Free Sesame Street Shows

Sesame Street has a bunch of episodes on iTunes that you can download for free and they talk about how to deal with deployments. Very cool! Major props for Sesame Street!
Just click here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/learn-along-with-sesame/id215221061

Your Child's Education

If I have not already stated in previous posts, I am an educator. I used to teach full-time, but with the birth of my second child, husband deploying, and subsequent development of my Chron's Disease, I have since become a stay-at-home mom. Even though being a mom, wife, and homemaker is my primary job now, I still miss teaching.

My oldest child is in Kindergarten this year and has struggled herself with building her sight word knowledge and her number knowledge. As a parent, I wonder what my child is learning in the classroom, and as a teacher, I wonder how I can help her with the areas she struggles with.

Most children in America today have some sort of struggle during the year with their education. As a parent, your job is to be aware of what your child is learning and where they are struggling in their studies. In my experience as a teacher, many of my parents had no desire to help their children in their schooling once they left the school and they struggled, passing the grade by the skin of their teeth. I hope that you readers out there take the advice I am going to give from the point of view of a parent and a teacher.

If your student is struggling in school:

1. What subject are they lacking in and why?

2. What can I do as a parent at home to help my child learn what they are supposed to learn this year at school?

3. What type of learner is my child? (Are they audial- learn by hearing, verbal- learn by speaking, or kinisthetic- learn by doing?)- This information helps you as a parent and the teacher work within their best learning modality. Most students learn with 2 or more modalities. (My daughter has struggled this year because she is primarily an audial learner- imagine trying to teacher her numbers when she does not learn visually!)

4. Be proactive not reactive. Try to be in constant contact (I suggest monthly) with your student's teacher just to make sure you are on the same page with them. The teacher should be sending home weekly or biweekly work that has been corrected so that you can see what your child has been working on and what they are not completing successfully.

5. If your student has learning issues, what modifications are being made for your child and are they working?

6. If your student is on medication for ADD/ADHD, is it effective while they are in school? (ie. are they alert and paying attention or are they lethargic and unable to do any of their work in a timely manner?)

Keep in mind that your student's teacher sees your child more than you do, so constant communication is imperative to ensure that your student succeeds and grows during the school year. Remember this rule when it comes to your child's education: You are their greatest champion in the educational system. If you don't care, they won't care, and their teachers will not care. I have seen too many children thrown to the wayside in the educational system because of parents not taking an interest in their child's education. I hope that we as American moms can bring about a change in the thinking that school is not a babysitter, it is a place for our children to learn HOW to do things; but it is our job as parents to continue to foster what they have learned at school when they come home.

If you have any concerns or specific questions about how to help your child in their schooling or if you need help with quality questions to ask the teacher during a conference, feel free to ask in the comments section and I will respond. I would love to hear any and all thoughts on education and what you feel may be lacking in today's educational system. Our children are our future and we, as their parents, must ensure that they are help up to the highest standards, and then pushed some more. There is so much that children are capable of and I find it sad that many of them do not live up to their potential. I want to change that way of thinking!

Getting your finances in order

Hello dear readers. I know it has been such a long time since we have posted on our blog. Between Shevaun's move to her first duty station in Hawaii and her husband's first deployment and my own long-term illness, it has been a struggle getting through the day-to-day activities let alone our hobby and business building. So, I think it fitting to discuss getting your finances in order as the beginning of this year as already come and gone! Many of us are mothers who are in families with only one income, our husband's. We are forced to learn early how to find deals, cut unnecessary expenses, and sacrifice our wants for the needs of our families. The first suggestion I make to families who live on a strict budget is to make a list of your necessary bills. For example: Rent/mortgage, electricity, phone, water, trash. Those are the necessities. Then follow by making a list of your other bills. For example: Cable, Internet, car payment, cell phones, car insurance, and credit cards. After you have made this list, put the average monthly amounts that you pay for each next to them. Remember, this is just an average. So, say you pay $700 for your rent. You would list that next to RENT. Obviously, some bills vary month to month, so that is why I suggest you put an average payment. You really get a sense of where your money is going during the month this way. Next comes the extra necessities: Food and gas! Many people, when they make a budget forget about these necessities. The key to this exercise is to see what your total debt is and how to get it down as much as possible in as little as time as possible so that you can be better off down the road. When it comes to credit card debt, list the total amounts that you owe as well as what you are expected to pay each month. Keep in mind that if you are making the minimum payment on these, you will take a long time to pay these off. My suggestion would be, if it is within your means, to double your minimum payment each month or at least try to pay a little extra depending on what your minimum payment is. If you have a high interest rate, i.e. 21% (which is ridiculous), I would suggest closing the account and paying it off in regular installments. A reasonable rate for a credit card is anywhere between 12-14% for someone with an average credit rating. However, if you have a good credit rating, you should not accept anything above 10% interest rates. Many of us live paycheck to paycheck, and the only way to get out of a majority of debt is to determine what our needs are versus our wants and stick to the needs list at least until you have downsized your debt a bit. Building a savings account is also very important. Most of us can't afford to put that much into savings. So my biggest suggestion is to start with $10-20 each paycheck until other debts are paid down and slowly increase that amount. This will allow you to not rely on those credit cards anymore for purchases as you will have a cash base you can go to. I am not ashamed to say that my husband and I are in the same situation as many active duty military personnel. We are working on paying off all of our credit card debt so that we have a larger sum in our savings for emergency purposes or for larger purchases that we do not want to charge. It is doable, no matter how much you owe. The key is to talk openly with your partner, look hard at your needs vs. wants list, be honest about your bills, and if possible buy things second hand. I recently outfitted my son in a 4T wardrobe of summer and winter items (minus socks, underwear, and shoes) for $40 and they are all well cared for items. I did this by looking on a local site in my area called lejeuneyardsales.com. You can do the same by looking for gently used items for your children (because lets face it, kids are expensive), by going to yard sales and looking at second hand websites like the one I use here where I live.

