Foofee's Zoo

General Updates & A Funny Video Link

All About Spelling

For years I searched for a spelling program that would work for us & not bore us to tears (literally!). I would typically use workbooks for Storyman, which he didn't mind, but I didn't think they were helping him too much with the various rules & such which can be confusing.

I've been using All About Spelling with Butterfly for over a year now, & so far it has been just what we needed. I'm really happy with the program, & moreover, so is Butterfly.

The website (link below) gives a great deal of information including articles on strategies for teaching spelling, developing Phonemic Awareness, teaching spelling in your homeschool, among others. They also have a spelling newsletter one can sign up for, & a free report on the “20 Best Tips For Teaching Spelling”.

This program does not work by grade level, which is all the better for an older child struggling with spelling. There are four levels, and the website gives information about choosing the appropriate starting level for a child.

There are some necessary, & some just helpful, extra items such as letter tiles, tokens, phonogram cards & optional magnets, a phonogram audio CD-ROM, & spelling games. I hope to utilize the games more this year.

I am typically not crazy about lots of preparation in my homeschool, & there is quite a bit of cutting out of various cards. I have to admit it was very worth the bit of extra effort to get it going, because once that’s done it really is easy to just open up & go to each daily lesson.

All About Spelling is a great multisensory approach to learning spelling, & ideal for “wiggle worms” who have trouble focusing & staying on task (like my Butterfly). She loves to alphabetize the letter tiles. The lessons use them to build words & demonstrate rules. For example, step 5 in the Level One book is about choosing the correct vowel sound. I would pull down the letter tile “m”, put a blank letter tile next to it, & then next to that the letter tile “t”.

Since we had already been learning letter sounds, vowels & consonants, I would then talk about spelling the word “mat” & about what sound goes between “m” & “t”, & insert the letter tile “a” to complete the word. She would then get multiple practice at doing this herself, where I would bring down the letter tiles, say the word we want to spell, & she would replace the blank tile with the appropriate letter to make the word.

Here are some pictures demonstrating an early lesson in the Level One book:







There are also exercises where I give her words she builds herself using the letter tiles.

We did a lesson on “consonant teams”. There are letter tiles of consonant & vowel teams, (& many others) as well as headings to show the child more clearly what they’re learning. The vowels are in red, & the “y” tile comes in both blue & red because it can be used as both a consonant & a vowel. The “q” is “qu” because that is the correct pronunciation for reading & spelling purposes.

Below is an example of a lesson with the consonant team "ck", with the "c" & "k" being on a letter tile together:



Each lesson also includes dictation of words & phrases, which makes for good handwriting practice as well.

There are multiple cards included: word cards, which include all the words they will learn through dictation, key cards, sound cards, & phonogram cards. Each has a “future lessons”, “review”, & “mastered” card for organization of skills. If she is having trouble with a particular rule, sound, etc., I can put that card under “review” to remind me of what we need to practice.

 

It also comes with a progress chart & "Certificate of Achievement":



Butterfly & I have finished working through Level One. We’ve been working on reading & phonics as well, of course, & she’s improved so much in just a few months time. I feel this program really helped her reading skills improve; things began to “click” quicker & there has been a noticeable difference.

We’ve begun Level Two recently & I have Storyman sitting in on the lessons now. He’s already picking up things that have been missed throughout the years of using various popular spelling workbooks.

This is one program I can really say I’m very happy with & will continue to use consistently. I’ve been happy enough with this curriculum to become an affiliate, which means I really like it! It may not be for everyone, but the flexibility & variety of programs available is part of the beauty of homeschooling. For anyone struggling to find a good spelling program for your kiddos, this is worth a look.

Check it out here if you’d like, or click the graphic below. 

Baby Health Update

Ladybug I recent tummy troubles escalated earlier this week, when she had a food reaction. She's had bumpier skin recently, mostly on her face (allergy alert) & her eye was a bit red (another alert). She's had various little dry spots on her face & a bit on her limbs here & there (eczema type). The other night the bumps on her face got worse & became red, & her eye very red & puffy. She, & her sister, were both inconsolable for over an hour while trying to get them to sleep.

