On the road to a gluten-free, artificial-coloring free, dairy-free life

Goodbye, Wheat Bread! 

I've known since E was 2-weeks-old that lactose was not a friend of his stomach. For the first year of his life I abstained from any lactose digestion for the sake of nursing and my desire for sleep at night without a screaming baby with a squalling stomach.

But in the last year, it's become apparent that E's stomach not only doesn't like lactose, it doesn't seem to like processed, gluten-filled anything or artificial colors and preservatives. I think in the last month, we've had maybe 2 days where he hasn't complained about his stomach.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I guess our time has been coming for a while now. E never gets sick. He's never had the flu, strep-throat, or even an ear infection.

So it's not surprise that his issues come in the form of food allergies and their influence over his ability to have a happy stomach and to be calm.

I won't complain about it because I've been reminded so recently about the fragility of life and how thankful I am for a healthy, capable child.

However, we will face challenges as we enter into this new era of dietary restriction, and I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to it, especially when it comes to going out to eat and dining with other families and friends. Don't forget the lunch box. Packing a lunch box can be a difficult thing on a gluten-free diet.

Any suggestions? I've been scouring the Gluten Free Girl blog and A Girl Defloured blog.

Whining over the Little Things

I'm often surprised at how much E whines over the little things. But when it comes to big boo-boos or life issues, he's amazingly silent. Those are the times when I really want him to tell me he's in pain or upset. I wish I could flip a switch for him to complain about those things and not the broccoli, the smaller piece of cake, the unfairness of life.

For instance, he recently visited a friend. After I picked him up from his play date, we ran three of four errands and then went home. About thirty minutes later, he came up to me and said, "Look at where I fell today." He pulled his shirt up to reveal a 3 inch scrape acros his back, crusty with cotton from his shirt stuck in the scab. Shock. Of course he didn't mention it to the friends' mom. He didn't cry.

Then last night we had another moment. We were with some friends and E started complaining about his back hurting. We sent him upstairs to go to bed after I rubbed it a little bit. Then later, I sent Tyler up to check on him. E then proceeded to tell Tyler he fell off the monkey bars while doing a back flip earlier that day. He fell from the 7-foot monkey bars onto his back. Of course, it was in mulch, but that doesn't lessen the pain completely. No, he didn't tell his teacher. Yes, he does have a bruise right next to his spine.

Seriously? These are the things I'd prefer E to mention to someone.

Just a little comedic extra for your day...

Thanks, Faith! I had to post this. I just love how tween girls are thwarted in trying to be cool. Don't look at the comments — It's the 21st century, people!

How students feel about grades.

Facebook Stress

I would be absolutely terrified. This is so not funny, but kind of funny!

A Photo Shoot with Family

This past weekend, Tyler, E, and I loaded up and headed to Winston-Salem to visit my sister and her beautiful family.

I took many photos, which will not be featured today. I'm feeling a picture post coming on, which will surely exhibit some of the beauty of Old Salem and our time in Winston.

One of the goals for this trip was to repay Jen and Darren back for paying for our tickets to Brewgrass. We did a little swap. Free tickets to Brewgrass in exchange for Tyler's photography services for little Lee Bee. I think we got the better end of the deal.

We decided to take Lee Bee down to Old Salem because of Christmas decor and great scenery.  Lee Bee is not quite to the posing stage of life, yet. I do believe if we asked her to pose, she would run in the opposite direction. Tyler's method for this photo shoot was, "let her run around and play, and I will get the pictures."

We started off the photo shoot with an extra Christmas hat on and a juice bottle in hand. However, we ended it with lots of playing and Lee Bee warming up to the camera sans juice and hat. Below, I've included a *few* sneak peaks of her. I made sure not to include any of the most spectacular ones, because I don't want to ruin Jen and Darren's Christmas Card. I will post more of them later.

I'm truly amazed at how Tyler captures images so well. Getting the image is dirty work. By the time we left, he was covered in leaves and dirt, had grass stains on his jeans, and had lost his keys twice. I'm thankful we found them and made it home.

E also stood in as Tyler's photographer's assistant. I did nothing but carry around the camera bag and take pictures with my phone.

E, the Photographer

Checking The Shots

Lee Bee, Playing Chase

Christmas Hat and Juice in Hand

Me, Sunset

Photo of Tyler by E

The iPod Mini The Could

The Infamous and Survivor iPod.

Yesterday, I decided to go to Starbucks to grade papers for my English 111 class.