When you feel the "Bad day" coming on

Okay, ladies, I had to share with you what happened this morning to me! I began my day at 5 am this morning with a peepee accident with my 3 year old. Thankfully, my husband helped by cleaning him off and putting him in our bed before he went off to work (a big thanks to wonderful husbands and dads that do give you a break when you just want to hide under the covers that early in the morning!). When my alarm finally went off to get my daughter up for school, I was really not ready to get moving. If any of you have seen Bruce Almighty, I was Bruce trying to stay in bed even when the covers are pulled from you! (Not moving...nope.. not me!- this is a really great visual and I hope you are all laughing about it!). I finally get moving, get my daughter out of bed (this took 10 minutes with a mini breakdown from her of "I don't want to go" and "I don't like school"- even though I know this to be the exact opposite). The bane of overly exhausted children. You know they do not go to sleep right away when we put them to bed, they sneak those toys into bed with them and play, although I have only seen the remnants of this the next morning... she is too quiet to catch in the act. So we finally get breakfast and vitamins into her tummy, another battle! Meanwhile, I am also trying to get my son ready to leave the house and school starts in less than 20 minutes! I have to drive 10 minutes to get to the school, which is not bad, but just brushing teeth, putting on shoes, and getting her jacket on seemed to be another dramatic moment! By this time, my anxiety had ratcheted up and I could feel my body heat up (which ladies, if you have never experienced this, makes your irritation even worse!!). Finally, we are ready, rushing to the car.. I finally get to her school looking at my clock thinking we made it! Only, don't you just know it, MY clock is 2 minutes behind the school clock and so now I have to sign her in. I just sit there in my car giving my daughter the 3rd degree because now we have to go to the office and I am, wouldn't you know it, in my PAJAMAS and ROBE!

As you can imagine, this is not the way to start a day, but we all know it happens. My advice is to remember to keep your cool. Sometimes these hiccups happen. For me, I had to vent about it right away so that I did not dwell on the irritation I felt with my daughter... so who did I call, but her father. And there he sat on the phone with me laughing, because he could sure picture me in my moon and stars robe with messy hair and slippers signing our child into school. Now, you must realize by this point, I too was laughing about the whole situation. Sometimes our days do not always go as planned, but we can't stop doing what needs to be done just because our day has started rotten. We as moms still have jobs. What I would have liked to do was crawl back into bed when my son and I returned home from our morning fiasco, but instead, I made a cup of tea and began working on my homework. "Bad days" can be like a domino effect. Once one thing goes wrong, it all goes wrong. However, that does not have to be the case. If you feel this happening, stop for a moment or two, take a breath and a break for 20 minutes or so, and then begin again starting with something that you enjoy doing. Your "bad day" will definitely turn into a better day. And don't be afraid to share! Venting those yucky things that are making you feel bad does help, especially when you can vent to your husband who has the ability to turn your frown upside down!

Seasonal Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
I have struggled with this for a while and did not realize it. The symptoms to me were not as noticeable. The more I shared it with others, the more I realized how very common it is.

According to Web MD, the symptoms for SAD are:

• decreased levels of energy
• difficulty concentrating
• fatigue
• increase in appetite
• increased desire to be alone
• increased need for sleep
• weight gain

There are many treatments for this type of depression. Most people that I have talked to about this go tanning for a few minutes at a time once or twice a week. You can also do light therapy and a lot of times, your insurance will pay for the light required for this. If you feel you have this disorder, I strongly suggest you speak to your doctor about possible treatments. There is no reason to suffer through the winter season when there are options available!

