The Outspoken Mom Blog

New Health Care? OH! New Health Care!

Good Morning Everyone!

This blog is going to be short and sweet, my dad is coming over this morning to surprise the children before they go off to school so, I only have a few minutes.  By the way, have you ever noticed that you can type super fast when you are not in a hurry with very few mistakes but, add that 'hurry' factor in and you have two left hands?

So, yesterday was my 6 month appointment for my teeth cleaning with my dentist.  You know, we go twice a year to have our teeth cleaned and checked, once a year for x-rays and that is all your insurance covers.  Well, they also cover if you have a filling and a few other things and that is it. 

Yesterday, I was informed by my dentist as he was finishing up that 'they' (not quite sure who 'they' are but, I can guess...) recommend going to the dentist once a year instead of twice a year so my insurance as of January 1, 2010 will only cover 1 dentist visit/cleaning a year and x-rays once a year plus if you have a filling.  Then he said, "However, I highly recommend you continue to come in every 6 months, you will have to unfortunately pay for your other appointment but, I urge you to continue coming twice a year."  Of course I will go there still twice a year, I have learned over my 37 years of being alive that a cavity or any other mouth issue can come up pretty fast and you might be fine one dentist visit and the next you have a cavity.

So, I went up front to schedule my next appointment and found out it will cost me $143 out of my pocket for my next appointment.  OK, not bad but, considering that my insurance premiums didn't go down and my coverage did, ouch.  So instead of me paying $6 a year to visit my dentist (my co-pays are $3 each) I will now be paying $146 a year instead. 

Now, if I couldn't afford to pay that extra $143 a year, I would have to choose the 'new and improved' guidelines and risk my mouth health.  Now, of course, my insurance does cover cavities however, it does NOT cover root canals or any repair work needed or treatment for gum disease.  So, only going once a year raises those risk and of course, those costs to me!

This is my 2nd experience running into the 'new health care' recommendations put forth lately.  A few months ago I had my yearly physical and my doctor told me I needed a Mammogram.  What?  I am only 37 and no history of breast cancer or any cancer for that matter in my family.  He said he is 'highly recommending' (there is that phrase again!) all women between the ages of 35-40 go in for a mammogram so, I did.  It was crazy, they got me in immediately (well next day) and as I was getting my boobs squished, I asked the woman if this was because of health care reform.  She quickly told me that most doctors were trying to get their female patients between 35-40 in as fast as possible, before the new guidelines took effect which said women don't need a mammogram until age 50.

Wow, so there, without me even looking I have already seen 2 changes to my regular health care and one was before the new bill even passed and the other well, I guess that one happened before the new bill passed too since it was implemented Jan 1st.

I wish I could talk more about this but, I need to go!  Just wanted to give you all a little insight into what might be happening with our 'new and improved' health care.

Blessings to you!

-Liza

Our government that is killing us is now supposedly healing us?

Where to begin, where even to begin!

So tonight, I was watching that TV show with Jamie Oliver about his food revolution.  UGH!!!!  I was getting so stressed out and so upset during that show!  I could honestly feel my blood starting to boil and I could feel my heart racing and many times I had to change the channel because I couldn't handle what I was seeing on TV.

Many of you who read my blogs understand how I feel about food, the struggles our family has had with food and how frustrating it has been to watch children be fed crap, day after day in not only our own homes but, at schools, restaurants and wherever else we eat.  I have always struggled with restaurants not having healthy food options on children's menus, I struggle with fast food places and their options, I struggle with grocery stores and food companies that market this crap to our children!  To see it all flat out right in front of me in High Definition...it was honestly too much to take.

I sat there and watched as someone who isn't from our country tried and changed our schools and tried to change a towns minds and he was put up against our own government!  Our own government was telling him that his chicken, rice, and veggies wasn't following standards but, the reheated pizza the lunch ladies were serving was!  Turns out their guidelines said there must be 2 breads in their lunch and he didn't have a bread but, their crappy, unhealthy pizza constituted 2 bread servings..how you ask?  By the portion size...yep, they just gave them bigger pieces of crappy pizza to make sure they were following the guidelines set forth by the USDA, our own government!

To top that off, just as my blood is really starting to boil, the show gets interrupted and I find out from a gleeful Diane Sawyer that our own government...the VERY government that is telling us pizza is better for you than brown rice has voted to take over our health care system.  If ever I needed a push to be against something it was that....not only hearing my government is telling people what is healthy and what isn't and being SO very wrong but, also having a show about our health and food issues interrupted to find out our government will now be making our health decisions for us now too.

