Fall Touring

On Wednesday, we drove (and drove and drove) to Maplewood State Park.  We hiked for a short while, found a tick on the dog, and then discovered there was no bug spray with us (and the dog didn't have her Frontline).  So we decided to check out two other state parks on the way home instead of hiking around the one park.  These pictures are from Maplewood.

Thanks, Brad, for taking this while I was eating.  Classy.

Our little friend enjoyed her time out too.

I wish we would have waited for the cloud to pass by before we took the pictures--it makes it a lot less pretty than it actually was!

After Maplewood, we checked out Glendalough and Lake Carlos.   It was too much driving, honestly.  I felt like we ate way too much junk in the car and didn't do much walking.  We got home really late and burned a lot of gas.  BUT we did see the most beautiful scenery and the trees were stunning.  We got to check out an area that we don't get to often and know now that we think it might be fun to camp out there.  So, live and learn, I guess.

Randomness

• The leaves are really starting to change here.  The sumac is blazing red and there are goldeny-orange-green trees, along with the occasional bright red maple.  We're planning on taking a day trip up north to see the forests in their autumn glory (yes, I just said that) on Wednesday, providing everyone's healthy enough.  Of course I'll take pictures and post them for your enjoyment!

• Colds.  First Henry; now, as of last night, Holly.  I keep thinking I'm coming down with something and it hasn't happened yet.  You know that feeling?  The weird, dry throat, kind of spacey feeling, tired.  It's been going on since Friday and I wish that if I am going to get sick it would just happen already.  Not that I want to.  Obviously I want to avoid it!

• Also if I'm not sick tomorrow, I get to go with some other homeschooling moms to the Minnesota Historical Society's Educator Preview of their new exhibit--CHOCOLATE.  (Please don't get sick, please, please, please...)  I get a goodie bag if I go!!  A goodie bag!

• The kids did their first nature study drawings for this year.  They blew me away.  I should scan them and show them off.  Every week they'll choose something in nature that interests them and try to draw it as accurately as they can.  Then they find out exactly what it is and write the name on the drawing.  Sometimes we'll add quotes to it if we find something we like.  We generally look up what we're studying in the good ol' Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.  (LOVE this book by the way.  What an amazing resource.  No wonder so many people talk about it--and it's 100 years old--with revisions--next year!)  

• I canNOT believe that October is a few days away.  What happened?

• I recently found out that my brother, Ryan, doesn't like Nutella.  I'm thinking he may be adopted and it's been kept a secret.

• Seriously, Nutella?

• No, that's not chocolate around my mouth.  It's my...new lipstick.  Yeah.  Lipstick.  It's brown.

Hope you're enjoying autumn where you are.  We sure are!

Doctor Visit

Holly had another one of her checkups today.  It went well.  She's grown another inch and gained two more pounds since July.  She's gaining weight really well, but the doctor's still a little concerned about her height.  If she hasn't grown appropriately (percentiles and all that) in proportion to her weight by the next time we see him (March), we'll have to go to the endocrinologist to make sure there are no growth hormone problems or something of that nature.  I'm hoping we get to avoid that.  Of course.  The doctor also noted some clubbing of her fingernails--something I hadn't heard of.  It has to do with malabsorption in her case, and should go away soon.  It means her fingernails are shaped differently and they're thin, among other things.

She had some bloodwork drawn today; we'll find out soon what her results are for iron, D, liver enzymes (they were elevated last time), and a couple other things, along with her antibody levels.  The antibodies are the marker for celiac disease and damage.  She should have very low to no antibodies in this test by now--we have our fingers crossed.  If there are antibodies, it means damage is still being done to her body, she's still not absorbing nutrients, and still at a very elevated risk for things like cancer and nerve damage, among other nasty things. 

We are optimistic that her labs will be markedly better than last time.  I mean, last time she was severely anemic and had huge amounts of antibodies, along with other pretty severe deficiencies and elevated liver enzyme levels (which, of course, are things you just don't want to hear about your child).  She's finally got pink cheeks again and as far as I know, her heart murmur is gone (it was from the anemia).

A side note, the clinic we're going to--Maple Grove Fairview Children's Specialty Clinic (for pediatric gastroenterology)--is amazing.  They have a special nurse to hang out with Holly while she's sitting on my lap for her blood draws.  They give her numbing cream on her arms so she won't feel the needle, they read books to her and let her push the buttons on the book (one of those noisy ones, it was even My Little Pony), she got to pick out a book and a small toy...it's pretty amazing. 

Afterward, we went to lunch at PF Changs (mmm...Shanghai Street Noodles...) (oh, and mmmm...chocolate layer dessert...), which has become a favorite of ours.  There are other restaurants around that area that have good gluten-free menus and training that we need to check out soon.  Today Holly wanted Chinese, though, so that's where we ended up!

