tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78615380983032143912024-02-07T23:33:47.279-06:00Quests of MotherhoodCynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-57119893688105158512014-02-09T09:08:00.003-06:002014-02-09T09:08:54.373-06:00The Diagnosis: 7q11.23 Duplication<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3uw5wqNIbvOgwmaftU1blO4x93Kszl7Zi-zEcU_uMn1dhD-S2hZ9L2-owlMdf6qVVBEfc6xJmWeuu3AbznhhED21b-43OPOseSJB3VG4KWvlTSxFUIEplkTXbG2tWwCerymdQ3Jywfw/s1600/Image03022012202314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3uw5wqNIbvOgwmaftU1blO4x93Kszl7Zi-zEcU_uMn1dhD-S2hZ9L2-owlMdf6qVVBEfc6xJmWeuu3AbznhhED21b-43OPOseSJB3VG4KWvlTSxFUIEplkTXbG2tWwCerymdQ3Jywfw/s1600/Image03022012202314.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaaJV0EWRP0SAzF-BLdkbyLE71Ojzjx-t6G19CRmDd1bjiE4HzeJG2Kgz5L19Py-zdJHDOAJf8mEf3CaowsKutcAnTflRH8uio7HJV17ETpHww1_Goy6EAIDYRpyLEaITDcnCWFkBkmI/s1600/DupCaresFramed-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The diagnosis of 7q11.23 duplication was a relief but was coupled with severe anxiety, deep seeded guilt, anger, and grief. It was a relief to finally know it wasn’t all caused by my lack of parenting skills and inability to follow advice. It was a relief to know that we could now know what to expect, to an extent, and form an action plan. But, the grief that is coupled with a diagnosis is something no one ever tells you. As a first time mom, the grief came in a great engulfing wave.<br />
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I remember sitting in church, the Sunday after the doctor called and before our Monday appointment and sobbing. I’m sure some in church that day rolled their eyes because they told me as much later. I was surprised to hear from friends that I was making a big deal out of nothing. In fact, I still hear it, today. But, if you ever want to know your true friends, then announce a rare diagnosis. The true friends will come to your side and love you and pray with you and encourage you. The others will distance themselves. True love shows up in desperate times.<br />
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I sat in church by myself. My son was in the nursery and my husband worked nights and weekends. He wasn’t around much. So, every Sunday, I sat by myself in church with friends on either side. I may have been by myself but I was never alone. On this day, they wrapped their arms around me while I sobbed. I sobbed because motherhood was never going to be the same. Motherhood was never going to be as I imagined it. I sobbed because my child wasn’t perfect. I sobbed for fear of the unknown.<br />
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It would take me years, literally years, to work through my grief. No one tells you that grief accompanies a diagnosis, whether it is a deadly diagnosis or not. You carry it with you when you go to the pharmacy to refill more meds than most senior citizens. You carry it with you when you attend therapy sessions 4 hours a week, and when you spend hours on the phone with the insurance company to get them to cover those therapy sessions. The grief is not allowed because you “should be happy that your child isn’t dying.” (Yes, that has actually been said to me.) But in truth something did die: The death of all that was dreamt during nine months (8 months and 1 week for me) of pregnancy. The dreams of motherhood died.<br />
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A occupational therapist gave me permission to grieve. She traveled the road herself and explained that dismissing the pain does not lessen it. It is still there. She gave me permission to acknowledge the grief and anger. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgzVXVXjCT8P0h7_65xhgHKwLXHHpcyoPydonmY_lEyotQUR8G2w1ZqECnetkTnynL4XLhzxSGSEqRlviolV6LLVrgR890nshwba726iqkeyL9pk3ln4oe3O2QcYsbsZfNNMOvkUrhBo/s1600/blog+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgzVXVXjCT8P0h7_65xhgHKwLXHHpcyoPydonmY_lEyotQUR8G2w1ZqECnetkTnynL4XLhzxSGSEqRlviolV6LLVrgR890nshwba726iqkeyL9pk3ln4oe3O2QcYsbsZfNNMOvkUrhBo/s1600/blog+quote.jpg" height="156" width="320" /></a>Motherhood takes on a new challenge with a diagnosis. It takes on a new definition.
I was relieved that with a diagnosis we could follow through with therapies, in hope of achieving a normal life one day. But, I was angry that while friends were at the park, we were at therapy. I was still asking God why. Why of all the people did I have to be the one to experience the life of a special needs mom? There were others more qualified. Why me?<br />
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It was me because I had the luck of the draw. The dupe is a fluke of nature. Unlike so many other genetic disorders, this one isn’t caused by anything other than confused t-cells who line up incorrectly. One ends up behind another creating a duplication when he should have been somewhere else in line. I like to demonstrate it by clasping my fingers together with the fingers of one hand intertwining with the fingers of the other. This is how it should be. Your fingers should perfectly intertwined. But, the duplication is as if you have two fingers from the left hand in the same space on the right hand.<br />
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The question of why still lingered until I realized that we are in a fallen world. The world has been in a decline since the beginning. Genetics are no different than anything else on this earth. They are in decline as well. I can take the blame for my child’s genetic disorder, or I can realize that it is like the difference between a RED Indian Paint Brush flower and a PINK Indian Paint Brush flower. There is nothing wrong with the pink flower. It looks different, but for some reason it has a different gene making it a different color. It is just part of nature. Our genetics are the same way. It is just part of nature. We are fallen beings with imperfect bodies and imperfect genes. We are full of sin and in need of grace and love. Children with genetic disorders aren’t any different than that pink flower and not any different than the rest of us. They are in need of grace and love. I consider myself blessed to be able to give grace and love to imperfect being.
Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-15268309916276853132014-02-08T09:01:00.000-06:002014-02-08T09:01:09.473-06:00The ClimbWithin two months, which is a miracle to say the least, we were in to see both, the developmental pediatrician and the geneticist. We saw the developmental pediatrician first and learned a lot. The appointment was two hours and the most exhausting doctor’s appointment I have ever been too, except for the follow up appointments which were just as grueling. She tested and tested and found what I already knew. He wasn’t anywhere he needed to be developmentally. She immediately said we needed to see a geneticist which we were already seeing just the next week. She ordered us to bring back the test results and anything else the geneticist could send over and come see her again in another month or two.<br />
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The geneticist was an incredible doctor. She sat down with us and explained what she needed. She needed a long, long list of family medical history. I started digging immediately and talked to family members that I hadn’t spoken to in years. I put together a history that would shock a genealogist. The problem with family medical history is that no one wants to admit they have a medical history. If you know you have diabetes in the family, then you have to eat right long before it becomes a factor. I found out that I have diabetes in the family and am determined to give it a run for its money.<br />
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With family history in hand, we sat down with the geneticist for several hours. It was close to three hours when we left her office with orders for blood work. You would think the easy part would be the blood work but it wasn’t. Apparently along with no growth, we were also dealing with dehydration. We went to three different places to have blood drawn and finally ended up at Children’s Pediatric Hospital where the nurse took blood from the only place she could, his head. I cried. He didn’t.<br />
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Only a special needs parent knows the relief of test results, it is odd to explain the feeling that comes with knowing what you are dealing with. The geneticist called on a Friday afternoon with a string of letters and numbers and a website. She made us an appointment for Monday and told us to google and research what we could on 7q11.23 duplication. She gave us one medical website with a synopsis to get us started. That, may I say, was one of the longest weekends of my life!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV2kPwAVRmW22ZXnzpRM5lbbywqhoXXiXoTS6afOl_sOMXb5Wpf-dTbgs3YtUqZYiPU6BFQj8nzt_syV6w4s1A60ljPxJxuVwG2ISQ_kFh6xDHuAG5zYfZINp33BBmNL6noTPsq8jfxA/s1600/Quote+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV2kPwAVRmW22ZXnzpRM5lbbywqhoXXiXoTS6afOl_sOMXb5Wpf-dTbgs3YtUqZYiPU6BFQj8nzt_syV6w4s1A60ljPxJxuVwG2ISQ_kFh6xDHuAG5zYfZINp33BBmNL6noTPsq8jfxA/s1600/Quote+1.jpg" height="91" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLP12RfEaipxBuIXvFoP2eJehNDcRUYrzKZy9dp2bcWQVttYL2ZwrsCyFbbjGuDp4b_tkUsYxdSvr3MUWIGJTMVdaDwR6vZ4zuPzD50OJrXbM2xQB0AgWFuAxPlN1x2i1uS3LHIbGwQ0/s1600/Quote+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>There was very little out there about 7q11.23 duplication, but that as the geneticist explained was because it is 1 in 100,000. It is less than that when one of the parents carries the gene, but we didn’t. She tested us to make sure. Neither my husband nor I had the gene. My son was a “de novo” case or first of its kind (in our family, anyway). There were others out there with the dupe but it would be a while before we found them.
The geneticist sent us away with one and only one study published about the dupe with a promise to keep looking. The discovery of this micro-duplication was in 2005. The first study was published a year or two later. This was 2009. The next big breakthrough study wouldn’t come till 2010. The initial study was of one child with the dupe. He had seizures and disabilities both mental and physical, and he had a severe speech delay and low muscle tone.<br />
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We took what we had and ran with it. We saw every specialist except the podiatrist. We ruled out every physical health issue that was in the study. It was on a visit to the cardiologist to rule out any heart issues that God encouraged us with the testimony of someone who had walked a path so similar to ours. She was the cardiologist! She explained that she had numerous delays and health issues because of an illness her mother had while pregnant. As a result, her speech was slow and choppy. She was small in stature and explained that she had very poor balance. But, she didn’t let any of that stop her. She rode bikes and snow skied. And, she went to medical school. She said she always had to work twice as hard as any of her class mates. She had to study more and take more time on her tests. But, here she sat a pediatric cardiologist. She explained that she never had good balance but that didn’t stop her from learning to ride bikes and snow ski. She said she fell a lot more than everyone else, but she just gets back up and keeps going.<br />
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My husband and I sat in the car letting her words soak in. She sent us away never to return. There was no heart problem, but her words resonated with us. Of all the doctors and all the diagnoses and all the treatment plans, that visit on that day with that cardiologist will be the most memorable. God had spoken through a small woman words of encouragement that to this day get me through the tough challenges. God was in it! God was in our visits to so many specialists but especially that one.
After all our visits and evaluations, we determined we were on the better end of the duplication spectrum. He had anemia, acid reflux and constipation from low muscle tone, severely delayed speech, and delayed fine and gross motor skills. We wouldn’t know about seizures until they showed up. We had to wait it out till he was 5 years old. If he didn’t have seizures by 5 then we could consider ourselves seizure-free.<br />
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Tomorrow: Part 3, The Diagnosis Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-70070732549922888742014-02-07T06:59:00.000-06:002014-02-07T07:11:14.922-06:00The BeginningMy son will be six years old in a week. I thought it would be a good time to recap for new readers. Thanks for reading!
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I really began to wonder if there was something larger going on with my son when he was 2 months old. By that point we had been through a lot, he and I. He had acid reflux, constipation, struggled to nurse, never slept—And by never I mean our nights were from 11pm to 2am. Then he proceeded to cry from 2am to 6 am. He didn’t nap. We just had moments of no crying where we would relax and breathe for a little bit.<br />
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But at that 2 month well-baby appointment, the doctor read down the list of milestones for that age, and for each milestone I answered, “No.” No. No. No. All the way down the list. I chalked it up to the fact that he was born three weeks early and might be behind developmentally by that length of time.
