Ordinary days

A blog post from me again (just because I felt like it!) and less photo heavy too, which is probably a good thing! :)

Child labour here! ;-) Except they were having lots of fun, so didn't know they were actually working! Shelling some peas for dinner - no, not homegrown or even local, but they were British and in-season and tasted lovely (from Lidl).

Clement thought the bowl would be more fun on his head, rather than containing the empty pea shells.

A happy & playful Abigail with her little brother!

Benjamin, looking off away from the camera it seems! :)

Speaking of Benjamin, we finally got to see a dermatology nurse at the hospital last week! We had asked for a referral last year but the main nurse who deals with eczema was off work due to having an operation, so we "only" saw a dermatologist, who apparently was less qualified to help us than the nurse! So we didn't really get anywhere and I didn't pursue anything further. But last month I was feeling quite desperate with his eczema, so I phoned up the dermatology department to see if they'd let me speak to a nurse for advice. They let me talk to someone but said that my referral was no longer valid since 3 months had passed since I'd last had contact with them. So I had to see a local GP and ask if they'd write and ask for a referral again! The locum GP was very reluctant to refer me, saying there wasn't much more they could do for me there that a local GP couldn't! Grrr! But she did finally agree. So a few weeks later we got a phone call from dermatology to say they had a cancellation for the following week and would we like it. The timing couldn't have been better, as Benjamin's skin was getting to an extreme point again (as seems to happen at least every 3 weeks or so). However, when we turned up at 3:15pm on Tuesday last week, the lady at the desk told us there was nothing down to say Benjamin was meant to be seen, and the slots were all filled up with other young children. They couldn't find anyone to accept the blame for their mistake but said the nurse would still see Benjamin (thankfully!) but we'd need to wait till the end of the clinic (at least 4:20), so we had to wander around for an hour or so and came back, and eventually were seen at about a quarter to 5pm! Of course, by that stage and after such a long wait, Benjamin was exhausted and quite stressed out and couldn't really cope with being seen by the lady. :( She was able to see what the state of his skin was like and then Peter took him & Abigail out of the room so Benjamin could relax, and I got to talk to the nurse. She feels that Benjamin is very atopic and basically reacts to loads of things in his environment, making it very hard to prevent the eczema or keep it under control. I had wanted to know her opinion on using Fucibet Lipid Cream, as Benjamin's skin responds very well to it and clears up completely after only 5 days, but I'd been told that using it every 3 weeks was too frequent. It has a strong steroid in it (betamethasone) as well as an antibiotic, and the leaflet says to not use it on under 6s. She agreed that it's strong and we don't want to use it too frequently, but that it's important to manage the eczema, and that often strong steroids are necessary for someone who is so atopic. But she has prescribed a slightly less strong steroid called Elocon (mometasone furoate) to use in-between and hopefully allow us to go longer without using the Fucibet. She's also suggested an antihistamine which has a sedative in it, but I've not yet tried it on him, as he didn't react well to ones in the past. I might give it a try sometime if he's really restless/itchy, but hope to avoid using it if possible. Anyway, we'll see how things go over the next couple of weeks. I've also got some Dexeryl emollient to use on him, which we had a sample of last year. He seems to like it (something that rarely happens with any creams) so whilst it's not totally natural (has parabens, etc) it's not too thick and seems to help with the severe dry skin on his hands, so it would be nice if it helped a bit.

The racing Clement! :-)

Abigail in her pirate ship!

And while Abigail was busy being a pirate, Benjamin insisted that he was going to do schoolwork! It doesn't matter that he's only 3 years old, and that it's the summer holidays, this was his activity of choice! LOL

Not a very good self portrait! I was trying to take a picture of a maternity top that I made for myself! I've gotten totally fed up with trying to buy decent tops - can't find anything in shops that I like, and when I think something looks OK on the internet, it's never quite the right fit when it arrives (awful low neck-lines!). So at last, something that fits - is long enough to cover a tummy and has a good neckline! Now to find the time to make a couple of more to get me through the next 11.5 weeks! LOL

A pair of shorts I made for Benjamin, though he's not really wanting to look at the camera for me - despite the fact that he is always excited with something mummy makes for him! :)

Another pair of shorts I made for Benjamin (tho he's hiding them in this photo) and a dress for Abigail last night! I love this photo of them together though - cute faces, in my opinion, anyway! :-)

The two of them again!

Riding bikes in the sunshine earlier today

My lovely walking Clement! Yep, he's fully a walker now! He's ditched crawling in favour of walking - and it's so cute and fun!

The three of them hanging out together - literally! :-) (perhaps it's a good thing that Abigail likes to wear leggings under her dresses, as she's not exactly very lady-like! LOL)

Ok, sleep for me! Goodnight.

Fun Summer Days

It seems we've had quite a few fun days over the past week or so. Nice weather certainly helps and makes it more enjoyable to be outside. Of course, being out makes life a bit more busy, especially when you have a little guy like this:



Yes, he decided to climb the small table to see if he could reach the keys so he could get out the front door. He hadn't realised that there was actually a key already in the door.

