Prayer Request?

If you have the time today, could you say this prayer, found in my great grandmother's 1952 St. Joseph's Missal for a special intention? Thank you in advance!

Memorare to St. Joseph

Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession were left unassisted.
 Full of confidence in your power I fly unto you and beg your protection.
 Despise not O Guardian of the Redeemer my humble supplication, but in your bounty, hear and answer me. Amen. 

A much needed read for me. You too?

I came across this reading from CatholicGeek's Blog, an older post.  I got there via Bearing's Blog.  Somehow, I was led to it.  It spoke to my heart.  Does it speak to yours?

From a homily by John Henry Cardinal Newman, called Sermon 3. Knowledge of God's Will without Obedience.  This is the last part of the sermon:

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." John xiii. 17.

To watch and to pray are surely in our {38} power, and by these means we are certain of getting strength. You feel your weakness; you fear to be overcome by temptation: then keep out of the way of it. This is watching. Avoid society which is likely to mislead you; flee from the very shadow of evil; you cannot be too careful; better be a little too strict than a little too easy,—it is the safer side. Abstain from reading books which are dangerous to you. Turn from bad thoughts when they arise, set about some business, begin conversing with some friend, or say to yourself the Lord's Prayer reverently. When you are urged by temptation, whether it be by the threats of the world, false shame, self-interest, provoking conduct on the part of another, or the world's sinful pleasures, urged to be cowardly, or covetous, or unforgiving, or sensual, shut your eyes and think of Christ's precious blood-shedding.

Do not dare to say you cannot help sinning; a little attention to these points will go far (through God's grace) to keep you in the right way. And again, pray as well as watch. You must know that you can do nothing of yourself; your past experience has taught you this; therefore look to God for the will and the power; ask Him earnestly in His Son's name; seek His holy ordinances. Is not this in your power? Have you not power at least over the limbs of your body, so as to attend the means of grace constantly? Have you literally not the power to come hither; to observe the Fasts and Festivals of the Church; to come to His Holy Altar and receive the Bread of Life? Get yourself, at least, to do this; to put out the hand, to take His gracious Body {39} and Blood; this is no arduous work;—and you say you really wish to gain the blessings He offers. What would you have more than a free gift, vouchsafed "without money and without price?" So, make no more excuses; murmur not about your own bad heart, your knowing and resolving, and not doing. Here is your remedy.

I recently took Rod Dreher off my blog roll as he has lots of negative things to say about the Roman Catholic Church.  While he has lots of other good things to say, I can't read his Catholic bashing anymore.  I'm too suggestible and need to make sure I'm reading GOOD Catholic Blogs.

The Ultimate Family Vacation

We're just back from our annual family camp sponsored by our church.  We LOVE this weekend and look forward to it for the whole year.  Not only does the weekend include all our food, but it also includes access to a life guarded beach, kayaks, canoes, sail boats, fishing supplies, life jackets, pontoons, a great playground, hiking trails, a zip line (whoo hoo), a chalet with a lounge, game room, costume room and full stage.  There is also a couple of sand volleyball courts, baseball field, tennis/hockey court and camp fire sites.  For our family of eight, it worked out to  $55.75 per person.  That's not per day, that is for Thursday night through Sunday afternoon, for each person.   So, for $18.58 a day each, we had a fabulous vacation!!!

We stayed in the most modest of accommodations this year.  In the previous three years we have attended, we stayed in the "hotel-like" accommodations with private baths and air conditioning.  This year, we took a cabin.  I think we will always use a cabin from now on unless we ever have a newborn with us again, like we did last year.

The cabins can accommodate 12 people.  There are five bunk beds and two single beds.  The four biggest kids took the bunks.  They turned the bottom bunks into forts/changing rooms by hanging up blankets around the edges.  The fifth bunk bed became my bed because the bottom bunk was a full bed.  I needed room for a co-sleeping/nursing baby.  Dad, the protector, took a single near the door and my fifth child, the drifter, took the other single.  He falls asleep in the oddest places and we just move him to the bed after he's completely out.   My husband had scouted out the cabins last year to see which one he liked the best.  Thanks to our great coordinator, Dean, we got the cabin we wanted.  We were only one cabin away from the shower house/rest room.  We had complete shade, meaning we barely needed the fans.  And, it was an invigorating, cardiovascular walk up to the cabin as we were at the top of the hill.  That means with all that great camp food, I didn't gain any weight.  (I was worried about that!)

