Can Veterans Day Come Early?

This was not a post I planned to make.  I will NOT get into politics here or play a blame game.  Frankly, what is about to occur in this country is something we ALL need to look long and hard at and figure out where we can put our noses to the grindstone.

My husband is a disabled veteran.  We live in the flux that is military retirement.  Thankfully he also has a job.  But check out some of these loose statistics:

(credit goes to Veterans Day: Census Facts)

• There are 21.5 MILLION veterans in the U.S.
• 9.2 MILLION vets are over age 65 (read: beyond typically employed age, relying on retirement income)
• Florida, Texas and California are home to over 1 MILLION veterans each
• 3.5 MILLION of these vets have a service-connected disability.  This ranges from simple issues to men and women who will never be able to re-enter the work force.

And finally: Only 9.1 MILLION of these 21.5 MILLION veterans are gainfully employed.

What does this mean?  If the goverment does not figure it's shit out SOON, how many of these men and women will go hungry?  How many will end up homeless?

I've heard lots of veteran families say, "We are hoping it works out by the time we're supposed to get our checks."  Look, I think that's a pretty dangerous assumption, but hope is all they have.

I've heard some people in the community say, "We are all just thinking it will be fixed by the 1st."  Look, I think that's a pretty dangerous assumption and hope is NOT all WE have.

I am crying out to the people of this nation and to the CHURCHES-RALLY FOR THE VETERANS!  Most of these people will not stand up and cry out for their own benefit.  They NEED US.  Write your congressperson, but beyond this, DO SOMETHING.  The churches I've been involved in have complained that the government is forcing tax payers to do the job of the church-well, this is our chance to STAND UP and take our position as caretakers of the weak back. 

What does that look like?  It could be as simple as churches putting up signs that every veteran can come get bags of rice and beans until checks come or it could be as elaborate as opening homes or giving 3 square meals per day.  Really, there is a lot of room for creativity here and there is a vast NEED.

This is not some pie-in-the-sky issue that *might* come to fruition...these are our fellow Americans facing rent deadlines that will not be met and landlords who don't understand.  This is our brothers and sisters facing the prospect of being hungry and not being able to bring enough food for their families.

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and USAA are both putting their words to action.  I am linking to both of them in the event that veterans stumble upon this post and can benefit from these services.  Please link other organizations in the comments section so that we can serve as a small corner of the internet that HELPS instead of points fingers at a certain political party or another.

WWP is giving checks to anyone registered as an Alumni as of October 14 if pension checks don't come on time.  If you are registered with them and haven't been in contact for a while, make sure your address is up to date. http://www.wwphighcap.org/

USAA says this: "USAA Bank remains ready to offer a zero-interest, 0% APR payroll advance loan to affected members if the next federal budget issue — the debt ceiling — disrupts pay to active-duty service personnel.  Affected members whose federal payments are delayed by such an impasse and who have existing direct-deposit arrangements at USAA Bank for active-duty military or military retiree pay, or VA or Social Security payments, may be eligible for the loan."  https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon

PLEASE think on, pray about, consider and decide what you will do, or what you will inspire those in your circle to do if these checks are not sent on the 1st.  Don't wrongly assume that if this is sorted out by the 1st of November that checks will be on time; they will not.  What if your paycheck were 2 weeks late?  How would that affect your family?  Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck and that is representative of most veterans, as well. 

Let's be the solution to this problem.  Let's stand in the gap the government has created for those who have served and sacrificed.  Our family is prepared to help in any way that we can.  Will you join us?  Share this post and let's create a network of resources around the nation for those who need a safety net.

If you are a Christian, CALL YOUR CHURCH and find out WHAT they WILL be doing.  Do not be the people who walked past the battered man in the ditch.  Let's show the world what our faith really means with a biblical response.  This problem is NOT too big.  We can be the change. This won't require a mission trip or fundraising-it only requires a willing heart.

Edited to Add: I know enlisted personnel stand to see a loss of payment, and I feel for them and their families.  However, the sad fact is that veterans have nowhere near the network that enlisted personnel do.  My focus here is on vets, although I recognize this shutdown affects far more than just them. 

Three Forces

I have three forces propelling me forward right now.  Since they are working in unison, they are shoving against my natural inclination to relax and soak up every second of this last 16 days of being a whole family. 

The first is positive momentum.  This is the newest force in the mix.  This force came after my trip to the WOW Summit.  It's a fabulously happy momentum!  I'm contacting people I met and working out new relationships that are fun and will help out the blog.  I love this kind of force! 

The second force is time.  This is the force that cannot be helped.  Time rolls on, whether we are okay with it or not.  The weeks start off feeling like forever and before you know it, the weekend is here and hopeful and then Sunday at church reminds that last week is over...where did it go?  I'm not always sure.

