Sometimes It's Not So Simple

A lot has happened lately. We've had our normal April chaos filled with our children's activities. There were Easter egg hunts and wildlife classes and Storytimes at the library along with our homeschooling. We also added dance competitions which was overall a fantastic experience for all of us. Someday I'll get around to writing about how to be a "simple dance mom" (yes, it can be a thing! We have a lot of awesome dance moms at our school). On top of all of that though we've had what can only be described as "dietary nightmares."

My children both deal with blood anomalies that cause them to be lacking in certain blood cells. Their symptoms manifest slightly differently, but there are a lot of overlaps, so whatever treatment we do for one, we generally do for the other. One of the worst symptoms we have dealt with over the last year has been chronic joint pain. It affected their sleep, and it was really affecting their dancing. The activity that brought them so much joy was causing a lot of agony after each class. As a result, their doctor (who is a fabulous pediatrician who specializes in immunodeficiency) put them on a gluten-free diet. While people with immunodeficiencies don't usually have celiac disease, their digestive systems see gluten as an "invader," so their symptoms are very similar. We also had to eliminate several food additives and we have to limit their eating out at restaurants to ensure they are on a nutrient-rich diet. On top of all that, we had to start a new immunotherapy regimen.This started a huge shift in  our cooking and feeding routines.

I switched over to gluten-free flour. We stopped buying pre-packaged foods except for gluten-free granola bars for when we travel and the occasional gluten-free pizza for a treat. I already bake a lot, so at first we didn't think it would be a huge shift. There was some trial and error with the first few batches of muffins, but I eventually got the hang of it. All of the joint pains seemed to be disappearing, and both kids were resting better at night. We thought life could be basically simple and normal.

Not quite.

After about a week, we noticed both kids were becoming overly emotional. This is usually a warning sign for me, so I kept waiting for them to get sick, but they didn't. Then they started to have upset tummies. Since I'd just survived a horrific stomach virus and infection, I assumed they had finally succumbed, but they never got that bad. They just had constant slightly upset bellies. So I did what any mom (who used to be a librarian) would do. I started researching what the problem could be.

It turns out that in people who are "sensitive" (a term I have heard so many times over the years), there can be a reaction to the xantham gum that is used in gluten-free flours. It can cause inflammation in the digestive system and interrupt normal digestive processes. Gluten-free flours also have a carbohydrate to fiber ratio which can majorly disrupt blood sugar levels which was probably to blame for all of the emotional outbursts.

So here we are, back at square one. Right now I've pulled all varieties of flour out of the kids' diets, and they are running around constantly hungry. They stuff themselves with fruits and vegetables and organic chicken all day long, but it never seems to be enough, and I have to shop 2 or 3 times a week because they are going through so much food.

And that's why I haven't written in a month. I haven't had spare moments to write down the dozens of blogs I have circling in my head. Most of my moments have either been spent preparing food, dealing with tummy aches, or trying to keep up with our daily routines to minimize immune responses (more on that one later). But I'm going to keep trying. And maybe we will eventually get this whole dietary regimen sorted out and life can be normal. I have so much I want to share about organizing and decluttering and homeschooling and life in general. Because most of our routines are simple and wonderful and without them, I probably would have drowned in housework over the last month. So stay with me and keep watching.

Meal Plan Monday - April 10-16

I'm back! Last week ranks as one of the worst weeks of my life. I endured the awful Sydney Norovirus that is sweeping the country, and then I got a secondary infection and had an allergic reaction to my medication. Needless to say, I am glad that is behind me, and I am excited to get back to a normal routine and more blogging.

Most of my food consisted of crackers and applesauce last week. But I did find a great natural option for hydrating while sick which I will share below, and later this week I will be sharing my no-fail waffle recipe that my family loves.

