For all of my life (ok, not all of it, but for a great part of it) I thought about running, yes, like becoming a runner.  But thinking about it was all I did.  I gave myself multiple reasons why I couldn’t do it and so I never did it.  Well, a few months ago Brent had to go to a training class for work and left me home for two months with the boys.  I’m sure two months doesn’t seem like a long time to a lot of you, but for me, I was overwhelmed just thinking about it (it actually went very well).  I kept worrying about getting them both to therapies, and feeding them, and doing homework, and school projects, and you all know how well my children sleep...NOT, and what if I got sick???  And those were just my thoughts about the kids, I was also wondering what I would do for some personal time while he was gone!  We live in a great neighborhood where the kids have friends and we have friends but I have never been good at asking anyone (other than my parents) for anything so I knew that I would have a really hard time asking anyone within 1000 miles of me for help.  
 
I decided that in order to survive I needed to find an outlet, something I could do for myself while the kids were sleeping….running popped into my head again.  I did a little searching and found a great program, Couch to 5K and decided to try it out!  Running the first week was more like walking with a little jog here and there but I slowly got better and I kept feeling better and better mentally while Brent was gone.  I decided to continue running even when Brent got back and I today I feel like something is missing if I skip a few days of running.  

I’ve included some of my favorite running songs and a few good running sites/articles.  If you have some extra stress in your life and you need an outlet, I highly recommend putting on your running shoes and get moving
 
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/phys-ed-why-exercise-makes-you-less-anxious/


Favorite Running Songs…

 1.   Dynamite by Taio Cruz
2.  So What by Pink
3.  Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
4.  Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
5.  Holding Out for a Hero by Footloose Soundtrack
6.  Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
7.  Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
8.  Believe by Cher
9.  Raise Your Glass by Pink
10.  I Love Rock N Roll by Joan Jett
11.  Jessie’s Girl by Joan Jett
12.  Stronger by Kelly Clarkson
13.  Last Friday Night by Katy Perry
14.  Firework by Katy Perry
15.  Danger Zone by Kenny Logins

Thanks to blogger “Peanut Butter Fingers” here is a playlist for all you Disney fans!  You can use it for the Disney Runs or to boost your spirit while running at home….anytime I think about Disney I smile!
 
I Just Can’t Wait to Be King – The Lion King
I’ll Make a Man Out of You – Mulan
Friend Like Me – Aladdin
Circle of Life – The Lion King
I Wanna Be Like You – The Jungle Book
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Mary Poppins
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah – Song of the South
Be Our Guest- Beauty and the Beast
Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid
Just Around the Riverbend – Pocahontas
One Jump Ahead – Aladdin
True to Your Heart- Mulan
Why Should I Worry – Oliver & Company
Be Prepared – The Lion King

 I hope you enjoy your next run!

I am sure that there are many parents out there who would agree…trying to raise little people can sometimes get overwhelming.  Deciding what to do, how to do it, and when to not do it are questions that I struggle with on a daily basis. 
Whether you have a child with special needs or not, life isn’t always fun, and it isn’t always easy.  I have been trying more and more to relax and just enjoy my time with my family even if things aren’t going as smooth as I would hope.  
 
The other day both of the boys were being…challenging…for lack of a better word.  They were both tired, hungry, and in need of some serious attention.  Since dinner wasn’t anywhere near ready and bedtime was even further away, I decided we needed to do a little wiggling.  What a plan, they boys both “shook their bodies”, laughed, and enjoyed some time with each other and with Brent and me.  After our little “dance party” they were both more relaxed and able to wait for dinner and finish out the night with minimal meltdowns and even a little smiling from time to time.  

I think as parents, we sometimes get wrapped up in what we “need”to do and forget about doing the fun stuff. I am going to continue giving the boys more “play time” with the hopes that it will make them feel more relaxed and better able to deal with stress on a daily basis.  I hope y’all can try it out!

**Sorry that the pictures are blurry, it was hard to get a good shot of my "little dancer"!

Last week I defied the odds, I made Tschikof family history…I made my FIRST EVER BATCH OF HOMEMADE ROLLS…and I ROCKED them if I do say so myself!  My husband’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he took a look at them!! My nanny has been the "bun-maker” in our family for years.  Family would come for miles just to take a taste of those sweet and buttery homemade rolls. I had never attempted such a chore because I was always afraid they would turn our terrible and ruin my dreams of homemade rolls.  Well, nanny can rest assured that there is another roll maker in the family!  I accept the challenge of up and coming roll maker!! There is a quick look at the recipe I used below and a link to the full recipe found from blogger Jamie Cooks It Up!!

http://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/10/fluffy-dinner-rolls/
Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Time: about
1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12 rolls
 
3/4 C milk
4 T butter
3/4 C hot water
4 T sugar
1 t salt
4 – 4 1/2 C flour
1 heaping T yeast (I use active dry)

1. Pour your milk into a microwave safe container. These Pyrex glass measuring cups work fabulously. Add your butter to the milk and put it in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. While the milk is getting nice and toasty, turn on the tap to get your hot water Temperature is important to making these rolls rise quickly. If you add cold water, your rolls will are going to rise at a snails pace, and you’ll feel like cursing. We wouldn’t want that kind of thing going on….so please add hot water. I put my hand in the water to test it. You want it to be almost too hot to put your hand in.

