hodgepodge...... salad ratatouille over scrambled eggs broccoli bean soup blueberry cobber-y thingie

<<but we have been putting some coconut oil on dd's eczema and it really seems to be helping. It absorbs so well and she is reporting that it is helping with the itching a lot as well.>> I so wanted coconut oil to work. I love it for so many reasons. But it made both dd and I very dry and triggered her eczema from the dryness/barrier disruption/TEWL (total epidermal water loss). It was very disappointing. She's not allergic to it, so there must be another mechanism at work. Make sure to check the A to D ratio in the CLO as you're choosing. Many have unsatisfactory ratios as high as 20 to 1 (A to D). The ideal ratio isn't known yet, but with the current epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, it's looking like it's more likely in the 3-5 A to D ratio and not higher than that. In other words, 3-5 parts A to 1 part D. Higher than that often has the opposite (dries skin/tissues) effect of what is desired. Carlson liquid CLO is the only one I know of with pretty close to the ideal ratio. Their lemon clo is one of the better tasting ones available. If you choose another based on brand/price/taste be sure to add additional D as needed to optimize ratios. It's a great idea to be taking D anyway (and esp this time of year). vitamindcouncil.org Don't let his anti-A stance unnerve you. He's so excited about vitamin D that he has forgotten that in humans, it's alllllll about the ratios (D to A, cal/mag, sodium/potassium etc) :) Katherine

<<I don't think Aquaphor is okay, but her doctor advised us to stop using Eucerin, as it contains lanolin which could be a problem if dd were allergic to wool, a common allergin.>> aquaphor is an evidence based topical for eczema/atopic dermatitis intervention/tx. the lanolin is triple purified and contains no wool/sheep related proteins at the end of processing. at some point I had the cites. can't find them on this computer. they may be on the other machine. a pubmed search of the right terms would yeild the info. All the best, Katherine

Oh! and on the shampooing front, I mostly shampoo her hair with her standing at the edge of the tub, bending forward at the waist into the tub. When she was little, I'd place her on the counter on her backk and would hold her head over the sink to shampoo. Now we can shampoo in the bath/shower when her skin is good.....but if I see itching start, shampooing gets moved out of the tub as a before bath routine. :) Katherine

For us, there isn't one 'magic bullet' but instead a comprehensive multi pronged approach to manage severe eczema. Well, for me there was a magic bullet (getting off gluten and most dairy and soy) but for my dd, there isn't the same 'magic';) Here's what we do.....peiced together by our derm, our ped allergist and my own experience of what works: 1)get some thermal water: evian, vichy, la roche posay (preferred), or uriage. OR even plain distilled water and pour into a spray bottle 2)get some vaseline. plain petroleum jelly....or aquaphor healing ointment (petroleum jelly with a couple other ingredients that are helpful)....store brand is fine. 3)have the cortisone handy and get some elidel (if needed based on severity) 4)cerave lotion and cerave cleanser are as close to magic as I know of. They have the evidence based threesome of cholesterol, fatty acids and ceramides in *significant* amounts. (CVS. target carries behind pharmacy counter. any pharmacy can order in a day. costco and sam's etc) 5)bath filter (it's a ball that hangs on the water spout and filters chlorine). or shower filter may be necessary. it removes chlorine. chlorine is a known drying agent and disruptor of barrier function. Here's the routine: 1)Bath *daily* (or at least shower)...warm enough so he doesn't get chilled, by not any warmer.....run a space heater in the bathroom to get it warm, if necessary. 2)Wash body ONLY with Cerave Cleanser. Do not shampoo him in the tub. After 10-20 min when everything is good and soaked, exit tub. [shampooing his hair needs to be done with him lying on the bathroom or kitchen counter, head over the sink in your hand so the suds don't ever get on his skin] 3)pat dry ......if not using a shower filter/bath ball filter, spray on thermal water to 'rinse' off tap water (just on the eczema) and pat dry....do this a few times so that the skin really has the thermal water 'in' there. 4)apply cortisone or elidel if needed. 5)apply cerave lotion over everywhere. apply vaseline/aquaphor over eczema spots (over cerave) 6)two additional times per day, spray with thermal water/distilled water.... spray/pat dry, spray/pat/spray/pat--> this allows skin to absorb moisture, then *immediately* apply vaseline/aquaphor to seal in moisture (elidel or cortisone may be applied first if you're trying to get a severe outbreak under control....up to 4x per day) *****the moistening of the skin, followed by meds, followed by lotions/creams needs to occur 2-4x per day during an active eczema outbreak. *******However....what you'll find, is that you can keep it from ever erupting by 1)lukewarm bathing daily 2)using only non foaming cleansers (cerave is much better than cetaphil 3)shampooing not in the bath 4)applying CeraVe immediately after drying off Every. Single. Day. if he's not itching when there is NOT and outbreak. ******If he IS itching, *before you see the rash* then you *immediately*: 1)bathe....if that's not possible, spray with thermal water or distilled water then pat/spray/pat/spray/pat 3)immediately apply cerave then aquaphor/vaseline.... With a very proactive routine (bath/dry/thermal water/dry/lotion in pm thermal water/lotion in am) I am able to keep our elidel use to about never for my 7 yo. If she skips a few days, we can be back to 3x per day application just like >that<. If we skip a week, we're back on meds for sudden, severe, intractable outbreaks. The key is being proactive regardless of symptoms, then stepping it up a notch if you see scratching. Since eczema is the 'itch that rashes' we should be treating the *itching* as the first symptom rather than waiting for the rash (the last symptom). at that point, it's already harder to treat, it's disrupting their sleep, the treatments can itch/burn etc etc. Of course, unscented laundry detergent....no fabric softener except when you absolutely must and then unscented. It's not possible to moisturize this child too much. Keep the arsenal of skin stuff well stocked and with you at all times. We keep cerave lotion/cleanser at every sink, every bathtub. Aquaphor is in my purse, in her backpack, in every bathroom/bedroom...dh's car....etc All the best, Katherine

