Sunday, January 30, 2011

What does "full" Look like?

I have come to the realization that D9 does not understand the world "full". Last night he had eaten 2 plates of food. He was going back for more. I ask him if he was full? His response was along the lines of I ate two plates so I guess I am full. I never did get him to make the connection of full being a feeling. He kept going back to how much he ate, not a feeling. If he ever sees someone eating he is "Hungry". If that doesn't get him food he is, "Very Hungry." If we just ate and someone else comes in he wants to eat. I don't really think he "feels". I think this is also his bed wetting issue. He has no understanding of listening to his body. Sensory? How do you describe "full"? I tried different ideas, but really never got it across. I finally told him to feel how is body feels now and we will talk about how it feels in the morning. Best idea I have for now. What I was surprised at is he really can't define the "full" feeling. He doesn't internalize it. He looks outside for the cues to being full I think. We will be working at trying to teach him "how full feels".







Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Gingerbread

¾ C coconut oil
¾ C brown sugar (Rapadura)
¾ C molasses
¼ C water
1 tsp vanilla
4 ½ C Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¾ tsp salt

Beat together coconut oil, sugar, molasses, water and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, spices and salt. Blend two mixes together. Rolled out to somewhere between ¼ and ½ inch depth, we baked at 350 for 12 minutes.


Thanks Regina S!  This was a big hit and easy.  I posted it the way I changed it up.  I don't ever do a recipe "right". 

Cooking With .......

This basket baby!    He was SOOOOOOO sleepy. 

 Then T decided to cook!  Did I mention this child LOVES to cook.   He was no longer sleepy.  He was "helping" 


She is making cupcakes to freeze for retreat.  Her little helper is cleaning the bowl after she was done.  Notice she saved PLENTY of goody for him on the beater.

I should be a good grandnola and put him down for a nap, but he is sure happy in the kitchen with T. 

Monday, January 24, 2011

That's Life!

Oops!

Can you believe that the wind blew it out?  That is the story I was told.  I didn't even bother getting up and going and checking at that point.  I was battling an earache/cold and just listened to the amazing story of how the wind "must" have blown the window out and broke it.  Did I mention I was asleep on the couch when I was hit with this news?  

I didn't buy it, didn't go look didn't even get up off the couch.  I just let it go.  I'm sure that bothered the tale bearer.  I did think of that as I let them sweat.  Dad came home from a meeting out of town.  We were talking about the wind and I told him how hard it had to have been blowing out here.  Then we wondered outside to see the damage together.   One look and he said hummm someone was playing IN the bus and their shoulder went through the glass.  

Inquisition time!  He lined up all those that could have been involved.  Seems no one was in the bus the last 2 days.  Amazing!  Does anyone else have a no one living at their house?    I knew without a doubt in my mind who one of the no ones was.  The tale bearer.  Something about dirty dog barks first.   Dad was the one doing the inquisition.  He gave them 3 minutes to come clean or the consequences would start adding up. D11 and T were "getting something" from the bus.  She was tickling him and ..... :)  Yep just what I figured and even the two I had pegged.    Her reason for telling when she did was because MJ had found the window and was having an cow.  She hurried to beat him in and tell her version.  MJ had no version to tell just he found it.   

D11 didn't get a consequence.  T on the other hand was in trouble for lying to me.  She was the tale bearer that woke me up to lie to me.   This was the straw that break the camels back on her mouth.  She has been having mouth issues for a while, the lying and the talking ugly and the bossing has reached moms limit plus.  I let her help choose her consequence.  She thought not talking for 2 days would be good.   Dh and I didn't even bat an eye on that.  No way was that enough.   So she will be improving her writing skills for the next 2 WEEKS.  She was already having to do 5 random acts of kindness a day for her ugly actions. That is still in effect.   She can play and all but must be silent.  I expect a much quieter two weeks.  She can talk again on the Friday we leave for Retreat.  I have suggested she spend some time thinking about the power of words and how her words effect others.  

The blessings in this is it was the emergency escape window so dh popped the frame out, put a piece of heavy plastics in the frame.  It wasn't a big deal to "fix" until we can find out if we have to order a window or if the local glass company can do it.  It really doesn't even show that much, looks like a very dirty window.  Yesterday it was a bit loud popping on the way home from church as we had a very strong wind blowing against it.   I am thankful I could find thankful stuff instead of just seeing the $$$ involved.  I didn't stress and I didn't loose it over it happening.  

D & D update

It has been a while since I updated on the boys.   We have had them 13 months now.   I see lots and lots of positive change. 