I'm very proud of my brave little girl--she went through it all a little nervous, but was a little champ!  And Henry, too.  He was such a good guy sitting patiently and quietly.  I'm such a lucky mom!

Taylors Falls boat tour

Last Monday, Harry came over to spend some time with the grandkids (and us, too).  For those who don't know, Harry is Brad's dad.

We headed over to the St. Croix river and took an 80-minute tour on the paddlewheel boats that go through the Interstate park system and downstream.  It was a beautiful day, a beautiful trip, and we even had some yummy snacks (they were only Skittles, M&Ms, and almonds, but they were yummy on the boat).

 

Afterward, we took Grandpa through Interstate State Park (where the ever-popular potholes are--the kids LOVE that little park) and showed him the interesting geology and stunning views.

We headed home for some play time and then dinner on the grill and a spice cake (thanks Mom!) with cream cheese frosting.  It was a great day.

Thanks, Harry!  We had a great time!

First day of school! First day of school!

We started on Wednesday morning...

P.S.  Name the movie the title is from and you'll be a winner.  You won't exactly win anything, but hey, you'll KNOW you're a winner.
P.P.S.  Don't mind the big gaping hole in the wall behind the whiteboard.  It's not really there.  Okay, it is.  It's embarrassing, but true.  We have a giant hole in the wall so we could fix the plumbing in the shower.  IT WAS MADE IN THE SPRING.  Ugh.
P.P.P.S.  See my lovely paper organizers in the shelves, Mom?  See 'em?  Huh?  Aren't they the coolest?!

North Shore Nature Study

Some of the interesting or beautiful things we found on our trip to the North Shore (please forgive the lack of precise naming):

Pretty Rock

Mushroom

Devil's Paintbrush or Orange Hawkweed

Fairy house!

White agate embedded in rock

Beautiful rock formation

Lake Superior Agate

Interesting Rock Collection

Possibly Red Jasper?

Harebell

Tiny green frog

Family Vacation 2010

Grand Portage State Park.  This river forms the US/Canada border.

We returned from our North Shore Experience on Saturday evening.  What a great trip!  It was cold most of the time (30
degrees one night!), but it was, as expected, beautiful and relaxing.  For the most part.  Of course.

Temperance River State Park

We stayed--as I have already told you--at Temperance River State Park.  We hiked and saw the falls there, hidden and otherwise.  Spectacular.  Lots of fish in the river.  We saw salmon all stacked up in the river, right under the bridge.  It's spawning season there, so we got to see them jumping up the falls in the river.  The kids thought it was hilarious, of course.  The salmon, in case you are wondering, are pink salmon.  They also have brown trout and rainbow trout in the river.  We saw a guy catch a 2-3 foot long something (couldn't tell for sure what it was, looked salmon-ish) on the rocks right near the river mouth.  It was a very nice fish.

Split Rock Lighthouse (State Park)

We were buzzed by a bald eagle (again--this is the third camping trip in a row that's happened on.  Is it a sign or something?  These birds come close, really close, right over our heads!), found agates and other amazing rocks (red jasper, I think) along the shore, hiked to beautiful overlooks, played by the lake, went to Canada, and lived by the fire in the evenings.  I couldn't get the smoke smell out of my hair for a few washings!

It was sad to come home.  We love the North Shore so much, we wish we could live there.  Maybe someday.  But for now, we're back, and we feel refreshed, ready to start school on Wednesday.

For the most part anyway.

Lake Superior, near the mouth of the Temperance River

Temperance River State Park

I have too many pictures to put on the blog, so they will be going to Flickr.  If you'd like to see more pictures from the trip, go here for the first batch.  I'll have to wait a while to add more--I reached my limit for the month already!  I will be sure to let you know when more are available.

National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

Today is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day here in the U.S.  Please find out more about this disease, or try eating gluten-free for a day.

If you'd like suggestions on where to find more information, let me know.  I can help!

Here is a link to the Senate Resolution:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-sr605/text

Fall Preserving

I am writing this on Saturday, the fourth of September.  I'm going to have this post while we're gone on our trip.

I felt so productive today.  Made a batch of Sloppy Joes and froze it in a Ziploc to take camping--all we have to do it heat it up and eat it with chips!  Mmmm...

I prepped all my ripe tomatoes (blanched, removed skin, cut in half, squeezed out seeds and goo, put in Ziplocs) and put them in the freezer for winter cooking.  Another mmmm...

I have lots more, and more on the plants--most of which are going to get the same treatment.  We have lots of grape tomatoes.  But those will get eaten up quickly.  They are amazing.  Yum.  I have all the unripe tomatoes spaced out around my kitchen, trying to keep them apart so they ripen more slowly and we don't come home from our trip to a bunch of overripe, mushy, rotten tomatoes!