I love all of Amen's books. Russell Barkley's book. And love love love _How to Get Your Child Off The Refrigerator And On to Learning_ In terms of practical advice it's the *bomb* I also love _The Explosive Child_ for the child who melts down, looses it, freaks out, overreacts, etc. Honestly, both editions have valuable info....some significantly different. I'd read the first, skim the most recent. All the best, Katherine

Love it. Dont' be afraid to ditch some/all of the writing (ie lab sheets) if your kids aren't 'there' yet. Even just as an activity/discussion guide it's amazing and so worth it. :)

"I don't think this is an accurate assessment. Megawords explicitly teaches the same patterns SS does" Therein lies the difference. You said it better than I did:) Megawords teaches explicity. SS teaches implicitly. Some will get it with implicit teaching (many many 'get' phonics instruction that way). Some simply won't. Some need explicit instruction to understand the conceptual framework. Others just need exposure to it and the framework seemingly builds itself with varying degrees of exposure. :)

{{{{Laurie}}}} Frustrating. Irritating. Maddening. Katherine

Love WP products/curriculum......the company? maybe not so much. you can search the forum for the controversy. Anyway, we're doing American Crossing 1 (4-7g equiv of AS1)....we have the LA 4 supplement, parts of the LA 3 supplement. I got all of the printed materials (so I wouldn't have to track down the right paper and print the Time Travelers crafts). It's a ton of work for my dysgraphic/dyslexic ADHD kid who does not read independently. Because of that, it's a ton of work for me to keep up with the reading. I'd have been better off going with AS1 for her. Having said that....she loves it as do I. Everyone keeps saying 'you can get the readers anywhere' definitely doesn't need what I need from WP:) I need 1)tons of hands on stuff. My kid loves it. I hate it. I can't plan it, gather it, manage it. It has to be there in a format that is *ready to go*. WP does that for me. She has plenty to do while I'm reading to her. She *loves* this curriculum. 2)an IG - Instructor's Guide. I have a strong need for organization and a weakness in terms of putting it together on my own. WP does it for me. Even though I'm piecing together LA based on her individual needs, i get structure from the LA add-on and can plug in resources as needed. Depending on the 'topic' listed in the LA program, I may use the LA 3 books, the LA 4 books (depending on page layout, specific exercise, visual field etc)....and likely I'm using it all with WWE2 and FLLFTWTM3. She just needs more practice, guidance, repetition with reading, writing, grammar than she does with say......science, hx. For me, it's so not about the readers......so not about the topic even. It's about the cohesive, comprehensive structure that guides our days and the massive focus on arts/crafts/creating/hands on that WP offers. All the best, Katherine

