Taming the Yeast Beast

For last 8 weeks, we have been:

• Gluten-free
• Wheat-free
• Dairy-free
• Casein-free
• Mostly soy-free
• Low sugar
• Red #40 free
• Artificial sweetener-free
• MSG Free
• Mostly fluoride-free
• Teflon-free
• High fructose corn syrup-free
• Toxic metals, such as copper and aluminum - free
• Avoiding added folic acid
  
  

...and it was tricky, especially the first 2 weeks. I had to re-learn how to plan menus, shop, buy and store food and how to cook. Yes - I said how to cook. Recipes and foods that I had already converted over to being (what I thought was) healthy... well – those foods were now no longer healthy for Nicolas. In fact, the food I was giving him was bad for him - and that's an awful fact and feeling. But it’s the truth… and the truth, in this case – will set him free.

I won’t lie - it was a discouraging and frightening discovery, when I realized that his poor little body could not handle certain foods and that he really was "imbalanced". I didn’t want to believe it. As a parent, it was my "job" to care for him and obviously, I wanted what is best for him... and I couldn't provide it, and I didn't know how. Clearly God intervened in our lives by guiding us and providing us with tools (books) and friends with similar situations. That's another bloggy subject for another day! I have a lot to say today.

We have added a new component to Nick's diet - but just for a month 0 I hope. We are going to tame the “yeast beast” inside our son by going...(ta-da) -- yeast free. No yeast or yeast foods. The anti-yeast food list is long and might surprise you!

Once again, I am glad to (attempt to) explain why we are doing what we are doing. By going on a GF-GF diet, we have been able to experience first-hand, some improvement with our son. Simply put, the gluten (wheat protein) and casein (milk protein) are improperly digested by Nicolas’ body; they then break down into opiate peptides, and subsequently cause a drugged/zoned-out demeanor, which is behavioral. I don’t know how else to keep saying it.

Kids “in the spectrum” or that have an ASD (autism spectrum disorder) have “allergies”… to certain foods, which cause a cerebral allergy, with behavioral effects. When the opiate "high" effect wears off, the kiddo feels bad and craves more of the offending food or the very food that they shouldn't have, same as an addiction. These foods do become addictive to an ASD child and... when we started, I realized his favorite foods were ALL foods that he should not be eating (and that we no longer eat). I do not see this as giving them up, but – rather, simply replacing them with other healthier choices. And yes – our emergency travel food that it readily available at most gas stations is - Frito’s -- which are now “healthy”. (Check the label on a bag of Frito’s the next time you buy some; you’ll be surprised, especially if you compare it to the labels of Cheetoh’s or Doritos!)

Most ASD, ADD and ADHD kids have other food sensitivities or allergies that we do not see the physical signs and symptoms of: hives, rashes and swelling; but what we do see are: body aches, headaches, mild diarrhea, disorientation, irritability, depression, hyperactivity and unpredictable behavior. Without knowing that food allergies and improper digestion are causing these symptoms, I do understand why parents automatically choose medications for ADD/ADHD to deal with the symptoms - without treating the cause. We are not doing that. By using biomedical DAN! treatments, we are treating the symptoms by treating the causes. Slowly, and with God's help, we will get our son back.

I will attempt to explain the yeast connection more tomorrow. Here is one attempt...

The antibiotic connection to the anti-yeast diet - Why so much interest in antibiotic use history? Because antibiotics help the yeast Candida albicans grow in the intestinal tract. Candida albicans make toxic chemicals which harm the brain.

The yeast Candida albicans can be found inside of our intestinal tract, mouth and in the female genital tract. Sometimes this yeast overgrows and the doctor recognizes this overgrowth of yeast as a yeast infection of the female genital tract or in the mouth, where this infection is commonly called thrush.

Bacteria also reside inside the intestinal tract, sharing space with yeast. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not yeast. After the use of antibiotics the yeast grow to fill in the space left by the removal of the bacteria. Yeast make chemicals which kill bacteria, which enables the yeast to grow at a higher level, even after the antibiotics have been stopped.

Yeast make a number of chemical compounds which are then picked up and absorbed into the body. These compounds are toxic to the nervous system. These chemicals slow the brain down (so that the brain no longer works correctly); and - these chemicals should be cleared by the liver so that these chemicals never reach the brain. However in some people, these chemicals are apparently not cleared, reach the brain, and cause mental symptoms.

