ETA: I forgot to finish typing in the subject line!!! So I reposted the poll and thread under the correct subject line.

My fave gluten free flour blend is 1:3 mix any starch (corn, arrowroot, tapioca starch, potato starch) and the three being a mix of millet, brown rice, white rice or really anything light and basic. sorghum is good too . Occasionally of the 'three' part mix, i'll sub out 1/4 cup for teff or mesquite (depending on what I'm making). Whole grade teff from Bob's comes with the best recipes on the back for Teff Pudding and and a porridge-y thing. They are both yum. I love them, the kids love them. I disagree with the person who said to 'avoid baked goods for awhile". It's only GF bread that might best be avoided for awhile (with the exception of the Ener-G tapioca dinner rolls and the other best things: Chebe (CHEE-bee) I can't believe i almost forgot about Chebe. It's the best. Seriously. The best. The original ones with cheese? O.M.G. But if you can't do dairy? No problem.....all of them are good. Super easy to make. Great dough. The kids can do it on their own. Only key thing to remember is to make the diameter small enough so that they cook in the middle. If they are too large/thick, they're really gummy in the middle. Anyhoo, the tollhouse recipe makes the best GF chocolate chip cookies - just add a tsp of xanthan gum. IME, xanthan gum is more effective if added *while blending* wet ingred in the blender (in this case, eggs, vanilla), but if that's too much of a hassle, just make as normal and have xanthan with the dry. Use any baked goods recipe you normally do, just skip bread/pizza crust. Pie crust won't be flaky but will taste totally fine. All bars, cookies, muffins, crumbles, buckles, coffee cakes will be great (just don't use bean flours - ick....and i loooove beans). :) Katherine

<<I love the freedom of it, but I need to explore other cups b/c its just not that comfortable for>> it is longish. Iirc the only one longer is the diva.

I find that getting sufficient magnesium is massively helpful. Sometimes I don't need Any motrin at all bc the Mg makes it so tolerable. Sufficient vitamin d also has evidence for reducing both pms (iirc) and dysmenorrhea. Almost no one gets sufficient vitamin d. it really shouldn't be an issue. The vast majority can use it fine. Occasionally and rarely it doesn't work for someone- tipped uterus or not. that must be a newish issue. When I purchase mine, there was no barrier to ordering directly from Finland. Unfortunate. Katherine

40% of kids with ADHD have an LD as well.....and some high percentage of kids with LD have ADHD as well so.... :) K

I can help you with Wilson.....and it's not expensive. I also have the training DVDs that you can borrow if you'd like. :) K

IME, ABeCeDarian isn't the best choice for a child with phonemic awareness issues and memory problems. It's a good program, just not for that kid. They move to quickly, don't spiral back through old info, not enough review of each topic to cement mastery, too many new sounds/spellings introduced at once. Wilson is wonderful - works on decoding and encoding (reading and spelling). So is HEC Horizons (used with All about Spelling for better work on spelling). So is Barton (but barton's expensive and still really does need All About Spelling). All the best, Katherine

Second the Explosive Child. Life changing for us. I haven't heard of the other book but will definitely check it out from the library. I'd also have a look at _Depression Free Naturally_ It's not about depression only but about a whole spectrum of 'mental health' issues and their orthomolecular treatments. I'm a big fan of better living through chemistry (we're all on meds here) but we also do a lot of alternative stuff - esp me. While the adderall keeps me functional in one way, the orthomolecular stuff (amino acids, vitamins, minerals, efa's) keep me *same*. I have dealt with major mood stability issues (mostly wrt irritability), debilitating anxiety and since I was very young, depression. Orthomolecular has really smoothed out all of those rough spots. Adderall deals with the attention/motivation/get it done issues. Wishing you all the best. Carry a cell phone with a video camera on it. Get video (even if you have to have someone else video it on your phone). His hcps need to see what you're seeing. hugs, K

*love* Namaste spice cake mix and GF Pantry Spice cake mix (I make that one into gingerbread. Namaste Blondie Mix a lot.....usually with chocolate chips. GF Pantry brownies - omg 8x8 pan 1,2,3 Gluten Free - 9x13 pan....best brownies in the *world*. Fwiw, imo, gf brownies are better than 'regular' brownies. I make them all the time and no one knows. Everyone loves them. I also make pumpkin brownies around thanksgiving. Again, people are begging for more. Meringues are also super easy to make.....add chocolate chips:) They are the best source for evidence based gluten free info. They are the ones that were finally (mostly) successful in debunking the myth that vinegar has gluten. It doesn't (except for some flavored vinegar and malt vinegar)......white vinegar is GF. wine vinegar? GF. See above. I guess the myth still persists:) Kraft mayo is GF. Helmann's is GF. In fact all brands I can think of are GF. All plain vinegar varieties are GF. Vanilla is always GF now too. At least the real stuff is - regardless of the source of the alcohol. Hydrolized veg protein may or may not be gluten. Labeling laws now require that wheat/products sourced from wheat be disclosed on labels. Watch out for seasonings that have "hydrolized vegetable protein" or MSG in them. Gluten. Second that. The data shows that oats are tolerable, tolerated and that results of serological assays do not change when oats are consumed - even though there is the theoretical risk of cross contamination.