I told my mom about the appointment, and we talked about it. I said, “I need to keep an eye on his milestones. It could be that he’s just behind because he was three weeks early or it could be something bigger.” My mom, the ever encourager, agreed.<br />
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At his next well-baby, I answered a joyful yes to the first milestone on the list and no to all the rest. I pulled up the milestone chart for myself and could see we weren’t making any progress. By this point, I was getting a lot of advice from family, friends, and even perfect strangers.
His six month well-baby wasn’t much different from all the others. The doctor warned me to keep an eye on him while he was on the changing table as he would be rolling all over the place, and I didn’t want him to roll off the table. That wasn’t anything new to me. While this was my first time experiencing motherhood, it was not my first time to change diapers, feed baby food, table food, and even potty train. My youngest siblings were 11 and 14 years younger than me. I was not completely inexperienced.
But, experience told me something was wrong when at 7 months he wasn’t rolling over in either direction, nor was he rolling or moving at 8 months or 9 months. He was also losing weight. By this point I was adding formula to his breast feedings but to no avail. We paid $80 a month to weigh him at the doctor and have them tell us to feed him more.
I fed him every chance I got. He threw it up every chance he got. The acid reflux was just getting the best of him.<br />
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I decided to take matters into my own hands when he was 9 months old. I started working with him and literally taught him how to roll over from his stomach to his back. He thought that was the greatest thing ever. It took a month for his little muscles to strengthen enough for him to do it on his own. At ten months, he was barely sitting up, and I balanced him all around with pillows to help strengthen his core muscles. I did little sit ups with him till he was too tired to continue.
We still didn’t sleep. He was still losing weight. I was still getting lots and lots of advice. Advice sounded like this, “If you would do this, you wouldn’t have that problem,” they would say. I began to think that while I was the oldest of my family with experience, I certainly wasn’t cut out for motherhood. Somehow, God had made a very big mistake. Hadn’t he known that I couldn’t handle raising a child. And, where was He in all this? It certainly didn’t make sense that children who are born perfect with ten fingers and ten toes, could possibly have as many health issues and problems as my son. But, God was there! He was in it all! More about that later, but for now, just trust me when I say God was in it and had a greater plan.<br />
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At his 12 month well-baby appointment, I voiced my fears to our pediatrician. At this appointment not he had only met one or two milestones, and he had had two eye surgeries, was on various medications for the reflux and constipation, and now we added no growth since he was 9 months old, and no reflexes at all. You know the little knee tap that makes the knee jump. His didn’t do that. He had none—No reflexes. My baby was almost 1 year old and wear 6-9 month clothing. He had long since dropped off the percentile chart.<br />
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“Could there be a bigger picture?” I asked the doctor. “There are so many different issues in different areas and different systems of his body that it just seems like we are missing something. It seems like there is a bigger picture that connects all the dots.” I remember saying that like it was 5 minutes ago. Those words rang in my ears as I spoke them. In an odd way, they were like church bells ringing. There was just no way to miss those words.
The doctor agreed and handed me two business cards. One was for a geneticist and the other was for a developmental pediatrician. I had never heard of either one and didn’t even know what to expect. But, as I accepted those cards it was the beginning. It was the beginning of climbing what seemed like Mount Everest.
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-10763061042057550312012-08-02T16:38:00.002-05:002012-08-02T17:20:14.875-05:00The Homeschool Debate<br />I accidentally unleashed a firestorm debate on Facebook by simply asking for homeschool information from my homeschooling friends. I was merely soliciting information from them to add to our decision making process. Instead of receiving said advice, I started a debate of homeschool versus public school and socialization versus the lack thereof.<br />
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The debate between homeschool and public school has been taking place for longer than I even know. The debate points have changed little while both homeschool and public school have changed greatly!<br />
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I have my own opinions on this debate. First, may I point out that I am a product of homeschool. I hold two bachelor degrees, graduated Magna Cum Laude from a public university, and taught in the public school system.<br />
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I graduated from homeschool in November of 1994, a semester early. When I graduated, state law did not yet allow (or perhaps had just allowed. I can't remember the exact timeline) homeschoolers to simply graduate. We had to have a GED or a degree from a correspondence school. So, my high school diploma is a GED which I passed with flying colors and had my choice of colleges to attend.<br />
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Homeschool was very different when I was in school. There were not a lot of choices as far as curriculum and very few parents continued to homeschool through high school. As I moved from middle school into high school, my friends moved from homeschool to public school. The subjects were deemed too difficult to teach at home. I was all alone my freshmen year, by my senior year, there were enough high school homeschoolers to count on two hands. Today, parents who homeschool don't even worry about high school or diplomas.<br />
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For me, geometry was a nightmare and there wasn't a curriculum that worked for me. In fact, I didn't really grasp geometry till I started gardening. Today's homeschoolers can learn Russian or even geometry without their parent's assistance through DVDs and online courses.<br />
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Homeschool has morphed into a uniquely American creation. We should all be proud of what it has become no matter where we stand on the homeschool versus public school debate.<br />
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Today, parents and students can choose a variety of ways to homeschool. There are co-ops that offer classes to all levels from pre-k to high school. Some offer these classes throughout the week and you can choose which classes to take. Others offer classes once a week and parents teach. Then there is the mix of private school and homeschool, where the student is taught in a classroom three days a week and the parent downloads assignments from the same teacher the other two days a week.<br />
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You can participate in any sport or any extracurricular function via these co-ops that you can in public school. There is football, cheerleading, sign language, music, etc. There are field trips, playdates, study groups, Bible studies, conferences (for all ages, not just the parents), and the list goes on.<br />
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The opportunities to socialize quite likely outnumber those of public school because of the flexible time schedules. Some families homeschool year round, taking a month off between semesters to visit family and friends who live out of state. Deep connections are encouraged because you must go out of your way to see your friends. You don't sit next to them everyday, so you make time to spend with them no matter where they live.<br />
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In all honesty, it does not matter which avenue of education grants the best socialization. What matters is what is best for that child's personality? Where does that child get the best education? Where will that child be best prepared to succeed in college and beyond? Where will the child find the best role models, social circles, and friends?<br />
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Each child is an individual. Each family is unique. Each school district is different. Each classroom environment is different.<br />
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While a public school classroom is perfect for your 11-year old Johnnie, it might not be right for 9-year old Susie. While a particular school district worked well for your kids, perhaps moving to a new school district found them to not be so cooperative. While the education of one school or district was above and beyond imagination and would well prepare your child for med school straight out of high school, another might not be good enough to get the same child into college. <br />
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While one child may be an extreme extrovert and need to be surrounded by students and in a classroom, another may be an extreme introvert, overwhelmed and anxious in the classroom. While one child may choose an excellent set of friends and role models, another child might migrate toward the trouble makers.<br />
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I'm not either pro-homeschool or pro-public school. I have seen
it from all angles and am now seeing it from the parent's angle. That
angle is in choosing what it best for my child this year. This year it
may be homeschool. Next year it may be public school. My child changes
every year and so will his needs. <br />
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Each and every family has the right to evaluate their child or children and their needs. No one knows their child like them and the entire debate of homeschool versus public school is moot, except between mom and dad. Each choice, regardless of your opinion on homeschool or public school, should be respected.<br />
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This is after all a free country. The subject of homeschool shouldn't open a firestorm of debate anymore than mentioning a child is going to public school opens a debate.No parent puts their child in any school without great consideration. That's why public schools have ratings. That's why the school district is listed on real estate information. All parents carefully consider their child's education and those decisions are not taken lightly.<br />
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Take heed that when a parent chooses homeschool over public school, it was not without considering all the pros and cons on both sides. In the end, whether they chose one or the other, it was because they thought it was best for their child!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /> </a><br />
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<br />Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-46920629980410083552012-08-02T10:21:00.002-05:002012-08-02T16:37:12.226-05:00I'm Back!!Somewhere along the way this past year, I lost my creative juices. Writing wasn't far from my mind but putting words on paper just didn't happen. I call 2011, the year from hell. There is nothing like depression from a hellish year to zap the creative juices.
But, I am back and have a LOT on my mind. I make no promises of how often I will post, but will try to post as often as possible.
As always, I will focus on what it is like to be a mom of a special needs child and the wonder of 7q11.23 duplication. I will be working on some projects regarding 7qdup and may share some excerpts of those as well.
I'll also talk about the quest to find balance. Never an easy task for any mom.