Natural Electrolyte Beverage
I am allergic to food coloring, so that means there is only one flavor of Gatorade I can drink, and it can be hard to locate, especially in an emergency. When I was needing hydration, I turned to Pinterest for a make-at-home alternative. I consulted a lot of recipes, and finally settled on this:

4 cups water
2 T raw sugar
1/2 tsp Himalyan salt
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (I used R. W. Knudsen)

I boiled the water to dissolve the salt and sugar and then added the cranberry juice. I drank it over ice, and it was quite palatable. It was very effective because I never got dehydrated which was a miracle. It also didn't leave the awful aftertaste that sports drinks can leave behind. Since it is the combination of salt + sugar in sports drinks that helps them hydrate better than water, this is a perfect substitute that I found to also be easier on the stomach and kidneys.

This Week's Meal Plan
This week I am trying to keep my foods as homemade as possible since I am still recovering and since my kids have a new list of requirements for immunity protocol (more on that later). Basically though, we aren't supposed to be eating from a restaurant unless it is an emergency or we are out of town like we were on Saturday for my baby girl's first dance competition. But that just means I will be finding more simple recipes!

Disclaimer: We deal with sensory disorders and immune deficiencies in our house, so not everyone eats everything I prepare. I am OK with that because it is our normal.  Sometimes Mommy is in survival mode, and we just have to do what works.

For my menu plan, I loosely plan breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, but I get more specific with dinners. I may assign days for specific meals, but that is always subject to change. I can't wait to review my new finds next week!

Breakfasts 
Homemade waffles, plain egg omelets, sausage, bacon, fruit 

Lunches
Dinner leftovers, chicken breasts, cheese/crackers, peanut butter,  fresh fruit/vegetables

Dinners 
Monday: Homemade pepperoni pizzas
Tuesday: Couscous chicken soup
Wednesday: Crockpot beef and broccoli with brown rice
Thursday: Crockpot whole chicken, baked potatoes, corn
Friday: Sausage, peppers, potatoes, onions, and squash
Saturday: Crockpot Lasagna
Sunday:  Easter dinner with the in-laws

Snacks
Slow cooker pumpkin applesauce, yogurt, fresh fruits/vegetables, chips/salsa, frozen fruit whips

This blog links up with the orgjunkie.com Meal Plan Monday linky party!

Simple Health - Allergy Relief

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I sell essential oils. I am merely sharing information about a remedy that has been a blessing for my children. Please consult your own healthcare provider before trying any remedy you find on the Internet to ensure that it will work with your body chemistry.

Pollen season is not our friend. Truthfully, there really isn't a time of year that is our friend as far as allergens are concerned, but the initial spring bloom seems to be a little tougher than the rest of the year. The kids have had allergy testing done, and we know that grasses and trees cause havoc in their little bodies. Since they also deal with immunodefiency, over-the-counter medications can be difficult for them to take. My daughter says Benadryl just makes her feel "out of the world loopy."  Benadryl also crosses the blood-brain barrier, so it can be especially hard on anyone who has suffered any neurological trauma. Because of this, we have had to try a few other methods, but in an emergency, our go-to remedy is our "allergy bomb."

Lemon, lavender, and peppermint oils

This remedy was recommended by our pediatrician, a doctor who specializes in allergies and immunology.  She understands that sometimes traditional medications can cause more problems for some kids, so she utilizes essential oils when science supports their use. For allergies, she recommended an allergy bomb, which is 5 drops of lemon, 5 drops of lavender, and 5 drops of peppermint essential oils mixed with 100 milliliters of water in a diffuser. Within minutes of running our diffuser, my kids start to breathe easier. Congestion clears, breathing regulates, and runny noses dry up. It has also helped several times when my son has had spasmodic croup attacks in the middle of the night.

One of our diffusers

While our pediatrician sells Doterra oils in her office, I have found that the Now Foods brand works just as well, and the cost is much lower. Our doctor is fine with this too, and since she is about 90 miles away, using the Now Foods brand is also more convenient because I can order them on Amazon. We also have 3 InnoGear diffusers from Amazon so our whole house is covered (after all, when do children ever stay in one place?).