I'm thinking that they're in whatever 'grade' they're in based on the level of work they're doing. So if they're doing fifth grade work, they're in 5th grade (essentially). And if they've mastered material and moved so quickly through material that they're in another grade for one or more subjects, then they're in whatever grade they're in (in that one or more subjects) based on acheivement. Since he's doing 5th grade work, well, it's pretty much fifth grade. If he can work through it more quickly and be at a different level, then great! Some move more quickly not by bypassing material but by doing yearround school and minimizing breaks. Some move more quickly b/c they just 'get' things faster and can leap through material more quickly. You and he can decide which it is and act accordingly. Then there is no 'official' anything. You just call it what it is and have good records to back you up. If he will be back in school at some point, there's a good chance that the acceleration will be ignored unless (and even if) you have professional educational testing done to back you up (ie WISC/Woodcock Johnson) by an educational psychologist. Then you can fight the good fight with the school:) But for college admissions it won't likely matter as much how old he is. He'll have simply done what he's done. K

i wouldn't even consider it. instead, i'd figure out the hormonal issues behind it. infrequent cycling is not in an of itself, a bad thing. but if it's part of PCOS or another set of issues that can be damaging over the long haul, I'd want to know about *the issue* rather than not. PCOS is the most common cause. It can be managed very well with diet, sufficient vitamin d and other nutritional/supplemental interventions. http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/pcosinfo.html other issues can sneak in under the radar with CPOS as well.... _The Savvy Woman's Guide to PCOS_ is one of the best books on the subject all the best, Katherine

I can see how rightstart would be confusing. The focus on multiple strategies is more than some kids can master at once.....and for my child, it was stressful to try to figure out the concept before being presented with the skill....so i usually reversed that. Consider going with Shiller in your situation. RS uses montessori ideas, but presents them in very non-montessori ways. While RS math did work for my child in level C, we eventually had to move on from it. Alternatively, you may want to spend more time preparing for the lessons. Keeping the parts that are more 'directly' instructional. Leaving the parts behind that want her figuring out her own strategies (that was very stressful for my child) We also had trouble with the word problems.....they were often a level above the skill being taught. FE, if the skill was subtraction....the word problem would have 2 steps....one requiring addition, one subtraction. That was brual for my kiddo. The word problems in Singapore are more appropriately aligned ime. I guess I finally just had to give up the idea that one math curriculum would fit the bill. We did all of rightstart C, and it did what it needed to at the time.....get her fluent in addition/subtraction facts. Then we were starting D and it was awful.....so we switched to Math Mammoth until Singapore came. I like a lot of Math Mammoth....I like a lot of Singapore. But I'm still keeping RightStart D b/c I like the explanations better for some topics v. Singapore/MM. AHHHHHHHHH! :) All the best to you, Katherine

Megawords is an evidence based comprehensive program that addresses syllabication/syllabification, spelling, vocabulary, root words. SS is simply that.....sequentially spelling. It'll help some kids spell well, not all. It doesn't address root words, comprehension, vocabulary, rules, syllabication. Megawords gives you skills and the conceptual framework to attack new unknown material. SS only gives you knowledge of covered material with no framework or knowledge to attack new material.

I found it a very easy transition. And let's just say I'm not one to transition easily:) iirc we started 3A at about 1/3 of the way through. She does know long multiplication though....I'm pretty sure that's not from rightstart. maybe math mammoth, maybe my dh taught her. I am keeping and using the Rightstart D teachers manual b/c there are 15 or so lessons that will be highly beneficial in explaining concepts presented (imo) weakly in singapore (ie division). We're also using various RS math games, Aha!Math (hsbc) to maintain and improve fact fluency. :) katherine

