Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

I found this recipe for Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie at Recipe Lion. It was a hit!

2 cans cream of potato soup
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp dried thyme (I didn't use this)
1/4 tsp pepper (I think I added a little garlic too)
4 cups cooked cut-up veggies (I used a 2 or so cup package of frozen mixed veggies)
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I used canned chicken breast)
1 package of refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir soup, milk, thyme, pepper, veggies and chicken in a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Bake at 40 for 15 minutes or until chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir. Arrange biscuits on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

I melted cheese on top too!

My $4 Mudd boots from Salvation Army store

If you have a Salvation Army thrift store nearby, check it out! I got these Mudd boots for $4 and below some nice snow boots for Brady for $2. I also got him a nice pair of jeans for 50 cents and a nice shirt for spring program for 50 cents.

They had all their winter stuff for 25 cents a piece whether it was a pair of gloves or a full coat. Another thrift store in our mall had a $5 bag sale, anything you could stuff in the bag for $5. I got 3 skirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of sandals and a nice purse.

As always, I think thrift store shopping is the way to go! How many can you find in your area?

5 reasons I choose not to homeschool

When you have a child with struggles at school - whether it's learning or behavior, I can see the strong temptation to homeschool. In some ways it would be harder, but in some ways it would be much easier.

I know several people who have done it successfully, either because their child's temperament required it or because they just believed in it. I did a story on homeschooling for a local paper. I've seen the results of homeschooling with my two very bright and successful now-adult nieces.

I think homeschooling is a wonderful idea if you can do it and feel called to do it (And the Money Saving Mom has tons of great resources, freebies and information about it).

I've thought about it off and on over the years - and Brady begged me to do it all summer after his rough kindergarten year - but I ultimately came to the conclusion it wouldn't be best for us. I may change my mind someday, I guess, but for now I feel like public school is right for Brady. I was reaffirmed in this decision after the first day of first grade when Brady told me, "I love school!" He continues to love it despite ups and downs.

He told me the other day, "Me going to school is work just like you going to the office." He also tells me that his "work at school is very important." Today he told me, "Today's the Easter party. It's not as important as the work, they don't have to do it, but they want to." When he comes to a conclusion all on his own, in this case that his school work is important, it usually sticks hard.

So here's why:

1) We have a great small school. Our elementary school is really a very good school. It's small, kids get more attention than most, the teachers and principal live close by to us and we see them in town all the time, I'm able to call and email whenever I need to. The school is very well rated statewide too. We are very fortunate to have such a good resource here.

2) Brady and I have spent a lot of time alone, just the two of us, so we're very close. There were times it felt just like we were the only two people in the universe. This is really great in many ways, but I feel like we both need to experience our separate lives during the day. We need to have space and our own identities. We are healthier that way.

3) Brady needs practice with social skills. I know homeschoolers can have very active social lives, but we live in a small town with few opportunities to connect without driving a long way. He has to learn to interact with kids on the bus, at school, at day care, everywhere. He has grown so much in this area.

4) He needs to be challenged. Brady is a bright kid, and I could teach him a lot and challenge him. But I really do feel like he is better off with experts in each area of what he needs to learn. I can supplement that pretty well from home, but I feel like he will gain more if he is in an academic setting. I have this idea he will embrace college someday and for him, I think it will be a much easier transition if he's had a lot of experience in the academic setting.

5) He has to learn how to work with people he doesn't get along with. Brady is a creature of habit. He doesn't like change. If he was at home every day, he would revel in the sameness, he would immerse himself in our routine and never look back. That's great, except I think for him he'd be missing a crucial life skill, something he'd struggle with later. He needs to practice dealing with different people and personalities, handling change, experiencing the unexpected and learning to adjust. He will need those skills to be successful in the world.

Deals at Aldi and Dillons, through April 2

Aldi: 

• $1.99 for 1 gallon of milk
• 99 cents for 10 pounds of potatoes
• 59 cents for 1 pound of baby carrots
• 99 cents for 1 pound of broccoli
• $1.48 for 4 pounds of navel oranges
• 29 cents per pound bananas
• $1.29 for whole pineapple
• $1.99 pound of butter
• 59 cents cream of mushroom soup

Dillons:

•  99 cents per pound broccoli 
• 99 cents per pound roma tomatoes

Dillons did not have much of anything that seemed like a good deal to me. I saw better deals everywhere else, including Aldi, Walmart and two local grocery stores. Maybe next week!

