Supplements

Kate is starting new supplements and some are in capsule form.  So, she has been practicing taking capsules.  I got some empties at the health food store and she was trying to swallow those.  She is convinced that they won't fit down her throat so she waits until they are soft and squishes them and then swallows them.  So, today I filled one with vitamin C powder.  She swallowed it after it dissolved a bit.  I realized that she doesn't know how to gulp water.  She just swallows a little at time.  So I was explaining how to gulp and she was doing it pretty well.  So, I had her try a B vitamin.  She was pretty scared to do it, you know the whole fitting issue.  At last she tried it and it broke open and she swallowed it.  At least it went down.  And she didn't get upset by the bad taste of the B vitamin.  Phew.  I am excited for when it becomes easy for her.  We will keep practicing!  Luckily she is willing to practice.  Grateful for that!

Accepting Yourself

We all accept ourselves for certain aspects but not others.  We like this, but not that about ourselves.  So, in this process that we are going through, I am learning so much about myself and what I like or don't like about myself or other people.  And I often think, if I don't love myself exactly as I am, how can I expect my kid to love herself just as she is?  Loving every part of her and at the same time welcoming growth and change?  I think it starts with me.  I used to think this was all about Kate.  And sometimes I think it is really all about me.  Because whatever I believe and whatever is inside of me will emanate out into the world.  And Kate is my mirror.

And then Tuesday came...

I didn't want to title this post Worst Day Ever.  Tuesday was challenging for me, I will just say that.  You know how sometimes you get trapped in a negative interaction and you get so far into it that both people can't get out of that mode?  Well, that happened on Tuesday.  And it took me too long to figure out why both of us were so irritated.  When Kate is caught in the negativity, I get sucked in and add to it.  Finally when I see what is happening I go in the other room.  There is no other way to do it.  We just can't be around each other and calm down/get clear.  Tuesday took a long time to get back to happy.  I wish it was easier for both of us to learn that happiness is a choice.  We can choose to stay in the unhappy emotions or we can look for something happy to focus on.  But, I guess I have to learn it first and practice it daily and then maybe she will learn it too.

Best Day!!

Kate was happy almost all of today.  She had lots of energy and did the exercises easily.  She went to BB without a fuss even though Matt stayed home to rest.  And biggest of all...she willingly practiced swallowing empty supplement capsules!  She was able to swallow 2!!  We will practice some more tomorrow and start the new supplements when it is easy for her to swallow the empties.

Ooo, I almost forgot.  She also put a silk scarf around her and used it as a witches cape.  She tied it by herself and left it on for at least 15 minutes.  She is dressing up and pretending without any suggestions from me or anyone else.

Another wow moment.  Usually we do the exercises after each meal.  I was late getting dinner ready so I asked her if we could do the exercises BEFORE dinner and after some explaining she said YES.  Later, when we were doing the exercises she said that this was not how it usually will go, we will get back on schedule tomorrow.  Haha.  Yes, I agreed, it was just for tonight.  But that is some serious flexibility for her.

Matt and I gave each other several looks today like "Did you see what she just did?"  It was fun to have someone to share these moments where Kate is doing new things.

Tolerating new foods

For the past 6 months we have been trying to add new foods, especially new vegetables, into our diet.  I have also been trying to add different protein powders and green drinks.  I have been pretty unsuccessful in all my attempts. 

Well, today for lunch Kate ate a good portion of green beans.  For the past month she would only eat 1 or 2 every once in a while.  So we had green peas, green beans, avocado, and mixed greens for lunch. 

She also was willing to try some protein powder in coconut milk(the beverage kind).  She actually liked it and called it her milkshake.  And, she asked for more!  So I thought I would sneak some powdered green drink in with it and she still liked it.  For about 6 oz of coconut beverage I added 4 tsp of Vega (complete whole food health optimizer-berry flavor) and 1/4 scoop of Vitality Greens.  She even said she would drink it again.  Wahooo!

The glutathione cream is going well.  It has a mild smell to it which she doesn't mind too much.  It is a little hard to rub in but the benefits will be worth it. 

Matt is back from his camping trip and had a good time, but he got our sickness.  He usually heals quickly, hopefully that will be the case this time.

I'm off to bed early tonight!  Have a good one!

