Food

I was thinking about blogging and how my devotion to food really should have its own blog so I have started a food blog: Fluttering In the Kitchen which is where I'll be posting my weekly menus, favorite recipes and cookbooks, food blogs that I follow, and anything else related to food/eating. It also gives me an opportunity to do a blog with Wordpress which I love.
Hope to see some of my readers over there especially as I continue to add entries to my food blog.

Update on Solomon

Solomon's asthma is going really well- it is like he doesn't even have it which is a good thing. He went to an allergist and asthma specialist Doctor and Solomon is not triggered by an allergy although he has a mild allergic reaction to dust mites. Apparently most asthma attacks are triggered by something as simple as a cold which the Doctor/Nurses observed that Solomon's nose was running at the time of the diagnosis and mom- well she didn't observe the cold.
So today was a great test of how well Solomon is doing- he started his one week soccer camp that was 3:45-5:15pm and no special inhalant before the class and he had no trouble breathing or coughing which is fabulous. Solomon also had a lot of fun in his class too.

I joined a gym

I got another Mother's Day gift from my friend, E, which I used for a great special at 24 Hour Fitness to finally join a gym so I can get back into shape and be healthy. The weather is yuckier this year than the average year and so getting out to walk hasn't been as possible- plus the kids slow me down and they really are too big and old for a double stroller. So joining a gym is the perfect fit for us and at this deal: $24 to join and $24 a month in membership fees was way too good to pass up. Sadly this deal is no longer going but keep an eye and ear out for the next deal that can fit your budget!
Thank you E! I am very happy with my gym- already been 2 times this week and will be going tomorrow and Saturday!

Asthma

Solomon has asthma. We spent 2.5 hours being checked out by a doctor/nurses, recieved his first breathing therapy, got his lungs x rayed, got prescriptions, and loads of stickers!
I had noticed his coughing especially after being active like playing soccer in class has been sounding worse and then he started coughing even without doing something physical. I made an appointment for him to see a doctor for May 14th to rule out allergy or any other reasons for excessive coughing. He started yesterday with a lot of consistent coughing- I thought it would get better overnight. This morning was really bad but I already had an early appointment for the boys to go to the dentists and so we planned to see a nurse afterwards. However, the dentist and her assistant both pointed out their concerns- the way his chest went all the way in so you could see the ridges on his rib bones, the coughing, and the right questions to ask Solomon to find out that he was having trouble breathing. Both women have children with asthma and encouraged me to take him to urgent care. So I re-scheduled their dentist appointments for next week and drove to the clinic. Solomon was checked out and given the diagnose of having asthma and he was experiencing an asthma attack. He got his first breathing therapy- and his numbers didn't go down as much as they would like so we are going back in Friday for a check-up. He one medicine that he is taking for 5 days and will make him "wound up" starting tomorrow to calm the inflammation down. An inhaler thing that he has to breathe in twice a day for about 2 months to help prevent the attacks. Then he has another inhaler [the one that non-asthmatic people know about] for those emergencies/difficulty in breathing moments and what he will take before a sport class or practice/game- I already had to use it because after the attack was mostly gone by the breathing therapy- it flared up after lunch [with the first medicine dose was given]. The boys are taking a nap after all that excitement. I am learning all about asthma with my cool readings from the doctor [the medical staff was great which is nice to have especially being new to this medical insurance].
Some kids do outgrow this so we'll see how he is doing in one month, two months, and a year from now...

What we eat

One of my struggles with living in the NW verses southern California is that Farmer Markets don't go year round like they do in California *sighs* so I have to rely on the grocery store for my produce during the winter months. So how do I maximize my dollar for the healthiest produce because buying all organic just isn't in this family's budget so after some research I found this list [provided by Greenthinkers: http://www.greenthinkers.org/blog/2006/06/organic_dirty_dozen.html]:

12 Most Contaminated also known as the Dirty Dozen- Buy These Organic
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

12 Least Contaminated
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)