A Full House

Homeschooling Moment of the Week

2011-09-02T16:35:00.003-04:00

I have really been enjoying homeschooling both the boys this year. And apparently Carissa has been picking up more than I expected. We've been learning about the Byzantine Empire this week. So, I showed the kiddos some pictures from Grandpa and Omi's trip to Turkey. They saw the Hagia Sophia which we talked about this week.

So, today on the way to the library downtown, Carissa exclaims, "Ahh, I see the place Grandpa and Omi went!!" I'm trying to figure out what she was talking about and then realize we were near the Greek Orthodox Church. I told her she was right, it did look like the Hagia Sophia.

Savannah Trip - July 2011

2011-07-19T16:41:00.017-04:00

On our way down to Savannah, we met Grandpa and Omi

at a park to play for a little while before dinner.
Josiah demonstrating his flying leap from the swing.

We met two cairns there. A brother and sister, Tavish and Fiona.

Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures from the family reunion on my mom's side.

On Sunday, we went out to Tybee.

While we were in Savannah, Chris' grandfather, Popie, passed away.

Here we all are dressed up for the funeral.

This is the most dressed up the boys have ever been.

Happy 4th Birthday, Carissa!!

2011-07-18T16:49:00.019-04:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Carissa!! You are growing into such a big girl.

You love to watch your brothers playing various sports.

You love to eat. You are our least picky eater. (Not that the boys are that picky.)

You love to play dress-up.

You love hiking.

You love your brothers and think you can do anything they do.

You love girly things like painted nails, hairbows, jewelry, and shoes.

You love your Maisie dog and anything that has Maisie on it.

You love to read.

You love life.

In Memory: Woodrow Wilson Dyches

2011-07-18T16:00:00.009-04:00

In Memory: Woodrow Wilson Dyches

November 11, 1918 - July 9, 2011

Popie and Nana

(Chris' grandfather and grandmother)

Popie and Nana with their sons and grandchildren

Popie and Jennifer with us on our wedding day

Popie seeing Josiah for the first time.

Popie with Josiah, Caleb, & Carissa.

4th of July

2011-07-18T13:16:00.011-04:00

For the 4th, we were pretty low key. We grilled out ribs with some friends, Brittany and Evan. We had thought about trying to see fireworks but they weren't going to start until 9:45. So, our friends graciously shared their sparklers with us. We told the kiddos to go ahead and get into their pjs and then went out as it started to get dark.

Some neighbors down the street had some really cool fireworks. So, we had our own private show. Much better than battling the crowds with tired, cranky kiddos.

All pictures are thanks to Brittany!!

Anne of Green Gables

2011-07-02T08:57:00.003-04:00

This summer we have been reading Anne of Green Gables in the evening before bed. The kiddos have really enjoyed getting to know Anne. I tell the boys I think she is a mixture of the two of them. They laugh. So, we finished the book last night. Tonight we will start watching the movie!! I don't know who's more excited: them or me!!
My guess is we will be starting Anne of Avonlea soon.

15 Years!!

2011-06-29T12:39:00.007-04:00

For our anniversary, we were able to get away to the cool mountains for the weekend.

Wow!! 15 years ago today, I married my best friend.

We stayed at The Grand Bohemian. It was wonderful and very relaxing. They took very good care of us, sending us a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

On Saturday, we went up into the mountains and then down into Little Cataloochee.

Driving through the valley, we saw 2 elk + a baby, an owl, numerous butterflies, but no bears.

We stopped to see the little schoolhouse.

It was a great, relaxing weekend. And we definitely ate good up in Asheville: Tupelo Honey, Early Girl, Corner Kitchen.

I am so thankful to be married to such an awesome, hard-working, family man!!

Biltmore

2011-06-27T12:35:00.003-04:00

I was able to get a discount ticket (because we homeschool) to go to Biltmore. I've been wanting to take the kiddos but it is so expensive and I was also waiting for them to get a little older. We went up there last Wednesday. We saw most of the estate. We went through the "castle" in probably a record 45 minutes. (The tour of the house is supposed to take 90 minutes.) I knew the kids weren't interested in every little antique. We just talked about the purpose of each room and went on to the next. The favorite was the library. They also like the pool in the basement.

After going through the house, we met Grammy and Bops for a picnic lunch. Then Bops showed us where to feed the geese.

After lunch we toured the winery. The kiddos got to taste grape juice, fresh-squeezed that morning, in the Tasting Room.

A nice older gentleman offered to take a picture of all of us. The kiddos are sitting on a statue of Cedric, the Vanderbilt's dog.

WNC Nature Center

2011-06-27T11:40:00.003-04:00

On Josiah's bday, we were able to go up to the WNC Nature Center with Bops. The Nature Center is a small zoo with native animals. We saw rattlesnakes, frogs, fish. We saw samples of various minerals. Josiah identified talc and commented on how it is the softest mineral and diamonds are the hardest. We saw wolves. Unfortunately, they were sleeping because they are nocturnal.

We saw River Otters. They were playing and swimming in the water. There was a slide on which the kids could pretend to be otters.

We saw black bears. They weren't very active either.

The kiddos like the little petting zoo.

They enjoyed naming the goats. This one they named Chocolate.

The cougars were very active. They were chasing each other and pouncing on each other.

Most of the animals native to NC seem to be nocturnal. We also saw coyotes, raccoons, foxes, and owls. Most of them were sleeping.

Carissa's New School "Toys"

2011-06-27T11:30:00.005-04:00

I got these Melissa & Doug toys a while back when they were on sale at http://www.amazon.com/. I pulled them out for Carissa for the summer. She has loved them. They keep her busy while the boys are finishing up their work.

Happy 8th Birthday, Josiah!!

2011-06-27T10:38:00.006-04:00

I can't believe it has been 8 years since we brought you home. You have been growing ever since.

You were always active, even from the first.

You have such an amazing active imagination.

You are growing into a brave young man.

Daddy and I love your enthusiasm for life.

You are growing into a great young man.

