Schoolhouseteachers.com Yearly Membership Review

I can't tell you how excited I was to be able to review the Yearly Membership to this awesome website. SchoolhouseTeachers.com has everything you need to make homeschooling your child a breeze. We use an online service for our homeschool needs but we haven't found the electives we need at an affordable price. There are many courses by subject included in the subscription for SchoolhouseTeachers.com such as:

• Art
• Drama and Speech
• Bible
• Computer and Technology
• Electives
• Foreign Languages
• History, Geography, and Social Studies
• Language Arts
• Math
• Music
• Nutrition, Health, and Fitness
• Science

We were most excited about Computer and Technology. Drama loves everything that has to do with computers and video gaming. I found a Computer Science/Programming course by Chris Yust that had all of this. Not only will he be learning computer science and programming but they have found a way to incorporate his most favorite game into these lessons, Minecraft. If your kid is as Minecraft crazy as mine is then they will love these computer classes. Starting in the 10th module they start learning how to make Minecraft mods in Java. Other site and programs that teach this are out of this world expensive so this was an excellent find. Another thing that I want to point out is the credentials of the teachers on this site. Christ Yust is a 17 + year software engineering professional with a Masters in Electrical Engineering. I trust that Elijah will learn a lot from him.

The Computer Science/Programming course consists of Twelve modules meant to be studied once a week for a year. There is a completion certificate and students will earn 1.0 Computer Science credit.
I bought a binder at Walmart and printed out the first module.  It is a lot of reading material but if your child is interested in learning about computers then they will find it interesting. Some of the modules have helpful tutorial videos that you play at certain points during the lesson.

Another course we are very excited about is Film Making. You can find it in the Electives. Director/Producer/Co-writer George Escobar co-founder of Advent Film Group teaches this class. I had to pinch myself when I found this. What an opportunity to learn from someone with over 25 years of experience in the field. Drama doesn't have much interest in filmmaking, but he does have a HUGE interest in producing YouTube videos so this class will help him get started.

I keep my niece a lot and I plan on homeschooling her as well. She will be 2 in February. We have already started working on the Alphabet and Numbers and other preschool lessons. I was very impressed at all of the preschool lessons there are. This site is for the whole family from Pre-K to Adult, there's something for everyone.

 

When you go to www.SchoolhouseTeachers.com the first place you want to go is START HERE. From there click on NEW MEMBERS HUB, on this page you will find loads of helpful information and the FAQ.

I really hope you enjoy this site as much as I did reviewing it. I know that I will use it with my son and my niece. Thank you for reading my blog! Please give it a like and a follow. My followers get a special 1/2 off a year subscription to schoolhouseteachers.com just use the code CREWFOLLOWER The coupon is valid through 1/31/2016.

The 21 day fast

Mm Every year a small group of us at church do the 21 day fast. It starts on the first Sunday in January. I enjoy fasting. I usually do the 21 day fast and then I do Lent. In the beginning it was too much about the fast itself and I really struggled with it. I was so focused on what I was given up and it left me empty in my stomach and my heart. Then one Lent season I decided to keep a scripture journal. With lent there are certain scriptures you read every day. I would write them and then write what that scripture meant to me or how I interpreted it. After that, my fasts became more fruitful. I began to focus on what I was gaining instead of losing. Instead of simply giving up things I added things to my life, like the scripture journaling. It can be as simple as reading the word every morning or becoming more involved in church.

More about the 21 day fast

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting/

It's no secret that I have a problem with my weight. This year, and years past, I made the resolution to lose weight. This year I hope will be more successful since I have a goal. I'm going to Haiti in June with my church. I want to be in shape so I can keep up with my much more healthy compadres. I have a feeling we will be doing a lot of walking so I don't want to be left behind breathless. I want to be healthy so I can serve to the best of my abilities. 

I'm using this years 21 day fast as a starting point for my weight loss journey. I've used The Daniel Plan before for fasting and I really like it. I usually reverted to my old eating habits as soon as the fast was over, but this year I plan on sticking with it to help with my lifestyle change. 

