Gluten what?....Free!

Wow, I never thought I would actually do that! I have been told many times by Naturopaths and some friends that I should try a gluten free diet to see if it helped with my Fibromyalgia. I don’t know if you know that, but gluten is EVERYWHERE! Even soy sauce that you eat with sushi has gluten. I repeatedly and politely replied to my friends and care providers that I simply could not do it. As a mom of five children, homeschooling, working part-time, back to school myself, I simply don’t have time to be making all those alternative recipes. I eat when I can and often on the go. This doesn’t mean I don’t eat healthy. I know how to make healthy choices, they just happen to have gluten hidden here and there. Last night, Eco took me out for some sushi and I had to bring my own gluten free soy sauce. Eco said I looked like those freaks, fetching my own soy sauce out of my purse.

So, that brings me to wondering what possessed my to decide to do it. Plain truth is, I don’t know. That’s me! I can be very impulsive at times. How is it going? Not so good, I have to say. It’s been two weeks today and I have never been so miserable! So far it has not helped at all, and I have not noticed the slight difference in my well being. I have however; been extremely irritable, hungry (I even wake up in the middle of the night hungry) and a constant feeling of cravings. I’ve read that it takes at least 3-6 weeks for people to start seeing any difference, sometimes even months. I will do it for another week or two, just so I don’t feel all the sacrifice I’ve done so far has been a waste. Some say I’m experiencing withdrawals. Say that again! I crave bread so badly. Dinners seem to be easier to handle but I’m finding it extremely difficult to eat when I’m on the go. I hear planning ahead is the key. The thing is, I already have so much planning ahead to do with everything else that unless this makes a dramatic improvement in my well being it is definitely not a stress I want to add to my life. Funny thing is, the little kids think it’s cool to be on a gluten free diet. To say, ohh I can’t have that. It has gluten. They told me they want to be on a gluten free diet as well. Do you know how much all that gluten free stuff cost? I can’t afford all those alternative granolas, cereal bars, breads... I can’t wait for another two weeks to pass so I can go back to my normal diet. So, do you want to know what is the worse thing about not being able to have gluten? No being able to have beer! Now, that is the worse, especially in the summer! Good thing it’s winter right now.

Organizational Fit

Ok. It all started when I was lining up at the grocery store and my eyes hit the Martha Stewart organization special edition. My better self was saying: don't touch it! But I couldn't resist! I went for it, along with feelings of guilt and a sence that I shouldn't be doing it.
So, this of course resulted in me (an already by nature organizational compulsive) to have to tackle a few areas of our house. What's the problem with that?, you might be asking. Well, whenever I organize, it always involves spending money. Money we shouldn't be spending. We recently adopted a 16 year old boy, which involved a lot of shifting around in the house (and naturaly the need for extra space). Having six children (plus all their friends who are always around) requires a lot of organizational skills to survive or we would never be able to find a pair of mittens in this house. My laundry room now has all the kids winter accessories neatly sorted in bins, my kitchen utensils now can be found, drawers look neat and things that didn't have a home and would be found every where around the house, now have a happy home they can be taken to. I'm pretty excited about those changes, but I did put away the magazine so that it would be out of my sight for a while. I can easily get carried away, you know! All that said and done, I believe that a little indulgence now and then is great! Little by little things get more and more organized and I feel that the daily routines run smoother and the house looks a lot nicer!

DANCE COMPETITION, on my birthday!

Today is my birthday and I had to wake up at 8 am! Those who know me well, know that this is a big deal. I’m not a morning person and getting anything done before 10 am is a challenge. Clara had a dance competition in Orillia; about two hours drive from where we live. The drive wasn’t bad at all. The day was beautiful with the sun shining and blue sky. Spending the day indoors in a dark auditorium is not my idea of fun. But what can you do, I’m a mom! That’s what we do for our kids.This particular competition was a bit of challenge. For me that is. Clara competes in Tap and Jazz. Two different modalities requiring two different hair styles. A bun for Tap, and a curly pony for Jazz. You are probably asking yourself, “what is the big deal?” Well, let me tell you. This curly pony requires me soaking her hair in gel and hair spray, putting them in rollers and leaving 24 hours before taking them off. Poor Clara has to sleep with those things on her head!

A bit of practcie before going to bed!

It’s a pain, but that’s ok. The problem is, she is competing in Tap first,which requires the bun. That’s where my challenge beings. How am I supposed to have her hair on a bun if she needs the rollers on her hair for the curly pony? If I take the rollers out and then make a bun the curls will be ruined! That’s the kind of thing the mom of a dancer has to go through. At the end, we managed! How I did it? That, I’m going to keep it a secret and let you wonder. At the end she got first place in both Tap and Jazz with a High Gold medal. Totally worth it! As for the rest of the day and my birthday….. I came home to a decorated kitchen. Cake, candles, balloons, gifts, and the best of all.... lots of smiley faces.

Jazz - "Hotline"

Tap - "Big Time"