Merry Christmas

A busy time of year for us all. I'm taking a wee break over our summer holiday and look forward to getting back sometime in the New Year.

Please have a safe and happy Christmas and may the Lord bless you all in 2010.

UNWANTED COMMENTS

Recently I have been getting SPAM in my comments. Thankfully I moderate.
Is anyone else having this problem and what can we do about it? Most have been vulgar and another was advertising airline ticket buying.
I am saddened by this happeneing and am considering shutting down my blogs.

Miss Sandra

Struggling Colourful Mother Update

My heart has been lifted so much with your caring, comforting comments. It's always a risk to share.....to be transparent, yet I know in my heart I must be real.

Last week I made an appointment to see my doctor. She is a Christian and someone who will lead a patient to healthy alternatives before recommending drugs. I am so pleased I went as I needed to get checked.

With all my ups and downs I was having palpitations and chest pains, not sleeping, stomach pains, mood swings.........many of those things that can go with menopause.
I was hooked up to the ECG machine. It found no damage to my heart but did find I am beating around 97bpm which is a bit high when I am supposedly resting. With stress, the body takes on the flight or fight stance and basically my adrenal glands had me in this state all the time. This in turn affects the digestive system. I came away with a prescription for Vitamin B Complex, Multi-vitamin and Adrenal Support capsules. I am already taking magnesium and Omega 3 fishoil. I also had a series of blood tests which all came back normal, bar one liver enzyme which is slightly elevated. (Has been for years).

My plan of attack is to cut out more processed foods from my diet, exercise more, find ways of de-stressing, such as a trip to a friend for coffee, or to the library, or a hot bath, something that can give me a few moments to collect my energy levels.

It has been helpful to talk to other mothers who have shared that they experience similar things. It got me thinking about women and what we go through in life. We spend years going through having monthlies, child birth, menopause. A part of the legacy from Eve I suppose. But through it all, our Saviour is with us, loving us, guiding us and although we must endure the mountains and valleys of emotions and health, He is just and His grace and His mercies are new EVERY morning.

I want to press in deeper into Him when I struggle. I pray that I may encourage others to do so as well.
Thank you dear ones for being a part of blessing me~

From the Struggling Colourful Mother

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I am struggling. With everything. Being a middle-aged menopausal mother who has a heart to homeschool but flesh that fights it to the enth degree.
One day I am fine......if the weather is fine (I can see bluse skies and warm sunshine and alls well with the world) but if its a dull day (like today) I struggle. My enthusiasm goes out the backdoor and I know my children pick up on this.

How can I be consistent?? I visit many blogs and read all these posts from such young, inspired enthusiastic mothers who seem to radiate perfection in many ways. I always love reading them but come away feeling more inadequate.

Are we all so different?? Am I the only one who could send her children on a oneway trip to Timbuktu occasionally?? Am I the only one who feels like I am making no difference?

Do other mothers going through menopause feel like they have lost the plot and finally lost all their marbles??? I don't seem to find other Mum's who are struggling........out there. The fruit of the Spirit seem to have evaded me and I'm desperately trying to make sense of all the tangle in my head.

Blogging is a cyber world type of contact. But when I don't hear from anyone.......out there, I feel rejected. Silly isn't it?? Does anyone else feel this way? We are all busy people with personal lives and blogging can give us a front we can create, trouble is I am transparent. I can't pretend to be someone I'm not. I cannot come on here and pretend I know how to do it?? I keep looking for that blogging person who HAS been where I am right now and can hold out their hand and show me how to get through.

I do pray, God is very real to me. But I know He is allowing me to go through this time.

I'm scared of failing my children. We seem to achieve so little. Yet I know the Lord has called me to this. If you read this post, please pray for me today? I need reassuring that I am heading in the right direction, even if we are only traveling at a snails pace.

Blessings to you..........

Auditory Processing Disorder

We have a 9 year old daughter who was diagnosed with CAPD (central auditory processing disorder) a couple of years ago.

We didn't know she had problems with processing sounds until a teacher chased me about getting her checked medically as something was really wrong. Looking back now the teacher handled it all wrong but we did in fact find out our daughter did have *hearing* issues.

She had tubes (grommetts)inserted twice to help with her constant glue ear infections. Her speech wasn't too bad, and she could recite nursery rhymes easily although she had a really cute lisp!

When she started school, she made friends and made a good start. Her teacher didn't have any concerns. But this particular year she had no end of trouble with headlice. I was distraught as to how to get through this. Her hair was always clean, tied up, brushed, washed, bedding nice and clean etc etc. But someone in her class that she was friends with was obviously not being treated. I didn't know that the shampoos for treating lice, were basically insecticides. After many treatments I found out that children can get poisoned from these treatments. After so many, I decided to do things the old fashioned way and slowly but surely removed every single egg and louse.

We eventually brought our children out of public school to homeschool them. No more headlice. Our 9 year old had been through extensive testing at the audiology department at our local hospital and it was confirmed that she had CAPD.

I am now wondering if a combination of constant glue ear, and poisoning from headlice treatment shampoos have in fact caused our daughters difficulties in processing what she *hears*.

I know there are ways of helping such children but in most cases they cost an awful amount of money. I am still searching for ways in which to help our daughter as she gets so muddled with what she hears. I worry about how she will manange as an adult. I would like to learn more about strategies I can help put in place for her so that she can learn to get around her difficulties.

If you also have a child with this, or struggle with it yourself, please drop me a line. I would love to hear how you manage things.

Static Shocks

Miss 11 has problems with being obsessed at times with little things. The latest thing is getting little static shocks. Shocks from the trampoline, the supermarket trolly and shelves, the car door, even people.

A trip to the shops are becoming a nightmare. She gets so upset when she gets a little shock that she is looking out for them the whole trip. Going back to the car, she gets me to open the door. Normally I quickly touch her arm and let her know she is ok and that she won't get a shock from me. It even stops her from giving someone a hug sometimes if she thinks about the possibility of getting a *zap*.

I know clothing, car seat material, trolley friction etc can all cause these to happen. I get little shocks frequently at the supermarket (it's a new one and they are aware of this happening and are trying to rectify it).

Does anyone else deal with this with a child?? How have you managed to help or encourage the child not to be fearful?

Freebie

Check out my sidebar today. An absolutely free resourse for you to kick off your new school year.
All thanks to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.