May 29, 2012

School's out for summer . . . sorta

    May is almost over and it was a whirlwind of activities. Poodaloo is out of school as of Friday. Panda is very unhappy about the situation (i.e. she has school and sister does not). I'm in shock, thinking there was one more week before Poodaloo is out.

     Golden parenting moments are when you are part of an experience that positively thrills your kids. And, it didn't cost anything, you didn't have to drive anywhere or make snacks. These were those kind of moments, a mirror, a fan and imagination.

Look! I'm praying with one hand.

I'm a mirror image of myself!
Making your voice sound weird by talking into the fan.
     May brings flowers (and showers) to the yard. Panda and a neighbor girl helped weather seal the new elevated garden bed. It is the herb garden and so beautiful. Then there is the new planter (which formerly resided in our purple bathroom).


Yes, those are snow boots on her feet.

Sprinklers are irresistable. The far raised bed looks very lush. Unfortunately, it is  an outstanding crop of weeds. Ugh!

This looks even cuter as the plants grow & grow.

Elevated herb garden.


Out-of-this-world gorgeous clematis.
     This past weekend, Baba and I had an unexpected opportunity. Panda went camping with her friend J. Poodaloo spent the weekend with J-Bear (triple sleepover). While the kids were away, the parents played and rested and did any thing we wanted. It was the longest time we have been kid-free since we became parents. What a concept ~ must do this again (and again and again)!

May 7, 2012

Rejuvination

     Spent the latter part of last week (Wed-Fri) in the Wood River Valley attending a conference. My first official dietitian job was at the small hospital in Sun Valley. St. Moritz (name of hospital) has been replaced by a modern facility south of town.

     The conference was put on by the dietetic association in the state. I was very active in the association during my time as an employed person. I know people from all over the state and from many disciplines of dietetics. The conference is a highlight for me each year. This one was no exception.

     The agenda seemed geared for my personal education, although I'm sure that was not the planning committee's intent. There were several presentations about relationship development within the health care team. One doctor presented information about functional and integrative medicine even though the session was called Metabolic Syndrome something-or-other. There was an allergist who explained a great deal about allergies and how he works with registered dietitians to help patients. A PhD candidate RD talked of her research in the area of autism. (Many parents of autistic children use a gluten-free, casein-free diet.)

     And the best part of all? My family survived*, even thrived, during my absence!! Thursday morning was a little dicey, but they were all feeling fine from that point on. In fact, the only known undesirable outcome: Hogan ate four meals a day while I was gone. Gigi gets very unnerved without me around. She won't let Loren feed her. Hogan has no such qualms.

     This next thing has nothing to do with dietitians or my trip to Sun Valley. Here is a fun monologue. I had a similar experience with my children a few years ago. It began with cows instead of frogs. Enjoy . . .

* Friday morning Poodaloo complained of being too sick to attend school. Daddy brushed her off and sent her to school. At 10:30 he received a call from school. She had upchucked and they would like him to take her home. By the time I got home that evening, there was no evidence of illness.