I just made fruit leather today - a bag of frozen sliced peaches, two apples, cinnamon, and a touch of sugar. Cooked until soft then run through the blender. I used my dehydrator but there are recipes for using your oven, too. The kids LOVE it. So do I. For store bought, I guess you'd have to call the manufacturer. I have had succes in buying allergen-friendly grocery items from Amazon. Maybe they have something? Sandra

What you are reduced to sounds a lot like the GAPS diet or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). People have used these diets to help heal their bodies from irritants and some allergies. But the reason I thought of them is because they have entire websites and cookbooks of recipes that you could probably use (though watch for nuts in things). Sandra

If the bird is still as cold as your fridge, I'd definitely roast it. If it is cold but not that cold, I'd probably still roast it. I'd go by smell. If it smells bad then chuck it. You may have to cut into the raw bird to really smell it. I can't afford to chuck good food, so I'm more liberal about that stuff. No one has ever gotten sick. I'm also more careful with store-bought ground meats. Sandra

Within a family it is very difficult to tell what is genetic and what is environmental because siblings share genetics AND environment. There is also plain old chance going on. That is why scientists love to study identical twins separated at birth. Sandra

I am thinking of doing the Executive Functions Training adolescent level with my ADHD 15 ds. Should I go through the book with skills for younger kids with him first? IOW, do the books build on each other? Thanks, Sandra

Sounds exactly like PF. Physical therapy is your best bet if you can get an rx from your regular doc or a podiatrist. You can do most of the PT at home once you see what activities they prescribe. Examples are: picking up marbles with your toes, rolling your foot over a coke bottle filled with ice, and LOTS of stretching for your calf muscles. I also found stretching my hamstrings helped, too. Just put one foot on the stairs and bend over it, like ballet stretches. (for safety, do this at the BOTTOM of the stairs!) You can get orthotics and avoid going barefoot or wearing flip flops - IMO that is catering to your weakened feet. A better bet is to increase the strength and flexibility of your feet, then you won't need the orthotics and you can wear whatever shoes you like. That is assuming that PF is the problem. Sandra

Well, this sort of thing was reduced, when I explained that i expected them to AT LEAST treat each as politely as they'd treat a stranger. A friend of mine with 4 boys has a solution of binding their wrists tOgether (just one each!) for 3-4 hours when they can't get along. This way they MUST negotiate with each other. Thereafter it is a useful threat. Yes, they are allowed to use the bathroom alone! :) Sandra

Hi, When my son was 8, he was on Zoloft for anxiety resulting from (or boosted by) ADHD medication. For him, we found that the dosage needed to combat his symptoms was high enough to cause side effects, so we discontinued its usage. I myself have been on Zoloft for anxiety. It really can work. What I found was that once the anxiety was reduced I was able to break some bad mental habits (habitually worrying). After a couple of years, I was able to go off the Zoloft and keep my better mental habits. Not that I don't worry, but it is more rational now. I also get help from taking cod liver oil. I would suggest some sort of counseling to help identify the troublesome mental habits and break them down would be useful for your son. Another thing I noticed about Zoloft was that it flattens your emotions. You don't have the dramatic peaks and valleys. This can be a good thing, but you should be aware of it. Sandra

The title says it. If what you are using is working, and from your description it is, then keep with it. Do multiple lessons a day when they can handle it - and do fewer of the exercises (maybe just the odds). Since you said that switching programs was part of the problem, I hesitate to suggest any changes. Perhaps, though, you can make things more efficient by giving chapter pre-tests and then only working hard on the concepts they don't yet understand. I don't know what your dd's hopes are for future education and work, but it *is* OK if they aren't ready to leave the nest at 18. An extra year to mature is not a bad thing. Sandra

Please do some Internet research on hypothyroid, which is the cOndition you have now that your thyroid is out. I still have mine but have hypothyroid anyway. I just started seeing a new doc who upped my rx. I can't believe how good I feel. Physically, I'm no longer tired in the afternoon and my sugar cravings have dropped. Mentally, I'm more myself. I feel less overwhelmed. All this to say, just because you TSH tests normal, you may still very likely need more thyroid. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your family. Remember, "If mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!". It is true. Sandra

Our old pediatric neuro mentioned that dosages vary fairly widely from the label. Both between brands and within brands. So, say 1.5 worked on the last bottle, but this bottle if 1.5 isn't helping, it may be the strength of the pills has changed. The point being, be flexible. Personally, my dd uses 1 mg. Sandra

I have this problem also. In fact my daytime clenching and grinding has rid me of much of my tooth enamel. I saw a new dentist last week. He suggested putting your hand under your chin, applying a bit of pressure, and slowly opening your mouth against this pressure. Do it six times. Three or four times a day. Apparently you can help release tension by balancing the jaw closing muscles with the jaw opening muscles. I'm trying it but it is too soon to tell whether it will help. Also, get the night guard. Sandra

OhELizabeth or anyone else, Regarding OT, where do I begin? My fear is that if you ask a [specialist] whether you need that [specialty], they will always say yes. I guess I'm a bit jaded after this long. Between the two kids, we have done speech therapy, auditory therapy, handwriting OT help, vision therapy, biofeedback, CogMed, diet modifications, supplements, prescriptions,.... All while supporting interests (soccer, dance, ice skating, piano, etc) that I also consider to be therapeutic. For dd, I KNOW, we are still missing something. We did a complete education/intellect evaluation, which resulted in the CogMed recommendation and dx of a number of a number of issues. Maybe OT would help, but how do you find a good one? Sandra