The third force is pure "have to."  On one hand, this is good.  It gives our days purpose (though they still seem to slip by) On the other hand it makes the days too full for our regular routine and makes them go by at break-necking speed.  After a summer of rest, it seems the "have to" is a bit overwhelming.  Or maybe it's thinking about only having 16 more days as a whole family.  I'd venture to guess it's a combo of both. 

I have a milion thoughts swirling through my head and these three forces keeping me going, going, going...but I feel myself getting achy and tired.  I keep taking my doTerra On Guard beads (doubling up, actually) hoping to not get sick.  I *should* be getting enough sleep.  I think I might just be emotionally exhausted. 

This is when the guilt tends to settle in.  "You're not doing enough with the kids."  "You're not being intentional enough with your last 16 days."  "You're not keeping the cabin clean enough."  etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.  ad nauseum.

So, I think it is time to breathe again.  To re-learn how to breathe in the chaos of getting ready.  I got a breath of fresh air in Philadelphia, but I can't keep running on that same breath.  It's time to remember my roots and talk to God about the guilt.  He doesn't condemn and He will refresh. 

Be on the look-out, I have LOTS of blog topics flying through my head.  I know they need to come out.  Soon!  ;)

Moms Meet-WOW Summit 2013

A little while back, Hail Merry posted on their facebook page that they had been accepted as a vendor into the Moms Meet program.  I went and signed up without knowing much, because of my relationship with the ladies at HM.  To over-simplify the group, they are a product testing site that hinges on it's "ambassadors" making connections with other moms.  Over the last few weeks I've been poking around the site, applying for product testing opportunities.  I liked the idea of it (I've participated in lots of these types of things over the years and enjoy it) but I wasn't completely sure what was behind the Moms Meet name.

In my campaign signing frenzy, I won a trip to the 1st annual WOW Summit, hosted by Moms Meet in Philadelphia, PA.  Allan and I decided to make it a fun little family trip.  When we did our October budget, I wasn't sure we could pull it all off, but the Moms Meet people went above and beyond to make sure we could get there.

We started the 5.5 hour drive from our current residence in Northern New York on Sunday morning and got to the Sheraton in Philly in time to be the first ones at registration.  That worked out well because it gave us time to settle the brood in before I went down to the cocktail reception.  At check-in I got my name tag and bag for collecting goodies. 

The Sheraton in downtown Philadelphia is gorgeous.  The kids were quite impressed with the place, (as were we!)  We were, however very surprised by the valet charge.  Not that we would expect a hotel not to charge for valet service, but there are literally NO other overnight options for parking near the hotel.  So if you ever go, know that you will pay for parking and if you have a "big" vehicle (like a '96 Chevy Suburban, haha) you will pay extra.  As the kids and I travel this coming year, we will be sure to ask that before we reserve any rooms from now on.

 Our room had a great view of the bridge to New Jersey and some of the boats on the river.  At 4 stories, there aren't many other places taller in the area, so we got a great panoramic view.

At 6:30 I headed down to check out the cocktail reception in the hotel's restaurant.  They had a mashed potato bar set up for us Mom Ambassadors and some Applegate finger foods (all-natural deli meats and cheeses).  I wasn't sure what was gluten-free, so I stuck to the potatoes, which were super-tasty.

Zevia was a big sponsor for the Summit, so the cocktail party featured some of their "Zero Calorie Soda" in mixed drinks.  Not being a big drinker, I ordered the non-alcoholic Pinapple Upside Down Cake drink (cream soda and pineapple juice).  It was pretty good!  I have seen Zevia at our local Target before and have wanted to try it for a while, but to be honest, when something says "Zero Calorie" I tend to steer clear.  I learned a lot more about the company and product at the Summit, and I must say I am impressed.  I am hoping to talk to them some more about possibly doing a review soon, so keep your eye out.

I didn't know anyone and everyone seemed to be sticking to those they knew that evening, so I went back to my room early and wondered if I had made the right choice in coming.  Allan and I took the kids out for a drive around downtown Philadelphia (such an amazing place full of so much history!) and crossed the "big blue bridge" at their insistence.

It's free to cross into New Jersey, but you have to pay 5.00 to get back.  I think it's because New Jersey's gas is 30 cents cheaper than Pennsylvania.  haha  It was well worth it, though, we really enjoyed the drive and the view.  (and no, it doesn't seem my children ever get sick of driving around...they were made for this roadschooling stuff)

The next morning I was up bright and early and got to enjoy a breakfast with the fam before the Summit started.  Despite my reservations the night before, I was quickly proven wrong.  The WOW Summit had a lot of really fun speakers and as the day went on, I was more and more excited to be a part of this group of people.  Maxine Wolf is the CEO of MayMedia and kiwi, who is the umbrella over Moms Meet.  After hearing her speak and tell about her vision for the group, I feel the same way about being a Mom Ambassador as I do about being affiliated with Hail Merry.  Where there is a group of women focused on green-parenting without guilt I want to be!  Maxine is so laid back and kind and smart, as are the women she has surrounded herself with while building these different organizations, groups, whatever you'd like to call them.  I wish I had gotten a picture of her, but I was too busy writing notes and being excited about all I was learning.

