santa claus and candy disclaimer

please, especially, if you are a stranger happening onto my blog...i am SO not trying to offend...definitely not trying to call anyone names...mostly trying to speak out against the extremes...and sadly...very recently...more than several times...my or my friend's children...have been pitied or ridiculed for their diets...THAT's what frustrates me...well and the request for every child to bring a freaking bag of candy...i won't go there again *smile*

and on the santa issue...

i have always struggled with this area...i most definitely want my children to have a spectacular childhood...i would NEVER EVER infringe my personal convictions on any other family...i have a unique situation in that my son is very literal...his mind doesn't explain away white lies...or fantasies...we have to clearly lay out what is real and what is imaginary...i trust that God is constantly revealing Himself to my children...i simply never want to cloud those revelations with "believable fantasies"...we watch santa movies and read santa books...we just don't make a big deal...beauty of my children...much like their special diets...the less of a deal i make about it...the less they care!

we didn't do santa at all one year...then last year...i caved to the INCREDIBLE peer pressure...and we emphasized him a bit more...allowing him the main present under the tree...but this year...knowing what i know now about j-bob's thought processes...i will not be making that same mistake again...

again...this is MY personal conviction...everyone has their own...please...ESPECIALLY...if you are not familiar with my tired rants...please don't take offense to my thoughts...they are simply that...my thoughts...i do appreciate everyone's comments...sometimes they cause me to back up and re-read my entry with a different perspective...i am learning...it's better to disclaimer a thought than run the risk of injuring another's feelings!

thank you dear readers for the time you give to my tired rants!

can u tell i have free time!!??

last post i promise...

WHY DOES EVERYONE INSIST ON CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS WITH FAT-INDUCING- CHEMICAL-FILLED-TEETH-AND-BRAIN-ROTTING CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????

whew...i feel better now...sadly i am not attending b-bob's school "fall festival" as it is centered around "games" that offer candy as the reward...aka centered around candy...i can assure each and every dear reader that if my son's fall festival occurs during the school hours, and can i add, that EVERY PARENT was asked to bring a BAG OF CANDY... really??? how many bags of candy is that really!!?? to school...WHAT THE HECK ARE WE TEACHING OUR KIDS!!?? is it just this ridiculous in the south?? i already want to move to oregon...or even montana...oh...back to if his festival is during school hours...i will be OUTRAGED!

but come on...and yet i, and my circle of friends (thanks to my daughters montessori preschool), are looked on as such radicals (yes...montessori is a religious cult and they chant and...JOKE...it's an educational philosophy)...

the sad whispers that follow us as we walk away: i mean, how sad, i can't believe they don't let their kids have candy!!?? ...judgey stares penetrate our backs...

the best is the public outrage when we dare suggest an alternative to candy...

seriously...i almost cannot stand it...dear Lord...can you imagine if they knew i don't want my kids to believe in santa claus??!! i'd be seriously stoned...you know...down here in the Bible belt...sigh...

Lord, seriously....please help me to be just as tolerant to peoples' close mindedness...as they are to my open mindedness...

i honestly can't figure out why american children are struggling with diabetes, obesity, behavior problems, allergies...hmmm...(scratching head...puzzled look)!?

you know...kids do like healthy food, too! isn't it sad that many parents don't even realize this!? and the best part is how sweet those cookies do taste...in moderation.

please no pity for my household...my five year old and three year old are teaching me about self-control and good choices...mermaid cries if her daddy eats "chemicals"...they both cry if i offer to only feed them junk food so that they will stop growing up to be healthy:

NO mommy...give us helfee food...pwease...we want to grwow up helfee!

artwork

ok...i must say that i feel like quite the pc genius right now...i hope this comes through...and since i am awful at sending the collections of artwork to the kiddos nana and pop-pop and grandma bush...i am attempting to ease my guilty conscience by scanning and posting, as i am not limited by daylight and business hours! though...i do have said collection ready...it's simply (and sadly) affording the envelopes and stamps...really...times are tough...as we all know...i am thankful for in-laws who never ever make me feel guilty and are always so understanding...

anyhow...i love this picture...it's our house and dog...and his first attempts at making clouds...he always puts apples in his trees as his school just had an apple theme...i will try and dig out his picture of two ships...the details were incredible...