NEVER!!

I am NEVER......

going to go somewhere without my fur.
going to be independent in the bathroom (well, maybe when I'm 20).
going to get a drink for myself.
going to go to public school.
going anywhere without salamander.  Heeee.

Kate's recent declarations at my mention of possible new ways of doing things.  Just starting to drop some hints....ya know?

A joke!

Kate and I were in the car today on our way to the library.  I had to make a stop at the health food store and was mumbling about needing to pick up some cauliflower.  Kate says clearly from the back seat, "The library doesn't have cauliflower."  And I look in the rear view mirror and she has a funny little smirk on her face!  Usually I miss when she is trying to make a joke, but luckily I looked back so I could give her the response she was looking for.  It was a really funny moment and I couldn't stop laughing.

Some random things:
I have finally figured out a schedule so we can get 3 set of exercises done each day.  We do the exercises after each meal.  We stay home in the morning and if we need to go somewhere we go after the lunchtime exercises are done.  And then we come back in time to have an early dinner so we can do the last set by about 6pm.  Any later than that and she is super tired and I feel bad making her do sit-ups and such right before bed.

She is tolerating wearing the blocking glasses and earplug and listening to music during exercises.  At first she said, "No WAY!".  I have been saying that we will start something new tomorrow and then I make sure to do just that.  I am usually met with resistance, but when I say that I am not going to change my mind, she eventually does it.  This is a really big step.  We used to have half day struggles when I wanted to add something new and it usually ended with me giving up.  I am learning to stand my ground while being patient and calm.  Learning is the key word, hehe, some days I can do it easier than others.

Kate is getting her feelings hurt a lot!  She is super sensitive and if I say something in an irritated voice she runs to her bed crying.  I am happy about this because, although she has done this a little before, it is a new response.  She used to just yell at me if I hurt her feelings.  Now she says things like "I feel like you don't love me right now!".  So we have had lots of talks about that.

Kate and I have been pretty irritable and tired the last few days.  I have really been getting on her nerves and she lets me know it!  My throat still hurts a little and I have not been feeling very happy about it.  But, I have a plan in place to help it fully heal. 

I have to admit I have been feeling a little impatient the last few days.  Where are all the new exciting big changes?  I was hoping xyz would be not be an issue still.  Throughout this process I am learning so much about myself and where my limitations are.  Well, I was talking with my friend whose son is in the program and she is having a rough time too.  It certainly is a process for the parents as well as the kids.  And for the kids it is probably regression time!  Which is a good thing!! The kids are basically moving through the developmental stages again, but in a new, appropriate way.  All I know is that the hand-flapping and talking about the new interest (car washes) is happening frequently throughout the day. So, my thought is, she must be compensating for some pretty uncomfortable changes that are happening with her body and brain.  The stims (isms) are thought by some to be regulatory and even healing so she must need a lot of comfort right now.  So I am trying to deal with my "stuff" so I can be more supportive of Kate while she is going through these changes.

Tonight, Kate earned another gem.  It is a beautiful blue one.  She did the exercises 12 times to earn it and was pretty happy when she got it tonight.  That is my happy ending!! Good night wonderful friends!

New Additions

Matt came on Tuesday and we were all able to go to Kate's session on Wednesday.  Kate was so excited to show Matt around the center.  She gave him the tour and told him the activities she does in the sensory-motor room and the cognitive room.  Then, after Kate went in with Brianna, we got to watch from Tammy's office.  It was so cool.  And Tammy explained what she was doing and how it helps make new connections in the brain.  It was fun to see Kate cooperating with EVERYTHING Brianna asked her to do.  Brianna has a special way about her that is just what Kate likes.  Happy, positive, supportive.  Kate does so well with this approach, as do we all!!