I am sure I am going to piss a lot of you off with this blog and so be it.  Listen, I am so anti-government right now it is sad to me.  I have never been so afraid, so ashamed, and so scared of my country's leaders before.  After seeing many sick things our government can do and is doing to people in the  business world, my husband included, and then seeing what they are doing to our children, how on earth can I trust them with my health too?

I flat out don't trust the government anymore, I don't trust them, I am afraid for my country but, most importantly, I am afraid for my children and what will happen to them.  I am watching a country I have believed in, trusted and loved become something I am growing to despise and flat out don't trust. 

First of all, let me tell you something about food, the way we eat, what we are feeding ourselves and our children, will kill all of us!  Our government is creating a food pyramid that doesn't work and can't possibly be full-filled in our society.  Our children don't know what vegetables are, they don't know how they grow or where they grow and we are feeding our children things that come from a box. 

Our produce sections are getting smaller and smaller because our grocery sections of pre-packaged, processed foods is getting larger and larger.  Nothing that comes from a box can possibly be healthy!  I don't care if you make $20,000 a year or $200,000 a year, you can still feed your children healthy food!  Our bodies are our temples we need to treat them as such!  We workout and diet and then go home and have frozen pizza for dinner! 

The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States!  We have diet sodas, diet candy bars, diet shakes, diet pills, diet, diet, diet, diet!  If we would just go back to eating the basic, WHOLE FOODS, we wouldn't need so many diets!  Examples?  OK, I just lost 20 pounds in less than 2 months by doing a simple thing..I ate 2 fruits or veggies (raw/uncooked) before every meal!  Then, my meal would consist of something like baked chicken, salad, frozen peas(obviously heated up), and a bowl of cut up fruit...NOT from a can!  I would have water with my meal, every meal.

I actually found myself never hungry, never craving sugar or other unhealthy foods, always satisfied with my meals and never the over-stuffed feeling I would have when I didn't eat raw fruits or veggies.  I was a good example to my children, especially my son who also eats a lot of raw fruits and veggies and lean meats.  I showed him joyfully that the food was good and healthy and made me feel good.  Soon, my son who often craved sweets and junk food stopped all together craving those things and stopped feeling like he was missing out on the 'good foods' his friends all got to eat.  Why?  Because he was feeling better, he was happier, he wasn't as agitated and he had more energy than before.  He was happy and it was noticeable not only to me his mom but, to him!

Ever hear the old saying, "You are what you eat"?  Well, what are we if we eat chicken nuggets, hot dogs, french fries, boxed macaroni and cheese, and pizza?  We are junk, we are unhealthy, we are created in a laboratory!  However, if we fill ourselves with fresh strawberries, bananas, lettuce, chicken, brown rice, carrots, lean meats, and green peppers what are we?  We are whole, we are healthy, we are filled with life created from the earth!

If you don't know what healthy foods are, think of this, if you can't grow it, you shouldn't eat it!  Try that for a few weeks and see how you feel!  I promise you, if you stop following our government and their misleading guidelines, you truly will feel a lot better and you will be healthier and you won't need to rely on the government , that is helping to make us sick in the first place, to take care of you when you get sick.

I could write on this for hours!

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

How many snacks do we really need to feel left out?

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I had no intention of writing a blog today but, apparently, God had other plans!  Ok Lord, I am listening and following.

I wish I could tell you all how much God is pushing my husband and I right now, in a good push of course.  It is amazing how much he is talking to us and the people he is bringing into our lives right now.  You CAN NOT tell me this is all just a coincidence.  Just too many factors coming into play here.  Anyway, on to the blog.

Food, yes food again.  Food is an issue in our house.  Actually, I take offense to that!  Food isn't an issue in OUR house because we don't find issue with it, the world, our family and our friends have issue with our food 'issues'.  How we eat has become the norm in our family and many families like us so much that very rarely do our children even complain or talk about it until it is pointed out to them by someone else.