Yes. I definitely consider it my job with all attendant pressures and expectations. My dh is not a supporter of homeschooling. It was the option of last resort for him....even though it's my first choice!!:tongue_smilie: So it's stressful for him to have a child homeschooling. I think he really believes that school is a magical building where kids are sent to magically 'get' knowledge. It's really frightening for him to remove our child from that. If things are going well - ie he sees lots of evidence that she's learning tons, he's happy. When we hit a wall - like we did last winter/spring, it shakes him to the core. He just can't deal. So anyway, yes, for me it's a job and the pressure is intense - internal and external. But I love homeschooling her and wish they were both at home. I love it love it love it so I deal with the pressure:) K

because of her age, I wouldn't waste any time with 'regular' reading/spelling programs. I'd go straight to intervention programs. Is she struggling with comprehension b/c English is new to her and she just doesn't have vocab period? Or is it b/c she's struggling so much with the reading that she can't concentrate on both at the same time (ie reading and understanding) Can she read single syllable words with blends and digraphs (sl, kn, qu, ch etc etc) like chimp, fang, smog, slugs and nonsens words like quent, misk, thruff, shrag? If not, I'd use an intervention like Wilson or Barton that will work on both decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling). I'm not sure how Barton is on encoding, but Wilson is great. I've become my girls primary reading tutor (1hr per day, 5 days/wk) and in the last two weeks the improvement has been *amazing*.....v outsourcing the tutoring 2x week (very little benefit and out $3000) If she can reliably decode single syllable words with any blend/digraph/diphthong, can she reliably decode multisyllabic words? If no, then REWARDS Intermediate (sopris west) is a good program to go to....but only if she gets all of the sounds and can do single syllable no problem. Megawords would be a good addition to REWARDS to work on vocab/spelling/phonics as well. The comprehension peice has a couple of different parts: 1)if they're trying too hard on the words, they can't focus on the meaning....how is her auditory comprehension with audiobooks or when you read to her? 2)fluency.....if reading fluency isn't there, comprehension often isn't. there is a high correlation. 3)other processing problems..... 4)just needs direct instruction in comprehension strategies....using short passages, helping her visualize line by line what's going on....have her create a movie of it in her head. Wilson and many other intervention programs work on this....even something like SWB's Writing With Ease is very very good for guiding them through this process. All the best, Katherine

i use paper liners. they can be set up on any old baking try *or* in muffin tins. I get the unbleached paper cups from a local hfs. I also have silicone cups as well. K

i love the zyliss one. it's the best. i have the goodgrips but much much prefer using my sisters zyliss.

_Understanding Girls with ADHD_ and _Explosive Child_ should be at the top of your list. Remember she *doesn't* do it *to irritate* you. Children want to do well. They do well when they can. She can't. So she's doing what she can. Reactive hypoglycemia.....adrenal stuff: b5, lots of vitamin c.... protein at every meal. 1g per pound of her body weight total for the day. Read _Depression Free Naturally_ by Joan Matthews Larson. Clearly it's not depression:) but this book covers *everything* incl hypoglycemia in detail. Have her ped check her 25(OH)D levels asap. She's likely low (don't accept anything lower than 50 ng/mL....ignore lab norms) It's likely that mostly EPA, some DHA and very little GLA are needed.....don't take a 'balanced' supplement but EPA/DHA in a 2:1 (or thereabouts), with some GLA added in. Zinc.....almost certainly she's not getting enough for her *individual* needs. Some of us need a suprising amount. I test my zinc regularly and need 45 mg/day to maintain my mood stability. Taste perception of zinc in solution is a very accurate measure of zinc status...blood tests are not. Iron....have the ped pull a cbc when you ask for D.....ferritin, hgb, hct, serum iron etc..... No supplements at all for 48h prior to the test (no iron supps, no zinc, no fish oil, no D supps or foods).....you want the cleanest results possible. There is much much more.....dd and I both take b6, p5p (a form of b6), looooots of inositol, more magnesium than is typical, sufficient calcium, sufficient potassium (which is a lot of potassium). Think of calcium as the contractor and magnesium as the relaxer... think of sodium as the contractor and potassium as the relaxer.....critical distinctions. let's see.....sufficient amounts of all b vites, minerals etc. that's it in a nutshell....the reading suggestions will give you a ton of info. Oh, and do consider a psychoeducational battery if you think it would be helpful....and if the results indicate ADHD, consider that meds may help her be successful. I'm so glad we finally started working on finding doable meds after so many years of my dd struggling in all areas. She's succeeding now! It's still tough, but she has success where she used to have none. All the best to you.