Then we met with the Nutritionist and he went over the lab results with us.  We learned some good stuff about how Kate's body is working and not working. 
*Her sugar processing is still not working very well, she is hypoglycemic which is why she has to eat every few hours. We need to make sure she gets protein in the morning and throughout the day.  We have been trying to do this since her last bloodwork, hopefully it has been helping.
*He suspects that she is in ketosis which is where the body gets energy from itself instead of from the glucose.  Her body is eating itself, hence the scrawniness, lack of muscle tone.  Hopefully that is an accurate summation.  
*There was also too much yeast so she has to take a supplement to bring that into balance. 
*She is borderline for having too much ammonia.  Honestly I can't remember what we are doing to address that.
*She has a high level of oxidative stress.  So we will supplement with antioxidants (glutathione/SOD cream)
*The big news is the allergy test.  She has healed so much in this area and we are celebrating!!  Instead of a slew of allergies, she only has a severe allergy(delayed onset, not anaphylactic) to milk and Casein.  There are other foods like strawberries, pineapple, zucchini, spinach, green pepper and a few more that showed up as a mild response.  This is huge for us.  She used to be off the charts for eggs, soy, wheat, milk and others.  And she has been eating eggs every week and there is no reaction!! 

Thank you UMA and NAET and Body Ecology.  I am just thrilled right now.  I again feel so grateful that we are on a sugar free healing diet.  It really is improving her digestion and calming her body's reaction to foods.

So as the nutritionist was explaining a bunch of processes that are pretty complicated, I kind of was thinking to myself "Just tell me what supplement or diet change we need to make." Hehe.  But he said our diet is great, don't need to make any changes there.  So the new supps are B vitamins, Creatinine, Glutathione cream, and yeast be gone.   We have been trying to get her to take capsules(especially Bs) for years with no progress.  The yeast supplement is in a pill and so are Bs so we will start soon getting her to practice taking capsules.  Wish us luck!!  This time I know she will do it!

Ok, what else.  It has been interesting adding Matt to the mix, we all have had to make some adjustments.  Luckily, Kate was willing to teach Matt the exercises that she has to do and Matt did them with her each time.  I added some new exercises and she has to wear the blocking glasses and earplug while doing them all.  We added standing on left foot for as long a possible, sit ups, smelling essential oils, and some eye exercises.  We also have the Brain Balance music playing in the background.  It was a bit of a struggle the first time I added all these new things to the routine, but the second time it was much smoother.

A new thing that Kate did was she wore a shirt she has never worn before.  It was a tie-dye one that we made this summer and she willingly wore it one day.  That is the only new thing I have noticed in the last few days.  I am sure lots of changes are right around the corner!!

Back to BB

I am so excited that Kate is well and was able to go to her session today.  She was in such a good mood after her session, for the most part.  She was busy in an alert sort of way and interacting with me alot.  The biggest thing I noticed today was she was looking at me in the eyes so much.  I love that!  There is just a quality to her eyes that is new and indescribable and it is awesome to see it!

We are reading George's Marvelous Medicine at bedtime.  She thinks it is soooo funny!  It was hard to stop reading tonight, and she is still awake at 9:00.  It is fun to see her getting so into these books.  She is starting to predict what is going to happen next in the story and is able to summarize what happened in the previous chapters pretty well now.  Tonight she was laughing out loud at what George was putting in the pot.  She was laughing so loud that she asked if it was ok, if it would disturb the neighbors.  Laughing, we decided is ok, it's the yelling that would disturb them.

She did the at home exercises twice today, back from a 6 day break.  We had to get a new motivation system for her to do them so we went to Michaels and got some bling.  She gets a sticker for each time she does all the exercises, so she can earn 3 stickers a day.  She is finally understanding that she can use the sticker right away for a 1 sticker item, or save her stickers and get a 3 sticker item later.  Right now she is working for a 12 sticker item!!  Honestly, I didn't think she would ever do it.  But she is 3 stickers away.  Tomorrow she will get her red gem!!

It felt good today to pick up the apartment and I even vacuumed.  It felt great to have enough energy to do these things.  I take for granted being able to do the "chores" and even sometimes complain that I "have" to do them.  But, what a different perspective it is to want to do chores and not be able to. 

Anyway, I just realized that I do a lot.  Cooking healthy meals, cleaning up a bit, taking care of Kate and myself is a lot.  I think that I am always trying to do more.  I have the feeling that what I am doing is not enough.  There is always something more I can be doing, going, having, making, being.  So that message really hit home when I was sick.  I was unable to do the mundane things, as Matt called them.  But I realized that the grocery shopping and cooking and cleaning and dishes are essential.  And I AM doing enough, even just by doing those things.  All the rest is a bonus.

