Soby's Stuff

Making Kombucha: Supplies

2010-09-01T09:28:00.001-07:00

What you will need:

Starter culture: This can be slightly tricky. You need to get the kombucha organism-called a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) from a friend or one of the many online vendors. You can also contact me for info on getting one of mine :). This will also come with a small amount of kombucha, you will need this for your first brew so don’t throw it out. If your starter culture comes in a plastic bag you are going to want to transfer it to a glass container as soon as possible.

1 Gallon Jar: I use a suntea jar. Kombucha isn’t supposed to come in contact with plastic or metal (or at least very minimal contact), Suntea jars do have plastic or metal spouts. There has been much discussion in kombucha making circles about if this is acceptable. There are of course varied opinions but there are many people who have successfully been making kombucha in suntea jars for years. Its really up to you and your preferences.

Tea: you will need 6 tea bags. These can be green, black or white tea. Its best to use organic but in all honesty I don’t currently make mine with organic tea so again this is personal preference and what you have available. You can also use 4 bags of white, black or green and 2 bags of flavored tea, I like using 2 bags of chai tea.

Sweetener: Most people seem to use white sugar for this, you will need 1 cup. You can also use brown sugar, sucanat or rapadura. Most kombucha makers don’t recommend honey due to its antibiotic nature (it could also kill the probiotics that you want) but I have heard of people using it successfully. Very little of the sweetener should be left when your brew is complete since that is what the (good) bacteria and yeast feed on during the brew.

12 cups of water-the most pure you can get is the best.

You will need a cloth (NOT cheesecloth) or a couple coffee filters to cover your jar and two rubber bands to secure it.

That’s it! Gather these supplies and you will be ready to start your brew when I post the directions in a few days!

More on Kombucha:
About Kombucha

Coming Soon:
Making Kombucha: Directions
Kombucha Resources

My first canning attempts

2010-08-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

I "canned" for the first time this year! It is very cool to preserve my own food! We (I had help from my husband) made salsa, spaghetti sauce and peach preserves. It was much easier than I expected.

Now I don't think I will make canning my number one method of preservation because of the nutrient loss that comes with it, but its nice to know I have that option and that there is food that will be available in an emergency. I've also read that tomatoes are actually better for you cooked so canning tomato products is still a good idea. I would love to put up some tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

My biggest complaint is the amount of sugar called for in some recipes. Seriously I don't want to put MORE sugar than fruit. I have found out I can use Pamona's Pectin and use less sugar. What I really want to figure out before I make jam or preserves again is if I can use a more natural sweetener-honey, sucanat, etc. Any ideas?

Here is my salsa:

Baking Day

2010-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

So I did a HUGE baking day on Wednesday. I learned a lot and had a little success!

This baking day was all about sourdough, everything (except for one) was made of sourdough, a very healthy option!

The plan was to make tortillas, english muffins, bread, bread bites and graham crackers (these were not made with sourdough).

Here is my helper for the day all ready to go!

Building up my "sponge"

Dough rising, the first is tortilla dough the second is english muffin dough:

Loaves rising:

The results (well some of them):

So, the loaves came out too flat, I'm not sure if I didn't let them rise long enough or if they fell in the oven. They were very very dense and chewy but the flavor was good so I'm not giving up yet! The tortillas were good but they weren't quite as flexible as they need to be, they broke when folded. The bread bites were good but too dry and the graham crackers were a complete flop. Luckily for my self-esteem the english muffins were great!

I'm not giving up, this was my first try at most of this but I did learn that I do NOT want to do a huge baking day again like this. It was absolutely exhausting and clean up was brutal. From now on I will make one thing when I need it!! It was definitely a learning experience. Oh and Sydney loved it!

Making my own Sourdough Starter

2010-08-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

I successfully made my own sourdough starter!! Thanks to the Sourdough Ecourse over at GNOWFGLINS. I tried these instructions from The Fresh Loaf. Unfortunately I didn't have orange or pineapple juice, I tried using lemon but that didn't work ( I have a friend who used orange juice and had great success so go ahead and try it!). So I ended up using the instructions from GNOWFGLINS. They are great instructions but I liked the idea of only feeding it once a day.

So after several attempts I finally succeeded! Actually I almost threw out my successful batch but I decided to keep feeding it for a couple more days and finally it started getting bubbly :).

Here is my starter:

About Kombucha

2010-08-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered kombucha, and I'm loving it! What is kombucha? The short answer is "fermented tea."

Kombucha is indeed a fermented tea but it is so much more. It’s a slightly carbonated beverage that is full of probiotics and healthy yeast. It’s easy and cheap to make and very good for you!

I started drinking kombucha to replace my Dr. Pepper habit, and it worked!! I can’t say for sure if it’s improving the way I feel but I have been able to stop drinking caffeine with less withdrawal effects than I normally deal with. I would even dare to say I have noticed a slight increase in my energy and stamina.

If you know me very well in real life you know that not drinking caffeine is a BIG DEAL! Over the last month I have only had a soda once in a while and not every day (down from drinking 3-4 a day). Kombucha is a very healthy replacement drink!

My first taste of kombucha was store bought Synergy Kombucha (which you can’t currently purchase do to a question about alcohol content). Shortly after that I started brewing my own. I think the home brew is MUCH better!! If you are wondering about the alcohol content let me just say, if there was an alcohol in my home brewed kombucha I would KNOW and I’m absolutely sure there isn’t!

I get asked all the time “what does it taste like.” That is an impossible question to answer because it doesn’t taste like anything else I’ve had so it’s hard to make a comparison. Each brew tastes slightly different and you can customize it in countless different ways resulting in many different tastes.

I do want to caution you: The first few days I drank kombucha I experienced a detox effect that was quite unpleasant. Keep in mind at that time I drank way too much soda and hardly any water. The way to avoid this is by only drinking a small amount (half a glass) your first couple days and slowly increasing the amount. I now drink about 3 glasses a day with no negative effects. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water.

Are you ready to start making your own kombucha now? Watch for my upcoming posts on how to make it:

Making Kombucha: Supplies
Making Kombucha: Directions
Kombucha Resources

Eating better

2010-08-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

I am making a huge effort to improve my families eating right now. We cut out all (well pretty much all) artificial color from our diet about a year ago, along with that went many, but not all, artificial flavors and preservatives. Well now we are going organic and focusing on whole foods while trying to eliminate processed foods. I'm learning as fast as I can (which doesn't feel like fast enough) but there are still a few hold outs. I have switched to real butter (organic if I can get it, I would buy raw if I found it), raw milk (not that easy to get), and many other things bought from farmer's markets instead of the grocery store.

One of the best resources for all of these changes is Nourishing Traditions. I haven't used many of the recipes but the information in the book and suggestions and guidelines for what to eat and what not to eat are wonderful! I highly suggest everyone own this!!