I wanted to take some music so I could block out all the conversations I inevitably listen to when in a large crowd of people engaged in relationship and community. I really love going to Starbucks or a coffee shop for this reason. However, at this particular moment, I needed peace and music to grade.

So I went on a search for E's iPod mini for some help. But I couldn't find it in his room. I couldn't find it in his travel bag. I couldn't find it downstairs lying in wait.

Then I remembered. Yes, E had taken his iPod outside during playtime on Tuesday. It was Thursday. It rained all night Wednesday night.

As I walked outside, I knew what I would find. Sure enough, in the grass underneath his favorite climbing tree was the iPod. It was covered in water, not submerged, but definitely wet.

I scooped it up and followed a tried and true method to save electronics: submerge them in rice. I'm actually not sure if this is the best way to save them, but I've heard it from a friend or two. Then I left it, but only for a few hours.

I figured E would learn his lesson about taking care of his nice things. I figured he'd have to save up to buy a new iPod for himself. But, without a doubt, it still works. The ear buds and iPod are completely fine.

48-hours outside. A night-long rainstorm. It's a-ok! If you were thinking about buying an iPod mini, it may be a good investment, especially if you tend to leave things in unsafe places.

Have a great weekend everybody.

For all your engaged girls out there, chickens with bowties is the new rage (Is this real life?).

Trying to decide between the three of these recipes for what to make for Thanksgiving morning...poll?
Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze
Pumpkin Poppers
Pumpkin & Cream Bread

Fun Christmas Craft Ideas - Holiday Light Boxes and Tablescapes

The Boy and His Board

E has a new hobby.

It makes me nervous.

He's going to have to wear a helmet and bike gloves.

He's fallen twice. Welcome to the world of pain.

My nerves are already shot.

Best Friends Re-Unite

Seven Months. It's been seven months since E has seen one of his best friends, Greyson, and since I've seen one of my best friends, Linda. And it's always a good idea to get Dee and Tyler to hang out since they never got much of a chance to spend time together while I lived in Clemson. And Molly, well she is a benefit for anyone who meets her with her red hair and sassy attitude.

I lived across the street from the Tindals my second year in Clemson. It was pretty much a God-send that year for both families, I really believe, and I wouldn't have made it through that year without them. Tyler and Dee never really got to know each other though, because Tyler was in school the first semester and really busy all of the time. He did not come over and visit very much. And the second semester, Tyler was in Charlotte, and Dee was suffering from a few life-threatening situations, preventing him for being up for "hang out" time when Tyler visited. Though there was this one week when Tyler watched Ethan during a snow storm. It involved a snow fort and lots of thermal underwear for the boys. I'm sure that was a bonding moment for everyone involved. I was incapacitated because of some minor surgery and recovery time.

This past weekend was the designated time to remedy the problem that these boys hadn't been together in entirely too long. And being the over-achiever parents we sometimes all tend to be, the four adults decided to meet at Carowinds for a crazy afternoon of Halloween theme park rides and roller coasters.

Carowinds was everything the boys had hoped it would be, and Linda and I got plenty of time to catch up. We've decided the next get together needs to be more low-key, but the kids loved it and had fun. Needless to say, everyone was exhausted afterwards. Molly even fell asleep on Dee's shoulders on the way back out to the car.

G and E: BFFs

Miss Molly

She is so grown up these days.

Cheese.

Molly and Dee - High Five!

Instagram Pic - Linda, Molly, and Me

Old Friends

It's hard to imagine that E already has "old friends." But he definitely has a few who have known him for ages or ages, or whatever you call most of your 8-year-old life. Wyatt has been E's friend since 2008, when both families lived in Florence. We actually all moved away from Florence in the same month of 2009.

Sept. 2012 (E - 8, Wyatt - 6)

Oct. 2007 (E - 3, Wyatt - Almost 2)

Wyatt came over this past Sunday for an afternoon play date. We haven't let them do this for a while, what with our schedules being busy and Wes and Sage moving into a house and having four kids now. It's just been hectic, but the fun our whole family experienced on Sunday reminded me we need to have Wyatt over more often.

E and W used to have their own language. Probably for most of 2008-2009, they talked to each other in a gibberish language no one could understood. And literally, they acted as if they knew exactly what the other was saying. During playtime, they could rarely be heard using any real words. It would get to the point where Sage and I would have to ask them to please use their English so we could understand what they needed or what they were doing.