Caleb's Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-01T10:07:00.004-04:00

Caleb graduated from kindergarten this morning! Singing with his class
Waiting for his name to be called

The Graduate!

Caleb with his teachers, Mrs. Blevins and Mrs. Trammell

All of us

Adventures in Homeschooling

2011-05-27T09:33:00.007-04:00

Spring a year ago, we decided to take Josiah out of public school to homeschool him. I went through a huge learning curve on all things homeschool. I was very overwhelmed at first with how much there is out there. Thankfully, I have several friends who homeschool who could point me in the right direction.

Here is Josiah on the first day of homeschooling.We decided to use Tapestry of Grace for our main curriclum. We have loved it. It covers history (including church history), geography, literature, and music/art appreciation. It is meant to be used by families with several children. They can all study the same thing while each student works on his/her own level.

This year we did Year 1: The History of Redemption. This covered creation through the fall of Rome. Here is a picture Josiah drew when we were studying ancient Egypt.

Here is Josiah dressed as a Roman on a field trip to BJU Museum & Gallery.

For science this year, we have studied Animals, the Human Body, and Plants. Here are some pictures of things we have studied this year.

Amphibians

Insects

Mammals (here we took a field trip to a dairy farm)

Reptiles

We studied all the major systems of the body.

Then we studied plants. Here is Josiah on a tree walk trying to find

evergreen and deciduous trees.

For Bible, Josiah copied a few verses each day from the book of James. He has worked through the entire book this year.

For Spelling we used Spelling Workout. This curriculum used crossword puzzles, riddles, and other fun things to teach various phonics rules.

For Math we used Math-U-See. I really liked this curriculum but it wasn't a great fit for Josiah. So next year we are switching to Progress in Mathematics. We'll see how it works out.

For Handwriting we have used Handwriting Without Tears. Josiah has done really well with this. He started learning cursive this year.

On Fridays, we changed things up a bit. For Bible, Josiah wrote and drew in his Gratitude Journal.

For Spelling, Josiah used English From the Roots Up. I love this book. It has Latin and Greek words in it with English words which are derived from them. I picked a word for each week that generally went along with what we were studying in science. He has learned the Latin numbers I - X as well as various words like:

Zoon (Greek) - animal; zoo, zoology

Pes (Latin) - foot; pedestrian, pedestal

Bios (Greek) - life; biology, bionic

Instead of Math we did Logic. We used Building Thinking Skills.

We also added figures we had studied that week to our timeline.

While working on this fun, different stuff on Fridays, we tried to listen to some music that went along with what we were studying. Some of what we have listened to has been Egyptian, Hebrew, Chinese, Native American, and Greek music played on ancient instruments.

Overall, this year has been a great success. I look forward to adding in Caleb next year. He is excited about homeschooling next year. It will be different having two to teach and should be an adventure.

Caleb's Field Trip

2011-05-14T13:52:00.003-04:00

Caleb's kindergarten class had a field trip to our Children's Museum. He had a great time running around playing with all the various fun displays.

Mother's Day

2011-05-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

We got to have lunch with Grammy and Bops on Saturday.

Me with my three!!

Spring Soccer

2011-05-07T10:30:00.003-04:00

Caleb has really been a great goalie this season.

Since Josiah is still 7 and Caleb just turned 6, for this season, the boys get to play soccer on the same team.

Caleb and his friend, Cal

The boys were able to get on the same team as their friends, Miles and Cal

Josiah has been doing great getting the ball from the other team.

Field trip today

2011-05-06T14:58:00.004-04:00

Carissa with a shark tooth

A shark tooth found at the mini-fossil dig.

Josiah with a corn snake

Carissa petting the corn snake

Josiah listening for his heart beat

Carissa listening to hers

So....

I've been homeschooling Josiah this past year. We decided about this time last year to homeschool him this year so he could work on his own level and at his own pace.

Today we took a field trip to Roper Mountain Science Center for their homeschool day. We had a great time. They had so much to do it was impossible to see everything. I hope they will do this again next year so we can go back and see some of the things we missed. Here are some pictures from today. Carissa tagged along with us since she didn't have preschool today.

We're back

2011-05-03T10:37:00.002-04:00

A friend has been telling me that I need to start blogging again. So, here I am. It looks like I haven't written anything in over a year and a half. Over the next week, I'll try to write about what we've been up to in that time. For now, here's a picture from last summer.

Patriots Point: USS Yorktown

2009-08-05T19:29:00.003-04:00

New Recipe: Pasta Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables and Fresh Mozzarella

2009-06-17T19:07:00.004-04:00

Pasta Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables and Fresh Mozzarella

The kiddos all loved this tonight. And the boys had great fun putting the veggies on the skewer. I added mushrooms (a BIG hit) to the recipe and I grilled all the veggies except the spinach. I also used Italian dressing since I wasn't sure how the kiddos would like balsamic vinegarette. Oh, I also used whole wheat veggie pasta.

Video: Josiah's K5 Graduation

2009-06-01T13:00:00.004-04:00

Video: Josiah Loses His First Tooth

2009-06-01T11:32:00.008-04:00

Caleb's quote of the week

2009-05-30T13:44:00.002-04:00

Driving home last night I hear from the backseat, "Mama, there's a bug on me."

Me: "OK, well, just flick him off."

Caleb: "OK"

A few minutes later.

Caleb: "He's stuck on my tongue."

Me: "Well, spit him out! What's the bug doing on your tongue?"

Josiah, "Mama, you told him to lick the bug off."

All I could do was laugh!!

Twists!!

2009-05-13T19:22:00.002-04:00

I tried doing twists in Carissa's hair tonight. One of Josiah's classmates told me how to do it. Here is how it turned out!

New recipe: Ham and Pasta Salad

2009-05-13T18:15:00.003-04:00

Found this in the Southern Living Everyday Menus cookbook. It's a great light summer dish. I made it according to the recipe but after having it I think it would be great to play around with it some. Minus the ham and add some veggies and it would make a great vegetarian dish. Since I had some frozen ham leftover from Easter, this recipe took me only about 20 min. to make!!

