *sigh*  Some balls got the boot to the outdoor bin this round and some went into storage for awhile.  The middle row is the few electronic toys we have - play phones, remote, camera, vibrating pillow.  The bottom row is Xavier's pull along puppy that he's in love with right now, a See & Say, and a doctor kit.  On top are Xavier's power tools {smile} and the John Deere tool set. 

 These two invitational play areas house the bin of "all things wheels," the animals & fencing with the barn, and the baby dolls house with the bucket of accessories.  I could have easily put one or two of these options away but I think Mike & I have decided to rotate them to the "prime" location every week and encourage play with them more.  The "prime" hot spot seems to be where the baby doll house is...it's formally where the little table and chairs were and the children are good to play with things when they are in that spot.  I hate to put any of these 3 things "up" for a month because we use them so frequently.  You never know when you need a cow to march through your play-doh or a car to race in the tub!

This new "station" is very exciting for the children.  We moved their little table & chairs into the dining room where the train table previously was.  Mike tapped a nail for me and I hung up a calendar for them so they can track important dates (like Natalee starting PRESCHOOL!).

 These bins are where my "mess" anxiety sets in but I'm working on relaxing and embracing the Little Years & loving it!  The three top bins were things previously stored in clear totes with lids.  That was an okay system but we housed them in the office on the bookshelf and I rarely thought to offer them & the children rarely saw them & asked for them.  From L to R:  homemade play-doh & toys, Snap & Style dolls, iPlay giant magnets (I wouldn't recommend these - the Magneatos brand is much better!).

Yes, I'm leaving the Play-Doh out as a choice all the time.  Yes, I'm dealing quite well.  Actually, it's working out fine - the rule is you may choose a bin and before you get another one yours has to be put away.  I'm on the hunt for recycled play-doh canisters or yogurt containers with lids to store our homemade play-doh in...it's quite hard for little hands to open and close Ziplock bags.  

The second row (L to R):  

The first bin is full of items I had intended to be for gluing but so far the children have enjoyed sorting, dumping & picking up, and just looking through the items.  I used recycled Take & Toss containers from our baby stage to store the items in.  There are foam ABC beads, foam sports beads, & pom-poms in there right now.  I have some other things to use in rotation with these items.  The second bin has a container with giant plastic buttons & a lacing string & then a couple of items from the Busy Bag Exchange that some other mommies & I did last fall - right now we have out the 1/2 egg carton with buttons for sorting & the colored pasta with lacing string.  

The third bin is full of stickers! :)

The third row has:

Small notepads, paper pads, etc

Colored pencils (new to my children & they are loving them!).

Artbox with crayons

Glue, glue sticks, hole punches & scissors (we'll see how this goes!)

The last row:

Construction paper, recycled paper, blank paper, etc

Doodle pads & coloring books

 So far this is going very well.  They are loving the free reign on the colored pencils and the glue.  Xavier needs to be taught safety with scissors.  We've pretty much established that the crafty things (not the dolls or magnets) need to stay at their table when in use and they are sticking to that very well.  That's not to say I couldn't walk by and pick up a stray foam ABC bead at any time...that's part of being 1 & 3!  

 This shelf is in the office.  It's mostly puzzles, puzzle games & flashcard type activities.  Our games are stored in a separate closed door cabinet.  In a perfect world EVERYTHING we be together but in our humble home we just use what we've got.  On the bottom shelf you can see the electronic Vtech book that we've had for 2 years and they are just starting to enjoy.  To the left of that is Natalee's "special project" suitcase...it's full of rolls of streamer crepe paper.  She loves the way these feel and will sit for long periods of time unrolling, tearing, cutting, gluing them.  We've decided that these can be hers as long as she understands that, if she gets them out while Xabe is awake she has to share.  She usually chooses to wait until he is asleep to do them.  Little brothers don't understand the importance of something so precious as crepe paper streamer rolls.  

 This last picture was a last minute thought but something that's working well.  I've had this ribbon display board for several years but it wasn't being used right now so I asked Mike to hang it on the door.  The children can slip their artwork in (or mom can help!) and it's not stuck to my already full fridge or walls that we don't have! 

So there you have it.  Our reorganized happy little home.  It's working so far (you know - 24 hours in!).  And I'm stepping out of my sensory secure bubble so that my kids can develop their own!

The Misunderstood Child

The Misunderstood Child

by Kathy Winters

I am the child that looks healthy and fine.

I was born with ten fingers and toes.

But something is different, somewhere in my mind,

And what it is, nobody knows.

I am the child that struggles in school,

Though they say that I'm perfectly smart.

They tell me I'm lazy-can learn if I try-

But I don't seem to know where to start.

I am the child that won't wear the clothes

Which hurt me or bother my feet.

I dread sudden noises, can't handle most smells,

And tastes-there are few foods I'll eat.

I am the child that can't catch the ball

And runs with an awkward gait.

I am the one chosen last on the team

And I cringe as I stand there and wait.

I am the child with whom no one will play-

The one that gets bullied and teased.

I try to fit in and I want to be liked,

But nothing I do seems to please.

I am the child that tantrums and freaks

Over things that seem petty and trite.

You'll never know how I panic inside,

When I'm lost in my anger and fright.

I am the child that fidgets and squirms

Though I'm told to sit still and be good.

Do you think that I choose to be out of control?

Don't you know that I would if I could?

I am the child with the broken heart

Though I act like I don't really care.

Perhaps there's a reason God made me this way-

Some message he sent me to share.

For I am the child that needs to be loved

And accepted and valued too.

I am the child that is misunderstood.

I am different-but look just like you.

From
"Well That Makes Sense"
a blogger mommy with a SENSATIONAL kid!