They've gone from playing cowboys to playing LEGO Star Wars. In reality, they're playing the same thing, just using space cowboys with light sabers and droids instead of horses and guns. But I'd never tell them that for fear of disillusionment and the inevitable chase and attack with Nerf guns.

At one point this past Sunday, Tyler wondered why it was so quiet upstairs. Obviously things being too quiet signals trouble or some sort of sneakiness. However, they were quietly playing LEGOs. So maybe it just means they're maturing. Oh, it definitely means they're maturing.

Part of me is just so jealous to still be close to the friends I made when I was three. We moved when I was five and just didn't keep in touch. No Facebook or Skype in those days. I consider it true providence both E and W are back in the same city, a different one than they started in, but nonetheless able to play with and love each other. Their friendship is sweet and comical to watch. Both being either the oldest or the only child, they both like to call the shots, which we know doesn't work ever. Everyone can't make the rules at the same time. There was much: "But I think we should do this." "But I think we should do that." "But I want to do this." "Oh this is definitely the best idea." However, there was very little anger and a lot of sharing time and ideas. I was impressed.

I am so thankful for these guys. Absolutely thankful.

During the month of August...

I like to pretend I'm organized. I like to pretend I keep everything clean and organized. But the truth is, I absolutely do not keep everything organized and clean. I'm very good at hiding messes in my room, under my bed, in a random closet or cabinet, and in the trunk of my car. My husband can attest to all of these things.

I'm always thinking of new things to do (like this blog) and often times I get started on something and have every intention of cleaning up my toys before running to the next project, but like my son, I like to leave it all out to come back to later...does this sound familiar to anyone else? Maybe it's because I'm a youngest child.

So this month I've been trekking through the world of trying to clean and organize everything and to clean up messes I create. Here are some thoughts and images from the month:

Sun. Aug 12 - Sticking with Julie Tringali's post, I'm going to reorganize E's room! Here are some "before" pics.

Current Organization = Messy

E's Desk - before

Mon. Aug 13 - E and I went to Target and bought (all on sale) some "dorm room" stuff to help organize his desk and toys. We bought 3 fillable ottomans to put at the foot of his bed and a cubby with 5 (we may go back and get more) boxes to put in the cubby.

We also went to IKEA and bought some desk organizers and the cheap IKEA plastic food containers for his LEGOs.


Tues. Aug 14 - Let's go to work! E and I worked on building his cubby and put together his boxes. We started organizing them. We have yet to label the front, but we will! E was a great helper. He used both his hammer and screwdriver to accomplish our task. Proud of him.

We did it!

Helping

Aug. 22 - In preparation for Ethan's birthday, we tried to finish up organizing his room so we would have room for new toys.

- We put larger things in his ottomans, including his LEGO train set, which is a beast. 

- LEGO organization went by size and purpose of the LEGO vs. color. I liked Julie's idea that it would take him longer to find things and challenge him to search.

- I labeled the boxes temporarily for his toys

- The IKEA food storage containers work perfectly because they're clear on the bottom and easily stackable within the cubby bins.

Some of our IKEA Storage

Ottoman Storage at the foot of the bed

Aug. 25 - Thanks to Tyler's parents, E now has a LEGO sorter. It fits perfectly into our cubby system and it strictly for things Ethan is working on putting together. Finished LEGO organization!

LEGOs and Toys Organized

Now to see if we can keep it organized.

An Afternoon Interaction

Let's Pretend.

It's 3:30. I'm standing outside on our front stoop feeling the wind against my skin, noticing the tinkle of wind chimes down the street, and enjoying the sun on my toes. I'm waiting for the bus.

E's bus pulls up at 3:32 (finally on time!!!). I smile and head down the steps. I'm still a ways off when the door opens and his two friends come down the steps. Then E starts down the steps, but instead of walking down, he's taking the steps two at a time, jumping. He looks both ways and then hops out of the bus.

Immediately, E drops down to the ground. He glances in all directions and does a karate chop. Then, with great stealth, he runs across the street with his arms poised for action. He runs up to the giant oak by our house, kicks off of it and yells, "Yahh!"

By this point, I realize E is not merely a kid getting off the bus after school. As he runs by me towards the house, I hear him say in a raspy voice, "May the force be with you."

I guess that solves it. Today, E is a Jedi Knight. Before he slips into the house only to become a boy again, I answer, "And also with you."

Julie Tringali's Theories for LEGOs

Over the last year, I've had the privilege of getting to know some great women at Uptown Church in Charlotte. One of those is Julie Tringali. I've enjoyed reading her blogs online, especially Simplify Your Life. Check out her blog for some stress saving ideas. 

