Thursday, April 30, 2009
Vacation!
We just got back from a great trip to Norfolk to visit mom and Scott. It was so great to get away. The kids had such a great time. The Zoo, a children's museum, a dog, a Bobcat, the beach, and lots of good food....what more can you ask for on vacation?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Homesteading at Nourishing Days
Our dream in a nutshell. Link
"Throw out the word homesteading in a crowd and you will get very different reactions. Some look at you like you’re crazy - picturing the pioneers crossing the prairie in search of land, only a covered wagon as your shelter. Others (myself included) perk up at the thought of a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle.
The good life. The simple life. Call it what you will. We are entering a time when sustainable and self-sufficient living may not be just another option - suitable for some and not others. Soon it will be the only option, lived out of necessity, not just desire.
Going green is quite chic these days. Buy organic, reuse grocery bags, change your light bulbs, cook from scratch, don’t buy plastic water bottles. All good ideas - but they don’t address a deeper need for change. These are all answers to the question “What if you changed your habits?” Difficult habits to break, indeed, but perhaps we should pose a different question: “What if you changed your life?”
In order to change the way we live, we must first change the way we think. The truth is that the life we have been living is not sustainable. The way that we grow our food, transport ourselves and all of the goods that we rely on to survive can not be sustained. Our way of life almost entirely depends on finite resources that will soon be so depleted as to cause world wars. That is unless we do something about it.
What if the American dream involved massive gardens, chickens in the backyard, clotheslines and piles of compost? What if we replaced our expensive homes with modest ones, surrounded by a little bit of acreage? What if we tore up our pretty lawns and turned them into sweet June strawberries and juicy August tomatoes? What if we traded our eggs for our neighbor’s milk, bypassing battery farms and rBGH? What if we could share our bounty with those in need, instead of placing jars of hydrogenated peanut butter into the food bank?
Through homesteading we have an opportunity to do all of the above plus learn truly useful skills that go untaught in universities. We can know exactly where our food comes from because our sweet little toddler’s hands are the ones picking the cucumbers.
We can send a message to big-agribusiness, plastic corporations, pharmaceutical companies, and a government that is heavily lobbied by all of the above:
“You are destroying our landscapes and our children’s futures. You will not receive our hard earned dollars anymore. We WILL not tolerate it any longer.”
We can set aside the old American dream of working for 30 years and then retiring, consuming mass quantities of unsustainable goods along the way. We can teach our children that the every day processes of sustaining life through food, water, cleanliness and shelter are to be learned from, not dreaded. We can empower one another to rely on God and each other, not big businesses that simply see us as dollar signs.
We can stop the destruction and reshape life for the coming generation - our children.
It is called homesteading - urban or rural - and you can be a part of it.
"Throw out the word homesteading in a crowd and you will get very different reactions. Some look at you like you’re crazy - picturing the pioneers crossing the prairie in search of land, only a covered wagon as your shelter. Others (myself included) perk up at the thought of a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle.
The good life. The simple life. Call it what you will. We are entering a time when sustainable and self-sufficient living may not be just another option - suitable for some and not others. Soon it will be the only option, lived out of necessity, not just desire.
Going green is quite chic these days. Buy organic, reuse grocery bags, change your light bulbs, cook from scratch, don’t buy plastic water bottles. All good ideas - but they don’t address a deeper need for change. These are all answers to the question “What if you changed your habits?” Difficult habits to break, indeed, but perhaps we should pose a different question: “What if you changed your life?”
In order to change the way we live, we must first change the way we think. The truth is that the life we have been living is not sustainable. The way that we grow our food, transport ourselves and all of the goods that we rely on to survive can not be sustained. Our way of life almost entirely depends on finite resources that will soon be so depleted as to cause world wars. That is unless we do something about it.
What if the American dream involved massive gardens, chickens in the backyard, clotheslines and piles of compost? What if we replaced our expensive homes with modest ones, surrounded by a little bit of acreage? What if we tore up our pretty lawns and turned them into sweet June strawberries and juicy August tomatoes? What if we traded our eggs for our neighbor’s milk, bypassing battery farms and rBGH? What if we could share our bounty with those in need, instead of placing jars of hydrogenated peanut butter into the food bank?