Today is that day when someone pointed it out to my son.  My son who hasn't complained about his food choices or what others may call limitations in weeks did this afternoon.  I got a phone call from his school about 15 minutes ago telling me it was someone's last day at that school today and they brought in ice cream for a treat.  OK, first of all, ice cream for a treat, for what?  A celebration that you are leaving that school, a birthday that coincides with you leaving that school, are you graduating early (they are in 3rd Grade so THAT probably isn't it) but, why a 'treat'? 

Our society focuses so much on food that it is no wonder we have children that are obese, children with eating disorders earlier and earlier in life, a multi-billion dollar a year diet industry and in general, millions of people obsessed with food or staying away from food!  Add to that children with food allergies or sensitivities and it is crazy! 

So, I answer the phone and my son's special ed teacher tells me that the class is eating ice cream and my son would like to eat some and wondering if it is OK.  First of all, is it NOT in his IEP that he can not eat ANYTHING unless it comes from home?  Also, it is in his files and on his medical forms in many different places that he is not allowed to eat wheat or dairy...hello?!  So, after all of those thoughts go through my head, I calmly and kindly say, "Oh, bummer, no he can't have any ice cream".  She then tells me why the class is eating ice cream and that my son feels left out..."of course he does, wouldn't you?" is what I want to say but, instead I calmly and kindly say, "Well, he can't have any."  She then asks me if I would be willing to tell him that.  Sure(chicken sh**, is what I think but, do not say).  So, my son gets on the phone and I am super excited to hear his sweet voice come on the phone and hear, "Hi Momma!"  OH, my heart melts every time I hear that from him!  So I excitedly say hello to him and ask him about his day and chit chat with him.  Then, I say to him, "So, I hear someone is leaving and they brought ice cream for a treat."  His voice instantly changes into a hint of sadness when he says, "yea". 
I then let him know I just found out about it and that his baby sister is still sleeping and school gets out in 15 minutes so, there is no way I would be able to bring him a snack to school but, I promise him he can have a snack when he gets home.  He protests.  I then remind him that ice cream has not only dairy but, often wheat, corn syrup and sugar in it too, all things he can't eat.

He gets bummed out a bit more but, understands.  It is hard to hear an 8 year old have to make such grown up decisions!  You know, he has to be so grown up so often in life being the oldest and only boy in the family but, then you add his food choices, his Asperger's, the huge amount of supplements/vitamins he needs to take, and no wonder he sometimes lashes out in school!  He is so grown up in so many other areas when is he allowed to just be an 8 year old boy?!

We end our conversation on a good note and we hang up.  Then, the blogging comes in.  I have had many conversations with other parents about food.  See, in Minnesota it is a State Law that you cannot have any food brought in to share unless it is store purchased and in many cases has the ingredients label on it.   That is also why there is no sharing of school lunches anymore or trading of snacks.  I get it because of food allergies the no trading of school lunches and such however, when you put a law in there to 'protect' children with food allergies by telling us everything needs to be store bought, you are actually excluding many of those same children from classroom activities and parties.

There are VERY few choices for school treats to bring that are wheat/gluten free, dairy/casein free, and then you add in corn syrup, sugar, and egg free and you have pretty much eliminated my son and sometimes my daughter's from participating with their classmates.  Now, for my son, who is already dis-engaged often and pulled out frequently and misses a lot of 'normal' class time and class participation, you further alienate him by bringing in treats such as ice cream, cupcakes, candy, etc. for parties.  The hardest pill to swallow with all of this is, NOT once has any parent ever asked the teacher if there are any food allergies in the classroom they should be aware of.  Something I never forget NOT to do.  I always ask about food allergies when I bring in treats.  But, more often than not, I try to bring in 100% juice boxes or fruit snacks that are 100% fruit.  I wish I could bring in cupcakes and cookies but, I have to make those things for my children and I can't share them with the rest of the class.  Very often, I ask the teachers to let me know in advance so that I can either make something just for my children or I can go to one of our local gluten free/dairy free bakeries and pick something up for my children.

Very often though, I get a call just minutes before the treats are served with the teacher telling me they didn't know the parents were bringing anything in, the parents just surprised the teacher and class with treats.  Again, first of all, we all love surprises but, you need to tell teachers in advance and two, hello...once again did you ever think someone in the class might not be able to eat what you bring and you might be leaving someone out?

Same goes for all those sporting events that all of us parents bring treats to, whatever happened to a parent bringing a gigantic bag of cut up oranges and some water in a thermos with cups?  Since when do 6 year olds need to drink Gatorade and Goldfish to replenish themselves after a soccer game?  We don't need to celebrate every single occasion in life with food and drink especially sugary snacks and high fat, high calorie things do we?