 There were tons of giveaways at the Summit and the vendor room was packed with lots of goodies and product samples.  I wondered if the freebies would be the highlight of the summit, but they were certainly not.  I think I most enjoyed getting to know the faces behind kiwi and Moms Meet, (including the other Mom Ambassadors)

The vendor room was a lot of fun

But the speakers and workshops were a close 2nd to the new connections and networking that was done.  We got to hear from professionals (including a pediatrician and psychiatrist) who believe in the holistic approach to raising children.  This fits so well with our family's philosophy...those of you who have been around our blog for a while know that our son has had a lot of health issues that have required surgeries.  The last 2 surgeries saved his life, and we are far from anti-modern medicine, but we choose to do things as naturally as possible unless it is absolutely imperative that we resort to the medical field.  So can I just say that everything I learned about kiwi and Moms Meet made me that much more excited to be on board with them!?  No green-guilt, no holier-than-thou attitudes, just a lot of moms who want to know better and do better for their families.  SCORE!  These are my peeps, y'all!

Dr Drew Ramsey (psychiatrist) discussing the importance of a plant-based diet for good mental health

Allan and the kids managed to find some fun things to do after we all enjoyed a gluten-free lunch in Old-Town Philadelphia together.  

Independence Hall-currently closed to the public thanks to the gov't shutdown, but still pretty cool to see and getting caught in the rain was a big bonus for the littles

 Of course they had to learn the history of the city...what kind of roadschoolers would we be if we just locked them up in the room to watch TV?  (Okay, so there was plenty of that, too...it's all about flexibility, right?)

After our day of learning and sampling, there was a banquet for us with live music.  I was very impressed with the server who went out of her way to be sure my food needs were met (gluten free eating out is sometimes a huge bummer, I had actually been glutened at lunch earlier and not excited at the prospect of hurtingx2) I was also impressed with the band and most of all, I was impressed with the group of amazingly fun women I get to be a part of!

Oh my yum!  This was fab.

The server went out of her way to get me a separate GF desssert.  That's service!

I was sad when it was all over, but so happy to come home and implement some changes here on the blog that will help us be more interactive and useful for you.  (I'm still looking for a good web designer that isn't too expensive if y'all have any suggestions!)  I am always open for suggestions from you, so feel free to leave me a note about what you'd like to see from me in the future.  I have some ideas already about a cost comparison from our traditional living vs. on the road (thanks Heather!) 

I'm also excited to get in on some sampling campaigns and reviews.  Here's my plug...if you'd like to be a part of the Moms Meet community, (it's FREE and you get an excuse to share awesome products with your friends!) just click on THIS LINK and sign up.  I'll get 100 "points" for referring you and you'll be a part of a really neat group of ladies.

So to put a nice little bow on it all and say the same thing for the 25th time, I am so glad to have had the opportunity to get to know this group and I am looking forward to being a part of next year's Summit.

Of course, coming home with loads of goodies is always great, too! ;)

Life Takes you Off-Roading

Yesterday I got the sad news (via facebook...it's a blessing and a curse) that a high-school friend had passed.  Truly, so many of my old friends have died since we all parted ways, I might start to think I was in my 50's or 60's, but here I am, 31 and have said goodbye to more than 10.  That's too many too short lives.  Several of the friends have been people I knew well at one time or another, but this friend was different. 

I mentioned Shana in a post a couple months ago, and at the time I had a strong urge to contact her (via facebook...it's a blessing and a curse  haha) and tell her 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry' for all we went through together when we were kids.  But I was embarrassed.  So I didn't.  People tell you to make sure you let people know what they mean to you because you never know what tomorrow brings.  Cliche' right?  I'm guessing because it happens too frequently that a person doesn't get to express their feelings before death comes knocking.

And so she never knew how much I appreciated her friendship, because in the 3 years we were close, though she was a near-permanent fixture in our apartment, I kinda took her for granted. Shana was always there.  Looking back, I don't really remember how we met or how we eventually drifted apart.  We don't have very many friends in common, because she didn't like my friends or my boyfriend.  When we were together it was usually just the 2 of us.  But we were together a lot.

Shana was around when I was going through the very thick of my flash-backs from the sexual abuse.  She saw parts of me I would never want anyone to see, and yet she still came over every day.  She's the only friend I don't remember getting really freaked out at me.  She'd sit calmly through the flash back (and chaos) and then we'd cook something or walk somewhere or listen to music as if it never happened. 