I have a new facebook page so you can keep you with the posts. I'll let you know when they are up and ready to read.<br />
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Please like my page and share it with your friends.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quests-of-Motherhood/15877367083029">Quests of Motherhood</a><br />
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quests-of-Motherhood/15877367083029<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-11442089996289550802011-11-06T11:18:00.015-06:002011-11-06T20:36:17.710-06:00State Fair of Texas 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLlYd-FqMS5hf-rmZ6dFQlyHyGwkwEKcVn90zG-8W8rULiZzrriAZzIonsfBX1q0I8uSyBGg8UoooUU8SjghaujRjbQbU7v0G8fM6mwMZYueEhBmN-Jx-8AExWBRX0r7JwvRcAWMk_E0/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLlYd-FqMS5hf-rmZ6dFQlyHyGwkwEKcVn90zG-8W8rULiZzrriAZzIonsfBX1q0I8uSyBGg8UoooUU8SjghaujRjbQbU7v0G8fM6mwMZYueEhBmN-Jx-8AExWBRX0r7JwvRcAWMk_E0/s320/IMG_0382.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672068216671912066" border="0" /></a><br />If you are a regular reader then you know it is a tradition for the three of us to go to the State Fair every year. We consider ourselves professional fair goers. We have it down to a science. We see almost every side-show. They are the most entertaining aspects of the fair. Some change from year to year and others stay the same. We saw quite a few new acts this year. But, the best part of the trip was that we were joined by my family. My parents, my sister, and her son joined us on our whirl wind tour!<br /><br />Our first stop was the arts and crafts building. The amazing craftsmanship is a marvel to anyone, even the men of our group who are not the least bit crafty.<br /><br />I crochet so I am always especially in awe of the crocheted items. Of special interest this year were two award winners pictured below. All handcrafted and crocheted. The artisans are truly worthy of their prizes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0c-FV8tLZVbLDCsKsWcT4Aeb4O3gxPbh0rRSaeBdbbRJ_a8m577E22QARkY5IByGYgU4vbN2Gz1CTkn9HVTYcpdiBQs3i5cf9-MWQ7V3VIT5G9XTDS-wxjuYSQ8VGgiTNBaZmOX4OCxA/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0c-FV8tLZVbLDCsKsWcT4Aeb4O3gxPbh0rRSaeBdbbRJ_a8m577E22QARkY5IByGYgU4vbN2Gz1CTkn9HVTYcpdiBQs3i5cf9-MWQ7V3VIT5G9XTDS-wxjuYSQ8VGgiTNBaZmOX4OCxA/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672066603864704610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQxxsS0nhcPbByGqaObCJqxWO0EvQ7ikkHlzzbXY6Gk_Ydk3OtaKLnohenZzK2xASJLZFEjZSUUhdFq3oEDjEM5WTpoEr_ry2RMMere-9y3xkkUT9v-i4Wi-jf6B6p0i2rXwcMlSoaZk/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQxxsS0nhcPbByGqaObCJqxWO0EvQ7ikkHlzzbXY6Gk_Ydk3OtaKLnohenZzK2xASJLZFEjZSUUhdFq3oEDjEM5WTpoEr_ry2RMMere-9y3xkkUT9v-i4Wi-jf6B6p0i2rXwcMlSoaZk/s320/IMG_0348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672066611336258402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Butter Sculpture! A true work of art made of a common baking ingredient. The sculpture is entirely made of butter. The artist(s) are not given credit for the sculpture but in my opinion should be as they are true artists. I could never imagine working with a baking ingredient while in a giant refrigerator. This year sculpture was especially wonderful with many small details and hidden items that engaged the observers in a game of "I Spy."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4EXJsF1ME28eUMyt7vjjCPKJB-BNrLinE2YrDuV7NZ8dm5GPCVqjOBw6F9CVGkIp2U2HkOy7PB1d4EF9OA5ptJSxw50tyCobM24mvPP5ddt3xzxpFOhTX2_7IB8Xh5ikRqUhD0IZAGE/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4EXJsF1ME28eUMyt7vjjCPKJB-BNrLinE2YrDuV7NZ8dm5GPCVqjOBw6F9CVGkIp2U2HkOy7PB1d4EF9OA5ptJSxw50tyCobM24mvPP5ddt3xzxpFOhTX2_7IB8Xh5ikRqUhD0IZAGE/s320/IMG_0344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672065174470876674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxPq-EOvc0oz3lGpNhpSL_r1G6TLqsKsk164fEMO8ecNlJjlYWlfvlwk9Dvn6GQ3XOP19Bz01-TJ4rOEVeL0Xq7TDMqUHY87RL0UMB9RQFmK945GUWCBxeoCWyHeqoVTYPGtPzAwF4AI/s1600/IMG_0345.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxPq-EOvc0oz3lGpNhpSL_r1G6TLqsKsk164fEMO8ecNlJjlYWlfvlwk9Dvn6GQ3XOP19Bz01-TJ4rOEVeL0Xq7TDMqUHY87RL0UMB9RQFmK945GUWCBxeoCWyHeqoVTYPGtPzAwF4AI/s320/IMG_0345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672065179289797970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The original Ronald McDonald! He did a hilarious comedy/magic routine. He is the original person who appeared on the McDonald's commercials. Rumor has it that he is still involved in the writing of today's McDonald's commercials.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pVbKVGPqDSOVy4qmY0tL0UWwkVJFTjHy3fBtQ-jkbt0AEBmVRnct8HltLPZkJB3w-Ms1OcGM9wl497JQBd7yffj_KEBTldCVmSLjqVzPNQl9_7mVljiTaXHrcEuybr25xffwFmP_qIU/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pVbKVGPqDSOVy4qmY0tL0UWwkVJFTjHy3fBtQ-jkbt0AEBmVRnct8HltLPZkJB3w-Ms1OcGM9wl497JQBd7yffj_KEBTldCVmSLjqVzPNQl9_7mVljiTaXHrcEuybr25xffwFmP_qIU/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672054860795009298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My dad the consummate evangelist used the moment that he met Ronald to present the gospel. That's my dad! Get within ten feet, and he'll find out if you know his savior Jesus Christ, and if not, you'll hear about him before he lets you go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj304A4yzPH9rk7K8pevAz7JtO5Alci0U3grCzyM_PBWrHgEUTrPIF_c81sTDFrWh5w3U7SUgV9pVnz_kLpUkPKMVJ1_OfViAUxM5EVZ_pdp3di2B9cYAslza8_3DTpA5-wHNWjpXCCSxk/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj304A4yzPH9rk7K8pevAz7JtO5Alci0U3grCzyM_PBWrHgEUTrPIF_c81sTDFrWh5w3U7SUgV9pVnz_kLpUkPKMVJ1_OfViAUxM5EVZ_pdp3di2B9cYAslza8_3DTpA5-wHNWjpXCCSxk/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672054868058349298" border="0" /></a><br />Cirque Shanghai--A traveling Cirque du Soleil Act...They were breathtaking!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmgnUoPUigWRZ4bRmdIz3BPcc1ZijQu6pzH23PD7-8TyEWrWPZ4VbwDJZji__P6J3Gutk53HIj54eizHNQ6t9IyfIMCgedou7oMvKxrZsGMtHOYlpLkFIgVy-94A954wYeGYXRarjM4w/s1600/IMG_0370+lightened.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmgnUoPUigWRZ4bRmdIz3BPcc1ZijQu6pzH23PD7-8TyEWrWPZ4VbwDJZji__P6J3Gutk53HIj54eizHNQ6t9IyfIMCgedou7oMvKxrZsGMtHOYlpLkFIgVy-94A954wYeGYXRarjM4w/s320/IMG_0370+lightened.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672026774391738546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Snugglebug was mesmerized by the acrobats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcXY7oaTCYfW2dKniYvdFd9QxBnlulAMHonXiK6IH1FIKCDQzkd3-d5A70ne8Wd3o-YqVNODANunuztw14AMYMoR80cUd6DGGcjwQ2swoRlo9Ig6XUj-kUrpMlVg91UT-wmoC4Om2QFc/s1600/IMG_0372.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcXY7oaTCYfW2dKniYvdFd9QxBnlulAMHonXiK6IH1FIKCDQzkd3-d5A70ne8Wd3o-YqVNODANunuztw14AMYMoR80cUd6DGGcjwQ2swoRlo9Ig6XUj-kUrpMlVg91UT-wmoC4Om2QFc/s320/IMG_0372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672026776185910994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The World of Birds is a family favorite. Even as kids showing goats, we would find time in the schedule to see the birds. My sister, Leah, had a particular love and fascination for birds. We lost this precious member of our family this year, and as we sat watching her beloved creatures take to the sky, we remembered her. Not a single one of us in our little troupe overlooked the fact that the one who loved birds the most was no longer with us to enjoy them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVXrrQlT_hP6d0oKB5PL2LmLG43KiMYWGRmQmBMziyT-Lsd0QoB-63Ar1wIxYhnUT0T_E5Zcq4xoxMNfE4QAuVsQyfdSuBoEPseiafPlTTN9-xeWqfV2D73upU4yV2-3IWDZUtihWScM/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVXrrQlT_hP6d0oKB5PL2LmLG43KiMYWGRmQmBMziyT-Lsd0QoB-63Ar1wIxYhnUT0T_E5Zcq4xoxMNfE4QAuVsQyfdSuBoEPseiafPlTTN9-xeWqfV2D73upU4yV2-3IWDZUtihWScM/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672069968542827826" border="0" /></a><br />Billy Roy has been performing his One Man Band at the Fair for 20 years. Last year was his first year back after a three-year absence. This year he was given a prized position to perform and sponsored by the State Fair because so many fair-goers had called wanting to know where Billy Roy was.<br /><br />Billy Roy plays twelve instruments at once and is a delightful performer. He is very entertaining with great songs that make you laugh as well as an impersonation of Willie Nelson that will crack you up as well.<br /><br />After his performance, we welcomed him back and told him were among those who had missed him and looked for him every year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTd22Mt8AFKcpHEj3qfr3C2U7DP3XDuPqFXfhnZI86MROLtgMw5FthNhyQp5A9S1cZ81t1IYvQKKbqqYOgZ0nxvE6cHMDPLMwZTt4BFOrbRmaUE2-kq0oR9QDKxctW8GYIclHsUH2QVM/s1600/IMG_0423.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTd22Mt8AFKcpHEj3qfr3C2U7DP3XDuPqFXfhnZI86MROLtgMw5FthNhyQp5A9S1cZ81t1IYvQKKbqqYOgZ0nxvE6cHMDPLMwZTt4BFOrbRmaUE2-kq0oR9QDKxctW8GYIclHsUH2QVM/s320/IMG_0423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672069970958745522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An act we had not seen in several years turned out to be Snugglebug's other favorite. Our boy has quite the fascination for horses and stood as close to the fence as he could get. My husband had to watch him closely to make sure he did not get too close for comfort.<br /><br />The Spirit of the Horse was fascinating as the trainer explained the mind of the horse and his training techniques. He even related some of his techniques to parenting children. It gave me a lot to think about. He left me with one phrase stuck in my head, "Ignore the bad behavior and reward the good behavior." I'm not saying punishment is not sometimes needed, but I have found that maybe it is not needed every time.<br /><br />Notice how Snugglebug is pressed against the fence. He did have his arms stuck through the fence trying to reach the horse, but I made him put his hands and arms back on his side of the fence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqABHDwcnHoYbUeofXdDdo4Y4iWpteWKr4nv2Gmgf2UupHHUARepFeRpt4KfCmOr8RWg9w1Eyd_AgC2vlpd9gE7lg9rE3uZ45hd58uhG8v6REu453SlsRpwBDNGWJfs_hj-Kav7meIU8w/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqABHDwcnHoYbUeofXdDdo4Y4iWpteWKr4nv2Gmgf2UupHHUARepFeRpt4KfCmOr8RWg9w1Eyd_AgC2vlpd9gE7lg9rE3uZ45hd58uhG8v6REu453SlsRpwBDNGWJfs_hj-Kav7meIU8w/s320/IMG_0427.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672073719354076434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgf9RJUK6Vacexh4q_66qz-g41d6Qx95on_eOR1g8HcKnzcp7pbvWOFfR5EqDQVhRMDt7LLWU75hVMVqtf6NFFfiUu0QZjkbZX7WhAuZEI9iRST5eVKCmolcYkj19KRA5qXxJKF4fYH0/s1600/IMG_0434.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgf9RJUK6Vacexh4q_66qz-g41d6Qx95on_eOR1g8HcKnzcp7pbvWOFfR5EqDQVhRMDt7LLWU75hVMVqtf6NFFfiUu0QZjkbZX7WhAuZEI9iRST5eVKCmolcYkj19KRA5qXxJKF4fYH0/s320/IMG_0434.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672073723396400258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is our traveling band of merry makers!<br /><br />My youngest sister and her sweet baby boy (not so much a baby as he will soon be two!) Snugglebug's Baby Cousin is a great pal and playmate. He was so thrilled that he was able to join us!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuW5_X4ZXXBeTHrHJTvrnRxiaXhiKincI2qKWZ75eFteDcvb8_AxC0wSdt2ElHLk2D5J9-jXEWxk4YCntrcHKTUs8sYwM3oBbKZflBfYpPYiMLtUlXvkGmMjFq0GxFaepifNw1yqcT2c/s1600/IMG_0411.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuW5_X4ZXXBeTHrHJTvrnRxiaXhiKincI2qKWZ75eFteDcvb8_AxC0wSdt2ElHLk2D5J9-jXEWxk4YCntrcHKTUs8sYwM3oBbKZflBfYpPYiMLtUlXvkGmMjFq0GxFaepifNw1yqcT2c/s320/IMG_0411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953902829085266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My parents! I was thrilled that they joined us. They got the tour of a lifetime of the State Fair. Even though our family had been going to the fair for literally decades, we were always showing animals and never had time to really tour the fair. This was a new experience for them!