There are also chemicals in the diet which slow the brain down. Barley malt, the raw material for making beer, contains twenty chemicals which slow the brain down. Vinegar also contains such chemicals.

The combination of chemicals from internal yeast and from food could partially account for brain slowing in ASD children.

The important reason to look at yeast as a major contributor to autism and ASD's is that yeast is easily and safely treatable.

Love & Marriage

^{I love the following portion of Scripture from The Message:}

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back, but keeps going to the end.
Love never dies."
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I am happily married, most of the time. I do love Hubs -- even when I am not happy with him, with myself or with the kids. The fact that I am (usually) happily married also puts me in the minority - and I am ok with that. It's my marriage vow and commitment to God that keeps me married. Our vows were a covenant that we made with our Creator and that's not to be taken lightly. It took some time to learn to serve in love, keep no record of wrongs and always hope the best. I have developed a temper since turning 40, unfortunately. I knew my Irish/Swiss heritage would catch up with me sooner or later! Ha-ha...

A long-time friend of mine - "Laurie" - got married for the first time - a couple of weeks ago, in a private ceremony. It was amazing... and beautiful. Love is attractive.



I first met Laurie in the 5th grade, when were just 10 years old. We were in the same class, our last names were fairly close together, so we often were seated near each other... and became friends. We both liked ELO, Kristy McNichol, Cheap Trick, rollerskating and skateboarding. We've remained friends through the years and sadly, we only get together a couple of times a year.

Isn't it silly that we don't get together more? We have very different lives - but, our friendship is still alive and I am so blessed to have the security and option to simply call her out of the blue. I think it will always be this way, and I am glad. This time, she called me out of the blue and told me that she was getting married in 2 weeks, and that it was a secret! Oh - it was so much fun to have a secret!

Hubs and I married in a tradition manner: at a wedding ceremony in our church. It was a beautiful and wonderful day; we wrote our own ceremony, vows and pledges. There's very little I would do different, if anything. No regrets! Come to think of it, it is a time that I can reflect upon and not have regrets, which is rare for me, especially since our son's situation has developed.

I wish I would have known more about immunizations and vaccines. I wish I would have known more about mercury and fillings. And, I wish I would have listened to my "gut instincts", on so many occasions... but - I didn't. And, here I am. Happily married, most of the time.




Not everyone wants a big fancy wedding. Laurie just wanted to marry her sweetheart. And - she did. I wish you could see her platinum and diamond ring... it is beautiful and looks perfect on her hand too. She's an artsy person, and has great taste, although it is different from my own. I love having friends who are different from me.


Since I only had a 2 week notice, there wasn't time to crash diet, and work on details... instead, another friend and I meet the happy couple at an attorney's office (An artsy office - I might add!) and we went out for lunch. It was wonderful, special and oh... it was a beautiful thing. (Pass the Kleenex, please... Sniff-sniff...) Love was in the air that day.

I didn't have much time to plan or order a gift. I couldn't figure out what in the world I would get the newlyweds - ugh. I finally decided that a photographer and photos would be the perfect gift. Finding a photographer with a only a 2-day notice even worked out.

I can not take credit for these photos. They were all taken by Graydon Schwartz, who does have his own photography website: www.graydonschwartz.com. It's interesting that God surrounded me with home-educators, SAHMs, photographers and computer programmers. I love them all, even if they are different than me. Thanks goodness for variety! I love variety...since we are focused on love.


And I love the last photo. I took it - can you tell?

Check out the bride's boots and the groom's shoes!



Congratulations Laurie and Groom! May you always have cool footwear and face each other... all the days of your lives. Or something like that!

I Love Friday the 13th...

I do love Friday the 13th, but - only if it's Friday the 13th of February!

Hubs proposed to me on February 13th, the day before Valentine's Day... and - do I remember the year? Nope. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out. Right?

I do remember where I was working, what I was wearing, what I ordered for dinner, etc.