Shana was always down for silliness, and honest as they came.  Other people remember her as quiet, but that's not my memory of her.  She loved pranks and when we were friends she was obsessed with the phone.  Together we managed to get coupons from every company that ever made anything in her house-in the most hilarious way.  Once, the skin cream in her mom's shower made us grow wicked facial hair so that our husband left us for another woman.  She is the only person I knew who could possibly keep a straight face through that kind of conversation with a random stranger. 

I wanted to look through old pictures for some to post, but they are buried in our storage unit in Kansas.  I can see her plain as day in my mind, though, particularly in the puffy winter coat that always smelled like Burger King. 

Shana leaves behind a fiance' I didn't have the pleasure of meeting and a precious little girl who's only 18months old.  Too young to lose a momma.  Life is completely unfair sometimes.  I can't help but look at my babies and wonder if something happened to me tomorrow-what would people tell them about me as they were growing up...would people make me into a saint I never was, as people are wont to do when someone dies?  Would friends from high school come forward and write blog posts about me?  Would someone be completely honest and tell them that their momma struggled with depression and loved people with all of her-but struggled with showing it?  I'm so sorry I didn't write to her when I felt compelled to.

I don't know.  And I don't know what Charlie will hear.  Judging on what I've seen said on her facebook page, Charlie will know her mom was loved, honest and fun.  She will probably never see this blog post.  She will never know about the time I provocatively sang "Layla" by Eric Clapton replacing "Layla" with "Shana" to her young mom to skeeve her out. (successfully, only egging me on further!)

I have to leave the house now, and I feel like this isn't finished.  But I have to get it out there.  My life really is better for having had Shana in it.  She was a support that was so real and fundamental I didn't even see how important it was until much later.  Friends like that are hard to come by.  Rest in Peace, my friend.  I'll keep your family in my prayers and your memory in my heart.

Musings of a Traveling Minimalist Family

We would not really consider ourselves "true" minimalists.  But we have lived with as little as "possible" for over a year now.  Even in Texas, people who came into our house thought it was very empty.  When we left Kansas we really did pare way down and since we've been in New York, we have lived with only what can fit in the back of our Suburban and what gracious rentals provide us.  Our first apartment we were very grateful to be provided with a stove, fridge, minimal furnishings and a toaster.  The cabin we moved to most recently is also furnished...but much differently.  Here are some pictures I took while we were trying to make this place our temporary home.  Enjoy!

The bathroom is not very well planned out (speaking from a design standpoint) so the toilet/sink are bottlenecked at the back.  That little area is STUFFED with...stuff...the medicine cabinet, sink cabinet and little wicker furniture thingy are cram-packed with everything a person might ever need.  Such as used toothbrushes, used contact lens cases, pads from 1987, etc. etc.  And every spare surface is covered with doilies or blankets.  There are so many rugs that some are hanging from the towel racks.  I took pictures because I needed to rearrange *everything* to put our own things away so that I would know where to put stuff back when we leave. 

In going through the cabinets, I feel like I know the people who grew up with this place as their summer house in the 70's.  They like to throw *really* big parties with lots of food and lots of booze.  Every cabinet was jam-packed like this.  Even the freezer was fully stocked with bags of ice and freezy cups.  The fridge had some beer and some juice and loads of condiments.  The closets are packed to the gills like this.  There are random pieces of furniture all over the house that are filled like this with stuff.  I found every possible thing I could need to have a cocktail party for 50.  They had a whole cabinet crammed full of spices from the 90's.  It was truly amazing.  I don't think I realized how much I like living with little until we walked in here and tried to make it suit our needs.  All this stuff really bears down, crowds in and suffocates.

But I am not about to complain.  Please don't mistake any of the above banter for complaining.  It's really more of an amusement and I think the people we are renting from are really sweet and caring.  They want to provide every possible thing a cabin renter could need.  How could I even think of complaining when the view is like this!?

And we have managed to clean out the cupboards and make the place a little more well-suited to our own needs.  If someone went through our house, they might think we were a hair "off" too.  Check out all that gluten-free, organic stuff.  Know anyone else who carries around 7 different kinds of tea with them across the country?  Yes, we are definitely our own brand of strange.

And we are 100% living it up in this crammed-to-the-gills cabin.  Next week we will start decorating for our "Christmas," which for us will mean a lighted tree and some paper chain decorations.  I bet if I go through these closets I might find some kind of Christmas decorations circa 1974. 

Skool Daze, Early Holidays & Trip Planning

The last few weeks have been full of planning, which is kinda nice considering we haven't been able to plan a darned thing in months.  School is going well, since we decided to utilize a laid-back approach.  I find myself wondering if we could possibly be done, going down my list to realize that yes, we did finish school in just a couple hours.  The kids absolutely adore their Bob-Jones math curricula and Violet even asks to do extra pages.  Violet is in a learning-spurt, which has been amazing to watch.  Her brain is making so many connections right now, which is the most rewarding part of homeschooling for me-watching them light up with learning. 