D9 is struggling still with ODD, (oppositional defiant disorder), but it is loosing the battle.   I started a new "reward" system for him.   ODD children don't usually respond to star charts or rewards.  Their pay off is in pushing buttons and making others crazy.   Our new reward system includes chocolate.  I bought some chocolate nuggets.  When he goes out of his way to push buttons and make people mad we get a reward.  Chocolate!!!!   When he makes it through the whole day without doing the ODD he gets a chocolate.  Several times he has gotten candy.  Today isn't one of those days.   MN brought D9 to me for doing wrong this morning.  It wasn't a big thing, but it was wrong.   He got talked to and fussed at, that was it.  He went straight back in there and tried to get MN in trouble.  He was busted.  He was NOT happy about handing out candy to everyone.   We were all thrilled.  

Last week he decided to tantrum about having to give out candy.  As he raged the Holy Spirit prompted me to gather him in my arms.   This isn't something I have felt led to do until then.  I did laugh as I gathered him up MN quickly grabbed his glasses.  She then took mine for me.   I "wrapped" him in my arms.  Wrapped was his word.   He screamed and fought and I held him.  He yelled and fought and I held him.  I moved to the couch where holding was easier.  Life flowed around us.  I held him and told him he was wanted.  He was loved.  He screamed and yelled he hated it here.  I kissed his cheeks and chin and ears and forehead  and eyes.  He screamed and yelled, "Stop kissing ____ I don't like it."  I would smile and thank him for telling me how much he liked it and that he wanted more of it.   He would scream that wasn't what he said, then repeat what he said, I would again thank him and do it more.   After maybe 45 minutes of this.  (Not long compared to MN's days of being cuddled.) He changed.  The kisses became funny, they became looked fwd to.  He would grin and laugh much like a baby or small child being cuddled and tickled.   This whole time I held him in my arms like a baby.  

Once he stopped fighting and his whole being changed I had him shut his eyes and I prayed for him.  He was still hypervigilant but for him about as relaxed as I had ever saw him.   As I was praying I prayed for the spirit of anxiety to leave him.  He was fighting with his fingers when I prayed that.  He immediately stopped playing with his fingers.  He looked at me and shut his eyes in total relaxation.   He stayed in this position for maybe 5 minutes.  MN and I would look at each other and shrug.  He wasn't asleep, just relaxed.  Kids came through the living room he didn't move, didn't open his eyes.  This was totally out of character.   Finally he opened his eyes looked at MN and I and said, "I was with Jesus.  He and God were talking to me about love.  I am going to go talk to them some more."  With that he shut his eyes again and continued to just be limp in my arms like he was asleep.  I really don't know how long he was like this.  I know my arm was about to break off from holding him.   I sent MN for some chocolate chips and still he rested.  In a bit he opened his eyes.  I really don't think he even knew I had the chocolate chips.  I had him look deeply into my eyes as I fed him one.  Telling him again he is wanted.   Then I would give grandson one, then me then again looking into my eyes I would feed him one.  We did this for about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.   Grandson was in heaven!  

Once this was done he seemed and still seems calmer.  Yes, he still gets in trouble, but it is different.  He is less figity than he was.   Even at church yesterday, at a REAL brick and mortar church, he sat beside me and was calm and VERY well mannered the whole time.  Before that situation would have triggered lots of squirming and looking and hand eating and shoe tearing up.   He was very attentive to the speaker.  I finally sat him in my lap so he could see better as he was way to short.  

On the issue of shoes, D9 could tear the toes off of them pealing the sole off in no time.  In frustration instead of buying more shoes I saw his swim shoes and decided he could wear them. Yes, he wore them to church yesterday.   I do not know what the difference is but he stopped fighting his shoes.   He doesn't take them off and on, he doesn't peal the toe.  It is like he isn't wearing shoes.   I am laughing at the fact he may wear swim shoes until he is grown.  I think it must be a sensory issue.  Many kids with issues tear shoes up.   It seems to be a given.  I would suggest those with these issues try swim shoes.   It would be a cheap experiment.   I would love feed back on anyone that does it and how it works/doesn't work. 

One other area of growth I see is D9's handwriting.  When we got him his writing was all over the page, all different sizes, not on lines, very much like early first grade or even late K.  Now using a wide ruled notebook his letters all stay on the line and fit in the lines.  They are still all the same size and fill the space, but hey it is very readable and neat.   I won't fuss. 

Now on to D11.  He is doing great.  He has a few "issues".  One of the biggest is being funny, or not.  Last night as he was in trouble for being "funny" which was very stupid looking for an 11 yo.  God showed me no one had taught him how to interact as an 11 yo.  He is "stuck" at getting attention like a 3-4 yo.  What he was doing would have been funny if grand son had been doing it.   So we talked about proper ways to get someone to interact with you.  He was wanting MN's attention.  So we came up with other ways to be noticed.   I know it will be a process, but just knowing where I need to start with changing this very annoying behaviour is a gift. 