In fact, I was at work and Hubs, then called Boy Friend -- had flowers delivered to me: one dozen long-stemmed red roses with a white rose in the center and a latex balloon in the middle. They were gorgeous and I was very busy that particular day, working at a weight loss center. Everyone wanted to get in and get weighed-in, before falling off the wagon and into the perpetual chocolate river of compulsive and binge-eating oblivion, the next day. Funny how people, well - we would try to sneak one over on ourselves. Weight-in, eat bad, starve yourself and come weigh-in again without gaining any weight. It worked. But - it wasn't healthy. I remember that I did not eat chocolate for months at a time...back then. Uh yeah...it's been a while since I had that mentality.

Anyway, I called BF later that day, and his associate asked me if I got "a bang out of anything lately". How odd... why would she say that? I was clueless (as usual, back then...) and just asked to speak to BF. I quickly thanked him and had to go hook clients up to the machine that read body fat, metabolisms, etc. (I don't remember the name of it. Geesh, I don't remember very much tonight...)

When I finished my paperwork for the day and checked my messages, I had 3 from BF. What in the world was he up to? I had a feeling he was going to give me a ring, because he told me he had ordered the center stone and we had looked at settings. We knew we would marry and that our dating days were gone. We were meant for each other... aw...




I was so dense. He finally had to tell me to check out the single white rose. Ok. I did. It was prickery. That was my term for it. It had thorns and the balloon was latex? That was odd and I wondered why it wasn't a mylar heart balloon. Things were getting weird and there were 4 other young women that I worked with, that were all engaged to marry. We all just wanted to get done with work and see our sweethearts. Enough measuring, weighing and reading food diaries! It was a Friday night and love was in the air! But - where was my sweetie? My very odd acting sweetie.

He was on the phone and had to explain to me that I needed to pop that latex balloon with the thorns from the white rose. Hugh? Yeah - right, I grabbed a knife and popped that baby!

There all rolled up was a paper (which I lost!) that said something to the extent of this:

I - BF the Romantic
cordially invite and seek the honor of your presence
- Victorious 1,
to Meet Me
This Evening, at 7 pm
at Bla-Bla-Bla...

It was hand written on a little scroll, very beautiful and romantic...except for one little problem: I had no idea where that address was. I was so dense. I had to call him and ask for directions! Duh... It was at the restaurant where we had our first date, which was a blind date. I got to the restaurant just a few minutes late.

So, I am happy, hungry and go in to find BF. I can't find him. I knew he was in there - I saw his car. Could he be in the bathroom? How odd... It must be because it's Friday the 13th... yeah - that's it. That's why it was such an odd day.

I start to look for the Matrie 'd and an employee suddenly takes me by the arm and leads me to a dark part of the restaurant... eek! What in the world was going on? Where was BF? Where was the short oriental man taking me?

He took me to the dark banquet room and I almost ran out in a hurry... until I saw BF... He was sitting - way in the back corner of that big dark room, all alone at a beautiful table lit with candles. Now here's where I blow it: I walk over to him, to the candle-lit table and I start to laugh hysterically! I couldn't stop! (I knew I should stop laughing...) When I saw his face - his freshly shaved-off-bearded face, I knew he was going to do it. And, he did.

He got down on one knee and... I laughed at him. I couldn't help it!



He went on to say that... just as our pastor had mentioned in his sermon last Sunday, about how God created Eve for man, so that he could be complete, because Adam had been incomplete without Eve... So also had God brought us together and that BF realized that his life had been incomplete without me (laughing at him). Aw... and he slipped that pretty little ring (that no longer fits on my chubby little fingers anymore) on my finger... oh the one karat wonder! It was pretty and we were in love... aw.




And, just in case you think I was being weird or insensitive, guess what he did next, after I said "yes"? He pulled out a disposable camera and started taking a whole bunch of pictures of me! Weird, weird, weird. It was a weird day. It only made me laugh more and I couldn't eat. I just wanted to stare at my engagement ring!

Later on, BF told me that he took the pictures so that he could remember how beautiful I was on the day that he asked me to be his wife. I used to think that this was romantic. Now I just think it was a long time ago and whenever I look at those photos that he took of me... I think that I had a waist line, and Hubs - he used to have a hairline! Ha!! I see smooth young skin, white teeth, long curly hair and even longer fingernails. Wow - I used to be able to see my collarbones and my cheekbones! What happened?

Babies... stress... bad habits... BLA!

All in all, I have fond memories (at least of what I do remember) of Friday the 13th - of February.

