ER visits

the school year just started, and Sam has stayed home sick once and I have been to the doctor with Elliott once.  this is our first year in the school and honestly, I'm afraid of what's coming.  we will most definitely be getting our flu shots soon!  will you?


I just read an article in my Costco magazine about when to take your child to the ER.
(Just a reminder for you super-moms!)


A - Airway.  Is your child choking?
B - Breathing.  Is there difficulty or struggle to breathe?
C - Circulation & Consciousness.  Can you stop the bleeding?  body going limp?
D - Disability & Dehydration.  Walking normally?  Vomiting & diarrhea without keeping down fluids?
E - Environmental Exposure. Includes things like: electric shocks, burns, frostbites, heat-related illness or trauma.


If you're unsure, better safe than sorry!!
If you are uninsured like so many of us are, find a 24/7 nurse hotline ready to go.

this kind of drinking is good

WATER: something all living things need to survive.  it seems to me, we need it just as much as oxygen. 


water comes to us in our food and other drinks, which seem to have become the substitute for many of us.  me included.  it wasn't until I was living at 9,000 feet last year, where the oxygen was lacking and everything was soooooooo dry.  my hair, my skin, not to mention all the static electricity in the house.  ouch!  as much as I loved living in the mountains of Colorado, I won't be going back to 9,000 feet.  ever. 


funny to think we're made up of mostly water ... but it makes sense that we need to always be adding to it and replacing it.  even the oceans are added to.  (God's design is always amazing to me)


I started getting headaches, and it took me awhile to figure out what it was.  I was dehydrated.  for me, once I get a headache from lack of water, drinking a whole bunch at once doesn't fix it.  its like a migraine, and yes, I need water, but I also need an medication, a dark room, and quiet ... having kids, the quiet part doesn't usually happen.


I don't remember having to drink water as a kid.  I wasn't "raised" on it ... if that makes sense.  I can go through an entire meal without a drink.  occasionally, I will even come home from walking and still wait awhile to take a drink.
its funny, because I like water.  I'm not hooked on soda or coffee.  if I have juice, I always drink it 1/2 juice, 1/2 water; its just too sweet otherwise.  


I've been told if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.  well, great.


Sam also got dehydrated when we were in Colorado.  and sometimes, when something happens to your kids, THAT'S when you change things.   having a headache is no fun, and when you see your 5 year old suffer from one, is more like heartbreaking.  so water water water for everyone.  all the time.  well, as much as we can stand it anyway.


so with our "water issues," I have turned to CAMELBAK for my solution.  one word: awesome!


I have a big bottle that holds 32oz.  my goal is to drink at least 1 of those per day.  at least.  the kids' bottle is 16oz.  I did have 2 bottles, but they would just want what the other had, so instead, I fill the 1 a couple times per day.  seems to work out better that way.


they are on the expensive side.  a water bottle for $20?!  c'mon!  HOWEVER ...
1. I get no backwash from my kids.  I can share without the worry of  floaties surprising me later on.  don't you HATE that?!  so gross.
2. its all BPA-free. yay!
3. think green.  stop buying bottles and reuse what you have.
4. you can buy new mouthpieces when needed - say you have a toddler that's teething and you keep finding him just chewing on it ... ugh, Elliott!
5. no spills.  you know how every single baby/toddler cup claims to be spill free ... and you spend too much money to find out none of them are 100%?  well, I can't lie.  I've had a few drops when it got tossed on the floor, but nothing compared to those stupid cups.  I only wish I made this discovery years ago!  for me, its been revolutionary.


I was lucky enough to find the 2 I have at the thrift store.  yahoo!  I paid less than $10 for both.  and because of #4, its ok.  or at least, because of #4, I'm not at all grossed out by buying used water bottles.  would you buy these used?


I did pay full pop for the backpaks.  I got 1 adult size, and 1 child size.  they are perfect for our hikes.

for whatever reason, once these things are in their mouth, they drink and drink and drink and drink.  the biting, sucking, swallowing is enough action for them to be interested ... I don't know, that's my guess anyway.  but whatever the reason, they drink more water because of this bottle.  I'm convinced.


for me, this is one of those things I want to instill in my kids on purpose.  drink more water!!  how do you get your kids to do it?

