a friend ask for this & if i'm gonna type it out, i might as well keep a copy of it here, it came from kraftfoods....
1 1/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c cold butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 c uncooked oats (i add 1/2c more)
1/2 c pecans (i used walnuts)
1-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 eggs (i prefer only 2)
1-15oz can pumpkin
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
preheat oven 350 & grease a 9x13 pan
mix flour, brown sugar & 1/4c of white sugar in a medium bowl, cut in butter until crumbly. stir in oats & nuts. reserve 1c of oat mixture (i split it in 1/2 bc i like more crumble) & press remaining onto bottom of pan. bake 15 min.
beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2c of white sugar, eggs, pumpkin & spice in a small bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended. pour over baked crust, sprinkle with remaining oat mixture.
bake 25 min (i cooked extra 10min or so to get a brown & crunchy top). cool completely & cut into bars.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Z the foodie, updated, totally...
i knew i had used the title before, but really this needs updating....
(why my brain holds on to something like this yet i can't remember how many cups are in a quart, i don't know...)
Z has kicked it up quite a notch over the past couple of years, it's a quest now, he keeps a mental list of the foods he's eaten & has a bigger list of what he wants to try. if you ask him what's his favorite vegetable; it's artichoke, spinach, edamame & corn (the order varies) & he also loves brussel sprouts, but only when first cooked, re-heated no dice.
for his birthday he asked to go out for indian food; we explained to him that wasn't going to happen while visiting grandma in chicago though, we still owe him that one.
if you take the boy to an any asian flavor restaurant he wants every seafood dish on the menu.
down in the valley for nana's funeral, over 100 degrees, he ordered shark fin soup. he loved it, finished the whole bowl & more importantly had the brag factor! i didn't care for it though, it was thick (read gelatinous) & um, just not yummy...too fishy.
for father's day we went to a buffet place & when Z returned to the table with his first plate i about fell out the booth. it was piled high with all kinds of mussels, anything on a shell, he had it. green mussel with cheese on top, oyster on the 1/2 shell & ginormous shell of some sort, no joke about he length of his forearm, cooked but still - omg!
the green mussel went down fine, the oyster was another story. he picked it up off the shell with a fork & saw the texture or lack thereof, but you gotta give the boy credit he still put it in his mouth. it quickly came back out, followed by a gag, but thankfully not any previously consumed food! then he said it was "putrid" & was not about to try to giant one, cooked or not he was done exploring!
in the next few weeks there's a bug show coming to town, featuring, you guessed it, edibles.
Z is so there!
(why my brain holds on to something like this yet i can't remember how many cups are in a quart, i don't know...)
Z has kicked it up quite a notch over the past couple of years, it's a quest now, he keeps a mental list of the foods he's eaten & has a bigger list of what he wants to try. if you ask him what's his favorite vegetable; it's artichoke, spinach, edamame & corn (the order varies) & he also loves brussel sprouts, but only when first cooked, re-heated no dice.
for his birthday he asked to go out for indian food; we explained to him that wasn't going to happen while visiting grandma in chicago though, we still owe him that one.
if you take the boy to an any asian flavor restaurant he wants every seafood dish on the menu.
down in the valley for nana's funeral, over 100 degrees, he ordered shark fin soup. he loved it, finished the whole bowl & more importantly had the brag factor! i didn't care for it though, it was thick (read gelatinous) & um, just not yummy...too fishy.
for father's day we went to a buffet place & when Z returned to the table with his first plate i about fell out the booth. it was piled high with all kinds of mussels, anything on a shell, he had it. green mussel with cheese on top, oyster on the 1/2 shell & ginormous shell of some sort, no joke about he length of his forearm, cooked but still - omg!
the green mussel went down fine, the oyster was another story. he picked it up off the shell with a fork & saw the texture or lack thereof, but you gotta give the boy credit he still put it in his mouth. it quickly came back out, followed by a gag, but thankfully not any previously consumed food! then he said it was "putrid" & was not about to try to giant one, cooked or not he was done exploring!
in the next few weeks there's a bug show coming to town, featuring, you guessed it, edibles.
Z is so there!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
how that dr appt went
remember on our way to nana's funeral we stopped off at the dr's office to drop off Z's add/adhd eval? way to start out a trip for a funeral huh?
this was the first available appt & when i made it, B didn't have his school schedule. once it came out we realized he wouldn't be able to go with us & we didn't want to re-schedule beings it took over a month to get the original appt.
you don't even get an appt apparently unless they're going to tell you - yes, your child is add/adhd.