Vitamin D. :) K

Cavities are fundamentally these issues: insufficient vitamin d (deficiency is pandemic) insufficient vitamin k and possibly this as well: magnesium and perhaps, but less likely: calcium http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/pregnancy-and-gestational-vitamin-d-deficiency.shtml'>http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/pregnancy-and-gestational-vitamin-d-deficiency.shtml'>http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/pregnancy-and-gestational-vitamin-d-deficiency.shtml'>http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/pregnancy-and-gestational-vitamin-d-deficiency.shtml <<Seventeen experts—many of them world-class experts—recently recommended: "Until we have better information on doses of vitamin D that will reliably provide adequate blood levels of 25(OH)D without toxicity, treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy children should be individualized according to the numerous factors that affect 25(OH)D levels, such as body weight, percent body fat, skin melanin, latitude, season of the year, and sun exposure. The doses of sunshine or oral vitamin D3 used in healthy children should be designed to maintain 25(OH)D levels above 50 ng/mL. As a rule, in the absence of significant sun exposure, we believe that most healthy children need about 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily per 11 kg (25 lb) of body weight to obtain levels greater than 50 ng/mL. Some will need more, and others less. In our opinion, children with chronic illnesses such as autism, diabetes, and/or frequent infections should be supplemented with higher doses of sunshine or vitamin D3, doses adequate to maintain their 25(OH)D levels in the mid-normal of the reference range (65 ng/mL) — and should be so supplemented year-round (p. 868)." >> and this: CAVITIES and LOW VITAMIN D DURING FETAL DEVELOPMENT http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/pregnancy-and-gestational-vitamin-d-deficiency.shtml <<Dr. Robert Schroth from the University of Manitoba reported that mothers of children who developed cavities at an early age had significantly lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy than those whose children were cavity-free. CAVITIES and LOW VITAMIN D IN CHILDREN http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2008-october.shtml <<Yes, it is true. Several months after your child begins taking adequate doses of vitamin D, cavities will stop forming. Actually, Professor McBeath did a placebo-controlled trial (PDF format) in New York City orphanages in 1934 of 425 children. The children received either no vitamin D or 330, 465, or about 1,000 IU (the paper uses Steenbock units, one Steenbock unit is 3.3 IU) of vitamin D a day as cod liver oil. Also, remember, cod liver oil in the 1930s had much more vitamin D, and perhaps less vitamin A, than modern cod liver oil. McBeath said he conducted this study because several earlier studies showed ultraviolet irradiation gave "striking results" in stopping cavity formation. McBeath's results were quite amazing in preventing new cavities. Like the paper on acne above, you can read the entire study yourself. Remember that 1,000 IU of vitamin D is not enough for many children to obtain levels of 50 ng/mL, however, this study showed that even 1,000 IU virtually stopped new caries from developing.>> CAVITIES and nutrition and health http://www.cforyourself.com/Blog/2008/09/prevent-cavities-vitamin-d-vitamin-c.html <<Take a look at this recent study showing a clear correlation between cavities and dementia. I recommend taking news of a cavity from your dentist seriously. Read more here. Vitamins prevent cavities by improving overall basic health. Vitamins have been readily available for decades, yet many people still suffer from poor health and therefore have multiple teeth with cavities as senior citizens. People haven’t yet learned how to take vitamins to optimize health. I believe that an important reason is that most people can’t feel vitamins working. That’s bad news. The good news is that there are only four really important vitamins. These are the four vitamins associated with pandemic deficiency disease: vitamin C/scurvy, vitamin D/rickets, thiamine/beriberi, and niacin/pellagra. Optimizing these four vitamins alone will result in a step-change reduction in cavities. Read more here. If you have recently had a cavity filled (or are responsible for the care of someone who has recently had a cavity filled), you have much to gain and nothing to lose by reading on. If you are looking for good doses to start with, click here. Vitamin D and thiamine deficiencies probably account for most premature cavities. Vitamin D deficiency is caused by a combination of geography and modern living. The natural means of getting large daily doses of vitamin D is from sunshine. If you live outside the tropics, in the winter it is difficult to get enough sun exposure to deliver optimal doses of vitamin D. Not only is there a lot less intense sunshine in the winter, but the cold weather causes people to wear clothes which blocks the limited amount of sunshine naturally available. Modern living compounds these problems. Most people work inside and dress professionally. Incredibly, mainstream medicine doesn’t see this as a problem, and does nothing while medical colleagues paid by industry advertise the risks of sun exposure (primarily skin damage and skin cancer) in order to sell sunscreens and other cosmetic products. Scared by these risks, and blind to the dangers of avoiding the sun, many people are reducing exposure to the sun even further.>>

But that's not a celiac thing. It's been shown and confirmed that white vinegar, regardless of source (corn or wheat) is gluten free b/c of the distillation process. Only 'malt vinegar' is a problem K