21 of 30

FRUIT!!!

I am continually amazed at how much food we go through, especially fruit. I have been blessed with children that literally eat everything.

ok, well, Sam doesn't eat everything. I know he doesn't like brussel sprouts ... but that might be it. Elliott on the other hand, does eat everything. definitely something to be thankful for because I've heard the stories. my sincere condolences to those moms out there dealing with that.

I think our fruit intake has increased since we've been here in Hawaii. its always summer here, so what is more perfect than a perfectly ripened piece of fruit ... oh, and when its cold too, yum!

I think we go through bananas & strawberries the fastest ... its more like true love.

even though you could grow strawberries here, I don't think many farmers do. you can see it in the price at the store. like everywhere, summer is the best time to get the yummiest, and cheapest, kind of strawberries.

on the other hand, bananas do grow here. LOTS in fact, year round. I will intentionally buy the biggest bunch I see, knowing we'll go through them, which is always faster than I intend. let's just say, there is NO WAY I will have bananas long enough to make some banana bread.

Elliott is so anxious to eat a banana, that he wants to go for it while its still green. so one day I let him. ew. have you ever bit into a banana that wasn't ready? ew. but when they are ready, watch out. these boys will run for them, eating 2 or 3 in a day.

I'm always worried what eating that many bananas will do to their bodies, as in "will there be enough tp in the bathroom?" as usual, my random mommy worries amount to nothing ... does this mean they need that much?

I can never remember which fruit has what nutrients. I remember that bananas (along with broccoli) is a super-food that has LOTS in it. that's enough to remember, right? I just know you get what your body needs when you eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies.

so that's how I serve it around here, as rainbows. :)

I am not a rabbit

usually one of the awesome things of traveling is the food ... if you have brave tastebuds that is.

I lean more to the whimpy side of bravery ...

although Hawaii is a part of the USA, its pretty different than anywhere I've lived. out of all my moving (and you know I've done my fair share of that) its the only place we've gone that has another culture attached. for the most part, its good, but I wanted to talk about the food for a sec ...

locals here are either VERY tone and gorgeous from being daily beach bums, or they are VERY ... not. there are not many in between-ers here.

I want to be one of the tone ones ... but I digress.

you would think Hawaiians would eat tons of fruit and fish. some do, but it seems more eat McD's and other fast food ... seriously, the McD's in our neighborhood almost always (and this in no exaggeration) will have a line of cars in the drive-thru coming out of the parking lot, literally blocking a lane of traffic into the road. we were told by the manager (yes, we were there once ... ok its been a few times) that this particular McD's is the busiest one on the entire island. crazy. every time I see it, I want to take a picture. I don't think I've seen anything like it before.

there are also tons of rv-converted-retaurants along the side of every road ... are they still called "roach-coaches?" this food is good if you would like an instant heartattack ... if you can imagine, more instant than a Big Mac. EVERYTHING is covered and smothered in fat and salt (as in, you can plainly see it) and always comes with more white rice than you know what to do with.

now I don't claim to eat right, or even healthy on some days. I am no nutritionist. I think I'm just venting ... yet amazed ... and disgusted ... its like that car accident that you have to slow down and look at no matter what has happened. wow ... and ew.

my theory ...

I have figured out why most people here are overweight. yes there are tons of things to do outside here, but just like summer anywhere, who wants to cook when its already hot outside?! not to mention, many of these apts/condos/house do not have air conditioning and rely on breezes alone ... sometimes that breeze just isn't there, and sometimes your fan just isn't enough ... who wants to cook in that? plus the humidity here ... sigh.

using the oven is the worst. who wants anything from a crock pot? I certainly don't crave chili or soup anymore. is it me, or isn't dinner usually a hot meal?

ok. so. I am in need of non-hot meals. help me. please.

but I insist, rule #1 I will not be eating salad every night.

go.

and thank you.

pink gloves

how fitting ... after I wrote this last blog about my Avon Breast Cancer Walk, my mom sent me this email. please check it out.

all you need to do is click on the video then you can delete it right away it's the click on it that matters and you'll help in the fight against breast cancer thank you so much! In honor of breast cancer awareness! When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

Avon Outreach

I just attended an introduction meeting for Avon's Breast Cancer Walk, happening June 2010. I've done The Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society a couple of times; once as an individual walker, then the following year as team captain for the local mom's club in was involved with. it was very satisfying for me, and since then, my heart aches to help in any way I can.