3 free snailmail Sunmaid raisin recipe books

 Just got mine in the mail. You can order them here: 

New Taste of Tradition

100th anniversary cookbook

Kid friendly recipes

6 reasons collecting is a good kid hobby

I myself find a great deal of joy and fulfillment in a variety of hobbies and I think it is helpful for kids too. It could be anything: nature items, coins, foreign money, baseball cards, bottles, pins, rocks, fossils, signs, license plates, hats, whatever. This is what I think collecting does for kids:

1) Helps develop a sense of identity and self. If they are collecting along with a parent, it gives a sense of family identity, or if alone, a sense of personal identity.

2) It gives them a constructive use of their time. Collecting can fill up lots of time and give you an alternative to hours on end of TV, computer or video games. Most parents today know what I'm talking about :)

3) It works their research, memory and learning muscles. They have to seek out information on their collection, learn about it, remember, delve into a topic beyond the usual surface information. It's a great skill to have.

4) It can be a source of confidence and accomplishment. They can show it to friends and relatives, share their  knowledge, and see the results of their efforts.

5) It encourages bonding - either with friends or with parents who share the same collecting habit. It's something you can do together, good quality time.

6) It can eventually help them be more social if they get involved in clubs associated with their collection.

Here are Brady's: a coin collection we work on together and a baseball collection his father has gotten him started on.

When the problem is behavior, not learning

One of the things I struggle with as it relates to Brady is the things that present challenges to him - ADHD and anxiety - do not seem to greatly affect his learning. He actually does very well at school.

We've had some setbacks in spelling and reading, but I don't believe they are anything we can't conquer with extra work at home. And we have already. His spelling is significantly better in just a couple weeks of working on it. He believes the work he does at school is important and rarely balks at it. He believes homework is important and never balks at it. And math? Forget about it! He adores it, eats it up and excels at it. Same with science. He's a bright, bright kid.

So, while I want his teachers to see him as a child with special needs as it relates to discipline, I see no need at for a special aide or special help academically.

I think he presents a bit of a conundrum. He doesn't fall into a typical kid category behaviorally with anxiety, control and impulse issues, but not necessarily academically either since he is capable of focusing and doing his work and actually enjoys the challenges of school. While he's a bit socially awkward, he's also VERY outgoing and loves being with friends.

So on the one hand, he may be viewed like everyone else, but he's just not. I mean, the kid takes medication. Clearly we've accepted there is a difference that needs addressed. But how do you explain that to a teacher or principal or aide or bus driver? If you treat him like everyone else, you will not get good results. But don't treat him unfairly either or too harshly. How do you convince them to take the extra steps with him? Like 1-2-3 Magic or a calm but firm voice instead of a yell or balancing the negative with the positive. These things work with him, but how do I get people to accept that and do it?

I don't really have the answers to this, but it is what I think about a lot.

ADHD: teacher's attitude makes all the difference

I keep coming back to what one of Brady's teachers said to me. She said:

"I just try to help him make better choices and to stop and think sometimes. He doesn't want to get in trouble."

I wasn't sure why I kept thinking of that, other than it is a great comfort to me that someone in his life outside of his family sees him that way. And let me tell you, he absolutely loves her, as well as his regular school teacher who sees him that same way. And another who always tells him, "Tomorrow's a new day and we aren't going to worry about the past." That, too, is really awesome. He respects her and listens to her. Every day is a new day for him with her, a new day to make good choices. He starts fresh. 

And they are by no means lenient with him. They can be tough, but also kind and caring, and he responds well to them.


I realized, that one statement above is what makes the difference in how a teacher approaches a child. If he or she believes the child is misbehaving simply to be bad, well then they are going to treat them in a very different way than if they believe the child is struggling and needs a different kind of guidance.

If your goal is simply to make them mind, to fall in line, to be like everyone else, the manner of speaking and the method of discipline will be much different than if the goal is to teach them the skills they need as a unique individual to make better choices.

Brady feels bad when he misbehaves. He really does want to do well and he tries SO hard. He tells me that every day and I believe him. I know he still makes bad choices, loses control, does what he shouldn't sometimes, but he does try. I know there are teachers who think he doesn't. They think he acts up on purpose, to be bad. They think he makes excuses. As I've mentioned once before, I was told by a teacher that he did something "just to be mean." And that statement was not true.

So how do you suppose that teacher would approach his misbehavior if she sees a mean intention in it?

Gosh, I wish somehow I could get every teacher to realize that Brady has a harder time staying in control than other kids. That he responds differently to things. He flat out does. Not because he's mean or bad. Because he's just who he is. And I know, more than anyone, that he has a lot to learn. That doesn't mean you don't give punishment, consequences, discipline. It doesn't mean you don't hold him to the same standards as other kids.