Sassy's back

I am always so happy when Kate's fever goes away and she is able to get out of bed again.  I really don't like those hours of waiting for the fever to break, hoping my remedies will work and I won't have to resort to Tylenol.  But then a new issue arises.  It happens every time. First...sick in bed, then... moving around and grouchy.  We are in that grouchy stage and I must say I am not handling it very well.  I handle the fever part with compassion, getting up in the night to put a cold cloth on her forehead...giving minute sips of tea...cooking potatoes for poultices.....choosing which remedy to give.  BUT, when the fever breaks and the demanding "I want this and this and this right now!!!" attitude begins, that is where I struggle.  I am sure I am not alone on this, I just have to say... it's a challenge for me.  And I get irritated with her for little things and then I get irritated with myself for getting irritated.  So that was part of my day.

The other part was that we went out of the house.  Yipee.  We got some movies at the library and some veggies at the store.  Now that we are both feeling better, we are both starving.  That is the other part that is hard about being sick, we both lose a little weight.  So my little toothpick of a girl is even skinnier.  Hopefully she will make up for it though, her appetite is back with a vengeance!! 

It was nice to be out for a while, the trees are beautiful here.  I love the purple blossoms.

But, the best part is that Matt is coming to play with us for a while!!  Yay.  It will be great to have him here.  Kate and I are both excited.  He will be here on Tuesday!

OK, Bye,  gonna go play Perplexus!

Fever down

Yay!  Kate is still a little warm but her fever has gone down considerably.  Her headache is gone but she still has a sore throat.  She is pretty patient with me and allows all of my funny remedies.  This is what I have done so far.  When she started with the fever on Monday I gave her the homeopathic remedy Belladona.  She has been sipping lemonade(lemon juice, water, stevia) and Tulsi Red Mango tea.  Today she took some homemade chicken broth(I added onion powder, nettle, and parsley and then strained those out) with miso and a little bit of avocado.  I am so grateful that Matt made some broth for us, it is coming in handy!!  Thanks, honey!! She ate some applesauce with probiotic in it.  And she drank a little water with vitamin c powder.

For the fever last night she let me apply white vinegar to the bottom of her feet and calves.  That was the first time I tried that remedy.  But, before bed she let me put a slice of potato on the bottom of each foot and tied on with a cloth.  It came off sometime during the night, but when she woke up her fever was lower.

So, tomorrow I think she will be able to come to the store.  Today she just didn't feel well enough.  I called a friend but she isn't around today so I just decided that we can go tomorrow.  I like to start the echinacea right away, but it will be fine to start tomorrow. 

So on my list for tomorrow is another form of Vit C, echinacea, lemons, elderberry, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, and more Tulsi Tea.  

9:38-Kate just woke up and called me in.  She gave me a big hug and kept saying I love you.  I asked her is that was all and she said that was her only message.  She said she loves me more than anything in the whole universe.  She loves me so much.  It was a little creepy honestly, I don't know if she is awake or not.  She kept putting her hand on my head and my arm and saying she loves me.  And she said that there were seeds along the way but they weren't as big as tea bags.  So, still sleeping???  I'll go back in and see.

Spring Break

Kate doesn't have any sessions this week because of Spring Break.  Which is great because she is sick again.  Blah.  I am so happy that her birthday was fun and the sickness hit later that night.  Last night was a bit rough, she gets a little delirious with a fever.  She woke up and desperately said "I need you mommy!" and when I got to her she wrapped her arms around me and said that she loved me so much.  And not to let her watch Hocus Pocus again because it is scary.  So, I knew she was a little loopy.  This morning she told me she didn't know why she said that and she really is ok with the movie.  "I say weird things when I am sick." she said.  She hasn't been out of bed today and she is sleeping now so that is good.  She has had a pretty big headache all day, too.

I really need some sick supplies, echinacea, lemons etc but we have some stuff that will work.  Good thing we are well stocked on homeopathics and she is ok taking them.  I think tomorrow we will be able to make a quick trip to the store, even if she has to wait in the car while I run in.  The good thing is that I get to heal completely too!  I am getting closer to better, but need a few more days.  So, here's my chance!

Fun Birthday!

