Kefir and Kids

Well, here I am again.

K. had his allergy test and it was negative. We had his 6 month review on Fri. and 5 different people were here to discuss it. All agreed he has improved dramatically in the last 4 weeks but they can't predict where he will be in another year. He will continue with a developmental therapist on Fri. and we will have a phychologist, 1x a month. Then they will have a occupational therapist evalutation as soon as it can be arranged (a few months). The case worker was here from DCS so she could decide how to place K for adoption subsidy. I found the whole day, draining.

The case worker will now take that information back and we should hear something next week.

On a good note our oldest girl A.(12) took an award at school. She even got a scholarship of $3,000. They choose one girl from each school, there are 15 schools. Then there will be a banquet at a local restaurant. She will get acknowledged in a morning assembly on the day before school is out and then she has 6th grade graduation that night. Then that thurs. she has the banquet. It is a dress up affair, so we will have to shop for dresses. I was really concerned about getting a babysitter for 8 kids at night, one who is over 21 yrs. old. I think I will make the morning assembly (Greg will watch the kids) and skip graduation that evening (I will watch the kids and Greg can go). Then on the banquet night, I have a friend who will come over, I feel bad because she lives over 30 min. away. Thank God for friends! I hope I can return the favor someday. So it looks like God has worked it out. The sad thing is, that her Dad at their visit didn't even congradulate her. I have told everyone I know, and when they come in, the first thing she asks them, is if I have told them. It is a big deal! By the way, H. if you are reading this, she wants to ask you to straighten her hair for the banquet.

I am still baking bread from sprouted flour and the kids love it. Can you believe they even want their peanut butter sandwiches on homemade bread. My dh made them sandwiches for lunch with sandwich bread and when they wanted seconds they told me they didn't want that bread but the homemade one. We are using it for french toast, garlic bread, the dough for pizza's, cinnamon toast for breakfast and soon croutons. I am using Sue Greg's recipe. I have all of her books but I found the sprouted flour bread recipe on line. It has a sweet taste that is a little addictive. There is no strong wheat taste.

I bought Kefir grains (Milk and Water) and they are doing really well and multiplying. I love Kefir, both kinds. I am trying to make soda pop tonight. I put some fermented water Kefir in quart jars and added different fruit and will now ferment another 2 days, to increase the fizz.
The water Kefir works really well in green smoothies and I use alot less sweetener, the taste is so fruity. I pour the milk kefir over my homemade granola and use it in fruit smoothies(they are surprisingly not sour), I love the sour taste over the sweet granola. You can use it in any recipe calling for yogurt or buttermilk. I also got a scobi to make Kombucha tea. So I will see how that goes. It looks really strange. Kefir looks so clean. The scobi looks like a science project, but it is suppose to be very good for you.

We used our new grill for the first time on our new back porch, we grilled all beef hot dogs. A. said she didn't like hot dogs, so I told her to at least try them. I had to explain there are many different kinds of hot dogs. These had no fillers, colors or other bad things. As I get older, I really appreciate the best hot dogs, especially with sourkraut! I even got a few of the kids to try it.

We love our back porch, the baby even cries to go out there. It really makes our living space seem larger. With the window I can see the kids but don't have to hear them.

I got a great buy at Wal-Mart yesterday, a stand mixer for $80, it was $50 off. Can you believe I don't have a stand mixer. I just ordered a mixing bowl for my Magic Mill assistent, the one with the wire whips. I wouldn't have ordered it, if I had found the mixer first. But I still think the mixer will be good for the girls to use when they are helping in the kitchen. It is 450 watts, so I think it will do what I need it to do. All this because I want to make homemade marshmallows. Although I love my assistent for making bread. I make four loaves at a time. I bought cast iron bread pans and all I can say is wow! I love the bread in these pans, why did I wait so long.

I have the oldest 3 kids, enrolled in a camp in June and another for the oldest 2 in July. M can't go because he is only 7. Can you believe how quickly school will be out. I think it is June 2nd.

I just have to share a picture of R., she was so tired the other day that she fell asleep in her chair.

And my little curly top.

Well I have to go and make supper. Any ideas?

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

I know it has been a long time since I have wrote anything. I have been very busy. Sometimes there seems to be so much going on, I don't even know where to start.