I am afraid that we all are a bit guilty in this epidemic we call obesity.  Everything is usually OK in moderation (unless you have a food allergy) but, how much is moderation when weekly if not more our children are having parties in school, playing how many sports a week with how many snacks after wards and then you add drive-thru dinners, take-outs and pizza delivery and before you know it your children's diets consist of mostly saturated fats, various corn syrups, food coloring, and preservatives than fruits and veggies.

Hey, I am in no way saying our treats need to disappear from schools or from sporting events but, how about a treat at the END of the soccer season instead of every game?  Or how about we only celebrate birthdays or holidays and instead of only bringing in cupcakes and ice cream we once in a while include something fun like a grab bag of non-edible treats to students or little wrapped gifts for everyone in the class of some 'goodies' to make them all feel special? 

I need to stop here, 2 of my 3 are home from school and the baby is now awake too and we have dance pictures tonight that I need to somehow get hair done for and make sure the costume is primped and ready to go so my daughter looks her 'best' for pictures. 

Thanks for reading and be on the look out for some hopefully big changes coming to this site soon! :-)  I am hoping to do an 'official' launch of my blog soon!

Blessings to you all and welcome all of my new readers! 

-Liza

I am back and ready to speak up!!!

Hi All!

Ahhhhhhhh, finally home and back to normal!  The sun is trying to shine through the clouds and the weather is warm and the snow is on rapid-melt right now.  Spring isn't too far away!

I am feeling so happy to be home, I can't even stand it!  So, here is my topic today, actually, who am I kidding, I really have no clue until I write what my topic will really be :-) 

There are so many things running through my head right now I don't even know where to begin!!!!  I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks for any of my blogs so, I have massive overload of blogs in my head.  Which doesn't help my ADD mind very much in decision making.  BTW, thinking of going back on Ritalin just until the end of the children's school year.  I haven't taken it in about 3-4 years but, feeling it might be just the 'calm' my head needs right now.  But, for me to get on it would mean me going to the doctor monthly to get my refill and frankly, that isn't very appealing to a mom of 4 especially when that mom of 4 has ADD!!!  Hahaha.

I find myself sometimes wanting to completely 'buck the Schwab system' and just try my son on some sort of drug.  It would just be so much easier to give him a pill a day instead of trying to shove 10 a day of supplements down his throat plus, monitoring his food intake and frankly I just want him to fit in.  Even though I know that would mean turning my son into a robot, it would be nice just for one day to have the 'normal' son. 

It is really draining on me and I am sure my husband too to be constantly thinking, "I wonder what our son is doing", "I wonder when I will get a phone call" or frankly just wondering how he will act in certain situations.  I totally understand why some parents just put their children on drugs instead of working on other things!  It is not only expensive but, it is also extremely time consuming and frankly mind consuming too.  You are never at the finish line when you try and do things naturally, you are always working and re-working the routes so, you never make it to the finish line.  It is tiring at best sometimes.

But, see, that is me more worried about myself than my son...that is all I have to say to 'snap' myself out of thinking drugs could be the answer for him.  Drugs are easier for ME because I am spending so much of my time and energy on the children that I truly just don't have anymore in me to work on me too.  Maybe I should be a bit more accepting of people who choose to medicate their children instead of working on the diet, supplements and such....NAW...really?  Then I wouldn't be the Outspoken Mom anymore, haha.

I am just exhausted, I am drained and worried, it is my son's first day back after being gone for 2 weeks and I am holding my breath.  I truly strongly dislike the fact that my son can't find his place in school, in seems to be any school.  Plus, with the upcoming (or in my case, looming) self-imposed deadline of 3 weeks for our son to pull it together in school or I am pulling him to home-school, eek.  Talk about pressure.

Hence the Ritalin for mom talk and me even contemplating putting my son on something, just to keep him in school.  It breaks my heart my son isn't getting school, actually, he is getting school but, he also gets that disrupting class or acting out gets him out of class so....he chooses to get out of class as often as possible but, frankly who wouldn't?  It is so boring to just sit there everyday!  I was just like him when I was younger and I was so bored in school.  Is school supposed to be boring?  I think not!