Another thing I'm doing is taking the e-courses from GNOWFGLINS.Its a wonderful course and provided on a pay-as-you-can basis. I highly suggest checking it out. She is currently offering a fundamentals e-course and a sourdough e-course. They are really great!

I will start posting more about my adventures soon (including pictures I promise!!!).

Clumsy me...

2010-08-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have suddenly become very clumsy. I have dropped (and broke) so many things the last couple months, a casserole, a bowl, a glass....I know there is more. It seems like I'm dropping something all the time!! Other than the annoyance of ruining dishes (especially when I'm trying to use less plastic, which inevitably means more glass!), it worries me because of my crawling baby. While I immediately sweep it all up I'm always afraid a sliver or two will remain and get in her knee. As a matter of fact I've had two get in my foot. I don't know what to do-except STOP dropping things!!! (Oh and I realized after I cleaned up the dropped glass that I should have taken a picture for my blog, oops!)

Preserving the Bounty Challenge

2010-07-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

I joined the Preserve the Bounty challenge at The Nourished Kitchen. Participants in the challenge will get info over the course of 5 weeks in August on traditional methods of preserving (instead of canning). The methods are sun-drying, oil curing, salt-curing, fermentation and freezing. I (as a participant) am supposed to try out each of these methods during that time. The plan is to post my experiences here :) (with pictures of course!!). Feel free to remind me!!

Why not just can stuff you ask? The short answer is that in most cases the high temperatures and/or long cooking times required for canning depletes most of the nutrients in your food. The methods above preserve the food for winter while also maintaining, or even enhancing (in the case of fermentation), the nutrients.

Want to join the challenge with me?? Click here to read about it and sign up!!

Cloth Diapers: How I got started

2010-07-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have been asked about cloth diapering from time to time and I thought I would write a post about how I got started and some basic info. I am by no means an expert as I've only been doing this for about 6 months and have only tried a handful of brands. I will post more as I try out new diapers.

I have to say I absolutely LOVE cloth diapers!! I started out looking into them because of the financial aspect, you save a TON of money with cloth diapers, even if you choose to use the more expensive kind (which is what I use most of the time). If you choose the more expensive kind the up-front cost can be large, but you still end up saving quite a bit of money over the long term. On top of that, if you use those diapers for your next child the savings is even more significant! Don't have much money for diapers-you can get started with prefolds for about $50!!

Once I started researching cloth diapers I found out how much better they actually are for baby's bottom. Disposables are made of plastic, and as we know the "scientists" are always discovering a new dangerous chemical in plastics that we previously thought were safe. Yes even your "cloth-like" disposables are full of plastic. In addition to the plastic, disposables are full of all sorts of chemicals-that's why they can absorb so much. You know those little beads that come out and get on baby's bottom if you leave the diaper on too long? Chemicals! The chemicals are what cause most diaper rash. Now I'm not saying your baby will never have diaper rash in a cloth diaper (we are battling one right now, the only one she has had that wasn't from a disposable) but you will most certainly have LESS diaper rash in cloth.

Add to that the reusable, sustainable, "green" factor and cloth diapers were definitely worth trying out. I won't lie, the "green" factor was far from my main motivator but it is definitely a nice benefit-for us and the environment.

I bought several diapers off ebay (new), most were made by work-at-home-moms. None of my first diapers were a major brand name. I will suggest that if you buy WAHM diapers from ebay or etsy you research the maker thoroughly, there are blogs and forums that review these diapers (I'll post more resources later). The ones I bought were supposed to be all-in-ones but needed a cover, this was fine but I do prefer true all-in-ones.

When Sofia was born my only name-brand cloth diapers were two Fuzzi-Bunz I got from a friend as a baby gift. I would quickly find out that these were the only ones I owned at the time suitable for nighttime use, and that brand is still my nighttime choice (although I now have more than two!).

I didn't start cloth-diapering as soon as she was born. I intended to but I got very sick and in part forgot, in part just didn't want to deal with it so I waited until I felt better. Well a couple months later I decided I better try all these cloth diapers I bought. My first day went horrible (I tell you this to encourage you if you had an initial bad experience). Every last diaper I owned leaked...it was quite discouraging. So I washed them and put them up, thinking I was giving up on cloth diapering. And there they sat for several weeks....

Eventually the frugal part of me won out and I just couldn't look at those diapers that I had spent money on not getting used and continue spending more money on the disposables. I talked to a cloth diapering friend and did some research online and figured out a few mistakes I had made. 1. I washed them in regular detergent and 2. I hadn't made sure they were snug around the legs and stomach. (I also figured out eventually that some of them just had to have a cover). Once I got these issues sorted out cloth diapering was a success and I LOVED it!!

Now, once I reached that point I wanted to try out different brands of diapers, I eventually added BumGenius all-in-ones, BumGenius organic one-size AIOs, Flip, Kissaluv (which I don't like), Fuzzi Bunz one size (in addition to my sized FB), and BumGenius one-size pocket. I also got my older daughter who still wore pull-ups at night to switch over to Happy Heinies cloth pullups! I also purchased wet bags (planet wise), changing pads (Fuzzi Bunz) and made cloth wipes (more on this later).

That is my story and now I am a "die hard" cloth diaper mom!! I have even (recently) tried the prefold-which aren't as bad as I expected. I write this post to encourage those who are interested in trying cloth diapers and to maybe get someone thinking about it who hadn't previously but it is in no way to pressure, judge, or otherwise belittle moms who do not choose to cloth diaper. This, like everything in parenting, is something that each person must decide what works for their family!!

Coming soon: Cloth Diaper lingo
                      Cloth Diaper washing and stripping
                      Cloth Diaper reviews
                      Pre-Folds
                      What to do about diaper rash
                      Cloth Diaper resources
                     ....and more (I'll link from here with new posts)

My absolute favorite cloth diaper store is Kelly's Closet!

Feel free to ask questions-I will probably include them in a later post!

Way To Go Syd!

2010-04-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last night we got an e-mail from my daughter's gymnastics coach inviting us to be in a different class. Basically, my daughter has provisionally made the competitive team!! She is going to go to team camps all summer and the goal for her class is to be competing at level 2 in January (this is when meets actually begin), there is a small chance the girls won't be ready to compete in Jan but from what I gather they probably will and we should have an even better idea by the end of summer. Syd has been saying for over a year that she wants to be on the team, we are all very excited and proud of her. I have NO IDEA how I'm going to come up with all the $$ that competitive gymnastics require but I know it will work out one way or another :).

Enfagrow Chocolate, whose obsurd idea????

2010-04-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

I just sent this e-mail to Enfamil because I think that its disgraceful that they are offering what amounts to fortified chocolate milk for one-year-olds. I know not everyone will agree that you shouldn't give chocolate milk to children so young but I think its a horrible start, if you agree with me I suggest you write something similar to them, maybe we can get them to pull it....children won't ask for the chocolate flavor if they don't know it exists but if they do they are very likely to refuse everything else!!!