But it does mean you approach it in a very structured way with the idea that this kid needs something extra. It's not all on him. It's not all on me. It's also on the teacher or care-provider to find ways to manage him that don't break his spirit, that don't have you assuming he's trying intentionally to misbehave.

If one teacher can see that he is 1) remorseful when he acts up and 2) actually trying to do better, then why can't they all?

He does much better in some classes than others, with some teachers than with others. And it is not because the ones he does better with are more lenient. It is because they understand and they go the extra mile. He senses that. If they respect him as a unique individual, certainly not an equal, but as an individual - even with strict, structured discipline - he will trust them and do his best for them (Gosh, isn't it the same even with adults? How do you like the boss that rules by demeaning and degrading and yelling and bullying? Not much, I'd guess).

Kindness, understanding, compassion, firmness, strength, patience and consistency go a long, long way, and make their point much quicker than strong-arming. I've seen it. I've lived it. It works.

Don't assume this kid is trying to act up. Don't assume he's making excuses. Don't assume he "gets away" with stuff at home. Don't assume anything about him. I know it's hard when one kid is different and doesn't respond to traditional methods like everyone else. Or in a large classroom. But, please, step outside what you need and see what he needs to truly learn to get himself under control.

He requires something extra. He requires creativity. He presents a challenge. And, darn it, the adults in his life should be able to rise to that. (I always add the disclaimer that I am far from perfect and I don't always rise to the challenge, but, like Brady, I try to do better every day.)

Proctor & Gamble free samples: I got lots of them!

Back in January, I posted this deal from Proctor & Gamble (I don't know if they have the same ones available or others now, but check it out). I got them yesterday, about 2 months later. Wow, there were tons of them! Plus coupons. If you haven't signed up, give it a try. And if it's not available now, I will post about future offers. I just want to show what's possible. I love using these in gifts or for travel.

Also see below the sample of Dove that came from Target. It seems to be gone now, but I'll post the next one I see.

 

Winter's last gasp? We enjoyed it...

I'm wondering if spring is really here now. I know Kansas can get some April surprises. Regardless, Brady and I bundled up and walked around town, tromping in snow, breaking ice and icicles, and seeing people around town.

It was about 35 degrees out but it was great. Mostly Brady didn't want to go home because he knew he'd get a haircut. Here were are, cold and happy. I guess we'll be ready for spring if it really is here.

Spring brings lots of work to do...

Spring is here! Yay!

Oh no, now there's too much to do.

In the next month, in addition to all the usual life things like working, cooking, cleaning,  homework, church, family stuff, starting April 1 I have:

• A garden to plan.
• An invention party to plan and hold.
• A stick house to finish.
• Four soccer games and as many or more practices as assistant coach (Ha! That's sounds so funny: me as assistant coach.)
• Library books to return and new ones to check out.
• A soccer goal to put together for our yard.
• A dirty filthy car to wash from all the snow and mud.
• Hominy bake to make for Easter.
• Host 8 people for Easter dinner.
• Make jello and rice krispie eggs for Easter instead of coloring eggs.
• Hide Easter eggs. 
• Purchase or make and bring snacks for soccer practice.
• Attend a Spring Tea for women's fellowship.
• Our pastor's family/babysitting crew in a community theater play that I want to take Brady to.
• Dry creek beds to walk in with our new metal detector (thanks brother, Dave!) before poison ivy takes over, as well as ticks and mosquitoes and snakes.
• A work day for our church's upcoming sale.
• Brady's spring school program.
• Line up grandparents' day at school for Brady.
• Walnuts to crack before we collect more in the fall and before it gets too hot out.
• Wheat to grind before we collect more around harvest time.
• Old bottles to clean before I find new ones. 

Yikes! It makes the winter seem very laid back. I better get on it!

What has spring brought for you to work on?

A claim code test, please disregard

For Technorati website

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Natural talent: Brady's Super Square

It's a beautiful thing to see a child excel at something at a young age. You hear of music prodigy's. Or a kid who reads at age 2. In our case, Brady adores math and I want to encourage it at every turn. 

I have a brother who is a mechanical engineer for Cessna and a brother who is a self-taught computer database programmer. I guess this means math runs in my family. I sure knew I didn't get any of it. When I took courses that involved math in college - physics, calculus, trigonometry, chemistry - I cried, literally. It hurt my head to do math. I can do it and I did do it, but it hurt and I don't truly want to do it ever again. 

Enter Brady. This kid eats math up. He loves it, immerses himself in it. Numbers are beautiful to him. He excels in it at school. Just last night we watched Memphis Belle as a family and had cause to discuss the fact that a quarter of a million planes were used in World War II. I asked Brady, "Do you know how many is a quarter of a million?"