Z was sent to a different room for testing, while the dr & i talked. i explained to him although it's been ongoing, Z's behavior is different at home & it also seems to vary on the teacher's environment. we discussed Z's history, the behavior issues, etc.
then we moved on to info about B & I when he asked "who has it?"
i told him i thought we both exhibited characteristics in different ways, but that he seemed to take after B more than me. i also made sure he knew neither of us were ever formally diagnosed, had not taken any meds for it & learned to handle it; that if we were capable, our child could possibly as well.
he asked about our work environment & educational background. i told him i did office work & sat at a computer all day, that i'm best when i'm multi-tasking & that i had my BS degree. he agreed that i had learned to make the best of my fidgetiness.
when i told him B had several AA degrees, the man pounced - SEE his inability to follow though, THAT'S a definite sign. i tried to explain B got those AA's while going to school at night & that he had been in the USMC for 20 years & was now going to college for nursing.
everything i said validated his point....B was able to stay in USMC for 20yrs bc of the structure, bc he moved around, the nursing was also an add/adhd flag.
he explained that although there was no actual test for add/adhd, that it's all based on opinion, Z is & the only reason he's was making it now is bc he is very intelligent but if we don't medicate by about 5th grade or middle school, he will be failing school & bring home all Fs.
i asked about alternatives to medicate - counseling, behavior modification, parenting classes, natural therapies.
he said add/adhd is a chemical imbalance that no amount of counseling or bm can have any affect, those are used for depression. he said the parenting classes may some, but not much & that hippie shit was dangerous (cuz uppers & opium derivatives are totally good for you...).
one thing that really stuck with me was he said "if you want him to grow up to be a fireman or a forester than he will be fine but if you want him to grow up to be an accountant, he needs the medication"
WHAT?
what does 'what i want my child to grow up to be' have anything to do with giving him medication? if there is something wrong with Z i have no problems meding him, but when it comes to a f-ing job description????
i told the dr "right now he wants to be a vet & i'm completely happy with that, but he is only 9..."
as you can tell, the dr & i were not on the same page; i was not the parent he expected & he was just looking to write a prescription - wha-la i fixed your kid!
i told him the reason i was there was bc i was tired of getting phones calls from school & i was concerned about Z making friends.
the dr recommended either charter schools or home schooling. the friend thing, that's the tough one; in his opinion Z's impulsiveness is standing in the way of making friends.
now THAT is something that i will take into consideration.
we have a follow-up appt next week so he can give us the results of Z's IQ test. i dont' really see the point, seems like whether it's high or low, it won't have any impact on the dr's opinion.
B & I will go, we talked about it, we could get the prescription & not give him the meds.
we will also go to another dr though.
this was the first available appt & when i made it, B didn't have his school schedule. once it came out we realized he wouldn't be able to go with us & we didn't want to re-schedule beings it took over a month to get the original appt.
you don't even get an appt apparently unless they're going to tell you - yes, your child is add/adhd.
Z was sent to a different room for testing, while the dr & i talked. i explained to him although it's been ongoing, Z's behavior is different at home & it also seems to vary on the teacher's environment. we discussed Z's history, the behavior issues, etc.
then we moved on to info about B & I when he asked "who has it?"
i told him i thought we both exhibited characteristics in different ways, but that he seemed to take after B more than me. i also made sure he knew neither of us were ever formally diagnosed, had not taken any meds for it & learned to handle it; that if we were capable, our child could possibly as well.
he asked about our work environment & educational background. i told him i did office work & sat at a computer all day, that i'm best when i'm multi-tasking & that i had my BS degree. he agreed that i had learned to make the best of my fidgetiness.
when i told him B had several AA degrees, the man pounced - SEE his inability to follow though, THAT'S a definite sign. i tried to explain B got those AA's while going to school at night & that he had been in the USMC for 20 years & was now going to college for nursing.
everything i said validated his point....B was able to stay in USMC for 20yrs bc of the structure, bc he moved around, the nursing was also an add/adhd flag.
he explained that although there was no actual test for add/adhd, that it's all based on opinion, Z is & the only reason he's was making it now is bc he is very intelligent but if we don't medicate by about 5th grade or middle school, he will be failing school & bring home all Fs.
i asked about alternatives to medicate - counseling, behavior modification, parenting classes, natural therapies.
he said add/adhd is a chemical imbalance that no amount of counseling or bm can have any affect, those are used for depression. he said the parenting classes may some, but not much & that hippie shit was dangerous (cuz uppers & opium derivatives are totally good for you...).