Speaking of food, this place knows how to serve 200 people!  The cafeteria was under the chalet, overlooking the lake.  After prayers, we went table by table through the dinner line.  They food is all home made, with one exception.  On the first day, they served sandwiches and as an alternative, they had PB&J Uncrustables.  Being the overly protective mother of a peanut allergic child, I freaked and asked people to either move or let us know if they were having PB&J at our table.  We ended up moving our daughter to the end of the table as two kids did opt for PB&J.  She survived but I was anxious the whole meal.  There isn't a hospital near by and she has about 20 minutes to get to a hospital if she has a reaction.  They serve PB in the toast line also, but that did not present a problem for us.

Perhaps the most fun for us was the annual talent show.  We do something every year (although we didn't the first year as we didn't know what to expect) and we have a blast preparing for it.  The first year, we just sang Edelweiss from Sound of Music.  Last year we sang an a cappella song by The Blanks called Testy Tiger.  This year we did it up big.  Fully costumed, we sang the entire Star Wars Tribute to John Williams (sung by Moose Butter, made popular by Corey Vidal, arranged by Mr. Tim) in parts.  Here's the clip.

I'd like to thank Erin for pointing that out to me about two years ago.  It's still a family favorite.  My husband was Darth Vader, my oldest daughter was Princess Leia, my oldest son was Chewbacca.  The baby was an Ewok (and boy was she cute), the littlest boy was Yoda (he kept going around saying, "Yoda, I am."), my middle daughter was Han Solo and I was Obi Wan.  My middle son stole the show as Luke Skywalker with a solo all his own and his hammy acting during the song when Darth Vader informs him that Luke is his son. Sadly, we didn't get pictures, but I know someone did and someone also took a video.  Hopefully, pictures will surface and we will have them to put in our family yearbook.

Maybe even more important than all that stuff, was to know that we were surrounded by beautifully, faithful Catholics.  We didn't worry about our kids safety.  We didn't worry about any outside influences.  We could let down our guard a bit and know our kids were surrounded by other GREAT kids and we were able to interact with friends with the same values.

I'm already looking forward to next year.

Living with a Dairy Allergic Kid

This post is a response to a friend who asked about dairy allergies:

It's possible to live without dairy.  We did it for three years when my first two were 5 and 4.  The four year old was positive for a dairy allergy.  It made the 5 year old have an upset tummy and it caused some issues that I think were a 5 year olds way of saying, "Hey, I don't feel so great!"  So we got rid of it.  Actually, we also got rid of it because I believed (and still do) that the dairy was causing problems with their behavior.  There are articles that talk about it, but I believe that medical research still needs to be undertaken for that to be truly PROVEN.  I can tell you removing dairy made a huge difference in my children's behavior.

So, to cut dairy out means no:

• Acidophilus milk
• Casein
• Caseinate
• Cream
• Curds
• Galactose
• Ghee
• Ice Cream
• Lactalbumin
• Lactate
• Lactic acid
• Lactoglobulin
• Lactose
• Malted milk
• Milk
• Milk fat
• Milk solids
• Nougat
• Potassium caseinate
• Rennet
• Skim milk
• Sodium caseinate
• Whole Milk

WE USE BUTTER HERE...we don't give that up because it doesn't seem to cause a reaction in my dairy allergic kid.  If your child is severely allergic, you can find dairy free margarines OR you can make GHEE, which is clarified butter where all the milk solids are removed from the butter.

Be aware that foods containing "artificial butter flavor," "caramel color", "non-dairy substitutes" (believe it or not, they often contain dairy!), or anything that doesn't describe what "flavorings" or "seasonings" means, may contain milk. Non-dairy whipped topping actually has dairy protein in it (the trigger for dairy allergies).  In addition, milk may be hiding out in canned fish (such as tuna), many processed meats and deli meats, nutritional supplements and medications.

READ THE LABELS.  When you go to a restaurant, you need to ASK. 