Ham and Pasta Salad

8 oz. penne pasta, cooked (I used pipe rigate. The kids thought it looked like snails.)
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1 cup ranch dressing (I used light organic.)
4 green onions, sliced
2 T fresh parsley
2 T fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t pepper

Toss together cooked pasta with remaining ingredients. Serve immediatly.

Josiah's questions at dinner

2009-05-12T18:24:00.002-04:00

At dinner tonight Josiah, almost 6, asked me, "Mama, does 1 - 100 = -99?" Me, "Umm, yes!" Josiah, "Mama, does 2 -3 = -1?" Me, "Umm, yes!"

About a month ago he asked me if 7 x 11 = 77.

I think we might have a math genius in the family!

Braids!!

2009-04-30T09:29:00.004-04:00

Carissa got her hair braided yesterday. Here are some pix.

Video: Playing Ball with Daddy

2009-04-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

Carissa's new words

2009-04-20T15:25:00.001-04:00

home
door
stairs
up
down
see
Batman
sandwich
pizza
cookie
sausage
talk
STOP!!
wrestle
hug

Video: Daddy and His Girl

2009-04-03T08:21:00.002-04:00

Video: Caleb's Debut on the Piano

2009-04-03T08:02:00.002-04:00

Video: Josiah's & Caleb's Star Wars Song

2009-04-02T19:23:00.003-04:00

Video: Meredith's Baby Shower

2009-04-02T17:28:00.005-04:00

Video: Josiah Explains His Star Wars Picture

2009-03-20T14:02:00.004-04:00

Carissa's new words

2009-03-19T08:49:00.002-04:00

trash
eyes
ears
mouth
nose
hair
be-bo (belly button)
horse
mouse

Carissa's new words

2009-03-18T08:14:00.002-04:00

mine
milk
cereal
done

Carissa's new words

2009-03-17T09:08:00.001-04:00

car
food
Diego

Carissa's new words

2009-03-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

door
chair
home
pants
dress

Carissa's new words

2009-03-12T12:59:00.002-04:00

purple
pink
butterfly
pretty
beautiful
earring

Carissa's new words

2009-03-11T09:18:00.001-04:00

purse
princess
seat
book
bracelet

Video: Snow Day

2009-03-10T18:40:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday night we got our first good snow of the year. Monday the schools were closed so the kiddos had a fun day playing in the snow. It is hard to believe that was just last weekend and today it was almost 80!!

Video: The Epic Battle Against Darth Vader

2009-03-08T11:44:00.003-04:00

Last weekend my mother and brother visited. The boys love playing rough with Uncle Will.

Video: Caleb's 1st Basketball Season

2009-03-07T14:11:00.002-05:00

Here is the video from Caleb's 1st Basketball season.

Video: Josiah's 1st School Project

2009-03-07T11:36:00.002-05:00

Video: Trip to the Health Adventure in Ashevile

2009-03-06T16:43:00.002-05:00

In January, we took Josiah and Caleb, along with Ellie and Sam, to the Health Adventure for Caleb's 4th Bday. Here is the video from our adventure.

Carissa's quote of the week

2009-03-06T12:29:00.002-05:00

Carissa has started shouting "Dada" very excitedly everytime she sees a cyclist. Today as we drove through a park to get Caleb from school she saw several cyclists (because the weather is so spring-like today). Carissa screamed "Dada" at every one of them!

Another new favorite recipe

2009-02-19T17:43:00.002-05:00

Here is another new favorite recipe. Lasagna with Spinach. Some of us aren't crazy about so many peppers so I substituted zuchinni and squash. I also cut down on the amount of red pepper. And since cottage cheese comes in 2 cup containers I just used all 4 cups instead of the 3 cups the recipe calls for.

New Favorite Recipe

2009-02-16T08:17:00.002-05:00

We made Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas last night. 4 out of 5 of us loved it. I did substitute a tomatillo salsa for the quickie green chili sauce.

Natural Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent

2009-02-14T13:09:00.003-05:00

From a friend from college I found out about making our own natural detergents, both for the laundry and the dishwasher. I have tried both and so far both seem to be working great. Here are the links for each.

Natural Laundry Detergent

Natural Dishwasher Detergent

Carissa's new words

2009-02-14T13:08:00.000-05:00

'Rissa

Carissa's new words

2009-02-07T18:45:00.002-05:00

moon
bath
purse

Carissa's new words

2009-02-06T17:12:00.003-05:00

eyeball
bubbles
April
ready (everytime the timer on microwave or oven goes off)

Caleb's 1st Basketball Game

2009-02-05T09:13:00.004-05:00

Here is a short video of Caleb's 1st basketball game. He is #3.

Josiah's Art: Sh Lotus

2009-02-04T16:47:00.002-05:00

Josiah's Art: Alien drawn in art class

2009-01-26T09:14:00.001-05:00

Josiah's Art: Kung Fu Panda

2009-01-26T09:12:00.001-05:00

Carissa's new words

2009-01-21T17:00:00.002-05:00

Nessie (our cat)
thank you
Grandpa
Omi
cheesestick (favorite snack)
hamster
horse
potty
peepee
poopoo

Caleb playing basketball

2009-01-14T10:48:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics from Caleb's basketball practice.

Here are the players waiting for the tip off in Caleb's first game. Caleb is #3.

Ww Lotus

2009-01-12T19:06:00.001-05:00

Here is some of Josiah's school work. They refer to this as a lotus.

Movie: Cleaning

2009-01-08T11:47:00.004-05:00

Here is my first attempt at a movie made from video I shot with my new camcorder. The kiddos, including Carissa, love watching it!

Christmas, Part 2

2009-01-02T11:56:00.003-05:00

Here are pics from our Christmas with Chris' family.

Three generations: my mom-in-law, Linda, my sis-in-law, Michelle, & my niece, Amanda

Daddy and his girlThe boys with their cousin, Ben.Bops, Grammy, & the boys

Playing with the Leapster!