The Daniel Plan is pretty simple, if it's natural you can eat it. It cuts out everything processed. Now don't be like me and focus on what you can't have because you will quit without a second thought. Think about what you CAN have. I was just on Pinterest doing some research for this post and some of the recipes that popped up left me salivating. Something I'm going to try this year to make it more of a successful fast is planning out my meals in advance. That way I'm not bored or left hungry. I've pinned some great new recipes that I am dying to try like Pineapple Whip and Minestrone soup. I'm also partial to fajitas and lots of Mexican food which is something I can have. 

What's the difference between The Daniel Plan and The Daniel Fast? The Daniel Plan allows you to have lean meats, The Daniel Fast does not. You can also have some whole wheat grains. Anyone who can do the whole 21 days on The Daniel Fast is my hero. I'm just not there yet. I may try to do the last few days just on The Daniel Fast.

Differences in The Daniel Plan and The Daniel Fast

Don't focus on the food!

Food for me is a drug. It's how I cope with my emotions. I have to relearn how to love myself that does not involve shoving deep fried food in my mouth. During a fast the main focus should be your relationship with God. If you're hung up on the food part then you aren't going to accomplish what the fast is about. I will be posting more about Fasting and lifestyle changes in the days to come. There are a lot of things that I am going to be focusing on this fast. Mainly prayers for my son and his future, his relationship with his heavenly father, and prayer for guidance.

Links:

The Daniel Plan

https://danielplan.com/start/

The Daniel Fast

http://daniel-fast.com/

After the Baked Milk Challenge, 2 Weeks

We have made it two weeks with ZERO issues! It is all still very new to us. Starting tomorrow he can start to have cheese crackers. Even though he is still fighting me on trying new things. I bought the Annie's Cheddar Bunnies because Goldfish have a less baked cheese coating on the outside. I will also be avoiding Dorito's or any "flavor blasted coating". I think Cheese It's would probably be okay, as long as they are the regular kind. I did a lot of research and Annie's was recommended.

Exploring New Foods

We haven't gone crazy with exploring new food, just kept it basic. Jimmy Dean's Microwaveable Sausage Biscuits are a HUGE hit. They are egg free as well so it was the first thing we tried that wasn't home baked milk. Our allergist said as long as it was baked and milk was past the third ingredient we were a go. He had Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning. Cinnamon rolls are a tradition in our house for Christmas morning breakfast so it was nice to not have to make "special" ones for him. We have also tried Goldfish original and pretzel crackers. They are also taste approved.

Our goal is to eat something everyday that has milk in it to keep his immunity up so he can pass the second stage of the test in February which is the baked cheese pizza test. He still says he doesn't really care if he outgrows his milk allergy and doesn't share my enthusiasm, but I know when this is all over and done with he will be a lot happier. We talked about the things he would be able to eat next Christmas. I am hoping we will be doing the baked Egg challenge by next Christmas. His test results for Egg was not ideal for the baked challenge.

All I want for my son is some sort of normalcy. He is going into middle school next year and even if he is homeschooled he will be in Youth Group and that age is all about fitting in and making lifelong friends. Having food allergies doesn't help when you are trying to fit in, especially at the awkward time when things are changing in your body. He will always have his peanut allergy but things would be so much easier for him if his egg and milk allergy go away before High School.

More foods = More chance of Anaphylaxis?

Something that has been nagging me in the back of my mind is that as his foods lists increase, so does the chance for anaphylaxis. Baked items with Milk and Egg oftentimes have nuts or are processed on lines with products containing nuts so we will have to stay vigilant and continue to read ingredient lists. Unfortunately, even though it will be a blessing for him to have chocolate, chocolate is often processed in the same factories with nuts. So at the end of our Milk Challenge when he is allowed to have chocolate we will be doing some major research on dedicated lines.