Through homesteading we have an opportunity to do all of the above plus learn truly useful skills that go untaught in universities. We can know exactly where our food comes from because our sweet little toddler’s hands are the ones picking the cucumbers.
We can send a message to big-agribusiness, plastic corporations, pharmaceutical companies, and a government that is heavily lobbied by all of the above:
“You are destroying our landscapes and our children’s futures. You will not receive our hard earned dollars anymore. We WILL not tolerate it any longer.”
We can set aside the old American dream of working for 30 years and then retiring, consuming mass quantities of unsustainable goods along the way. We can teach our children that the every day processes of sustaining life through food, water, cleanliness and shelter are to be learned from, not dreaded. We can empower one another to rely on God and each other, not big businesses that simply see us as dollar signs.
We can stop the destruction and reshape life for the coming generation - our children.
It is called homesteading - urban or rural - and you can be a part of it.
Fresh
Here is the trailer for a new documentary coming out. Featuring our meat and eggs farmer, Joel Salatin. I'm so looking forward to seeing this one.
Honey - can't you just feel the magic? :)
Honey - can't you just feel the magic? :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Guess I'm not the only one
This post makes me feel better about myself
Excerpt: "Well folks, teen dreams rarely come true. I'm neither tall or thin, but I do have an amazing body. This body of mine has carried and delivered two healthy babies. I can climb hills. I can ride a bike. I can jump rope. I can bend over backwards. I can touch my toes. I can do several cartwheels in a row. I can lift a forty something pound, sleepy boy out of a bunk bed and carry him to his favorite chair. I can stand in the kitchen for hours on end cleaning and cooking. I can scrub the floor on my hands and knees. With my two hands I can knit, crochet, sew, embroider, write, type, knead bread. I have an amazing body; I just can't seem to find clothes that agree."
Excerpt: "Well folks, teen dreams rarely come true. I'm neither tall or thin, but I do have an amazing body. This body of mine has carried and delivered two healthy babies. I can climb hills. I can ride a bike. I can jump rope. I can bend over backwards. I can touch my toes. I can do several cartwheels in a row. I can lift a forty something pound, sleepy boy out of a bunk bed and carry him to his favorite chair. I can stand in the kitchen for hours on end cleaning and cooking. I can scrub the floor on my hands and knees. With my two hands I can knit, crochet, sew, embroider, write, type, knead bread. I have an amazing body; I just can't seem to find clothes that agree."
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Peace
"Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even the air we breathe can be a source of joy."
-Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
-Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
Saturday, April 11, 2009
So grateful for Conference
It just couldn't have come at a better time for us. Rhett and I switched off going over to the Chapel to listen. Rhett got both the morning sessions and I got the afternoon. I'm starting to read through the morning sessions, but here are my favorite quotes from the afternoon sessions.
From Elder Gary E. Stevenson in his talk, Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples
Under the definition of “Temple” in the Bible Dictionary, we read the following: “It is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth,” followed by this insightful statement: “Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”8 For me this suggests a sacred relationship between the temple and the home. Not only can we turn the doors of our homes to the temple, or the house of the Lord; we can make our homes a “house of the Lord.”
Recently, in a stake conference, all present were invited by the visiting authority, Elder Glen Jenson, an Area Seventy, to take a virtual tour of their homes using their spiritual eyes. I would like to invite each of you to do this also. Wherever your home may be and whatever its configuration, the application of eternal gospel principles within its walls is universal. Let’s begin. Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home. What do you see, and how do you feel? Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world, as is the temple? Is it clean and orderly? As you walk through the rooms of your home, do you see uplifting images which include appropriate pictures of the temple and the Savior? Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared and enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? Are scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? Can you find your personal gospel study space? Does the music you hear or the entertainment you see, online or otherwise, offend the Spirit? Is the conversation uplifting and without contention? That concludes our tour. Perhaps you, as I, found a few spots that need some “home improvement”—hopefully not an “extreme home makeover.”
