Such fun !!

We're back......we had such a good time !  The weather was being a little difficult on Friday & Saturday, which caused a few changes with the " Young Men's" camp.  Thankfully most of our plans were indoors.  Our buddy " A " decided to join us for this little road trip....he did so well and I think he'll probably be up for joining us again.  After meeting up with the guys and swapping gear and collecting a tired soggy Anthony in Campbell River we headed to Courtenay, dropped Piper off at her favorite " doggy camp" and checked into the motel.  After filling our bellies with Autunm soup we headed off to the newly opened Costco to stock up on a few things.  The kids enjoyed checking out the well stocked book section while I quickly sprinted my way through.  Then it was off to the Wave pool.  Two hours of full on exercise and a little visiting with Nana.  I was hoping to tucker them out enough that we wouldn't have any fussing around when I declared it time for bed......and it worked !  Liam crashed out in the middle of playing on a pile of blankets on the floor :).

First on the agenda for Saturday was hair cuts for us girls. Then it was on to the " Farmer's market".  Nana met up with us again, which was lovely.  Most of us indulged in a little gluten/dairy free treat from " Sweet Surprises".  I Love her ginger cookies !!

Next, it was the dreaded Superstore.  There's something about this store that just brings on the "gremlins".  It took all our strategies but we survived ...barely !  We decided that food was the best remedy....so after much discussion we decided to give the " Whitespot to go" a try.  Mr. A & Anthony went for burger meals & the rest of us stuck to the fries which we took back to our room.  I reheated some turkey/veg burger's (with out the buns) & some raw veggies to go with the fries to round out our meals.

Then it was onto the main event....." Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollow's part 2"......

This was the first of the series that we saw in 3D.  The kids are all very curious about how this 3D thing works and why my eyes don't do 3D ( yours eyes need to work together for it to work & mine don't even with my glasses on). I still need to wear the 3D glasses it's just looks normal to me.  We all enjoyed ourselves.  I'm still deciding whether I like seeing the movies before or after reading the books.  When we got back to the motel the kids decided that they really needed to swim in the motels outdoor pool.  They sweet talked the guy on duty into removing the cover and in they went....

Sunday we rose to no rain and warmer temps.  We packed up, checked out and headed down island to Errington to meet up with our new learning consultant with " Self Design".  Wendy was on the island and visiting with her families. I thought it was best to meet up at the "N. Island Wildlife Recovery Association".  I was thinking that this would allow everyone the space to interact in a calm and fun atmosphere.  It was all that with one exception .....it had a gift shop...a gift shop you had to walk through to enter & exit. We had already reached our sensory overload with anything to do with " shopping". 45 minutes into our visit the " gremlins" took over and we ended our visit with me carrying them out to the van and leaving.  It took a few km, lots of  "don't engage " for them to get the message that they don't run the show and then all was calm again.  It was nice to get to meet Wendy in person even though our visit had to get cut short.  She definitely got some more insight into our family and some of the challenges we face.

Before picking Piper up we made a stop at the Courtenay air park for a snack and a little kinesthetic release.

Overall it was a good trip !  Looking forward to our next one at the end of August......

Gf rice/buckwheat blueberry pancakes

4 cups brown rice flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
3 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp xanthum gum ( will work if your out)
3 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
1/2 cup oil
5 cups liquid ( water, rice milk etc.)
frozen blueberries ( also works with blackberries or raspberries)

- Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl, make a well.

- Combine wet ingredients, mix

- Add wet to dry and mix thoroughly.  Batter should be a little on the thick side.

- Scoop batter onto heated skillet, sprinkle top with frozen fruit, flip when edges start to firm up.

- Makes approx. 22 medium sized pancakes

We like ours with Vegan butter & pure maple syrup.  They heat up well the next day also, Enjoy !

So...How's it going?

We have been eating gluten/dairy free over month now.  I feel great ! I've notice many changes for the kids also.  So I thought I'd jaunt them down. *Be prepared for lots of details !

Ana:

- The biggest change I've notice is the intensity of her rages.  Things have changed so much that we've dropped her afternoon meds.  We have stopped the fiber substitute & laxatives.  She's no longer constipated.  She has had little round " rabbit turd" BM's her whole life.  Now, they are regular healthy human BM's.  Her skin is looking great...no more dark circles under eyes !