Later when he found the key, he turned it and pulled it out. He didn't actually get out the door on this occasion, but later in the day he put a chair up to the door and successfully opened it by himself! He seems very keen to escape, as he *loves* being outdoors!

And if you only saw this photo above, you might think he was a calm big baby! (I think sleepsuits make them look all cuddly and little again, as he's often in "big boy" 2 piece pyjama sets.)

On Saturday last week we went to Invergordon as they were having their yearly Port Open Day with fun things for children to do and see. This large cruise ship happened to be in port for the day (an even bigger one was there the previous week).

One of the Lifeboats

Which the children got to go on, though Benjamin was a bit terrified!

Rides which Abigail enjoyed

Benjamin shaking hands with the Lifeboats mascot :)

After the morning in Invergordon, we went out to Easter Ross Organics to pick up a box of organic vegetables and some lovely organic eggs!

Happy hens

Abigail having a look at what was in the veg box

On Monday my friend Sharon came with her 2 wee girls. We had a lovely morning/lunch and the children all had lots of fun together. After lunch we went around the corner to a new play area that has been made. It's fantastic and sooo close to home - we don't even have to cross any roads to get to it!

Sharon watching the girls play

Heidi skipping while Clement watches!

The road/town layout is really fantastic and big too! Benjamin had fun taking his car along it.

Of course, a road would never be complete without a roundabout, right? :)

Benjamin telling me what all the letters were on the ABC caterpillar

My boys are really starting to do things together (in a good way rather than the bigger one causing the little one terror! lol). It's lovely to see them looking at books together, talking to each other, and playing with toys, etc.


On Thursday we had to be in Inverness for 9:30am so Abigail could see the pediatrician. It was just a follow-up appointment, as we had already been told that the results were fine from both the bloods and the ECG. Thankfully the leg cramps Abigail was having a couple of months ago have just about disappeared, so she doesn't have to go back again unless anything worse happens.

After the hospital, Peter dropped the children and me off in the centre of town and he went back home. I did a bit of shopping and then met my friend Ruth and her 2 children for lunch. We had a nice time, though there wasn't much time before I had to catch the 1:59 train to get home! Oh yes, and while we were in Inverness, we got a new proper bike for Benjamin!

Here he is looking such a big boy!



Then on Friday afternoon, we went pond dipping with several other local homeschooling families! The weather was perfect (sunny & warm) and we had lots of fun! And best of all, the spot the group was going to was only 2 miles from our house! A man from the local council was there to do the educational bit and tell us what everything was, etc.

Around the pond

Benjamin and his net!

Abigail in the distance with her net

Some of the creatures that Benjamin and I found! We were the only ones to get a newt, so that was fun. :)

We had to keep a tight grip on Clement, as he *really* wanted to climb in the pond head first!

Benjamin and our "catch"

Brothers! :-)

Clement having a go with the net .... better than trying to dive in! :)

And as if I haven't posted enough photos here already, all of these AND even more are on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245438&id=719584255&l=c32058d738

So, a bit of a busy week it seems! Now I'm off for a shower and bed.

No time for blogging!

It seems I really don't have the time for this blog anymore. I have to stay up late just to try and get a post up each month! I have a number of emails that I should be replying to, but always time gets away. At least I feel like a blog update lets family/friends know I'm still alive even if they're not getting an email from me!

Nothing out of the ordinary happening here. Abigail had her ECG at the hospital on Thursday last week and thankfully they didn't find anything wrong (heart was structurally normal), so I guess that means it was an innocent murmur that the consultant found last month. Benjamin continues to struggle with his eczema. We had a really good week recently where there was hardly any trouble spots (of course, as always, this was following a course of steroid/antibiotic cream) but it was lovely and soft for quite a long time. But then he started getting red/purple patches all round his eyes (formerly only something he'd had when he had a reaction to egg or had infected skin in other places) so it's left me a bit puzzled why it started with his eyes that time. And of course, his hands and legs were soon in a bad way. Last night he was awake just before 4am and came through to our bed. I was then awake for at least 1.5 hours trying to calm him down and keep him from scratching himself too badly. :( Despite all his limbs being covered (non-opening mittens and closed feet) he's still very clever and able to do damage to himself. He moves his fingers around and can have his hands bleeding quite badly, despite being fully enclosed with mittens! Thankfully he eventually got back to sleep, tho only for Abigail to come in and wake him up around 7am (when he would have probably slept for another hour or more if undisturbed)! She is usually the first one up in the house and isn't very good at being quiet!

As for Clement, he's as full of mischief as ever - if not more! Always making messes and getting into things. He's finally started walking (as of just over a week ago) but then he got lazy again and can't be bothered very often. But he did as many as 5-9 steps in one go when he first got excited at his ability! :) All day long, he does nothing but talk about balls - he sees balls in everything - even thinks our noses are the shape of a ball! Yes, truly obsessed! Cars (known as "brum brum") are another firm favourite, as are babies! He loves to pat my tummy and say "babba". Only problem is, now he thinks he's got one inside him too! LOL Anytime he sees his tummy he says "babba" and gives it a good pat. He's lots of fun, that's for sure.