That was the whole reason I went to college to become a teacher so that I would change the schools system or at least MY class and make sure it wasn't boring to students.  I still see the boredom seeping in when my husband and I try to help our son with his homework, it is like we both glaze over and just get sleepy.  Where is the fun in school?  Where is the excitement to learn, to grow and to explore?!

My son has a natural curiosity about nature, plants, weather and people.  He LOVES skiing, biking, building things, and water.  Why can't we find a school that teaches to his strengths, he interests, instead of just teaching to the median.  Schools now teach on the 'bell curve' no longer do they teach to interests, long gone are shop classes, art classes, baseball games during recess, cooking classes, and sewing classes.

We are a generation of parents who don't know how to sew a button on a shirt, we don't iron, we don't knit and many parents don't even know how to bake a cake anymore let alone how to cook dinner for a family anymore!  We don't plan menus, we don't know how to even read labels anymore, we purchase everything pre-packaged, pre-cooked, and pre-heated.  We don't know how to change our own oil, hang up a picture, or how to blend paints.

OH....light bulb moment here....I would say that is probably has something to do with our children and our society being so FAT!!!!  We don't know how to do anything for ourselves anymore!  We don't know how to cook, our children don't know where food comes from other than the McDonald's or Pizza Hut.  We don't have big gardens in the back yard anymore, we don't make our own sauces, stews and breads.  We purchase everything!

Then you get a child like my son who has extreme interest in cooking, growing, research, exploring, science, art, and building and he gets labeled as a trouble maker because he doesn't fit the mold of school and the robots we are raising.  Heaven forbid our children think for themselves, heaven forbid they think outside the box! 

Bring back home ec, bring back gym(real gym), bring back longer recesses, bring back art classes 2-3 times a week, and bring back shop!!!  Our children need to start thinking back outside the box and we need to embrace their differences instead of stifling them.

Feels good to be back!!!!!

-Liza

Halfway there

Good Morning Everyone!

Wow, Christmas is gone for another year, well we have one more tonight but, the rest, are done.  Jesus is born and all of the Schwab children are still alive and no presents have broken yet or have been taken away yet...although one did go mysteriously missing and now mom has to figure out where Santa got it!  We are now trying to figure out if we are going to do anything for New Years and if so what.

As I sit here feeling like I have been away for so long from blogging, I am trying to recall all of the AMAZING blogs that have come and gone from my head over the past week when I was too busy to sit down and write.  There are two things that come to mind for me today and neither one is related but, I think they are both going to end up in this blog!

First of all, I am heart-broken, I am sad and I am in a very dysfunctional relationship.  I am in a relationship of ups and downs, loads of stress and such love/hate it is sad.  This relationship has caused much yelling, some crying, and WAY too many freak outs.  My dysfunctional relationship is with....sigh, the Minnesota Vikings.  Yep, they crush my spirits every year, every year I keep coming back to them faithfully and every year they hurt me, they crush me, they cause me stress, sore throats, and unbelievable heartache.  So much stress that I can actually feel my heart beat getting faster and a tightening in my chest just writing this. 

My husband thinks I am crazy, my children tell me constantly that the Vikings can't hear me when I yell at the TV (but, I secretly know they can if only I could yell loud enough!), I truly believe I could coach my team to victory if only someone would let me get in there and give them a pep talk and let me decide when to bench certain people and when to put others in.  Now granted, I don't know ANYTHING about calling plays but, that doesn't matter!!  They know all the plays and there are a million other coaches out there!  I am just telling you I could coach them to victory by my words!  I know I could!  I know I could get them to see how important it is to me that they not only win but, also go to the Superbowl so that I could 1 time in my life, go to a Superbowl game and cheer for my 'boys'.  Yes, they are MY boys, I have loved so many of them over the years, I have hated even more of them and I have given up numerous Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays for them over the years, I am dedicated and faithful and they don't even care! 

Breathe, just breathe Liza, breathe in, breathe out, relax.  Serious stress right now!  As I have told you, I am in a very dysfunctional relationship but, I can't quit on them, even though they always seem to quit on me.  No, I will follow them until the day I die, which unfortunately will probably be during some horrifying Vikings game due to unhealthy levels of stress and screaming.  I am sure I will die of a heart attack due to high blood pressure some day during a Vikings game.  My only hope is that they pull it out in the end and win it in honor of me :-)  I hope the rest of their season...after they have killed me off is dedicated to me with a little sticker of my initials on their helmets.  Yes, very dysfunctional!