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pN_GTMWC9oCZXnR24XN3oWvN6Ll721PnAoYPxrTuzrtfOogrMcMfXyJ_6jiLTC-Zt5iLcmrcCuavnD-D_iUq7t31wsCefRED5Mk4p4NKLVSwBctqYMFEL-Ea0k_iivVXIC0mHkWConE/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pN_GTMWC9oCZXnR24XN3oWvN6Ll721PnAoYPxrTuzrtfOogrMcMfXyJ_6jiLTC-Zt5iLcmrcCuavnD-D_iUq7t31wsCefRED5Mk4p4NKLVSwBctqYMFEL-Ea0k_iivVXIC0mHkWConE/s320/IMG_0410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671953903882408754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And of course, us!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBliLWMTk0nBRrU8XYeML2qlwQ8hiHhyphenhyphenLs7LqvSZf0cv9Z1hLcqs9rONi4iNQ3GWzqp6ySP9oHD0yXyAHCqcPqT5ymLakZiWlm7CDqGc0LPIoh2j1VjsXCM8Bt-tZghZhEgQ52boslcl8/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBliLWMTk0nBRrU8XYeML2qlwQ8hiHhyphenhyphenLs7LqvSZf0cv9Z1hLcqs9rONi4iNQ3GWzqp6ySP9oHD0yXyAHCqcPqT5ymLakZiWlm7CDqGc0LPIoh2j1VjsXCM8Bt-tZghZhEgQ52boslcl8/s320/IMG_0403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671951596041717538" border="0" /></a><br />Snugglebug passed out around mid-afternoon. It was all just too much fun. His little buddy and cousin also passed out. Good thing those strollers are so comfy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vR5SWp9kRQIOxfhCfhSbTxcDMNyVLAAUQT0d_bfvc3lOE2LBd5rgBGzqJ-DVaxgyn9pgJjIwV932lbCIl92bHCq6CYWy6s6EdgDv3oAvUL0WObXitxIhIwBwLuEJ5AzblGteA7MUkd8/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vR5SWp9kRQIOxfhCfhSbTxcDMNyVLAAUQT0d_bfvc3lOE2LBd5rgBGzqJ-DVaxgyn9pgJjIwV932lbCIl92bHCq6CYWy6s6EdgDv3oAvUL0WObXitxIhIwBwLuEJ5AzblGteA7MUkd8/s320/IMG_0417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671945571332307090" border="0" /></a><br />As always, the treat of the day is a Fletcher's Corn Dog and ice cream and don't forget the fresh squeezed lemonade. I was on my cleanse and did not eat any of those! I munched on spinach and broccoli while everyone else ate heartily!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-HIOvqBSMwZ7jsilhNauwpxJHWC-LA1P4mjs83sl6i8jsuOefdZUKlWiyp4v6gDtZMjh3TtB2HLRRw_gNaoaxJMHDqBuqylUjXGo0UCMVItzVj0tedCS52a68r7gSShsy3vDbbf6Q00/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-HIOvqBSMwZ7jsilhNauwpxJHWC-LA1P4mjs83sl6i8jsuOefdZUKlWiyp4v6gDtZMjh3TtB2HLRRw_gNaoaxJMHDqBuqylUjXGo0UCMVItzVj0tedCS52a68r7gSShsy3vDbbf6Q00/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671944252891048706" border="0" /></a><br />Snugglebug and his Baby Cousin, playing a game of racing each other up and down the Cotton Bowl steps.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP1ryYRA6vz7vWXngQivfO321IUqYUG9ejRwqT5l5TmR5JpY_uobmuCJt4OCWw-w-18xoBw9N4nmE9Qh24E7tvACA-bhtXWutZWj8P7cPeTAgeNktwDPNkhFTMF9MIX3aKQ0gMSMwGkc/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyP1ryYRA6vz7vWXngQivfO321IUqYUG9ejRwqT5l5TmR5JpY_uobmuCJt4OCWw-w-18xoBw9N4nmE9Qh24E7tvACA-bhtXWutZWj8P7cPeTAgeNktwDPNkhFTMF9MIX3aKQ0gMSMwGkc/s320/IMG_0460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671942575450812178" border="0" /></a><br />It was a great day, full of memories! My dad hinted that he would like to be invited next year. I said absolutely! I then explained that anyone who would like to attend with us is welcome and that<a href="http://felinidelarosa.blogspot.com/2010/10/state-fair-of-texas.html"> last year</a>, we even had a Chinese girl who barely spoke English and whom we called <a href="http://felinidelarosa.blogspot.com/2010/10/state-fair-of-texas.html">Mei Mei, which is "Little Sister" in Chinese.</a> I said everyone is welcome regardless of age, race, or language.<br /><br />The countdown has begun to next year's State Fair!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-26259367496213284612011-11-06T11:18:00.004-06:002011-11-06T11:51:49.342-06:00The Quest to Multitask...OR NOT!I've never been very good at multitasking. Every place of employment I've ever had has complained that I don't multitask enough. It's not that I can't multitask at all. It's just that society today expects us to accomplish so much in a given day that you must multitask on a very high level. One can't do just two things at a time. One must be able to accomplish three or four things at once. And perfectly at that!<br /><br />I can do one thing very, very well and efficiently. When you add multitasking with two things, I can get the two tasks accomplished but there will probably be mistakes, and it won't be completed in an efficient manner. Make it three or four things to multitask and disaster awaits. Just sit back and watch the show. This is the area where my previous bosses had issue (all except one that is). I just can't balance three or four tasks at once and not cause a great mess, which of course means even more time to clean up the mess.<br /><br />Case in point, one night a few weeks ago, we were out till past Snugglebug's bedtime. I was in a hurry to get him to bed before he crashed on the sofa or gained a second wind. The latter is the greatest danger. Not to mention the fact that I was tired and just wanted to sit back and relax.<br /><br />Snugglebug desperately needed a bath, so I started his bath water. While his bath ran, I thought I would make my shake for the next day's breakfast. It usually just takes a couple of minutes. (Note: two activities at once)<br /><br />Snugglebug interrupted my shake making with a desire to take his medicine and get his post-med treat of mini M&M's. I never refuse him that request because otherwise I might forget later. (this is activity #3)I drew up his meds and gave him his mini M&M's. Then returned to activity #2, making my shake.<br /><br />I threw the last ingredient into my shake, put the lid on and pressed the button, giving it a quick whirl before giving it a taste to make sure it was right.<br /><br />In the midst of taking the lid off to take a taste, I remembered that task #1 was still running. I dropped my spoon and raced into the bathroom.<br /><br />You may know where this story is going, but think again!<br /><br />The bathtub had indeed run over! Half the bathroom was flooded with water racing to the carpeted hallway. There was probably about a half inch of water near the bathtub and around the toilet. <br /><br />I yelled for Snugglebug to bring mommy a towel but received no response. He is usually right on my heals so I was surprised. I raced around the corner where two baskets of unfolded laundry sat, one of which was a load of towels. The entire load of towels were launched into the bathroom floor to create a dam. <br /><br />About the time the dam was created, I hear an ominous whir coming from the kitchen. I stood up from my dam and yelled, "Noooooooooooooo! Nooooooooooo!" while running at mach speed to the kitchen!<br /><br />Snugglebug had decided that he was going to help me by finishing my shake. With the lid <span style="font-style:italic;">off</span>, he pressed the mix button. In my mind, I was imagining the worst mess in the history of all motherhood! But, to my surprise, the mess was contained to the counter and the machine with a few splatters each. I honestly don't know how a gargantuan mess was avoided. <br /><br />I unplugged the blender and hauled Snugglebug to the flooded bathroom. After ensconcing him safely in the bathtub, I proceeded to clean up the floor. <br /><br />When it was all cleaned up, I sat on the toilet lid and wished I had just focused on one thing at a time. Why is multitasking important anyway? And, <span style="font-style:italic;">WHO</span>, for goodness sakes, <span style="font-style:italic;">overflows </span>a bathtub!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-48036694697197462542011-10-23T15:26:00.005-05:002011-10-23T16:18:11.501-05:00Cleanse: Post-Cleanse Day 1 and Final ThoughtsI successfully completed the Standard Process Cleanse!! (You can find it on Amazon. Just type in Standard Process Purification Kit)<br /><br />It was a hard program to stick with but well worth it! I lost seven pounds overall, but remember my goal wasn't to lose a great deal of weight. Most people who wish to lose weight will average 15-20 pounds over the course of the 20 day cleanse. But, don't just go by what the scale says. Measure yourself before your start and when you finish the cleanse. The tape measure will give you a more honest reflection of how you are doing. The program recommends light exercise such as walking or yoga or a little weight lifting for three or four days a week. If you are exercising, you will be exchanging fat for muscle. I was hit and miss with the exercise. I decided today that I need to write a post about why it is difficult for a mom to work out.<br /><br />I'm a firm believer in the tape measure. Seven pounds doesn't like a lot but in inches it amounts to: <br /> 2 1/2 inches lost in the waist<br /> 1 1/2 inches lost in the hips<br /> 2 inches lost in the mid-section (belly button--the widest part of the belly)<br /><br />Those inches meant I didn't have to go buy new clothes. Our budget certainly couldn't afford me growing out of my clothes.<br /><br />I feel much, much better! I am sleeping better and more soundly. I have more energy overall but especially in the mornings due to getting better sleep. I was taking medication in morning and evening for acid reflux and am no longer taking it. The reflux is completely gone! My body PH has stabilized around a somewhat normal level. It is still slightly lower than it should be, but I am getting there. Before the cleanse my body PH was so low that it equated to being slightly higher than stomach acid. No wonder I had reflux!<br /><br />I am still taking my anti-depressant but that is as much emotional as it is physical. I hope to be off those by the New Year. <br /> <br />My blood sugar has also stabilized. I am pre-diabetic because of bad genes. But, I am hoping to avoid any need for insulin later on by combating the diabetes before it becomes diabetes. I'll be sticking as close to sugar free as I can from now on. I'll also be eating a lot more vegetables than I did before.<br /><br />I'm still having some asthma issues but certainly nothing like before. I can take a deep breath without issue and don't need my inhalers during the day unless we are near a horse arena (we were at the fair and I needed my inhaler then.) Overall, I think the cleanse has helped my immune system and my breathing quality. <br /><br />Post cleanse Day one, I find that I really want to keep eating healthy. I ate a chip, and it didn't taste good to me. I also tasted a piece of candy and found it was wayyy too sweet. I hope this keeps up because I likely won't go back to sodas and chocolate. (Well, sodas anyway and candy at least.) I am going to keep drinking a shake for breakfast but I am changing the recipe to a not-so cleanse approved drink. It looks like this:<br /><br />Ingredients (Makes 1 serving)<br /><br />4oz V8 Splash Strawberry Banana<br /><br />1 serving Bluebonnet 100% Whey Protein Powder<br /><br />1/2 cup, thawed Strawberries<br /><br />1/2 Banana<br /><br />4 oz Water<br /><br />1 tbsp Psyllium Husks (500 mg or 5 g)<br /><br />1 tbsp Great Value Peanut Butter<br /><br />Directions<br />1.Place all ingredients in a blender.<br /><br />2.Blend till smooth.<br /><br />The nutrition facts look like this:<br /><br />Nutrition Facts<br />Serving Size 1 serving (451.9 g)<br />Amount Per Serving<br />Calories 349<br />Calories from Fat 73<br />Total Fat 8.1g<br />Saturated Fat 1.5g<br />Cholesterol 1mg<br />Sodium 149mg<br />Total Carbohydrates 43.1g<br />Dietary Fiber 9.8g<br />Sugars 26.0g<br />Protein 30.5g<br /><br />Vitamin A 51% • Vitamin C 148%<br />Calcium 3% • Iron 9%<br />* Based on a 2000 calorie diet<br /><br /><br />This is not a light shake. It sticks with you courtesy of the peanut butter. The peanut butter also gives me more carbohydrates and protein. I was able to work-out after breakfast and wasn't hungry till noon. No morning snacks were needed. According to <a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/account/index.php">Calorie Count</a>, the recipe gets a grade of "B." Of course, my preference is all "A's" but an occasional "B" is okay. I can live with it. It makes for a very hearty and mostly healthy breakfast. I am going to toy with different recipes for breakfast shakes. I like making my breakfast the night before and not having to worry about cooking my breakfast the next morning. <br /><br />For lunch today, I had a salad that wasn't any different than during the last ten days of the cleanse. I also made an entire bottle of the homemade dressing mix. It is half olive oil and half Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar with some garlic and Italian seasoning. I then poured it into a spritz bottle that I found in the travel section. I can spritz my salad with my own dressing, and I don't have to worry about sodium or chemicals. It is also cheaper!