When Depression Strikes

Often times, the "beast" sneaks up on us, like a thief in the night, waiting for us to be at our most vulnerable; and then it strikes. Its poisonous fangs digging deeply into our psyche until we feel like we have lost an essential part of ourselves: our identity.

Who we are as moms and wives should never overtake who we are as women. Our identity is constantly changing as we grow, age, and hopefully, become even better people than we were before. We change so gradually, that the "beast" can take root so deeply within ourselves and we do not even realize it until it is too late. The BREAK DOWN occurs, or as I like to say, "I have just lost my mind today."

This "beast" is a little snake called depression. It infiltrates us slowly, manipulating our minds, hearts, and souls; sucking everything we are right out of us. We do not even realize this is happening until one day we snap.

Today, I am focusing on talking about how to avoid the eventual snapping by discussing signs that you may be "losing" yourself as well as some ways to halt the downward slide. I myself have struggled with mild depression for the past 2 1/2 years. I used to teach full time and chose to stay home when my second child was born. At this time, I also became ill. On the one hand, I lost my identity as a career woman, who I had been (a teacher) was no longer my identity. I had become just "a mom". And then, a "sick mom". There is nothing wrong with being "just a mom"; being a mom is one of the most important jobs I will do every day for the rest of my life, and I want to do it as best as I can. However, I was taught since a young age that it was important for me to rely on myself and have a career as well. This mode of thinking can really tear you down when you go from making your own money to relying on your husband to pay all of the bills; especially if you were taught the way of life that both parents worked (which I was). Long story short, I began going to therapy and am on medications to hopefully control my Chron's disease (eventually!), but feel healthier in body, mind, and spirit today than I have since I stopped working full time three years ago.

The "beast" sunk its fangs in deeply and I became so sad, weepy, and just did not want to get out of bed. An identity change can really destroy you if you are not prepared for it. We as women will go through this at some point in our life even if you are not experiencing it now. We as moms cannot let it destroy us. Our children rely on us to be their rocks and be the strong and consistent ones in their lives. We cannot let the "beast" win the wars that rage within us.

Here are some things to watch out for: Crying spells, lethargy, not caring about what is going on in your life, not able to get out of bed, no enjoyment in things you used to enjoy, secluding yourself, and irrational anger.

Here is what you can do about it: Go to see a therapist/counsellor (this is a safe place to talk about what is upsetting you and give you the tools to deal with your life as it is today), find a support group of women, go out and enjoy sunny days, and above all, do not hole up in your home. Make sure you do at least one thing a day (even if that one thing is just taking a shower), when you are the most depressed, that one thing will make you feel like you have accomplished something for the day. Surrounding yourself with bright colors also helps as the winter season comes upon us.

Please feel free to share in the comments section other ideas for dealing with depression. What works to get you out of the blues and silences the "beast"?

Finding a hobby

Aloha from Hawaii! My family and I are finally getting settled into our new home. I'm so exited to be blogging again!

As LeeAnne said in her previous post, we are focusing this month on not losing our identities as mothers, wives, women, etc. I wanted to write a little bit about finding a hobby.

It happens all too often. We wake up one day and think, "I don't know who I am anymore." Which can lead to so many things, depression, mid-life crisis, affairs, etc. I do not want that to happen to me. I think it is so important not only for our sake but for our families sake to take care of ourselves spiritually, emotionally and physically. And having a hobby or working on a talent is such an important part of that.

I grew up taking polynesian dance. I loved it. I excelled in it. It gave me confidence (not to mention a killer work out :)) When I moved to Utah, I could not find anywhere to take it and missed it terribly.

I tried out some other hobbies/talents that my friends enjoyed; scrapbooking, sewing, crafty things. While I had a little fun while I was doing it, I didn't get super excited to do it. Scrapbooking completely overwhelmed me in fact.

When we found out we were being stationed in Hawaii, to say I was excited would be an understatement. I knew that I would definitely find a Halau to dance with here. I started my first class on monday and came home so excited. It is such an uplifting experience to do something that you have a passion for.

I also have joined a group called Stroller Strides. It is so much fun! Stroller strides is a fitness program comprised of moms with stroller age children. They have classes all over the country. You can find a class near you here. It gives me a killer workout and an opportunity to meet other moms.

I challenge you to find or revisit your talent/hobby that you have a passion for and truly enjoy. The options are limitless!

November Focus

Dear Readers,

We are back this fall season and more dedicated than ever to getting those helpful tips out for all of our mothers. This month, we are going to be focusing our posts on the identity crisis that so many mothers eventually face in the process of their lives.