You can see what I'm talking about here.

To whom it may concern,

I just saw that you are now making a Chocolate formula for toddlers. I'm very concerned about the fact that you are promoting giving chocolate/chocolate flavor to a child so young. Children this age should be learning to eat nutritious food not depending on a formula to make up for poor nutrition (obviously this is the parents responsibility to make sure they are eating a healthy balance diet). But even if parents think they need a formula to fill in the gaps they should not be feeding such a young child chocolate, obviously the child having something like this on a regular basis would make them more likely to ask for sweets, eat too many sweets, and refuse nutritious food when offered because they know they will get their "chocolate milk." I think giving parents this option is allowing/encouraging them to take the easy way out rather then be PARENTS and teach their children to eat well.

I have two children, one is still on infant formula the other is 4. We used formula with her until she was one and switched completely at that point to milk and nutritious meals and snacks. We never needed a supplement like this and she was never allowed to have chocolate (or strawberry or any other flavor milk) she drank regular white, whole milk, water or the occasional juice, and that is still what she drinks to this day. My child eats well willingly eating fruits and vegetables and rarely getting sweets, she will even turn down sweets she is not allowed to have. Teaching children to eat well is possible but not by offering them something like this from the beginning.

I have used your formula for both of my children (unfortunately I haven't been successful at nursing) because of your wonderful track record and company history but this makes me consider switching companies for my formula need as I just can't support parents being encouraged to give their children poor eating habits so early in life.

Sabrina Scheerer

I used their form on the website but email can be sent to: EnfamilResourceCenter@Enfa

mil.com

Even if you don't/never plan to use formula if you think this is harmful please write!!!! People WILL buy it if its available and I believe WIC is allowing the Enfagrow and probably will allow this (can anyone confirm?)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-04-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

FOR TODAY, April 6, 2010

Outside my window...The sun is bright, the grass is turning green and the flowers are blooming!

I am thinking...that I wish I had the time/energy to plant flowers and a garden...well, next year :)

I am thankful for...warmer weather!

From the learning rooms...Syd is loving her new curriculum!

From the kitchen...tomorrow I'm going to make baby food!

I am creating...nothing at the moment...I should work on the bows for Syd.

I am going...shopping this afternoon!

I am reading...well I have about 4 unfinished books on the coffee table :).

I am hoping...that the next 2 months go quickly!

I am hearing...the baby crying-she is fighting her nap!

Around the house...its a mess!

One of my favorite things...my girls!

A few plans for the rest of the week: try to get the house picked up a bit....

sorry no picture this week, I'll try to have one next week!!

If you would like to participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook click here for more information!!!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today we remember that Jesus rose from the grave!! Remember during all the festivities to give that some thought! On Friday we observed the anniversary of His death and today we celebrate the miracle of his resurrection. Remember that He would have died for YOU alone, it is personal. His resurrection means he conquered death so that you could have eternal life-if you choose to accept it.

Update

2010-04-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy past 6 months or so! I can't believe its already April!! (but I'm definitely NOT complaining!)

Sofia is just over 6 months old and is trying really hard to crawl. She weighed over 18lbs at her last checkup!! Unfortunately she is still not sleeping through the night :(. I just keep telling myself any day now she will!

Sydney is loving being a big sister and is a HUGE help to me. She has taken on so many chores without complaining at all and most of the time asks me what else she can do!

I haven't had time to do much else lately but take care of the girls and try to keep up with the house. We are a little over 1/4 the way through this deployment and keeping up with everything has definitely been a challenge. I feel like I'm just now starting to get to a place where I can get us back on some sort of routine/schedule and maybe start accomplishing more than the bare minimum. I have a list of things I want to accomplish during Dustin's upcoming R&R. I'm hoping that if I can't get things running smoother before that at least I can get systems in place then to help get us through the last part of this.

I'm baaaaack.....

2010-04-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hello.....anyone out there....???? Hope I have some readers left!

Wow...I haven't posted in...well...FOREVER!!! Sorry about that!

Ok I'm going to try to be more disciplined and actually blog on a regular basis..starting....now!! I really want to write I just haven't found the time or motivation lately (and I'm open to suggestions on finding the motivation). Its not that I don't have anything to say...if you know me personally you know I'm rarely short of things to say, but for some reason as soon as I sit down and open blogger I go completely BLANK!!! Ok enough excuses :).

So in my effort to post more often (or at all lol) I am going to try to create some sort of schedule for topics...here are some of my topic ideas (all based on 'adventures' I'm currently on in my own life-most of which I'm by no means an expert on): giveaways, cloth diapers, homeschool, natural household products, saving money, cooking/meal planning, household organization, kids....I'm open to other suggestions!

These might be weekly (i.e. giveaway links on monday) or every other week, or monthly, I'm just not sure yet. I will probably try to do several McLinkys and maybe some carnivals too just to get me going (if you have one you think I would like please share!!).

I will try to do reviews on products I like (not sponsored reviews just my own suggestions) in hopes that some day I'll get the opportunity to do sponsored reviews.

In all this I'm going to be revamping my blog a bit, cleaning up links etc. I would LOVE to hear your suggestions on my layout.

Christmas program sparks giving spirit | savannahnow.com

2009-11-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas program sparks giving spirit | savannahnow.com

I'm so excited!

2009-06-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

I spend a big part of the day working on FRG stuff. I'm the new treasurer for our FRG (family readiness group for anyone who doesn't know), so today I picked up some paperwork and the money and met with my alternate treasurer and went to open a bank account. Then when I got home I got all my training material, info and certificates togather and organized into a notebook (which I'm sure is going to eventually expand into two or three different books) and made some copies of some stuff that the leader and FRSA need from me to take to the meeting tomorrow. Overall, I feel pretty productive.

I'm excited about this FRG, the new FRG leader has hit the ground running and has lots of plans. It looks like it could be the most active FRG I've ever been in. I'm not going to say there was anything wrong with the others but it will be nice to be part of one that does more then get the required info out, hopefully it will turn out to be an actual support and networking group where friendships can be made etc. I'm very positive about it at this point!

I've been doing a lot of research/training and getting some resources togather, I think I will eventually put togather a squidoo lens with family support resources-of course I'll let you know if/when I do!

I would normally post the daybook entry today but I don't see one posted yet so maybe she will get it up tonight and I can do it tomorrow, otherwise I guess I'll do one next week!

Some news!

2009-05-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm officially horrible at keeping up with a blog!! Lately I'm so scatterbrained I can't keep up with anything (I manage to do the dishes daily and keep enough clothes clean for us to have something to wear but that's about it!). I'm trying to get better, I need a better daily routine and then I can work computer time into it.....anyway...

A couple bits of news....

If you haven't heard its a girl! I actually had another ultrasound yesterday (one on May 11th and one yesterday) that confirmed the previous one that it is definitely a girl!