Christmas

2008-12-30T18:21:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics from Christmas day.With their cousin, Ashley.Here are some pics from the day after Christmas. The boys loved playing with their cousins.Carissa in her strawberry getup. My mom made this for me when I was little. I recently found it and thought it would go great with the strawberry teaset we'd already gotten Carissa for Christmas. Carissa is holding the strawberry teapot (and the brush from her "purse").

Christmas cookies

2008-12-21T18:58:00.004-05:00

This year I have given up on making decorated sugar cookies. For one, I'm just too lazy to roll out dough and then use cookie cutters. For two, Josiah can't have colored sugar or sprinkles and the naturally colored ones are really expensive. So, this year I decided to make some cookies that the boys could help with but do not require colored sprinkles. Here are what we have made so far.

Peppermint Cookies

These were a big hit!! I used natural candy canes, organic shortening, and white whole wheat flour.

"Chocolate" Chip Cookies

I used the Toll House recipe for pan cookies and substituted carob chips since Josiah can't have chocolate. I also substituted white whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour.

Snickerdoodles

This is a family recipe that I remember doing when I was a child. This recipe is similar to my grandmother's. The difference is we roll the cookies in cinnamon and sugar! I also used organic shortening and white whole wheat flour.

Happy 4th Birthday, Caleb!!

2008-12-21T18:48:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics from Caleb's birthday. I can hardly believe that is was four years ago when we were surprised with Caleb 8 days before Christmas. I still remember family members saying, "But I've already finished Christmas shopping" when we told them we were getting Caleb. It was really hard that first year, but what a great Christmas surprise!!

Caleb's Christmas program

2008-12-21T18:40:00.004-05:00

Here are pics from Caleb's Christmas program and Happy Birthday Jesus party. Caleb was a little confused about who the bday party was for since it was actually on his own birthday.

Singing Jingle Bells.Hearing the Christmas story.With his best friend at school, Noah.Caleb's angel table decoration.

Gingerbread House

2008-12-21T18:30:00.002-05:00

Here is our attempt at a gingerbread house this year. I think an engineer would say that it is structurally unsound. But it is still standing and the boys had fun!

Savannah trip

2008-12-21T18:14:00.004-05:00

This post is long overdue. Here are a few pics from our trip to Savannah in November. We were able to see the Boatrights, Moodys, Grosses, and Gilreaths, but with so many kids I don't think any of us got out our cameras. We'll have to do better next time.

Here are the boys watching a movie on the DVD player (which we said we would never get, but has been one of the best gifts) while their sister naps.

Carissa's new words

2008-11-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Bops
Grammy
down
ball
Minnie

Carissa's new words

2008-11-19T18:59:00.003-05:00

out

nana (banana)

Today at Walmart on the tp aisle suddenly Carissa starts barking like a dog. I'm wondering why she is doing this until I spot this...

Then she starts saying, "Baby, baby, baby, ..." Low and behold, this is what I find next.

Then I hear, "Bear, bear, bear, ..." And you'll never guess which brand was next.

Family Pictures

2008-11-18T15:13:00.005-05:00

While in Savannah for Popie's 90th bday party, we had family pictures taken with my family. Laura Henderson of Henderson Squared did an excellent job! If you are in Savannah, definitely check her out.Here are 4 generations! My grandmother, Janis, my mother, Carol, me, & Carissa.

These two pictures capture Josiah and Caleb's relationship beautifully!

Carissa's new words

2008-11-17T19:29:00.002-05:00

oh, wow
'Siah
bye-bye

Carissa's new words

2008-11-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

all done
baby (with the sign)

Muffins!

2008-11-08T14:13:00.003-05:00

This morning I've been baking muffins to put in the freezer to easily pull out for breakfast on school mornings. Both recipes have high protein in them since protein is good for the brain, helping it to learn more easily.

Almond Butter Muffins

1 cup almond butter

1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1T almond extract

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 T baking powder

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

Preheat oven to 375*. Grease muffin cups or use liners.

With mixer, blend almond butter, eggs, & sugars. Add milk in 3 parts. Add almond extract. Add flour, baking powder, & flaxseed. Mix just until flour disappears. Spoon into muffin cups and bake 20 min. or until tester comes out clean. Leave in cups for 5 min., then turn out onto cooling rack.

(This recipe is modified from a peanut butter muffin recipe, but since Josiah can't have pb for 2 weeks we tried almond butter. They turned out great.)

Sausage Muffins

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup bread flour

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 t salt

1/2 t onion powder

1 1/2 cups grated swiss cheese, divided

1 egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 pound sausage, browned like ground beef

Preheat oven to 375*. Grease muffin cups or use liners and spray with non-stick spray.

Whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & onion powder. Add 1 1/4 cups swiss cheese, mixing to coat.

In separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add to flour mixture and stir until all is moistened. Stir in sausage.

Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining swiss cheese. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let sit in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.

(This recipe is modified from the Ham and Cheese Rye Muffins from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.)

Carissa's new words

2008-11-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Hot
Eat (along with the sign)
Bear

Trip to the allergist

2008-11-06T19:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Josiah had his big trip to the allergist to be tested. We got no big surprises for the environmental allergens. He is slightly allergic to some trees, some grasses, mildew, dust mites, cats, and dogs. He was also tested for food allergens because we suspected there might be some along with his food sensitivities and also wondered if foods were an asthma trigger. We found out that he is slightly allergic to English walnuts, peanuts, and baker's yeast! The peanuts and baker's yeast were a huge surprise. He eats a peanut butter and honey or jelly sandwich everyday for lunch (since he can't eat the school lunches). The doctor explained that these are slight allergies. They aren't life threatening. Josiah doesn't need an epi-pen. But the doctor wants us to take Josiah off of peanuts and baker's yeast for the next 2 weeks and then introduce them separately. We are to watch for any signs of a reaction, whether this is behavioral, nasal, or asthmatic.

