Just a few tidbits on this fine Friday…

This past weekend, Jim and I took our very first trip without children in over ELEVEN YEARS!!!!!!???? Since I was pregnant with Tanner, we have never gone away overnight together.?? We went to our honeymoon spot up in Oak Creek Canyon and it was pure bliss.?? Interpret that however you like.?? ;)?? It has been EIGHTEEN wonderful years and we wanted to celebrate US.???? It was cool, and beautiful, and we found gluten free food, and we hiked, and talked, and sat near the creek and just enjoyed the alone time.?? I am so glad we finally did it!!!?? (Thanks Mom and Aunt Beck for making that possible!)

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Let’s talk about my girl Tori.

Tori loves to carry around a notebook these days so that she can write out her thoughts (of which she has many).?? She interviewed Jim and I the other night asking all kinds of schedule questions.?? At one point, she asked her Daddy what he did on Saturday mornings and he told her that during the night on Saturdays he goes to a roller coaster park and plays all night and then comes home early in the morning to catch up on sleep before anyone notices he was gone.?? Her only response to that tall tale was?? “Ooooookkkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy” in her best teenager voice.???? Then she made us sign and date our interviews all official like.?? We wondered what she intended to hold us too.

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She wears her pink or blue flannel shirt over her outfits all the time and I finally asked her why she liked those shirts so much and she said “This is how Barbie dresses”.???? Hmmmmmm.?? Fashion inspiration from Barbie dolls??? Didn’t see that coming.

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At the dinner table this week…

Me:?? Jim who did you tell me the 2013 American Idol judges are?

Tori:?? I don’t recall.

Jim:?? You don’t recall?

Tori:?? No.?? I do not recall.

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Yesterday Ty was frustrated having to finish school at an unscheduled time of the day.

Tori:?? It’s okay Ty!?? I am going to help you do it!

As an after thought…”I can’t read though.?? How hard is it?”

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In Costco, Ty falls and hurts his knee…

Tori:?? When we get home I will get you all fixed up Ty.

She fancies herself a Dr.

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This household learns a lot from Ty.???? His sunny disposition is infectious and really influences his siblings.?? I was laughing in the car yesterday because Ty said something Tori didn’t like so she (uncharacteristically) bit him and then he hit her for biting him.?? She got in trouble for biting him.?? I told her to apologize.???? Ty apologized to her as well.

Ty:?? Tori!?? We both just said “I am sorry” at the exact same time!?? Let’s both say “I forgive you” at the same time too!

Tori:?? Okay!

Then they giggled and were back to their happy selves.?? This type of scene plays itself out in our home all the time.?? I don’t think Tori realizes what grudge holding is all about because she is being taught by a sibling who has no concept of the notion.?? It is oh so refreshing that they make up as quickly as they get mad.

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Diet Update

I am three weeks in now and I am noticing the following:

1.?? Knee pain almost gone.

2. Feet pain (likely arthritic) is much improved!

3. NO swelling on my recent trip up north.

4. Headaches gone.

5. Sleeping much better with very little pain in my lower back in the morning.

6. Jim’s head pressure issues have not returned.

7. No after meal bloating feeling.

8. I get full easy (which is nice because I don’t feel deprived)

ALL GOOD!

Both of us are actually ENJOYING this to tell the truth.?? Eating out is not fun – I do admit that – but we have had lots of good stuff at home and I am collecting recipes left and right.?? My sweet friend Debbie came over and cooked with me and the kids LOVED the almond flour pancakes we made.?? I am going to make lemon bars for Jim tonight.???? So far, I am not missing much.?? I still crave the Coke Zero some but I am getting through it.?? I also caved and bought dark chocolate because I couldn’t find a substitute for chocolate that I could live with.?? The maltitol in diet chocolate really gets me sick and my attempts at creating it with cocoa and stevia have been a bust – too bitter.???? I bought 90% cocoa bars as the sugar is pretty negligible per serving and I love dark chocolate so that little bit of indulgence goes a long way.

I read Elizabeth Hasselbach’s book on being G Free and it really has me concerned that I really may have bonafide celiac.?? Between me, my mom, my grandmother, and my Aunts, we have all the celiac symptoms covered pretty much and celiac is a genetic disease.?? For me, some of the long term conditions associated to celiac are fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue (check), peripheral neuropathies (check), rheumatoid arthritis (assuming that is what is happening with my feet – check), GERDS (check), anemia (check), B12 deficiency (I am going to assume check because of my nerve issues).???? (Note to Dennette:?? Hashimoto’s can be a long term effect of celiac too).?? Jim and I are discussing having me formally tested but I would have to go back on wheat to get the blood panel run or to do the endoscopy and I don’t want to do that right now.?? I am wondering how much the genetic test costs because while it won’t “officially” diagnose by itself, if you have the genes and you have the symptoms, and they abate when you are GF…well then…you have it.

I don’t want Celiac.?? I would much prefer to think this is Celiac Lite.???? I think it is pretty important to know though because one you can cheat a bit with and the other you cannot.

 

Troy finally broke two molars through last week.?? As a mother of four, you would have thought that I would have assumed that from the grumpiness and clear runny nose but it wasn’t until he bit me that the light bulb went off.

And I will close for the day with this….

Tori has been suffering lately from significant arm pain and general fatigue.?? It is always centered around cleaning time.?? She ails terribly.?? I have seen this before.?? At the age of four, Tanner had a really bum leg.?? The only way he could ease his suffering was to rest it up on the ouch for a bit until the pain subsided.?? Ty too.?? Cleaning gets Ty right in the gut and causes all kinds of nauseousness and general malaise.?? Being the researcher that I am, I am quite fascinated by what allergy Troy will develop at approximately four (as that seems the average age of onset).???? There is no doubt in my mind that he will inherit this irksome infliction as well.???? I try to encourage them to just work through the pain as best as they can and keep a stiff upper lip about it.?? It’s one of those pains that most grow out of and you just have to get through it until then.?? Time for me to go clean my kitchen now.?? I feel a terrible headache coming on.