Today I got an e-mail from Sydney's gymnastics coach offering her the opportunity to join the "advanced class for 3 and 4 year olds." We are very excited and proud of her. She really loves gymnastics and is pretty good at it (I've always thought so but I'm the mom, now someone else thinks so too!). She will even have class twice a week now which I know she will love!

I'm sure I have lots more to say but the baby is kicking me and I can't think!

Simple woman's daybook

2009-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

For Today (April 13, 2009)...

Outside my window... overcast but at least relatively warm

I am thinking... that I should really do something productive but I don't know what

From the learning rooms... Syd started a new workbook last week-its the 4-year-old book and she doesn't turn 4 till sept, but she just keeps going through this stuff!

I am thankful for... lots of things....

From the kitchen... there won't be much going on there this week since dustin is gone!

I am wearing... orange shirt (that makes me look way more pregnant then I am!) and blue jogging pants (yes I do know it doesn't match-but I'm not going anywhere)

I am reading... I'm not in the middle of anything right now, should find something to read.

I am hoping... that Dustin comes home earlier then expected

I am creating... a baby!

I am praying... for our country

Around the house... its messy, hoping to do something about that soon

One of my favorite things... hmmm, not sure

A few plans for the rest of the week... get the living room clean and unpack a few boxes upstairs

for more daybooks visit: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Want to get involved?

2009-03-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Disturbed by my previous post about whats going on in Washington? Want to do something? Here are a couple places to get involved:

www.smartgirlpolitics.org (click on "ning" at the bottom that's where most of the "action" is). This is a forum for conservative women who want to make a difference.

www.taxdayteaparty.com This is a series of demonstrations based on the famous Boston Tea party designed to get our leaders' attention. You can also click on the link to this at the bottom of the Smart Girl's page. (this page isn't working right now so if I find out the address is different I'll repost it).

What the.......

2009-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've been coming accross some pretty disturbing stuff going on in the political world and I just thought I should spread the word. So here are some links to things I think you need to be aware of, check out, research, form your own opinions about and then take some sort of action. I will add more as I come accross more.

parentalrights.org This group's main thing right now is fighting the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child. Now children's rights sounds like a good cause but this treaty (which would create new laws in the US) is really taking away rights of parents and giving children a say that is beyond their maturity, experience or intelligence levels. I can't explain it as well as the site does you will have to read it for yourself but I highly recommend you do (especially if you have kids or plan to have them) as it will effect your rights as a parent.

This news story talks about a bill that would effect your rights to grow your own garden (even just for personal use), can your own food, or raise your own animals for food. This includes everyone even people only raising food for their personal and family use. Its NOT ok and you need to be aware of this encroachment on our rights. I haven't researched this bill as much as I usually do yet so I encourage you to do your own digging.

This story is probably one of the most disturbing I've seen. It is about plans to create a mandatory volunteer force (I know it doesn't make sense to me either). Basically under the bill (the way I understand it) anyone can be pressed into service for 3 years on this "volunteer force." It even talks about camps (using the word campus) where "volunteers" would be housed, trained etc. Its quite scary. When you finish the new story please read the actual bill here.

Ok people, I am really not a politically active person but this is serious and we need to take action. Even if you opinion is different then mine I think in these troubling times we all need to be aware of whats going on and involved.

Mental warfare

2009-03-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you are battling with yourself? I went off all my fibro meds before I got pregnant, this included an anxiety medication which helped with many aspects of the fibro. I did pretty well without medication-better then expected actually. But I'm starting to feel depressed again and struggling to stay positive and cheerful. (I don't know if this is due to being off the medication, the hormones or something else.) Its really difficult to explain and I don't think anyone who hasn't faced depression can really understand how much of a struggle it is. It literally feels like my mind is fighting with itself to "stay above water."

I can't remember where I heard that these types of issues can be the devil attacking you where you are most vulnerable, but that sounds like a pretty accurate assessment. I know there is plenty of ammo in that area of my life right now. I struggle with feeling like an inadequate mother, and and inadequate wife. I don't keep the house clean enough, I don't cook nice meals, I'm not patient enough with my daughter etc etc. I am also struggling with personal identity issues. "Stuff" happened about a year and a half ago that made me question my entire career choice and everything I've worked for over the last 8 years. Add to that my fibromyalgia issues that really became an issue around the same time that make me question if I would even physically be able to pursue that career path. I don't know anymore what my "calling" is, what I am meant to do etc. Some days I think that I am supposed to stay home with my kids for a while. Part of me likes that idea but part of me feels like I'm not "cut out" for that. I also feel guilty for not contributing to the family income, especially right now when we could really use a second paycheck.

All of this seems to be constantly going through my head. I'm not "good enough" at any of the things I'm doing. I no longer feel like I have a true identity, I don't have goals or dreams, I don't know what I want to do or who I want to be-or what I'm meant to be. It really makes me want to hide under the covers some days.

I don't write all this to give myself a pitty party. I write it to let others with similar struggles know they are not alone. I will be looking for resources for myself and my goal is to share them here! Hopefully I can find something that helps and share it so it helps someone else. I have heard about a book called Battlefields of the Mind, which sounds rather appropriate, when I get a copy and read it I'll post what I think. Feel free to make suggestions too!

Exciting news

2009-03-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't heard we are expecting our second child in September. We have had an ultrasound and everything looks good so far. I am 13 weeks along-14 on thursday. Just wanted to make sure everyone knows!

A word about boredom

2009-03-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

I was reading somewhere a comment about how stay-at-home mom's don't get bored because there is always something to do. I disagree. I don't think being bored or not has anything to do with if there is something to do. Obviously those of us who stay home know there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done-dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning faces, baths, kids activities, cleaning rooms, making beds, cleaning bathrooms etc etc. And when all that is done, its time to do it again. Personally, I can have all this to do and still feel extremely bored! I think boredom is the lack of something mentally stimulating to do-not simply the lack of something to do. Now maybe some people find all these household tasks stimulating and fulfilling, if you do that's wonderful. Frankly I don't. And I'm bored. My boredom leads me to get less done around the house because I don't have the drive to do it. Ok so that is an excuse but its the way it is. Any suggestions on how I can be a stay-at-home mom and not get bored?

Sick Child

2009-03-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

My daughter is sick. She is so rarely sick that I think it makes it that much harder of both of us when she is. We went to the doctor this morning but he said he couldn't find anything wrong and that it was probably viral and would have to run its course. He also said her temp was normal even though it was over 99 taken under the arm-for Syd that is NOT normal. This kid never has a fever. She has had severe ear infections that I never knew about because she didn't ever run a fever. So for me if her temp is up at all I'm alarmed.

The poor thing has been laying around all day and when she isn't sleeping she has tears coming from her eyes because she is so uncomfortable. Also, her temp is over 101 now. I'm just praying she feels better soon and that I don't catch it.