3. Put your milk/butter and hot water in the bottom of your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Add the sugar and salt. Then add 2 C of the flour…let it mix for 1 minute.

4. Add the yeast. Turn the mixer on and add the rest of the flour 1 C at a time.

5. You have enough flour when the dough scrapes the side of the bowl clean. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. You need the plastic wrap to trap the heat.

7. Take a bit of butter and coat the inside of a 9×13 pan.

8. Spray your counter, or a cutting board with cooking spray. Lay your dough on top of it.

9. Take a sharp knife, spray it with cooking spray and cut your dough into 12 pieces. Make them as equal as you can….perfection is not necessary. What a relief.

10. Gently round them into balls, and put them in your buttered 9×13 pan.

11. Put the pan into your warm 170 degree oven. Let them rise for about 20 minutes or until they have risen an 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

12. Leave your pan in the oven and turn the heat up to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. The 15 minutes includes the time it takes the oven to increase in temperature. If your oven takes a long old time….you will of course need to increase the tim baking. Bake until golden brown.

13. Brush with a little softened butter.

Last week we enjoyed another amazing dinner thanks to some excellent recipes I found on pinterest. Even though it isn’t fall yet, even if it was technically “fall” we wouldn’t be enjoying fall weather in Florida until more towards Christmas…anyway, that shouldn’t keep you from enjoying some of your favorite fall recipes!

Thanks to blogger Blissfully Delicious we enjoyed our first ever pot of Guinness Beef Stew! Below is a quick look of what you’ll need to buy and do to make this delicious stew. Find the full recipe/instruction at…
 http://www.blissfullydelicious.com/2011/12/slow-cooker-guinness-beef-stew/

 Ingredients
4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch
chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped about 2
cups
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups Guinness Draught
1 tbsp
light brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
(yes, chocolate!)
2 bay leaves
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks ( I didn't use these...)
1-1/2 lbs baby red
potatoes (about 24), scrubbed
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp
minced fresh parsley

Directions
Pat dry the beef cubes with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook half of the beef until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker insert and repeat with an additional 2 tsp oil and the remaining beef.

Add the remaining 2 tsp oil, onions and 1/4 tsp salt to the skillet and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1-1/4 cups of the beer, sugar, thyme, chocolate, and bay leaves and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to the slow cooker insert.

Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, about 9-10 hours (or cook on high for 6 to 7 hours, but I have only tried this recipe on low for 10-hrs). Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, and then stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cook, covered, until the sauce thickens about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
Yield: 6-8 servings

ENJOY!

 

Update…

Jaxon successfully completed one week of sleeping in his own bed and happily picked out the Star Wars blaster he had been eyeing at Target!  It was so nice not being woken up every night to two little eyes staring at me face to face!  
 
We made his chart for week two and he is off to a great start!  We used the “Boo to You” party as a reward this week since we already have tickets and are planning to go anyway.  I also added “eating without complaining to the list” this week.  I was a little bit more lenient with this one so he is allowed to get three X’s on the calendar but any more than three and he doesn’t get to attend the party!  (Poor Brent will be sitting in the hotel room with him while Carter and I have a blast)  Not complaining about eating is a huge issue in our house so hopefully this will help him eat what he is given without causing a fuss.

 I will admit that I was always the person that said…”I will never do that with my kids” but since I have broken at least 1346 of those “I will not’s” I figure this one can be added to list.  I will be the first to tell you that since parenting doesn’t come with a manual, sometimes you just have to make the rules up as you go!

Carter, our 3 year old has to be the busiest 3 year old that I have ever met.  As my grandmother says (hope I don’t offend anyone)…”he is like a fart in a windstorm” and that is the truth.  He is here, and there, then back here, and there…you get the picture. Well, there are a handful of activities that I can get him to do that will make him sit still so I can get something accomplished.  Now, by sitting still I mean sitting and entertaining himself (as long as I am in the room with him) while I cook, fold laundry, do dishes, etc. 
 
The iPad was our first success at entertainment; he LOVES to do puzzles and learning applications on it.  We had downloaded a TON of learning apps for Jaxon since the iPad is a “preferred” activity and it turned out that Carter likes them more than Jaxon does.  Oh well, so I will have a 4 year old reader on my hands, fine with me. 