If you are breastfeeding a child with a dairy allergy, you MUST avoid dairy, too.  REALLY.  I know that sounds harsh, but if you are going to do it, do it for love and make the sacrifice.  I had to give up dairy while I breast fed my 5th child.  One day before his 1st birthday, he snitched some chocolate protein pudding (1 scoop of protein powder added to my chocolate pudding).  The protein powder was casein based (dairy based).  He broke out into welts, started making a gagging type of sound and started wheezing.  Off we went to the hospital in the ambulance.  We came home with an epi pen.  He nursed for nine months past that date.   I couldn't have dairy so he wouldn't have dairy. So, I know the sacrifice you are making here.

How do you cope and what do you do?
1) Find a milk substitute you like, they like and you can cook with.  Rice milk is my first choice if you aren't allergic to rice.  (I am.)  Vance's Dairy Free is a powdered hypo-allergenic milk replacement we use at our house.  These are all vitamin and mineral fortified to have the same calcium/vitamin D levels as cow's milk.   I don't recommend soy milk because I'm convinced the soy causes LOTS of problems with early onset puberty in girls and issues with estrogen induced reactions from boys.  I use coconut milk a lot.  It has lots of fat in it.  It used to be used in formula before the evil health cops came along and (wrongfully) said coconut fat is bad for you.  They were wrong.  Coconut fat is GOOD for you.  Oh, so good for you because it has Lauric Acid in it, found in few places besides breast milk, cow's milk and goat's milk.  I use coconut milk in my baking.  It also whips, with lots of work and chilled implements (bowl and mixer attachments put in freezer before whipping). 

2)Decide which camp you will belong to:  NO dairy for anyone or NO dairy for the allergic child.  If you decide to feed the allergic child differently than the rest of the family because you are afraid of a family revolt when the menu changes, just be sure all other sources of dairy are cleaned up after meals and snacks.  My scavenging dairy-allergic toddler has found his way to many a dropped cheese cube or leftover glass of chocolate milk.  We're used to dairy free cooking here, but many families can not live without dairy on the table.  It might be necessary to remove dairy only from the allergic child's plate. It might be necessary to remove it from the whole house for a short time so the allergic child isn't the only one "restricted" from the food.  Trust me, that's a hard thing for a small child to understand - they can't have something everyone else is having.  You have to decide.

3)Cook from scratch.  Canned soups, many processed foods and prepacked meals contain milk.  Cereal bars, meal replacement bars and many snack foods have dairy.  Read the labels.  Anything with cheese, ranch dressing, chocolate coatings, butter flavor or creamy texture may have dairy (i.e. Tootsie rolls, caramels, Zone bars, Ranch Doritos, some brands of microwave popcorn, dill pickle potato chips...you get the picture.)

4) Calcium can be found in many other sources.  When in doubt, supplement.  Drinkables Coral Calcium at Sam's Club is a great supplement recommended by my pediatric dentist for my dairy allergic son.  There are other ways to get calcium.  Calcium fortified OJ is a great way with having the added bonus of having Vitamin C.  Broccoli is great as are many other leafy green veggies.  Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D and your body will grab the calcium out of any food that has it.

5) Know that this may only be temporary.  Most kids outgrow dairy allergies by 5-7 years of age.  Also, if you are just starting, it will take 8-10 days to see a difference.  Once it's eliminated completely, you will see when they have gotten into the dairy!

Good luck and hit the com box if you have more questions. 

Herman Munster, watch out!

I posted about my new shoes here.    A USA Today article looks at whether they work or not.  I have to believe it is just a case of "your mileage may vary."  I have seen tremendous results in my body with no other explanation than I wore the shoes.  They are SO comfortable I now own 3 pairs.  Not the expensive Sketcher brand, but TheraShoes distributed by K-mart.  I couldn't pass up the BOGO 50% sale a few weeks ago.  I now own an outdoor pair, an indoor pair and TheraSandals.

My husband called them my "Herman Munster Shoes."  He has a pair now, too.  He has bad feet, thanks to genetics.   He finds them quite comfortable and wishes they made a decent pair of TheraSandals for men.  Right now, it's only flip flop types which he despises.  So, now my normally 6'2" hubby lurches around at 6' 4 1/2 " thanks to these babies and if it helps his feet, all the better.

What I found more interesting was that my two older kids wanted a pair too.  They have them as their "indoor shoes."  My kids could do with a little core muscle work, so I figured there was no harm in having them wear them inside, not for active outdoor activities.  They are not allowed to carry the baby when they are wearing them, so I'll be watching for a pattern of running to put their TheraShoes on when I ask them to help with the baby ;-).