one thing that really stuck with me was he said "if you want him to grow up to be a fireman or a forester than he will be fine but if you want him to grow up to be an accountant, he needs the medication"
WHAT?
what does 'what i want my child to grow up to be' have anything to do with giving him medication? if there is something wrong with Z i have no problems meding him, but when it comes to a f-ing job description????
i told the dr "right now he wants to be a vet & i'm completely happy with that, but he is only 9..."
as you can tell, the dr & i were not on the same page; i was not the parent he expected & he was just looking to write a prescription - wha-la i fixed your kid!
i told him the reason i was there was bc i was tired of getting phones calls from school & i was concerned about Z making friends.
the dr recommended either charter schools or home schooling. the friend thing, that's the tough one; in his opinion Z's impulsiveness is standing in the way of making friends.
now THAT is something that i will take into consideration.
we have a follow-up appt next week so he can give us the results of Z's IQ test. i dont' really see the point, seems like whether it's high or low, it won't have any impact on the dr's opinion.
B & I will go, we talked about it, we could get the prescription & not give him the meds.
we will also go to another dr though.
Monday, June 20, 2011
i lost my funny
normally even if i'm not posting i've got a few ideas puttering around in my head, forming, taking shape, evolving into something but lately that hasn't been the case. & although i never guaranteed only funnies around here, this place has been pretty sad for some time.
when we lived in the desert i wanted to come home so badly & here we are & life has been so rough the past few years. not that i'm not thankful to be home, i am thankful, so, SO thankful i can not even begin to tell you bc i can't imagine how i would have handled the past year from up there.
[well, minus some of my mother's antics, those probably wouldn't have happened.]
nana's gone & i miss her terribly. after the camping trip & going to chicago once we were home & laundry was going my next thought was i needed to go visit her. whenever i see a piece of clothing in purple i wonder if it's something nana would like. & when my hair turns orange, i think about how she's not here to tell me i need to fix that shit....
tomorrow is Z's appt, it was the first available appt, over a month later. in a way i think it's best though; school is out & although the nana factor is there i feel normal & can talk to people again. i talked with Z & explained to him what the dr appt is about, he doesn't want to go or to talk about his behavior.
when we lived in the desert i wanted to come home so badly & here we are & life has been so rough the past few years. not that i'm not thankful to be home, i am thankful, so, SO thankful i can not even begin to tell you bc i can't imagine how i would have handled the past year from up there.
[well, minus some of my mother's antics, those probably wouldn't have happened.]
nana's gone & i miss her terribly. after the camping trip & going to chicago once we were home & laundry was going my next thought was i needed to go visit her. whenever i see a piece of clothing in purple i wonder if it's something nana would like. & when my hair turns orange, i think about how she's not here to tell me i need to fix that shit....
tomorrow is Z's appt, it was the first available appt, over a month later. in a way i think it's best though; school is out & although the nana factor is there i feel normal & can talk to people again. i talked with Z & explained to him what the dr appt is about, he doesn't want to go or to talk about his behavior.
Friday, June 17, 2011
bleeping bunnies & worthless dog...
a few months ago there was a night when we pulled into the driveway & there was a cute little bunny that ran across the front yard. aw, cute, a lil bunny with a fluffy lil tail!
for mother's day the boys put in a pretty flower garden for me. for my mom we made a colorful flower/plant arrangement, there were enough leftover flowers to make a 2nd pot which we kept. it was really pretty & colorful & doing so well, it was begging to out to the front door & be on display. the first night the bunnies attacked it like i had put a sign out "free bunny breakfast". it didn't stop there either, they also mowed down a few other plants in the garden.
then....
our last water bill was $150, which may happen in aug/sept when it's way hot & the garden needs the extra water if it's going to produce anything. in june that was not right, it wasn't even a hot june, it's been cool & gloomy. luckily B had put in a banana tree that a neighbor had given us & he was cleaning up the rock mess he'd dug up in order to get the plant in when he noticed the sprinkler hose um, well, was broke in a place where it shouldn't be.
actually, it was chewed.
all the way through.