Part of her learning this fall will be swim lessons.  She was very apprehensive at first, but now she ADORES her swimming lessons.  She is disappointed there are only "5 Wednesdays left."

We make learning fun by using manipulatives and favorite characters to help.  haha (Spongebob, Patrick & the pineapple)

I have been a hair distracted, though, with trying to plan and doing things without an internet connection on a computer.  I finally sucked it up and switched our phone plan so that we can use a wireless hotspot.  Hopefully this means I can get my research and work done in smaller amounts of time during the day so I can focus more on having fun with the kids. 

Best backyard we've ever had.  I miss a garden, but it works.

This day Daddy gave kayak rides and we saw 4 watersnakes, curious about Corbin

As far as the planning goes, we are celebrating our holidays early this year so that we can include Allan.  I thought it would be a drag when I first considered it, but it's actually turning out to be really fun!  We will do our Thanksgiving in 2 weeks and our Christmas in a month.  It helps that it has been colder here in Northern New York, so it almost feels like winter (or at least the version we are used to from being in Texas)  It also helps to live in a country that puts out holiday items so early.  I know we won't have any trouble getting the things we want for our celebrations.  

Hot Cocoa on the porch because it's cold enough to do that!

Don't tell the kids, but we have a *really* big surprise for them...Can you guess? This will be their Christmas present (trip to be taken in December)

Sometimes I can feel myself getting nervous about the time away and I just start planning for our trip and then I feel infinitely better.  The kids are going to have an absolute blast, but I know I will too.

Sooner than that, though, we are scheduled to go to a blogging summit in Pennsylvania (I hope they can teach me a thing or two and maybe hook me up with a great web designer!) and Cape Cod for October.  I kinda bottle-necked us and we may not be able to make all this work.  Have you ever over-planned?  The hard part of it is that the kids adore traveling and really want to go everywhere we've mentioned.  I feel torn because on the one hand, I could keep my mouth shut about upcoming trips to avoid disappointment, but on the other hand I have a theory (proven to work with our kids) that if I share with them what to expect and when, they feel better about this crazy lifestyle we are living right now.  Actually, I feel better about it, too, when we plan interesting trips.

If you were considering an early holiday celebration, how would you go about it?  Where have you always wanted to visit?  Where have you always dreamed of taking your kids?   Any tips on Disney World with kids from veterans out there? 

Fourth Time's a Charm?

I used to be pretty handy in a kitchen.  That was once upon a time when I had a kitchen.  And kitchen tools.  And when I still thought gluten was my friend.  It's hard to eat gluten-free anyway, but especially "on-the-road."  I hate to say it, but there have been times in the last 3 months when the very fact of something being gluten-free has out-weighed the ingredients.  French fries from 5 Guys for lunch, anyone? They have a dedicated fryer.  

That said, my body and mind have been feeling the heat of the junk we have eaten this summer. I make a lot of sides with fresh veggies and no one here ever suffers shortage of fresh fruit, but I still feel less energetic and healthy than before.  

While we were at the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in NJ last weekend, I was paying more attention to labels again.  I was impressed with some and less impressed with others.  We stopped by the booth of a company called Le Veneziane to try a cookie when the vendor started telling me about their pastas.  I had never heard of this brand, so he told me all about how they are the most popular gluten-free brand in Italy.  I took a peek at the display packages and decided to blow him off because the package said it was a corn pasta.  

I am, indeed, a pasta snob.  I <3 Italian food.  Pasta was my go-to.  I miss a simple bowl of noodles with butter, pepper and Parmesan cheese more than most anything, so when I say we've been through the gamut of gluten-free pastas, I am very serious.  I have discovered many pastas that absolutely don't work and very few that pass.  

Corn pastas never pass.  They are mushy and leave the water starchy and they taste like polenta...good in its own right, but certainly not pasta to enjoy with a cream sauce loads of garlic and veggies.  

Nevertheless, the package of cute bow-ties caught the kids and they begged over and over for it.  Easy enough to get out of that one...it wasn't for sale.  He was trying to get the brand name out.  And then he did it.  He told the kids they could be his official testers.  There would be no bowing out.

It's been sitting on my counter haunting me with its corn cob picture since we got home Sunday.

Tonight was a big gluten-free fail.  I started with an ancient grain pilaf that turned to mush.  I tried to make some pizzas and the tomato sauce had gone bad.  I cut open a cantaloupe to find it was past prime, too.  

So I figured that I could go 4 for 4 with the mushy corn noodles, and put some water on to boil.  First the water wouldn't come to a boil and then my sauce almost burned (cheese sauce.  I needed a little comfort food after all the failure.)  when the water finally came to a boil, I poured some salt and the noodles into the pot.  I stirred and was surprised when I could still see the noodles because the water wasn't cloudy.  