For me, I'm just looking for comfort with the possible side effect of a stronger core.  So far, I have lost 18" since I got my pair on May 6th (almost 2 months).  In that time I have lost 5 lbs (I'm working on that...I've plateaued the last 2 weeks), so some of that might be due to weight loss, but it certainly can't account for all of it.

Ed. Note: I forgot to give credit to my husband for passing on the article from USA Today.  Thanks, honey!

Living with food allergies

I would be kidding if I said it wasn't a big deal to live with food allergies. We have, between 6 of us in our house, 11 major food allergies. Thankfully wheat isn't one of those, nor is corn. When my step dad comes to visit, we add those on top of our allergy list. However, you learn to cope. You have to. We all have to eat so it just becomes an exercise of trying to make it work.

We don't do fancy food here at our house. Most dinners, sit down - all of us together, usually consist of 1 meat, 2 veggies, 1 starch, 1 fruit. The starch is usually an artisan bread. The meat is usually, not always, free of sauce. We grill a lot, Spring through Fall.  We stay away from processed meats except for the occasional hot dog (Kosher, usually) and Johnsonville Brat (what can I say, we're German/Irish).

One thing I've noticed lately is that I have been having nightmares about the peanut allergy in our house.  I keep dreaming we are on a boat (inaccessible to a hospital) and other people on the boat have peanut addictions.  We had chosen the boat ride because we were assured it would be "peanut free" and here are all these people, typically girls the same age as my peanut allergic daughter, sneaking around eating peanuts.  Can someone explain this to me?  I have to go around on this boat and throw the peanuts overboard, then go wash my hands. 

Food allergies are on my mind lately because they have been affecting more of my life than normal.  Usually I'm a stay-at-home kind of gal.  But the Summer has us doing things we don't normally do, like going to VBS and the pool.  It is just control issues for me, I'm sure.  The other thing in my mind is that our pediatrician is asking me to consider having our 5th child go wheat free for a while.  He's a tiny guy.  What's worse is he's fallen from the 15th percentile for height to the 2nd percentile.  If he hadn't moved up by August, we have to consider tests, one of which would be an endoscopy with a biopsy to determine if he has Celiac's Disease, which could affect his growth. 

Please say a pray that he grows.  My nightmares will change in nature if that happens.  You see, I am allergic to rice.  If he needs to go wheat free, things change, even more for the worse here.  I will have to make all his food separately from mine.  I've actually been thankful to have an egg-free buddy as we both have egg allergies.  But now, this would make life just a little more difficult. 

I've heard it said that having a child with food allergies is like having a really bad neighbor you can't trust.  You have to keep your eye on your children at all times and can't let them go outside alone.  Food allergies affect them, too.  They feel left out and get tired of making sacrifices.  We don't eat out much, but when we do, I worry.  A lot.  They also think that we don't get invited to peoples' homes because they are worried they will contaminate us.  I worry a little about that too, both that we don't get invited for that reason and that they will, indeed, contaminate us.  So what do we do?  We have to have faith.  We have to be diligent and we have to be strong.

While I don't like that my kids might be left out because of their food allergies, I know in the long run learning to make sacrifices is an important lesson. I also know that education is the most important aspect of food allergies.  Kids need to know what they can and cannot have.  Adults need to know how to read labels and know what the allergic child needs to avoid.  People need to know we have means to mitigate an allergic reaction and what to look for and when to administer meds.

If you are reading this and you wonder what you can do?  Have a bottle of liquid Bendadryl in your house at all times.  That is the best and easiest way to make sure you can help if there is ever a food allergy at your house.

In praise of Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook - AGAIN!

We are watching a close friends' two girls today. They are 12 and 11, just about the same ages of my oldest two kids. We've know these gals since birth as their mom and dad got married 8 months after we did and had our babies relatively close to each other.

So, we wanted to do something to celebrate having them over. We had Daisy Head Maisy burgers from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. Except, we did not put the cookies on the burgers. They were delicious and egg free to book! I made them safe for Tinkerdoodle (the dairy allergic one) by using coconut milk instead of milk. They are delish...

We'll also be trying a few other recipes in the next week and report back. As I said before, the recipes are pretty decent nutritionally. For example, one recipe is a "mix between nut brittle and trail mix". We won't be doing that either...But I will report on the others!