Choices and A Trip to the Vet

I believe that I have freewill and that I choose to be thankful. I don't always feel like being thankful, but - since when do I ever do what I feel like doing? I do not live by my feelings and I walk and live by faith. C'mon... I don't feel like getting up in the morning, and I do. I don't feel like exercising, and occasionally, I do that too! I don't feel like repeating myself ever-patiently, with Nicolas; without yelling, especially when he's being...well... when he's being Nicolas, himself... but - I do. I choose to treat others the way I would want to be treated, if the role were reversed. I don't know what it's like for Nicolas to live inside his head. He will usually tell me "my brain is going goo-goo again" when he's feeling something, whatever that is. Still, even when he's at his worst - he deserves to be treated with unconditional love. It is a choice I make daily and it's not a new concept. Not at all.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Luke 6:21

I have been chatting with myself about this situation quite a bit lately. I refuse to look at bad things or situations that are "worse' than mine in order to feel better. I'd like to think I have more of an eternal perspective than that. However, I am human, vulnerable and I stumble. Still, I am thankful. And, I should have known that I would get "tested" - I just didn't think it would be today, at the vet or tonight - at the grocery store.

I gave the kids my usual "prep-talk" before we went in to the vet, and I let it go. (I have had to learn to let it go, or I will get a stomach-ache, just worrying about which child will humiliate me first. ) Although Olivia isn't like Nicolas, she has become the (sometimes bossy) overseer of Nick and will usually repeat what I tell Nick, except in her 4-year-old loud voice. She does not appreciate the way he is slow to respond, and, everyone nearby knows. She sees him as insubordinate and non-compliant, not as he is - which is slow to process or that he simply didn't hear me. If he is doing anything else, he can not hear me. Hubs would call it "tunnel-visioned" or "acutely focused". Often, even if he is looking right at me, he does not hear me - depending on what havoc is going on in his little body. As a friend of mine always says, "...these kids are just wired differently". That sums it up - yup, pretty much.


My vet... She is such a wonderful and calm woman and -- I really like her. She tolerates my kids and I could and should, hug that woman someday. She let both kids watch everything she did and also allowed them to listen to "Ginger's" heartbeat. Nick's little cairn terrier's heart beats 140 times per minute. I thought it was faster, but - for a 9.6 lb pooch, it's great.

Anyway... It's not that my super curious kids are being bad or even obnoxious, they're just loud and excited. And loud. Did I mention that they are L O U D ? It starts with the scale. They want to be weighed too. Then it's the dish of candy sitting in the lobby. NO CANDY. Next it's the replica skulls: one canine and one feline model of skulls and teeth, complete with simulated moving jaws. ( I sure hope I never have to replace one of those some day!) And, a trip to the vet wouldn't be complete with looking and (loud) commenting on all the different types of worms, fleas, parasites and predators as well as a comparison of human years and canine years. Every time. I guess it's a routine, we could say.


What does my vet (and her employees) think about Nick's behavior? I dunno. What does the cashier/checkout girl at the grocery store think about my boy - who couldn't and wouldn't keep his hands out of his mouth? And who licked his hand, after I told him to take his fingers away from his face? ((ARGH!!)) I could have lost in the store. G R O S S ! I didn't. I waited until we got into the car! (ha-ha!) Somehow, I managed to cool down before we got to the library. But, what a sight he was... good-grief, licking his hand after biting his nails and touching that conveyor belt at the checkout lane... OMG. (I'm ok... Really...Cough-cough...)

If I were to see us, without knowledge of childrens' ND's or "high functioning" autism, I could think something along the lines of, "Whew - I sure am glad that's not my kid." Or, "Why doesn't that woman just discipline that kid?" I've seen people say it with their eyes and their expressions... I guess I could just stay at home, where it's safe... but - I don't. This too - is my choice. I choose to be thankful and not to judge other parents, as much as I possibly can.


When I see people give me "that look", a.k.a. the "bad mommy" look, I wanna tell them that he's not always like this. He's really a dog-loving, sweet and misunderstood little boy - who loves Jesus, likes to ride his bike, play with Lego's and snuggle on the couch!

Well-meaning or completely ignorant...no wait - naive/stupid/dense/inconsiderate people have told me that they were sure glad they didn't have a child like mine and that they didn't think they could "take it". Is that their way of saying I have a lot of patience? Forgive me - but I am thankful that they don't have a "special" child either -- especially with that kind of attitude! What was I saying?

