"Shaw-bies!"

Hi! Hi! Moimoi. I love shawbies (strawberries). I go and pick them when Mama is in the garden with her tomatoes. If Brother sees them, he will pick them too.

I am practising talking more and more every day. I read many many books, and I love Hop on Pop by Dr. Seus. When Brother is loud I tell him to "shh" with my finger on my lip. I am in control here. When Mama or Dadda tell me something I don't like, I cry loudly and lie on the floor. When I'm very upset, I go to my bed. Daddy took the sides of my crib apart, so now I have a big girl's bed that I can get on and off of without anybody's help.

I had a pretty good summer. Here's a few pictures of my doing things like riding a quad bike with Brother, sitting on rocks with Brother and Daniel, playing in the pool with Brother and sleeping like a movie star:

Sleeping after a day at the Farmers' Market

Sitting on the rocks with Daniel and Brother

Riding on a quad bike with Brother

Playing with Brother in the pool

I finally met Barney at Ontario Place

A rotation diet for Little R

I loved being challenged in the kitchen, but I have been exhausted with recent demands. I'm exhausted right now, but I am actually in front of the computer and not in the kitchen, so let me update on what's been going on chez-nous.

We received Little R's Food IgG test back a few weeks ago. Several foods turned up in the high, very high and extremely high reactive categories. To make a long and complicated explanation short, we have eliminated many foods such as: filberts (hazelnuts), almonds, citrus fruits, eggs (he loved this the most yet his body was extremely reactive to it), coconuts, garlic (this was a complete surprise!), oat, rye, spelt, whole wheat and peanuts - these are, of course, in addition to already eliminated foods: soy, gluten and dairy.

There were also foods that his body were moderately reactive to such as: white rice (he loves this!), green pea, kidney bean, lima bean, pecan, pinto bean, and string bean that we allow him to have only once every four days. This is what is called the rotation diet. For example, if he eats rice on DAY 1, he won't be able to have it again until DAY 5. And as a principal (that I'm not following right now), rice would be eaten only once during DAY 1 (either breakfast, lunch or dinner).

The challenge is not getting him what he CAN eat, it's rather creating food that he can and WILL eat. I also have to think about what other foods are left in the house that have to be finished off so that they won't be wasted. Little S and I are working on that.

I have been learning very much about nutrition, health, and our environment through the process of "recovering" my child. There is much more to be learned... I just need to find time to sleep and enjoy life.