The next day we took the older boys for their yearly check ups. They are both generally fine. Storyman is somewhat tall & big for his age. Big Guy is not really big, apparently, but on the smaller side for his age. (He's still our Big Guy). This doctor's partner is a DAN! doctor, so he tends to push that when we come in with our severe kiddos, but we've done a lot of that & will be sticking with our homeopath for now.

He took another look at Ladybug I. He still says she looks healthy, just small. The reaction on her face looked like eczema to him. I explained all her various reactions: constipation, vomitting, skin issues, excessive fussiness, red puffy eye, etc. He agreed she's not doing well with solid foods (obviously), & they haven't helped her weight either. His preferred plan was to do a 3 day stool/parasitology test, feeling she has GI issues, (go figure, I've been suspecting that for a long time), & to take her off solids & back onto exclusive nursing again for a good month or more; her system needs to "clean out". He'll see her (& her sister) again in November.

My practitioner, who had seen her a couple of weeks ago, had given me a slip for blood work in case we decided to go that route. She didn't push & didn't seem to think it was necessary. Her doctor didn't want to go that route either, yet. We decided to go ahead with it anyway, so I took her yesterday. It wasn't fun (they needed 3 vials from her), but the folks at the lab were good & I'm thankful it's finished. Ladybug I is fine. The test will give us information on thyroid, kidney, & liver function, test for celiac, & give her nutrient status, so we feel it's worth it.

The worst part, as usual, is when people ask how old they are, I tell them, & they feel the need to act shocked & worried. That's just plain rude not to mention insensitive. I'm on these kiddos more than anyone, & have not one, but two, practitioners helping. I've talked to a bunch of people & have "met" various other moms online who have had smaller babies who have been fine. Because of our histories here, we've felt like checking things out; I can only pray all will be well.

I tried to capture some of the reactions on her face, but it didn't really show up. Her face is smoothing but still a bit dry in patches; her eye is still a bit puffy but not as red.



After 2 days of stopping solids, she is generally happier, barring some teething!

She likes the scribbler...



And standing while holding on to something...

They both like this pop up toy & are figuring out how to get the little animals up (that's Ladybug II reaching) ...

She's not much bigger, & has had some not great reactions to the foods as well, although not as many. She is also prone to a weak tummy, & actually was the only one to vomit a few times prior to starting solids, which is when it started for Ladybug I. Ladybug II is sensitive to what I eat, so I need to watch it for her.

They're both just adorable & so sweet. They hug me & both have reached out with a cute little baby open mouth kiss for me recently too!

I'm very thankful to Him for watching over us; we need it!

More Tummy Troubles

My Ladybug I had been doing pretty well. I researched & found the homeopathic Nat Phos 6c is good for reflux; she seemed to respond to it, or something.

I also gave up all my goat milk products (sniff). Some casein sensitive people can react to that too, so it's an experiment for her sake. There are a few other things I'm avoiding, that can bother a little one with reflux, if that's the case.

Everyone's so focused on this little one getting solids, yet the solids aren't doing too well for her. Her doctor mentioned flax oil; a little extra fat for her. That made her puke, big. That was before I started her on the Nat Phos.

She also cannot eat big meals. Smaller, more frequent meals are better for reflux, & she fits that as well.

Her homeopath switched her remedy to Nux, from the digestive info I had given him recently. I was wondering about that given Nux is good for many things, such as nausea, constipation, indigestion, however, Nat Phos was the one I really read about being great for reflux. But I tried it out, & stopped the Nat Phos for the most part, except for now & then.

Well, this morning she ate well; too well maybe.

I always mix her foods with some baby oatmeal or rice cereal, because that is also soothing for reflux; helps hold it down better. She's done pretty well with that too. (I've done a lot of reflux research).

This morning she had her oatmeal (organic). Cascadian Farms has some nice organic frozen fruits & veggies, so I thaw their peaches & puree them, & mix them with her oatmeal. They've both really enjoyed it, & she had that today.

She & her sister finished it all up. Against my better judgement, thinking like the folks who want food stuffed down their throats at all costs, I continued to feed them the peaches alone, with some pureed bananas. All the while I thought this is too "loose". I could've mixed up some more oatmeal, but ending the meal at that point would have been better; smaller is better, & she actually had eaten quite well at that point. But I kept on...