I just had to vent my concern.

Simple woman's daybook

2009-03-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

FOR TODAY (3-2-09)...
Outside my window...it is cold and windy but sunny
I am thinking...that I wish my daughter was feeling better
I am thankful for...so many things
From the learning rooms...we don't have a room but I'm getting materials more organized
From the kitchen...one day I will be more active here
I am wearing...a green and white striped shirt and khaki pants
I am creating...oh to be creating something again
I am going...crazy wishing my daughter wasn't ill
I am reading...nothing currently
I am hoping...that I don't get sick also
I am hearing...the TV
Around the house...there is still clutter

Participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook here

Absence...

2009-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been blogging much. I'll tell you why....I have been feeling very negative lately. I really try to be a positive person and not one of those people who complain about everything, I'm really trying to be happy with and thankful for what I have instead of wanting a bunch of other "stuff." But the last few weeks I've just been finding that very hard-I won't go into why because I don't want to digress back into the complaining, negative mode. I just wanted to share why I haven't been writing-its to spare my readers from my grumpiness :).

But I'm starting to come out of it and feel much better in general. My living room is (slowly) starting to come together and the more stuff gets put away and the less clutter there is the bigger and more comfortable it looks, which makes me less stressed and happier! We got sod in our backyard (most of it) today and now it looks like a yard and there will be less dirt tracked into my house. We will hopefully be putting up a fence next weekend and my husband just went to get a swingset/playhouse for my daughter so our backyard is quickly becoming a very comfortable and inviting place. Now I just need to fix up my bedroom and start going through boxes to organize for a garage sale. Its still a lot of work but at least my main living areas are getting better!!!

All in all things are going well and I think we will be very comfortable here until the army decides to move us again! With any luck (effort) I'll find my camera soon and can post pictures of my house and yard.

THe SImple woman's daybook

2009-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

FOR TODAY (2-2-09)...
Outside my window...its dreary
I am thinking...that my daughter will fall asleep soon!
I am thankful for...a lot of things
From the kitchen...I smell my biscuits cooking
I am wearing...jeans and a purple t-shirt
I am hoping...that I have more energy soon
Around the house...there is a mess

For more daybooks please visit:

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Scatter brained

2009-01-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

I feel so scatterbrained lately!! I can't seem to concentrate on anything for very long, I forget what I'm about to do when I walk into a room, I loose track of a conversation in the middle of it (sometimes I forget what I'm saying in the middle of a sentence). I don't get anything done because of this (or at least it feels like I don't get anything done!!).

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-01-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

FOR TODAY 1/19/09...
Outside my window...its getting dark
I am thinking...that I didn't get anything done today
I am thankful for...something that I can't yet share
From the kitchen...dinner smells really good
I am wearing...sweats
I am creating...nothing at the moment but I did create a squidoo lens earlier.
I am going...to relax the rest of the evening
I am reading...nothing at the moment
I am hoping...that I feel less tired soon
I am hearing...my child running through the house
Around the house...there are still things everywhere from being unpacked
One of my favorite things...my daughter's laugh
A few plans for the rest of the week: work on getting things put away and create a few more squidoo lenses

To participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook visit: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Stuff

2009-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

I don't seem to have much to say lately, I'm trying to get more inspired-or at least make a point to write about something! Its a challenge. I got a new book yesterday to try to help me generate ideas, and just write in general.

My living room is almost box-free thanks mostly to my husband!! Still lots of stuff we need to find places for though!!

Here's a question...does anyone have any suggestions on getting my 3-year-old nighttime potty-trained? She is perfect about it during the day-can even make long trips and hasn't had an accident at naptime in ages. But we put her in a pullup at night and she wakes up soaked. Do I need to just stop using pullups and see what happens? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!! I know some kids don't get the nightime part down for a while but I'm wondering if there is anything I should be doing.

I'm going to start doing the "Simple Woman's Daybook," the way I understand the instructions is we post it on mondays so look for that tomorrow. Click the link above if you want to participate!

I'm really working at the squidoo thing-I have 4 lenses live right now and two in the works (and a very long, and ever-growing list of ideas). Make sure you check them out and make your own (there is a link on my page to make your own lens now!). I will be adding to them regularly! I'm also thinking about making either a Zazzle or CafePress store. That will be quite a project because while I have ideas I will have to learn to use a graphics software (I already have Illustrator but am finding it difficult). Any suggestions??

Ok I'm going to stop babbling now.....

Boxes and boxes and more boxes....

2009-01-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

My house is so full!! The movers brought our stuff yesterday, which is awesome because I was really wanting my real bed back!! But it is such a tight squeeze in this house!! After moving all the furniture around several times we found a layout that works. Now we just have to actually unpack and get rid of the boxes!!!

I am also going to have to do a major sort and purge. We just have too much stuff, several moves and several houses worth of accumulation that we need to sort through. So I have lots to keep me busy the next few weeks!!!

On another topic....

Have I mentioned Squidoo.com lately? This thing is so cool!! You can build mini webpages on whatever topic you want (think of it as a souped up blog) and then you get a portion of the ad revenue from your lense (page)es, or you can donate your portion to a charity of your choice.

I only have one lense so far but I made a list last night of ideas for more so I should have more soon!! I am learning as I go so it isn't a quick process but it is very easy (and I imagine quick once you get the hang of it!). Check out my "about me" lense here. Then start making your own!! If you do make a lense please let me know by commenting here so I can add you to my favorites!

Busy day!!

2009-01-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well I did a lot of things today. Thought you might be interested in a few of them. One is that I combined several of my blogs into this one so browse through the archives as there are some posts that weren't there before, I also added a list of topics to make browsing easier.

And just for fun I wanted to let you know about a book I just read:

This was a very interesting read about an inspiring family, even if you only plan to have one or two children (or any number in between) this book has a lot of great tips and ideas. They discuss things such as homeschooling, discipline, schedules, faith, budgeting and living without debt, business, frugal living and even building their own house. Also includes answers to common e-mail questions and favorite recipes. If you want to read something inspiring this is a great choice!!

No meds

2008-11-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I weened off all meds and have been completely without them for about a week. So far, I can't sleep so I feel like crap during the day. I think if I could sleep I would be fine for the most part. I broke down and took melatonin a couple nights ago, it helped but I am lacking sleep so much that I was still groggy the whole next day. I am persisting though, we will see how I feel in another week. I'm hoping some of it is just withdrawals that will go away!

I am going to get more strict about my sleep hygiene, no caffeine after 5....snack before bed, consistent bedtime. I need to start practicing meditating/visualization again. I used to be really good about it and could get myself to sleep within a few minutes using it but I'm out of practice.

I haven't been using my low frequency massager much lately. For some reason if I use it more then 15 minutes now I get sore later. It didn't do that when I first bought it so not sure what is going on now. Also, it increases circulation so not a good idea before bed. Best in the morning to help me get going.

