OK, so I didn't get my post done earlier.....we got home yesterday and it's been non-stop since then. WHew! It was SO wonderful to sleep in our own beds last night. Even Little Critter appreciated being home again.
Tuesday we went to the LBJ Presidential Library. I figured we'd spend an hour or so....well, boy was I wrong!!!! Little Critter got to going thru the exhibits and I explained how the things he was looking at (and reading about) related to what was going on in the world at that time period. We watched a short video about his life, and then went to the 10th floor to see the replicas of the White House. It took me 4 hours to drag Little Critter out of that library!!!! Who would have believed a squirmy wormy 9 yo boy would have so much fun at a Presidential Library?!
Once we left there, we walked across about 1/2 of the UT campus to our next bus, (This was about 3/4 of a mile), rode the bus three blocks and then walked another 2 blocks to the Bob Bullock Museum (also called the Story Of Texas Museum). We walked thru about 1/2 of it, went to see the movie "The Spirit of Texas" (which wasn't working so we didn't get to see it....bummer) and had a quick bite of lunch. Some really neat exhibits, but without the 'hearing wand' (which we didn't know we had to buy until it was too late) it was not much that we couldn't have found on the internet. I was disappointed....but Little Critter LOVED seeing all the knives, guns and cannons. Sigh.....boys!
After that we got on the bus again (we got really good at buses!!!!) went to Republic Park and took a picture of Little Critter at the Treaty Oak. (we think....it wasn't tagged, but that's where the website said it was). The Treaty Oak is supposed to be where Sam Houston signed the Treaty with Santa Anna to end the Texas War for Independence, hence making Texas a sovereign country in it's own right. Pretty cool huh!
Finally we went back to the hotel, ate dinner with Dodi and watched the bats come out from the bridge. I have several pictures to post, but they'll most likely have to wait a couple of days. Tomorrow is preparation day for Shabbot and I have to go back into work for a bit. (Not to mention laundry and cleaning the house since we weren't here to do it earlier this week.....sigh) S
So, my sweet friends, as we thank Papa for our dear home with our own little beds and our own little kitchen for me to cook in.....be sure to thank Him for all the blessings He's given you. He sends you love letters everyday too! And He loves you like crazy! Shabbat Shalom, Spitfire
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
On the road....again!
This week is Coach's School. So, we're in Austin Texas this week while Dodi attends his classes at Coaching School. Little Critter and I are attending classes ourselves....sort of. We got here late Sunday afternoon, spent over an hour trying to get checked into our hotel and then spent another hour trying to find a restaurant to eat at. Whew! After all that, (not to mention a couple of 'scenic routes' which translate into Dodi read the map/directions and gave incorrect info to me the driver) we just watched a little TV and went to bed!!!
Monday, we got up, went to breakfast and then dropped Dodi off at his classes. Little Critter and I asked at the front desk which bus to catch and took off for the Capital building. We walked all over the place!!!! The Texas Capital Building is a HUGE building set in the middle of about 2 1/2 acres if ground. The Capital itself has 8.5 acres of office floor space (and we walked almost 8 of those 8.5 acres!!!!!). It's an impressive building with beautiful granite floors and more staircases than I ever want to see again, thank you! There's also a 650,000 sq ft extension that was added in 1995 that has 4 floors to it and several skylights. (the entire extension is underground!) We've been there before, but he was only 5 and we made that last tour a short one. This one, we looked in most every nook and crannie! He had a blast! We looked in the Agriculture museum inside the Capital building, the original Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the State of Texas, the Senate and House of Representatives chambers and even the President of the Senate's reception/receiving room...complete with massive chandeliers (3) and it's own kitchen. We also saw the Governor's reception/receiving room and the basement offices. We walked underground and visited our Representative's office and then went back to the original Capital building to visit our Senator's office. Both secretaries were incredible!!! They took us into the men's offices and we got to sit in their chairs! (The Representative has the better seat....the Senator has a very clean, spare and fussless office, but his chair is not real comfortable.) They both asked Little Critter questions and if he had any questions, and then gave him goodies for his lapbook/scrapbook pages. He did a real good job answering questions and using his manners. He even signed both guest books himself, and told the Senator's secretary that last election he'd voted for our Senator. (He did....he filled out a voter registration card, marked he was NOT 18 and took it with us when Dodi and I voted. The registrar then gave Little Critter a practice ballot to vote on and had him place it in the box for counting later. Our county now uses the computers to vote so it's not like Little Critter's ballot ever really got counted, but she was sweet to not tell him that!) We spent about 5 hours going thru the Capital building and grounds. I got a great picture of him at the gates in front of the Capital, but can't load them up till we get home. I'll try to remember to post them later in the week.