- I'm pleased to see her reading labels and embraces the changes.  She recognizes for herself that things are improving.  She's tuning into the little things and is connecting the dots with what is going in or on and how her body is responding.  Her sugar cravings seem to have mellowed out also....

- Currently she's eating: a small amount of potatoes & brown rice ( Tamari is a must), any type of corn, fruits & veggies ( raw & cooked), gluten/dairy free baking, rice pasta, meat/poultry/seafood, hummus, rice crackers/cakes/cereals, dried fruits & nuts, jam, nut butters & sauces.

-  She's missing: cheese, wheat bread & crackers, canned tomato soup & pastry

Liam:

- The changes haven't been as obvious for him.  He's eating more.  His skin has more color.  He seems to have more energy.  His BM's are slowly improving and are not as " ripe".  For the most part he's has had no issues with the changes with one exception.....he's really missing having cheese, oatmeal & granola bars!

Keisha:

-  Keisha has joined us and has gone back to eating gluten/dairy ( she eat gf/dairy free for 9 yrs & has only been eating restriction free for the last year & a 1/2 or so) .  After speaking with her neurologist we decided to go back to the old way to see if that helps.  She was totally okay with it.  This time around she's not acting deprived or sneaking or binging !

- She has always been a great fruit & veggie eater and has made the transition back effortlessly.  The only thing she's really missing is butter & ice cream.

Momma:

- the biggest change for me is that without much effort I have lost 15 of the 25 lbs I had put back on over the last couple of years.  My eczema is improving.  My joints are not aching and my sinuses have cleared up.  I feel like my grouchies days are less frequent and my metabolism is revving back up.  I'm no longer experiencing bloating or cramping.  My gut feels great !

-  I've been mostly eating veggies & chicken, turkey, pork & eggs.  Rice & gf flake cereal, seeds, brown rice & new potatoes, my own gf baking & homemade meals & soups.  Being that I also have other allergies  I eat minimal raw fruits & no nuts.  I have thankfully found a brand of rice cracker that I enjoy the flavor of.  I am missing butter, cheddar cheese, wheat crackers & oatmeal.  I'm planning to visit the health food store down island this weekend.  Ana & I have been thinking of giving quinoa a try.

I realize that our making the switch has gone smoother than it probably does in other households being that I had all those years from when K&A were little.  Things have come a long way since my first visit to the gluten free section of the health foods store.  I remember standing there just hoping to find any of the " strange" ingredients from the two gluten free cook books the library had.  Now I can find most thing in the mainstream grocery stores and between the library & internet I'll never run out of recipes.  It also helps that I'm comfortable in the kitchen and have a fair knowledge of nutrition & the body.  For all those families who situation are not like mine you have my sympathy.  I can only imagine how overwhelmed you may be feeling.

What a lovely Monday.....

I woke to the sun shining into my eyes this morning....such a nice way to start the day !  For most of us the morning went smoothly.  Liam had a little " ee-or " episode on the way to the pool other than that it has been quite a nice day.  Keisha, Ana & Liam have been taking swimming lesson for the last few weeks.  Sadly, the weather hasn't been so pleasant.  Today was the exception.......

By time Liam & I got back to the pool I missed getting some pics of Keish....maybe tomorrow.  It was still so nice and warm that we decide to walk home via the playground.  My friend Janel and her brood decided to join us.  Two hours later they had checked out every piece of play equipment, chased each other around in various games of imagination and had devoured every snack we brought.  Our tummies were telling us it was time to head home for something more substantial.....

 Once back at home we filled our tummies and Anthony & I started packing for his next trip.  Tomorrow he's leaving for his first " Young Men's " camp.  This year they are going to Butler Lake near Gold River for 4 days.  This will be his first camp without his Momma or someone to handle all the food planning & preparation.  The three boys attending from our area have formulated their meal plan and with a little tweeking from their Moms they shouldn't starve !

Now it's onto a little after dinner " Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".  We have been re-watching the whole series this past week in preparation for " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2" .  We are heading down to Courtenay for a weekend of fun & visiting and a much anticipated trip to the cinema !!!

We've been waiting so long for a little summer.....

One of the blessing of  living in a place that receives so much rain....a constant flow of vibrant wild flowers !

Kicking the ball around would be so much more fun if it were dry......

The berries are so close to bursting....now all we need is some heat.....I'm so ready to start picking!