We have been using this method to help control respiratory allergies for over a year now, and our entire family has seen improvement. Nights have been more peaceful, and as an added bonuses, the house always smells fresh and clean which is important to me since I can no longer use any air fresheners or scented cleaners. This method also helps keep our allergy control simple because if I see the pollen counts are projected to be unusually high, I can run the diffuser and usually prevent any major allergy attacks. This gives me great peace of mind along with a simple routine.

Meal Plan Monday - March 27-April 2

Last week was a good example of how a meal plan can go awry. I had good intentions, and I had all of the ingredients. What I didn't have was time or a functional schedule. I also had a broken washer and dryer, a flat tire, and a sick child. But it's all OK. Since I did have so many ingredients on hand, I was still able to throw together easier meals, and we had take out several times. This week I'm going to assume things will fall apart and probably schedule in more take out if for no other reason than because we have a lot of activities coming up.

We did try one a new recipe, and it was amazing. So here's a review!

Green Chili Chicken Bake Over Rice With Spinach
I found this recipe for Green Chili Chicken Bake while surfing Pinterest in the middle of the night. One reason why I picked it was because I already had everything on hand, so I knew if I needed to swap meals some night, I could do it pretty easily. The base recipe is easy enough to throw together: mix up the cream cheese and green chilis with the spices, spread it over the chicken, top with cheese, and bake. Cook the rice and spinach (which was my addition) separately. It was fantastic. It tasted like a chicken enchilada which I just love. With that in mind, I did make a slight modification, and next time I will make one more.

I subbed in pepper jack cheese for the monterey jack because the hubby likes his food spicy. I didn't think it was very hot, but it did add a nice flavor. I also agree with the author that name brand chilis are needed. I found a can of generic in the cabinet (when did I buy those?), so I used them, but they weren't as delicate as the name brand. Next time, I think I could also mix in my 10 oz. package of frozen spinach (after it was thawed and drained) with the cream cheese mix before spreading on the chicken. This would save some time and help blend the flavors. It would also help soak up the residual sauce that we laddled out of the pan. This time we just layered rice, spinach, then a chicken breast with extra sauce spooned over. It was delicious though, and the leftovers were just as good. I will definitely make it again.

This Week's Meal Plan
This week I am going to hope for the best and plan for this worst.  I'm hoping I can get around to trying the Complete crockpot steak dinner, but I may just be lucky to survive on coffee Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Disclaimer: We deal with sensory disorders and immune deficiencies in our house, so not everyone eats everything I prepare. I am OK with that because it is our normal.  Sometimes Mommy is in survival mode, and we just have to do what works.

For my menu plan, I loosely plan breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, but I get more specific with dinners. I may assign days for specific meals, but that is always subject to change. I can't wait to review my new finds next week!

Breakfasts 
Muffins, frozen waffles, plain egg omelets, sausage, fruit 

Lunches
Dinner leftovers, Creamed tuna and peas over noodles, chicken breasts, mac & cheese, cheese/crackers, peanut butter, raisin bread, fruit, tomato soup

Dinners 
Monday: Sausage, potatoes, peppers, onions, zucchini sheet pan dinner
Tuesday:  Crock pot turkey breast, broccoli, carrots
Wednesday: Homemade pepperoni pizzas
Thursday: Oven pork chops, potatoes, and green beans
Friday: Takeout tacos
Saturday: Leftovers or takeout after community egg hunt
Sunday:  Complete crockpot steak dinner

Snacks
Slow cooker pumpkin applesauce, yogurt, fresh fruits/vegetables, chips/salsa, Choc-oat-chip cookies

This blog links up with the orgjunkie.com Meal Plan Monday linky party!

Simple Home - Why I Declutter Every Time I Do Laundry

Laundry is easier to control when you declutter each time.