Oh yeah... I choose to be thankful and I love my son. He's just "wired a little differently", that's all...

Cleaning Up Some Created Chaos

Some days, when I look around our home, I do not recognize it. Who lives here? What a mess... How did it get like this? This is NOT my life!

I have a very old Talking Heads song going through my mind, lately. I sang it to Hubs, but - he just shook his (adorable bald) head at me and walked away. Is that my man's way of saying "Sing it - woman!"? Or does he wonder how I can remember the lyrics? Yeah - that's it. He and I are so different, so that must be what he is thinking... I got through the 80's with music, not drugs and alcohol. But - I did think the Talking Heads were weird.




I am coming out of a funk I was in and I am glad to be heading out of this one... where I felt rather paralyzed. I don't know why, but - everything seemed bigger than it was. Even though I recognized it, I couldn't get it (the paralyzed/overwhelmed feeling) to go away. I could see, hear and notice what was happening, but - I felt like a powerless victim ( sounds harsh, I know) to control anything. Anyway, I am starting to have some hope of organization around here again. I hope. No long-term thinking though. That just leads to tears. I am living for now and this particular season. This is a healing time, not just for Nicolas, but - now for me too.

Nicolas is the little human who is responsible for most of the physical mess - I need to own up to my responsibility too. I know that Nick is the way he is, whatever that is -- and that his mind can not switch ahead quickly or remember what comes next in the progression of his daily routines (or lack thereof). I must repeat myself 20 times a day about putting things away. Each time, he acts as if this is news to him. (Sigh) Sometimes he will let me do it with him; other times, not. It's a long and slow process, but - if I do it for him, I will not be teaching him how to maintain his little life. I do have to accept that he may be like this for a long, long time. I don't like to. I like to think that he will just somehow be the person he used to be... but - that was 3 years ago. He is not that little boy anymore.

I have a couple of things in my favor right now though! I am going to use them for my own advantage and his:

• He has learned to read. I taught him very slowly, but - we have victory - he is reading. He can read and follow a numerical list (such as a clean-up list), most of the time...if he doesn't destroy or lose it... or have a meltdown. This has been a wonderful tool and has worked. It's not a hard long list, but - something like this, which happens to pertain to his bedroom:
  
  1. Pick up dirty clothes.
  2. Put dirty clothes down laundry chute in bathroom.
  3. Blankets and pillows on bed.
  4. Transformers picked up and put in Transformer bin.
  5. Shoes together.
  6. Hang up coats.
  7. Take dishes and glasses out to kitchen sink.
  
  Seems simple enough - right? It could take hours... he changes his clothes often, loses coats and shoes constantly and helps himself to food without my knowing, late at night, which is getting much better. We have a lock on the kitchen pantry door.
  

• He likes video games. We held off on the whole video game systems thing for a long time. He is now 7 1/2, and can earn some playing time, provided his chore chart has been done. You pay, you get to play. I don't think he knows about all the game systems out there (yet) and is content with a few (non-violent) games and an old Sega Genesis. Very motivating indeed.

Our oldest son, who will be 21 soon, claims and credits video games for his rather extensive vocabulary and not his mother who home educated him or the private school he attended for 6 years. Whooda thunk it?

My boy with the impressive vocabulary... Andrew - Nick's big brother. Nicolas re-colorized this pic himself. Not bad, considering I barely understand how to. Nick did add a matching big green booger on poor Andrew's nose, but - I couldn't take it... yuck. Nick even did the eyes. Pretty good, I thought!

I am on an organizing spree and I am going to just go with it, while it's here. I don't know how long this will last! Nicolas and his father are both pack-rats; they never want to throw anything away. I've told them I am having a garage sale as soon as it hits 60 degrees! Which could be months yet, or tomorrow! How crazy...

Oh, it is Mad Monday, isn't it? I've always thought of Mondays that way. The "mad" thing about today is that it is going to hit 40 degrees and just a week ago, it was below zero. It's mad that the weather is insane in Wisconsin this year. I am a little worried about flooding in our basement. Which leads me to worry about mold. Which then leads me to worry about our lungs and the worries never end. For now, I am going to clean out a couple of closets and worry about things that need my worries. Not the mad weather.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Teflon, Thieves & Friends

Thieves & Friends - hey, sounds like a country western song - doesn't it? Ha - ok, just kidding.