_Understanding Girls with ADHD_ and _Explosive Child_ should be at the top of your list. Remember she *doesn't* do it *to irritate* you. Children want to do well. They do well when they can. She can't. So she's doing what she can. Reactive hypoglycemia.....adrenal stuff: b5, lots of vitamin c.... protein at every meal. 1g per pound of her body weight. Read _Depression Free Naturally_ by Joan Matthews Larson. Clearly it's not depression:) but this book covers *everything* incl hypoglycemia in detail. Have her ped check her 25(OH)D levels asap. She's likely low (don't accept anything lower than 50 ng/mL....ignore lab norms) It's likely that mostly EPA, some DHA and very little GLA are needed.....don't take a 'balanced' supplement but EPA/DHA in a 2:1 (or thereabouts), with some GLA added in. Zinc.....almost certainly she's not getting enough for her *individual* needs. Some of us need a suprising amount. I test my zinc regularly and need 45 mg/day to maintain my mood stability. Taste perception of zinc in solution is a very accurate measure of zinc status...blood tests are not. Iron....have the ped pull a cbc when you ask for D.....ferritin, hgb, hct, serum iron etc..... No supplements at all for 48h prior to the test (no iron supps, no zinc, no fish oil, no D supps or foods).....you want the cleanest results possible. There is much much more.....dd and I both take b6, p5p (a form of b6), looooots of inositol, more magnesium than is typical, sufficient calcium, sufficient potassium (which is a lot of potassium). Think of calcium as the contractor and magnesium as the relaxer... think of sodium as the contractor and potassium as the relaxer.....critical distinctions. let's see.....sufficient amounts of all b vites, minerals etc. that's it in a nutshell....the reading suggestions will give you a ton of info. Oh, and do consider a psychoeducational battery if you think it would be helpful....and if the results indicate ADHD, consider that meds may help her be successful. I'm so glad we finally started working on finding doable meds after so many years of my dd struggling in all areas. She's succeeding now! It's still tough, but she has success where she used to have none. All the best to you.

:iagree: games, games, did I mention games?, dice games, RS math card games, board games, flash cards, _Memorize in Minutes: The Times Tables_, strategies, songs, Aha! Math (homeschoolbuyersco-op.com), Math Fact Fluency (hsbc again), worksheets (not a fave around here but something we do occasionally use;p), TimezAttack (for improved speed once they know the facts). At the bare minimum i 'drill' math facts for a couple of minutes a couple of times per day. We have working memory issues and processing speed issues so it's even more important. Oh, and dyslexia....so even math facts she knows down pat can suddenly float away, just outside her ability to pull them back as needed. For us, learning, overlearning and repetition are key. Short and sweet though. And varied. :)

me too. taking extra magnesium, taurine and fish oil deals with it best. I've done the 24h Holter monitor thing ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holter_monitor ) and I do have mitral valve thickening (damage from untreated strep at some point?). the type of arrythmia that I have is under debate b/c I took the holter monitor off 16h in and didn't keep good notes when I had an 'event'. however, taurine, magnesium, and fish oil keep it away so I'm not terribly concerned at this point. my dosing is 2,000 mg taurine per day (divide the dose) 500-1000 mg supplemental magnesium depending on diet that day...divided doses. my fave is jigsaw health chelated mag glycinate. other magnesium tends to give me - uh - loose stools:tongue_smilie: fatty fish daily....or 3 double strength/high potency 1g fish oil caps yeilding 1.2 mg EPA/600 mg dha total, per day. natural factors rx omega has the best cost per gram epa/dha. i get it at iherb. the Jigsaw health magnesium is the only $$ supplement I take and I only take it b/c I can't take enough magnesium otherwise. Taurine is generally Now brand from iherb.com......or whatever taurine is cheapest per g. also consider having your 25(OH)D tested. virtually everyone is deficient and there are several reports in the medical literature of various heart/cardio issues improving or even spontaneously resolving with onset of D supplementation. :) K

Atonement, totally. That movie messed me up for *weeks*.

absolutely. assuming they have a normal, intact pain/temperature sensing system and won't do something that absolutely harms them. they'll put on other things if they need it. I used to ski in shorts, or less (ack! bathing suit!!) as a teen in colorado when it was 'warm'. they get to pick their 'normal' daily wear clothes. I get the last say on family events, holidays, shabbat. K