<br /><br />For dinners, I am not worrying about sticking to the cleanse approved diet. We will still occasionally eat enchiladas and tacos. I am going to try to cut down on the less healthy foods and eat them less often. Afterall, you can't totally cut tacos out of your diet. They are just too yummy! But, you can limit them to once a month or every other month. We will still have menus that include meatloaf and beef stew but the plate will feature three vegetables in large portions leaving less room for the main dish that is not so healthy. My thought is the two will even out in the end. My nutritionist may see it differently so don't quote me. I am not giving advice, merely stating this is what I am going to try. <br /><br />I'm taking a ton of vitamins now. I am taking pretty much any and all vitamins and even a disgusting colloidal mineral supplement. I am also taking Co-Q 10 which is good for rebuilding and nourishing the cells themselves. Vitamin C is a regular part of my meals. I take 1000 mg with each meal. It is more than the recommended amount but then I have been more sick than is recommended.<br /><br />The biggest thing I learned is that your should do the cleanse in a month with no special outings, like fairs, no family get together, and no holidays. It is just too hard to do a cleanse while watching everyone else eat delectable dishes. I also think spring or summer is a better time because you can grow your own veggies if you have a porch with some sun or a garden, but you can also find them easier and cheaper at Farmer's Markets and even in the grocery store.<br /><br />I highly recommend this cleanse. It is pricey! If you can't do this cleanse, then there are other options you can try and get results. I won't say they are the same results since I have no comparison. But I would recommend trying to eat just fruits and veggies for the first ten days and introduce chicken and fish on day eleven. Take lots and lots of fiber supplements and drink a shake for breakfast, making sure your protein powder has a LOT of vitamins and nutrients and no excess fillers, flavors, or chemicals. The goals is to get rid of the chemicals from your body and part of that is not introducing more chemicals. <br /><br />If you are attempting to get healthy, please let me know. If you found these posts helpful in any way, I would love to hear your story. If you are a Snugglbug fan and wondering where he is in all this. I'll be updating with pictures from the State Fair, Pumpkin Patch, and best of all Occupational Therapy Graduation! I'll post those by next weekend!<br /><br />Thanks for joining me on my quest! Now, it is your turn! Go get healthy!!<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-44406126115083739602011-10-23T15:18:00.002-05:002011-10-23T15:26:09.504-05:00Cleanse: Days 17-20!!!As difficult as it was to get through the State Fair, the last four days were even more difficult. I was craving carbs like crazy. It wasn't because I wasn't getting the carbs in my veggies, I think it was just because I wasn't supposed to eat breads, and so forth. It was driving me crazy!<br /><br />Each meal and each day was a complete battle to stick with it. I kept asking myself if it was worth it or if I really needed three weeks of this. I can honestly say yes, it was worth it and yes, I need three weeks.<br /><br />I tried to diversify my meals but found that salads made a quick and easy lunch and then dinner I would cook my veggies.<br /><br />Day twenty presented another very difficult day to stay on task. You would think that by Day twenty it would be easy and a part of me. But, we attended a birthday party (actually two that day) and they were serving BBQ pulled pork and hot dogs. I could smell the BBQ down the block where I had to park. I knew when I stepped out of the car that this wasn't an ordinary party. There were mounds and mounds of pork. And there is nothing I enjoy more than BBQ, unless it is pizza or pie (any kind of pie)! I almost through in the towel right then and there and said what's a few hours! I had only about six more hours left on the cleanse. But, I summoned the will power from somewhere. I honestly think the will power came from knowing I would have to confess my failure to my readers. I did promise to blog about what I ate and to be honest! So, in all honesty, I did not eat any BBQ! I will however be calling the mom today to see if she had any leftovers!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-20621043973244817082011-10-23T14:52:00.002-05:002011-10-23T15:17:57.092-05:00Cleanse: Day 15-16Day 15 took us to the Land of Fried Milk and Fried Honey...Otherwise known as the Great State Fair of Texas!<br /><br />If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know the State Fair is an event for our family and is rarely missed. In our eight years of marriage, we have only missed one fair and one of our first dates was to the State Fair. We gather as many people who want to go with us, and give them a grand tour of the fair. If you find you don't like the state fair, then you need to go with us. We know all the places to have some free fun and cheap food. We know how to travel the fair and have fun every minute of the day.<br /><br />The problem with doing a cleanse and attending the fair is that there is literally NOTHING you can eat at the fair and stay on the cleanse. I had a choice. I could either abandon the cleanse for the day and potentially undo everything I had accomplished in the previous fourteen days or I could take all my own food and summon every ounce of will power.<br /><br />I chose the latter. I am that determined to get healthy! I'll give you the final stats on health, weight, etc in another post.<br /><br />So, how does one go to the fair and take all their own food? I wish I had an answer for you. Because even though I went to the fair, I found that there is not enough space to carry six cups of vegetables and four ounces of meat and a gallon of water to suffice two meals. Basically, I carried enough for one meal and stored the other meal in an ice chest in the car. While you are allowed to go to and from the fair, it is a very, very long walk from the picnic tables to the parking lot and we parked close. <br /><br />I managed to choke down my salad and chicken while everyone else pigged out on Fletcher's delectable Corn Dogs!! But, dinner was more difficult. I honestly didn't think we would stay for dinner, but we did. So, I munched on my two ounces of chicken and a couple of apples just to bide my appetite till we got to the car where I ate a salad on the way home.<br /><br />My will power was waning by evening. My husband and son ate Jimmy Dean sausage sandwiches which are far from healthy but the healthiest thing at the fair and also the cheapest. I tried not to smell the air while they ate. I just munched my cold chicken. I almost lost the day when it was time for ice cream. It is an annual treat to have a nutty bar before leaving for the day. Once again, my husband and son ate their ice cream and I had to help Snugglebug with his. It's tough to maneuver a nutty bar at three. (I'll post State Fair pictures in another post.)While helping him eat his ice cream, I snuck a little chocolate tidbit. It was so good and a big mistake! I just laid my head in my hands and said to my husband who offered very sweetly to go get me one, "that I had made it this far, surely I could muster the will power for a couple more hours." He didn't get me an ice cream and I didn't cheat. I stuck to my cleanse diet! I am very proud of myself for doing that, but I can't say that I will do it again. <br /><br />Day sixteen and the first day after the fair, I woke starving! I hadn't consumed near enough calories the day before and my body was screaming to make them up today. I ate my shake for breakfast and debated lunch. I was out of spinach so I decided to pop into my favorite and only grocery store in town, Brookshires, after dropping Snugglebug off at school.<br /><br />I went straight to the veggie section and wound up picking up prepared veggie stir fry mixes. There was a broccoli stir fry, and an Asian stir fry. I also grabbed a package of pre-sliced mushrooms. Typically, I don't waste my money on having someone else prep my food for me. You can buy broccoli for half the price if you shred it yourself. But, I was hungry and not in the mood to prep the amount of food I was wanting to eat.<br /><br />The final item landing in my basket was a package of Wholy Guacamole. Again, I had never had prepared guacamole. I always made it myself. But, this was ready to eat and so was I.<br /><br />I came home and tossed it all into skillets with some coconut oil. I spent the entire two hours Snugglebug was at school cooking and eating. In the end, I had eaten almost 500 calories just for lunch and it was all healthy. That is the equivalent to a quarter-pound burger at a fast food place. If I hadn't been so hungry, I would have taken a picture because the plate was piled high. And I cleaned it off!<br /><br />Dinner that day was leftovers! Leftovers are so nice! Pop them in the microwave and you're ready to eat!<br /><br />I had grapes for a snack and another shake after dinner. I ate a little less than 1500 calories. I went to bed full and happy! Only Four More Days to Go!!<br /><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-18039765140419287322011-10-23T14:40:00.003-05:002011-10-23T14:52:22.751-05:00Cleanse: Days 10-14My apologies to my readers. I knew I was behind but didn't realize just how behind! We'll try to catch up in several posts today! (Hopefully!)<br /><br />For the first ten days, you are pretty much a vegan. You only eats fruits and vegetables and your protein is from rice and lentils. I ate a lot of lentils as I found I needed more protein than what the rice would offer. Sometimes, I would mix the rice and lentils which gave them both a new flavor and texture. I also mixed rice and lentils with veggies into a stir-fry. <br /><br />I made lots of veggie stir fries during the entire length of the cleanse. I also used a lot of coconut oil for the stir fry. Coconut oil is very, very healthy and great for your hair and skin.<br /><br />On Day eleven, I could add chicken and fish to my meals! I was more than thrilled. I didn't do anything fancy with it since I am still limited on my ingredients. I made salmon on days eleven and twelve. I bought packages of four frozen salmon patties from Wal-Mart. They are from deep sea but not organic. My budget can only stretch so far. They are about 3-4 ounces and quick and easy to thaw out. I then put a tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet and browned the fish on each side. If you wait for you oil to get hot, the fish will brown on the outside before cooking in the center. The secret to fish is not to overcook it, but you still want a nice browning on the outside. <br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed my fish. The first day, I cut the four-ounce portion in half and also at rice with it. So, I ate two ounces of fish and about a third of a cup of rice. It worked out to a nice amount of protein for the meal. I wasn't hungry all afternoon!<br /><br />When I cooked chicken, I cooked it in olive oil with a little bit of seasoning and some salt. I ate it either with three servings of vegetables or as a salad topper. I tried to stick to 2 ounces of meat because any more than that and you don't get enough vegetables. On average I ate three cups of vegetables at each meal. I literally piled my plate high with food! My husband found it quite amusing that I was eating as much as I was and still losing weight. The effect of vegetables on the body is absolutely amazing!!<br /><br />Day fifteen presented some interesting challenges so I'll leave it as it's own blog post...