Fiddledeedee

In an effort to simplify my life, I’ve been sorting, cleaning, tossing, and cutting back.  One area of my life that needed downsizing (besides my pants) was my aquarium.  For the last 10 years or so, I’ve had a beautiful 37 gallon aquarium.  It was situated in the front of the house, in the reading room.  A small room designated for adults only.  For reading, sipping coffee, and general serene quiet thinking.

The perfect location for an aquarium.

However, what I never took into account was the fact that I was going to push out 3 children.  Goodbye serenity.  Hello drinking my coffee while emptying the dishwasher.  Goodbye reading real books with no pictures.  Hello extra strength Tylenol.

Needless to say, the aquarium has suffered from neglect.  I seldom have the time to clean it, much less enjoy it.

I’ve had aquariums for the majority of my life.  I’ve documented well, all of the aquarium near catastrophes I’ve suffered.  We had a 10 gallon tank when I was little.  A tank which I enjoyed daily until I witnessed my angel fish, Angela, dine on Timothy.  Angela was no angel, I will tell you that.

It left an impression.

Yet I continued to keep my own aquariums. While steering clear of all angel fish.In high school I had a tank of goldfish.  All went well until I went to school one day while forgetting to turn off the heater in the tank.  A heater which sadly lacked a safety valve.  I arrived home to a tank of boiled fish.  Save one, a hearty calico that I renamed “Hotdog”.  “Hotdog” thereafter lived in a bowl by the sink for many years.

I went through a number of aquariums at all of my many different addresses as I moved about the country.  Except in Los Angeles.  I gave up my beloved aquarium just prior to the 94′ Northridge quake.  Good call.

When we moved to Florida I got myself a deluxe 37 gallon tank.  Which now sits idle in the backyard.  Up on cinder blocks.  In an area strewn with broken down automobiles and naked Barbies.  (Just kidding about the cinder blocks.)  There it will remain until I can decide if I’m ready to part with it.  I’m saddened to see it go, as it spawned one of my earliest blog posts.

While I love this new 6 gallon Fluval Edge, it does take some getting use to.  And I’m noticing that the fish are getting on one another’s nerves.

Not unlike what I’ve been going through while trapped in this house with 3 sick kids for the last 2 weeks.

But I have a little something that the fish don’t.  And it comes in a bottle labeled “Egg Nog” and may or may not have the Bourbon already included.  Merry Christmas to me.

Happy Monday everyone!

In the 12 years since I’ve been married, I’ve never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner.  Right after we were married, we celebrated our first Thanksgiving together.  I decided that I would make enchiladas.

Because tradition is important to me.  And I’m sure that’s what the pilgrims dined on if they decided that a whole turkey would be overkill for two.

Thankfully, sweet friends of ours took pity on us and invited us over for a dinner which I’m still thinking about.  It was an impressive layout, which she effortless served, for a gathering of about 20.  It was the best meal I think I’ve ever had.

And there wasn’t an enchilada in sight.

The next year we had moved to Florida and began the tradition of sharing Thanksgiving dinner with Fiddledaddy’s large, loud, and raucous family.  All of these years, I’ve mostly been in charge of bringing the mashed potatoes and the Death by Chocolate Cake.

This year may be different.

I am beginning to mentally prepare myself for the fact that I will likely have sick children, and they will be dependent on me for Thanksgiving sustenance.

Because sadly, Carrabbas will not be available for take-out on Thursday.

My sweet Emme stopped making out her Last Will & Testament long enough today to allow her father to take her to Urgent Care down the street.  She was diagnosed with a pretty nasty ear infection.  But she’s going to live.  I did receive a report that she nearly hit the nurse who administered the strep test.  The nurse was fast on her feet and stepped back just in time.

I’m so glad that Emme failed to make contact.  Urgent Care charges extra if you deck a health care professional.

The other two siblings are still fighting a cold.  But they are on the mend.  I know this because they expended most of their energy today torturing one another.  And me, just for sport.

The last time I prepared a Thanksgiving dinner was 1992 ish, in my tiny kitchen in Burbank, with my mom by my side.

Me & my mom during Thanksgiving dinner preparations, circa 1992

I am not afraid.  I come from good southern stock, and I have no doubt that my mom, who is always in my heart, will guide me.  But she would totally understand if say, packaged gravy were to make an appearance.

Instead of FREAKING OUT, which is what I would normally do, I’m going to think about all that I am grateful for.  I am so thankful for my family that surrounds me.  I’m thankful for an unfailing God, who provides for my little family.  I’m thankful for a community of moms and women that continue to encourage and inspire me.