2 distinct hoses now.
thanks bunnies.....
so bc of where the line wascut broken chewed we have no idea how long the leak was happening before it was completely in 2! not to mention that we've been watering our neighbor's hill.....or the fact that we've had to water 1/2 our garden with the hose in addition to the non-sprinkler water [all while wondering wth is up with these plants needing so much water!!!].
oh & the dog, hahahah
yeahhhhh.....she's inside sleeping. i can only assume she's made some sort of arrangement with the bunnies, as in - look you come in the yard & do whatever you want, just let me sleep, k? k. deal.
bc they ain't even concerned about her one bit.
heck the other day she was sleeping in her spot near the kitchen. i was cooking but went down the hall to say something to B & when i returned there was a bird in the middle of the kitchen.
this is not the house of snow white animals!
for mother's day the boys put in a pretty flower garden for me. for my mom we made a colorful flower/plant arrangement, there were enough leftover flowers to make a 2nd pot which we kept. it was really pretty & colorful & doing so well, it was begging to out to the front door & be on display. the first night the bunnies attacked it like i had put a sign out "free bunny breakfast". it didn't stop there either, they also mowed down a few other plants in the garden.
then....
our last water bill was $150, which may happen in aug/sept when it's way hot & the garden needs the extra water if it's going to produce anything. in june that was not right, it wasn't even a hot june, it's been cool & gloomy. luckily B had put in a banana tree that a neighbor had given us & he was cleaning up the rock mess he'd dug up in order to get the plant in when he noticed the sprinkler hose um, well, was broke in a place where it shouldn't be.
actually, it was chewed.
all the way through.
2 distinct hoses now.
thanks bunnies.....
so bc of where the line was
oh & the dog, hahahah
yeahhhhh.....she's inside sleeping. i can only assume she's made some sort of arrangement with the bunnies, as in - look you come in the yard & do whatever you want, just let me sleep, k? k. deal.
bc they ain't even concerned about her one bit.
heck the other day she was sleeping in her spot near the kitchen. i was cooking but went down the hall to say something to B & when i returned there was a bird in the middle of the kitchen.
this is not the house of snow white animals!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
the red folder eval
right after the cs camping trip i went to school & asked my bff about conducting a red folder eval on Z. one of the cs mom's (with 2 add/adhd boys & she's a teacher) had suggested this would help & we need all we can get! i made sure the vp knew about the add/adhd eval that's in progress & she agreed, the school eval would be a beneficial aspect for the dr's info.
B & I went it & met with VP, teacher, counselor & another person who took notes.
the first step was to go over academics - they evaluated him testing individually & in a group. individually he did significantly better & he could potentially be considered gifted. when he's in a group however he can't stay on task & his scores suffer.
the counseling/behavior review was disheartening as i expected. actually more than i expected, but i know they aren't doctors & this is the beginning of a long journey that will require a lot of effort, research, trial and error.....
in addition to their opinion of Z being adhd they also expressed concern over his "highs & lows". in their opinion Z is either very happy or very sad. in case you can't read between the lines, they think he may be bi-polar. yes, they said it, i'm not extrapolating anything.
i see add/adhd in both B & I in different aspects. i see it in both of my parents' behaviors. i know B's dad had issues (i use past tense only bc there's been no contact the entire time i've known B).
i know Z has problems, that sometimes his behavior is inexcusable.
i keep hoping he will figure it out, he will learn, he will mature, he will listen, follow the rules & quit checking the damn fence.
the vp also made sure we were aware that next year documenting behavior won't be as lenient as it has been. as a 4th grader the consequences are stiffer and documentation will no longer be at her discretion.
the boy has a lot of growing up to do over the summer...
B & I went it & met with VP, teacher, counselor & another person who took notes.
the first step was to go over academics - they evaluated him testing individually & in a group. individually he did significantly better & he could potentially be considered gifted. when he's in a group however he can't stay on task & his scores suffer.
the counseling/behavior review was disheartening as i expected. actually more than i expected, but i know they aren't doctors & this is the beginning of a long journey that will require a lot of effort, research, trial and error.....
in addition to their opinion of Z being adhd they also expressed concern over his "highs & lows". in their opinion Z is either very happy or very sad. in case you can't read between the lines, they think he may be bi-polar. yes, they said it, i'm not extrapolating anything.
i see add/adhd in both B & I in different aspects. i see it in both of my parents' behaviors. i know B's dad had issues (i use past tense only bc there's been no contact the entire time i've known B).
i know Z has problems, that sometimes his behavior is inexcusable.
i keep hoping he will figure it out, he will learn, he will mature, he will listen, follow the rules & quit checking the damn fence.
the vp also made sure we were aware that next year documenting behavior won't be as lenient as it has been. as a 4th grader the consequences are stiffer and documentation will no longer be at her discretion.
the boy has a lot of growing up to do over the summer...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Z happenings
* the other night Z was sent to his room for misbehaving & he ended up falling asleep. when dinner was ready i woke him up & asked him if he wanted to get up to eat. he came into the kitchen in a daze then walked over to the trash can, pulled his jammie bottoms down & was THIS close to starting to pee!
as the bottoms were coming down i had a feeling what direction he was going in so i was asking him "what are you doing?" before he completely let loose. then he wakened from his stupor & laughed, embarrassed & went to the bathroom to finish the job.