He is very consonances of his responsibilities.  He usually is a day ahead of school.  He does feeders without being told.   This morning I let him baby sit with grand son while we did chores.  He probably watches him better than I do.   Now they are outside playing together.   He got the milk jars and the strainer sit up and ready for the milk once I came in, without being told.  Then when T brought the milk to the house it was "heavy"  he went out to see if he could bring it in.  He did!!!  A few months ago he wouldn't have even tried, much less done it.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Home Remedies

Want a simple home remedy that seems to work well for most of us when we have the coughing from a cold?

No it isn't good, but it does work and I can spell all the ingredients!

In a small glass, we use a shot glass, combine equal parts of honey, lemon juice and Tabasco.  If you don't have Tabasco use cayenne pepper instead.  Warm it until the honey mixes well with the other ingredients.  Mix then drink.  Chase with water.........LOTS of water is fine.   You will be amazed at how much this helps, especially when you are trying to get to sleep. 

Most of my kids will come down and make them a shot of this if they can't stop coughing.   DH even had a MJ make him a shot the other night.  Best nights sleep he had had in several nights. 

Hope this helps someone else who has the coughs. 

Last night I finally gave in to an ear ache I had been battling for 2 days.  I got a tiny amount of virgin coconut oil in a cup added a large chunk of a garlic clove.   Warmed this until the garlic was nice and warm, but not hot. I made sure it was well coated with the coconut oil and used it as a cotton ball or plug in my ear.   I went to bed and it stopped hurting.  I also took a corn bag and used it too.  I had used that the last 2 nights without much relief.   It is much better today!  I have used garlic oil/coconut oil in small children's ears for ear aches.  This seems to help too. 

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Heart of Motherhood Enrichment Retreat News

Wanted to pass this along to everyone.   This really is a great weekend of rest and love for any woman.  It is for those with kids, grand kids or just if you plan on kids some day.... It would be a great weekend. 


Blessings to each of you. Heart of Motherhood Enrichment retreat is just 19 days away. Registrations have started to come in. The team is enjoying planning and preparing a wonderful, fun, and relaxing retreat. We're praying for each of you. We pray all the details will work out for you to attend.
Each of the speakers are getting excited about what God has put on their hearts to share. Listen to these wonderful topics:

Connecting to God – Establishing a Relationship with God: Nola
Ideas and tips to help in establishing or to improve our relationship with God.

Vanessa  - All of us have disappointments in life. It can be a passing emotion over a temporary loss or it may hit us powerfully when something permanently changes our lives. What do we do? More importantly, what does God want us to do?

Julie - How to walk in consistency in the day to day role of a mother and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle: 
We purpose to be consistent in every area our high calling of Motherhood and sometimes it seems impossible,but there is a way. Enjoy this session as we learn to walk consistently. We'll also look at the blessings of living a healthy lifestyle.

Living a Lifestyle of Forgiveness: Molly
How to forgive when it hurts too much - and why you want to.

Sniper Fire: Molly
The secret battle undermining the discipline of your children.
Living, Giving, and Leaving Biblical Truth For The Next Generation: Elaine Russo

We live in a time where women of all ages seem to be trying to figure out what they are lacking and why. When confronted with life's daily challenges, some are faced with a sense of discontentment and insecurity, thinking that surely there must be more to this life. Younger women seem to desire more in the way of examples and relationships, while the older women seek purpose and fulfillment. How might the two generations be brought together to accomplish God's plan for His body? In this session we will explore what the Bible says about mentoring and how we might find our place in this simple yet complex machine.
I f you are unable to attend all weekend, consider coming for the day on Saturday. The cost for one day will be $50.00

Don't delay, Don't procrastinate, Register now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you have any questions contact us at Heartofmotherhood@gmail.com or you can contact us on face book @ Heart of Motherhood

Blessings to you all,

May today's rising of the sun mirror the rising hope in your heart of God's emphatic desire to be a part of your life in a very personal way.

Julie Zesch

Friday, January 14, 2011

Snicker Snicker

MN is busy helping DIL's younger brother juice a bunch of fruits and veggies.  Wonder what's up with that?   She doesn't even LIKE my juice!   I am sure this batch of juice will taste MUCH better.  
LOL and like a typical guy he finished drank some and wondered off to DIL's house.  

I was REALLY hoping he would suggest they share a glass or two.  I wanted to watch her avoid her share of their labor.    She did manage to avoid tasting it quite well.   Oh the joys of teens!   LOL she is now trying a TINY taste after he left.  She claims she likes it.   Life is never dull. 