As mothers, we tend to only think about those we are responsible to care for. In doing this, we begin to forget who we are or once were as our identity changes to that of a mother and wife. If you have not been in this place yet, believe me, you will be eventually, so please read our focus posts coming this month about how to "get out of the rut" so to speak.

Some of you know that I was once a full-time teacher. I taught fifth grade and enjoyed it immensely. I became a mother to my first child in 2005 and worked through the first two years of my daughter's life, missing all of her "firsts". When my second child came around in 2007, my husband deployed, and I knew that I could not handle the teaching and caring for a two-year-old and infant by myself without losing my mind. I took year off, intending to return to work after that, but became ill.

Over the past three years, I slowly lost my identity as a teacher and woman who worked out of the home to help provide for her family. In life, we must all make choices and sacrifices for the good of our family, but mine was slowly destroying who I had once been. My illness also took a toll and essentially turned me into a hermit. My identity now is one of mother, wife, and daughter. I lost a part of myself when I could not return to teaching in a classroom. About a year ago, I began going back to church and finding things that interest me in the hopes that I could bring myself out of the "funk" I had slowly slipped into.

My point: As our lifestyle and needs change within our family, so too will our identity. It is imperative that as these changes occur, we find the true things that matter to us and hold onto them. It is natural for us to change as we get older and "wiser", the key is to change in ways that matter to us as women rather than allow changes to occur that we cannot live with; only then can you have hope in your heart and soul for your future. Don't allow the "funk" to take over your life.

Every Friday in November, Shevaun and I will be focusing on how we lose our identity and ways to keep from slipping into the "funk" or how to get out of it. Please let us know in the comments section if there is anything you as readers need help with. We are here not just to provide insights and ideas, but also to be a support of moms! We are moms who understand because we have been there as well. So please, share with us so that we can support all of you in your trying times.

A Great Opportunity

Dear Readers,
We have been remiss in the past few weeks with posting the issues that are important to us as military families. The only excuse I can offer is that Shevaun is in the process of preparing for her husband's orders to Hawaii. She has been in limbo and moving around like a true gypsy since shortly before July and will not be in her own home until some time in October. Because of this, it has been difficult for her to post on our blog. For myself, as many of you know, for the past month I have been battling mysterious issues in my health. I finally realized that all of the issues I had been having were a cause of the steroid "entocourt" that I was placed on to help heal the inflammation in my GI tract. I have since taken myself off of them and feel much improved.
So today, I wanted to share some really exciting information with all of you about furthering your education. I don't how many of you have heard of the DOD's program MyCAA. It will be re-enacted this coming October on the 25th, so if you are interested in what you read below, make sure you fill out an application soon.
You may be asking what is MyCAA? It is a financial assisting program for spouses of active duty military. If you fill this role, there are some other guidelines to look at. Your spouse has to be E1-E5, W1-W2, or O1-O2. If your spouse fits in this category, read on. If he doesn't, its okay, mine just missed the mark! How crushing reality is! (assume I am laughing at my poor luck with that last comment).
The program offers a maximum of $4,000 of assistance. You can only use $2,000 of it per year. This can be used toward an associate's degree, licensure or certification and is provided through a waiver. They will not give you cash or reimburse you for already paid course work. So make sure you apply first for the program before signing up for your course work. The program also requires you to finish your course work within 3 years of beginning. You do not have to use up all of the money, or even all $2,000 per year. Those are just the guidelines for the program.
The website for MyCAA is: http://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/
Also, please visit militaryonesource.com as well and look up MyCAA! There is a link that would be beneficial for finding optional financial aid from Federal grants. The website is: www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/MilitarySpouseCareerAdvancementAccounts/MilitarySpouseFinancialAidResourceList.aspx
I hope that this helps all of you. Please pass the word to all of those other military spouses male or female that want to build a portable career but cannot finance it themselves!

Planning a Vacation "Part 1" Disney World

I was originally going to post today how to go about finding great deals for awesome vacations; but like any family, we had a health crisis ensue within our home that had to be coped with. So, in lieu of that post, which I will post next Friday, I wanted to share some great travel deals that are running for military families.

If you are near or plan to head to Walt Disney World this summer, plan to purchase your tickets at your on base ITT office. Walt Disney World is continuing their Military salute by extending their discount tickets until August 31st of this year. 4-Day base tickets are $99 when compared to $239 at the gate. 4-Day park hopper tickets are $120 compared to the gate price of $295. 4-Day hopper with water park access is $145 compared to $350 at the gate. You can see where you are getting a real steal with this deal! They are also offering 1 4-Day pass for the active duty member for free. I usually look for hotel accommodations off park that offers continental breakfast and shuttle ride to the park. Hotels are really making some good deals. One website to visit is hotels.com.