This was actually nearly a month ago! I had too many photos last time I posted, so these 2 of them in the paddling pool didn't get posted. We've had some warm weather since, but not much - and not as warm as that week in the end of May.

All having lots of fun, even if a bit crowded! You might notice the water is white - that's due to some Aveeno Bath Oil, so Benjamin can join in the fun! :-) His skin didn't benefit from water last summer, but I found that a bit of bath oil made a big difference.

I did say I'd post all about the various dietary changes I was trying to make for my family, but I'm not sure when I'll have any spare time for that. So a few photos and maybe I'll share a recipe for anyone interested! ;-) The above photo shows the process for making sourdough bread! My lovely wooden grain grinder is on the left, with the blue bowl containing freshly ground spelt flour. Then the middle bowl is the beginning of my bread dough. And the bowl on the right is the rye sourdough starter. The children love to watch me baking, but don't enjoy the noise of the grinder!

5 pans of dough, ready to begin a 7 hour rising period!

Nicely risen, after approx 7 hours. (I might add that I've since done the dough rather more "soupy", which is much more ideal for sourdough. Some of my earlier loaves were rather hard and later changes have given a more satisfactory bread!)

All baked and now cooling!

Now, I don't really have time for any recipes, but I did want to share how to make something with "soaked" flour. So below you'll find Buttermilk Biscuits (scones here in the UK). And this pic below shows some I made with spelt flour.

Buttermilk Biscuits

3 1/2 cups freshly ground spelt or whole wheat flour

1 cup buttermilk (tho I've used yogurt sometimes too)

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

unbleached white flour

Mix flour with buttermilk to form a thick dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. Place in food processor and process several minutes to knead. Blend in remaining ingredients. Remove dough to a well-floured pastry cloth or board and sprinkle with unbleached white flour to prevent sticking. Roll dough to about 3/4 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a glass and place on a buttered baking sheet. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes. (Though be careful to watch them, as my oven bakes them a lot quicker than this.)

Another "soaked" thing I make is porridge - which we have every morning for breakfast! It's delicious and very easy too!

Breakfast Porridge

1 1/2 cups of oats

1 1/2 cups warm filtered water plus 3 tablespoons yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups filtered water

For highest benefits and best assimilation, porridge should be soaked overnight or even longer. Once soaked, oatmeal cooks up in less than 5 minutes - truly a fast food!

Mix oats with warm water mixture, cover and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. Bring an additional 1 1/2 cup of water to a boil with sea salt. Add soaked oats, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Serve with butter, honey and milk (though my children like unrefined cane sugar on top of theirs!).

So, that's all the recipes I have time for, but some very simple ones for anyone who'd like to like to try something healthy! :-) Both are taken from the amazing book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277163307&sr=8-1
(which is actually a real bargain at just over 12 pounds with free postage for a 670 page book! tho it has to come from America and takes a little while to get over here - well worth the wait though!)

Abigail and Benjamin enjoying the sunshine in the back garden

Clement eating a *3rd* pancake for breakfast one morning! These were some "soaked" buckwheat and wholemeal pancakes which were really good. Only problem is trying to mix Benjamin's requirement for 'egg-free' pancakes, together with soaked ones - doesn't work very well, unfortunately.

Already helping mummy!

We finally managed to replace these awful brown couch covers! I thought we'd need a visit to Ikea to get them, but we found that the Edinburgh store would post them to us for only 20 pounds! Well, that's a bit expensive for postage on just cushion covers - but we got 2 foam mattresses for the boys beds at the same time (without any extra postage charge) which made it a very good deal indeed!

The result - lovely bright couch & rocking chair! :-) (Well, I like them anyway!) But I'm not sure what else in the sitting room matches the couch now! I'm convinced the blue lamp shade doesn't go anymore, but what about the curtains & rug? I think it looks a bit better at a distance (and in real life) compared to the photo. And after all, the room is frequently covered with children, toys and books, so not sure how important a matching room is anyway! LOL

Benjamin and Clement tucked up in Clement's "new" big boy bed! No, he's not sleeping in there yet, but since someone local on Freecycle was giving away a matching pair of Ikea beds, I thought they'd be perfect for when Clement moves into his brother's room!

Excited about his big boy bed! He climbs up on it and says "night night" as he covers himself with a blanket. :-)

Attempting to do some schoolwork last week, with Clement in the middle of the table, of course!

Benjamin colouring a picture instead (as he wasn't concentrating on his "lessons" that morning)

My lovely Clement! :-)

He loves his car!

Walking in the front garden - no shoes!

The sort of mess Clement likes to make! He emptied his milk out in the floor while I was cooking breakfast the other morning, and then put his face down on the floor to drink it (hence the milk dripping from his forehead!).

Phew, I've actually got to the end of this! Must get some sleep now.