My big two year old had her first potty success tonight. A poo poo on the potty! I've been telling her "poo poo" when I see her making that face and tonight she told me "poo poo" so we sat her on the potty and soon enough she had a success. It may be silly, but I couldn't be prouder.

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Baking Powder

Did you know that baking powder, commonly used in most of our baking, contains large amounts of aluminum? Did you know that aluminum is associated with an increased risk for Altzeimers and other neurological issues? And that eating baked goods containing baking powder increase the load on your body?

There are alternatives.

Rumford's Non-Aluminum Baking Powder is one such alternative. But, I have found that Rumford's Baking Powder doesn't rise as well as regular baking powder. It rises, but then peters out, leaving you with concave loafs.

Another alternative is using Baking Soda and Cream Of Tartar. I actually found this alternative in Betty Crocker, under the emergency substitution section. Use 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar plus 1/4 tsp Baking Soda for every 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder called for in your recipes. I just put the substitution on the side of my Baking Soda box and substitute this in all my recipes. You can buy Cream of Tartar in bulk (I buy this at my local Fred Meyer) to keep the cost down on that.

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My little Abigail just recently turned two. Don't you just love how God made children extra cute during the more challenging ages?

This morning as sister got Abigail up, Natalie asked Abigail if she wanted a banana whole or in a bowl. Up until now Abigail has been wanting to hold her banana herself. "I hold it.", she says. This morning though she said, "bowl, bowl, bowl." Later she got really upset and Natalie couldn't understand what she wanted. So, I went into the kitchen. For spoon she says something like "oon" or maybe even a little less intelligible. But she points in the direction of the silverware drawer. All their little communications at this age are such a struggle, but one, if everything is going normally, these little ones really want to do.

It's funny to me, Abigail loves to say, "no". Big surprise, huh? She was one of my cute little one year olds that was so compliant, I thought maybe she'd always just say "yes". She said yes before no, after all. But, sure enough, here she is at the twos loving the word "no". It doesn't matter what you say, she answers "no". Last night we were trying it out. And my husband said, "do you want a treat?" The automatic response, "no". But, then it was followed by "treat, treat, treat." She wanted the treat (but she didn't get one).

The other cute stage advancement Abigail is showing involves potty. We had her sitting on her potty last night. She didn't want to stop sitting on the potty. And, she didn't want her diaper back on. That is a welcome sign of readiness, especially welcome after the difficult and long trial we have had with the last child regarding this area.

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My littlest girl and my step-daughter happen to have the same birthday. It's so much fun to celebrate two birthdays on one day. It makes it a little more like Christmas because it's not all about one child. Our girls are so cute about wanting to surprise their sisters and be involved in the party preparations. This year we started having the older ones pay for their own gift out of their piggy bank. It's a wonderful experience for them. They are really thoughtful, yet frugal in their choices. Well, here are some pictures of the celebration.

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It was a medical day today.

The Shots

I gave in and got the H1N1 vaccine for two of my daughters (my oldest and youngest) and for me, complete with Thermisol (mercury) for my older daughter and me. I have very well-managed asthma that has occasionally gone totally South on me in the past. Real misery.  30-40% reading on my peak flow meter kind of stuff. And my eight year old has CVS, which she has gotten sick before from a cold and it causes her to not be able to keep things down at all, once for almost a week. So, despite my misgivings, and outrage at them STILL putting things like Thermisol in our vaccines, I got the vaccine. My littlest daughter got the one without thermisol, but it was "unavailable" to us who are older. We even had a flu like thing come through our house, but not everyone got it and it wasn't that strong or long-lasting, so I'm figuring it wasn't H1N1.

In the end I just figured I was going to worry about which was the right decision and I'd just get the vaccine and then put the worry behind me.

Abigail was cute as can be. Kids were there screaming before they even got the shot, just in anticipation. She, at first didn't know what was going on. Then I got a shot and Natalie (8) got a shot and then I picked up Abigail (2) to hold her. What a smarty she is. I pulled her sleeve down to bare it and she immediately grabbed her upper arm muscle to cover it. So smart. We all feel alright so far.

Dentist

Jon went to the dentist. We belong to an HMO. He called for a dental cleaning and they told him it was three months or today. So, he took today. In customary fashion, nothing wrong with his teeth. I tell you, he brushes his teeth so fast and only once a day and isn't consistent about flossing. But, never any cavities or any other problems. He tells them about the difference between him and I. I don't know why Jon tells me these things, but he tells me he says they say it's just how you take care of your teeth. He tells them about how many cavities I have gotten when pregnant. They tell him that extra cavities associated with pregnancy have only to do with being distracted. You have got to be kidding??? These people just frost me! (Am I not supposed to say that on a blog?) I brush my teeth like a maniac when I'm pregnant. They tell Jon there is no nutritional basis for cavities and that teeth cannot have minerals leached from them. What are they smoking??? (Am I not supposed to say that either?) I suppose weak teeth have no possible connection with weak bones either...as in how badly I broke my wrist... Oh...my, I do need to brush my teeth like crazy. That's true. But, it is my belief that I have some genetic thing going on with both my teeth and my bones and my moods that I best do something about. The medical community can be so narrow minded sometimes. Medicine + a thoughtful (rather than bureaucratic) look at nutrition = powerful. Medicine the way it is = unhelpful.