Whether our living space is large or small, humble or extravagant, there is a place for each of these gospel priorities in each of our homes.
In order to keep the temple and those who attend it sacred and worthy, the Lord has established standards through His servants, the prophets. We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a “house of the Lord.” The admonition to “establish . . . a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” provides divine insight into the type of home the Lord would have us build. Doing such begins the construction of a “spiritual mansion” in which we all may reside regardless of our worldly circumstance—a home filled with treasure that “neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.”10
There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple. President Howard W. Hunter stated, “In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place.”11
President Boyd K. Packer stated, “The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.”14
--
From Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk, Unselfish Service
Jesus cautioned that Satan desires to sift us like wheat (see Luke 22:31; 3 Nephi 18:18), which means to make us common like all those around us. But Jesus taught that we who follow Him should be precious and unique, “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) and “the light of the world,” to shine forth to all men (Matthew 5:14, 16; see also 3 Nephi 18:24).
We do not serve our Savior well if we fear man more than God. He rebuked some leaders in His restored Church for seeking the praise of the world and for having their minds on the things of the earth more than on the things of the Lord (see D&C 30:2; 58:39). Those chastisements remind us that we are called to establish the Lord’s standards, not to follow the world’s. Elder John A. Widtsoe declared, “We cannot walk as other men, or talk as other men, or do as other men, for we have a different destiny, obligation, and responsibility placed upon us, and we must fit ourselves [to it].”6 That reality has current application to every trendy action, including immodest dress. As a wise friend observed, “You can’t be a life saver if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.”7
Those who are caught up in trying to save their lives by seeking the praise of the world are actually rejecting the Savior’s teaching that the only way to save our eternal life is to love one another and lose our lives in service.
C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. . . . What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come . . . the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”8
--
From Elder Kevin W. Pearson's talk, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
We do have a choice. We get what we focus on consistently. Because there is an opposition in all things, there are forces that erode our faith. Some are the result of Satan’s direct influence. But for others, we have no one but ourselves to blame. These stem from personal tendencies, attitudes, and habits we can learn to change. I will refer to these influences as the “Six Destructive Ds.” As I do, consider their influence on you or your children.
First is doubt. Doubt is not a principle of the gospel. It does not come from the Light of Christ or the influence of the Holy Ghost. Doubt is a negative emotion related to fear. It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God.
Doubt leads to discouragement. Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit (see Preach My Gospel [2004], 10). Discouragement and despair are the very antithesis of faith.
Discouragement leads to distraction, a lack of focus. Distraction eliminates the very focus the eye of faith requires. Discouragement and distraction are two of Satan’s most effective tools, but they are also bad habits.
Distraction leads to a lack of diligence, a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment. Disappointment is an inevitable part of life, but it need not lead to doubt, discouragement, distraction, or lack of diligence.
If not reversed, this path ultimately leads to disobedience, which undermines the very basis of faith. So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe. The scriptures describe disbelief as the state of having chosen to harden one’s heart. It is to be past feeling.
These Six Destructive Ds—doubt, discouragement, distraction, lack of diligence, disobedience, and disbelief—all erode and destroy our faith. We can choose to avoid and overcome them.
Challenging times require greater spiritual power. Consider carefully the Savior’s promise: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
From Elder Gary E. Stevenson in his talk, Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples
Under the definition of “Temple” in the Bible Dictionary, we read the following: “It is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth,” followed by this insightful statement: “Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”8 For me this suggests a sacred relationship between the temple and the home. Not only can we turn the doors of our homes to the temple, or the house of the Lord; we can make our homes a “house of the Lord.”
Recently, in a stake conference, all present were invited by the visiting authority, Elder Glen Jenson, an Area Seventy, to take a virtual tour of their homes using their spiritual eyes. I would like to invite each of you to do this also. Wherever your home may be and whatever its configuration, the application of eternal gospel principles within its walls is universal. Let’s begin. Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home. What do you see, and how do you feel? Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world, as is the temple? Is it clean and orderly? As you walk through the rooms of your home, do you see uplifting images which include appropriate pictures of the temple and the Savior? Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared and enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? Are scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? Can you find your personal gospel study space? Does the music you hear or the entertainment you see, online or otherwise, offend the Spirit? Is the conversation uplifting and without contention? That concludes our tour. Perhaps you, as I, found a few spots that need some “home improvement”—hopefully not an “extreme home makeover.”