Puzzles are the second thing that he enjoys, this activity can be tricky though because he sometimes needs help getting them to fit just right and gets mad if I can’t help him…right then…at that exact moment!

Coloring is the third activity, and it works really well, as long as I am right there to make sure he doesn’t run off with the crayons.  Both of our televisions have had a makeover at one point or another…oops.  
 
Today I discovered that painting is another good activity for Carter.  Again, if I am in the kitchen working I can keep an eye on him and let him enjoy his creative side.  He did a really good job keeping the paint on the paper and naming off the colors as he painted.  Spending time with each of my boys one on one is something I really try to do daily, sometimes it just isn’t possible, but I feel like a good mom as long as I give it my best try!

Raising a child with special needs is not always easy.  There are many days when I literally crawl into the bed and fall asleep as my head hits the pillow…and there are nights that I lay in bed thinking and worrying about all the things that Jaxon isn’t or should be doing.  I wonder daily if there is anything I could do better or different to make his recovery a better/quicker process and I wonder every other minute what the next minute will bring.  Honestly, there isn't a minute of my day that I am not thinking about one or the other of my boys!

All this thinking, worrying, and lack of sleep can do a lot of damage on your stress level, your family functioning, and your happiness.  There is only one solution to this….GET OUT WITH THE GIRLS once in a while. Getting out of the house and getting out of “mommy mode” can do wonders for you!  Once a month all the wives in the neighborhood get together and play Bunco! We do a lot of talking, a lot of snacking, a “little” drinking, and play a little Bunco…its great!

Whether you can get out with friends, neighbors, or by yourself, I highly recommend you get out a few times a month (or more if you can) and spend some time relaxing, recharging, and enjoying yourself and who you are as a woman and not a mother!

The organic debate…to pay or not to pay!!  I have seen a lot of debating on TV lately regarding whether or not you
should spend the money to buy organic food?  Some say that it is a waste of money because the food is not that much healthier than the non-organic option.  Ok…to me, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read between the lines…no, organic probably doesn’t offer much more nutrients than the non-organic option, but what they are not mentioning is that the organic version of produce does not have the chemical and pesticides covering them that the non-organic products do, and the organic foods do not contain the same types of sugars, dyes, “fillers”, and chemicals that the others do.  
 
I am not judging those who chose not to or can’t afford to shop organic, I am just simply stating that the media will never convince me that I shouldn’t “waste” my money on what I believe to be healthier food for my family.  I live by the ideal that America was a much healthier place years ago and I feel like part of that was because the meat/dairy/produce was “healthier” for you because it wasn’t so full of “stuff”like the food is today….again, just my opinion.

Yesterday was my “shopping day” to Whole Foods.  They were having their grass-fed beef sale so I went down to “stock up” for winter!  I can’t begin to tell you how much better the grass-fed beef tastes…leaner yet more flavorful and only $4.99 a
pound when they have it on sale.  Since I was at Whole Foods, I picked up a few of our “staples” and will happily share a picture of them with you!  If you haven’t already done so, you should do a little research on “organic”, not to be confused with “all-natural” food.  You have to be careful that you are buying things with the “USDA” seal on them so you know that it is truly organic.  Going organic has made a difference for my family!
                 
Here is a quick story about why you should eat grass-fed
beef…
 http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/benefits-of-grass-fed-beef
             
Another story about grass-fed beef…
 http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html
                
Great information about organic food…
 http://www.stonyfield.com/healthy-people/health-tips-advice/why-eat-organic
             
Even Forbes agrees with eating organic
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2012/04/23/five-reasons-to-eat-organic-apples-pesticides-healthy-communities-and-you/

Ok...a little about the above groceries!  Bearito's taco seasoning and taco shells, a favorite in our house, (GF) we do taco's once a week.  Orgainc oranges, strawberries, carrots, and grapes.  Newman's Own Lemonade...the only lemonade I let Jaxon drink, (no HFCS...sorry, but I do not belive that stuff is good for you. PERIOD) GoGo Squeez Organic...I don't have to worry about the arsenic levels in this stuff, Elyon Marshmellows are gluten free and go in Jaxon's lunches, Glutino GF cookies...the boys LOVE these, Glutino GF pretzels come in snacks size and regular bag size, the snacks size ones are great for day trips..  Today I got a few of the Newman's Own Peanut Butter Cups, can't wait to try them!

Ugh, the everyday struggles seem to get bigger as the school year goes on.  Last year, Jaxon did not want to go to school…period.  He would  cry, tell me how difficult it was, and give the teachers and therapists a hard time. However, every once in a while he would blow them out of the water when he would spout off random things that he had learned (when they thought he
wasn’t paying attention) so they knew that he really was learning even if he wasn’t demonstrating what he had learned.  