OK, I can feel my blood pressure starting to fall back into normal ranges again, my breathing is coming back to normal and my head doesn't hurt, as bad.  Now on to subject number two:  My children.

I was sitting in the tub the other day just sitting there trying to warm up from having the chills all day.  My son came into the bathroom and went potty.  By the way, it is so great to be sitting in the tub at eye level of my son's arss that is not more than a foot away from me just hoping he doesn't fart.  Oh the joys of living in a house with one bathroom that is the size of a shoebox!  Anyway, back to the story!  After he was done peeing, and I reminding him to flush and wash his hands, I realized that we are close to the halfway mark with him.  Yes, for he is in 3rd Grade and he will be 9 in April...the halfway mark, I have had him for about just as many years as he will be leaving us to go to college. 

I told my son we are halfway to losing him and he just looked at me like I was nuts, with a hint of fear in his eyes.  I quickly explained it and told him that I have had him in my life for just about the same amount of time it will take for him to be graduating and moving out and off to college.  Then, in his sweetest of ways, he said to me, "Yeah but, I get to move back in with you after college!"  I then in my sweetest of ways, said, "Um, NO!"  Hahahahaha.  I did talk to him though and let him know how fast it was all going and I couldn't believe I was halfway through raising him up before he was a man and off exploring the world and meeting new people and how Steve and I would only catch glimpses of his life instead of the majority of it.  My son quickly lost interest in the conversation and turned to go.  But, before he left, I called out, "Honey, you start college in 9 years, you better start thinking of where you are going to go now!"  The door was already shut, he was gone.  Then, the door opens again, he peeks his head in and says, "Mom, I don't need to start thinking about where I am going to college until I am 13 or 14!  So, I will start doing it then." and he shut the door.

I laid back into my tub again and just smiled.  My boy is so smart, he is right, he doesn't have to start thinking about college for at least a few more years!  But, seriously, it goes by so fast!  The first 9 years or so have been a blur!  Sometimes it seems like he will never grow up but, mostly, it seems like he is growing up way too fast and time is flying by.  The sisters don't seem to be growing up as fast but, still pretty fast!  But, as I think about him, growing up, starting to shave, have girlfriends, driving, and thinking about college I get a bit weepy.  As not only does that mean that he will be off and out of the house sooner than I would like but, also his sisters will be following shortly after. 

But, then I get even more weepy as I think about the high school tuition, the college tuition, the cars we have to buy and insure, the dates we will support, the number of heart breaks we will comfort, the number of boys and girls I will probably LOVE that my children won't.  Oh and the amount of money Steve and I will spend flying around the country seeing our children in their different colleges and the trips we will pay for to bribe them with so they will spend time with us over their breaks instead of their friends.  I am sure I will be part of the working force by then trying to pay for it all and as I really start to think of it all, when my son is a senior in college and getting ready to head out into the job world, I will also have a sophomore in college, a freshman in college and a freshman in high school.  OH the tuition!!!!!

But, really, oh how fast it will all seem to go by.  The years are already flying by, I have the lines on my face to prove it!  So, as we head into ANOTHER new year, (OMG, it was 10 years ago that my boyfriend(now husband) was freaking my out about Y2K!!!) let us remember how fast the years go by and try to hold on to the moment as much as we can.  Treasure those little people! 

I am SO grateful that I have been blessed with being able to stay at home with my people and to see them more than anyone.  My husband often talks about how much he misses and he isn't a traveler for business or works super long hours, and he misses a lot!  Cherish those people you have, let them stay little for as long as possible because there is no going back.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

New guidelines

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I am in such a great mood today I can hardly stand it!  I got a 3 hour break from the baby today and was able to get the convertible out of the garage!  It is so nice and sunny out there with no wind that I even got warm and had to take my jacket off!!!!  LOVE the convertible, love, love, love.  Yes, there is nothing better than feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face while driving around the city.  Fall is truly becoming my new favorite season.  Who knew having a convertible would actually be MORE enjoyable in the fall than the summer!

So, yes sorry to those who do not have a convertible, I am totally rubbing it in and I am apologizing only for that but, not for how terrific I feel now.  I have been in such a slump lately and that was the perfect medicine for my weary mind, body and soul.  I also think the 3 hours away from the baby during the day was a much needed break too.  I want a nanny!!!!  Oh just once or twice a week for 2-3 hours would be delightful.