<br /><br />To be continued... <br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-57341628672572868932011-10-11T22:40:00.003-05:002011-10-11T23:05:50.166-05:00Cleanse: Days 6-9I have successfully made it a full week on my cleanse. To be honest, I am craving pizza and steak. This surprises me since I don't really eat that much pizza and steak. It is an ever once in a long while thing for me. On the other hand, we eat a lot of hamburgers and not once have I craved a burger. I don't know what that means about my current diet, but I expected all cravings to fade by this point. <br /><br />Days six and seven fell on the weekend. I have a rule about not cooking on Sundays. In fact, I try not to do anything or go anywhere other than church on Sunday. Sundays are meant to rest and rejuvenate. So, that's exactly what I strive to do. with all the leftovers eaten, I ate salads for both lunch and dinner with my vinegar and olive oil dressing. Eating raw was a nice break from all the cooked vegies. I thoroughly enjoyed eating raw broccoli.<br /><br />Saturday, I did cook. I steamed mostly: cauliflower, green beans, and broccoli. I am having trouble finding recipes for cauliflower and broccoli that aren't full of non-cleanse ingredients like cheese or canned soups. So, I just eat them plain or with a pat of butter. The green beans I tossed in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil from a can of sun dried tomatoes. Then added a couple of tablespoons of sliced sun dried tomatoes. I tossed them a few times till they started brown. This is my favorite way to eat green beans! The combination of the sweet green beans and the tart tomatoes is such a perfect combo.<br /><br />Both days, I consumed 1200-1300 calories. I have lost a total of five pounds over the course of the first week and lost an inch and a half at the small of my waist and an inch at the belly button. I'm pleased with that. I feel I have detoxed all the extra water weight from all those breathing treatments over the summer. But, I still have two more weeks to go!<br /><br />Monday was day eight and the beginning of week two. I have less fiber and cleanse pills to take, and I have gotten used to them, so I can swallow them two capsules at a time. <br /><br />My sweet hubby was down in his back so I spent the afternoon taking him to the chiropractor. So, no time to cook today. I am noticing an interesting trend. Without my crock pots to aid my meals, I am completely hopeless in the kitchen.<br /><br />Day nine was better. Tuesday, I steamed cauliflower, cooked some more lentils, baked a sweet potato, and washed some broccoli. I ate the latter raw. I like having something in the meal with a different texture. The sweet potato is such a sweet treat. It needs nothing more than butter.<br /><br />Day ten brought out a crock pot. Yes, my friend helped me cook dinner on the busiest day of our week. I cooked lentil soup with sweet potato and carrots. It also had a lot of chili powder in it. I am not a huge fan of quite so much spice courtesy of acid reflux. Overall, the soup was good and nourishing, just spicy. I also polished off the steamed cauliflower and had some more raw broccoli.<br /><br />Only twelve more days to go! If you have any good recipes for lentils, broccoli or cauliflower, please share them in the comments section. I'll be happy to give them a try!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-44089254595403420302011-10-11T22:24:00.002-05:002011-10-11T22:33:43.944-05:00Book Review: How To Write a Book ProposalI put off writing this review because I was more than a little bit disappointed. As I got passed the first chapter, I was thinking, I've read this book before. And the truth is, I have. This is a 3rd edition. I didn't catch that before. <br /><br />In the preface, the author lists 14 additions. None of them stand out as worthy of buying another edition if you already have an older edition. <br /><br />If you are an aspiring writer and have never read this book before, you should read it at least once. I don't know that it matters which edition you read. The first one I read was on the local library's shelves. I'm quite sure this one will be too. <br /><br />If you have already read this book or purchased a previous edition, don't worry about getting the newest version. It won't help you that much.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-86291022028690629522011-10-08T08:41:00.002-05:002011-10-08T09:04:39.176-05:00Cleanse--Days 3-5Wednesday and Thursday were crazy busy days. I barely had time to eat let alone blog. Such is typical. I raced from one appointment to another and from one item on the to-do list to another. <br /><br />Thursday, I did take some time to sit for a few hours and visit with a good friend. There's nothing like nourishing conversation! <br /><br />My meals on Wednesday were basically whatever veggies were leftover from previous days. It was pretty much a dab of this and a dab of that with some rice on the side. I wolfed down a few veggies before heading out the door to church on Wednesday night and was hungry when I got home. So, while making a shake for the next morning, I made one for the evening. <br /><br />Thursday was a dose of salads all day. Not that I mind. I do love a good mixture of veggies! I used the previously mentioned dressing mixture of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil. I used pretty much all the veggies I had on my salad including a whole avocado, a whole tomato, carrots, broccoli, and spinach. <br /><br />Friday, I tried Lentils. I have been putting off lentils because I just don't like them. Or at least the one time I tried them, I didn't like them. I boiled them according to package directions, but then mashed them and added a little bit of butter. They tasted almost like refried beans. I also ate some roasted cauliflower, and a delicious asparagus stir fry.<br /><br />Stir fries are another thing I do a lot because you can toss so many veggies into one pan. Here's the recipe for the Asparagus Stir Fry:<br /><br />Ingredients (Makes 3 servings)<br />1 tbsp Coconut Oil, Refined, Organic<br /><br />2 cups Asparagus, chopped.<br /><br />2 medium whole (2-3/5" dia) Tomatoes, Red, Ripe, diced<br /><br />2 tbsp chopped Onions<br /><br />0.5 medium raw Bell Pepper Red<br /><br />2 cloves, raw Garlic<br /><br />Directions<br />1.Heat coconut oil.<br /><br />2.Mince garlic and add to oil. Saute garlic for two minutes.<br /><br />3.Add onions and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.<br /><br />4.Add asparagus. Place a lid on the skillet and cook until desired tenderness.<br /><br />5.Add tomatoes. Thoroughly distribute the tomatoes but don't allow them to cook. They may be a bit warm but still raw and firm.<br /><br />6.Remove from stove and serve.<br /><br />You can toss pretty much anything you want into a pan for a stir fry. If it sounds good, toss it in. <br /><br />I snacked on grapes and an apple during the day, bringing my calorie total to 1300 calories. I've already lost a 1/2 inch in my waste which was gained largely from breathing treatments, steroid shots, and antibiotics. I've also lost about 3 pounds. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-56881034011299595032011-10-05T08:53:00.001-05:002011-10-05T08:53:16.519-05:00Cleanse--Day 2The fiber in my new diet caught up to me on day two. If you aren't used to eating a lot of fiber, then you switch to double the amount of recommended fiber, you are going to spend a little extra time in the bathroom. In addition, to the 55 grams of fiber I ate over the course of the day (recommended daily allowance is 25), I am also taking fiber and green veggie supplements as part of the cleanse. If you order the entire package from <a href="http://www.standardprocess.com/display/StandardProcessCatalog.spi?ID=14">Standard Process</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Process-Purification-Product-Kit/dp/B0043DH544/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1317822581&sr=1-1">Amazon</a>, you'll get the capsules in your package. They amount to 10-15 per meal. That's a lot of capsules! I drank at least half my water during the day taking the pills. It is recommended that you take them away from meals. I didn't the first day, but did on day two, and it makes a big difference.
My meals were simple but a little more diverse. I hope to get better at this vegetable plate planning as the weeks go on.
I had a strawberry-banana-blueberry shake for breakfast with protein powder. I like this much better than the previous day's blackberry. In fact, I like eating a shake for breakfast. It saves time having to actually cook breakfast, and it is ready as soon as I get up.
Lunch was a spinach salad. One of my favorites! I eat salads a lot because of the veggie mixture and the ability to get the perfect bite! (see the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117057/">The Mirror Has Two Faces</a>) My salad had cucumber, carrots, tomato and of course spinach. I had avocado but decided to save it for later. My dressing was a tablespoon of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar and a a tablespoon of olive oil and a dash or garlic. Mix and pour over the salad. It gives it a nice flavor and makes for a great light dressing. Bragg's is also supposed to raise the body's PH, helping it to re-balance intestinal flora.
For a snack and to help wash down my pills, I had a small sweet potato early in the afternoon before we headed out to our weekly therapy appointments. The sweet potato stuck with me all afternoon. I didn't get hungry till around 6:00 which is our drive home. I was quite thrilled about that.
Dinner was another sweet potato, left over spaghetti squash (no tomatoes today), rice, and avocado. I wasn't able to clean my plate but was completely full!
According to Calorie Count I ate 1600 calories but 400 of that was the olive oil from my salad and the butter from my potatoes. Weight loss isn't my goal so fat isn't a bad thing at this time. If you are looking to lose weight, watch those fat grams and make sure your fat comes from good food like avocados and not butter.
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-2370006697936780712011-10-04T19:10:00.000-05:002011-10-04T19:28:26.090-05:00Cleanse--Day 1Day 1 of my cleanse was uneventful. And, except for the lack of protein, my diet wasn't too much different than what it has been for the past few weeks. It turns out protein is a big part of my diet so I supplemented with other foods. I ate a massive amount of vegetables! I had no idea one could eat so many veggies...And I like veggies but there was a LOT of green on my plate!
For breakfast, you start out the day with a shake with protein powder. I made my shake with berries: strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The latter was a HUGE mistake! Unless you have a blender that will juice the blackberry seeds then your shake will taste like it has a handful of dirt in it. I was barely able to choke it down. I won't make that mistake again!
Lunch was less inventive. Steamed green beans were simple with nothing added to them. I stir fried zucchini with mushrooms in coconut oil. Surprisingly, the coconut oil does not taste at all coconutty. Rice made my protein portion and corn on the cob rounded out my plate. The last one is an unapproved veggie for the cleanse. But left over from Sunday, it was so good I couldn't just throw it out!
Dinner was delectable! Roasted tomatoes with garlic and sea salt topped spaghetti squash for a vegan spaghetti and sauce. I smashed the tomatoes with a fork and mixed them into the squash. Butternut squash, rice, and green beans, all with nothing fancy, finished off the meal.
A few hours later I was hungry again so after making my shake for the next morning, I snuck about a half cup of the delicious strawberry-banana mixture. I also ate an avocado which was not fully ripe and not very good. But, I assume the nutrients are there nonetheless.
Overall, I consumed a little over 1200 calories. I read that a headache was normal on day but other than a low blood sugar headache before lunch, I was fine all day. No issues and nothing unusual. I am using<a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/"> Calorie Count</a> to keep track of nutrients as well as calories. It is fairly easy to use and doesn't take long to log a meal. It then gives you an easy to read graph with your nutrient goals and where you are for the day, giving you an idea of what you need to eat and what you don't.