Moving moving!

2008-11-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well we are at it again! One of the highlights of the army life (haha) moving!!! We are headed to Savannah GA this time. At least its warmer!! Makes it worth it to me :).

In preparing for this move I've found a great resource, www.ahrn.com. I know it lists all the army installations and I want to say it includes other services as well. Its a great resource, I've found lots of rental houses listed there. You put in your PCS date and installation then you can search based on bedrooms, price and some other factors. You can even save the results you found that you want to look into. I have to say the army really is coming a long way in family support and resources. You will definitely want to remember this resource for your next move!!!

Moving...again!!!

2008-11-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

OMG...I'm moving in THREE WEEKS!!! I can't believe I'm moving again-even though I knew it might happen. All in all I'm happy about it. I've heard lots and lots of good things about Savannah and its definitely WARMER-which is a big deal!!! My house is such a mess though....I am so not ready for the movers yet. When am I ever really but there seems like so much to do and I can't sleep because I just lay there and thing about everything I need to do to get ready...then I don't get anything done during the day because I feel like crap because I didn't sleep....ahh the joys of Fibro :P.

Speaking of....I've been completely off all my meds for about a week. It is NOT going well. I suppose it could be worse....but man I really really want a good night sleep! I broke down and took half a melatonin a couple nights ago...helped but didn't restore my sleep habit. Putting myself on strict no caffeine after 5 rule, we'll see if that helps!!!

On another note, I discovered Squidoo this week!!! LOL Like I needed something else to do! Its pretty cool though, because I can make a lens for whatever I happen to be into in the moment then move on to something else when I get bored with that! I think it will suit my ADHD personality just fine!!! you can see my first lens at www.squidoo.com/soby Its just a simple lens about me to get started but when I get more up you will be able to get to them from there so check it out and then check back!

Ok I think that's about all I have to say today :) now back to not getting anything done!!

My painting

2008-11-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hi all!! I just finished this painting and wanted to share!

Rabbit habbits

2008-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh!! Sydney's rabbit just peed all over me. YUCK!!! So apparently rabbits have a defense mechanism where they kick their back legs and spray pee everywhere. Its quite disgusting!! She has done it to me once before and done it to Dustin once-always when she doesn't want to be picked up. But this time was the worst by far!! So if you have/get a rabbit beware of getting peed on!!!

AFTB Plug

2008-11-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

You know what AFTB is right? Army Family Team Building. All army posts (should) have an AFTB program and its completely free. There are three levels of classes- but they do not have to be taken in order. These include classes on Army structure, traditions, leadership, personal development and many more. I highly encourage everyone affiliated with the army to check these out. As far as I know all of them also offer free child care while you are taking the class. If for some reason none of the classes offered at your post work for you, you can also take the classes online at www.myarmylifetoo.com Make the most of what the army community offers, one way to do this is to check out these classes!!! Have fun!

Homeschool Lounge

2008-11-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Hi all!! I found a great resource for homeschoolers, its the Homeschool Lounge. You have to create your profile and be accepted by the site owner so it might take a couple days to register but its an awesome community for homeschoolers. They have discussion boards and interest groups for anything you can imagine related to homeschooling. Enjoy!!!

Getting off Meds

2008-11-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

So...I've decided to stop taking my medications.....Now the disclaimer: TALK TO YOUR DR BEFORE YOU STOP TAKING RXs!!!!!!!!!! That said, I haven't been able to get in to see a doctor since we moved. After a long talk with my husband last night we decided to give it a try (weening off meds that is)....I'm not going to get into the why of it right now. I wanted to mention this because I will post how it is going on this blog. I only have two RXs related to the FM that I'm currently taking (not including my pain pill which I rarely use) so those are the ones I'm getting off of. I am going to once every other day on my pill for anxiety and if this week goes well I will stop it completely next week. I will be using my low frequency therapy, stress management, excercise, relaxation etc to manage symptoms since I won't be using the meds. Wish me luck!!!

Scattered

2008-11-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel so scatterbrained you can't get anything done? Like there are so many things that you need to do and so many thoughts running through your mind but you can't catch one long enough to actually DO anything? I get this feeling sometimes and its paralyzing. I feel overwhelmed, confused and scatter brained but I can't figure out what to do to snap out of it! I'm feeling that way today. I need to write an article, clean the house, start organizing stuff to move, post on my other blogs, work on my website, work on my business map, play with syd....etc etc etc. But all I want to do is go to sleep because I just can't concentrate on anything long enough to actually accomplish anything. Ugghh anybody have any suggestions? Ok I think I'm going to go read now...maybe that will calm me down enough to concentrate.

AHHHH Kids!!!

2008-11-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Man Sydney is pushing her limits lately. She told Dustin this morning "I want this dress you have to go buy it for me right now!" Wow where did she learn that??? She is also starting this fake crying stuff when she wants something or isn't getting what she wants-what's up with that??? I'm not sure where the sweet little girl I raised went-terrible twos??? Try threes!!! I'm at a loss on what to do! I'm just hoping that this is a phase that will pass...soon!!

Good Days....

2008-10-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of them lately....part of me is waiting for the other shoe to fall but I thanks God every day that I'm able to function, live, work, play with my daughter etc. I still remember the hard days, if nothing else the FM has made me appreciate the good times all the more!!

My good days lately are thanks in part to ALOT of help from my husband. Work has been slow for him and I'm taking advantage of it while I can. The ability to sleep more and focus the energy I do have (my spoons) on the things I really want to do rather than the chores I need to do has been awesome.

So....I don't have much else to discuss, I haven't had much time to read to post more book suggestions since we just moved but hopefully I will soon. I can't be sad that I don't have much to say because it means I haven't been struggling. Here is wishing you all good days!!! May you enjoy them to their fullest!

Moving again!

2008-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

So we are moving again....this time to Savannah GA, Hunter Army Airfield to be exact. We tried to get out of the move and stay in NY (as crazy as that may sound we just didn't want to move again). But, alas, the powers that be don't want to help us out this time! So I'm looking at the positive; only a couple months of the brutal Northern New York winter!!! Then is sunny, mild, warm Georgia!!!!! I'm from Texas so cold doesn't agree with me AT ALL!!

I have no idea what the army is thinking. They are moving my husband's unit to GA, why? It is costing more than I can imagine I'm sure plus the unit that they are "switching places" with isn't moving up here till after their deployment, so that means all their families are still in GA, which means no where to live!! Luckily we usually live off post anyway since I pretty much require an office but its rough still. The houses for rent that I've found are ridiculously expensive so we will be in an apartment-again-for at least a while until we can get a good feel for the area.

My husband is still trying to get into flight school, apparently they want to see persistence, which means submitting your packet several times. At the same time he is working on college classes and CLEP tests so if he finishes his degree (only 60 hours to go) he will apply for OCS instead. So who knows what the next couple years hold!!!