God bless you and your families.

I’m going to take a nice long weekend and regroup (read: drag out my stretchypants).  I’ll likely post a few things from the archives because I’m not above re-runs.

Happy Thanksgiving and I’ll see y’all next week!

The pestilence has once again hit our home.  Hard.  This morning, I discovered two of the three children had fevers.  By afternoon, one was up to 104 degrees and the other two siblings then had low grade fevers.

Not high enough to keep them down.  Just enough to spark irritation with one anther.

I called Trish, my SIL, to share with her my tale of infectious disease woe.  She asked me if I’d received the e-mail sent out by our homeschool group on how best to avoid the flu.

Um, I don’t think I saw it.  Oh wait.  Did it start with:

1.  AVOID ALL SUGAR

???

Yes.

Then I deleted it when I saw #1.

Exasperated sigh.  “I’ll send it to you again.”

Okay, whatever.

In a few moments the e-mail detailing how best to avoid the flu this winter was in my in-box.

There it was:

1.  AVOID ALL SUGAR. (in red)

I deleted it again.

Thirty minutes later I noticed I had a fever.

So I ate 2 pop tarts.

And I felt much better.

Feeling guilty, I retrieved the e-mail from the trash, and I though I’d post it in case you’d like to avoid the flu as well.  Or delete it and have an Oreo.

This particular article takes the stance that the flu vaccine should be avoided.  And that natural remedies would better suit the immune system.  I haven’t done enough research to take a stance either way, although I lean more into the holistic approach, as long as no one tries to TAKE AWAY MY ONE AND ONLY VICE.

Anyhoo,  you all know what’s best for your own family.

(This article was written by Nancy Campbell, and I didn’t include all the links because I HAVE A FEVER and I could lose consciousness any moment.  Besides, there are two more pop tarts in the pantry.)

BEAT THE FLU THIS WINTER!

Dear friends, 

As we approach flu season, it is good to be reminded of ways to prevent it. There are better ways to prevent the flu than being vaccinated. Check out the following points to keep yourself and your family in good health during this winter season.

1.    AVOID ALL SUGAR
This means to not only refrain from sugar, but all foods containing sugar, which are most foods on the shelves of the supermarket. Read labels very carefully. In fact, when you read the labels first, will find that you will have to put most foods back on the shelf. 

Sugar makes a perfect environment for viruses. Sugar completely destroys your immune system. It destroys the germ-killing ability of white bloods cells to kill bacteria and viruses up to five hours after intake. It interferes with the transport of vitamin C which is needed to fight the flu and robs the body of nutrients such as zinc that are vital for the immune function. 

Sugar affects everyone, but has more serious consequences for children. Keep your children away from all sugar and especially when flu viruses are around. That means at Christmas time too!

Also, please reduce carbs as they turn to sugar in your body. Especially eliminate all whites–not only white sugar, but white flour, white pasta and white rice. Completely eradicate pop and sweet teas. I refuse to have sugar in my pantry.

(Note from Fiddledeedee: To a certain degree, we do refrain from most white sugar.  BUT C’MON, I AM ONLY HUMAN.  Okay, I’m done.  Carry on.)

2.    BUILD UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
The stronger your immune system, the less likelihood of getting the flu or any disease.

Here are some ideas for building up your immune system for you and your children. You can do what suits you best–or do them all!

My daughter, Serene, who has eight children, gives herself and the children the following once a day or more as needed.

COLD AND FLU FIGHTER

½ cup chopped onion
A whole bulb of chopped garlic
2 TBS chopped fresh ginger root
1 chopped jalapeño

Put all ingredients in a quart jar, cover with raw vinegar and let sit 4 – 6 weeks. Strain out vegetables and use 2 TBS. or more each day. If you do get a cold or the flu, take every hour. Serene gives her children 1 TBS. each day as a preventative.

VITAMIN C
1, 000 mg morning and evening

GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT
Give children three drops in water once a week. If you notice any signs of flu or colds in the family, give three drops in water once a day. Adults should take 10 – 15 drops in water at the slightest sign of a cold or flu. You can obtain this extract at a health food shop.

TODDLER MIX
To make it easier for toddlers to take these vitamins, mix the following:
1 TBS. or more of yogurt (no sugar added)
Crushed Vitamin C tablet, smaller dosage for toddler
Juice of ½ orange
2 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
Stevia for sweetening
Mix together and give to toddler as needed.