Next week, he'll have to prepare his pages for lapbook/scrapbook and write up all the stuff he learned while at the Capital. I'm looking forward to seeing what he writes about. He learned lots of cool stuff. Then we'll start working on how a bill becomes a law....not too shabby for a 9yo heh?
Well, I'll try to post again in the next couple of days....we still have to go to the LBJ Museum, the Story of Texas Museum (Bob Bullock Museum), the LadyBird Johnson Wildfire park, the Treaty Oak, and hopefully the children;s museum. Whew! I think I'm tired just thinking about it all!!!! But he's learning lots, having fun and having a blast riding the buses downtown.
So I'm thanking Yah for public transportation, (so we don't have to walk eleventy million miles), for being able to visit these historic and wonderful places, for living in a great state in a great country, and for family and friends. I'm also grateful we homeschool so we can go with Dodi on his yearly trip to Coach's school! Hopefully next year will be in Ft Worth. (That's where I grew up and there's some incredible museums for kids...not to mention a working Log CabinVillage that Little Critter would have an absolute blast at!) Well, take care my friends, look for the love letters that Papa sends you everyday....Shalom, Spitfire
PS We're still trying to follow Dodi's diet, but boy is it tough down here!!!! So many restaurants and so little we can eat!!!! LOL!
Monday, we got up, went to breakfast and then dropped Dodi off at his classes. Little Critter and I asked at the front desk which bus to catch and took off for the Capital building. We walked all over the place!!!! The Texas Capital Building is a HUGE building set in the middle of about 2 1/2 acres if ground. The Capital itself has 8.5 acres of office floor space (and we walked almost 8 of those 8.5 acres!!!!!). It's an impressive building with beautiful granite floors and more staircases than I ever want to see again, thank you! There's also a 650,000 sq ft extension that was added in 1995 that has 4 floors to it and several skylights. (the entire extension is underground!) We've been there before, but he was only 5 and we made that last tour a short one. This one, we looked in most every nook and crannie! He had a blast! We looked in the Agriculture museum inside the Capital building, the original Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the State of Texas, the Senate and House of Representatives chambers and even the President of the Senate's reception/receiving room...complete with massive chandeliers (3) and it's own kitchen. We also saw the Governor's reception/receiving room and the basement offices. We walked underground and visited our Representative's office and then went back to the original Capital building to visit our Senator's office. Both secretaries were incredible!!! They took us into the men's offices and we got to sit in their chairs! (The Representative has the better seat....the Senator has a very clean, spare and fussless office, but his chair is not real comfortable.) They both asked Little Critter questions and if he had any questions, and then gave him goodies for his lapbook/scrapbook pages. He did a real good job answering questions and using his manners. He even signed both guest books himself, and told the Senator's secretary that last election he'd voted for our Senator. (He did....he filled out a voter registration card, marked he was NOT 18 and took it with us when Dodi and I voted. The registrar then gave Little Critter a practice ballot to vote on and had him place it in the box for counting later. Our county now uses the computers to vote so it's not like Little Critter's ballot ever really got counted, but she was sweet to not tell him that!) We spent about 5 hours going thru the Capital building and grounds. I got a great picture of him at the gates in front of the Capital, but can't load them up till we get home. I'll try to remember to post them later in the week.
Next week, he'll have to prepare his pages for lapbook/scrapbook and write up all the stuff he learned while at the Capital. I'm looking forward to seeing what he writes about. He learned lots of cool stuff. Then we'll start working on how a bill becomes a law....not too shabby for a 9yo heh?
Well, I'll try to post again in the next couple of days....we still have to go to the LBJ Museum, the Story of Texas Museum (Bob Bullock Museum), the LadyBird Johnson Wildfire park, the Treaty Oak, and hopefully the children;s museum. Whew! I think I'm tired just thinking about it all!!!! But he's learning lots, having fun and having a blast riding the buses downtown.
So I'm thanking Yah for public transportation, (so we don't have to walk eleventy million miles), for being able to visit these historic and wonderful places, for living in a great state in a great country, and for family and friends. I'm also grateful we homeschool so we can go with Dodi on his yearly trip to Coach's school! Hopefully next year will be in Ft Worth. (That's where I grew up and there's some incredible museums for kids...not to mention a working Log CabinVillage that Little Critter would have an absolute blast at!) Well, take care my friends, look for the love letters that Papa sends you everyday....Shalom, Spitfire
PS We're still trying to follow Dodi's diet, but boy is it tough down here!!!! So many restaurants and so little we can eat!!!! LOL!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Two points for me!
