6wildhorses
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Posts posted by 6wildhorses
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It wasn't too hard to get in and out of the city. Of course, my husband has an advantage in that he grew up nearby, so he knows his way around. Using google maps as you drive helps because it helps you avoid construction and traffic. Avoiding rush hour is a good idea too. We pretty much ate breakfast and dinner at the house and ate lunch when we were out during the day. Sometimes we ate out for dinner before returning to the house.
The property is really close to this address: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bethel+Baptist+Church/@38.6436602,-89.963958,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x88760087eb7a0699:0xf4d63337bb7b779. You can use that location to determine the distance to your planned activities. There are grocery stores within 10 minutes or so. We just stopped by one on our way to the house. Oh, it's also a huge plus to be able to do laundry!
We've stayed right in St. Louis before. I can't remember the property name, but we had a view of the arch. It was a great view, but cramming everyone into a hotel room and being in the city (which is loud) was uncomfortable for us. I know some people really love the city, though, so it's really based on preference. Being able to lounge around at the house and enjoy the lake made it more of a complete vacation to us. Plus, we didn't get on each other's nerves too much because we had space to relax after our excursions. My kids went out on the boats and enjoyed having a barbecue. The TV's were nice when the kids needed to unwind. With such young kids, though, the water may add stress for you. My youngest is 9, and all my kids can swim, so it wasn't too much of a concern.
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The National WW1 museum in Kansas City is amazing: https://theworldwar.org/.
There's a current thread right now with ideas specifically for St. Louis. I posted some ideas there.
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We stayed at this home through VRBO when we recently went to St. Louis: http://www.vrbo.com/372470?unitId=372470. It was really great. We were not far from the city, and there was room for everyone to spread out. It's in a really nice neighborhood. We picked this rental partly because it was halfway between the family we were visiting and St Louis, so it minimized our driving. If you search VRBO, you may find something you like better. Having the lake was really great and made this a unique spot. I hate staying in hotels with so many people (6), so we normally use VRBO.
There is so much to do in St. Louis: Cahokia Mounds, Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and Interpretive Center (we wanted to go here this summer but ran out of time), Magic House, botanical gardens, zoo (we buy a family membership so we can do everything), arch (hard to get to when we went in July due to renovations but worth it), Laumeier Sculpture Park. I always use tripadvisor.com for ideas. We always eat at the Spaghetti Factory. If I had to pick two places, I would pick the gardens and the zoo. Sometimes the garden has special events. We went to the lantern festival this summer, and it was amazing.
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I highly recommend the book "How to Teach your Baby to be Physically Superb." http://www.amazon.com/Physically-Superb-Gentle-Revolution-Series/dp/0757001920
I used it with my son who has Down Syndrome. I taught him how to crawl using tips from this book. Brain development is connected with gross motor skills. You don't have to wait around for gross motor skills to develop. There is a lot you can do to help your baby gain these skills.
Also, like others said, you may be able to qualify for early intervention. This means free therapy, possibly in your own home. It's definitely worth looking into.
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I recently purchased a violin from Kennedy Violins. It was for my 11 year old who has been taking for less than a year. We are very happy with it. The one we bought was less than $500 for the outfit. http://www.kennedyviolins.com/categories/violins/
They also have a clearance section on their website.
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You're not alone with not being able to see the floor. My daughter's room was constantly like that until I did what I described above. Previously we would clean it up and within days the floor would disappear again! It was so bad that I refused to even go in there. She is also very creative, and she liked it that way. I'm happy to say that her room has been clean every night for about a month now, so there is hope! She still stacks things on surfaces in her room, and she has bins in her closet for all of her miscellaneous things, but her floor is kept clean, and that's what I really care about.
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I did something similar last month. I actually took everything out of two bedrooms that were terribly messy. Items only went back into the rooms if there was space for them. You could do the same thing. Take everything out. Yes, it will make a huge mess! Then decide what goes back in. Since they aren't there to help, pick the best you can. Get bins for toys and clothes that you think they've outgrown. Make a bin for sentimental objects that you think they might be willing to part with. Make a bin for miscellaneous stuff. Or just use trash bags if you don't have bins.