He says, "Wait. Let me think." After a short pause he says, "I think either 200,000 or 300,000." I said, it's right between those. "Oh! It's 250,000. I had thought 500,000, but I knew that was half, not a quarter."

At 7, I think that's pretty good. He understands the idea of fractions, simple multiplication and division. More than that, he loves it. We've been collecting bricks and for weeks Brady kept talking about "The Super Square" he wanted to make. He has lots of plans and a big imagination, so I didn't think too much about it. 

But after awhile, I finally figured out what he meant. He kept saying the Super Square had 125 bricks. His vision was a square of 5 bricks wide by 5 bricks long by 5 bricks tall. Guess how many bricks that is? 125. I was floored. At 7 years old, this kid comprehended length times width times height. And not just 2 by 2 by 2! A block of 5! He had visualized it and wanted to build it. Nowhere has he learned this kind of math - they aren't doing it at school yet, we haven't addressed it at home - but he saw it in his mind. 

Wow. I can't wait to see what he does with this. Below are the beginnings of the Super Square (though arranged in a square of 8 by his step-dad for now, we'll rearrange later) and math scribblings he does in his church notebook. I have no idea what most of them mean, but the book is filled with numbers in various combinations and positions.

 

 

Free stuff from Smiley360, Campbells new soups

I've been talking off and on about Smiley360, and I want to reiterate again how well I think it works. Just recently I received a free bowl of soup, a pair of socks and several $2.00 off coupons for Campbells new Slow Kettle Style Soups.

I've tried two of the soups and have to admit they are pretty good. Now, they are no substitute for homemade and in one case I wished they'd had a little more flavor (chicken chili, I added water because I thought it was a bit too thick) so I added my own extra flavor, and in another I wished they'd had a little less salt (kickin crab), but overall they are creative soups and a nice, easy dinner in a pinch.

If you go to this link, you can get a $1.00 off coupon for the soups ($2.99 a piece at Wal-mart) and also sign up for Smiley360.

The same boots, 2 Goodwills, 10 years apart

It's no secret that I love Goodwill. Most of my favorite clothes I've found there. Most of my boots are from there. I'm always looking for good boots there as I tend to wear mine out and they are the best attire for winter.

Just recently I bought the brown pair in the picture on the left. I think I paid $7 or $8.

I was looking at them the other day, and realized they looked similar to my black ones. I put them side by side and realized they are the exact same pair of boots.

I found the black ones 10 years ago in a South Carolina Goodwill for $5. And found these ones just a few months ago in Kansas. I guess my taste hasn't changed much!

Now I have a brown pair and a black pair, one a size 8.5, the other a size 9.5 (how can that be? I'm still confused that they both fit). But it's more proof to me that you can find really good, useful things at Goodwill for a fraction of the price you could brand-new somewhere.

You know you're in a small town...homemade cookies...

My husband and father-in-law helped out a local resident we know recently by starting her car and checking it out to make sure it was okay.

The very next day we had a full bag of glorious homemade chocolate chip cookies (and a bag of M&Ms for egg-allergic Brady) and a beautiful card expressing thanks.

My goodness such gestures are absolutely wonderful and warm the heart (the cookies warm my belly!). I just wish there was more of that kind of gratitude in our world. In a small town, it seems more tangible gestures like that are made, maybe because there's so few of us far from the larger world.

I wish I showed gratitude more grandly and will work towards that.

In the meantime, I am loving those cookies! Warmed up 15 seconds in the microwave with a cup of soy milk. Mmmmmmm. Nothing better in the whole wide world.

Finding contentment in what we have...

My church in Florida one Sunday gave out little key ring tags, the kind like you get as a loyalty card for your favorite grocery store. But this one says, "Contentment," on one side and on the other side it has a quote from the book Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity.

I've never read the book, but think I just might. That one quote alone has been pretty powerful to me. I used to read it all the time until the key tag broke and couldn't be permanently affixed to my key ring anymore.

But I ran across it the other day and it is a reminder of how I want to live. Here it is:

"Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity."

I believe this with all my heart, but there are days I find myself wishing for more... of this or that, of everything. I forget that I truly am happy with what I have and there's very little I really need. That sometimes I want things just for the sake of wanting, not because it would add anything meaningful to my life. I don't need things just because I want them, and I don't need them just because they are there.

I hope this quote will help me remember, because I really am happier when I live that way. 

God's my King of Rock 'n' roll, 47 songs

See below, 47 contemporary Christian rock or pop songs. 

You can also go to Pandora and choose "Christian rock" or "Contemporary Christian" or even a particular artist.