Kate had a great birthday!  She woke up and was surprised to see the birthday banner and balloons decorating the dining and living room.  I think she liked it, she kept commenting on how funny the ballons were in there various places.  She had a full list of things to do today and she packed it with all of her favorite things.  She had extra time on the computer, went swimming, watched Hocus Pocus, and of course ate cake and ice cream.  Thank you to everyone who picked out a gift for her from the birthday box and those who sent cards.  It was a very enjoyable part of the day for her. She was especially surprised and pleased when Grandma Grape addressed her card with her Kate name.   Sweet.



I loved how the store wrapped everything and Kate liked everything she got.  I totally recommend doing a birthday box, especially if your kids aren't so good with surprises.

 


Kate's design, simple.  And she put on the candles. It was nice having her help, no surprises or disappointments. (When you make an allergy free cake, you always have to test it first :), it wasn't a mouse hehe)

 

We had GF waffles with sunbutter(sunflower seed butter) for breakfast, carrot cake with a little chocolate frosting and chocolate coconut ice cream for lunch, and tacos with blue corn shells and rice and beans for dinner.

So, I just have say, so I can remember, that Kate couldn't finish her cake and icecream.  She said it was too sweet.  So, my sugar free cake was too sweet!!!   But, I am happy that she is at the point where blueberries are very sweet for her.  Her taste buds have changed, although in her mind she would love to eat cookies and donuts.  I think if she had a donut, she wouldn't be able to finish it!  And she always wants chocolate everything but after eating a little she doesn't feel very good.  She is starting to realize how different foods affect her.  Hopefully soon she will stop asking for chocolate since she feels yucky when she eats it.  I wonder how long it will take???
Seriously, 9.  WOW! It's going to be a great year!!

Highlights

A few things about today.  I rested this morning and Kate watched the movie Felicity.  I was getting some tea and asked her if she wanted some.  In a sweet English accent she said "Thank you Mommy, I shall take no tea."  just like in Felicity.  That one bust me up and she was quite excited that I got her joke.

It was Kate's 11th session.  She is going in so peacefully each day now.  She said the math was easy today!  She is a little irritated with herself because there is a coach named Mason and she keeps starting to call him Ben  because, of course, Ben 'n' Mason(her cousins) is one word.  We never say Mason and Ben.  It is always BenandMason.  But even with that explanation, she still gives herself a hard time when she starts to say Be......

After BB we went to the park.  She played by/in the river for quite a while and I noticed that she was walking on flat feet instead of tippy toes.  And she was walking.  WALKING.  This one I really had to watch because it was quite new to see her walk around from place to place with hands by her side(mostly) and gather stones and brush for the water.  She wasn't doing her usual little tippy toe gazelle dance.  I just sat and watched her for the longest time noticing how her body was moving so peacefully.  And one time, I called to her and she said "What?" and I asked her to come closer.  And do you know what???  She came closer and said "What?" again.  Oh my, such changes.  We were hoping to play with some friends, but they were running some errands so we didn't end up playing.  Kate really wanted to play, but she didn't fuss long and was able to play on the equipment in no time.  She actually tried two new things today.  I can't really describe them, but the corkscrew thing and the two bars that you put your legs over and slide down.  That one was a bit scary for her, but I think next time it will be better.

We got home and ate and she did the exercises easily.  We were reading at bedtime and I was coughing so much that I got frustrated and said "AHHHH!".  She looked at me and told me that I would heal faster if I didn't get irritated when I cough!  So true.  I am feeling a bit better today so I will try to stay as happy as possible and heal quicker :)

And there is one more thing that is getting easier.  But......I will have to wait another week to see for sure.  It is a big one, let me tell you!  And I don't want to jinx it :)

Thanks, everyone, for reading.  It's nice to know that Kate is so loved.

Progress Report

Ok here it is! I will just tell some of the areas where she is already improving.  The other areas/activities are going well, she just hasn't quite jumped to the next level yet.  She is close on alot of them though.

Here are the notes from the sensory motor coach:
We have seen significant improvements in Kate and are so excited by her progress.  She has increased in levels in many of the areas.  She is significantly more independent at performing her exercises.  She has become more flexible and is more willing to try new things.  She has worked especially hard at keeping her things(salamander, snakes, fur etc) in the cubby during programming.  Her fine motor and auditory processing have increased drastically. Overall Kate's ability to stay on task for the duration of her session has increased greatly.