Visit your local ITT office for local venues. Each area will be different with what is offered. Plan ahead and have a great time!

Surviving Summer

I love the summer. It really is my favorite season. My daughter is not old enough to go to school, but I have two sisters with elementary age children. Every summer I hear them talking about their plans on how to survive having their kids home during the summer. So I thought I would write down a few suggestions for my blog readers :)

Contact your local community center; almost every community center that I have lived near has had plenty of free or inexpensive activities for kids.

The movie theatre near one of my sister's has a free movie on the same day every week. Check with your local theatre about that, and if they don't do it, make a suggestion! They make a lot of money off of the snacks that all the parents buy.

There is also a plethora of resources online of fun activities that you can print off. I know Disney has quite a few.

Swimming! That is by far my favorite thing to do cause I can work on my tan at the same time :)

If there is not a pool near you, slip 'n slides are a fabulous investment. Even my 2 year old had a blast on them.

The other day was my sister-in-law's 18th birthday and we made ice cream in ziploc baggies.

here is a link with instructions: http://crafts.kaboose.com/ice-cream-in-a-bag.html

it was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure I burned off most of the calories from the finished product just by making it.

I could go on and on with more ideas, but I thought I would open it up to you. Feel free leave comments of other great things or traditions that you like to do during the summer.

4th of July Message

As the holiday draws near, I begin to think about why we celebrate this day and how America has come so far off the beaten path in the soon to be 234 years that our country has been in existence. Yes, 234 years! On our nation's day of birth, she will be 234 years old. Quite young if you think about all of the countries that have had their own sovereignty for many more hundreds of years. We are actually a very young governing body.

Our country began in simple beginnings with the colonists developing the eastern shores of what they called the New World over 400 years ago. 1587 saw the first group of actual colonists come to these great shores though many all male explorations had taken place here before then. The first colony was located in my own state of North Carolina. You may have even heard a blurb about it in your history books while growing up. Roanoke Island and the mystery of the Lost Colony. Yes, the Lost Colony and the birth of Virginia Dare, the first child to be born on these shores (other than the natives of course). No one knows what happened to this colony when hardships came upon it, though that is a completely different story.

Many other colonies were developed after the first, thirteen to be exact, and they thrived through the hardships that came upon them. Families grew, towns grew, and people flocked from England to come here for a chance at a better life than the one they had in the "Mother Land". We grew, and for 100 and some odd years, the people of the colonies thrived as best they could under the oppressive weight of England.

And then, people began to be unhappy with the excessive taxation that was pressed upon them over the years by the English government that did not even know what America was really like. As the colonists began to think, the government was a whole ocean away and had no idea of the realities of America. Eventually after many issues (which I will refrain from naming all!) such as the "Boston Massacre" and the "Boston Tea Party", the colonists gathered together many prestigious persons from each colony and developed the Declaration of Independence. This document was considered treasonous and, if we had lost the war that waged after this document was sent to King George III, those brave men would have been given the death penalty.

We waged a war on our own turf, the Revolution, and won our Independence; that same independence that we celebrate each 4th of July. The Constitution was developed and America became a sovereign government in her own right. Peoples from around the world of many nations and languages flocked to this land because of the bright beacon of hope.

That hope, begins at the hearth. That hope, begins with the children of our homes understanding what it means to be American. To be American isn't just to wear a title or speak a certain language. It is be the beacon of hope to those around the world who live under the same oppression most of our original founding families (my ancestors did not come to these shores until after the Revolutionary War but before the Civil War) lived under when their "Mother Land" told them what to do. I have hope in my heart that we can become the country our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and put their lives at risk. I have hope that we can be the country they envisioned when writing our Constitution. No one governing body should have more power than the other- words written by men over 200 years ago. Hope is what America is. And I dearly hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July as well as a safe one. Remember all of those men and women who put their lives at risk to help create and shape our country and honor those today who continue to serve.

Taps

If any of you have heard Taps, the military trumpet played notes at military funerals, then you have heard a truly moving piece of music in its true simplicity. I learned to play Taps when I was in school by pure chance on my trumpet. I have always had a good ear and tried to match the notes until I had the melody perfect. I was unaware until recently the true beauty if this music. So here is a small tale for you to all hear about how Taps came to being. Melding music, history, and poetry all in one.

We have all heard Taps at one point in our lives whether in person or in the movies. It brings tears to our eyes and lumps to our throats with it's haunting sound that moves us.

The Myth:

It all began in 1862, during the Civil War. The Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his troops near Harris Landing in Virginia. They waited to enter battle with the Confederate army who also waited on another side of the small strip of land that separated the two combatants.