I'm a sucker for Christian rock music. I have to admit it. I've always loved rock, ever since I can remember, better than any other type of music. Some people prefer hymns or gospel, and I like them too. But give me a solid beat, drums, guitar, keyboard, a rising crescendo. Rock sings to my soul; rock I feel deep inside, like a conduit to my heart; rock is my Joyful Noise.

The music is in no way a substitute for prayer, church or the Word of God, of course, but it sure helps me remember in a tangible way who I am and who I want to be. It lifts my spirit, helps me focus my day, gives me motivation and peace, helps me feel connected. Maybe music in general just does that for me and that combined with the messages within those songs is just fantastic.

And it's music that's about something, something that means a lot to me. 

The church I went to in Florida had an awesome Christian rock band. Some of the members have formed this band, Life After Eden. My church now has fantastic singers and they mix in various instruments and we all sing hymns. I love that too. But I also now listen a lot to K-love. I know not everyone agrees with Christian rock, but it sure speaks to me. And so many touch on things I struggle with daily. They make me want to close my eyes, raise my hands and praise God.

Some of the songs below are not necessarily rock (some are pop, I guess), but they are at the least contemporary Christian. And this is from a girl who refused to listen to "God music channels" prior to age 38 :O)

Mercy Me: 

Word of God Speak - MercyMe

All of Creation - MercyMe

I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe


Brandon Heath: 

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath

Your Love - Brandon Heath

The Light in Me - Brandon Heath

David Crowder:


How He Loves Us - David Crowder

After All (Holy) - David Crowder 

The Afters:

Light Up the Sky - The Afters


Every Good Thing - The Afters

Jeremy Camp:


There Will Be A Day - Jeremy Camp

Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp


Overcome- Jeremy Camp

Chris Tomlin:

I Will Follow You - Chris Tomlin

Everlasting God - Chris Tomlin

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

Whom Shall I Fear - Chris Tomlin

Matthew West:
My Own Little World - Matthew West

Strong Enough - Matthew West

Hello, My Name Is...- Matthew West


Jamie Grace:

Hold Me- Jamie Grace

You Lead - Jamie Grace

Sanctus Real:

Lead Me - Sanctus Real

Hold On To The Promises - Sanctus Real

Newsboys:

He Reigns - Newsboys

Born Again - Newsboys

Others: 

Carry Me - Josh Wilson

The Solid Rock - Charlie Hall

Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew


In Christ Alone- Travis Cottrell

Our God Saves - Paul Baloche

Revelation Song - Kari Jobe


God Gave Me You - Dave Barnes

Praise you in this storm- Casting Crowns

Great I Am - New Life Worship


Who I Am - Jason Gray

A More Beautiful You - Jonny Diaz

My Savior, My God - Aaron Shust

Middle of Your Heart - King & Country

Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman

I Need A Miracle - Third Day


Mighty to Save -  Michael Smith
 
Song of Hope - Robbie Seay Band


Live Like That - Sidewalk Prophets

One Things Remains - Jesus Culture


You Are More - Tenth Avenue North

What Love Really Means - JJ Heller

Anxiety buster: Eat more almonds!

I read about this in a magazine recently. Mostly it was pointing to relieving PMS symptoms the week before the day, but I found this article on Livestrong.com about studies linking almonds to reducing anxiety.

I have to admit though that they can be expensive. I got a 2-pound bag at Walmart for $9.97 which is about $5 per pound. Aldi has them for $3.99 for 12 ounces. And sometimes you can get buy-one get-one deals at Walgreens on Blue Diamond almonds with awesome flavors like smokehouse and wasabi.

I really do feel like they work though. Good, healthy fats and protein. Give it a try. 

Cool American environmentalist folk art

While touring Memphis with our guide - who also happens to be related to people in the little town where we live - we were treated to a view of his art studio.

Tad creates really unique, interesting and functional modern folk art with an environmental twist. These tire chairs are both comfy and cool looking, and sturdy as all heck. It'd be hard to break them. The tables are art deco and functional.

He also makes amazing tire-car art on large sheets of plywood. Take a look at his Facebook page.

All of his stuff is tires he's found off the side of the road. His little piece of cleaning up the planet and making the trash into something beautiful. How cool is that.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone who'd be interested. 

This weeks Aldi and Dillons deals....