She fell asleep in her crib shortly after, but I had her sister in there too & she didn't want to sleep, so she woke up Ladybug I. She rolled up, crying, which I figured was just being upset she was awoken, however, then she projectile vomited some peaches.

After the cleanup, she lost the rest of her breakfast as well.

I gave her a Nux to settle her tummy. Then she started to get hiccups (another reflux marker, which preceded some puking on another occasion; she's puked three times since starting solids; never puked before). So I gave her the Nat Phos, & they went away immediately.

Hence, I'm ditching the Nux (except in case of vomitting), & continuing the Nat Phos more regularly.

I'm also cancelling the follow up with her homeopath for next week. I SO wish we could afford the boys' homeopath for her (they're definitely not all the same quality). If nothing else helps we may have to try. It would not take nearly as long for her as for them, given their issues are far more severe & they are older.

The older boys have a checkup with our natural doc on Wed; I called them & they'll take her after. I already mentioned reflux during her first 6 months, at which time he blew it off. I WILL be mentioning it again. 

Meds cause us more harm than good, as a general rule, so that's by far a last resort. The Nat Phos was working; he knows a bit about homeopathy so I'll run it by him, but will just continue that & see how it goes. He is very supportive of natural alternatives, & always offers them first.

The coconut oil I started them all on last week has been awesome too! I take it as it's great for the milk supply. I give the babies massages with it, & add it to their food. They tolerate it just fine. The oil is not allergenic as regular coconut can be, so it's safe too. Since using it regularly for them I've noticed Ladybug I "filling out" a bit more, & her coloring actually looks better. I've rubbed it all over Little Guy too, & his typical rashes that he gets with his remedies every month did not happen this month! So I will continue with that, trying to get more of it into all of us.

Abortion Survivor Videos

Joni Devotional

Here's one I needed to hear... maybe someone else does too.

Joni and Friends Daily Devotional

September 25, 2008

Fruit Comes Through Struggle

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
                                         --John 15:8

Last week Ken and I visited Tim, a friend from church, who grows several rare varieties of grapes on the hillside behind his house.  I was surprised that Tim had planted his vines along a steep and rocky portion of the hill.  "Why didn't you plant the vines at the base of the hill?" I asked him.  "The soil certainly looks a lot better-and there's more sun."

Tim smiled.  "There's a rule you need to remember when it comes to growing these special varieties of grapes," he said.  "When you feed them luxuriously with lots of nutrients and fertilizer, the vine produces a profuse bush of leaves and cane.  But the fruit it grows is sparse and very poor.  Oh make no mistake," he laughed.  "The plant loves lots of fertilizer.  But it invests all those nutrients into growing lush, dark, beautiful leaves.  And when the vine has finished doing that, it has very little energy left to produce fruit.  It certainly looks like a beautiful vine.  But that's it.  It just looks good." 

How, then, do you get good grapes?  As Tim explained it, you have to make sure the grapevine struggles!  You plant it in rocky, flinty soil, or you girdle the vine by wrapping wires around the cordons, forcing the plant to struggle as it tries to draw nutrients from its roots.  This causes the distressed vine to divert most all of its prized and hard-won nutrients into the fruit, instead of the leaves.  The result of these trials and tribulations is the sweetest fruit possible!

********
 
So... maybe the rocky soil and steep inclines in your life aren't so bad after all.  The trials and struggles, disappointments and setbacks you face, this "girdling" that presses you in from all sides... is a bruising of blessing.  And you won't bear a crop without it.

Lord, when this life is all over and I stand before you, I want you to find sweet fruit in my life... and not just leaves.

Blessings,
Joni and Friends 
 
Taken from Pearls of Great Price.  Copyright © 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada.  Used by permission.  Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Vaccine Humor

Goat Farm & Milk With Video Link

Most of us here just can't "do" cow's milk. We're not anaphylactic allergic, but extremely "intolerant" = allergy, as far as I'm concerned. If it makes you sick, you're allergic!