Before you start putting things back in the room, think about whether or not the furniture is functional. For instance, my son hated putting his stuffed animals in toy bins because he couldn't see them, so we put a big wire shelf in his room, and he likes using it. Maybe instead of a dresser for clothes, a shelf would work better. We got rid of all the wood furniture in our son's room and put a loft bed with an attached desk and the big wire shelf. We put organizers in the closet. The room is completely different in a good way. I also rearranged my daughter's room to be more functional.
When your kids get back and see their new room, explain that if they want to bring anything back into the room that you left out, there must be a good spot for it. They may need to exchange it for another item in order for it to work.
Also, each person in my family has a laundry basket for clean clothes in the laundry room. They can keep the clothes in there unless it gets full. If it starts looking full, I tell them to please carry the basket to their room, put away the clothes, and put the basket back. Having a place for clean laundry to go before it gets put away in a bedroom helps the laundry to not end up on the floor.
In order to break messy habits, we have a reward system. If the floor of your room is clean at night, then you get a ticket. At the end of the week there's a ticket drawing for a prize. My kids are finally keeping their rooms clean, but it has taken a lot of commitment on my part as well as theirs.
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Quote: "Unfortunately, the next day it seems like there is just another game where they figure out a way to target DD."
I would not allow my kids, especially my kid with special needs, to be in that situation. I would come up with alternate activities. I would take her to the park, go on walks, play games. I would work to find real friends and social situations that build her up and give her the respect she deserves. These people are not her friends, at least not as a group. And why is no one in the group standing up for her? Think about that. Think about what she is learning. It is not okay to be treated like this every day! Her self-worth is worth more than having so-called friends to hang out with.
If my kid wanted to play one-on-one with someone, then I would invite that kid over and ensure that it's positive experience. I have found that we have to teach people how to interact with our son with special needs. They learn best by being around our family and observing how we treat him. At school, teachers model how to treat him, and they talk to the kids as needed. The kids in your neighborhood do not know how to treat your daughter. They are not going to magically learn and change the way they are acting. You need to take control of the situation if you want it to change. Just because this group of kids is instantly available doesn't mean you have to give them the power. They need to know that this is not okay, and your daughter needs to know that it's not okay. And at this point, just saying it's not okay is not enough. Actions speak louder than words. She will be better off knowing that she is worthy of being treated with respect and kindness, and so will the other kids.
I hope I don't sound too harsh or anything. I just feel so strongly that every child needs to know how to set boundaries, and they learn it from us. When my kids are teens, I want them to already be so confident in themselves, that they will walk away from bad situations instead of making excuses for people who treat them badly. They need to learn this self confidence when they are young.
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One of the first steps is to choose a good program to teach from. The Piano Adventure series is very well done and has helped me to be a better teacher. It's very user-friendly for both the student and teacher. It also has a great reputation. When teaching, positive reinforcement goes a long way. Yahoo Groups has some groups for piano teachers that might be helpful.
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I would not pick #2. We lived in an area that was built up while we lived there. We hated it after it was built up. The traffic became awful and the whole feel of the area changed. When we moved, we moved to a nice neighborhood with amenities. It was a great move for our family. My kids can walk places as everything is connected with sidewalks. The neighborhood makes a big difference to me and affects resale value. Also, I would not want to back up to a busy road.
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I also love Eddie Bauer. Full price is expensive, but a lot of items end up in the sales/clearance section.
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You could try Wallflower jeans. Sometimes they come in short sizes. I'm a couple inches taller than you but it sounds like around the same size. I can wear the regular length jeans, but sometimes they are slightly too long. I always bump up for juniors sizing, so a size 7 short in their curvy jeans may work for you. Because they are made to fit snugly, you can even try a 9 short, but you may need a belt. I particularly like the cut of the jeans with double buttons in the front. The problem with jeans getting looser as you wear them is common. I just wear a belt. They sell them on amazon.com and Kohls.