After 6 minutes they seemed done, so I reluctantly tasted one and wouldn't you know it!? Al dente perfection.  Wha??? I thought maybe I was so hungry I misjudged, so I drained the noodles and mixed in the cheese sauce expecting them to fall apart with the mixing, but  I must say, the presentation was pretty nice.

I sat back and watched the kids try their mac n cheese and waited for the whining.  They are pretty partial to Annie's boxed macaroni.  But amazingly they all claimed it was delicious.  When I took my first bite I had to agree! The texture is good, the flavor is good and Le Veneziane may be a family favorite now.  GraceAnne wanted to be sure we can get more, (none of our local stores carry it, we will have to order it.) and Allan said it tastes just like a "real" noodle!  Those two are our resident gluten consumers, so considering it matched their standards for pasta, I think we have a major winner!

Despite the package being pretty small (8.8oz) it filled all five of us nicely with veggies on the side and even left a bit over for seconds.  

I am going to give Le Veneziane a couple of thumbs ups and suggest you try it if you're looking for a yummy GF pasta!  

What's your favorite GF pasta? What do you miss most from your gluten days? Have you found it difficult to transition from regular cooking/eating to a GF lifestyle?  

Gluten-Free traveling (the tale of 2 states)

This weekend we headed down to Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with some of Allan's family.  It was a lovely visit, but we learned some of the logistics of visiting friends and family while trying to keep a gluten-free diet.  The problem lies in our fine-line of: the kids and I have not been diagnosed Celiac and yet we experience symptoms when we get "glutened."  The problem is that I feel apologetic for our measures when we don't have an official diagnosis, so after about the 20th time of checking a label in front of someone who is trying to be a good host and saying "no, that has gluten" for the 100th time to a small child in a new environment filled with yummy gluten-laden treats, I start to buckle.  

Gluten-free cereals only look good when there are not other sugary, glutened treats available, so the answer becomes "Cocoa Krispies have the least amount of gluten of all these little shiny boxes, so you can have those."  

Belly aches, headaches and hyperactivity were present, but ultimately we had a good weekend with family.

Because sometimes you have to escape the lake house and go to...another lake house.  Haha, I love this traveling lifestyle sometimes!

Great-grandma leaks an airborne sedative from her pores, and was able to keep Corbin still unlike anything I have ever seen!

Corbin and Uncle John bonded doing man-things.

It's a well-known fact that Grandma cheats at Parcheesi, but the grown-cousins kept her reined in. 

The girly-cousins enjoying breakfast together.

We were sad to leave early on Sunday, but had a fabulous destination in mind.  It so happens that there was going to be a Gluten-free, Allergen-free Expo in New Jersey (about 2 hrs from where we were) this same weekend.  I was worried the kids wouldn't want to be pulled away from the cabin/family but when they got up Sunday they asked if they could go to the "gluten-free festival."  Bonus? We've never been to New Jersey!  So we said our goodbyes and headed off.

Terrible pictures from the moving car, but the area is absolutely beautiful.

We got to the Expo around 1pm on the last day.  (Doors closed at 2 and the event closed at 4) but we had so much fun.  It was absolutely fabulous to be able to tell the kids "eat any sample you want, it's all gluten-free!" They kept turning back and saying, "it's gluten-free, mommy!? It's gluten-free!" 

We visited the booths of some old favorites and found a lot of new favorites, too! Thankfully, lots of these places ship, so we will be able to get our hands on these products even though stores local to us at the time might not carry them.  I was amazed at the number of companies truly trying to make life better for people as opposed to just jumping on a bandwagon.

Loads of people took the kids' pictures.  I will be stalking Facebook pages to find them.  We *do* have the very cutest children ;)

But really, the whole reason I wanted to go was that one of my favorite companies in the whole wide world was going to be there.  In fact, I had heard about the Expo from their Facebook page.  

HAIL MERRY! ( www.hailmerry.com )Claudia and I (the lovely woman standing behind the booth) have had an email relationship since Corbin was in the hospital last March.  She has been an outstanding resource and a support for us, especially since she has 2 gluten-free children of her own and it was so great to meet her in person.  The very best part? The kids walked up to the booth first, (I'm not ashamed to admit they know the Hail Merry logo by heart) and Claudia exclaimed, "HEY! I know these children!" TOO COOL!  She is, of course, even sweeter in person and I am

so glad we got to go to the Expo.  (Side note: I am totally scheming to one day be a rep in some capacity and my completely biased unprofessional opinion is that my babies should be the poster children for HM.  Haha)

For the record, I love Hail Merry so much because they make super-tasty snacks that are safe for my babies, but I started loving them before we went GF because of their care in choosing ingredients.  Organic is important to me.  Whole food ingredients are important to me.  And since I have little people, sometimes convenience is important to me.  It is hard to find all these things rolled into one, but Hail Merry does it because they totally rock the house.  You can find them at Whole Foods, some other retailers and if all else fails, order from their site. I'm coming down from my soapbox now.  :)

Maybe we will follow the expo around after Allan deploys.  That would be something to look forward to, eh? The kids had a fabulous time and so did we.  