Thieves is kind of a scary word though... It has such a negative connotation associated with it, at least in my mind. I think it's because of Jesus Christ Superstar, which I had the soundtrack album of - waaaay back in the '70's, (1973 to be exact). There's an episode where Jesus freaks out because of the buying and selling in the temple area. He sings that "My house should be called a house of prayer! But you have made it a den of thieves - GET OUT -- Get out!" Oooh it freaked me out. Man, that Ted Neeley could sing though... wow.

Years later, when I came to know the real Jesus, I did find that this little dramatic part of that movie was based on actual Scripture. I had no clue. I didn't know; it was just a movie, after all.

"And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves." - Matthew 21:13

So, when my bloggy friend over at Pockets of Time told me about a product called "Thieves", I didn't bite, at least not for a while. It took my curiosity to get me to check out her "Thieves". I tried it and now I am a "Thieves" lover. Aren't you curious? Here's the deal: it's an oil. Actually - a blend of oils - special oils. 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils. There's a difference and if I recall correctly, if it says 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils, you can eat them. Yes - I said e-a-t. If you don't believe me, just go ask my friend, she'll set you straight. (Pssst... She has white carpet and furniture! Can you believe it? I am considering the "gray" look for our home make-over this spring... it's the new white, doncha know?)

"Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ (YLTG) Thieves® essential oil blend is based on a historical account of four thieves in France who protected themselves with clove, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. When captured, these thieves were offered a lighter sentence in exchange for the recipe that protected them from the plague. Thieves essential oil blend was created to offer the same kind of defense against modern airborne bacteria. In fact, studies conducted at Weber State University showed it to have a 99.96 percent success rate against airborne bacteria."

I carry their hand sanitizer with me everywhere and I change purses just about every week. Anyway, guess why I love Thieves? It is especially good for Nicolas - to not be exposed to allergens and we avoid so many "trigger" products. But - I was sold when I read this:

"While there are a number of portable hand cleaners on the market, most contain antibiotic and synthetic ingredients that kill bacteria. The simplistic nature of synthetic ingredients causes bacteria to develop a resistance and often produces offspring that are completely resistant to antibiotic treatment. The answer to this resistance lies within essential oils."

Nicolas likes the smell and I use the Thieves oil blend on him whenever I even think he could be getting sick. It smells amazing... and he doesn't get sick.

I am thankful for my bloggy friends and their support (by giving me their old cast iron skillets to replace my evil Teflon with). I need it, especially after ASD Experiment #1. I am still recovering (from the shock) - Nick is fine.

BTW, if you're not familiar (and if you are brave enough) with the evils of Teflon, check out the following:

Study Finds Teflon Chemical in Newborns' Umbilical Cords

How to Not Eat Teflon

Can Teflon Make You Sick?

Ready to get grandma's old cast iron skillet out now?
Go for it!

Dead Battery... Kids Again

Is this a familiar sight?





It is for me.

Kids. My kids.

Whenever they can't find something, they go out to our garage, and look in my van, which is usually in the garage. If a door or light should happen to stay on, it's easy to notice in the dark garage, and I often find the lights on, when I take the dogs out - at the end of the night. But, since I finally (after 10 years of accumulation) got Hubs to start cleaning the basement, the van no longer fits in our garage. (My van area in the garage is now replaced with all his "stuff" and "junk" out there!)

I have had a dead battery more than a dozen times in the last 4 years. I claim the fault as my own. I know that Nicolas obsesses about finding his things and will stop at nothing to find them. It's like the switch in his brain gets stuck and there's little I can do, once he is in that mode.

Come to think of it, other than yesterday, we haven't had much of that the last 6 weeks or so...

Interesting.

It happens the same each time... Upon finding that turning the key in my ignition does nothing, I run back in the house and grab the phone. There's just one man I need!

DAD!

I still need my dad.

He comes to "jump" my my vehicle and never complains. Just does the "dad duty".

My van started and we were on our way to a time of mom-fellowship and prayer at church. And, I was blessed to be with other moms, all wanting God's direction in our lives. I am so glad that once again, I triumphed over a dear battery. Well, with the help of my Dad.