Whether our living space is large or small, humble or extravagant, there is a place for each of these gospel priorities in each of our homes.
In order to keep the temple and those who attend it sacred and worthy, the Lord has established standards through His servants, the prophets. We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a “house of the Lord.” The admonition to “establish . . . a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” provides divine insight into the type of home the Lord would have us build. Doing such begins the construction of a “spiritual mansion” in which we all may reside regardless of our worldly circumstance—a home filled with treasure that “neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.”10
There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple. President Howard W. Hunter stated, “In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place.”11
President Boyd K. Packer stated, “The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.”14
--
From Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk, Unselfish Service
Jesus cautioned that Satan desires to sift us like wheat (see Luke 22:31; 3 Nephi 18:18), which means to make us common like all those around us. But Jesus taught that we who follow Him should be precious and unique, “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) and “the light of the world,” to shine forth to all men (Matthew 5:14, 16; see also 3 Nephi 18:24).
We do not serve our Savior well if we fear man more than God. He rebuked some leaders in His restored Church for seeking the praise of the world and for having their minds on the things of the earth more than on the things of the Lord (see D&C 30:2; 58:39). Those chastisements remind us that we are called to establish the Lord’s standards, not to follow the world’s. Elder John A. Widtsoe declared, “We cannot walk as other men, or talk as other men, or do as other men, for we have a different destiny, obligation, and responsibility placed upon us, and we must fit ourselves [to it].”6 That reality has current application to every trendy action, including immodest dress. As a wise friend observed, “You can’t be a life saver if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.”7
Those who are caught up in trying to save their lives by seeking the praise of the world are actually rejecting the Savior’s teaching that the only way to save our eternal life is to love one another and lose our lives in service.
C. S. Lewis explained this teaching of the Savior: “The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first—wanting to be the centre—wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race. Some people think the fall of man had something to do with sex, but that is a mistake. . . . What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come . . . the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”8
--
From Elder Kevin W. Pearson's talk, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
We do have a choice. We get what we focus on consistently. Because there is an opposition in all things, there are forces that erode our faith. Some are the result of Satan’s direct influence. But for others, we have no one but ourselves to blame. These stem from personal tendencies, attitudes, and habits we can learn to change. I will refer to these influences as the “Six Destructive Ds.” As I do, consider their influence on you or your children.
First is doubt. Doubt is not a principle of the gospel. It does not come from the Light of Christ or the influence of the Holy Ghost. Doubt is a negative emotion related to fear. It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God.
Doubt leads to discouragement. Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit (see Preach My Gospel [2004], 10). Discouragement and despair are the very antithesis of faith.
Discouragement leads to distraction, a lack of focus. Distraction eliminates the very focus the eye of faith requires. Discouragement and distraction are two of Satan’s most effective tools, but they are also bad habits.
Distraction leads to a lack of diligence, a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment. Disappointment is an inevitable part of life, but it need not lead to doubt, discouragement, distraction, or lack of diligence.
If not reversed, this path ultimately leads to disobedience, which undermines the very basis of faith. So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe. The scriptures describe disbelief as the state of having chosen to harden one’s heart. It is to be past feeling.
These Six Destructive Ds—doubt, discouragement, distraction, lack of diligence, disobedience, and disbelief—all erode and destroy our faith. We can choose to avoid and overcome them.
Challenging times require greater spiritual power. Consider carefully the Savior’s promise: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Our Voice
Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey were on Larry King Live the other day talking about healing and preventing autism. It's so nice to have a loud voice shouting from the rooftops that AUTISM IS TREATABLE AND PREVENTABLE! I wish I could personally thank Jenny for all she has done.
Here is a clip from her interview.
Link
Here is a clip from her interview.
Link
Oh. My. Goodness.