So, I went to Whole Foods today to find something for his lunches to replace the PB sandwich. I found cashew, almond, and soy butter. Josiah said he wanted to try the cashew butter. Finding a yeast-free bread was another matter. Even gluten-free breads use yeast. So, I ended up with some tortillas/wraps.

After I got home, I did some research online on baker's yeast allergies. I found out that there are lots of different kinds of yeast. Josiah was only tested for baker's yeast which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the most commonly used yeast in breads. I found out that the yeast that is naturally made in the starter for sourdough bread is not the same. Thankfully, Josiah likes sourdough. I also found online a recipe for a wheat bread that uses baking soda to make it rise.

The doctor wants to start Josiah on allergy shots once a week. He also suggested we try cutting an adult Singulair in half since Josiah reacts to the "inactive" ingredients in the children's chewable.

Overall, Josiah did great at the allergist. He got 60 things tested on his back. Thankfully, they did not use needles!

Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Superman, Wonderwoman, & Spiderman

2008-10-31T21:12:00.005-04:00

Batman, Robin, & CatwomanWith Ms. Lou & Maggie

Lining up for the neighbohood parade.

Caleb with his two best friends, Ethan (Spiderman) and Sam (Superman)Josiah with his girl, Ellie (Wonderwoman)All of us having pizza.Trick or treating at Mrs. Patti's house.

Fruit fly biology experiment?

2008-10-31T13:05:00.002-04:00

No, we aren't doing a fruit fly biology experiment. We have been infested with fruit flies and they are driving us crazy. A friend said she knew how to get rid of them. Put vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) in a jar. Then make a funnel (taped together) and place in the jar (not touching the vinegar). As you can see it really works to attract and trap the fruit flies!

Caleb's quote of the week

2008-10-31T07:29:00.002-04:00

This conversation happened earlier this week.

Caleb: (In the kitchen looking at a tile I use for hot dishes) Why is this broken, Mama?

Me: I don't remember how it got broken.

Caleb: Maybe Goliath broke it. He's really big and strong.

Me: Umm, didn't David kill Goliath?

Caleb: No.

(Maybe we need to work on our Bible story endings a little more.)

BooVox

2008-10-30T20:06:00.002-04:00

Every year Chris' work, NuVox, puts on a Halloween Party. The boys love going and playing the different games.

Here they are coloring.Carissa stuck in the stoller as usual. (I can't keep up with 3 running 3 different ways yet!)Pumpkin painting (always a favorite)

Batman, Robin, & Catwoman

Apple picking

2008-10-19T17:16:00.006-04:00

Here are some pics from the apple orchard today.

The boys seem to be at that stage when they won't just smile for a picture. They have to do a cheesy smile or a silly face:) My three boys!
Getting a descent picture of the three of them is impossible nowadays. Here are some of the better ones.

Pumpkins!

2008-10-17T12:16:00.004-04:00

Since I'm too lazy to carve pumpkins we always decorate ours. I found these plastic face pieces at Walmart for $3.50 this year. I like it that I can wash them to reuse next year.

Here are each of the kiddos with their respective pumpkins.

Josiah's 1st Field Trip

2008-10-17T11:44:00.003-04:00

Josiah got to go on his first field trip yesterday. They went to the apple orchard. I got to go with him!

Here he is petting the rabbits.

Trying to get through the maze.
Here is the whole class listening closely to Mrs. Hudson about what to do next.
On the hayride.
Josiah and meWaiting our turn to pick out our apples.Here is the whole class with Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Cooley.

Josiah can read!

2008-10-17T11:18:00.002-04:00

Here is Josiah reading to Chris. He's learned to read very fast. Now I can't spell things in front of him. He is able to figure out what I'm saying!

Fall Festival

2008-10-14T11:07:00.005-04:00

The first weekend in October Josiah's school had their fall festival. My dad and his wife (Grandpa and Omi) were able to be here. Here are some pics from the weekend.

A rare one of Chris and me!

Grandpa and Josiah
Omi tickling Caleb
Waiting in line for a bouncy house.
Carissa laughing.
Caleb going down the slide.
Josiah at the soccer station.
Trying to get the ring on a coke bottle.
Pulling for a prize.
Grandpa, Carissa, Caleb, Josiah, & Omi

Diet Part 5: Restaurants

2008-10-09T09:58:00.003-04:00

When we started eliminating things from Josiah's diet, eating out became a NIGHTMARE. At first we just avoided all restaurants. We would sometimes eat at the buffet at Whole Foods. But this got to be old. Sometimes it's just nice to sit down, order, and be served. And we wondered what we would do when family came in town and wanted to go out to eat. Or when we go out of town how would we feed Josiah without the trip being a disaster? Then a friend told me about another friend (who is on a similar diet for health reasons) who had found some restaurants she could go to. I emailed her to ask for tips. I cannot express how thankful I am to be able to take Josiah out to eat. It can be a minefield, but we are learning to avoid the mines.

Here are the steps I take before we go out to eat.

1)A few days before going out to eat, decide which restaurant we are going to.
2)Look online for their menu.
3)Find one or two items I know Josiah would like to order. (Sometimes I ask him to pick.)
4) On the day before we go, call the restaurant at a non-busy time.
5)Ask to speak with a manager or chef.
6)Explain that my son has food sensitivities and we would like to eat at their restaurant, but we need to know the ingredients of one or two of their items. (They will sometimes ask what he is allergic to. I respond that he's not allergic and that the list of things he is sensitive to is way too long, plus they wouldn't know if their food has these things without looking.)
7)I then mention the specific dish and ask them to tell me the ingredients.
8)If they mention any ingredient that is pre-made (ex. ketchup, mayo, bbq sauce, soy sauce, salad dressing, etc) I get them to go get that bottle and read me the ingredients. If anything that comes with the dish is fried (ex. french fries) I get them to check what they fry it in. (I've had one restaurant tell me that on their container of cooking grease it said that it was manufactured on the same equipment as other things with MSG!)
9)I make sure to ask about the ingredients of any side dishes that may come with the meal. (Ex. The mashed potatoes that came with one meal had cream and butter in them. I had them go look at the ingredients for these two items. Sure enough, they had things in them Josiah couldn't have.) Also, don't forget the ingredients of the bread that may also come with the meal.
10)I thank the manager or chef for taking their time to help me out.