VITAMIN D
3
1,000 mg each morning to children
1,000 each morning and evening for adults. Most adults need much more than this. The consensus is that anything up to 5,000 mg a day is safe and beneficial for most people. After a hydroxyl test, most people find they need more than this. The optimum levels for the body are 60 – 90 ml.  Vitamin D builds the immune system and also fights cancer.

COCONUT OIL
This is a marvelous food that builds up the body’s own natural defenses against viral infections, disease and cancer. Take as much as you can each day. You can’t take too much.  Use the Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil for medicinal use. Put 1 TBS. or more in your smoothies. Use it for all your cooking instead of other oils. You can use Expeller Pressed for cooking.

If there are any signs of flu in even one of the children, Serene gets her children to take a banana and dip it into coconut oil (about 2 TBS coconut oil). This is an easy way for the children to eat it.  You can also get the children to put the coconut oil behind their ears and massage it into their lymph glands and also in their nose.

Use coconut way every way you can. Use it for all cooking instead of other oils. To try some delectable recipes with Coconut Butter.

RED PALM OIL
This is another super oil. I only use Coconut oil or Red Palm oil for cooking in our home. Every other oil turns to Trans fat when it is heated. Not only are these safe oils to cook with, but they add many nutrients to your body. Both Coconut oil and Red Palm oil strengthen the immune system.

You can put a little Red Palm oil in your smoothies. My husband spreads it on his bread, but I have to admit, I cannot take it that way. But use it as much as you can in your cooking. The following is a smoothie recipe to try:

Ginger Sunrise
2 fresh oranges
2 lemons, peeled with knife, removing yellow rind, but keeping the white pith
1 – 2 bananas (great for children, eliminate for adults as fattening)
2 TBS. Red Palm Oil
1 large handful of flax seeds or chia seeds
2 TBS. Coconut oil
2 chunks fresh raw ginger (about 1″)
Sweetening – Stevia
Ice cubes
Blend very well in Vita Mix or good blender until smooth.

3.    SLEEP
There is nothing like lack of sleep to run down your immune system. Sleep and a healthy diet are your best preventatives against the flu and colds. Make sure you have adequate sleep, especially during flu season. Try to get to bed early.

I grew up with the old wives’ tale that the hours of sleep before midnight are the most beneficial. Science has now proved this adage, although I must admit I have broken the rule most of my life. I am now trying to go to bed earlier. The plan is to go to bed no later than 10.00 pm–9.00 pm is even better.

Staying up much later than 10.00 pm causes your adrenal glands to make cortisol. This is taxing on the adrenal gland and can lead to adrenal fatigue.  Does this sound too hard? It is actually better for your health, and you will accomplish just as much by getting up earlier in the morning. And remember, I am preaching to myself!

(Note from Fiddledeedee: I’ve heard rumors that sleep is good.  I would not know this first hand, though.)

4.    OTHER PREVENTATIVES
I have a friend who uses the following for her family. The taste is wonderful.

ELDERBERRY COLD AND FLU FIGHTER SYRUP
½ cup elderberries (check the Internet for dried elderberries)
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 TBS grated fresh root ginger
2 cups water
Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Add ½ cup honey. Store in refrigerator. Take 2 TBS. each day to prevent colds and flu. If you have the flu, take every hour. This recipe only keeps two weeks in the fridge so you will need to make a fresh batch every two weeks.

CHOPPED GARLIC
Any easy fighter is to chop up 1 or 2 garlic cloves very, very finely. Pop in your mouth and swallow before you have a chance to taste the flavor or imbibe the smell. This is an easy and wonderful way to fight the flu. I find this simple and effective.

(Note from Fiddledeedee:  Garlic Pizza is a favorite of mine. Case in point, Jacoppi’s in Los Angeles.  I find it best to eat it alone.)

THIEVES OIL
Many folk use the following Natural Antibiotic Recipe using Young Living Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils. Here is the recipe from Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils, compiled by Connie and Alan Higley, 10th edition.

12 drops Thieves Oil
6 drops Oregano Oil
2 drops Frankincense Oil
Put drops in a “00″ size capsule and ingest one capsule every 4 hours for 3 days, then every 8 hours for 4 days.

BURIED TREASURE – ACF (Acute Cold and Flu Formula)
This is highly effective for fighting colds. You can purchase it as your local health food store or online. Our daughter, Pearl, always has it on hand for use at the first sign of a sniffle.

HORSERADISH
Horseradish root is a powerful antibiotic and useful for fighting the flu, as well as urinary tract infections and even cancer. I have just harvested the roots from m y garden and am getting ready to prepare it as a sauce and to use in other recipes. Check the Internet for all kinds of wonderful recipes.