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Yes, I tell my kids that one reason a key word outline is valuable is that it will help them avoid plagiarism. Some kids will try to write a paper while they are doing their research. Not only can this easily lead to plagiarism, but it's an awful way to write a paper for organizational reasons. Writing an outline first helps them to see what info they have to work with. It helps them with their research because it forces them to think critically about what they are reading. If they aren't thinking critically, they won't be able to find and record the main ideas! Once they know what they are working with, they can decide how best to organize it into a paper. Once the main ideas are written out in an outline, they can also see deeper connections and ideas, which leads to a more thoughtfully done paper. The whole process is definitely a skill that they will use throughout their lives. Once they really understand the process, it may end up looking less formal. However, the principles of thinking critically, doing thorough research, having the ability to record and synthesize ideas and information through writing and speaking are life-long skills.
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Our mornings are based on a block schedule. My daughters are 8 and 11. Normally the topic is science or history based, but I've also based it on a specific project. We rotate the topic every 2-4 weeks, depending on interest level. We study each topic through reading, researching, art, music, drama, writing, etc. Most of our Language Arts work is done through our study of these topics. It's really more of a project-based approach. We much prefer delving into one major topic at a time, and it gives our other subjects a primary focus.
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Since she asked you about homeschooling materials, I wonder if you can approach it from that angle. I used a book called How to Teach Your Baby to be Physically Superb by Glenn Doman. It talks about the importance of physical milestones and how to support that part of development. If you explain that homeschooling is about supporting child development at any age, it might make her more open to suggestions since she asked about it. I'm sure there are numerous books out there that help parents understand and support child development. Homeschooling really does start at birth because babies are always learning and growing. There are probably better books to start with for this situation, but I gave it as an example.
It would also be good to somehow let the parents know about Early Intervention. Check with your state, but for us EI came right to us and was free. If they can educate themselves about child development, then they can hopefully become aware of any red flags. Some people have no idea that EI is available, though, and think they're on their own. Maybe it would help them feel less overwhelmed knowing there is help if they decide it's needed. Although, I do know that it can be overwhelming having people in your home, especially if it's not clean.
Perhaps if you can get talking about child development/homeschooling, conversations will naturally flow that can help this family.
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I really like Lands' End Squall Jacket: http://www.landsend.com/pp/StylePage-443419_AE.html?CM_MERCH=REC-_-FPPP-_-GGT-_-1-_-443419-_-443420
Right now they have it for 25% off. It kept my son warm through our snowy winter.
I can usually find some snow pants or bibs from amazon.com for a good price. Amazon generally has great prices on snow boots, gloves, and mittens as well. I sort by the cheapest price, but then check the customer ratings to make sure the quality is good. The prices tend to jump around on amazon, so if you use camelcamelcamel.com, you can track the price and see if you can expect it to go down or not. For instance, I can sometimes snag these Sorel boots for $30, although right now the price is high for most sizes: http://www.amazon.com/Flurry-TP-Winter-Toddler-Little/dp/B00361F4QU/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1413336892&sr=1-2&keywords=sorel+boots
I have also found good deals at http://www.campmor.com/.
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We like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HBILB2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1403721917&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40. We also have a queen Coleman that we like. Based on when I researched air beds (which has been awhile) I think you can get unlucky and get a defective one no matter the brand unfortunately.
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My daughter and I use lavendar deodorant from Tropical Traditions: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/aluminum-free_deodorants.htm. They frequently run promos and free shipping deals.
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I have a son who was born with a disability. It was very hard at first because I had a certain paradigm of what my life would look like and that was permanently altered. It took a long time to mentally rebuild a new paradigm. I had to go through the grief cycle. I had to reach acceptance and embrace my reality. Only then could I find peace. It's also a continual process because as he grows I have to keep adjusting and be adaptive to what his needs are. I have grown as a person so much, and I love him so much. But it isn't always an easy process to go through, to always embrace how life unfolds. I actually try not to think about my struggles too much, and not just as it pertains to my son, but for life in general. I focus on doing what needs to be done, and I try to live in and appreciate the moment. I don't really focus on being happy. I focus on being at peace with my life. To me that's something deeper than happiness. Being happy/unhappy is too much of an emotional roller coaster for me.
For other circumstances I can't change, I have a mantra: Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love. I heard it first from Wayne Dyer. When I face something hard I try to stay in the moment, set all my best intentions and love into the situation, and try not to be reactive.