Most restaurants have been great about helping me. Usually local restaurants which make their meals fresh daily are ok. Chain restaurants which serve boxed frozen items which are shipped to them are not going to be ok. We have found some chain restaurants that have gluten-free items. If they are conscious about that then usually we can find a dish that Josiah can eat.

Here is a list of restaurants that we have found we can eat at.

Trios - All their food is made fresh.
Mellow Mushroom - We usually get a white pizza with spinach and mushrooms.
P.F. Changs - We get the Crispy Honey Shrimp made with the gluten-free soy sauce. (This totally confuses the waiter because of course the battered shrimp aren't gluten-free. But the normal soy sauce has sodium benzoate and the gluten-free has no preservatives.) They also have some gluten-free dishes.
Frodo's Pizza - only fresh toppings (Anything premade/canned will most likely have preservatives. Ex. pepperoni, ham, sausage, pineapple, etc.)
Papa John's Pizza - same as Frodo's
Smoke on the Water - They made Josiah a special veggie side dish not on their menu because he couldn't have any of their side dishes!
Bonefish Grill - Children's Fried Shrimp is hand-battered, not the boxed, frozen kind! They also have several gluten-free dishes.

As a side note - Just because I list these restaurants that Josiah can eat at does not mean he can eat anything at these restaurants. We have found specific dishes which he can eat and those are the only ones he orders. (Thankfully, with kids they always want the same thing from the same place anyway, it seems.)

When we go out of town I use the above strategy for finding a restaurant Josiah can eat at.

Overall, this has worked really well for us to be able to go out to eat with family and for special occasions.

Diet Part 4: Meal Planning and Recipes

2008-10-07T12:51:00.003-04:00

I've had many people say to me, "Josiah can't eat anything! What do you feed him?" They are right in that Josiah can't eat most of what is sold in the grocery store. There are very few things that don't have high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial colors or flavorings. So, we buy natural and organic food. I only have to look out for salicylates and chocolate this way. We do alot of shopping at Whole Foods. They have their own generic brand, 365, for many items. We are able to find some things at Publix in their small organic section and Walmart is starting to carry some organic/natural items less expensive than Whole Foods.

I've also had many people follow the above question with "Your food budget must have gone up alot!" Yes, our food budget is more than it used to be, but it is not nearly as bad as we originally thought it might be. We have changed some of our eating habits to help with the budget. Instead of boxed processed crackers and snacks, which are expensive for the organic/natural versions, we eat more fresh veggies and fruits. Instead of boxed cereal for breakfast, I make some sort of egg dish. (The protein is very important for the brain first thing in the morning for learning.) We also don't eat as much meat. We do alot of vegetarian dishes. I guess we have become what is now being referred to as flexitarians.

Here is a sample menu for a typical weekday.

Breakfast
Quiche (sneak in some veggies in this)
cup of Happy Cow milk

Snack
fruit or cheese stick

Lunch
fresh tomatoes, celery, or carrots with ranch or italian dip
fresh fruit: banana, apple, peach, nectarine, grapes, pear (whatever is in season)
peanut butter (Skippy's Natural) and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread
or shells and alfredo (a 365 item)
cup of 100% juice diluted with water

Snack
crackers or cereal bar

Dinner
Apple Cheddar Quesadillas or
Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes or
Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Quesadillas or
Chicken 'n' Spinach Pasta Bake or
Fettuccine with Shrimp & Zucchini or
Tomato and Cheddar Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches or
Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup or
Roasted Wild Salmon

Diet Part 3: Not just in foods

2008-10-02T13:24:00.002-04:00

As we tried to eliminate preservatives, additives, and other artificial things from Josiah's diet, we slowly realized that these things weren't just in the food we were eating. They are in vitamins, toothpaste, and medicines.

Most children's vitamins are sweetened, colored, and flavored. It is very common for these to be artificial. Here is the list of ingredients for a common children's vitamin. The ingredients that Josiah cannot have are in red.

Flintstones Complete Children's Multivitamin / Multimineral Supplement, Chewable Tablets

Ingredients
Sorbitol , Dicalcium Phosphate , Magnesium Phosphate , Choline Bitartrate , Sodium Ascorbate , Ferrous Fumarate , Gelatin , Natural & Artificial Flavors - Including Fruit Acids , Pregelatinized Starch , Vitamin E Acetate , Stearic Acid , Carrageenan , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil , Magnesium Stearate , Zinc Oxide , Niacinamide , D-Calcium Pantothenate , FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake , FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake , Xylitol , Aspartame , FD&C Blue No. 2 Lake , Cupric Oxide , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride , Sucrose , Riboflavin , Thiamine Mononitrate , Vitamin A Acetate , Beta Carotene , Monoammonium Glycyrrhizinate , Folic Acid , Soybean Oil , Potassium Iodide , Butylated Hydroxytoluene [BHT], Biotin , Vitamin D , Magnesium Oxide , Vitamin B12

We were able to find all natural vitamins at Whole Foods.

Children's toothpaste typically has artificial sweeteners,colors, and flavors, also. Here is a kind of toothpaste that Josiah would have picked out before going on the diet.

Crest Kids Spider-Man Super Action Liquid Gel

Active Ingredients:Sodium Flouride (0.243%).
Inactive Ingredients:Sorbitol, Water, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Trisodium Phosphate, Cellulose Gum, Flavor, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Saccharin, Carbomer 956, Blue 1.

For toothpaste, we had to look around a little bit because most natural toothpastes are mint flavored which is high in salicylates. We finally found Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste Lemon-Lime.

As far as medicines go, we have had a much harder time finding ones Josiah can take. As for the common children's medicines here are the ingredients.