After 12 years of hard use, my washer and dryer simultaneously died. They'd been subjected to abuse when I cloth diapered two babies. Then they'd suffered even more when we found out that we needed to obsessively wash everything in our house to help deal with immunodeficiencies. So it was their time. In the meantime, I've been waiting almost a week for my new set to be delivered. To get by, my wonderful mother has helped with whatever I couldn't wash and rinse by hand (Of all the prairie-style routines I have employed over the years, handwashing bothers me the least). While I've been doing this, it has reinforced my ideas about the need to declutter with every load.

I declutter every time I do laundry.
I declutter every time I do laundry. It isn't a major ordeal, and most of the time, I don't even notice I'm doing it. My daughter has also picked up the habit when she helps me sort and fold. So why do we do this? Because it keeps our clothes and linens simple, usable, and fresh. I rarely have to do a massive declutter for those things because they don't have time to build up in closets and drawers. I know what I have and what condition it is in at all times.


I wash everything before I declutter it.
Even though I make mental notes while I sort the laundry (holes, stains, rips, too small, etc.), I always wash everything before I declutter. Then it is ready to be sorted into decluttering categories. I believe in limiting my household waste, partly to help the environment, and partly because we don't have trash pick up. If something can be donated or recycled, I make sure it gets to the right location. Holey socks and dance tights and stained t-shirts can be recycled if they are clean. I always have a bag ready for anything that can no longer be worn. When it is full, I drop it off at the local thrift store that accepts textile recyling.


I know how things fit right before they are washed.

If it's too little, it's gone!

Here's the thing about kids and clothes: Kids are constantly outgrowing things. If I declutter each time I do laundry, there is less risk that an ill-fitting outfit winds up back in a closet or dresser. Jeans are too short? Time to donate. Skirts are too tight? Throw them in the donatation bag as well. This also saves my kids some frustration because they know whatever they pick out to wear will most likely fit.

I don't have to worry about seasonal changes.
It's already been in the 70s and 80s at my house. That means its time for the winter clothes to be packed up. But kids don't usually wear all of the same clothes from one winter to the next (there's that growing thing again!). So as I have been doing to the laundry this month, I have pulled out the winter pieces that I know won't fit next year. I have them bagged and labeled and waiting to be donated in September, unless I know someone I can give them to right now. Why don't I donate them now? Because thrift stores and volunteer organizations are ready for spring too. They don't need a lot of out-of-season clothes cluttering up their storage space.


I don't have to put away as much laundry.
I have to admit, this one is kind of my favorite. When I do a load of laundry, I don't always have things to toss, and that is great. But when I do find things I know we can no longer use, I can just toss them in a bag instead of working to hang or fold them just the right way. It saves a lot of time when I am only putting away things that are good and usable. It also keeps our clothes storage thinned out. We don't have to worry about cramming things into drawers or coming up short on hangers because we never have excess.


I don't like surprises.
Probably the most important reason why I declutter with every load is because I don't want to be caught off guard. If I remove a pair of my husband's stained up jeans, or downgrade them from work clothes to farm clothes, I know I need to purchase a new pair of jeans for him. Or if I tossed several holey socks and pairs of underwear in the recycling bag, I know it is time to pick up some more. It's not an infallible system, but we rarely have a clothing emergency because I know our supply so well.

Getting started in this process can be tricky if you are not used to it. You have to make it a habit. It may take a few extra moments in the beginning, but soon it will become routine. You'll also find your spaces tend to thin themselves out without you having to do a major clean out.

What do you prefer, decluttering little by little or all at once? Leave a comment, and let me know what works for you!

Meal Plan Monday - March 20-26

Happy Spring! We are having lovely weather on this 1st day of spring, and it has given me a renewed sense of vigor. I love these warm days that seem to last forever after coming out of a dark, cold winter. It has also made us quite hungry! We tried two new recipes last week that will be on our menu plan again this week.

Homemade Pizza
My kids absolutely loved this one. They always want to help in the kitchen, and they were able to make their own pizza with very little help. We used this Quick and Easy Pizza Dough recipe for the crust which Prairie Daughter was able to mix up on her own. We mixed it in a stand mixer with a bread hook to make clean up easy. We also recommend putting a little olive oil on your hands when you press out the dough so it won't stick to your hands, and it will add a little flavor to your crust.