Cognitive coach:
Kate is pleasant and more willing to work than she was initially.  Kate has made strides in Sentence/essay Composition.  She first only drew a picture.  The next time she drew four pictures and wrote two words.  This week, Kate drew a picture and wrote a whole sentence.  She has shown significant improvements in Drawing Conclusions, Recognizing Implied Cause and Effect, Identifying Main Idea, Making Inferences and in Math.

So they didn't tell me very much about what the levels are or what she has to do to pass them, but basically she has to do a ceratin number of repetitions to move up a level.  To go up one level is great, 2 is super.  Here are just a few.  I will put the level she started at and then the level she is at now:

Auditory processing (how well she processes sound),  8, 10
Tactile Stimulation(I can't remember exactly what this is, I'll ask) 1, 4
Fine motor skills 1, 3  she is able to write much more easily and is enjoying it more!
PRNG (maturity of balance and equlibrium) 3,5  she can move around in crazy ways, spin without getting so dizzy or feeling sick
Supine core(excercises when on her back) 2,3
Gait and Aerobics(balance and coordinating both sides of her body) 2,4
Interactive Metronome (rhythm, timing, motor planning) 1,2

So, if we can, they want us to add sit-ups and push-ups to the daily exercises.  Have her stand on her left leg as long a possible.  And keep doing everything else!  We can start doing eye stretches and exercises, the smelling exercises (she plugs her left nostril and sniffs to identify smells), and keep with the blocking glasses and earplug.

New, New, Now!

So I was sick this weekend.  Saturday, I spent most of the day in bed.  I would get up if Kate needed food or to use the bathroom and that's it!  I just couldn't move.  But, I had to get a movie because Sat night is movie night and we needed water and vegetables.  How could I run out of those things right when I need them most???  So I carefully drove and made it back home safely.  Phew.  Sunday was better, today a little better.  Now my voice is going all funky.  Anyway, I managed to write down a few things that happened today.

The first thing I noticed today was that she said she wasn't crabby today.  In the past she only used the word irritated for all negative emotions.  She's never mad, angry etc just because she doesn't like the word.  So today she used a new word to describe her emotions!!

We were talking about whether or not to go to the bouncy place after BB and I said it would be good for her to get some exercise.  She said " I need some.  I haven't been out and about very much this weekend."

Today on her computer day she said she could look up something other than garbage disposals!!!!!  She looked up alligators (ok, still a previous interest, but even so...) AND she liked it :)

She gave me a hug and said "I've been hugging you alot today."  I said "I know and I love it!"  She said "I'm gonna hug you even more tomorrow!!"  That one brought tears to my eyes.

She hit me in the face with her elbow.  Those limbs are always doing random things.  She curled up in my lap and wasn't moving so I asked her if anything was wrong.  She was crying!  And it was because she "whacked me in the face".  She said she was sorry!!!  "And this time I mean it, because sometimes I say it and I don't mean it, but this time I do."

She has been rubbing my arm alot today, especially after I cough or when I seem tired.  She said "It smells being sick."

On Wednesday Kate has her 10th session.  And it's progress report time.  We can see all the improvements she has been making at the center!!

Some things I keep overlooking

The changes are happening so quickly that I am forgetting what life was like a few months ago.  And when I sit back and remember, I can see even more things that are changing. Like:

~Today I told Kate I was going to take a shower and she said "Ok".  No big long fuss about how stupid I look after I shower or that she is not ready for me to take one.  Just a simple "Ok".  So peaceful. Allowing me to have control over my schedule and my needs.  And the other day, she was ok with my hair in a ponytail! 

~We are going in stores!!  We look around, put things in our cart, pay, and then walk out and get in the car.  There is still quite a bit of distraction and dawdleing, but the fact that we make it out quietly is quite a change.  And when we get in the car, still quiet, most times.  And sometimes we even go to TWO stores in a row!!! 

~Kate woke up at 8am today(instead of between 6:30 and 7:30.  And instead of jumping out of bed the second her eyes opened, she just laid there.  She was just chillin', playing with salamander and snakes.  She actually said she was still a little tired.  She is admitting she is tired, FEELING that her body is tired. 


I know there are more, but I am not remembering them right now.  I will have to write them down and then add them later.