Yup. Because they don't know how to sound words out. They learn everything as a sight word and miss the foundation of phonics. However, if someone really wants to do it, it can be done without an expensive program, Glen Doman's books outline what to do. :) K

I see this as a good thing. A very good thing. Nearly all words in our language fit into the framework of phonics. The few that are sight can be taught as needed. At four, if she's interested in working on phonics with you: Yay!!!!! the sight words will come soon. :) K

it's worth it, especially for drill imo, to have the math games book and all of the cards. No abacus is needed. No additional knowledge is needed. The instructions are not always written that well, so bring your patience to the table. :) It's a great resource though and worth the price. K

4 was never planned to ship this year. it was always Jan. K

Dressed and combed. Yeah!!!!! Exhausting though, I know. I have it to with one of mine. I found the book _The Explosive Child_ eminently helpful. Wishing you all good things and I hope for you, smooth smooth sailing tomorrow;) K

But we do know it can trigger gene expression....... Heavy stuff. Let's just all make sure we're getting optimal levels of D;) K

Stones, brick, cinder block. Railroad ties are out as is pressure treated lumber (for me anyway). I have cinder blocks. Not pretty....but cheap. :) K

Oh yes! I forgot about how messy nights used to be with leaks.....with the cup, I truly never have leaks. I love it. Nighttime.....swimming.....light colors.....i never have to worry. Lunette holds more overall, it's just a different shape. awesome. you'll have to empty more frequently....and definitely check into the volume they hold and choose accordingly. the large ladycup, large lunette and large mia are the larger ones iirc. Non issue. If you have a normal flow and only have to empty 2x per day, it's a non issue. If it's heavier and you have to empty more frequently, its' still not that big of a deal. I've done it before.....I don't take it out of the stall to wash it. I either go in a handicap stall wtih a sink, a family restroom....or simply wash hands first, enter stall, remove, empty, wipe off with tp or pt, reinsert, leave stall, wash hands again. Once I'm home, I remove it and wash it. Me too. After kids, I could no longer wear tampons. At all. Any kind. And I hate pads. The DivaCup was never very comfortable for me - too long I guess (even with the stem cut completely off). The Lunette, the LadyCup one other I don't feel *at all*.....the Lunette and Ladycup are large.....the ladycup I had minor minor leakage issues with. I stick with the Lunette mostly. I'd get a Lunette since it is so univerasally loved. I don't know of anyone who doesn't like it. tons of pics: http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/tag/diagrams+%26+pictures

mine definitely are and it has nothing to do with 'chaotic' v. 'stable'. It has to do - imesho;p - with novelty. Going to visit my sister, my mom, dh's mom is fun, novel, exciting. Staying with me, regardless of what we do, is same ole same ole. They always hear my voice telling them to pick things up, brush teeth, comb hair, let the dogs out......same sh*t different day even if it's mixed in with fun, games, activities. But at a different house everything is an adventure, even when they do have to pick up after themselves and help out. Novelty. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.:D K

cardstar (free....allows you to enter your cvs card, publix card, kroger card etc...creates a scannable barcode on the screen. no need to carry all of those little cards with you!) quadcamera whitenoise instapaper scribble nursing tracker asleepkids iwritewords (awesome for the 3-4 yo set) pandora ihandycarpenter gascubby ihearttravel (packing list) shozu (uploads photos to twitter, flickr, facebook, etc etc)

I *heart* my iphone. It's amazing. I had the first gen one as well and wasn't crazy about it. This one? The third gen. O.M.G. Amazing. I have all of the fifth season of grey's anatomy on it. I can type emails....and cut and paste. I can open the google documents that store membership info for the homeschool group, then cut and paste cells directly into my contacts.....so fe, when I'm driving to book club and realize I'm lost, then realize I don't have the hosts phone number, I'm not totally screwed:) Just pull over, hit the safari button, go to gmail, go to docs, click on the membership doc, cut 'n paste the appropriate cell, go back to the phone, go to contacts, click +contact, paste in the number, call the host and voila! alternatively, I could have pulled up her addy then entered it into my gps. I lurve this thing. i've installed apps for: Packing ('I heart travel') learning the presidents learning states and capitals all of the princeton review vocabulary minute podcasts (amazing) chicktionary fraction factory gas cubby learn chess math drill lite mathemagics evernote my online banking and more. It's amazing. K

A very typical low.....two years ago, it was still the bottom end of the cut off for lab norms. But heck, I was having extreme muscle fatigue, autoimmune disorders, bone pain etc etc Now it's known to be deficient (based on how much D we would make in our skin and have in our bloodstream with sun exposure). Most I know end up at 19-24 if they're getting incidental exposure without sunscreen - ie going to the car to run errands, popping into stores, heading to the park with the kids but mostly seeking shade, avoiding midday sun but not working hard to avoid sun totally.....wearing s/s when at the beach/pool etc. 32 is the bare minimum low for lab norms now..... 55-80 *ng/mL* (US scale) is probably about optimal... Oh! If your doc/lab uses Quest, you must divide your result by 1.3 as quest uses an assay that runs high. LabCorp uses what is considered the gold standard.

You? Or should I say, "You and me both" :lol: K