I've tried regular goat, & organic goat. I do okay with it; not so sure about the babies yet. I've read a lot on raw milk. A lot of folks who can't do cow can do raw cow, but we can't do that either (yes, super sensitive here). So raw goat milk is our best bet at this point; it's worth a try.

I found a nice country farm for raw goat, & since it was a nice day Saturday, we made the 75 mile (one way) ride out to stock up on some.

About halfway up Butterfly started asking how much longer it would be, & if we were "almost there". Storyman was a bit impatient too. Big Guy & Little Guy were happy enough watching videos during the ride, & the babies slept.

When we got there we parked in front of a little building across from the farm store & house. Across from that was a garden where a man was picking berries & eating them. Next to that was a little outhouse. I took a picture of the garden & outhouse from the "beast", oops, "Big Vanna's" front window.



I don't know if the outhouse was "functional".

We were also greeted by some odd looking birds. I called them chickens but everyone was saying they don't look like chickens. I knew that but they weren't flying so I just figured they were some kind of chickens. Turns out I was told they are guinea chickens, a wilder kind originally from Africa (I forget the story as to how they got them though).



They just kind of run around there right now laying eggs wherever. They have "typical" chickens & roosters as well.

The store itself was really cute. To the left were the refrigerator/freezers with fresh, very fresh, goat milk, fresh eggs, goat milk cheeses & spreads, yogurt, & even some various meats. They hope to branch out on meats soon.

They also had some fresh grains, some packaged goods, & handwoven baskets & some handmade mini furniture to the right. There were some goat milk soaps & various other items.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the store.

She wasn't very busy so she was happy to show us around a bit. Presently they are raising turkeys who will be ready in time for Thanksgiving; you can kind of see them in the distance here.

They also had a few piglets. These little ones will be between 200 - 250 pounds by next February.

Butterfly enjoyed watching them. She loves piglets.

She also loves bacon... (& knows where it comes from).

She really loved petting the goats.

They were very cute & friendly. They also love to chew, as goats do, so if we got too close they would grab parts of clothes. The little ones liked the hanging part of my sling carrier. Butterfly had her pants chewed a bit; there were no damages to report though.

They have 300 goats. Here are some of the milkers (thanks for your sacrifice, ladies!):

And of course there are plenty of kids, because if there weren't kids there wouldn't be milk!

These were just some of the ones inside; they have the ability to go in & out as they want, for fresh air & more grazing.

And as is typical of most farms, there were many cats, mostly kittens actually, but they were a bit feral & skiddish.

They're raising a calf for veal; Butterfly loved petting him too. He was really sweet & cute (I don't have pictures of him). He is not penned in, as calves being raised for veal typically are; he has freedom to roam & wanders in & out the fenced areas as the goats do.

Big Guy wasn't sure what to make of all this, but he did enjoy being out & about the farm getting some fresh air (it really wasn't smelly at all).

Little Guy was a bit out of sorts. He's been a tad more tired than usual lately; he's in "detox mode" from his remedies. He enjoyed a good nap on the way home.

He's so cute...

I don't seem to have a picture of Storyman, but that's understandable considering he was all over the place. He needed to be "reigned in" a few times & was a bit too exhuberant as well as impulsive that day.

The good news is I have videos. I didn't take one long video but rather, it's a four part series, each part being very short. The owner was very hospitable & took us around to show us how the milking is done, so the videos show parts of that. You can view them all here. We had stayed on a cow dairy farm two years ago, & it's a similar process on this farm only on a smaller scale for, of course, smaller animals.

We brought home mostly milk, but some other goodies too. We picked a few cheeses, a goat cheese spread, & a couple of treats for Big Guy & Butterfly.

We were packed, but should have brought two coolers...

We also packed up a bunch of flies to come home with us. The farm does things as naturally as possible, which is why their milk was ideal. They don't even use meds on the goats - just homeopathics! So they had a bunch of non toxic fly strips up to try to control the population, but I suspect they control it best by sending many of them home with the visitors.

Here's one ready to go home with us, & sitting on the front seat no less.