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-55644727532846522612011-10-03T06:00:00.000-05:002011-10-03T06:00:13.045-05:00DepressionI love Anne of Green Gables. She is always so dramatic and her words resonate with the reader. One phrase she often used was "I am in the depths of despair." While she was upset over the circumstance, I don't think she was really at the very depth of despair for that is the very definition of depression. The despair wreaks like a pair of gym socks but it is so deep you don't even notice the reason for the despair. Sometimes, you don't even realize that you are at the depths of despair. Depression sneaks up on you and overtakes you like a bad head cold.<br />
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I didn't know I was depressed til my doctor told me a low dose of anti-depressant would help me get over a constant battle with various infections and viruses. I thought she was crazy but I trust her instincts. I have had a long summer and battled asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and an upper respiratory infection caused by strep. My stress level is off the charts! I have one sister going through a very bad divorce, and I've stood by her side all summer long. Then, another sister, who is younger than me died suddenly! She left a gaping whole in my heart. . . and more questions than answers in regards to her death.<br />
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I've been on the wonder drug of anti-depressants for three weeks, and I feel like I can actually come out of my cave. I reached a point where all I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head. The very thought of leaving the house left me tranquilized with fear. Fear of what I don't know. But, fear gripped me never the less. <br />
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I've spent the last 6 weeks since my sister's death on my knees before God. I've pleaded to be healthy again, pleaded for my family to be healthy again, and pleaded to see my son grow into a man of God. I've learned that to truly worship God is to truly appreciate every moment he has given you and everything he has given you no matter how small or insignificant. Worship doesn't mean you have to sing a praise song. I can't sing! But, I can thank him for every breath that I or my family is allowed to take.<br />
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After many hours in prayer, God directed me to a nutritionist. Her brilliant deduction summed up my condition as being tired, worn down, and depleted on a cellular level. Yep! That pretty much nailed it.<br />
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I've been gradually changing my diet over the last several weeks and now eat so many vegetables and take so many vitamins that it is unbelievable even to me who loves vegies! She has advised me to do a fruit and vegetable cleanse by<a href="http://www.standardprocess.com/display/StandardProcessCatalog.spi?ID=14"> Standard Process</a>.<br />
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I'll start the cleanse today, and for 7 days will only eat vegies and fruits, vitamins, and lots and lots of water. On the 8th day, I can add protein like organic chicken and fish like Salmon. The Quest is to be healthy! So, like all my other quests of motherhood, I'll take you along for the ride. While I am not a recipe blogger, I will try to give you an idea of what I am eating. It'll keep me honest as well!<br />
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My posts will be a day behind so I can completely sum up the day.Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-62702238560394928672011-08-05T19:38:00.002-05:002011-08-05T20:14:41.402-05:00Why, Yes, Doctor, You are right.On a good day, my days are 13 1/2 hours long. They start at 6 am with a banshee howl. While I would like to hit the snooze and get five more minutes, they call that child abuse. The banshee is my child, either in the crib or standing at the end of the hall, screaming a blood curdling scream like he has woke up in the twilight zone. He's done it since birth, so I am somewhat used to it, but it still wakes me with a start.<br /><br />I crawl out of bed in hopes that the banshee hasn't woke my poor night-shift-working husband. Nope, too late. The banshee woke him, too. I stumble to the bedroom and rescue the screaming banshee who is now chanting, "Oto, Oto, Oto." For those of you who don't have three-year old Secret Agent Oso is all the rage right now. I have about 15 on our DVR.<br /><br />After squinting at the TV, I finally manage to get "Oto" turned on, and the chant then becomes, "Oa'meal. Oa'meal. Oa'meal." While generally, I am glad that my child can now communicate, the chanting gets a little old at 6 or 6:30 am.<br /><br />On a good day, I turn in my mommy badge in favor of the housekeeping apron after about 13 1/2 hours of chanting, games, giggles, therapy trips, doctor's appointments, and time-out sessions, etc.<br /><br />Today, wasn't necessarily a good day. It began almost 15 hours ago at 5:30 am with the banshee howl, and is ending with a bad case of heartburn. I didn't think it was acid reflux till I went to the pulmonologist to find out why I couldn't breathe in the evenings. It seems that reflux triggers asthma which is the diagnosis and the problem.<br /><br />"Do you have reflux?" The doctor asked.<br />"No, I don't."<br />The doctor frowned and furrowed his brows, and now that I know what reflux is and that what I am really feeling is heartburn, I have to tell him he was right. It is heartburn.<br /><br />My heartburn is triggered by an obstinate three-year old who insists on wreaking havoc on the last three to four hours of the day. It begins while I am cooking dinner, and he is asking to eat anything and everything.<br /><br />"No, you can't have cookies. We are eating in a little bit."<br />"No, you can't have crackers. We are eating in a little bit."<br />"No, you can't have chocolate. We are eating in a little bit."<br />"No, No, No."<br /><br />Once, dinner is on the table. The next round begins. He refuses to sit at the table. At first he pretends to ignore me. Then he proceeds to indicate in his non-verbal way that he wants to eat in front of the TV.<br /><br />"No, you can't eat in the living room. The rule is: we eat dinner at the table."<br /><br />Followed by round three: On a good evening, he will sit at the table without eating staring out the window, never even tasting the food. On a bad evening, he will throw a fit and try to toss his plate, leading to an all out battle to sit at the table. My meal ends up being eaten cold and between time-out sessions for throwing his plate or climbing out of his chair. If he ever tastes, the food, he finds he likes it and eats dinner. But, sometimes, his preference is chocolate and crackers for dinner and never relents to eating what I've cooked.<br /><br />Round four is the bedtime routine. If there is a bath involved it brings the night routine to a whole new level as he HATES baths. If not a bath, then we battle over putting on the pajamas which usually means chasing him down and taking away privileges like reading a bed time book if he doesn't change. Teeth brushing is just as much a battle. If he has by chance kept the book reading privilege, then that is threatened once again. If he loses that, then we move on to losing rights to play with certain toys the next day. We rarely have to move beyond the loss of his train set.<br /><br />Once teeth are brushed, jammies are on, we read a few books, assuming he still has that privilege. Then, it is lights out. And since, we are transitioning to the twin bed, we have the next battle. Staying in bed. If he doesn't stay in bed, then he is moved back to the crib across the room from his twin bed. At least three or four nights a week, within fifteen minutes of lights out, the lights are back on, and he is playing in the floor. So back to the crib for him.<br /><br />By 8PM, I have heartburn, a headache, and can barely breathe. Why, yes, doctor, you are right. I do have heartburn. I was just too unplugged to realize what it was. I was more plugged into the havoc my three-year old is creating during the last three or four hours of the day.<br /><br />God bless the creator of antacids and asthma inhalers. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNqp3a5pPy8q1oI_5EP42ac3FCXpc-0HsDm5D0w6rjWzHxdgglTYczjEdfgy9CKAkRZ7x7odpvFL8ekHFI55y_aZ0-Q6wTT0CRStkDdGKQ-CDbmMX9AVugLc15Nr9cA3pzjiNHtlujCw/s1600/signature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNqp3a5pPy8q1oI_5EP42ac3FCXpc-0HsDm5D0w6rjWzHxdgglTYczjEdfgy9CKAkRZ7x7odpvFL8ekHFI55y_aZ0-Q6wTT0CRStkDdGKQ-CDbmMX9AVugLc15Nr9cA3pzjiNHtlujCw/s320/signature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637536130376428354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-81941478019684646222011-07-24T08:34:00.000-05:002011-07-24T08:34:00.052-05:00Crib to Toddler Bed, part 1Milestones are giant mountains for us. Dragging Snugglebug to and over a milestone can be a frustrating process. The advice of so many to not worry about a milestone is completely false when you have a neuro-atypical child.<br /><br />If I had waited for my son to speak and never enrolled him in speech therapy, he would still be squealing, and certainly, not talking and putting two words together. I could go down the list just like this for each and every milestone between birth and now, but that would be monotonous. You can just read past blog postings.<br /><br />The current milestones are no less mountainous. Moving from a crib to toddler bed has been more than a little frustrating. Potty training has been disastrous thus far. And the transition to summer school was a complete failure.<br /><br />We attempted moving from crib to toddler bed in the spring. We have one of those awesome convertible cribs and took apart the front portion to turn it into a toddler bed. It was a momentous occasion. I was nervous with his sleep issues, but with him crawling out of the crib, I knew it was time.<br /><br />I spent every night for the next three weeks battling him to keep him in bed. For three hours every night from 7pm to 10 pm. He would crawl out of bed and come down the hall. I would pick him up and put him back in bed. I followed all of Supernanny's rules. I didn't say a word. No kisses. No hugs. Just back to bed. At 10pm, he would finally fall asleep. And, so would I . . . from complete exhaustion. We would repeat this process at 2 or 3 am for an hour or so.<br /><br />I was not a happy camper. When my alarm went off at 6am, I had no desire to see dawn break. In fact, I wanted to sleep all day.<br /><br />I would stumble out of my room, half asleep, and literally trip over my son who would be sleeping somewhere in the floor. We found him sleeping in the kitchen, using the step stool as a pillow, in the hallway outside his room, in the walkway between our room and the kitchen, in the floor of his room next to his bed, and leaning against his doorway of his room (yes, standing but sound asleep).<br /><br />My Facebook friends found it quite entertaining to see where I would find him each day. I wasn't quite so entertained.<br /><br />A little research later and I found a store that carried a Crib Tent and new plan was born. After three weeks, I threw in the towel, put the crib back together, and put a crib tent over the top. He was trapped, and I could get some sleep.<br /><br />This story would be continued but at a later date...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHwFyY_HKUrLd7yKI1VGGp8d2tYetjO2T9omJOC9Gg0lApyhXry1m85UEQ8TjINy9iFXaZX0BRPL89qJSC5kVghk1HlUKK8vNkwfRvPDhBuNwV4-5nZHSKxDVEHR_9DSI4EVJx7zQYJg/s1600/signature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHwFyY_HKUrLd7yKI1VGGp8d2tYetjO2T9omJOC9Gg0lApyhXry1m85UEQ8TjINy9iFXaZX0BRPL89qJSC5kVghk1HlUKK8vNkwfRvPDhBuNwV4-5nZHSKxDVEHR_9DSI4EVJx7zQYJg/s320/signature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632540828607104850" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-91010387934924458672011-07-19T21:55:00.005-05:002011-07-23T08:33:55.897-05:00Blessings In Disguise, Part 1We all know the adage about viewing a glass as either half full or half empty. The jest of the adage is that we can see what is front of us as a blessing or as curse.<br /><br />A recent glass half full blessing was presented to me as I suffered from a horrible asthma attack. My floors took revenge on me and after scrubbing every nook and cranny, the fumes overwhelmed me and I couldn't breathe. My husband took me to the doctor where I was given a steroid shot, a breathing treatment and a chest x-ray. The doctor scratched his head not really understanding why I had such a sudden reaction when I've never had such a reaction.<br /><br />Later, I saw my primary car physician and discussed it all at length with her. I had 24 hours to think about it. Being a holiday, the first doctor was at the fantastic CareNow facility. As I sat with my doctor, I outlined breathing issues that I have had my entire life and that as a rule I stay away from strong chemicals. She concluded that I have had asthma my entire life but never had an issue because I learned my triggers and stayed away from them.<br /><br />She sent me home with a nebulizer and breathing treatments. And I spent the rest of the week and part of the next laying around the house, watching TV and napping when Snugglebug napped.<br /><br />I could easily view this is a glass half empty and moan and groan about my new diagnosis of asthma, but instead I see it as a blessing in disguise. I would have never known that I had asthma and needed to be especially careful in certain situations if I had not had this asthma attack. I, now, have an inhaler in my purse and know the symptoms of an asthma attack and when to use the inhaler. Interestingly enough, I have had these symptoms in the past, especially around cigarette smoke but the situation always corrected itself after I removed myself from the carcinogen.<br /><br />I've also never been able to run or jog because I would start wheezing and coughing. This was always so disappointing because I was told this was my fault for not breathing correctly. Really! I didn't realize one needed to take a class to learn how to breathe. I thought it was automatic. Either you did or you didn't! Nevertheless, I took the blame. Now, I know the problem wasn't my lack of understanding of breathing but asthma. And, now, I can treat it.<br /><br />On my bucket list is a half marathon. With this new diagnosis, I believe I actually have a shot at being able to breathe for the entire 13 miles, not to mention all the miles involved in training.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9dm8HvF_GtbBoK0PiaNpH8u8PEbfnf2m97CnGvQP9C4d8ZSmqRkU1Z8zyHPoqsYNnNZcCqjuvQzqA4DndgG3xDgTm498n_NlRBzKU3_ML6-ZHdQa16Ut0Pn8WN-AmGafQdfJZBtzcaI/s1600/Post+Seperator1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 32px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9dm8HvF_GtbBoK0PiaNpH8u8PEbfnf2m97CnGvQP9C4d8ZSmqRkU1Z8zyHPoqsYNnNZcCqjuvQzqA4DndgG3xDgTm498n_NlRBzKU3_ML6-ZHdQa16Ut0Pn8WN-AmGafQdfJZBtzcaI/s320/Post+Seperator1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631262926320236130" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-51790299013459155392011-07-17T21:52:00.005-05:002011-07-19T22:03:23.200-05:00One of Many Differences Between Boys and GirlsSnugglebug snuck out of bed after I tucked him in and loaded his bed up with his favorite Matchbox cars. I believe I would not be wrong in saying that girls sleep with their stuffed animals and baby dolls, but boys sleep with their cars and trucks.