I asked her to be a guest blogger about organization. I'm focusing on organization in my home this month (more on that later), and I wanted some of her great ideas especially regarding Ethan's mess of a room. Here's a post she wrote about LEGOs. Thanks Julie!

Julie Tringali, Simplify Your Life

Organizing the instruction manuals to the Legos are one thing. The actual Legos are apparently another. I have all girls. The ideas I'm about to give are not out of experience...so keep that in mind. But, hopefully these tips will help you find a great Lego system that works for you.

Tip 1: Don't sort by color or type. If I had Legos, this would be hard for me not to do. However, chances are they will just end up a big "mess" again...and all your sorting goes down the drain. Not only will all the Legos get unsorted, but I think the actual looking for the pieces is good for the child. It teaches them to discriminate between Legos that look very similar. And it makes the project take longer (and what parents doesn't want their child to work uninteruppted for a longer period of time?!). 

• Exception: When the Lego collector is older, it may be more helpful to sort by type. But for young kids - stay away from this hyper-vigilant organization. 
• Do sort by size. I can think of nothing more annoying (well, that's not entirely true) than needing to find a wheel in the midst of large pieces. So, do keep a bin to put the smaller items. A tackle box or bead box would work great for this and can be found at any craft store.
• You may also want to keep any people and people accessories in a box by themselves.

Tip 2: Have a "no more than" rule. Your child (husband, roommate, etc) can only have X number of Lego projects out at one time. Maybe that number is 2 if you're tight on space. Maybe it's 4. Not only will that help with not having an disorganized space, but it will teach kids to finish a project before moving onto the next.

Tip 3: Create a "My Creations" notebook. Instead of keeping every thing out that they have created from their Legos, take a picture of it and put it in a notebook. That way, they can dismantle it and reuse the pieces without losing their work.

Tip 4: Have a designated space for the creations they are working on, the ones that are finished but they don't want to dismantle, as well as the container of loose pieces. It may be an entire shelf on a bookcase. It may be the fireplace mantle. Be as strict or loose with that space depending on what works for your family. If it were me, I'd say no Legos in my room. Or the formal living room. Or the kitchen. Or the laundry room. You get the picture. Legos should stay in their space. 

Tip 5: Get creative on the space. Short on space? Think high and low. Is there room underneath the coffee table for a decorative basket that can hide Legos? Short on floor space? Can you hang some shelves on the wall? Or get bins that stack on top of each other. Haven't used that Fondue pot you got for your wedding? Hide some in there. Yes, I'm kidding about that one. Short on money? Use gallon size plastic bags to keep the sets organized. Go around your home and look at space differently and creatively. 

Tip 6: Train table. For kids who are aging out of train tables, convert it into a Lego table. Put the loose Legos in the bottom drawers and they can use the top to construct. 

Tip 7: Think and plan. Your storage and organization will depend on many factors, including (but not limited to!):

• How many Lego sets do you have? And how many Legos you have that don't even go to a set? Do your children like to be creative with all the pieces or do they tend to make the set over and over again without taking artistic liberty?
• Do you want to keep the sets together? Or is it okay to have them all in one bin?
• How much time is spent on playing Legos?
• Don't spend tons of money, time, and energy on something that rarely gets played with (unless you think that the lack of organization is the reason for the lack of playing!).
• What is your budget and what space limitations?

While researching for this post, I happened across a Wikihow post on different ways to store Legos. But before you buy any containers or start conceiving any grand storage solution ideas, be sure to answer the questions above to figure out to what extent you want to organize.

Happy constructing! Be sure to post comments below if you have a Lego organization that works for you! 

- Simplify Your Life.

Nashville, Part 1 of ?

"Hey, do you guys want to go to Nashville?" Silence.   "ABSOLUTELY!"

LaCross Family

This is how the conversation went with Tyler's parents a few months ago when they said they were going to Nashville for a vacation. Oh and they wanted to take us, too! I'd never been to Nashville and had never spent a whole week with my in-laws (including my brother-in-law) so I was a bit nervous. People always tell you it's super hard to spend time with your in-laws for a whole week. Sometimes it's even hard to spend time with your own family for that long.

Ethan and Mrs. Pam - Cowboys Forever!