Joel Salatin and Ron Paul?!?! My heart is all a flutter!
Join the Northern Virginia Whole Food Nutrition Meetup Group in serving Congress a Local Foods Feast!
FARM FOOD VOICES DC 2009
The National Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day
& Legislative Reception
Tuesday April 21, 2009 Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Lobbying 9:30 - 3:00
Reception 12:00 -12:50
Room Assignment pending—please check www.NICFA.com closer to date.
with
Joel Salatin, Emcee
and Guest speaker
Representative Ron Paul of Texas
Come to DC and join the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA), state affiliates, and other groups as we joyfully serve our legislators the LOCAL FOODS FEAST OF THE YEAR from food produced by small, independent farmers and prepared by expert chefs at Dish Catering. We will illustrate that local foods are the true Safe Food System as we highlight the beauty, fun and nourishment of these foods.
· Invite your Representative and Senators to the reception. We are the face of this movement—we will become the faces and voices of local food to Congress.
· The Food Safety bills in front of Congress threaten the viability of your local food producers. Make an appointment now to meet with your Representative and two Senators on April 21st (you will probably meet with legislative aides for agriculture rather than legislators, but aides are just as important. They are the eyes and ears of the legislators!).
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS: www.House.gov and www.Senate.gov
If you have never met with a legislator or aide before, fret not.
We will provide encouragement and Talking Points!
(Talking Points, directions and schedule will be posted on www.NICFA.org closer to date).
Background and more information: www.NICFA.org
Join the Northern Virginia Whole Food Nutrition Meetup Group in serving Congress a Local Foods Feast!
FARM FOOD VOICES DC 2009
The National Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day
& Legislative Reception
Tuesday April 21, 2009 Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
Lobbying 9:30 - 3:00
Reception 12:00 -12:50
Room Assignment pending—please check www.NICFA.com closer to date.
with
Joel Salatin, Emcee
and Guest speaker
Representative Ron Paul of Texas
Come to DC and join the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA), state affiliates, and other groups as we joyfully serve our legislators the LOCAL FOODS FEAST OF THE YEAR from food produced by small, independent farmers and prepared by expert chefs at Dish Catering. We will illustrate that local foods are the true Safe Food System as we highlight the beauty, fun and nourishment of these foods.
· Invite your Representative and Senators to the reception. We are the face of this movement—we will become the faces and voices of local food to Congress.
· The Food Safety bills in front of Congress threaten the viability of your local food producers. Make an appointment now to meet with your Representative and two Senators on April 21st (you will probably meet with legislative aides for agriculture rather than legislators, but aides are just as important. They are the eyes and ears of the legislators!).
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS: www.House.gov and www.Senate.gov
If you have never met with a legislator or aide before, fret not.
We will provide encouragement and Talking Points!
(Talking Points, directions and schedule will be posted on www.NICFA.org closer to date).
Background and more information: www.NICFA.org
Monday, April 6, 2009
GFCF Recipes
Ah the joys of living without gluten and casein! I'm always on the lookout for more GFCF recipes and I came across some great sites today.
Karina's Kitchen - This is the gluten-free goddess' full list of GFCF recipes. REAL food, adult food...not just fake imitation chicken nuggets.! Horray! This is a wonderful resource.
Woggle-Bug - Recipes, Snacks, Lunchbox Ideas, alternative therapy for autism support.
GFCF Recipes from Yahoo Groups - A massive list of compiled recipes. It's going to take me days to get through all of this!
Karina's Kitchen - This is the gluten-free goddess' full list of GFCF recipes. REAL food, adult food...not just fake imitation chicken nuggets.! Horray! This is a wonderful resource.
Woggle-Bug - Recipes, Snacks, Lunchbox Ideas, alternative therapy for autism support.