We used jarred sauce since this was our first attempt at homemade pizza, but we might investigate some homemade recipes when time allows, especially when our garden starts giving us fresh tomatoes. Then we grated some mozzarella and topped it off with pepperoni. 17 minutes of baking time was just right for us, although I suggest keeping a thermometer in the oven because oven temperatures can vary, especially during season changes! The crust was so soft which made this pizza so much better than any frozen pizza. Our only problem was that the dough recipe was for only 1 pizza! Next time we will double it.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
My daughter loves coffee cake from Starbucks, but she can never finish a whole piece since it is so dense. I went looking for an easy quick bread recipe that would replicate the flavor with a lighter texture. I found this recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread that was wonderful! My only changes was that I used melted butter since I generally don't use vegetable (soybean) oil because of allergies, and I added a tablespoon of vanilla for a boost in flavor. The bread came out light and airy and completely delicious. Both of my kids loved it, and I thought it was fantastic with coffee.


This Week's Meal Plan
This week I am going to be looking for a new baked good recipe because we love muffins or scones for breakfast. I'm also experimenting with the Complete crockpot steak dinner since we have a lot of rib-eyes after having a cow butchered.

Disclaimer: We deal with sensory disorders and immune deficiencies in our house, so not everyone eats everything I prepare. I am OK with that because it is our normal.  Sometimes Mommy is in survival mode, and we just have to do what works.

For my menu plan, I loosely plan breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, but I get more specific with dinners. I may assign days for specific meals, but that is always subject to change. I can't wait to review my new finds next week!

 Breakfasts 
Muffins, frozen waffles, plain egg omelets, sausage, fruit 

Lunches
Dinner leftovers, Creamed tuna and peas over noodles, homemade pizza, chicken breasts, mac & cheese, cheese/crackers, peanut butter, raisin bread, fruit, tomato soup

Dinners 
Monday: Spicy turkey and cabbage soup
Tuesday:  Crock pot chicken, potatoes, onions, peppers, squash
Wednesday: Mini turkey meatloaf and green bean sheet pan dinner
Thursday:  Lentil pasta with meat sauces, broccoli, garlic toast
Friday: Green chili chicken bake, rice, corn
Saturday: Leftovers or takeout after community egg hunt
Sunday:  Complete crockpot steak dinner

Snacks
Smoothies, yogurt, fresh fruits/vegetables, chips/salsa, Cinnamon swirl bread 

This blog links up with the orgjunkie.com Meal Plan Monday linky party!

Simple Homeschool - Our Schedule

There are a lot of ways to homeschool. There are also a lot of ways to plan (or not plan) a homeschool day. I have always been the kind of person who loves lists and schedules, so when we started our homeschooling adventure 5 years ago, I went looking for a "perfect" schedule template. But as we have progressed, I have learned that the best learning happens unscheduled, and there is no perfect schedule. This is why we use a loose, flexible schedule for our day.

We wake up slowly.
I'm a night owl. So is my husband, and so are our kids. No matter how hard we have tried over the years, we always revert back to staying up a little late and sleeping in a little. Our brains just function better later in the day and things are easier. Since I am a believer in working with the natural rhythms of our bodies, I embrace this as part of our homeschool life. We wake up, usually one at a time, between 7:30 and 8:30. The kids have breakfast and play and maybe watch a PBS program. There's no shock of an alarm clock, and there's no rushing to meet a deadline to be ready. We just enjoy each other and the morning. We also don't suffer from sleep deprivation  because the kids still sleep 10-11 hours every night.

We use checklists to start our daily routines.
I want my kids to develop good hygiene and housekeeping habits. I also don't want to nag them to do each step. To smoothly start our day, I use a checklist system for me and the children. The kids have checklist cards for hygiene and chores so they can prepare for the school day. I also have a housekeeping checklist that I work through over the week. Around 9:30 or 10, we begin our checklists. These usually take 30-45 minutes to complete. Prairie Daughter is in charge of supervising Prairie Son to see that he gets ready and tidies his room. He assists her with chores since he is learning to take over her chores as she progresses to more complex tasks.