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I am just really enjoying this photo of my middle daughter taken at Red Robin tonight. This one really captures her.

We worked today, but we had a laid back day at the same time. We brought the kids into our place of business towards the end of the day and they played. Then, we went to Red Robin. Actually, I prefer my own cooking now, but it was nice to not have to cook.

We are really just so ambivalent about celebrating the holiday (Halloween) at all as it is so full of, well, evil. I'm so impressed looking at it from an outsider's point of view that this is the center of Halloween. Sure, kids just want to dress up. But, pretty quick it goes beyond that. And why should we be so comfortable with playing around with darkness? Anyhow, not to judge anyone, my kids want to dress up too. And we have before, just not this year.

A lot of the direction on this whole thing I owe to my husband. And I'm glad, really, because it always made me uncomfortable. I want to give my whole heart to the Lord and not to in any way give place to the enemy. It's funny. My husband grew up trick or treating. He doesn't have bad memories. He just matter of factly is grumpy about anything about Halloween. Not so with Christmas or Easter or Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July.

Anyhow, our kids don't want to not feel included in what everyone else is doing. And, I read on someone's blog that this is also Reformation Day. So, we were talking about doing something for that. I was going to make Pumpkin Bread. And I'm not sure how to tie that into Reformation Day. But, with working, I didn't cook that. But, I bought the cans of pumpkins (our pumpkins in the garden never turned orange this year...I'm thinking of putting them in a windowsill...does that work). Tomorrow. So, I feel guilty that I didn't do something for my kids...and my husband says to me, "so that's what we're supposed to teach our kids, that when we don't do what everyone else does, we have to make up for it?" (Tongue in cheek.) Or, he said something like that. Well said. I think.

Well, whether you agree with my judgement of Halloween or not, I hope you can appreciate the angst with which I wrestle things over in my mind.

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I am down about our home and our property and how we have been paused in our home building process (see the next couple of entries). I also read this article on facebook this morning:

Basically, in England they are talking about parents teaching their children about hell and about a Victorian perspective as being something the state needs to stop. They are proposing a yearly meeting with children to assess this and other issues, WITHOUT the parents present. They compare this to the American divorce court case that sent a homeschooling girl back to school because it was the father's wish that she be exposed to other viewpoints. We are in for a battle. This court case, now, is really just a biased judgment for the father in a divorce case, but there are those that will try to use this case as precedence for so much more, such as is happening in England.

I sat down to talk to my husband about all of this, this morning. He had turned on praise and worship. And he shared with me that he was impressed that the Israelites tooks God's praise into battle and when they praised Him they were victorious and when they didn't they weren't. We were further talking about how all the events happening in the world...and Jon said that any leader trying to address threats to our freedom, best understand that this battle is spiritual, because if they don't they will be devoured. If they do, well, God will go before them.

I love the leaders that God has made our men. Pray for your husbands and your sons and pray for our country and pray that God will go before us.

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Here is my oldest waiting at the door for me to get her a plastic bag. She is heading out to the freezer in our garage to get us some meat. Don't you just love her little jacket? The arms are supposed to be short, although I think I'd like them better long. The jacket actually fits her correctly. It's like a Little Red Riding Hood jacket without the red. I wish I was a good enough seamstress to make something like that. I think I'd make them red ones just for fun.

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Here is a sweet picture of our just weaned calves being sweet on each other. Is that too sweet?

And here is another picture of the falls. This time at dusk. I took the shot without a tripod. It turned out because of a steady hand and a great lens. I love the feel of this picture. It's funny, but I have a hard time with this time of year, the darkness, wetness, and cold...but going to a special place like this and soaking in how the fog and the water and the dusk interact, soothes over all that.

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Our family never grows tired of going here. The girls never want to leave. I love raising my girls with a love for God's creation, like what I have. If you look closely, you'll see a bald eagle on the rocks. He is there for a lazy lunch. There are probably about 50 salmon in the waters under those falls hoping to be able to jump up them. I think some of them actually make it. Other spawn down below. Incredible. Just like our Creator.

Pray for us if you will. The Bonneville Power Administration is talking of coming through our little area with those really, really big transmission lines. Maybe even straight through our property. And to give you an idea our property is at least five times as long as it is wide. And, if the transmission lines went through our property, they could take 20-30% of the width of our property, plus be TOTALLY UNSIGHTLY. We live in a pristine beautiful little valley, which is probably why they are thinking of coming through our way (because the chunks of land are 20 and 40 acres and BPA wouldn't have to deal with AS MANY irrate people when putting in the power lines). It could totally devalue our land in an already down economy. I pray they will get some sense, however, and not take the power lines through such beautiful land. The power lines, by the way, would go right past this pristine park that I have a picture of too, if it were to go through our property. How could they do that?

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