We triumphed over two b.day parties + a cookout!!!!

[Guest guest]

Yesterday (Saturday), I took our daughter with Asperger's and our

daughter with Down's to a b.day party of another little girl with

DS. They served Capri Suns, Cheetos, Doritos, white bread buns w/

ham sandwich meat, ice cream, and cake. (The poor girl with DS,

turning 11, probably weighs over 200 pounds already. Our 12 yo w/

DS might weigh 80 pounds.) I discussed with the girls prior to the

party that we would not be partaking of the goodies (including candy

in the party favor bags) and reiterated the reason why. Turns out

the girls were fine with it, but the people at the party were SO

sympathetic to the " poor girls " who couldn't eat with them. If I'd

realized the party was this Saturday instead of next Saturday like I

thought until informed correctly late the night before, I would've

called and prepped the mom, but I didn't have a chance. Anyway, we

survived. Also, I had stoked the girls up on " ants on a log "

(celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins) before we left, so

they weren't hungry.

Then we went to a cookout yesterday evening. I skewered cherry

tomatoes, chunks of purple onion, green pepper strips, and fresh

pineapple chunks(I know you're not supposed to eat fruit and veggies

together, but gosh! You have to live a little bit!). After the

host finished grilling for everyone, he grilled our skewers, and

they were a hit with everyone and made our little people feel like

they got to have something out-of-the-ordinary at the party. I also

brought meat balls mixed with onion, S & " P, and a tad of Thai

Kitchens fish sauce (which has sugar, I noticed later, but not

much). I did catch our 12 yo with DS in the dining room alone later

in the evening with a Fudge Stripe in her mouth, and I made her spit

it out. Just because cheating can't be tolerated right now. This

is a Family Deal!

Tonight we ate dinner with my sister and parents, who know how

desperately we need to help our little ones, but who have eaten all

the sugar and processed junk with me all my life and who think

regular medical doctors have all the magic answers. I took

along " slop " , what we call the variety of stuff I throw into our

massive cast iron skillet (it covers two burners and can hold 50

scrambled eggs!). Tonight it was a bit of healthy sausage and a bit

of grass-fed hamburger plus stir-fry veggies and extra onion and

garlic. Also, I made this--y'all just have to try it!---I boiled

some Brussels Sprouts (frozen), and then added pressed garlic, lemon

juice, olive oil, and Herbamare spices plus S & P. Then I chilled the

works. Oh my! It was good! And I bet we'll stink from the garlic

for two more weeks! :-)

Meanwhile, my extended family ate frozen lasagna, German potato

salad, doctored baked beans from a can, plus a huge salad (we ate

that part) with store-bought salad dressings. And they drank my

mom's delicious mint tea sweetened with aspartame. (She used to use

saccharin--I grew up on the stuff!) And then it was b.day cake and

ice cream time. I think our kids felt a little deprived at that

point. I caught our 6 yo wiping his finger across the lid of the

ice cream carton. They all asked if they could eat that stuff " when

we're through with the diet " and I said, " no, not this stuff,but

someday we will make our own ice cream from our own cow cream and

make special cakes that aren't so bad for us. " I don't know if it

cheered them up very much, since they live so in the present, but I

meant it.

So, we did it! And the very best part???? Tonight Mama commented

that she noticed our 10 yo with Asperger's seemed a whole lot calmer

and more obedient. That translates to the fact that she did not

have any freak outs in front of my parents. I told her it must be

like hair growing: when you're with someone all the time, you don't

realize their hair is getting longer, whereas someone who sees that

person infrequently notices it right away. Anyway, it was a little

more fuel for my fire!

in TN