The ride home was about 5.5 hours and you might think we were all sick of the car by then, but one of the things I truly adore about our family is that we are road-warriors.  We all have our moments, but for the most part we love trips together.  I know this life is not for everyone, but for us-it works.

Lots of fun and treats wears little people out!

Blinded by awesomeness? Probably just the setting sun.

We stopped at Red Robin for a gluten-free dinner. (By the way, Find Me GF is a very helpful app while on the road.  We have had some great meals thanks to that app!) And then the littles were wound for sound so we sang, joked and laughed the next 3 hours in the car.  

We got a lot of new products to try out and review.  Keep an eye out for links.  Also, I promised Allan I'd use up all the flours/grains we have before he leaves.  After this haul, I have some serious kitchen work to do!

So while we still have some kinks to work out in our gluten-free traveling, I'd say it's getting better and that this trip was mostly a success. 

Another traveling lifestyle trick to get used to? Blog posts from my phone when I don't have Internet access to the computers.  Sheesh.  Technology is amazing, but my fingers prefer an actual keyboard.  

Do you have tips on eating GF or other special diets while on the road? How about at someone else's house? Who is your favorite GF company and why?

Curriculum!

I have had a panic attack about every 3 days when the thought of homeschooling this year creeps up on me.  It's not that it's particularly difficult (uhhh..it is.  but not as difficult as I would have liked to make it our first year) it's just that I had no.idea. what we were going to do.  Violet is so different from GraceAnne and our lives are so different than they were 2 years ago. 

So after 60 days of panic, I knew that my requirements were these:

1. Few physical books, since we will have to fit everything in the Suburban as we travel
2. A traditional math curricula that could be challenging enough for GraceAnne, but simple enough for Violet.  Preferably from the same company so that I could get the hang of the teaching style
3. Integrated learning into daily life so that we don't feel consumed by the work
4. Non-traditional ways of learning because we are just a bunch of non-traditional people
5. Not completely reliant on technology, since I don't know if we will always have access to internet

I read a few blogs, researched unschooling, looked at online curricula, but answers were really eluding me, so last week I looked up the minimum learning requirements for their grades in Kansas.   First, can I say it was a huge relief to look at the lists and realize that the kids already had a lot of the stuff down?  If we are completely consumed with our travels this year, we will pretty much be okay.

Second, it really helped me to see that all the things they need to learn are so simple to integrate into daily life.  I have the benefit of being a "veteran" homeschooler at this point and I've learned countless lessons as far as what works for our family and what doesn't, but I still sometimes suffer from "it must look like public school or it doesn't count."  That is so not true it isn't even funny.  In fact, my kids learn better when I teach them to count collecting eggs from the hens or teach them to add fractions by doubling a recipe to share with friends.  In GraceAnne's case, she absorbs more from her books if she is sitting outside to read them with one leg kicked up over something and her head hanging downward.  Violet needs more relational teaching than a classroom setting allows for and Corbin?  Well, sometimes Corbin needs to be beaten.  (Totally kidding, no child abuse in *this* family)

Maybe I should have started off this way.  I have always read my magazines backwards and done my math problems backwards, there's something about thinking ahead to the end goal and then setting the plans that just makes me able to get a handle on it.  I probably could have spared myself a lot of stress, but at any rate, we've finally arrived here:

1. We have a lot of our Richard Scarrey books still, which the littles love to learn from.  I only have plans to order one Science book.  We will utilize the library wherever we are at for books we can't download on the nook.  The nooks will be our workhorses this year.  (we have 2 nook HD+ that we specifically got for this school year)
2. Bob Jones math has great reviews from moms with non-traditional learners.  I think the 4th and K courses will be perfect for us.  Thankfully math curricula only consist of 2 books.
3. I have practiced seeking more learning opportunities and asking lots of questions to engage the kids in their surroundings.  We live in a pretty historic area right now, so this has been very easy.  The kids are also very good at asking leading questions and love to learn.  Lucky!
4. We sing a lot of lessons.  Violet learns very well in song.  I let the kids dictate how the day will go for the most part.  i.e. "We have ABC and XYZ to do.  How do you want to accomplish this?"  That in itself is a great learning tool for kids.
5. The nook books will be downloaded, so we will have access to them even without a wifi connection.  The littles use ABCmouse.com and GraceAnne is going to keep a blog, both we can do at the library a few times a week.  Of course we'll have the physical books wherever we go and since we're focusing on integrated learning, that can happen anywhere with no physical tools.  