I don't know your situation, but I have found that no matter the struggle, the process for finding peace is the same. I had to accept my pain and embrace it in order to move on and find peace. You might find EFT helpful (Emotional Freedom Technique). It helped me to reach acceptance. You can find instructions if you search online. (((HUGS)))
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Another possibility is that perimenopause is making your anxiety worse. You're in the age range for it. If you google anxiety and perimenopause, you'll find people who are experiencing similar symptoms. There are natural remedies for anxiety, like essential oils (doTerra's Clary Calm and Serenity) and sprays (Liddell makes one-- it's stronger than Bach's remedy). If you search around on amazon or iherb.com you can find some remedies that might help you. I know what you're describing and it's no fun. If you can't fall back asleep because of the anxiety, you can also try melatonin. I occasionally use Natrol Sleep'n Restore. I hate taking pills, but I always have these on hand now for insomnia and/or so I can fall asleep if I'm having nighttime anxiety. Also, exercise really does make a difference, like you noticed, as well as taking good vitamins. I personally seem to need b vitamins, a multivitamin, iron, and D. When I skip taking them, I always feel worse after a few days. I feel old now that I seem to require so many pills, but at least I found a way to feel better. :)
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I get it from my local grocery store pharmacy.
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I would have a hard time pulling all that off myself. I would need my husband to help with the drive, and I would want his company and his help, especially with so much going on. If I were in a situation like this, I would tell him that I needed his support in pulling it all off and that I would like to spend the time as a family as had already been planned.
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Eddie Bauer. I just bought some on clearance that are very comfortable and are more of a relaxed fit like you describe.
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My kids had a horrible cough that wouldn't go away. This is what finally worked for us: Sambucus elderberry syrup (about every 2 hours) and Fenu-thyme (around every 2-3 hours) and Matys vapor rub. The combination of those three things made the most difference for my kids. And once they started to feel better I had to keep giving them the elderberry and Fenu-thyme for a couple days or else it would come back. A couple times a day I would also put a drop or two of oregano oil in the elderberry and we also used Umcka. At the first sign of illness now I give out elderberry, Fenu-thyme, or Umcka.
I hope you feel better soon. Lingering coughs are the worst. My poor kids could hardly sleep at night because of the cough. I didn't realize they were coming down with something until the cough had settled in, and it's so hard to get rid of once that's happened.
Vegetarians I need your help!
in The Chat Board
Posted · Edited by 6wildhorses
I recently cut dairy, sugar (as much as possible), and (mostly) eggs from my diet. It was hard at first because I also don't eat meat. My health has improved dramatically, though, so I am sticking to it.
I eat quinoa flakes for breakfast. I put a variety of things in it, including Tropical Tradition's Coconut Cream Concentrate, honey, cinnamon, acai powder, and/or fruit. I eat Kind bars for snacks. My favorite low-sugar Kind bars are Caramel Almond and Sea Salt and Madagascar Vanilla.
For lunch and dinner I generally eat salad. The base is generally the same: a dark, leafy green mix with cilantro and avocado. I always add protein. If I forget, I feel light headed and have to eat again. I add hemp seeds, nuts, garbanzo beans, refried beans, pumpkin seeds, etc. If it's a Mexican-style salad, I add some chips. If not, I add croutons. I also eat basic soup that comes in cartons, like broccoli, pumpkin, and portabello mushroom. I add lentils or hemp seeds for protein. The lentils I buy are suppose to cook for 10-15 minutes, so I just warm the soup that long. I also add things like cayenne pepper, croutons, or fresh vegetables.
Sometimes I cook up a veggie mix in olive oil. Often it includes portabello mushrooms, broccoli, squash, onion, and/or asparagus.
I also drink a green smoothie every day. Right now I'm using Amazing Grass Superfood Berry. It would be better to drink a fresh smoothie, but this is more convenient. I do take vitamin B12.
I always have a variety of nut butters on hand too. I eat them with celery or rice cakes.
I also eat sweet potatoes, quinoa salads, apples, pears, and carrots.
I feel much better eating vegetarian sources of protein than I ever did when I ate meat and dairy products. I just have to be more mindful about including protein and fats in my diet.