We have required subjects for every school day.
We start our lessons with seatwork around 10:15 or 10:30, depending on when the checklists are finished. My kids love worksheets, but they can get tedious, so we like to get them out of the way. We start with writing, reading comprehension, spelling, geography, and science for my daughter and shapes, colors, letters, and numbers for my son.  I do let my kids choose the order in which the work is completed so they are more comfortable. They each have a desk which we sometimes keep in the living room and sometimes in their neighboring bedrooms. It is easy for me to go from one to the other and help as needed even though they are on different levels. If the kids start getting wiggly before they are done, they have a snack break, and maybe a dance break too!

We utilize "couch time" for learning and resting.
My kids can sit and listen to me read for hours. They remember so much by me reading to them, so we use that to our advantage. After seatwork and snacks, we have listening time around 12 or 12:30. We have our serious Bible time first. Sometimes we have coloring pages or projects to go with Bible time, like crafts or planning volunteer work.  After this, we break for lunch around 2. After lunch, we have some fictional reading (storybooks, fables, fairy tales, chapter books). As time goes on, my daughter is doing more of the reading, but she still likes to listen a lot. We also read our science and history textbooks on the couch. I want the kids to enjoy learning these subjects, and when they are relaxed, they absorb so much more. 

We use "table time" for projects that can be done together.
It can be tricky combining working for kids who are 3 1/2 years apart. After couch time, we use table time for science and history projects based on our reading. We stay here until we are finished which is sometime around 3. My 7 year old may be filling in fact sheets, labeling charts, or making complex crafts while my 3 year old colors appropriately themed pages. They just like to know they are working on the same subjects. We round out table time with our math lesson. While my daughter would be in 1st grade in public school, she is almost at the end of a 2nd grade math curriculum, so her work includes complex addition and subtraction problems along with some multiplication and division. My son still chimes in with counting, naming 2D and 3D shapes and coins, and solving pattern puzzles.

Learning is more important than following the schedule.
Some days we venture away from even this loose schedule. If the science reading is incredibly interesting, we may keep reading, pull out some flashcards, look up YouTube videos, and make a plan for using the telescope that night. Or if the kids love the chapter book we are reading, we may read until we finish it and skip science. If history requires a big art project, we might skip the science reading and cut math a little short. I try to follow the kids' lead. We eventually get through the curriculum I have lined up, but we do it in a way where they love it and retain it. And even though we start our formal work later in the day, we get a lot more hours of schooling in over the course of a year because my kids want to work on schoolwork on the weekends and holidays, and we do a lot of projects in the evenings that tie into school lessons.


Play is learning.
From the time we start our morning checklists, I don't allow individual screen time until we are finished with lessons for the day. If my kids need a break, they can play individually or with each other. We have all kinds of blocks, play dough accessories, animals, dolls, etc., and I know kids learn from play as much as they do from books. Not only do they learn problem-solving skills, but they also learn how to communicate, and they get in that absolutely adorable brother-sister bonding time - most of the time.


Learning never stops.

When we finally allow screen time in the evenings, my kids are more likely to ask for an educational show based on what we learned during the day. It may be a documentary on recycling or a kids' program on space. Even Disney movies like Mulan and Pocahontas get viewed through an educational lens as my daughter separates fact from fiction. And I love it. I love seeing how learning is affecting their choices and how they subconsciously continue our school discussions.


Our homeschooling days usually aren't perfect. And usually even a loose schedule can break down when someone is sick or when we just feel burned out. But it does help to keep me accountable. I don't want homeschool to be a reason to ever be lax, so I like having an order for our list of subjects to cover. We usually spend 3-5 hours a day on our formal schooling (worksheets, projects, textbook readings), but the learning can continue all day and night, and I wouldn't want it any other way.




This blog links up with the Hip Homeschool Moms linky party!