Hershey fan? Check out this blog for info on Hershey Chocolate and Nuts http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/2010/09/nut-free-lowdown-on-hersheys-chocolates.html 

Food allergy food therapy day 1 no bueno

So yesterday Drama passed the first part of the baked milk challenge. He can now eat breads, cake, cookies, crackers and other baked breads that contain milk. So grocery shopping should have been a fun filled adventure, right? WRONG.

Can you say meltdown in aisle 1? As I am flitting around checking ingredients on delicious goodies, Drama is saying NO to everything I pick up. I am going around pointing out things that he will be able to eat in a few months and he just retreats further and further and finally has an outburst in front of the Ice cream.

"I don't want to eat new things, I don't want my milk allergy to go away", I stopped dead in my tracks. Had to lean on Ben and Jerry for support. Excuse me? Me no Comprende. Did I just hear this child right? I just assumed after ten years of living without these things he would be excited to pick out new things he has seen his friends eat. I didn't think about the psychological factor.

I continued on my way. Picking up some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (surely those would speak to his soul, right?)  Amy's cheddar bunnies, and goldfish pretzels.

When we got home I had him eat 5 goldfish pretzels. You would have thought I was asking him to detonate a bomb. Then he had his milk muffin for the day. I am hoping this gets easier. Its not just about eating new things. Continuing the food therapy will boost his immunity to the milk protein to where if he gets a big dose of it it won't cause a reaction.

I covet your prayers!

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

Have a food allergy or a child with food allergies? Join my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/elijahshope

NIH link about Baked Food Therapy: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/research/Pages/immunotherapy-food-allergy.aspx

AAAI link about baked egg and milk immunology: http://www.aaaai.org/global/latest-research-summaries/Current-JACI-Research/ingesting-baked-egg-may-help-children-outgrow-egg.aspx

Baked Milk Challenge Part 2

The day is finally here. In a few hours we will start the test at his Allergist's office. Yesterday I made the muffins for the test. I have to say it was strange making food for Drama with Milk in it, something we have diligently avoided for ten years.

We arrived at the Allergy Asthma and Sinus Center and was taken back at 8:30am. The nurse took his weight, height, and vitals. His peak flow meter score was better today than last visit.

The Allergist came in and did an exam. She cut his muffin that I baked into 4 quarters and gave him his first dose which was 1/8 of a quarter. He ate it after some persuasion on both our parts. She then set a timer for 15 minutes and told me if he started having any symptoms to come and get her.

He was very nervous and didn't like the taste either.

Every fifteen minutes the nurse took vitals and the Allergist gave him an increased dose the first two doses were an 1/8 of a quarter then he had 1/2 of a quarter, a whole quarter, then quarter and a half for the last dose.

I asked his Allergist if he could have his allergy shots today and she said No because if he had a reaction we wouldn't know if it was from the shots or the muffin. So we will get our shots in a couple of days.

HE PASSED THE TEST!!!

He made it through the test just fine. I brought books and his iPad to keep him occupied. For now he can have home baked goods. In two weeks we can try store items like cheese crackers, cinnamon rolls, etc. He is still allergic to milk, he can just tolerate baked milk and eating it will boost his immunity to where we can try cheese pizza in two months and after incorporating baked cheese for a while he can try drinking a glass of milk.

It will definitely open up some food options for him, but he will still be limited since most things that have milk in them also have eggs and he is still too allergic to egg to try the baked egg challenge.

Need more food allergy info and tips? Like my FB page www.facebook.com/elijahshope 

DO NOT TRY THIS FOOD CHALLENGE AT HOME AND ALWAYS CONSULT A BOARD CERTIFIED ALLERGIST

If you are looking for an Allergist, we absolutely love ours. www.allergyasc.com
(Not a sponsor)

Helpful reading:

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/research/Pages/bakedMilk.aspx

http://www.gratefulfoodie.com/allergies-life-after-baked-milk-challenge/

http://www.healinghacker.com/baked-milk-challenge/

Baked Milk Oral Challenge Part 1

Drama has life threatening food allergies to Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, and Treenuts. Recently I took him to children's to have his blood drawn for an Immunocap test for Milk and Egg. An Immunocap test will tell you the severity of the allergy. Both his tests came back moderate, meaning he is still at risk of anaphylaxis but his allergist gave the go ahead to try the baked milk oral challenge. For this challenge Drama has to be off all antihistamines for 7 days and we will start early in the morning at 8 am. Protocol for the oral food challenges is for the parent to bring in the food for the challenge. 