This is the adventure of being in the army!!! LOL I'm just going with the flow and trying to keep a smile on my face!!!

Awesome site!!

2008-09-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

So the army (or ACS or someone) got a great idea to put together a site that has tons of information, training etc and you can sign up for things through this site. It even customizes based on where you are stationed. There is TONS of info here so take some time to explore it and see how you can get the most out of it!! Now I know you are waiting for the website and here it is!!!

Find the positive

2008-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

I hear so many people complaining about everything. Anywhere I lived there is someone who hates it and refuses to find any good in it. Your attitude is up to you, not your circumstances, you can decide to be happy.

Before I go on let me say I am as guilty as anyone about not making the best of things, especially where we are stationed, I am trying to change this. I am making a conscious decision to find the best in our situation whatever it may be and to be happy wherever we are. I have a husband who adores me and a beautiful daughter, what more could I want? I would encourage all military wives to try to find the best in wherever you are stationed. Find things on base to get involved in. If you can't find anything start something!! Meetup.com has listings for all types of groups and if you don't find something you are interested in you can start something. There are also lots of army wife bulletin boards and websites online just beware of those that contain mostly complainers.

When we complain and are unhappy about where we are it effects our husband's work. They feel like they have failed us somehow and worry about us and cannot concentrate on what they are supposed to be doing whether it be a deployment or training. Our husbands need that energy to do their best at their job so we need to do our best at our job of being a military wife! That means making the best of our situation.

My home is where my husband is!! I will be happy and make the best of all our situations even if it isn't what I had "wanted."

Better Days

2008-09-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

The flair has pretty much passed. I am still careful about my energy and only unpack a little at a time so I don't wear out. We are almost done unpacking so I'm feeling pretty good about how I've done on this move (my first since I've been diagnosed).

We went to the state fair a couple weeks ago and I found an absolutely wonderful device. It is a low frequency device, you apply pads to your body (I use mine mostly on my back) and then hook them to the device and it vibrates on your skin (this is a simplified explanation). It is supposed to stimulate muscles and blood flow and relax the muscles. Its really awesome.

I did a search and found a good price on the set at this link: http://www.painreliefessentials.com/products/rhythmtouch.htm I haven't shopped at this site so I can't tell you anything about their service but its a good price for the set. You can also search for "Rhythm Touch" and find other retailers. The websites explain it better than I can also. All I can say is this has helped ease the pain, relax the muscles and improve my energy. Hope it helps you too!

To move "home" or not to move "home"

2008-08-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well we just moved ourselves back up to New York! I will not be returning home during any future deployments, it is just too much trouble for us.

I see the question about weather or not to "move home" during deployments on bullatin boards for military wives all the time. It also seems like everyone has very strong opinions about if you should go home or not. I think this is a question that can only be answered by you. What is your specific circumstances and situation and what would be best for your family.

Some of the advantages of "going home" is that you are closer to family and friends to provide support (and help with children if you have any). It can also be cheaper for your family if you move in with parents or other family members. For me I had an easier time getting a job in Texas than anywhere else (I have no idea why).

Some of the disadvantages are that you are disconnected from the military community and whatever services and support your particular base offers and may miss out of special activities put on by your FRG (video teleconfrences, FRG meetings, and redeployment briefs and ceremonies for example).

So if this is a question you deal with know that you are the only person that can come up with the right answer for you. Talk to friends, family and other military wives about the decision but don't let any of them force a decision upon you. Once you do decide be happy about the advantages of your decision and don't dwell on the disadvantages-deployments are hard enough!

More soon!!!

So much stuff!!!!!

2008-08-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am going to get better at posting on a regular basis! Soon-I hope!

I just moved from Texas to New York. While unpacking my daughters "school supplies" and putting them on the shelf I have allotted for them I realized that we have a TON of educational stuff for her and she isn't even three yet!!

I'm not complaining but we should be set for a while! I think I am going to lay off buying stuff for her for a while!

More soon!

Moving

2008-08-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I will eventually get better at posting here more regularly I promise!!!

I just got finished moving from Texas to upstate New York. My husband returned from a deployment in Iraq, flew to Texas, packed up what I hadn't managed to pack yet in our house. Then we drove to Arkansas and spent three days camping and digging for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds park and digging for crystals at a local crystal mine as well as some other sightseeing and general family time. After three days in Arkansas we drove another 5 hours to my husband's friends house in Tennessee where we spent another three days. We had a great time and the trip was not to bad on my until the last three days.

Three days of driving 7+ hours a day (we were pulling a very full trailer so it slowed us down a bit) was really hard on me. I was aching everywhere when we got here but I tried to keep up.

It seems like since we got here I've been having my worst flair since I got diagnosed. I haven't been able to get out of bed until late in the morning -noon some days. I have had very little energy during the day when I do get moving. Its really hard because I feel like I am not helping enough with the moving in. I had enough energy for quite a bit of unpacking the first two days but the last few have been really BLAH! Luckily my husband is totally understanding and doesn't push me. I just hope this flair passes before he goes back to work and my daughter insists on getting up at 7!

I know this is temporary but it is still frustrating. I am trying to keep my spirits up and conserve and ration my energy....just waiting for better days!!

The next post I'll be sure to include more useful information and less complaining :)!!!

Physical Therapy and Suppliments

2008-06-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have finished a month of physical therapy that has helped immensely. Now I just have to be diligent about continuing the exercises at home. I've also started taking several supplements recommended by my grandfather (a botanist who is very knowledgeable about herbal remedies). I believe these are helping with both my energy level and pain control. I won't list them here because any supplements should be discussed with your doctor and I don't want anyone taking this as medical advise but I will suggest you do your research and talk to your doctor about the possibility of these helping.

Here is a book suggestion:

I just finished this. If you have had Fibromyalgia for a while and have read other books this one probably won't have any new information but its great for people who are just learning about the condition. It also includes some helpful pages that can be copied and help you to organize your medical information.

Core Knowledge

2008-06-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

We got our Core Knowledge preschool stuff in the mail recently and have started using it. We bought the Preschool Sequence, What Your Preschooler Needs to Know, and both preschool workbooks. The inside of the workbooks break the activities into weeks and give suggestions for which stories to read and other activities for the week. We have started the 3-year-old workbook. The first couple weeks are pretty easy, things like same and different, and identifying colors. Its very adaptable to your child's speed and learning style. I highly recommend this program. You can find the materials plus lots of extra information and suggestions on the Core Knowledge website.

update: I have decided not to use this program or the books for subsequent grades. It is very liberal and obviously slanted towards an agenda that I do not support so I will no longer be using it. You may or may not find it useful for you but I recommend checking it out from the library before purchasing to make sure it fits with your educational goals, philosophy and values.

Busy Busy

2008-06-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. I promise I will get better about it. We are currently finishing up a 15 month deployment (our second and the first since our daughter was born) and are waiting for the Warrant Officer selection board on July 1st to find out if my husband has been accepted to flight school. If he is we will be moving to Fort Rucker in August. So I am busy doing to organizing/sorting/packing/planning thing again.