This year I'm going to be keeping track of what we do on different days and logging hours and whatnot.  Even though Kansas doesn't require us to do those things, (our home state for all intents and purposes right now) I want to make sure I have all my ends tied up nicely "just in case."

Oh, and for anyone curious, for 1st and 2nd grade, GraceAnne and I did Sonlight, which was positively, absolutely FABULOUS for her and for me.  It is definitely not something we can do right now because it is incredibly literature heavy (part of why we loved it and GraceAnne reads well above her grade level thanks to Sonlight!) and we just can't carry that many books with us on our travels.  But we do highly recommend the curriculum to others and it's a great way to get your feet wet as a homeschooler.  I call it "dummy-proof."  There's lots of room to be creative, but it's also all spelled out for you if you need that kind of structure/guidance.  We did actually consider buying the teacher's guides only and downloading all the books onto the nook, but we felt it just wasn't right for us this year.

So for fun, what do you think you would do if you were going to homeschool your kids from the road?  Would you stick to the 3Rs?  How would you integrate extra-curriculars?  What parts of it would scare you?  What parts do you think you and your children would really enjoy?

Autumn Encroaches?

Summer is my very favorite.  Even when we lived in Texas I loved summer.  In fact, in high school. my forest green backpack had "Terra est laeta en aestatem" scrawled on it in white-out pen.  (It means Tara is happy in the summer in Latin.  Don't beat me up if it's slightly incorrect, I was a first year student when I wrote it.)  Ever since I can remember I have this strange mixture of emotions toward autumn.  On the one hand I love it-for all the reasons everyone loves it-but on the other hand I feel like a piece of me is dying.  I tend to have horrific nightmares in the cooler weather and I am *not* a fan of cold and snow autumn hints toward.

This year, our summer has been absolutely glorious.  We have visited new places, explored a lot of the state of New York, eaten more than our share of ice cream, swam to our hearts content, relaxed and looked hard for fun to suck the marrow out of every day before Allan leaves.  The days have been slow and lazy.  Some months seem like they may never end and we're all okay with that.  So when the first signs of autumn started creeping in, I ignored them.

First there was the fully stocked Farmer's Market.  That's not too difficult to ignore, I lived in Texas and Kansas for the last 8 years, so these types of veggies and fruits at the stands signify time to start fall planting (and several more weeks of warm) for me. 

Then the trees started putting on the glitz, but I ignored them for a few weeks, wondering to myself if there was some NNY tree disease to cause the leaves to go brown and yellow in August.

Buuuuuut, after seeing the following today, I don't think I can ignore it anymore.

It started innocently enough.  I had to make some copies and the only place around here to do that is the library.  I figured the kids could use a good walk, so we headed out.  The temperature today is only in the 70's.  On the way out of the complex we live in, the kids asked to stop and get an apple.  From the grocery store?  No...from the tree across the road.

They've been eating apples off that tree for a couple weeks now, but today the apples were large, plump and very clearly ripe-the insides no longer pale green, but a healthy white color.  They made me think of apple pies and apple dumplings and cinnamon and...well, autumn treats!











When we got to the library, it was completely empty, like a ghost town.  My first thought was that we were in luck, but as I got to thinking about it, I realized that the local kids are probably in school.  We sat to read some books together after I made my copies and it occurred to me I really should have my plan for schooling these kids ready.  (don't freak, I do have a tentative plan and we will probably start it next Monday.  Further, we are *always* looking for teaching moments, so they're okay.)

I could hardly drag them away from the library, so I bribed them with some time at the park. On our way we enjoyed a cool breeze and found the park deserted.  Another reminder that the rest of the world spins on and moves forward while we are trying to freeze summer and our last days with daddy.

We only have a few precious weeks left.  Plans are making themselves without our consent.  This weekend we will move into the last beach house of summer.  In a few short weeks we'll celebrate an early Thanksgiving with some of Allan's family.  Only a few weeks after that we'll spend a glorious week off work somewhere to celebrate an early Christmas before we send him off.  By that time, the leaves will be ablaze, no doubt and I will be far past deluding myself with my jeans and jacket on.

We have found ourselves getting antsy in anticipation.  Occasionally we take note of the passing time and feel very sad.  Sometimes we feel angry as time flies by and yet we have no new answers.  Other times we feel nostalgic, knowing that we will regret it if we ignore the moments we've been gifted with before he has to go.  If I'm not careful, I find myself sinking into sadness at what is to come.  I've struggled with autumn anyhow, so adding a deployment to the mix doesn't make me want to embrace the changing seasons.

But my promise to my family is to not get caught up in the busy-ness this season is trying to thrust on me, but to look up at the colors, down at the littles, feel the cool air, bake and smell the cinnamon, give thanks for these moments and, as autumn encroaches, pray for many, many more to come.