Thanks Dad! Actually, that won't do. My folks do not read blogs... but - they do like treats. I think some cashew brittle from a local bakery would capture my sentiments perfectly. And, no - Nicolas cannot go in to a bakery. Ever. If we can't handle the grocery store, there's no way we can do a bakery, for goodness sakes. ((sigh))

Ending on a positive thought... Staying out of bakeries is good for my diet!

ASD Experiment #1- Created Chaos

Yesterday, I decided to try a little "ASD Experiment" on Nicolas. We continued on with our daily routine - as a completely GF-CF SF, normal day (normal for Nick, that is). Nothing different or out of the ordinary, with one exception: no supplements. None.

OH MY GOODNESS! Massive created chaos.

Today has been the worst day of the year for Nicolas. His body was screaming out to me, giving me loud clear signals...that something was terribly wrong. Poor Nicolas. Poor me. Poor us...




Because of missing supplements? Well, for this particular child, in the spectrum, I would have to answer - yes. I wouldn't have believed it - if I hadn't experienced it. Even our oldest son, 20, asked what was wrong with "the little crazy boy" today. ((SIGH)) I think it's the absence of the magnesium supplement, is what I think.

After today, I am seriously considering doing another experiment with Hubs home though...(Help me - Jesus... !) and becoming an advertiser for a specific calcium/magnesium supplement, with vitamin c! It's called Kid's Formula CALM. As in calcium and magnesium. I love Nutrilite products and have been loyal for decades, but - due to Nick's "condition", we must have allergenic supplements, without the common allergens of gluten, diary, soy, sugar, red #40, copper and folic acid. That's why we are not using Nutrilite with him. Anyway... The website of this particular product claims that it will relax the nerves and help a child to grow, concentrate and stay healthy. We had none of that here today. I even tried Shrinky Dinks, and they did not help. If they don't do it, nothing will!

Anyway - this magical supplement contains no sugar or artificial sweeteners and zero carbs. Specifically - NO YEAST, DAIRY, EGG, GLUTEN, SOY, WHEAT, SUGAR, STARCH, PRESERVATIVES OR ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR FLAVORS.




From their website...

SYMPTOMS OF MAGNESIUM DEPLETION

Because magnesium is required for hundreds of enzymatic reactions (enzymes are protein molecules that stimulate every chemical reaction in the body), deficiency can cause a wide variety of symptoms, such as

Low Energy • Fatigue • Weakness Inability to Sleep • Weakening Bones Muscle Tension, Spasms and Cramps Abnormal Heart Rhythms • Headaches Anxiousness • Nervousness • Irritability

All of the signs of a magnesium deficiency in adults also apply to children. So do the results obtained by handling that deficiency. The only difference is that children don't require as much magnesium as adults do because they have smaller bodies. I add it to watered down orange juice that he drinks each morning with his breakfast, or at lunch. The water acts as a carrier and takes the magnesium to wherever his body needs it.

"Give your children Kid's Formula Calm and you will see almost instant results."
-Peter Gillham

ADHD and Austism Spectrum Disorders...

“The ADHD diagnosis is tailored to justify the use of stimulants for the behavioral control of children in groups. It enumerates behaviors that healthy children often display in structured, over-controlled groups in which their individual needs are unmet."
“Ultimately, by suppressing emotional and behavioral signals of distress and conflict, stimulants allow adults to ignore the needs of children in favor of creating a controlled environment. Meanwhile, stimulants do not improve academic performance and provide no long-term improvement in any aspect of a child’s behavior or life.”
—Peter R. Breggin, MD

“ADHD” AND MAGNESIUM

University of Maryland Medical Center reports that some experts believe children with ADHD may be exhibiting the effects of mild magnesium deficiency (such as mental confusion, decreased attention span, and irritability). In one study involving 116 children with ADHD, 95% were magnesium deficient. In another separate study, 75 children with ADHD, who were also identified as being magnesium-deficient, were randomly assigned to receive magnesium supplements in addition to standard treatment or standard treatment alone for 6 months. Those who received magnesium demonstrated a significant improvement in behavior, whereas those who received only standard therapy without magnesium exhibited worsening behavior.

These results suggest that magnesium supplementation, or at least high amounts of magnesium in the diet, may prove to be beneficial for children with ADHD."

This products can claim what it may - I have lived with the results of my created chaos. End of discussion.