GFCF Recipes from Yahoo Groups - A massive list of compiled recipes. It's going to take me days to get through all of this!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Edison's Day
So, you know how farming makes Rhett's heart sing? Maria Montessori makes my heart sing (and farming and food and funky floral patterns). I just came across this video and I think my jaw was open the whole time. What a wonderful and peaceful home this is. I must say I'm a little jealous. How much do you think I can pay someone to come help us be this family?!?!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Autism Parents' Plea: Understand Kids' Meltdowns
Just yesterday I had someone come up to me at the playground and say "Wow, he's different, isn't he?" Uh yeah, he is, thanks.
Article from CNN
Heather Moores and her 4-year-old son, Julian, sat in a waiting room at a pediatrician's office.
Julian, who has autism, was goose-stepping and counting every coat hook on the wall aloud. He started roaring like a lion. Moores smiled at her son, then noticed the horrified looks on other people's faces.
"People do not understand," she said. "To them, as bizarre as his actions might look, for us, they're a blessing. For us, it means he's enjoying himself and happy. No one understands that. They just see an out-of-control child. They don't understand this is a good day, when there isn't screams upon screams."
On the second World Autism Awareness Day, the search for a cure continues, and major court decisions have helped sort out the theories connected to the mysterious developmental disorders. Public knowledge and acceptance of autism and the difficulties the families face may be growing, as some iReporters told CNN.
But that's little comfort to a parent whose child's behavior can range from quirky to violent.
Children with autism have unexplainable breakdowns -- their outbursts are often loud, aggressive and disturbing. Julian slams himself against the ground or wall while he screams, flailing his limbs. Julian's younger brother, Marcus, 3, squirms away from his parents and runs into the street to oncoming cars because he is fascinated by them. He also screams with such ferocity that his face turns purple and mucus bubbles from his nostrils. Their youngest brother, Aric, also has autism and just turned 1 year old.
Heather Moores remembers that the stares in the waiting room were full of contempt. Onlookers shook their head in disgust and glared, making her feel like the "world's worst mother." This happens every time they go out to the doctor's office, the barber shop or anywhere in public.
"You'll hear people talking, 'If it was my kid, he wouldn't behave like that. These parents don't know how to discipline their children. Why don't you shut that kid up?' said Alexandre Moores, Heather's husband. "It makes going out unpleasant. I don't know if you ever get used to it."
Autism spectrum disorders affect the ability to communicate and interact. Many with autism have repetitive movements like rocking or hand-flapping and become set in their daily routines. Anything unexpected -- even a sound -- can result in major meltdowns.
"The reason why toddlers have tantrums is they don't have verbal or cognitive skills yet," said Dr. Lisa Shulman, an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. "They have no control to navigate difficult situations using their social and communication skills. That inability to communicate can set off such behaviors in toddlers."
Their odd behavior draws unwanted attention. Marcus walks on his tiptoes and amuses himself by dumping liquid from sippy cups and containers. Julian counts everything aloud, over and over again.
"People are always staring and because the children don't show any type of physical abnormality, like someone with Down syndrome would show; people kind of assume that you're a bad parent," said Alexandre Moores
When the staring and critical comments become too overwhelming, Julian's mother tells the onlookers that the children have autism.
"You're in a situation you have to explain your kids, because you can't take the looks," she said. "It gets really, really hard. No one seems to understand where you're coming from." Read Moores' iReport submission.
To prepare for outings, parents should bring a favorite toy or plan ahead to reduce waiting time. But don't avoid going out, Shulman said.
Parents should have a pat answer to say to a nasty face maker, she said. "It should be something they feel comfortable with, about this invisible disorder. 'This is what autism looks like. My child has disability.' They're not obliged to engage in conversation. Make a statement that's heard and move on."
Moores said the most helpful thing the public can do is withhold the judgmental looks and reassure the parent with a smile when they encounter a child having a public meltdown. Critical comments are "very, very painful and very depressing," she said.
"Please try to understand parents of special children are going through living hell 24 hours a day," she said. "Even if you are confused and you don't know what to do, give that parent a reassuring smile. That's the absolute best thing you could do."
It's a familiar experience for Laura Shumaker who remembered the scorn of strangers whenever her son had a public meltdown. Autism was not well-known when her son, Matthew, now 22, was growing up.
"When I look back, there are people who judged me," she said. "There were just as many that were compassionate, who could see I was trying my best."