Earlier this week, we had an appointment to go talk with the Dietitian. This was a requirement from the new specialist Dodi went to a few weeks ago that angered me so deeply. So I was not excited about this 'visit', but we went anyway. As some of you know, Dodi is diabetic. Has been for 15 years or so. And the first 5 years, we managed his blood sugars with diet alone....no meds. After 5 years, he started on oral meds and over the last 10 years the dosages have progressively gotten higher and higher with more and more drugs going into his system. This has bothered me for years.
Now, I will admit I have not always been good about cooking all our meals from scratch....but for the last year or two have gotten much better about it. I have, since his diagnosis, been good about trying my best to all I could to use foods and supplements and spices that would help control his blood sugars as naturally as possible. (I'm not sure I trust all these man made drugs to not screw things up worse than before.) So we've been on an Atkins type diet for about 4-5 months now. We don't even keep sugar in the house (unless dear cousin buys it for his coffee and occasionally I buy him a small pkge), we grow as much fresh veggies as we can, and I buy fresh when I have to. I can or freeze our produce and use it during the off seasons. So I felt we were doing pretty well.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! The dietitian agreed that we were doing quite well! WOHOO! Now, she advocates adding more carbs into our diet and eating less protein...but that doesn't make sense! Why add foods that turn straight into sugars into the diet of someone with uncontrolled high blood sugar?!?! So we're taking some of her advice and going with the advice of the wholeistic doctor on other parts. What does this mean for us? Well, for those of you who prepare Shabbat dinners.....it's like making Shabbat dinner for most every meal only in smaller portions. But we're beginning to see some really positive results from this. Dodi has lost almost 50 lbs, his blood sugars are now running 200 and below (they were in the 400's!) and he's feeling much better most the time. Now if we can just get him off the insulin shots at night, life will be awesome! (He only takes the insulin at night, during the day he still uses oral meds.) So your prayers would be appreciated as we attempt to defy the medical community at large and cure him of his diabetis. I realize everyone says you can't cure diabetis....but I know the Creator. And I also know HE didn't create diabetis......He created Dodi with perfectly functioning body parts, and healed him of this wretched disease over 2000 years ago. We're just waiting for Dodi's body to line up with the Word of YHWH and show that healing.
I pray things are going well for each of you and you're enjoying your summers. We're trying to stay as cool as you can in triple digit temps but we're still having fun....just inside. LOL! You know it's hot when even the lizards don't want to come out and play until after sundown!!!!! Have a blessed weekend, a restful Shabbat and know I pray for each of you daily. May Papa load you up with love letters this weekend. Shabbat Shalom, Spitfire
Now, I will admit I have not always been good about cooking all our meals from scratch....but for the last year or two have gotten much better about it. I have, since his diagnosis, been good about trying my best to all I could to use foods and supplements and spices that would help control his blood sugars as naturally as possible. (I'm not sure I trust all these man made drugs to not screw things up worse than before.) So we've been on an Atkins type diet for about 4-5 months now. We don't even keep sugar in the house (unless dear cousin buys it for his coffee and occasionally I buy him a small pkge), we grow as much fresh veggies as we can, and I buy fresh when I have to. I can or freeze our produce and use it during the off seasons. So I felt we were doing pretty well.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! The dietitian agreed that we were doing quite well! WOHOO! Now, she advocates adding more carbs into our diet and eating less protein...but that doesn't make sense! Why add foods that turn straight into sugars into the diet of someone with uncontrolled high blood sugar?!?! So we're taking some of her advice and going with the advice of the wholeistic doctor on other parts. What does this mean for us? Well, for those of you who prepare Shabbat dinners.....it's like making Shabbat dinner for most every meal only in smaller portions. But we're beginning to see some really positive results from this. Dodi has lost almost 50 lbs, his blood sugars are now running 200 and below (they were in the 400's!) and he's feeling much better most the time. Now if we can just get him off the insulin shots at night, life will be awesome! (He only takes the insulin at night, during the day he still uses oral meds.) So your prayers would be appreciated as we attempt to defy the medical community at large and cure him of his diabetis. I realize everyone says you can't cure diabetis....but I know the Creator. And I also know HE didn't create diabetis......He created Dodi with perfectly functioning body parts, and healed him of this wretched disease over 2000 years ago. We're just waiting for Dodi's body to line up with the Word of YHWH and show that healing.
I pray things are going well for each of you and you're enjoying your summers. We're trying to stay as cool as you can in triple digit temps but we're still having fun....just inside. LOL! You know it's hot when even the lizards don't want to come out and play until after sundown!!!!! Have a blessed weekend, a restful Shabbat and know I pray for each of you daily. May Papa load you up with love letters this weekend. Shabbat Shalom, Spitfire
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