Even chopped up the purple bell peppers I have and they're on a cookie sheet freezing as we speak.  They'll go into their own Ziploc later tonight.

More are growing right now, and I found that with this particular plant, the longer I leave the peppers on the plant, the better they are.  I left one on for weeks and it started turning green with a tinge of red.  It's actually the cut-up one in the picture above.  I tried a bit of it and it was very good.  Sweet.  The others are a little more bitter.  Still good though!

I've got pumpkins and butternut squash in my storeroom...

Who wants made-from-scratch pumpkin pie in a couple of months?  I know I do.  And Brad.  And Henry and Holly, too!  (The stripes on the butternut are actually shadows from my onion, garlic and potato storage bins that hang on the cool IKEA shelves we got.  More on that another time...)

Then I converted one of Brad's favorite cookie recipe, those Molasses Crinkles I showed off yesterday.  AND I got all the laundry (well, clothing anyway) washed and dried, and got some more packing done for the trip.

Now I need to get school started (when we get home, of course), start canning, and finish up Christmas plans.  Then get ready for the holidays.

We love fall!


P.S.  We'll be back soon and I'll post pictures of our trip as soon as I can!

One more day...

So yesterday we decided that 40+ mph wind gusts--and rain--coming off the lake were not optimal conditions for setting up camp.  This means we are at home still.  But we're leaving in the morning!  We're trying to get everything done and I'm going to attempt cinnamon rolls today, to take with us.

It's going to be very chilly up there, but at least the lake moderates the temperatures.  It'll be cooler during the day, but warmer at night than if we were farther west in northern Minnesota.

We'll see you when we get back!  With pictures!


P.S.  Keep your fingers crossed that we can squeeze everything into the car--we have a Yakima roof rack now, thanks to our wonderful parents (YAY!), but we don't have anything to put ON the rack to carry gear yet(BOOOO!).  Hopefully very soon...

I did it again!

Molasses Crinkles, gluten-free (for camping!):

I have to say, I'm pretty proud.

We leave on our trip tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed that we don't end up soaked and freezing...

Guess what I did last night!

I made cookies.

Ones that work and taste great!  Henry tried some last night and said, "This tastes familiar..."  Can I get a better compliment?  It means they taste like cookies he was used to!

Here they are.  I know they don't look like much, but I conquered basic Toll House cookies.  I changed four things in the recipe.  (They're a little light on the chips because I don't like lots of chocolate chips in my cookies.)

I did a big happy dance.  All around the kitchen and into the living room.

Also, as an aside, do you see the ziploc bag in the background?  The one with the crumbled cookies in it?  Those were the first part of the last batch.  The ones that made me cry.  The ones that Henry couldn't get out of the bag because they fell apart--a good way to describe it is "Like sand flowing through my fingers!"  (Okay, it wasn't THAT bad, but it did come to mind.)

Next on the list--Molasses Crinkles, M&M cookies (the ones Brad's mom used to make, and Brad made, too--they're GOOD), and, eventually, Berlinerkranser.  Those are the wreath cookies Yvonne, Brad's mom, made every year at Christmas, and that I finally managed to reproduce last Christmas (oh, the irony).  Oh, and of course, Unsurpassable Chocolate Chip Cookies.  If you don't know what those are, you SHOULD.  Mmmmm...

I can do it.

This Whole Gluten-Free Thing

Since Holly's diagnosis, we've had good days and bad days, okay days, miserable days, outstanding days and every other kind of day you can think of.  There were times that I was ecstatic that we knew, finally, what was wrong with our little girl.  There have been days that I just didn't want to do this anymore, but knew I didn't have a choice, and those days are the ones when I realize that this is for her whole life.  The risks, the constantly being aware, the being different than her friends, the misunderstanding or flat-out incomprehension others have of her disease.

You may think I'm being melodramatic.  I promise I'm not.  These are just the feelings I feel and there's not much I can do about it.  Most of the time (the vast majority of days, actually) we just go about our day, we eat our food, do our normal stuff.  We're fine.  I'm fine.  There are days--like when I'm at the grocery store and reading every single label of every single thing I pick up, or watching something that shows people stopping someplace random to eat (yeah, I know it sounds dumb, but we can't anymore) while on a trip or just out, or when I'm just having a hard day at home and would love it if Brad could pick up some dinner on his way home--that really bring up the situation again.