Avon's walk is set up much differently than the ACS Relay. for one, this is a 39 mile trek in the Rocky Mountain region; 26 miles on Saturday then the remaining 13 on Sunday. I have NEVER walked anything close to this, ever. I think th

e longest continuous walk I've done is 5 or so miles.

they also have every registered walker commit to raising $1800. they don't really care if you come individually or create a team, anyone can join.

it's a fundraiser, but also much more. attending the walk itself will not raise any more money, but it is to come together for the cause, to see survivors & co-survivors, to see exactly where your fundraising

efforts are going to, to hear stories & testimonies, to encourage hope & offer support. I'm sure to be in the presence of women who have to fight this fight, or help others fight, will be inspiring.

I was telling Matt all about it and he will support me, but he honestly doesn't see the point of the walk itself. he's always been pessimistic about the medical industry, believing it's one big conspiracy and everyone is just in it for the money. but more so, he also believes God giveth, and He taketh away.

for me, the conspiracy part is partially true. just the evils of the industry, the world. but I too believe God gives and rightly takes away, but I also believe that God works through other people (like the doctors & nurses) and also using foundations such as Avon and ACS.

one of my favorite passages. you should read it.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

being a registered walker, they will be assigning me someone to work with me to make sure I get to $1800, as well as, work with me on training. because I WILL need to train. 39 miles in 2 days?! oh my goodness, I'm in for a butt-whoopin'! but hopefully starting now (6 months away) I can do it. I honestly haven't been to the gym since I was pregnant with Elliott, so it's definitely time to get off my butt and get physical again. so yay for getting skinny! another plus to starting now, I will lose some weight before Hawaii!

I have a GPS in my car, and as I was driving home the other day I noticed how far away the next town is, it's about 15 miles. so I guess some days I'll have Matt drop me off and I'll just walk home. seems crazy, but that's only 1/2 of the first day!

as far as the $1800 goes, I'm planning on using my Avon business to help promote it. so with that, along with my friends and family, I'm hoping to exceed my goal. I should be getting a website set up for it soon, and when I do, I'll be sure to post it. every $1 helps!

so in the future, I'll be blogging about this journey. it doesn't exactly compare to having cancer, but it's the least I can do to help.

have you participated in Avon's Breast Cancer Walk before? tell me about it.

a simple request

this was brought to my attention from a friend of mine on facebook.

A friend of a friend of a friend has a 5 yr old son Noah. He is in the last stages of 2 1/2 yr battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week and Noah's request is to get lots of Christmas cards. Let's get him some!

Please send cards to:

Noah Biorkma

1141 Fountain Viewcircle

South Lyon, MI 4817

if you're wondering what neuroblastoma cancer is, check this out. pass it on!

simple prevention

here is an email that was forwarded to me about swine flu. I wanted to post here because it's simple, and we all need simple. nope I'm not a doctor, just a (somewhat paranoid) mom. although being up here in the mountains, I'm not too too worried about it. I haven't taken any extra steps with H1N1 going around. to me it's just the flu, a really really bad flu. so this year, like every flu season, I encourage more hand-washing and more anti-bacterial stuff for everyone in my family. hope it helps!

Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS, DRM, DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid Specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid Clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

He says:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once everyday with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effecting in bringing down viral population.*
5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee,etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Pass this one on!