Four years ago, she and her son were flying home to Northern California from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the airport, Matthew learned they would be flying on US Airways instead of their usual United Airlines.
This greatly distressed Matthew, who started hyperventilating.
Shumaker walked to the U.S. Airway ticket counter as Matthew rocked behind her nervously, mumbling, "United is friendly. US Air is not."
Under her breath, Shumaker whispered to the ticketing agent that Matthew had autism. Then in a louder voice, she said, "We'd just like to trade these in for United tickets," and winked.
The agent paused for a moment, glanced at Matthew and said: "Oh! Well, don't worry, because US Air and United are the same now...really. We merged. We're the same airline now."
Strangers in line chimed in. "That's right," said a man standing behind them in line. "And the skies are still friendly."
Hearing those reassurances, Matthew stopped hyperventilating and began breathing normally. Before leaving for the US Airways gate, Shumaker hugged the ticketing agent in gratitude. Read Shumaker's iReport submission.
"So many children are diagnosed, there is an awareness now," she said.
But it's still difficult to explain to others, Shumaker said, when Matthew comments at the supermarket that a person standing in front of them at the check-out line is too fat to buy ice cream.
An Interview with Nina Planck
Here is an excerpt from an interview with Nina Planck, author of Real Food and Real Food for Mother and Baby
FR: You have a new book coming out in April on Real Food nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, and baby’s first foods. What inspired you to write the book?
Nina: Our son Julian! I found the advice about prenatal care and diet spattered with myths and misunderstandings. I found we’d forgotten the traditional diets of our past – fertility diets, for example, were common. Instead of taking a folic acid pill, our maternal ancestors ate wild fish roe, fatty crabs, and grass-fed butter when they wanted to get pregnant and were pregnant.
FR: You’ve earned a reputation as a food renegade thanks to quite a few controversial stands you take concerning raw milk, saturated fats & cholesterol in the diet, and even veganism. What’s the most controversial thing you argue for in your new book?
Nina: Everything I recommend is based on tradition and science. Once all milk was raw. Pregnant women didn’t avoid it and they didn’t avoid raw fish and raw milk cheese. The foods aren’t inherently bad. What’s wrong is the food supply. That’s where we need reform. We need safe foods – whether they are industrial or traditional. Women think (because the OBs tell them) that swelling is a normal part of pregnancy or that it’s caused by eating too much salt. But the real cause in most cases is lack of protein. No poor person the world over would choose beans and rice instead of a piece of chicken if she could get it. Protein is just too valuable. You can’t build a baby without it. If people think nursing your baby until he’s two (or older) is strange, they need only examine their own culture. The world average for weaning is four years or so.
For the full interview click here
FR: You have a new book coming out in April on Real Food nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, and baby’s first foods. What inspired you to write the book?
Nina: Our son Julian! I found the advice about prenatal care and diet spattered with myths and misunderstandings. I found we’d forgotten the traditional diets of our past – fertility diets, for example, were common. Instead of taking a folic acid pill, our maternal ancestors ate wild fish roe, fatty crabs, and grass-fed butter when they wanted to get pregnant and were pregnant.
FR: You’ve earned a reputation as a food renegade thanks to quite a few controversial stands you take concerning raw milk, saturated fats & cholesterol in the diet, and even veganism. What’s the most controversial thing you argue for in your new book?
Nina: Everything I recommend is based on tradition and science. Once all milk was raw. Pregnant women didn’t avoid it and they didn’t avoid raw fish and raw milk cheese. The foods aren’t inherently bad. What’s wrong is the food supply. That’s where we need reform. We need safe foods – whether they are industrial or traditional. Women think (because the OBs tell them) that swelling is a normal part of pregnancy or that it’s caused by eating too much salt. But the real cause in most cases is lack of protein. No poor person the world over would choose beans and rice instead of a piece of chicken if she could get it. Protein is just too valuable. You can’t build a baby without it. If people think nursing your baby until he’s two (or older) is strange, they need only examine their own culture. The world average for weaning is four years or so.
For the full interview click here
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