also, mermaid is quite the artist...she's been writing her name for several months now...and i swear she will be able to teach kindergarten by the time she gets there...i am actually worried she will be bored...much like her daddy...she is WAY ahead of her times...geez...speaking of mermaid...this morning she ran up to her daddy and wrapped her arms around his neck...smacked a big kiss (despite the fact that it would "mess up her wipstick!!??")...and said:

i wuv you daddy, i wuv you daddy, i wuv you daddy...

i think the OA almost cried...she's never ever been so loving to him...can we get a HALLELUJAH for gluten free casein free soy free egg free and dye free...i fear soon to be corn free too...but you know what...bring it on...we are healthier and happier than ever...sigh!

parent teacher conference

i sat outside the room half trying to listen to the other parent's report...as i looked around the growingly familiar hall...i started noticing...j-bob's work is virtually undetectable from the other kids...his teacher came to the door...thanked the parent before me...and in i went...

was i really nervous? seriously? i talk to this teacher every day...but this was different...this was about test scores and comparisons...it's gone against everything i have been protecting myself and my child against for at least a year....even our play dates are carefully selected perfectly imperfect children OR extremely compassionate and accepting children.

"this will only take a minute," i heard her say...

"jaden is a wonderful little boy," she continued...

"he only received a needs improvement in one area: neatness of work"

"just so you know...that's very typical for his age"

"the number three is the highest he can receive...it means at or above level"

as she continued to talk i found myself rapidly scanning the papers in front of me...all threes...she was still talking, and i was holding back the tears that were stinging my eyes...my God...i only had one question:

well...as the year continues...and his work intensifies...will you be able to know if he is going to have any significant learning disabilities...because...his OT (brilliant woman) was seeing some possible red flags for dyslexia...but i am thinking...he's going to be ok? i just don't want to get my hopes up...it's just...i never imagined he'd be doing so well so quickly...(i kept my composure but on the inside...actually...there is no adequate words to describe the realization that the battle we have been fighting together as a family...was slowly beginning to bring us out as the possible victors...)

i hugged the papers in my arms...my son had all A's...my son had all A's...with little to no work modification...he asks and answers content relevant questions...my son...the little boy who no less than one year ago was jumping on the trampoline for four hours with his patient father as his withdrawl symptoms were at their worst...the little boy who no less than a year ago had NO imaginative play...who just began asking questions at all...much less relevant content related...my son...who God has never failed...ever...

we still have hurdles...but i am not as scared...not as worried...at least today...for today i am singing and dancing in celebration of my son's success...

thank You God. we are so very very blessed.

and another thing

out of curiosity...this is coming from a statistic i just read about adhd and ritalin...why in the WORLD would we not examine diets before giving our children meds that affect their brain???

anyhow...since we have changed the mermaid's diet...her need for discipline has decreased by 60%!!!!?????? everyone coming into direct contact with her has noticed the change...what did i do??? i removed gluten, casein, soy, and chemicals from her diet...the few more minutes of menu planning and cooking is far better spent than the constant interruption from temper tantrums and negative behavior. she isn't "perfect"...she's still a willful three year old...but now...finally...we are getting to know our little girl, and we are also able to successfully address, in love, the issues at hand.

i must also add...when you have a chronically unhappy child...it becomes very demoralizing...it is essential for us as parents to make sure we are setting our children up for success...it's hard because we can't ignore bad behavior just because a child is miserable...but i find it almost wrong to constantly punish a child who is reacting from chemicals and food...unfortunately...the "issues" i still have to deal with in mermaid...consists of an entire year of excusing bad behavior due to her "inability" to control herself...it's a fine line...i just wish every parent with an excessively unhappy child could know about diet modification...

j-bob has successfully saved his sister's life (or at least the value of her life's experience)...it's true that the oldest is the learning curve for all that follow...how i praise my God for revealing to me not to hold my daughter down for her shots...sigh...and even though it's a year later...how thankful i am that my family is finally gfcf...the changes in my daughter completely amaze me...and they give me hope...

hope that someday my son can come home and tell me how is day was at school...hope that eventually it won't hurt j-bob to look me in the eyes...hope that eventually i won't have to act as a translator for my son to the rest of the world...hope that he will know beyond a shadow of a doubt with his very literal and scientific mind that he has a God so big...He makes autism look so very small.