Last night I was making some chocolate chip cookies.  Except I am still not great at this.  It's like learning to cook all over again, except the recipes don't work right unless you already know how to fix them.  I followed the recipe.  The cookies spread horribly and didn't hold together.  They taste fine.  I know, you're thinking "more flour", right?  Well, that's wheat flour baking.  Yes, I probably needed more flour, but also maybe more liquid.  I'm thinking another egg white.  And adding a little more xanthan gum.  That and the egg would help with the crumbles, I think.  What's my point?  It's hard learning this and it gets discouraging.  We have a pretty tight budget here for food.  Plus the flours are more expensive than regular wheat all-purpose, and I need to mix them.  So it's not like I can just keep experimenting endlessly.

Last night, I got discouraged.  I cried.  I thought of my little girl sitting up there in her bed, reading.  She has this disease.  She has it for the rest of her life.  But you know what?  I realized that I know how to fix the cookies--or at least ideas to try.  I already know more than I did in May.  I've made other cookies that were very, very close to working.  So I CAN do this.  I have to.  I need to learn so I can teach her.  She needs to know how to bake, too.  I won't always be managing her food for her.

The cookies were symbolic.  It wasn't really about them.  They represented a lot in my mind at that moment in my life.  Things may look like failure if you choose to look at them that way, but if you choose to see the success, you'll see there's a lot of hope. 

It wasn't about the cookies.  It was about our life.

Odds and Ends

I don't really have a whole blog post for any one topic right now.  So I thought I'd do a bits-and-pieces sort of approach to this post. 

• If you haven't heard much from me lately, it's because life's been a little stressful lately.  Having a child with an autoimmune disease and getting used to that fact (while also having to be vigilant about everything) is stressful enough, and then add on everyday life stuff and sometimes you just feel like you need to be alone for a while.  At least that's how I process things.  You know how life gets sometimes.  Everyone has those times.

•  We're getting ready for our family vacation next week.  We're really excited.  Where are we going?  Hopefully (weather permitting) we'll be camped out here for five nights (check out the pictures of the park!), and visit all around the area.  Canada (eh?) is possibly on the list of things to do, since we'll be so close.  The North Shore is one incredible area, let me tell ya!  I can't wait to be by the lake again.  It's one of those soul-gripping places for me, where I feel at peace and in awe at the same time.  To be really cheesy--it calls to me.  It really does.  I love it.

• When are we starting school?  Everyone always wants to know.  Well, not everyone, but I know a lot of curious people, since we're the "unusual" family who homeschools.  (Yeah, that's where the title of our blog comes from.  It's become more and more true as the years have gone on!  They homeschool their kids?  She spins her own yarn?  They don't eat gluten?  Yup.  That's us.)  I'm thinking we'll start after our vacation, but I'm not totally sure yet.  I have to look at the calendar a bit.  We'd really love to get more camping and daytrips in during Sept. and even early Oct., weather permitting (as usual).  Fall is an amazing, amazing time here in Minnesota.  It's beautiful and the weather is awesome.  So we'll see about school.  We do have all winter, after all (although we like to get out then, too...).

• I think I'm going to try to make one or two different recipes I've found for cinnamon rolls this weekend.  Those would be great to take camping.  Yum!

• The kids are still growing like weeds.  Holly had to get new undies because she outgrew the ones she'd been wearing for...what--two years I think?...and I just bought them last month.  They're already tight!  Yay/Sob!  I've heard of kids growing 6" in a year after finding out they had celiac and then going gluten free and healing up.  Yay because we're so relived she's getting healthy, sob because clothes aren't cheap.  But I'll take the clothes bill any day over what was happening in the past.  Any day.

• Oooh!  Ooooh!  We got to meet our friends' new (okay, four weeks old--how does that happen so fast?) baby boy last night.  Aedan is his name and he is perfect and sweet.  Brett and Lea are amazing parents already and we're so happy for all three (or should I say five--can't leave out the doggies) of them.  I hope we get to see lots of him (and his parents of course).  Holly LOVED holding baby Aedan.  She held him three times.  Right before we were going to go, she almost started crying because she wanted to hold him again so badly.  Awwww...

• I think that's all I have time for today.  I just looked at the time and it's already 1 o'clock.  I have a two-week meal plan and corresponding shopping list to create (along with a "camping meal plan"--extra bonus fun for this week [ick]), a school room to de-junk and de-clutter, and a camping trip to start packing for.  I've got until Sunday night to get the last two done (but I'm hoping against hope that maybe this will be the time procrastination decides not to rear its ugly head...stop laughing.  I'm feeling good about it.  It's cloudy and cool and I'm always more productive on those days for some reason.), but I have to get the shopping list etc. done today so I can actually do the shopping (read: have something to eat in this house) tomorrow.

• Oh, This Just In... the kids plugged up the toilet.  Just thought I'd share.  I guess it really IS time for me to wrap this up!

What's going on with you?  What's new in your neck of the woods?  Anything special?