Children's Motrin Suspension Liquid - Tropical Punch Flavor

acesulfame potassium, citric acid [salicylates], corn starch, FD&C Red #40, flavors, glycerin, polysorbate 80, purified water, sodium benzoate, sucralose, sucrose, xanthan gum

Even the Children's Motrin Suspension Liquid - Dye-Free Berry Flavor has ingredients Josiah cannot have.

acesulfame potassium, citric acid [salicylates], corn starch, glycerin, natural and artificial flavors, polysorbate 80, purified water, sodium benzoate, sucrose, xanthan gum

Children's Tylenol Grape Splash

Butylparaben, cellulose, citric acid, corn syrup, D&C Red#33, FD&C Blue #1, flavors, glycerin, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol, xanthan gum.

Children's Benadryl

Active Ingredients:Per Teaspoonful (5 mL): Diphenhydramine HCI 12.5 mg.
Inactive Ingredients:Citric Acid; D&C Red No. 33; FD&C Red No. 40; Flavors; Glycerin; Polyxamer 407; Purified Water; Sodium Benzoate; Sodium Chloride; Sodium Citrate; Sugar.

Thankfully Josiah does not need a pain medication very often. He weighs enough now for me to crush one adult ibuprofen tablet for him to eat in a spoon of peanut butter.

We are still working on medicines that Josiah can take to control his allergies and asthma.

Diet Part 2: Behavior After

2008-09-26T09:47:00.002-04:00

Josiah's behavior since going on the Feingold Diet has improved drastically. He is able to sit still (or as still as a normal 5 yr old boy can). He is able to control his behavior and choose to obey. We can have a calm conversation with him about his behavior. He is more loving to his siblings.

I can very easily tell when he has accidentally had something to eat which he shouldn't have. There were a few times he came home from PK4 last year and was literally bouncing off the walls and furniture. He wouldn't go to sleep for his nap. I would then ask him about what he had had to eat at school and sure enough we would be able to figure out he had eaten something with preservatives or additives.

I remember one very distinct time after our Community Group on Sunday evening. We usually eat dinner together and everyone brings something different to contribute. Needless to say, some of the food that is brought cannot be eaten by Josiah. So, one night we were having tacos. I looked on the bag of tortillas which had been brought for the group and there were 5 ingredients that Josiah couldn't have. Also, the cheese had artificial color (very common). So, I made him a taco with our tortillas and cheese. But then he wanted a second one and Chris made him one forgetting to get out our tortillas and cheese. Josiah only ate 1 taco with the bad ingredients. But within a few hours he was literally laughing hysterically about nothing, jumping on the bed, and not going to sleep. I knew he had had something he shouldn't have. I asked Chris and we finally figured out that he had made Josiah the second taco without our tortillas and cheese. Josiah finally got to sleep about 11:30PM. I had hoped he would sleep in but no, he was up early. When he woke up on Tuesday morning he was finally back to being our Josiah.

When Josiah accidentally eats something or has to take a medicine with something in it (another post), it is like he has taken an upper. He's on a drug high. Depending on how much has gotten into his system this high can last for up to 3 days. For a medicine which he has to be on for several days, it can take up to 2 weeks to fully get out of his system.

Josiah doesn't like himself when he is on a high. He has said that he hates himself and has even mentioned wanting to die. Josiah has told us that he likes himself better on his diet. He is extremely compliant about it. He doesn't want eat anything with preservatives or additives. He has even questioned people who are giving him food, asking if it has high fructose corn syrup in it. He see a bright colored cake or cupcakes and asks if it has artificial or natural colors in it. He has said that he can't eat at Chick-fil-A (one of his previous favorites) because they have MSG in their chicken.

Thankfully, if Josiah accidentally eats something, it is not life-threatening. He doesn't need to carry around an epi-pen. Whatever he ate will eventually get out of his system. But it does make life miserable for those few days.

Carissa's sign language

2008-09-26T09:39:00.003-04:00

I taught some signs to the boys when they were toddlers. I have been doing the same with Carissa. She knows "please" really well.

Yesterday I introduced "more" and she immediatley started signing it.

Diet, Part 1: Food sensitivities

2008-09-25T11:05:00.004-04:00

As many of you know and some of you don't, back in February we put Josiah on the Feingold Diet. (I use "diet" for lack of a better term. Not diet as in weight loss, but diet as in a restriction of foods for a medical reason, like diabetes.)

But I am jumping ahead of myself. At the beginning of the year we were at our wits ends about what to do with Josiah. He was out of control and nothing we did seemed to help. In some instances, we felt like we were making it worse. We had come to the conclusion that he must be ADD though the symptoms didn't quite seem to fit, they fit better than anything else. I was in despair. I refused to have my son put on Ritalin and have him drugged. For about a week I was depressed and saw no hope. Then a good friend suggested I research whether there was any diet or supplements which would help. What I found has revolutionized our household (and led me to become aware of other issues of which I was ignorant, but that will be for a future post).

I found the Feingold website. Basically, we decided to try this diet to see if it would help at all. Within a month, there was a remarkable change. I had people who didn't know we had changed Josiah's diet comment on how much calmer he was. I had family who don't see Josiah on a regular basis say that they could see a dramatic change in Josiah from pre-diet to post-diet.

What we found was basically Josiah has food sensitivities. This is different from food allergies. It is not life threatening like allergies, but can be just as serious. Josiah is sensitive to preservatives, artificial additives, and some salicylates. Salicylates are natural preservatives found in just about every fruit and vegetable.

Our library didn't have any of the Feingold books so I found a similar one. I found The ADD Nutrition Solution by Marcia Zimmerman. I was amazed at how artificial preservatives and additives affect our bodies. Since Josiah doesn't have a specific food he has to avoid (it is hidden ingredients) I have a list on my refrigerator. I've got it memorized so I can look at an ingredient list and know right off if there is something he can't have. An example would be ketchup. He can have ketchup. He just can't have the kind with ingredients that include high fructose corn syrup (usually the 2nd ingredient!) and red #40. Both are common ingredients in ketchup.

Here is Josiah's list.