My dd, 9 at the time, tried Cogmed for st memory problems associated with add. After the initial day or so she was miserable and crying about doing it. I think the learning curve was too steep for her. I wonder whether your son being somewhat older helPed? We also got very little support from the provider which may have made an impact. I'm curious if anyone has had benefit from cogmed with tweenagers? Sandra

This is a great ap. My dh,(ADD) uses it and I do too. You can have separate calendars, you can set reminders, it can email you, message you, etc. Take a look at it. I think it is fantastic! Sandra

We like SpellDown for spelling. You input the words. I make a list for each spelling lesson. SpellDown accesses audio files for the words. It will "say". The words and dd inputs the correct spelling. You can also add your own audio as well as definitions (good for homonyms). Sandra

I have very oily, fine hair - once I hit 11th grade I found I had to wash it daily. Even then it sometimes looks oily 12 hours after washing it (then I wash it in the am so I can at least get one day). Try difference shampoos, condition only the ends if you must. Also, keeping highlights, hair color (lighter color), or perms in my hair dried the hair out which balanced the oiliness. These processes are nice because I don't have to do something every day. Currently, I have my hair highlighted about every 3 months. Color has to be re-done every month and the roots are more noticeable. Also, I noticed years ago, in Germany, that women had a schedule for their hair. Wear it down when it is clean and pretty (maybe only 1 day for really oily), when it begins to look oily fancy braid it (day 2?), and after that wear it completely up (day 3?). Then wash and repeat. In your shoes, I would shower and "water wash" your hair on the non shampoo days. I noticed many women washed their hair only once a week. Good luck! You are stuck living in a "clean" culture. Many Europeans think we are nuts! Sandra Sandra

Licorice is helpful for treating the pain of the burning. It helps to coat your esophagus. Aloe gel or juice also. You really need to see a doc soonish and have them look at your esophagus (you have to be knocked out for this). Check out information on Barrett's esophagus. It's nothing to play around with. Try every alternative remedy that seems reasonable. Look up the maximum safe dose for the OTC drugs and go up to that. Try herbs, enzymes, probiotics, diet changes, etc. But at the same time, save up for the exam and look around for cheaper providers - maybe a public U teaching hospital? My dad developed Barrett's esophagus and required quick treatment to get rid of precancerous esophageal cells. Sandra

Of course, I could use ideas for January... Sandra

The thread is too long for me to check whether I am duplicating my recommendation. If I did, then consider the suggestion seconded! =) We know two boys named Cormac and they are both good kids.

I think my kids look like siblings. However, my brother and I haven't looked like sibs since we were both under 10! We apparently take after difference branches of the family. When I saw the first ultrasound of my dd (facial profile), I thought she looked just like her brother. Weird, but true. Sandra

I'm looking at countertops, too! We have laminate that is coming up after 13 years and is horribly worn in places. I'm afraid I have scrubbed the color off! Granite is nice, but it DOES stain. My kitchen is dark - faces the north - so I know I'm looking for light colors, which will show stains. I've heard oils can stain it. Lowe's carries a granite that has a 15 year sealant in it. I *may* go with that. The man made quartz products are nice and maintenance free. I'd avoid Sliestone because of the antibacterial stuff manufactured into it. There are 2 or 3 other brands. I'm having a difficult time deciding.... Sandra

I tend to think about Moms as having a "bucket" out of which we care for everyone (including schooling, housework, cooking, groceries, fun time, etc.). It is all too easy for your bucket to become empty, then there's nothing to give. You just go through the motions. You need to put something back in your bucket. Feed your soul. Take that vacation camping at the beach by yourself. Do what you need to put something back in your bucket. Take a yoga class. Set aside a time, say 7-8pm, M-F or everyday, and tell everyone you. are. not. available. for anything. " If 911 isn't necessary, then you don't need me." Stand by that rule. Meditate. One thing that really worked for me, was to have DH take everyone out one evening a week. Just to have the house to myself to read, watch shows *I* wanted to, to play Wii games *I* wanted to play. I was amazed at how refreshed this made me feel! We stopped this practice when DS injured his knee. But I'm thinking it is time to re-implement. Take a deep breath and make some changes, Sandra

I recently did this sort of thing - looking at minimum and recommended high school course loads, GPA's, and SAT's for getting into certain colleges. It was not terribly helpful. What WAS helpful were the statistics posted on the university's current Freshman Class: Weighted and unweighted GPA from high school, SAT Scores (usually listed at the 25th and 75th percentile), and other statistics like that. Another site that was very helpful was MIT. Their page on what they are looking for from home schooled students has good advice for all home schoolers looking for acceptance to competitive schools. IMO everyone home schooling high school should read it - students and parents alike. Good luck with this. Sandra

Perhaps it is time to lay everything out for him: why we learn stuff, where it fits in the picture of his whole life (academics), why treating people with disrespect will hurt him (life), and why freedom and respOnsibility go together. Let him pick his academic pursuits but also work on them. You don't mention if he gets daily exercise, but adding 30 or more minutes if exercise may help his attitude. Testosterone is tough to deal with. Let him burn some off. I also suggest some physical labor. Mulch the garden, gravel the walk, etc. Accomplishment feels good. Praise his work. Don't nit pick. Lastly, have a daily reward for him which depends on your mood. A therapist suggested this to me years ago. He does not know how to read your moods. He doesn't care. This teaches him how and why in a concrete way. If you are happy with his day he gets 15 minutes on the Wii the next morning. Something like that. All this is a mix of btdt and the advice I have received from others. Sandra