During the night, he heard the moans of a wounded soldier on the field of battle and risking his own life, went to retrieve the wounded man not knowing if he was comrade or enemy. It was so dark that he could not see the man he rescued until he had returned to his camp. By then, the man was dead.

Light illuminated the face of his own son who had been fighting with the Confederate soldiers against his own father. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war had broken out and had not told his father that he had joined in the Confederate Army.

Even though he was an enemy soldier, the Captain asked if he could be buried with military honors and a band. His wish was only partially granted. He was only granted one instrument from the band to play at the funeral. The Captain chose a bugler (trumpet player) to play the music that he had found in his son's pocket.

The Truth:

The tune is a variation of an earlier tune called the Scott Tattoo used from 1835-1860. It was arranged in its present form by Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield while at Harris's Landing in Virgina, July 1862. His main objective was to replace the Scott Tattoo, used for "lights out" which was a French created tune. Butterfield's bugler, Oliver W. Norton, was the first bugler to play the newly arranged tune. Within months, both North and South forces had fully adopted the Taps tune.

Today, Taps is used to culminate military funerals around the United States as well as memorial services held within Arlington National Cemetery. When sounded, it is customary for military personnel to salute. The corresponding civilian response to Taps is to put their hand over their heart (much like the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem).

It is also sounded at each of the 2,500 wreath ceremonies held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year, including the ones held on Memorial day. These ceremonies are viewed by thousands of people each year. Taps continues to be sounded at non-deployed military locations to indicate "lights out".

The Lyrics to the music:

Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar drawing nigh,

Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear;

Friend, goodnight.

Imagine those lyrics being sung to what I hear as the most beautifully haunting tune in America.

Learning to Live With an Infamatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

As some of you know, I have been suffering from an often debilitating illness that has been a mystery to me. My illness came on rather suddenly about two and a half years ago after catching a 24 hour flu like virus. The reason I am sharing my story with you readers today, is because the path that I have taken to get to where I am today (finally on the road to recovery) has been a very difficult one.

It began with a trip to my mother's home for Thanksgiving almost three years ago. My husband was deployed and I had just given birth to my second child a few months earlier. Only a few days after our arrival, my two small children (who were 2 years old and 3 months old respectively) and I, contracted a 24 hour flu like virus. After a horrible night of cleaning up after toddler, infant, and myself, I asked my mom to take us to the emergency room as she was on the way to work at the hospital anyway. The doctors proclaimed that I had contracted a gastro-intestinal flu and that it would pass very soon. Their major concern was hydration since I happened to be nursing at the time. At this point, I had no knowledge of the nightmare my life would become.

While most of my symptoms went away over time, one of the major ones did not. I continued to have issues with my lower GI tract (the small and large colons) and was often times consumed with debilitating pain. It began to slowly rule my life. I became very self-conscious of my body and what was going on with it which led to depression. My family would joke about my issues never realizing how deeply it cut into my heart. Often times, I would be so consumed with the pain and just breathing through it that I could not be the best mom that I wanted to be. I had also begun to notice itchy bumps that would pop up on my knees and elbows for weeks at a time with no rhyme or reason to them.

About ten months after contracting that first virus, my problems had become so bad that I finally sought help. I saw doctor after doctor until my Primary Care Manager at the Naval Hospital sent me to a Gastro-Interologist directly in my area. He did a few tests and performed an endoctopy (when they send a scope down your throat to look at your stomach and gallbladder) and proclaimed that I only had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). No treatment was given and I just suffered in silence for several more months. The bumps continued to come back to my knees and elbows so I asked to see an allergy specialist thinking maybe I had developed an allergy and that was causing my GI problems.

After both skin and blood allergy tests, the specialist that I saw proclaimed that I definitely did not have any allergies to foods and that my blood tests had shown inflammation. His diagnosis was to go back to the GI doctor. So... as you may have guessed, I went back to my PCM to request another referral since my last one was no good. It was at that time that I asked to be sent to a specialist out of our area. This was the best thing I could have requested for it finally led me down a path to answers.

The new GI doctor was thorough and ran all of the tests needed on the first visit with the intent to do a colonoscopy right away. What we weren't expecting to find was the salmonella I had contracted some time between my visit at the Allergist office and my visit to this GI doctor. My symptoms had become so severe by this time that I had a visit to the ER for fear of lost blood. I was treated and asked to recuperate from the anti-biotics before proceeding with the colonoscopy.