CANNOT HAVE ANY:
artificial colors (any of the # colors)
artificial flavors
ADA (azodicarbonamide)
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
Calcium propianate
calcium sulfite
caramel color
casein
citric acid
corn oil
corn syrup
cottonseed oil
dextrose
disodium inosinate
disodium guanylate
hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil
hydrolyzed corn protein
mono and diglycerides
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
natural smoke flavoring
sodium acid pyrophosphate
sodium benzoate
sodium erythrobate
sodium nitrite/nitrate
sodium phosphate
STPP (sodium stearoyl lactylate)
sodium tripolyphosphate
sulfites
sulfur dioxide
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone)
high fructose corn syrup
refined sugar
chocolate/cocoa

any artificial sweetner
Splenda (sucralose)
NutraSweet/Equal (aspartame)
Sunett (acesulfame potassium) saccharin
Olean (olestra)

Salicylates-----------
NO oranges/OJ
limited raisins
limited tomatoes
limited grapes/GJ
ONLY Golden Delicious apples
Must have 100% juice (limited to one diluted cup/day) NO sugar added, NO juice cocktails (check ingredients to be sure)

Bikes

2008-09-20T19:45:00.000-04:00

Today all the kids rode their bikes in the wonderful fall weather.

Here's Caleb on his new bike. He got it for his adoption day back in July. I took video of him then but have been having trouble uploading videos so haven't been able to post it.

Here is Josiah riding without training wheels for the first time! Carissa kept bothering Caleb's bike, so on a whim I got out his old tricycle and she loved it. She threw a fit when I took her off of it to go inside. (Our cat, Nessie (short for Nestle chocolate), is in the background.) Carissa is signing "please" for something in this pic. She's got "please" down real well, we just need to work on some other signs so we know what she's asking for. And, yes, I totally forgot to put a helmet on her (a big NO-NO in the Dyches' household)!! I'll have to remember next time to take out the cute bow and put a helmet on her head.

Carissa's new words

2008-09-20T19:44:00.001-04:00

ni-ni (night-night)
eye
Mer (Meredith)

Josiah's Adoption Day

2008-09-18T09:50:00.001-04:00

Josiah's adoption day was the 12th. We got him a trailer bike. He loves it. Chris took him to school this morning on it.

Pictures of Caleb

2008-09-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are some pics of Caleb. He is in his Robin costume, which is what he picked out for Halloween.Caleb with Carissa. I found her a mask and cat ears for her Catwoman costume for Halloween. She loves wearing them and throws a fit when I take them off.

Soccer & BatGirl

2008-09-16T09:42:00.001-04:00

Josiah is playing soccer for his third season. He seems to be one of the older, taller ones on his team. I feel sorry for the other players when he is on the field because they hardly get to touch the ball. The assistant director of youth sports at the Y told me that Josiah could go ahead and move up to the 6-7 year old league in the spring even though he won't be 6 until June. That way he would be one of the smaller, younger ones and maybe wouldn't dominate the field so much.
Here's Josiah scoring a goal. (The ball went through the hole in the net.)

And goal #2, with no-one else in sight.
Carissa started walking about 2 weeks ago. She is really starting to move around. Lately, she has been taking the boys' batman mask and putting it up to her face. So, Saturday when she did this I decided to strap it on her and see if she would leave it. She loved it. She pranced around with it on her and if she accidentally took it off, she came back to me so I could put it back on her. I sang her the batman theme song but said Batgirl instead. (Nanannanana, BatGirl!) Carissa tried to say the "nanannana" part!
I realize there hasn't been many pics of Caleb lately. (I guess typical middle child.) I will try to get some of him soon and post them. I think we will be signing him up for basketball which starts in January. We've decided it might not be best for him to compete against Josiah in soccer. So, we'll see how basketball goes. It should be hilarious to watch 4-5 year olds try to dribble a ball up and down the court.

Carissa's Word List

2008-09-09T20:02:00.000-04:00

I have added on the right sidebar a list of Carissa's new words. I will try to keep this updated as much as possible. The newest ones are at the top of the list.

I have also added some other new gadgets to the right sidebar. Check them out when you get a chance.

Carissa's bday pictures

2008-08-21T08:45:00.001-04:00

Here are Carissa's bday pictures. You MAY download them for computer use. They are low resolution so they won't print out well.

Josiah's first day of K5!

2008-08-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

Josiah started kindergarten today! Ms. Lou came over to stay with Caleb & Carissa so that Chris and I could both walk Josiah to school. Josiah did great. He went right in and we had to ask him to say goodbye to us. I was teary-eyed but determined not to cry because I had to go talk to the nurse about his asthma meds and I didn't want to be bawling when I went in the nurse's office.

Here is a picture of Josiah comforting Caleb because he was upset about Josiah leaving him to go to school. (Caleb will start K3 in 2 weeks.)
After I walked Josiah home from school we looked at the folder in his backpack which is supposed to have any notes to the parents or homework assignments in it. He was disappointed to learn that he did not have any homework the first day! He said he wanted to learn more.

When I was young my mom (and dad) always got my brother and me a cake on the first day of school with our grade on it. So, I decided to continue the tradition. Here is Josiah with his K5 cake! He chose Carrot Cake. I couldn't find my kindergarten pic but here is my 1st grade pic.

Caleb's quote of the week

2008-08-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

At dinner tonight, Caleb said the prayer. He usually names everything we are eating. This was his prayer tonight:

"Thank you, God, for Mama and Daddy, and for my friend, Sam, and for the shrimp, and (looking up at me) for what's this green stuff?"

"Zucchini"

"And thank you for the zucchini and the pasta. Amen."

Who threw the noodle?

2008-08-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

Mama: "Why is there a noodle next to your sister? Who threw it?"

Josiah: "Caleb did it."

Mama: "Josiah, don't say anything unless you are going to admit doing it."

Josiah: "I did it... But I don't really remember doing it."
Josiah: "I mean, I didn't throw the noodle, I just said that because I wanted to talk."