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwrukjKt_wFIcA7HAclROHqbwVr-NX43I7ZWvh-hkryxppcA2eiXKeeaa5hHlOv59fT-IHkN1V0flTelkuT9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s1600/signature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s320/signature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631264458826733266" border="0" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-48264338359505221732011-07-14T07:44:00.003-05:002011-07-19T22:04:38.275-05:00The Economy: A Layman's PerspectiveWhile the news media, politicians, and the President are telling us the economy is improving, I'm having a difficult time seeing it from where I am sitting in the great state of Texas. Allow me to explain from my position as an untrained economist.<br /><br />Every week someone from my friends list on Facebook announces a job loss. Sometimes, the spouse is able to pick up extra hours and make up the difference. Other times, they have a trade that allows them to quickly find a new job. But, many remain out of work. It has almost become an unspoken rule that if you run across a job (that you will not be applying for) that you share it with your friends on Facebook. Unfortunately, the job posts are as rare as the job loss announcements are common.<br /><br />With each out of work person, the family must cut the budget to meet the new income level. Contrary to the news media's analysis, this doesn't make for a recovering economy. How do I know this? I am by no means a trained economist. But, experience can be a great teacher.<br /><br />We learned yesterday that my husband lost one of his jobs. Yes, he works more than one. When you have a special needs child, the medical bills are insurmountable. I'm not at liberty to go into the amount of bills my son accumulates each year but to give you a hint he is three years old and just had his fourth major surgery. He will have his fifth surgery by year's end.<br /><br />With the loss of one job means the loss of a third of our income. We must cut our household budget by one third. We were not living extravagantly but definitely did not have a tight budget. With the loss of salary, there will be no more eating out, no more movies, no more lattes, no books, no crafting supplies, no more driving that is not absolutely necessary, no more cookies and ice cream in the grocery cart, and I will return to the use of coupons to save every penny possible. My trusted travel companion, my SUV, will remain parked in the driveway. We can't afford to fill the tank with today's gas prices approaching $4 a gallon. Instead, my husband and I will share the economy car.<br /><br />Now, here's your challenge: How many retailers will be hit by our job loss? How much money will no longer be added to the local economy? And to add to your numbers, my husband wasn't the only one laid off his job. There were others. So, add their income, budget cuts, and the retailers affected to the list.<br /><br />We know numerous teachers have lost their jobs due to school districts cutting their budgets. We also know that Blockbuster (a distributor is in our area) laid off a lot of employees recently. We were enjoying Chili's burgers recently when half the restaurant was filled with employees who lost their jobs that very day. They were "celebrating" life one last time before going home to cut their budgets to their new income level. How many retailers were affected by the jobs lost at Blockbuster alone?<br /><br />Despite the push to blame the business owner, large or small, for not hiring workers and for laying them off. The true blame should be placed on government as a whole. Budget talks are going on right now on Capital Hill and to no avail. My husband and I cut all non-essentials from our budgets when income drops. Capital Hill must do the same. I can name numerous budget items in the city that employs my husband that should have been cut from the budget as non-essential items. I mean, really, do we need a brand new bridge that runs parallel to an existing bridge with no problems whatsoever. According to the city, we do. Why? Because the old bridge isn't pretty and the new one will be. I could go on and on just about this one city. In the end, they cut my husband's salary and all the other city employees' salaries by five percent and gave them unpaid days off. I rather doubt one bridge will add as much stimulus to the economy as thousands of employees in the city.<br /><br />I'm sure there are many more examples nationwide and on Capital Hill. When government cuts the non-essentials out of their budgets, then maybe we can add the non-essentials back into our budget thus boosting the economy.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s1600/signature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s320/signature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631264458826733266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-33178230425942169922011-06-24T21:38:00.004-05:002011-07-19T22:05:21.072-05:00The Irony of LifeI appreciate the irony of life. It is what makes the world turn. Without it, everything would be completely and totally <span style="font-style:italic;">boring</span>.<br /><br />But, in this case, irony has me beating my head against the wall and kicking myself. To fully understand the irony, let's backtrack to last year and my wonderful adoration of all the <a href="http://felinidelarosa.blogspot.com/2009/07/hummingbirds.html">hummingbirds visiting my feeders</a>. I had three different types of hummingbirds visiting my feeders on a regular basis. I identified two of the varieties but the third I couldn't identify. I took pictures and compared them to website photos and databases. I spent all winter researching hummingbirds and looking for this incredibly small species. This hummingbird was about half the size of the black-chinned and ruby-throated varieties that I had already identified. And there were no hummingbirds of that size in our region. The only one even remotely matching the description resides in Montana and never leaves the mountains. I found it impossible to believe that a mountainous species would survive the 100 degree plus temperatures of Texas.<br /><br />With the advent of spring, I no longer had time to research the hummingbird, so waited for it to make its appearance this year for a better look. For the record, I have not yet seen this tiny species this year.<br /><br />Fast forward to today, I had not been to my garden in several days. Due to all that has been going on, my garden was in great need of attention. After dinner, Snugglebug and I ventured out to the garden so I could see what all needed to be done after he went to bed. I immediately noticed my tall, lush tomato plants were mere stems. This disturbed me, but being a life-long farm-girl, I knew the work of a hornworm when I saw it. It didn't take me but a moment to find the fat culprit lounging on a naked stem. Then, I found a second and a third hornworm.<br /><br />After putting Snugglebug to bed, I went straight out to my garden (baby monitor in hand) to search for any more tomato eating fiends. What began with three worms became ten then twenty. At twenty-five hornworms, I called my friend, <a href="http://araratacres.blogspot.com/">Liz</a>, and said, "You're not going to believe this!" She did and hung up so she could go check her tomato plants. The final count was 28 hornworms on three tomato plants! I would have taken a picture but the sight of them turned my stomach, and I would hate to run off my readers with such a sight.<br /><br />After plucking the worms and depositing them in a large (very large) pickle jar, I turned on the sprinklers and came inside to do some research.<br /><br />I first wanted to know what type of moth the hornworm became so I could make sure to spray it with Raid the next time I saw one. I also wanted to know what the pupae looked like and what ate it so I could prevent the hornworm ever reaching my tomato plants.<br /><br />I learned that the hornworm becomes a moth that when in flight <span style="font-style:italic;">looks </span><span style="font-style: italic;">like </span>a hummingbird. It eats nectar <span style="font-style:italic;">just like</span> a hummingbird, feeds on flowers <span style="font-style:italic;">just like</span> a hummingbird, has the same long tongue, and from a distance <span style="font-style: italic;">looks like</span> an extremely small hummingbird. The photos and the description on all the websites matched the unknown hummingbird from last year. I sat in complete astonishment. Last year, I had been feeding and marveling at a moth, <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>a bird. Last year, I had been feeding the moth that would lay the eggs and become a hideous larvae known as the hornworm that was now eating my tomato plants.<br /><br />The irony is too much to bear. And while I typically admire irony and say, "My hat's off to you for pulling that one off," today, I say, "cussword, cussword, cussword."<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s1600/signature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XP_yT7EOjWRlqzi5vClHiWvw8u36JAiprhcksStzlFUQ1h1Td6P2tpVnqorwyVbYYIK1h-o6jRJtLNhPM9NUzNeRxdPqrFuqfrhNxMBY8jw5bM7kx4SG4K-IPPYUEg2J_b7ZMlqeY-g/s320/signature.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631264458826733266" border="0" /></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-7652705113027539042011-06-11T20:47:00.001-05:002011-06-11T20:47:00.881-05:00Take a close look...No, closer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXlQwFZEinzwy9VxDOJlik4NjpzkPg5bV49HqQfvqcwKPkX33i4-psyaMYB1x2YXfiY6QZLeX4JvwII8KJ2lGj989srQQHzUmUvqHYtFLuEp5h-vowpOrNJSusK1JMmMEmUzhklR4xmE/s1600/IMG_0018+cropped.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXlQwFZEinzwy9VxDOJlik4NjpzkPg5bV49HqQfvqcwKPkX33i4-psyaMYB1x2YXfiY6QZLeX4JvwII8KJ2lGj989srQQHzUmUvqHYtFLuEp5h-vowpOrNJSusK1JMmMEmUzhklR4xmE/s320/IMG_0018+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616774997830782194" border="0" /></a><br />So, this lovely lady has taken up residence in our backyard, beyond my garden.<br /><br />She is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer">Killdeer</a>. She is ground nesting bird who has a very sad sounding chirp. She makes an even more distressing broke wing limp when you get too close to her nest. The idea is that the ground dweller will be led away by the enticing thought that the injured bird will be easily caught. She will lead the prey quite a ways away before taking flight. She then makes sure the prey is far from her nest before she returns.<br /><br />Here's a picture of the nest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAMs9rCO-hOis085yY4-bOySSECaUr9xxtfO_rRKSZlpwNywqmhmlilicLT5WfsCE6S_Xr9w2GNYOKzg-PeRnmUn0XF2ZUcm5QleNReXw5NyJk-33t1I2KxAP4a2NUPOkJqiYHbq2r8I/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAMs9rCO-hOis085yY4-bOySSECaUr9xxtfO_rRKSZlpwNywqmhmlilicLT5WfsCE6S_Xr9w2GNYOKzg-PeRnmUn0XF2ZUcm5QleNReXw5NyJk-33t1I2KxAP4a2NUPOkJqiYHbq2r8I/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616776515302671058" border="0" /></a>Oh, you don't see it. Well, that's the way it's meant to be. I searched at least an hour this afternoon and could not find her nest. This evening while working in my garden, I kept a close eye on the little bird and followed her visually back to her nest. Even with a reference point, I had a tough time finding the nest. It blends in with the ground so well that one could literally step right over it and never see it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's another photo of the nest. Take a close look at this photo then go back and take a closer look at the photo above.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdF-3ZLhmeMkOs1KcVEfTtsT7pkgshxPSe7bAFjMnAXoZkX0kRa9dnyx0tdAaDCY8cGKRK1nzp4N_uuET-F0gdkc4LcuGHvZUl9rUkDqa0bqHwSLBELaBhCgsoSiOi5KH6Rs-qEPdEmU/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdF-3ZLhmeMkOs1KcVEfTtsT7pkgshxPSe7bAFjMnAXoZkX0kRa9dnyx0tdAaDCY8cGKRK1nzp4N_uuET-F0gdkc4LcuGHvZUl9rUkDqa0bqHwSLBELaBhCgsoSiOi5KH6Rs-qEPdEmU/s320/IMG_0026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616777709798013170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now, do you see it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's one last, even closer, look at the nest and eggs. Can you see how they would be lost even though they sit right out in the open? Amazing! Simply Amazing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4Sk3uuVVhIMBnWbY15lmFws_8HLy2BgTR7zC163XJWc_2J13f0T88Pwfqxuf5f4Vp8Yk3jEYJEeu751u_FkfYAnjUOMUrRxiVR6NSbPHohavJPcAMOg450AOSpsWWx3sIwGnYTQeTI/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4Sk3uuVVhIMBnWbY15lmFws_8HLy2BgTR7zC163XJWc_2J13f0T88Pwfqxuf5f4Vp8Yk3jEYJEeu751u_FkfYAnjUOMUrRxiVR6NSbPHohavJPcAMOg450AOSpsWWx3sIwGnYTQeTI/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616778563300784514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Killdeer.jpg">PS For those who would like to see a better view of the little bird (I don't have a long camera lens.) click this link to a Wikipedia photo.</a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861538098303214391.post-58527811578607646572011-06-10T19:10:00.002-05:002011-06-10T20:31:39.070-05:00We Have Sentences, People!We had our first sentences, today! They were only two word sentences but subject verb just the same. Prior to this we have had a lot of two word combos but more like adjective noun or a please attached to a noun or a name attached to a request.<br /><br />What were the sentences you ask? I'm so glad you did!<br /><br />Wot dis! (interpreted: Watch This!) While climbing over the sofa (that's another post)<br /><br />i bo. (interpreted: It Broke) Referring to a nickel yo-yo he received from a recent birthday party as a party favor.<br /><br />Only 6 months ago, we had our first verbal words. He still signs and most of the time will sign one word and say the other word. Other times he signs and says the word both. Most of the time the word is only the first consonant which renders the spoken word useless without the sign. His verbal speech has surpassed his signs though, so at times there is frustration when he can't get across what he is talking about. We are working on that! My husband and I are taking a class in sign language with the goal of being able to communicate with him via sign and teach him the same way verbal communication is taught. We are well on our way with an excellent teacher!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/313/77D15AFD5BE7EBDAAC3F1B717DDCA7C8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/></a>Cynda Western Felinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13193249596067918884noreply@blogger.com1