Nutrition

I've been wanting to do a post on Nutrition.  I'll try to make it short.  Haha!  I met with the Nutritionist at Brain Balance a few weeks ago.  I have to keep a food diary of everything Kate eats.  Basically he said try to buy most things organic, as much as you can.  Cut out wheat, dairy, corn, food coloring, HFCS, food additives, MSG etc.  We already did that years ago, so we are ahead of the game there! He wants us to rotate our foods better.  Kate used to prefer cauliflower, but as I have written she is accepting more vegetables lately.  So basically he said eat fruits, veggies, protein.  And I'm not sure what his take on grains was.  We eat millet, buckwheat, and quinoa and he didn't say not to eat those.  We are on the Body Ecology Diet but he didn't say much about that either.  He just told me what not to eat and then some things to eat.  Like for meats, get organic or free range.  Drink healthy water, not from the tap.  And he wanted Kate to start fish oil and probiotic.  He said that everyone should be on probiotics because we just aren't getting the beneficial bacteria that people used to get.  We are too clean!  I told him about the cultured vegetables we eat daily, he didn't really comment.  Anyway, we have already been taking fish oil and had a powdered probiotic in the fridge.  So, although at first I didn't want to add another supplement, I am glad I started Kate on the probiotic.  She is showing signs of die-off, yay!!  The bad bacteria is dying and being replaced by the good bacteria(probiotic).  She calls her gas the skull and crossbones toots. HA! 

Hopefully next week we will get the results of the blood work back.  We have to resubmit the urine sample.  Kate is actually excited to do it because she gets another cookie, which is a treat we rarely buy.  So she is happy to get something from a package and more chocolate, of course.  Oh, the pleasures in life!

I am so grateful that we have been learning about healthy eating for the past few years.  If I had to change our diet so drastically AND do exercises 3x per day and change activities we do and encourage Kate to wear one earplug and glasses and... and... and.....  Boy, I am glad we have the diet thing going for us!!!  And I just finished my 4 day rotation diet menu today.  So, it's just a matter of making my grocery list, getting what we need, and starting.  Honestly I have been attempting to make a menu for years now and I feel quite accomplished :)

Creating!

Kate has never been into creating with art supplies.  Never really got into drawing, coloring, cutting with scissors, collage.  Painting and playdough were the favorites.  Well now she is cutting up a storm.  Paper clippings all over the floor!  I gently tell her to cut over the table but really I don't care right now.  Just excited that she is creating with paper.

A little critter out of paper.  The tail is wrapped around the head.  She said it was prehistoric.

Pompom, googly eyes, and pipecleaner for a nose.

A little love

I was putting my hand on Kate's neck because she said it was sore.  She held onto my hand and then all of a sudden gave me a hug.  A real hug with both arms and rested her head on me.  Then she said "A hand hug wasn't enough.  I just had to give you a hug." "Let's show each other how much we love each other and eat some ice cream together!  Because sweets make you sweeter."  "Sometimes pool parties aren't enough.  For a real date you have to have sweets."  So we ate some Coconut Bliss together. 

Another pool party!

Kate is totally into going to the pool lately.  Today she said, "Let's go party at the pool!!"  Me, not so into the pool, maybe it was this sign that put me off:

  

Inside outlet of the HYDROTUBE!

  

The tube goes outside and brings you back in.

So, Kate said to the lifeguard "Why is your waterslide so addicting?  I am ADDICTED to it!!"

This is for Matt and his family!!  We went down the blue waterslide and at the bottom it rains on you. I really don't like to be rained on so I was hurrying to get off the waterslide.  I slipped and fell on my side/back on the slide wall and Kate laughed at me!!  She LAUGHED!!  I told her I was hurt and she said it just looked funny the way I fell.  So, my ribs are quite sore and I am icing them right now. 
Kate took another long shower and I washed her hair.  Yay.  I really love it when she is clean.  I patiently waited while she was enjoying the shower.  She kept saying, "coming" and "just a minute, mommy".  When she was done she told me, "I could do this all day and all night."  Such a difference from last year at this time!!  I didn't really enjoy the showers.  It only had two temperatures, burn you and freeze you.  Once in a while it would be a tolerable temp.  I think we will stick with our other pool, but it was fun to go once.