At the end of the year we decided to send him on to first grade because his “knowledge” was that of a first grader even though his grades showed otherwise, and he was getting ready to turn 7 and I thought we needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Well, I prayed, and worried, and prayed some more that this year would go better than last and low and behold…it is…so far!

Orientation night didn’t go so well at first, he cried, held onto the door and didn’t want to meet his teacher, but once he got a little more comfortable he seemed to really like her. By the second day of school he was walking right in, saying hi to his teacher, and going about his morning duties…I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry, my baby was finally growing up (and fitting in!).

Although Jaxon is in a mainstream classroom with minimal support, it is an everyday struggle to keep up with the other kids.  The problems isn’t learning the information, the problem is demonstrating what he has learned, and just doing the work in general.  Writing takes work and that tires him out, math takes focus and that tires him out…so we work a little harder at home so that things might “click” a little faster at school.

 Well, I never did get on the “50 shades bandwagon” so instead; we are doing “50 nights of reading” in our house.  Every night for the next 50 nights, Jaxon will read a few books to Carter.  This takes patience on both of their parts, which is a good lesson for them.  Since Jaxon is in the first grade and his reading level is right between kindergarten and the first grade
level I am hoping that by encouraging him to read to his brother he will continue to make progress.  It seems to be a great idea so far, I will keep you posted!

Charts, oh charts…they are one of our favorite things here in the Tschikof household.  I can explain/accomplish anything to Jaxon if I make a chart!  I’m not sure if this works as well in other homes, but thank goodness for charts!  We have been having the worst time getting Jaxon to go to sleep/stay asleep in his own room since we got back from our summer trip to Colorado.  He has decided that his room is “evil” and there are “zombies” and “monsters” living in there and he can’t sleep there…#sendforreinforcementsplease

My husband had a plan…”Jaxon, if you don’t like your pirate room, we can redecorate it, what would you like”…um, NO…we spent way too much money on his room to change it now, he is just using that as an excuse to sleep with us.  Needless to say, 
Jaxon was back in bed with us that night.  Coincidently, I saw the picture below on Facebook (enjoy!) and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time…this was my bed for an entire week…

My husband “put his foot down” and Jaxon was back in his own bed and I was un-happily dealing with him waking me up every single hour and taking him back to his bed…just to get up in another hour…so, I made him a cozy bed on the floor of our room and decided that him sleeping on the floor meant both of us getting SOME sleep and that would be better than what we were currently getting, right…wrong.  My husband quickly caught on and wanted to put an end to that.  However, the thing with my husband’s plan to get Jaxon sleeping in his own room again only included two people, Jaxon and ME…”wait a minute, why
is it my job to make him go back to his room when you are the one pushing the issue”…I mean I know that eventually he needs to go back to his room, but I was hoping it would just happen on its own and in the meantime we would all catch up on our sleep.

 Ok, fast forward through the weekend (we had a few drinks with the neighbors this weekend so NOBODY was getting up with Jaxon 3 or 4 times to check for zombies) and I had the perfect plan!  We would make a chart…and yes, the chart would eventually lead to a toy…but the most important part of the story is that JAXON WOULD BE SLEEPING IN HIS OWN ROOM AGAIN BY HIS OWN CHOICE!!     See folks, that is exactly why I have a Ph.D., so I can come up with idea’s like this one :)

 I pulled up Amazon (my most FAVORITE online shopping spot) and told him to pick any toy he wanted…didn’t mention my
plan yet.  He chose a star wars blaster (surprise surprise) and I printed out the picture. Next we sat down at the table with all the supplies for the chart laid out and we had “the talk”.  I explained that there is nothing wrong with his room and that he really need to be a big boy and start sleeping in it again.  I told him that if he could sleep in his bed every night for 1 week that we 
buy him the toy of his choice.  I told him that he was allowed to wake me up 1 time (and only 1 time) if he got scared but that if he didn’t follow the rules he wouldn’t get the toy.  He was very excited and ready to sleep in his own bed again!!

Well, I am happy to report that he slept in his room last night. He did come in and ask me at 5:00 AM if he could have a squirt (nose spray for his stuffy nose) and I happily walked him back to bed, turned on his humidifier (YES, in Florida…who would have thought!) and gave him a squirt, a quick kiss, and he went right back to sleep.  When he got up today, he grabbed his “1” and put in on Monday all on his own. I am crossing my fingers that the rest of the week goes as well as last night did!  Next week I have a plan in mind to decorate his chart with the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party since we are going there on Friday night…he is really looking forward to this and it won’t cost us any extra money to use it as his “sleeping reward”.  Woo Hoo, score 1 for mommy!