Lots of deals this week, maybe because of Easter coming. Dillons' deals aren't as good but if you don't have an Aldi's nearby, it'll work. Good through end of day Tuesday, March 26:

Aldi:

• 99 cents, 10 lbs of potatoes
• 99 cents, 1 lb of strawberries
• 59 cents, 1 lb of baby carrots
• $1.48, 4 lbs navel oranges
• $1.29, whole pineapple
• $1.99, box of butter
• 99 cents, cream cheese
• $1.99, gallon of milk
• $1.79, 8 ounces of cheese
• 89 cents, tub of whipped topping
• $3.49, 1 lb tilapia
• $5.49, 2 lbs tilapia
• $5.49, 2 lbs swai fish

Dillons:

• $1.50, 1/2 gallon milk
• $1.88, 18-count eggs
• $1.99/lb chicken breast
• $2.49/lb, pork loin
• $2.99/lb swai fish (better at Aldi's, but if you don't have one nearby this will do)

Getting your way may not be best

Have you ever dug your feet in about something that you just really wanted or really knew was THE right way to do something? I sure have. Oh geez.

But I try not to, I don't want to do things that way. So when I find myself at an impasse with someone, I do what is always the best thing I can think of: Pray.

This happened recently with my husband and I. I wanted to expand our garden down the hill. He was worried about the water cost (we don't have a well and have been in a terrible drought) and it interfering with his mowing ability down there as there's a lot of grass. He wanted us to look into going two blocks away to a family property and plant it there. It has a well, tools and more space.

Oh I dug my feet in. I didn't want to have to go over there every day. I wanted it right here at home. We went back and forth on this for awhile and were both frustrated.

I finally prayed about it and realized what he was asking was no big deal. Why couldn't we do that? It'd give me exercise walking down there, and Brady could come and help me. I would have more full sun than here and more space and less chance the deer will eat my okra. It actually was a very good solution. And not only that, we could use the bricks we've been mining as a wall around the former garden area down the hill and keep the invention party house Brady designed and it could be a play area for him.

When Brady heard this he was THRILLED! So it worked out better for everyone when I quit digging my feet in. Sometimes not getting your way works out better. I just have to remember that :)

Day 44 Getting Off Paxil: All done

About a month and a half ago, I started a journey of getting completely off of the anti-anxiety/anti-depressant med Paxil. I had been on it 3-1/2 years and just knew it was time. I was on a 20 mg dose, fairly low in the dosing scheme for Paxil. I went from 20 mg to 10 mg and experienced terrible dizziness, nausea and fatigue. That lasted about a week or so.

Then I went from 10 mg down to 5 mg. A little dizziness, but not much. I was on that dose for a long while (a teeny tiny quarter of the original pill) and two nights ago just stopped taking it altogether.

I'm happy to report I feel great. No dizziness. No emotional repercussions. My husband and I talked last night about it. He was worried the first week, especially with the dizziness and quicker emotional response, but said I'm not any different now than I was before. And I don't feel any different. Just great with more energy and better sleep and deeper feelings.

Not everyone can do this, I know, but for me focusing on using music, tea , less caffeine and other techniques for minimizing anxiety will be enough to manage it.

I feel it was a very good thing I did for myself and would just recommend to anyone doing that to NOT go cold turkey. The dizziness just cutting this low dose in half was really awful, to the point I wanted to cry about it. But it does go away. If you just give it some time and take it slow, that dizziness doesn't last and you'll adjust to any differences. I can vouch for that.

And now I go on with life's journey....

Try Something New Thursday: Almonds!

Last week our TSNT (Try Something New Thursday) was almonds. I prefaced this choice with, "They're a nut, just like peanuts that you like. No egg. No nothing but the nut." He ate half of one, said it was good, kind of like peanuts, but he didn't want the rest. That was fine. 

On our drive to Memphis, when Jase and I were eating almonds, he asked for one on his own and ate the whole thing. This Thursday deal is just so great for opening him up slowly and carefully to new foods.

He just accepts that Thursday is the day he tries something new, and if he balks, I tell him that at least I'm not giving him peas every night (which he absolutely loathes) or giving him some of everything Jason and I are eating every night. He doesn't want that, so he's content with that one night a week. 

I know some people might think this is pandering to him, but that's no matter to me. I know my boy, I know how much food affected him before we knew of the egg allergy and that caution, developed from age 1 to 4, is deeply ingrained in him. 

If I force him, he will rebel internally and do it only because he has to. If I take it slow, let him see we feel it is important, it will help him develop a healthy, varied, trusting taste for different foods. So that's what we will do. 

1st grade homework help: Spelling, reading, writing

Brady's second perfect spelling test in a row - the only two he's gotten all year. And it started after we incorporated his teacher's spelling help idea after he got a 4 out of 10. He's a first-grader and let me tell you, her ideas have worked really well.

Brady is so proud of himself and he can see so clearly how hard work can significantly improve performance. Wow, a great lesson for a 7-year-old.