Growth

This morning D11 was telling me he carried a sack of feed from the barn to the feeder with one arm.  He said it was hard, but he did it.   A year ago he couldn't drag a sack of feed to the back of the truck for someone else to unload.   I ask him what would have happened if when he was throwing his, "I can't! It's to heavy!" fit I would have agreed, and never pushed him to do it.   He thought a minute and said he would not be able to carry a sack of feed with one arm.  He smiled.   He is proud of how strong he has become in a year. He has also grown a LOT.  He is 11 and 14 pants are almost to short.   His pants seem to always be high water pants no matter how often I buy him new ones.  






 D11 is also becoming very responsible.  He can be counted on to keep the dog feeder filled and the cat feeder filled.  He is also great about filling the baby creep feeder.   I know the dogs and cats appreciate him!
Ok off for the next post :)
He has become an amazing young man in keeping his school work caught up or often working ahead. He is excited that he will be staying home with dad when all us girls go to retreat. Last year he is quick to say he was not doing school right and had to spend the weekend sitting at his computer. This year that won't happen. He will have fun with dad!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Cough Drops

I made cough drops last night that work!  Even my DH got up in the night and went and go some more.

Recipe:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
cook until it reaches hard crack stage 310 degrees.
Add about 1/2 tablespoon of thieves oil stir and pour onto greased cookie sheet.  If you have candy molds you could use them.  I didn't.  When it cools break it into small pieces.   It was amazing. Taste?  Well it IS a could drop not candy!

You can make hard candy using this, I cut the recipe in half to do the cough drops.  Just add what ever flavor you want at the end.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Sunset!

God made an awesome sunset tonight.  I couldn't decide which one I liked best.  Which one do you like?




See the moon in the last three pictures.  It is the tiny light in the middle of the upper picture.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Good Morning!

I took my camera to the barn in hopes of getting some good pictures of the new calf.  Instead I took other pictures.  The calf just didn't want to cooperate.  I will try again this evening when he is full.  He had one thing on his mind, finding mama!  I decided that these four were attached well enough to just turn them loose with their mama.   The reason 2 of them aren't eating is they are way way to full.   They looked like they over indulged.  
MN is enjoying the old fashion milking.  Hershey milks easy.  So it is almost as fast to hand milk her instead of sitting the milker up and then washing all the parts after for a little over a gallon.  There was a cat begging.  I don't think MN gave her a squirt.  That is half the fun of milking by hand.  I will try to get pictures of cats lapping milk squirted in their mouth once they get it down.

After getting barn chores done it was off to feed sheep.  I pour out about 5 gallons of corn for them.  Or I drive the ranger while a kid pours sitting in the back.  Once we were finished pouring I went back for pictures. 

As the mamas eat the babies run and play in groups.  They are hard to take pictures of as they are usually making laps.   This morning they divided into two groups.  

 Some of the lambs are just so pretty.  They are sweet faced. 
 Everyone likes salt!  The brown is a mineral block. 
While I was busy blogging the outside picture the kids were in need of pictures taken.

I bought this hard hat for .50 at a garage sale.  It has been a best loved toy with the kids.  Several fights have popped up over it.  Today grand son K claimed it. 
 The wooden horse, also a garage sale find, is a favorite toy.  The horse does step on toes sometimes.  Usually when two or more kids are discussion who gets to ride.  


 He really wasn't doing anything wrong!  Really!  He may have been thinking it though!   Just judging by the grin and dimples. 
 This blurry picture is T playing peep eye with the boys.   They were moving to fast to get a good one of all of the kids.  
Horse threw K and he was all upset until T announced she was going outside.  He recovered quickly and off he went.  The word outside seems to cause most of these kids to recover quickly.  They are now busy playing in the dirt.  

Time for me to be off here and accomplishing stuff.   All be blessed!  

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Welcome 2011


After being without an Internet connection since Thursday I am FINALLY back among the world!   It is amazing how many things you think of you want to look up or post or share.  

One morning we were blessed with an exceptional sunrise. 

 I had been seeing sun rises a lot more last week as I was checking to see if my little cow calved.  Last year she lost her calf as she was young and calf was to big.  We bought her the day before she calved.  We didn't pick her up before she calved.  The guy did make good and we got a holstein bull calf with her.   She raised it, then 4 goats and one lamb, plus supplied us with milk, and fed this and that I needed feeding along with her "babies".  New Years Eve she presented us with a TINY bull calf.
I checked her and she was walking away from the other cows, so I went back in an hour and she already had him on the ground. 

Not much other news happening.  School and kids is how our life circles. Hope everyone is having a blessed day.