 Between the library and my own personal stash I've been brushing up on a few things.....

This morning we woke to sun....real burn the fog off, clothes drying, vegetable loving, stay all day sun !

 

So I weed the garden......

and helped Piper shed some of her winter coat....

we played in the yard and walked to town ..... picking salmon berries the whole way........we strolled along the pier and stopped by the library.......the kids enjoyed homemade freezies ...... I sat on the deck and read .......the clothes dried on the rack.......our sheets smell so nice......would it be considered greedy to hope for some more tomorrow?

Crunchy Flax Cookies - Gluten & Dairy Free

 
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tapioca starch
1/2 ground flax
1 cup cracked flax seeds
2 tsp gf baking powder
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan shortening - softened
1/2 cup vegan butter - softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line or lightly grease pans if not using baking stones

1. Combine all the dry ingredients and then set aside

2. Cream together shortening/butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla.

3. Mix together

4. Bake for about 10 mins.  I think they taste best when allowed to fully cool.


I LOVE these cookies.  I'm planning to play with the recipe to see if I can get it to work with substituting stevia for the sugar.  I'll keep you posted......

On my mind........

 - What do you say when your seven year old asks you " Mommy, why don't we have a Daddy?  Maybe if you hadn't adopted us you could of found a Daddy.....then you could of found me later....."

-  What would it have been like to parent in a partnership?

-  How can I be so thankful for how well their growing up, while at the same time wish they would just stop growing already.....I mean Anthony has facial hair for crying out loud & has a deeper voice than any other male I know !!

- I still can't wrap my mind around how people say " I love you" whilst treating each other so badly.....

-  If it's possible for the North Island to actually get enough sun to dry things out !

- A constant stream of ideas for how this next " school year" could look like.......

- What house project should I tackle next?


and so on and so on and so on...........maybe I'll wake with all or some the answers......

Canada Day.......

......was...well.....WET & STORMY !!!!  There was no sitting out on the deck or bar bq dinner's around here Sheesh......

So while my sister Marina & family were celebrated & taking in the fire works and my sister Cheryl & Josh were delivering their new daughter....I was standing in the rain !  Okay enough whining...it is what it was moving on.  Despite the unfriendly weather the kids had fun.

We finished the afternoon off by taking in a movie " Rio".  Our little theatre is under new ownership.  A non-profit called the Gate House Community Association.  I'm curious to see what they have planned for the place....there's some cool ideas floating about !

Grade 7 Grad

This week as been so full.  We've been up & down the island to the neurologist ( things are in motion) along with all our regular activities.  The biggest by far though was the ending of our time in public school.  Keisha & Anthony finish grade 7 with a great celebration !  The gym was decked out with a crazy amount of bling all borrowed from the grade 12 graduation.  The kids were in great spirits and dressed to the nines.  Keish just glowed all night.  Ms. Danielle had gifted her this fabulous second hand dress several months earlier for dress - up purposes.  It was so perfect !  She decided that "it" was the dress for the night !  Anthony looked all sleek & dashing and did an amazing job addressing the whole audience ( I can't believe how deep his voice is getting).  My camera situation really needs to improve......so thankful that J.R. from Straight shooters was on scene.  Here are a couple shots of mine ( I'm planning on ordering from J.R. his are way better)

After the ceremony part of the evening the parents & sibling left the graduates to party !!!  Apparently there was lots of Justin Beiber songs, a few group dances & Mr. Gough pulled out the smoke machine...super cool !!!

The next morning Keish along with most of the grade 7's slept in.  Anthony however was up and out early to take advantage of the all you can eat pancake breakfast being served up for the students as a last day treat.  Keisha & I joined the others at the school around 12:30 for a special student awards assembly.  I had received a call that it would be a " good idea for me to attend" code language for one or more of my children was going to be receiving something.  I didn't say anything to either of them...deciding to go with the surprise approach.  If I only knew what was to come I would have had a larger tissue supply.

They each received a class award for their consistent impressive effort and attitude for learning.  The tear jerker was that they were also awarded the " Brittany Rothenburger Friendship Award".  Brittany was a much loved student who had passed in a quading accident several years ago.  We didn't have the pleasure of knowing her.  She was best known for her amazing ability to befriend everyone.  She was warm and loving and a true friend.  Her family and friend created a playground and this award in her honor. I feel so blessed that my children were honored for their beautiful hearts !!!