I've now learned he's struggling with reading, so again she gave me an idea. She made for us this word ring with 60-some sight words, and we practice every night. It's working already. And it is improving Brady's confidence in his reading. I'm really hoping for an uptick in that subject as well.

And after telling him that, "You should improve your handwriting because when you rush through it no one knows what you're trying to say," he's started slowing down and working on that as well. He really wants people to know what he has to say, LOL. You'll notice the writing in the above spelling test is rather careful, very good compared to previous.

He got a perfect 10 on handwriting a couple weeks back after never having that all year either. A workbook like this one is very good for practicing. In Brady's case, he can certainly do it but if it's not his favorite - math - which comes so easy, he tends to get bored and rush through it. The key is getting him to slow down, focus and take care in the work he's doing.

I don't home-school, but we do our fair share of reinforcing his school work with practice at home. It also shows him that I think his learning and his work are very important and it gives us wonderful quality time together. It's hard when you have a busy life and a full-time job and, goodness gracious I can't even imagine, OTHER KIDS! But it is well worth it.

I'm so grateful he responds well to this idea and is really motivated to do his best at everything. When his ability is applied, that kid is capable of anything!

Spring is here, but snow is coming...

Spring has come to the Midwest. Here are some photos to show it. But we have snow in our weekend forecast, so I won't break out the gardening tools yet.

My little potted sunflowers and garden plants are growing and bending themselves toward the sun. They were twice this size by the time we got back last night from our Memphis vacation. 

Flowers are popping up everywhere!

 The deer are roaming around. We are seeing lots of prints just north of our house lately.

A cool Memphis/Southern/American experience

Jason and Tad talking by the Cadillac in downtown Memphis.

As a writer, there are times when I hear the spoken words of someone else and see those words as they would appear in a book. A turn of phrase so well crafted it evokes a visceral response; you can actually feel what they're talking about or imagine yourself in that setting.

Driving through the streets of Memphis, Tennessee, hearing our guide describe the handshake of Red West - a high school friend of Elvis - as like shaking the hand of a gnarled old oak tree, my writer's sense went up. I could feel the hardened roughness of this man's engulfing hand, and imagine his role in the life of The King. Shiver. Gives me chills.

It's a rare treat to experience an historic American city with a writer-souled guide. Our tour took us to the most run-down parts of the city and the glamorous, towering Victorian homes - a mere five miles separating these two polar lifestyles.

We saw landmarks of American history - Sun Studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, were found; Elvis' high school and the exact apartment in public housing where he grew up; the hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and the window his gunman fired from; Beale Street and the blues clubs. And we heard countless amazing stories of Americana in this town with a tumultuous past.

Your view of Memphis from the back seat of Tad's caddie.

When you are with a guide capable of visualizing clearly what things might have been like and then also capable of relaying what he sees to you, you are then able to imagine yourself in that chaos and that time, what it might feel like, the weighty importance of it all.

So if you're going through Memphis for any reason, look up Tad Pierson's American Dreams Safari and see the city from a unique perspective. Here's a video of him on You Tube. This guy has lived in the city nearly 20 years and has talked to everybody. He knows everybody. His '55 Cadillac is signed by Elvis Costello, Rufus Thomas and other famous musicians. As we drove through town in his Caddie, people from every walk of life imaginable would wave and smile and give a thumbs-up. He's a fixture in this town, and those are the best eyes to view it through.

Not only that, his laid-back, contemplative style helps you relax into your vacation. I highly recommend Memphis as a destination and this guide as part of your trip.

He also does this amazing modern environmentalist folk art. 

Elvis Costello and Rufus Thomas's signatures on Tad's caddie. 

Elvis's High School, really cool to see it within the context of the town.

Cool old restaurant with an interesting story. Ask Tad.

Tad talking to a group of strangers outside of Sun Studio.

Pretending to sing with the actual microphone used by the famous guys!

Talking to Tad outside Graceland.

Cool church sign...

"Mercy is God withholding what we deserve."

Wow, that one had me thinking for awhile.

You know you're in a small town when... lost dog

I came home yesterday to find our dog was gone. Poof. Gone. Disappeared. I called and called to him but he didn't come.

So I called Jason, who immediately called his aunt, who called her friend who works at the City and within 5 minutes we were able to find out where he'd been spotted that morning. Three of us were about to go looking for him when I came out the back door and found him looking at me like, "What? Who me?"

I just love how fast and personal things can be in a small town. And thank goodness, our doggie is okay.

When to act and when to sit back?

This is something I struggle with all the time, especially as it relates to my child. And I still have no answer for it. I have faith always that God is in control. But I also believe that there are things we are supposed to do to make changes in our lives and the lives of the ones we love.