Prepare the following to use as needed. Slice or chunk the horseradish root, place in blender and grind, adding small amounts of vinegar for a good consistency, about 1 TBS vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)  to 1 cup horseradish. The vinegar preserves the horseradish and enhances the flavor. Vinegar stops the heat-building enzyme activity that grinding causes. If you want hotter horseradish, wait before adding the vinegar. Adding the vinegar right away will make the horseradish milder.

Horseradish will take your breath away, bring tears to your eyes, but at the same time clear all your sinuses, help ward off the flu and make you feel great!

You can add 1 TBS. of horseradish to your coleslaw or even to your meat loaf you are preparing.

CUT AN ONION
This is another old wives’ tale that I grew up with, but I still do it and believe it works. If someone gets a cold or flu in the house, I cut an onion in half and put it in a strategic place. Supposedly the germs go to the onion. If my husband has a sniffle, I cut an onion and put half by his side of the bed and half by my side of the bed. He complains of the smell but puts up with it!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
A lot of germs come through the ears. As a preventative, pour a little Hydrogen Peroxide in the ear. I love to feel it bubbling in my ear. Do it once a week (perhaps on the weekend), one night in one ear and the next night in the other. I find it easier to do it this way as the peroxide doesn’t run out from one ear when pouring it in the other ear.

THYM-UVOCAL
An herb which strengthens the immune system and fights off infections. Check the Internet for purchase. Adults only.

5.    WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY
Wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially before eating. Wash under running water for 20 seconds or sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY while washing. It is most important to train your children to do this.

6.    DO NOT TOUCH EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH
I find myself doing this and am having to get into the habit of not rubbing my eyes, mouth or nose. Teach your children about this also.

7.    NETI POT
Check the Internet for a Neti Pot to clear nose and sinuses.

(note from Fiddledeedee:  I DO NOT EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS)

8.    AVOID FLU VACCINATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE H1N1 SWINE FLU VACCINATION
The H1N1 vaccination has many dangers. Check out more information before allowing yourself and your family to become a victim to these shots.

Squalene
The Swine Flu Vaccine, unlike other flu vaccines, contains squalene, an additive which when introduced into the bloodstream, causes crippling auto-immune diseases like Lou Gehrig’s disease, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Squalene in vaccines has been strongly connected to the Gulf War Syndrome. The  H1N1 vaccine contains 1 million times more squalene than the vaccine given to Gulf War soldiers (which resulted in 140,000 veterans contracting the auto-immune disease Gulf War Syndrome). The use of squalene is illegal in the USA and UK but is being allowed under the emergency pandemic decree. Dr. Russell Blaylock states, “If you receive the vaccine, there is little you can do to protect yourself–at least by conventional medicine. It will mean a lifetime of crippling illness and early death.”

The US government has given vaccine manufacturers (Novartis, Baxter, Glaxo-Smithkline, CSL) complete legal immunity from any deaths or injuries resulting from their vaccines.

(The above opinions belong to Nancy Campbell.  As I said, always check your sources and make an informed decision for your own family.)

Him: Where’s my shower cleaner?

Me: (knowing that he’s not talking about me)  What are you talking about?

Him: My shower cleaner.  I took the batteries out to dry it out.  It wasn’t working.

Me: Where did you put it?

Him: On top of the van.

Me: Why would you put the shower cleaner on top of the van?

Him: So the sun would hit it.  I put it on the back porch last night, but it rained.

Me: So you put it on top of the van?

Him: Did you go somewhere in the van today?

Me: Yes.  I left with the kids this afternoon.  You didn’t notice the silence?

Him: And you didn’t see my shower cleaner on top of the van?

Me: Um, no.

(At this point he walks out the front door.  I assume to walk the street, in search of his elusive shower cleaner.  Then he returns.  Empty handed.)

Him: You should always check the top of the van when you go somewhere.

Me: Apparently.

Later I notice “we need a shower cleaner” written on the grocery list posted on the fridge.

And he’d better not be talking about me.

One of the questions that I get more than any other (including “are you sure that English is your first language?”) involves how we treat Jensen’s eczema.  I just sent a blogging compadre, Valerie, our daily routine.

And she’s still speaking to me.

I know so many of you have kids that are dealing with skin issues.  If you’ve followed this blog for the last few years, you know that we’ve been on a roller coaster ride as far as getting a proper diagnosis and then pinpointing a treatment that works for our boy.