"A Cowboy is Born" -Pam LaCross, Photo by Tyler

But honestly, it was great. I definitely saw more differences between how our families function with schedules and traveling, but I learned not to expect Tyler's family to be like mine very quickly after we were engaged. Different isn't necessarily bad, it's just not what someone's used to or has grown around. So I tried to be happy out of my "comfort zone," and I was. I was happy. Nashville was great, and we had fun as a family.

Ethan, Jonathan, and Pam got cowboy hats while we were there. The cowboy hat has come in handy for any random Nerf fights Tyler or I have had with Ethan. It's also useful as a "helmet" while riding your horse, which I've had to explain isn't the legal standard in the state of NC. 

We went to the Grand Ole Opry and saw Rascal Flatts. Ethan didn't really enjoy the Grand Ole Opry experience until the last song. Who doesn't love the Car's theme, "Life is a Highway" (originally by Tom Cochrane)? Ethan loved it. It made the whole Opry experience worth it.

L to R: Pam, Randy, Jonathan, Tyler, Ethan, and Me at the Opry

What trip to Nashville would be complete without a trip to the Loveless Cafe? Famous for biscuits and fried chicken, this place was rockin' and had a long wait even at 1:45 p.m. Well worth it.  I love the history of this place! They got their start just handing out food to passing travelers back in the early 1950s. Back then, they used the front door of their home as their "order here" spot, and travelers only had one option: chicken and biscuits. Tyler bought me some biscuit mix at their store. I just need to buy some buttermilk and we'll be set. Everyone's invited over for a biscuit party!

No Words.

Let's Be Honest

I read this quote the other day while prepping for the new school year:

Ethan, himself

"The effective teacher strives for purposeful movement toward a common end. You cannot control your students' minds without shutting them down. But you can lead them." - The Lost Tools of Writing

I stopped reading. I put down the book and walked away. I could not imagine that this quote would apply to me. Not about my students let's say, but my son. Let's face it,  I want to control my son's mind. I want to change the way he thinks, the decisions he makes, and sometimes how he respects others. It's that moment when we're in public and he starts dancing like a wild man or rolls his eyes and has a sassy moment. I just want that control. I want him to act exactly how I would have him act because that's the easy way out.

I think many parents would agree to feeling like this at some point in life. It's pretty easy to control them(tantrums and all) until they turn 6 or 7 and can suddenly make decisions and start arguing with or pointing out your mistakes. But mind control still works for many parents for years. I want Ethan to be himself but I also want him to be a copy of me.

Controlling his mind isn't really what I want. The world needs Ethan. Now if I'm really honest with myself, I'd admit the end goal of parenting is for Ethan to one day be free and independent from me, able to make wise decisions, and seek to love others. I don't want him to be a copy of my prideful, selfish, and typically argumentative self. But when I take the easy way, practicing mind control because it's simply easier, I often find myself creating a mini-me, and that monster scares the heebeegeebees out of me. I've shut down his mind and set mine up as resident - it's a fearsome sight.

Leading someone is much harder than just controlling them. It means investing more time, more emotion, more struggle. It means working together through personality differences and loving the person through the flaws and errors and sin. It's showing God's grace in the midst of disappointment.

Many days I try and lead my son. But often I realize I just want to control his mind.

A frightening moment of self-insight for my day but so important to remember when I'm tired of leading.

Visiting the Homestead

Papa and Ethan

Opening up the 'works

A few years back, make that eight, my parents moved from the busy little town of Florence, SC into the country. I was able to live there for five of those years and really came to enjoy the massive expanse of land and beautiful sunsets. Since moving to Charlotte, visiting my parents at "The Farm" has become such a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere. It's almost as if I have stepped out of my current reality into one where text messages, Facebook, and schedules cease to exist, much less  have extreme importance.

Childhood Remembered

Double-Fisting It!

We were privileged to visit last week while Ethan was spending time with my parents. In a belated celebration of the birth of 'Merica, we went down to the firework stand and bought all the half-priced and BOGO items we could find. Ethan especially loved the "sprinklers."I find it hilariously endearing to watch my father and Ethan interact. My dad couldn't stop cracking up that Ethan was so sure they were called sprinklers. Ethan was so insistent, constantly sighing when my dad didn't believe him and could not answer because he was chuckling.

I was pretty disappointed in the lack of strength in the fireworks. Ultimately it was all worth it because Ethan loved it. Tyler even let him light some of the fireworks himself (I can't believe how old he's getting)! He even mentioned earlier today how he wished he could have  lighted the one with 96 shots in it.

Being Careful with Sprinklers

July is getting busy. Looks like we won't be headed back there any time soon. Thankful for those moments.