* lately Z has taken to singing, a lot. it's not uncommon for him to be in the backyard puddling around & singing "oh mommacita how i love you!!!" [i'm sure the neighbors are wondering when did the cubans move in?]
in addition to the love declarations Z developed a new song the other day for Lady (she also gets love songs). it's a known fact that as soon as the yard is cleaned up of landmines she has to go mark her territory. so as he was picking up, he was singing "getting ready to poop Lady, getting ready to poop".
anything more appropriate for a 9yo boy? i don't think so....
* & of course, one more trip [well, let's hope it's the last one!] to the principal's office before the year ends. so, yes, my bff left a vm that Z was in her office for behavior issues & that he would not be returning to class for the day.
i called her back, but only got her vm. so i was left with my mind to wander over all the possibilities my child could have enacted. as far as i knew or could remember "not returning to the class for the day" hadn't happened. oh, geez, this must be a bad one. what could he have done now? omg!!!!
i think it was about 2 hrs before she called me back, trust me it felt like 2 days. she explained that Z had peed all over an out of commission toilet, tape, walls, etc.
while i wasn't happy with what he did, the relief that was ALL he had done was H.U.G.E.
i asked her if they could have Z clean up his mess & she agreed that was a good idea.
dear bff, please leave more detailed messages, my heart & head cannot handle these matters...
as the bottoms were coming down i had a feeling what direction he was going in so i was asking him "what are you doing?" before he completely let loose. then he wakened from his stupor & laughed, embarrassed & went to the bathroom to finish the job.
* lately Z has taken to singing, a lot. it's not uncommon for him to be in the backyard puddling around & singing "oh mommacita how i love you!!!" [i'm sure the neighbors are wondering when did the cubans move in?]
in addition to the love declarations Z developed a new song the other day for Lady (she also gets love songs). it's a known fact that as soon as the yard is cleaned up of landmines she has to go mark her territory. so as he was picking up, he was singing "getting ready to poop Lady, getting ready to poop".
anything more appropriate for a 9yo boy? i don't think so....
* & of course, one more trip [well, let's hope it's the last one!] to the principal's office before the year ends. so, yes, my bff left a vm that Z was in her office for behavior issues & that he would not be returning to class for the day.
i called her back, but only got her vm. so i was left with my mind to wander over all the possibilities my child could have enacted. as far as i knew or could remember "not returning to the class for the day" hadn't happened. oh, geez, this must be a bad one. what could he have done now? omg!!!!
i think it was about 2 hrs before she called me back, trust me it felt like 2 days. she explained that Z had peed all over an out of commission toilet, tape, walls, etc.
while i wasn't happy with what he did, the relief that was ALL he had done was H.U.G.E.
i asked her if they could have Z clean up his mess & she agreed that was a good idea.
dear bff, please leave more detailed messages, my heart & head cannot handle these matters...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
the rest of the trip
for memorial day we went back to grandma G's house to celebrate. Z finally got to open the present he'd handled so much our previous visit. i have to say i was surprised he didn't start to open it off in corner somewhere. the present was 3 small dart guns; Z had a blast playing with his great, great uncle & later we played downstairs in the basement. the sun was finally out so before we left Z went & ran around the yard, loving the grass & dirt on his feet.
we left grandma's house & stopped at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. i hope after the impact of the flag retirement ceremony that Z was able to comprehend at least a little of what memorial day was really about.
by tuesday one of the guns was already broken & Z decided with his birthday $ he wanted to get a bigger nerf gun. we got 2 guns; B played a few rounds with Z & even grandma C joined in the fun. we took one more walk out to the park & lake before the sun went down for the day. that night i read more of fablehaven to the boys, even B's enjoying the story now.
before we knew it 3am wednesday came along & it was time to get on the road home. the trip was good & Z was well behaved, something we all were grateful for.
we left grandma's house & stopped at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. i hope after the impact of the flag retirement ceremony that Z was able to comprehend at least a little of what memorial day was really about.
by tuesday one of the guns was already broken & Z decided with his birthday $ he wanted to get a bigger nerf gun. we got 2 guns; B played a few rounds with Z & even grandma C joined in the fun. we took one more walk out to the park & lake before the sun went down for the day. that night i read more of fablehaven to the boys, even B's enjoying the story now.
before we knew it 3am wednesday came along & it was time to get on the road home. the trip was good & Z was well behaved, something we all were grateful for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)