From the time he was a little bitty guy, Jensen would try to scratch his own skin off.  He also had other issues that simply stemmed from not being able to communicate his own discomfort.  We saw a number of doctors which diagnosed him with everything from scabies (my personal favorite) to severe food allergies.  For 9 long months my boy existed rice cakes and organic hot dogs.  And little else.  He was miserable.

And up until recently, he did not sleep through the night.  He’ll be 5 in March.  Do that math.

And you’ve been wondering why I write as though I’m deranged.  It was sleep deprivation, my friends.  And btw, I still write like I’m deranged. Now it’s just a fun part of my personality.

I’ve come to you all many countless times asking for advice for a whole bunch of issues.  From my hair woes to my son’s skin condition.  And you’ve always come through for me in spades.  A lot of Jensen’s path to a cure is because of wonderful advice that I’ve gotten from readers of this blog.

I am so grateful for that.

We finally got a diagnosis from an pediatric allergist a little over a year ago.  My son’s skin issues do not stem from allergies.  He has severe atopic dermatitis.  And it’s only skin deep.  What he eats and drinks make no difference at all.

I wanted to document the routine that is working for us.  So much of this has been trial and error, but I think we’re finally getting a handle on it.  And Jensen is showing wonderful signs of significant improvement.

If you have a child that suffers from skin issues, always check with a doctor before changing their treatment.  And while our regime works for us, it is always going to depend on the particular child.

The Treatment

Jensen’s doctor prescribed Hydroxyzine orally.  When we started, we had to give him up to 4 teaspoons a day.  We’ve been able to wean him down to 1 t. right before bed.

His doctor also prescribes Triamcinolone Acetonide (topical) on the super itchy red spots. We can apply this up to 2x a day if needed.

Okay, here’s where it gets really weird.  We soak him in a tepid bath (no soap) for 20 minutes up to 2 times a day.  When we get him out, we don’t completely dry him off. This is when we apply the Triamcinolone on the bad spots and really apply a thick layer of the Spectrum Vegetable Shortening (it’s really organic pressed palm oil, and it’s only about $7 for a large tub- WAY cheaper than Aquaphor, which can contain mineral oil, btw).  I find Spectrum at the health food store.  BUT, Walmart is starting to carry the Spectrum brand, so I’m hoping I can talk them into carrying the Spectrum Shortening.  This is by far the best topical lotion I’ve ever found.  It is what I call Lard, for fun.  But it’s really not lard.  But saying LARD makes me laugh.  Because I’m 7.

BTW, do you remember when Jensen use to drink Neutrogena straight from the bottle?  I guess even then he knew something that we didn’t.

Then I dress him in 100% cotton clothes and make sure he has socks on.  And matches.  Because matching is really important.  Just kidding.  He rarely matches.  After a while, his clothes and sheets get really heavy because of all the goop I put on him, but now even his clothes stay moisturized…    And I wash his clothes separately and make sure I put them on a 2nd rinse.  And no dryer sheets or softener.

At night, because this is the worse time, after his bath and after all the goop, we put saran wrap on his hands and feet, then we put COLD WET SOCKS on his feet and hands over the saran wrap.  And he wears long sleeved 100% cotton pjs.  He doesn’t mind the cold wet part because it takes away the discomfort IMMEDIATELY.

In fact, if we’re out and he has an itchy attack, I keep “cold sticks” (those frozen long skinny things that you can put in water bottles to keep them cold) in the cold bag, and apply it to the itchy part.  Ice works too.  Takes the itch away immediately.

On really bad nights, we’ve been known to wet one pair of pjs, and put a dry pair on top.  And he sleeps in them.  (A reader gave me this tip, and then our doctor confirmed it.)  Our doctor also recommended putting 1/4 cup of bleach in his bath water and then fill the tub very full.  I kid you not.  This helps to ward off infection if his skin is broken from scratching.  Then we rinse him well.  (And as a bonus, the bathtub comes out SPARKLY white.)

All of this is just part of our routine now.  We don’t even think twice about it.  And Jensen is completely used to it and complains very rarely.

Unlike his mother who literally yelped when he wrapped two very cold wet besocked arms around me tonight before bed.

Thank you to all of you who have graciously shared with me your tips and recommendations.  And if any of you are new, and have a child suffering with Atopic Dermatitis/Eczema, I hope you find something in this post that will help.  And if nothing else, please know that you’re not alone.

Another community of bloggers that I rely heavily on for all sorts of tips and information can be found here at Works for Me Wednesday!