I often think and say, "Do your best and give God the rest." I don't think you can just let life go by and hope He will make it perfect. I think we have a responsibility to do certain things too, hopefully with Him and for Him.

There are times I feel compelled to take an action, times I feel unfair things have been said and done to Brady. I try not to fight his battles, but he has a lot of them and at times I see situations I feel have crossed the line or been too harsh. Should I act on that every time? Or should I have faith that it will work out? How do you know when it's right to say something? Maybe it's a test? Of who? Me? Or him? Or someone else?

I pray about these things, but sometimes the compulsion to act is SO strong, I can't tell if my own desire superseding what I should do or if it's really the right thing.

And I tend to play these things over in my mind for too long, even after I've made a choice. So, I'm back to my original statement, I guess, as my best answer: "Do your BEST and give God the rest."

So if I've made a mistake, I did it with honesty and caring, but I'm human and I'm fallible. I did my best, even though it may or may not have been the right thing, and so I have to give even that up to God. I have to give even my uncertainty and perhaps even my mistakes up to Him to handle. What if I've made things worse? Well, He can fix anything and I just hope to keep an open heart as to the right path. With faith and prayer and an open heart, I can only hope to do better each day.

If anyone has other ideas on this, I'd love to hear them.

Dillons and Aldi deals (March 13 - 19)

Dillons:

• $1.99 per pound boneless pork loin
• $1.99 gallon of milk

Aldi

• $1.29 each for canteloupe
• $1.69 for 2 pounds of mandarin oranges (clementines)
• 99 cents per pound green grapes
• 99 cents for 5 pound bag of red potatoes
• 49 cents for a large head of cabbage
• 50 cents for a 1 pound bag of baby carrots
• $1.99 gallon of milk

Follow your dreams, find your niche

I'm living proof you can follow your dreams, however specific and seemingly large, and achieve them. That if there's something deep inside you want to do or feel you're called to do, you can overcome obstacles and do it. Just as with hobbies, you can figure out your niche, your passion and what's in your heart.

I remember thinking, even before I learned to actively count the blessings in my life, that I must be really lucky. When I started working at newspapers, I once thought to myself, "Gosh, how cool would it be to be a police reporter." So, I aimed for it and did it.

Years later, on a different career path (after a 2nd degree, which I would have completed in a different way now that I'm committed to living frugally to avoid the debt), I thought, "I would just LOVE to work for the U.S. Geological Survey." I found a way to do that too.

And then I thought, "Wow, I'd love to have a job where I got to go to sea as part of my work." Worked that out as well.

After that, "I wish I could stay at home with my kiddo." Brady's father and I found a way to do that too and it was better than all the other "jobs" combined. I even thought that I wanted to be a cake decorator like my Mom had been and was able to do that twice in my life.

This is not to say I'm so great, cuz I'm not. And in retrospect I wasn't even "lucky." I just had the ability - the gift, really - to envision these things I wanted to do and somehow see no barrier in trying to do them. I pursued the path that would lead to them, researched a lot, worked hard, took advantage of any and all opportunities, and just went for it.

And even with what seem like barriers - young children at home, finances, location, age, marital status, etc. - with time and thought and prayer and research, I'll bet those barriers aren't as big as you think and you can find a way to overcome them.

I really believe anyone can do that. 

Though I have to admit, not all dreams work out the way you think and they don't always last. Being a police reporter was hard on my soul and I cried a lot. People do all sorts of horrible things to each other. Going to sea was as glorious as it sounds, but it's hard work and long hours, and when I got pregnant, I chose a different path. Cake decorating really is a blast, but it doesn't pay well and often is only part time.

Staying home with Brady was all I had dreamed and I was blessed to do it for four years.

But now, I feel as though I have found the best niche of all. I run all Internet aspects of our small family business and I write this blog. I work with my husband. I'm self-employed. My kiddo gets to go with me to work in the summer. There are trade-offs, but lots of benefits too.

If there's something you've been wanting to do, make a plan of how you might achieve it, start talking to those who do it and research all you can. If you don't pursue the things that pull at your heart, that you feel compelled or called to do, I think one day you will wonder about it. It may be that once you achieve it or look into it, it isn't for you after all.

But if you follow your heart and your path - as much as the practical reality of life lets you - I think you will eventually come to exactly where you are supposed to be, even if it's not what you originally thought.

And even if you do reach those dreams, I think it's a good idea to still have one or two "out there" to work toward. I have two: 1) become a published author at some point and 2) get Brady to adulthood relatively unscathed. Big goals, but I believe I can do them (thought not alone, only with lots of help from my husband, my family and the Lord above).

Here are some photos of those "dream" jobs. Lucky me :)