A week ago, I had my procedure, and already the answers are falling into place. I have been diagnosed with an IBD (inflamatory Bowel Disease) which is definitely not IBS. One thing about having an IBD is that it is not curable; only treatable. I will live with this disease and its flare ups for the rest of my life. I am still coming to terms with this and some days are better than others. With this disease, comes the importance of nutrition and well-being as well as being pro-active in taking care of myself. The medication I am required to take is an immuno-suppressant which in layman's terms makes the immune system take a breather. The down side to this is that I will be more open to catch colds and other illnesses so must take care. My small and large colons also impede proper nutrition because of the inflammation of the cellular tissues.

Because of these issues, I find it is even more important for me to remember to take my vitamins and other supplements in order to be proactive with my disease. Finding the best vitamins for this may have been difficult, but I am a firm believer that I was brought to the 5000moms team for a reason. Not only do I have a wealth of cellular level nutritionals at my fingertips, but I also have a team to fall back on for support as I learn to cope and live with my disease. Although I often feel like an island out in the middle of a lake, the water that surrounds me is not nothingness; it's the other women and mothers on the 5000mom team that flow around me. I am never alone; and for that I am grateful.

I share my story with you all today because I know that there are others out there like me who have dealt or are dealing with health issues. I believe that traditional medicine is important, but I also believe that good nutrition is just as important, especially for those who are ill. I also want to give hope to those of you out there who have a problem that has been undiagnosed. Don't be afraid to question. Listen to your body. Most importantly, love your body both physically and nutritionally, for the more love you give it, the longer it will hold up for you.

Finding Those Bargains!!

Hello everyone. This week's post is going to discuss ways to find bargains for all of our everyday needs.

In today's economy, every penny counts. Here are some ideas that my family follows when making purchases.

1. Major purchases (i.e. furniture, expensive electronics, etc.): try to make these purchases on a holiday weekend. Holiday weekend sales can be extraordinary and you can get great pieces for your home for a fraction of the price!


2. Clothes: I recently lost quite a bit of weight and none of my clothing fit- in fact, I had to deplete my wardrobe by over half of what I had. In order to make up for this loss, I looked for sales. I always shop for my needs last, so had been putting off getting new clothing. Old Navy had a 30% off everything sale and I was able to purchase- 2 new jeans, 2 jean Bermuda shorts, 4 t-shirts, jean skirt, 3 jean toddler shorts for my son, and a pair of flip flops for him and spent about$140. I also surfed my favorite local site www.lejeuneyardsales.com (you can go to this site and look for if you have a local site in your area) and purchased 2 new dress skirts for church for $7 total.


3. Online shopping: you can shop on sites like e-bay for items that are a fraction of the cost or major stores like Walmart when they have their free shipping promos!


4. Don't be afraid to go garage sale hopping! You can find great clothes for the whole family, accessories, and sometimes some great furniture and appliances! You may have to look through a lot of junk to find the jewels, but they are there! I like to go to garage sales in higher end neighborhoods! You never know what you will find!


5. Sometimes, we will open a store card to get the 10-15% off our total amount and then pay it off immediately in order to pay a lesser amount on larger purchases. If you do this, make sure your credit is good and make sure you do not leave a balance on it after the first month. It will accrue interest after the first month which will add that discount you earned when you opened the card back on (then there is no point).


6. Make sure you shop those sales! We just pre-purchased for the school year all of the shoes for my two children about a week and a half ago when Payless Shoes was doing their buy one, get one half off promotion. My daughter came home with 4 shoes plus her dance shoes for this fall (so 6 pairs) and my son came home with 5 pairs and I came home with 1 pair. We spent about $120 on all of these shoes!! (12 pairs of shoes!!!). Kids don't need expensive shoes when they are still growing, so if you are able, look for them at garage sales or purchase at discount shoe places. They have cute shoes for inexpensive prices!

If you have a great way that you save money when making purchases, let us know in the comments section! This is a great forum to share our ideas and every mom needs ways to save every penny!

Memorial Day: A Historical Look at the Day with a Personal Message

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).

While Waterloo, N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first; what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. The last, and ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1869 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890, it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War 1. This was when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May (passed in Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal Holidays), though several southern states have a separate day that they continue to honor the Confederate war dead.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies of Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a postage stamp with her likeness on it.

There are a few notable exceptions to the poppy tradition. Since the late 50's, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredricksburg and Spotsylvanial National Military Park on Marye's Heights. In 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in Dec 2000, which asks that at 3 pm local time, for all Americans "to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way, a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps'".

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend with the National Holiday act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create a three-day weekend has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

I would like to thank my FRO for sending the above message to me as part of our command's efforts to keep families informed. I wished to share all of this interesting information with all of our readers. I don't know about any of you, buy I personally have lost family members in past wars and this day celebrates their sacrifices. I only hope that someone in California is kind enough to place flags, candles, or flowers at my own grandfather's grave in the Riverside National Cemetery, as I obviously cannot; living on the other side of the country makes that a little difficult. On Monday, if you live in my neighborhood, you will probably see me in the small cemetery across the road trying to locate the Civil War soldier buried there in order to place a token of my appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice.