The best part was hearing from one of my daughters that I was getting concerned about, well she had broke her phone and didn't get my message until it was replaced. So she called and we had a very long talk and got caught up on things, hope to see her and family soon.

Today M(7) and I went to Shipshewana (25 miles from us) to get wheat berries at the E & S, and some other odds and ends. I forgot they only take cash(I think of debit card as cash). I had a bit on me, but was a little short, so had to make a decision on what I kept. Guess I will have to make another trip over soon.

I went to see one of my sisters who also works over there at a place called D'Vine. I was introduced to several people there and M. saw one of the ladies knitting. So of course he had to ask if she could teach him. Well she had another lady come over who went and got him a crochet hook and some yarn and proceeded to sit down and teach him to make a chain. They told him to bring it back and they would show him the next step. I asked if I could pay for it and they said,"no". They were super nice to him. He is very excited and now wants me to sit and work with him.

The adoption of the two little ones is still in process, were waiting on the DCS to get back to us. We now have another Dr. coming out to work with K.(2), about 4 wks ago, I took the kids off from milk and dairy because W.(3) has either a milk allergy or lactose intollerant. His Dr. asked us to take him off for a few days and then give him some dairy and report on what happened. Well he gets the runs (if you know what I mean) and the potty training goes out the window. Well anyways I just took all the kids off of milk and dairy. Within 2 days, K(2) became a different person and no more coughing at night, no runny nose and no sneezing. He was happy, less agressive and was beginning to talk. His Dr. believes it is a coincidence and said to put him back on milk. Well K(2) has had some dairy and the runny nose and coughing started back up.

The therapist and Dr. from 1st steps believes me and say they can't believe the difference they see in him. Well I got the family Dr. to refer him to an allergist, the appt. is tomorrow. I know that it is a long shot that the test will be positive. But we will still keep him off dairy. The change was unbelievable and continues to be. I have begun to read labels and to replace the food in our house. Good news is, most kids outgrow it.

The parents of the other four have a court date in June and we should know more then, what their status is. It is looking like they will be tpr'd. unless there is some change between now and then.

I have been sprouting wheat berries and using them in different recipes. I now want to learn to make sprouted flour to use in bread. I have already sprouted the berries and then dehydrated them, I have not ground them yet into flour. I have read that soaked flour gives your bread a sour dough taste, but sprouted flour is sweeter. I can handle sweeter and maybe the kids will eat more. I have dehydrated tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, lemon, oranges, pineapple, strawberries and a few others.

Still homeschooling, M has finished the 2nd grade and is now in the 3rd grade. He would have only finished the 1st grade this year, so he has made great progress. He is learning cursive and multiplication, he is very excited. He does better when we do it orally, he is such a talker and hates to sit at a desk by himself. He can do it, but I have to really stay on him to keep him focused. I can't believe school is out June 2, less than 4 wks. I would like to school year around, but I think it will be impossible with other kids at home.

Our big van is in the shop, that is why I got to go shopping with just M and G. stayed home with the other kids. We don't have enough car seats for both vans, so we can only take one or two children in our new honda.

Then we also have pipes leaking water from the sink in the small bath to the basement. So we have had to shut off the water to the sink and put a heater downstairs to dry everything out.

But I have to say, I love my kids and I love my life. A(12) has been asking what I want for mother's day, she wants to buy me something. M. thanked me for taking him with me today, did I say that we also went to the Davis Mercantile and got soft pretzels and then to the top floor where M got to ride the merry-go-round ( he picked out the biggest horse)it seemed like it lasted forever and he was the only one on it. Then we went to the toy shop and he found a sword and shield, that he wants to save his money up for. When he came home he wanted to know if I had a job for him, so he could earn money. K. gets excited to see me. I get excited to see Isa(1). I ordered some little boy bonnets (yes I said bonnets) from Korea, because Isa(1), will not leave him hearing aid in. I had to order them as I could not find them anywhere. Anyways they came in today and they work great. We put his hearing aid in and then put the bonnet on and double tied under his chin and voila, he can't take it out!

It is late and I'm tired, G. feel asleep on the couch waiting for me. Hope this all makes sense. I will try to read it over tomorrow and correct anything.