21 days

I've heard it said that it takes 21 days, or 3 weeks, to create a habit. and yes, there are some habits you WANT to create, all are not bad.

some I've tried in the past, and am trying again -

drinking more water - this has always been so difficult for me. I have a hard time drinking when I'm not thirsty. and especially now, I'm living at 6,000+ feet elevation, about to move to 9,200 feet, so I need even more than before. do you know how much you are suppose to drink? find out here. it's usually much more than you think!

taking care of my teeth - I got the bad teeth in my family. I had no cavities my whole childhood, then at 17 I had a few at once. it's been downhill ever since. I've had braces due to TMJ, oral surgery a couple times, too many cavities, no root canals or anything (which I've heard are sooooo painful!) but enough to make me dislike going to the dentist, ever.

watching what I eat - I've NEVER been good at counting calories, and my nutrition knowledge is limited ... but I'm learning. mostly, my common sense leads me on this one. that said, I still have a big weakness for sweets. sometimes it's multiple times a day that I give in. bad. bad. bad. it has to stop. yes I'm overweight for my height (really, who matches the doctors stats on that one?!) but not overweight enough to look like I REALLY need help. have you seen that commercial where the beautiful lady gets out of a limo for the red carpet, and then faints? it's for diabetes; beautiful on the outside, but on the inside she was messed up. I've been getting that image more and more lately.

becoming a morning person so I can have time with God - I have been getting up when the kids get up. when that happens, I get so swept up in what the boys are doing and getting them ready, that by the end of the day, I realize I've missed having ANY time with God at all. I feel withdrawn, thus my current conviction of self-discipline.

this a-ha came to me while in CA. I saw a mini-van that had the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23) printed on the back windshield in different fonts. Self-discipline stood out the most to me, partly because of the font it was in, but mostly because I struggle with it and God wanted me to see it. I saw that van a few times, and if you've ever been in SoCal, you know it's almost difficult to run into anyone twice there.

21 days ... maybe. this time I have conviction, which is stronger than my own willpower any day.

my verse for the day (week, month, year) is Proverbs 14:10

each heart knows its own bitterness

and no one else can share its joy

a healthy cookie

maybe just a healthier cookie :)

a new take on the favorite chocolate chip cookie, by Jessica Seinfeld.

1C brown sugar

3/4C margarine

2 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla

1 (15oz) can of chickpeas

2C chocolate chips

2C flour

1/2C oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat to 350 degrees.  Mix margarine and sugar, then add egg whites and vanilla, then add chickpeas and chocolate chips.  Next add flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  Scoop onto cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.

I thought they turned out pretty good, still very chocolaty.  Hubby thought they tasted too "healthy," but of course he still eats them.

Try them yourself and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

sweet vegetables

being a mom is fun & frustrating, busy & boring, smiles & cries, but above all a blessing to focus on.  it's easy and expected to get wrapped up in whatever activities you and your family are up to, especially during the summer months.

I say that to say, many discoveries I make are so often past due.  I find an idea, and activity, a recipe (could be anything) that has originally happened so long ago and I think "where was I?" or "I'm just finding out about this now?"  

I take my boys to the library regularly.  The storytimes are great, there are books, books and more books, videos, the summer reading program; all kinds of goodies.  This last time I went, I visited a couple "Katie-sections" and found a few things.  one I'd like to tell you about, my latest (late) discovery.

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld ... yes, Jerry's wife.

It was published in 2007 ... I did have a child then, so why didn't I know about this?!

It is a full cookbook with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts.  Her deception is hiding veggies in EVERY dish.  She stocks up on veggies, steams them, blends them into purees, and adds them to everyday dishes.

Veggies like carrots, beets, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and squash.  Fresh is always best, but you can use frozen or canned veggies too.  Some call for fruits such as apples, bananas, and avocados (that's a fruit, right?).

Once blended, fridgerate the ones you'll use sooner than later and freeze the rest.

These recipes are truly easy, recipes that your children will actually eat, and recipes made with everyday ingredients you probably already have, so no need for specialty stores to eat healthy.

I can't wait to try these ... and I will let you know. 

For whatever reason, when I think of libraries I don't think of cookbooks.  but they're there, a whole huge section!!

I wanted to spread the word about this cookbook ... in case you're living under a rock like me!  I encourage you to go to your local library and check this one out.