So, with that little history lesson, you are slightly more knowledgeable about Memorial Day. Honor our servicemen and women who have given their all to our great country! Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day!

Free Museum visits for participating Museums!!

Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 600 museums in all 50 states to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.

If you are active duty military personnel and/or an immediate family member, all you need to do is show either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card at the museum admissions desk. Immediate family members under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an appropriate ID holder.

visit: http://www.nea.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index.php to find a participating museums in your state.

The Importance of Meal Planning and Grocery List Making

It took me many years to realize the importance of planning the meals that I would feed my family for each two week increment between pay periods. I would shop randomly at the grocery store without a plan in mind. This left me spending over $100 each pay period to feed two adults!

Last year, I began to change how I was preparing food and what I was cooking so that I could lose weight in a healthy manner and make more for my money, so I had to learn how to effectively plan meals that would not break the bank and would fill my family’s stomachs.

Many people think eating healthy means eating expensively; that simply is not true. Eating healthy means using alternatives to prepackaged meals or frozen meals. That is why meal planning is so important: number one, you save money in the long run (you make more for your buck), and number two, you can lose weight because you are eating healthier foods (with the rise in childhood type 2 diabetes, this is so very important).

So here is how to meal plan:

• Use a piece of printer paper to make two week’s (or more if you like) worth of boxes and list the day of the week in each box with the date.


• Decide what you are going to eat


• If this is problematic for you because you find yourself repeating meals, google free recipes and begin to experiment! I have found tons of rice recipes that give me more servings for less money than buying a prepackaged box of rice. This goes for almost anything you want. I have also found alternatives to Hamburger Helper as well that are healthier and cheaper to make! I keep mine in a binder so that they are easily accessible. That way you can keep only recipes you use rather than a bunch of cook books you may only pull a few recipes from.


• Each meal should be well balanced with a fruit/vegetable, protein, and good carbohydrate (white rice or brown rice is a great example)


• Plan out breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Many people forget that it isn’t just dinner that we eat, we need to shop for the makings of our other meals as well.


• After planning out your two weeks of meals, look in your pantry/spice cabinets and determine with materials you will need (or if you have run out of something and you need more) and make a detailed list including how much of each item you will need.
  Basic staples you should always have on hand are pasta noodles (doesn’t matter what kind), rice (white long grain or brown are the best), tomato sauce cans, various dried herbs/seasonings, flour (I have both white and wheat) and dried beans.

By following this plan, I now spend on average $150 each pay period to feed a family of four. This includes typical items such as: bread, milk, meat, fresh fruit/veggies, basic staples, and kid friendly snacks. I now constantly have leftovers from the large dinners I now make by using recipes rather than prepackaged boxed meals! My husband now has a lunch each day by eating dinner from the day before and often I am also able to eat leftovers for lunch as well. For those of you who eat frozen meals, you can freeze your leftovers in freezer safe bags or Tupperware and pull it out to reheat when you need it.

Being frugal doesn’t mean you have to eat poorly. You can feed your family nutritious, well-balanced meals while saving money!

Cutting Costs

We all know that it can be very hard to stay within a strict budget. I have found many ways to cut costs. I look at it as a challenge and it can be really fun.

There are so many ways to cut cost when it comes to groceries. one of my favorite things to do is to use coupons. There are so many sites out that help you with couponing. www.freebies2deals.com is based in Utah, so they match their coupons for stores in UT, but they have great links for freebies, samples, etc. Another one of my faves is www.mysavings.com. I get an email from them everyday and always find a link to something.

A really popular thing for companies right now is to offer free and/or discounted things if you "like" them on facebook. Clorox Greenworks is doing that right now and they offer a $3.00 coupon for any size Greenworks laundry detergent. It's on clearance at the Target near me for $3.47 so with tax I only spent .74 on laundry detergent. And you can print it twice!

Another great thing to do is take advantage of all of the drugstore deals. I love, love, love CVS. I get things for free from them all the time.

My biggest suggestion is to google blogs that deal with stores in your area. There are so many that match up coupons with the items on sale. Happy couponing!

Mother's Day Message

For all of you moms, today is your day. Enjoy it as it is a day that comes once a year to honor your job as a mom. Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs, and for all of you women out there who have the calling, be the best one that you can be! So, put your feet up, if your other half is home- make sure he pampers you!, and enjoy the day that is all about you!

We're going to a family movie, and my husband made me breakfast! Ahhhh, I love Mother's Day!