The muffin recipe our allergist gave us is as follows:

1 cup milk

2tbs Canola Oil

1tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 tsp EnerG Egg Replacer

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of Sugar

1/4 cup Salt

2 tsp Baking Powder

Mix all dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Each muffin will equal 1.3 grams of cows milk.

This is all new to me but it seems the temperature and length of time the item is baked is key. The allergist called to make sure I understood everything. She said they would feed him the muffin a quarter at a time and checks vitals, if he passed the test he would be able to eat cookies, cake, bread, and crackers with milk in them. Eating these things will build his immunity and we will be able to move on to the next phase.  After a couple of months we would move on to baked cheese. All of the blogs I've researched online mention Amy's cheese pizza. I haven't looked to see if it has eggs. If he passes the baked cheese test he will eat things with baked cheese for a few months then he will be able to try drinking milk.

It's so nerve racking to do an oral challenge. You are giving your child food that you have been telling them it could kill them. Combine that with a child who has Aspergers and is a stickler on rules and regulations (unless I set them) and it's double drama. He isn't thrilled about the test and could care less if this means he can eat more things. He doesn't like the risk. Which I can understand. If he has a reaction it will be the end of our oral food challenges. There's no way I will be able to talk him into it again.

I am praying everything goes smoothly and he will pass and a whole new world will open up for him. He won't have to stare longingly at his friends foods and won't be embarrassed to have to eat his "safe snack" in front of all his friends who are eating the same thing. We take eating for granted. Because most baked items containing milk also contain egg which he is still too allergic to, to even try the baked challenge, he will still be a little limited as to what he can eat. Will update as soon as we have the test Monday.

Advent and the Jesse Tree

Advent and the Jesse Tree

Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning "coming".

We started a new tradition last year. I have always admired the Jesse Tree my friends put out for Christmas. We couldn't afford a proper Jesse Tree so we made do with a small Christmas tree and printable paper ornaments. It's not about the aesthetics anyways it's about the story, his story and the events leading up to the greatest Christmas story ever told. 

What is a Jesse Tree 

The Jesse Tree helps us connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus' birth. The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of King David. We adorn a Jesse Tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people, prophesies, and events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments of the Jesse Tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history.

This year we are using Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp for advent. So far I really like it. It has beautiful illustrations.

This is a wonderful book we read for advent last year. The kids will love it! I downloaded it on the iPad, but you can also order it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. I recommend this one over Unwrapping the Greatest Gift because it has a wonderful story line and I think holds little ones attention better.

Jesse Trees come in all shapes and sizes. You can buy a Jesse Tree from a Christian bookstore or online. Many people use small Christmas Tree's or a bundle of limbs. Ornaments can be expensive porcelain, wood, or paper ornaments. This year we are using printable ornaments that you can find here http://lifeyourway.net/free-printables/christmas/jesse-tree-ornaments/ We are coloring them and pasting them on card stock to decorate our small Christmas Tree. I like this hands on approach, especially as part of Arts and Crafts for Homeschooling families.

Examples of Jesse Tree's

Traditions are important. I hope Elijah keeps this tradition when he has a family of his own. I think it's important to put the focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. Much of the time it's chaos, buying and receiving gifts, stressing out about dinners, and the real reason of the season gets lost in the madness. Advent helps bring Jesus back in the spot light. It gives us some time set aside each night to spend closely with him. To dive headfirst into the gospels leading up to his birth. If there is any time to become intimate with your Lord and Savior it is now. This world is not our home and Jesus is coming soon, The King is Coming!