S/he was one of I can't even guess how many that were trapped in our van. I suggested to my husband to see if the store sold the fly strips, & they did. He hung one all the way in the back, & one in the front. The one in the back was filling up before we even made it back to the highway. The one in front only had a couple on it by the time we got home...

...but when I came out to the van the next morning it was a lot fuller.

I gave them their treats for dinner. Butterfly got a goat cheese pizza, & Big Guy got a gluten free goat cheese pizza! It was really great that they had a few gluten free items as well.

His is the one on the right, cut up for him. When I was warming it up for him he came over to see what I had, & I told him that yes, it was for him. (He never gets things like this). He smiled BIG! He also ate the whole personal size pizza! Best of all, he did not have any bad reactions to it!

Butterfly ate the piece I gave her, but no more. She did seem to enjoy it but doesn't eat things like that either so the one cheesey piece was enough for her.

The past couple of days she's also enjoyed a glass of raw goat milk in the morning. So far she has been fine & has really enjoyed it. This is the first milk she's ever been able to drink (after being weaned of course).

The reason why raw goat is better than regular is because the enzymes necessary for digestion haven't been destroyed by any heating process. She has clients who cannot eat cow dairy. She said the majority of her clients buy the milk for their infants who cannot tolerate anything else.

As for my own babies, they took a little of the milk yesterday morning with breakfast (I'm not encouraging weaning at all; they always nurse first). Ladybug II really enjoyed it; Ladybug I was sampling but that's about it. I've had some & it tastes great. I did have a little digestive "bubble" so to speak, not really an upset, but my system is not used to that much milk at all & may need time to adjust. If I drank the same thing in cow (even raw cow), I would have been in agony most likely.

The babies reaction? Too soon to tell. Since I've had regular organic goat in cereal etc, I haven't seen anything different from them yet.

Ladybug I has definite "issues", but I'm not sure what they are exactly yet. I've suspected silent reflux for a long time, & she fits a lot of the profile, even though the dr blew it off (I don't trust that reaction at all honestly, since our family history is prime for such a kiddo). If that's the case the goat milk shouldn't be bad for her, but if she's super sensitive I may need to do a bit of an elimination diet to get to the bottom of the things that really upset her. She is a very reluctant eater, which is a sign she just isn't handling it well.

I'm giving up my seltzer (sniff) because carbonated beverages aggravate babies with reflux. Cow dairy is a huge offender, but I'm not on that. I gave up wheat for a while & it didn't make a difference, that I could tell. I may try it again though. Any kind of acidic fruits or juices are out for me & the babies. She has not responded well to applesauce, so that's another sign.

There are lists of foods to avoid in these cases, so I'll be going down the list to see what, if anything, will make a difference for her. Coconut oil is supposed to be excellent for digestion so I'm getting that into all of us now. I even massage the babies & Little Guy with it as it's great for the skin & an excellent antifungal!

Same as with Little Guy, who I eliminated most regular foods from my diet to clear up his eczema while he was nursing ... gee this all seems very familiar.

Back to more food eliminations, & continuing on living on the spectrum...

Born Alive Truth

Ball Pit Fun

She likes to empty things, so of course a few of the balls were being removed here & there; I just put them right back in & she didn't really continue. There was probably just too many to think she could tackle it all!

Ladybug II made it inside the ball pit first - actually it's more of a ball tent. She got more excited when she saw the camera.



They spent some time inside together too, with Butterfly of course.

Peeking at Butterfly

She's peeking inside

Little Guy was funny. Once Butterfly left he began to get more interested. He circled it several times looking for a way in, it seemed. Here he's finding his way...

He finally did make his way inside

He even sat in there with a "stimmy" toy.

The babies were curious but being Little Guy is a bit of a "bull in a china shop", I kept them safely outside while he explored.

It's large enough to fit a few small children at once; the larger ones take up more space quickly but can still enjoy it together.

There's even a convenient "sunroof" for the taller kiddos...

That's Big Guy breezing by in the orange shirt; he's been curious but hasn't made his way inside yet.

Yes, it takes up more space. I've kept the bags for the balls, & the tent folds up into a case when not in use, so it can be taken down. We're home a lot, so they do play. It's a good sensory toy addition to the pack.