In the meantime check out CINChouse its a great website for all military spouses.

Army wife

2008-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have been married to my husband since July 2000. He was a reservist when we married (we met the day after he returned from AIT) and went active duty right after our first anniversary. Our first duty station was Germany and since then we have lived in Virginia and New York and are waiting to find out what our next assignment is. Texas is home for both of us and we are hoping to get to Ft. Hood asap so that we will be close to family. My husband is currently in the process of applying for Warrant Officer and is hoping to become a helicopter pilot.

We have been through 2 deployments, the first began May 2003 and was a 15 month deployment is 1st AD. The second we are not finished with yet so I won't give details. I will say that the second is much easier for many reasons and harder for a few. Knowing what to expect can be a good thing and a bad thing all at the same time.

This blog will be a place where I share my thoughts, visions, wishes, resources and recommendations for other army spouses, as well as possibly a few thoughts for the service members themselves.

Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome and encouraged as long as they are polite!

My first suggestion for any Military wife is:

This is a useful reference. The author is the wife of a member of a different service but it is still very useful for those of us married into the Army. Very basic information presented in a straight forward and honest way. Warning: she doesn't pull punches so if you are looking for someone to tell you that it will all be great and you won't have to deal with the bad as well as the good then you don't want to read this book. But, if you are looking for some information about how to function in the military world as the spouse of a service member and some honest truths about this life this book is for you.

I suggest we all have a couple copies of this book so that we have one to loan to those new spouses we meet along the way! Enjoy

Learning a Second Language

2008-03-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Research has shown that the earlier children are exposed to a second language the better their chance of mastering it. Young children can learn more then one language and are able to distinguish between them. Some people worry that exposing a child to a second language at a very young age will cause them to have problems with English (or whatever their primary language happens to be). This is not the case, children who learn a second language often master their primary language quicker than children who only learn one language. They also often do better at reading and writing.

With my daughter we have started using the Muzzy language programs which can be found here. I purchased the multi-lingual set which includes five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German) with four levels per language (Levels 1 and 2 on DVD and Levels 3 and 4 on interactive CD-Rom) as well as levels 1and 2 transcribed in all languages and workbooks for levels 3 and 4 in all languages. It also include the Muzzy doll and finger puppets of the characters and a DVD of all of the songs on the program.

My plan is to do Level 1 Spanish for two months (which we just completed), Level 2 Spanish for 2 months, then combine level 1 and 2 for two months, making 6 months of Spanish. Then we will repeat with another language (my daughter is not old enough yet for the cd-roms). There are 6 DVDs (about 15 min each) for each level as well as three vocabulary DVDs. I play 1 dvd a day (Mon #1, Tues #2 etc and Sun Vocab).

I never force my daughter to watch it but she often asks for it. I allow her to watch it in addition to her daily TV allowance and encourage her to watch it instead of other options.

She has started to use a few phrases and sings along with many of the songs. My goal for this program is the expose her to the language and lay the neural groundwork for later language learning that will be more structured.

I highly recommend this program for anyone with young children. There are many options of how to purchase it and they have additional early learning products that you may find interesting.

Comfort for your feet!

2008-03-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

So, having FM has changed my thinking on comfort vs. fashion. Suddenly comfort is much much more important. I'm not going to be walking around in a sweat suit or anything but I'm definitely more in tune to what feels good on my skin and especially on my feet! When I first saw people wearing Crocs footwear I though, "no way, those are hideous, why would anyone wear them." Then I saw a friend (who happens to also have FM) wearing Crocs mary janes like these

They weren't too bad...maybe I could try a pair like that. I mentioned it to my husband and next thing I know a pair of black mary janes shows up in the mail! I put them on and I was instantly in love!

Not only does the FM give me pain in my legs and back but I have high arches and weak ankles so comfortable shoes are hard to find. I usually go for the chunky heeled look that supports my arch and just hope I don't turn an ankle (I do on a regular basis). I also hate to wear socks and any kind of shoe that feels constricting.

These shoes are so light and airy its almost as good as being barefoot. (The closest I've found yet). They are supportive in a way that lessens the pain in my back and also are comfortable for my feet and not so high that I turn my ankles. They have nubs on the inside of the sole that they say stimulates circulation, I'm not going to make a claim to that but if nothing else they give a nice little foot massage when you are walking.

I highly recommend a pair of crocs to everyone but especially to those with FM and especially if the pain is in your legs, feet and/or back! There are many styles and colors, something for everyone. You can see them all here.

About the Fibromyalgia

2008-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

After 2 1/2 years of trying to figure out "what is wrong with me," and many doctors telling me "your fine" or "your just depressed," I was diagnosed on March 21st with fibromyalgia.

This difficulty with this disease is that they don't fully understand it and there isn't a treatment specifically "for" FM. As of now I'm on medicine for sleep and anxiety as well as to help control the pain. I also take a good multivitamin, feverfew (for headaches), Ginseng and Ginko Biloba for general health (disclaimer: ALWAYS talk to your doctor before starting any supplements). I am under the care of a Rheumatologist as well as my primary care physician.

www.fmaware.org Is the website for the National Fibromyalgia Association

www.arthritis.org Also has a lot of good information and resources for those with FM

I will document here helpful resources, book and treatments I have tried. While I hope those things that help me can be helpful to others always always check with your doctor before trying anything new.

About our preschool at home

2008-03-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

One of the topics I will post about on this blog is the preschool activities that I use with my daughter at home and her progress and the success or lack thereof of the things I try. This will include product and book recommendations, helpful links and activity ideas as well as how I organize her learning. I am a firm believer in learning through play. Some direct teaching can be beneficial but the child's temperment, attention span and learning styles should be taken into consideration in deciding what activities to use, how to present them, how long they should last etc. A balance should be achieved between active and quiet time, child and parent directed learning, direct teaching and free play and all activities should fit into the child's natural attention span and end before the child becomes restless. Forcing a child to do an activity is useless and will result in the child resisting and dreading the things you have planed for him/her.

My main goal is to provide a framework for my child to achieve the next level of her development in a fun and exciting way. I want her to learn how to learn through questions and discovery as well as through my direction and her practice. I will build upon the skills she has by introducing a skill slightly harder then what she is currently doing and patiently repeating and reinforcing until she has mastered the next level.

Always follow the child's interests and current skills and use those to move your child to the next level. Remember, all children are different, the things that work for my daughter may not always work for your child but I hope to provide enough information for any parent to successfully and confidently help their child learn and expand to the best of his/her abilities during the preschool years.

My daughter is currently 2 1/2. I will be homeschooling my daughter for kindergarten and first grade at least so I will have several years of information to post about homeschooling here!

Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome!! Remember: HAVE FUN!!!!!