Ok, now here comes my bummer part of my blog.  I am not going to let it get me down but, I am so upset by it all and I not only fear for myself but, I also fear terribly for my 3 daughters and their friends.  What has got me so upset?  Our new health care guidelines that are coming out of the woodwork.  It is terrifying and if you don't think there is any correlation between these new guidelines and our new health care bill trying to get passed right now you are naive.

I haven't had a family member or a friend with breast cancer and it really hasn't touched my life directly.  However, it has touched me indirectly.  My best friends mom died from it when we were in 10th grade and every Mother's Day I used to walk in the Susan G. Koman breast cancer walk with my family.  It was something I wanted to do for those women and it was a fun easy thing for my family to do with me for my gift on Mother's Day.  The only reason we quit doing it was because it used to be at the mall right behind my house and we could walk from our house to the event.  Now the event has moved to another mall and with 4 little people, it just isn't convenient anymore.  But, it was our favorite thing to do for 5 years on Mother's Day.

I worry about this new announcement that women don't need mammograms until age 50.  Even though the American Cancer Society doesn't believe that and it has been proven to save many women's lives.  What I don't understand is, isn't it cheaper to catch the cancer early than to pay for all those long radiation/chemotherapy sessions just to have someone die anyway in some cases?  Isn't preventive care cheaper?

Then, when I really got enraged was today when they announced that women in their 20's don't need to have a pap smear every year, they can skip a year because cervical cancer is really a slow growing cancer.  Um, HELLO?!!!  If I have cervical cancer, I want it found sooner than later!  Especially when I was in my 20's and I still wasn't married and wanted children some day!!!  Many times if you get cervical cancer and you don't catch it early enough, not only are you risking your life but, you are risking your reproductive life too!

It CAN be a slow growing cancer but, it also can grow rapidly especially in younger women that aren't in monogamous relationships.  Also, for women in their 20's that more than likely aren't married and having more than one partner in their 20's (which is 10 years people) they are putting themselves and their bodies in peril if they aren't getting regular pap smears.  I predict if people start following those recommendations, not only will cervical cancer rates go up but, so will infertility rates, STD rates (which are already increasing!) and unfortunately abortion rates too.  Because you need to have a yearly pap smear when you are on birth control right now, however, if that changes too, many young women will not see their doctor for up to 2 years.  Will they still be allowed to be on birth control for 2 years without being monitored? 

I guess the good news is, the government is cutting back on preventative care(to 'save' money) but, here is the good news people, we will cover abortions so, hey who cares if the woman gets cervical cancer or breast cancer as long as she doesn't have to pay for the abortion all is good.  What is wrong with this picture?!!

Listen, I am all for women's choice, I am all for the right to choose but, you are taking away the right to choose when you take away the woman in her 20's (usually the highest amount of abortions) from a doctor yearly and really maybe her ONLY person she can freely talk with about birth control, STD's, pregnancy and prevention of it, and more.   Planned Parenthood truly will become just an abortion center then.  You will take away any chance they have and any other clinic has of preventing the pregnancy or cervical cancer in the first place!  OH wait, we have that really neat cervical cancer vaccine....that's right, go for it girls!  Have all the free sex you want!  The government will pay for your vaccine to keep you 'safe' from cancer and well if you happen to get pregnant, don't worry about it because your government will then help you out and pay for your abortion too.

We aren't going to teach you anything about taking care of yourself but, hey, you don't need to take care of yourself, the government will take care of you.  hahahahahaha...BS!!!

Now back to mammograms.  I am 37 right now.  I have only 2 1/2 years until I should be starting to get my mammograms but, now the new government guidelines are telling me to wait another 12 1/2 years.  I have 4 children I am a stay at home mother, my oldest is 8 and my youngest is almost 18 months.  It is MY job to be here for my children.  It is MY job to take care of them, it is MY job to keep myself healthy any way possible.  It is MY job to exercise, eat right and watch my weight (of which I am currently NOT doing my job well.) and it is MY job to raise my children until they are old enough to take care of themselves.  It is MY job to be here for them and to nurture them.  I CAN NOT do my job if I get breast cancer in the next 12 1/2 years while I am waiting to be old enough to have a mammogram.  I CAN NOT  do my job if I get cervical cancer in the 2 years between my pap smears.  The government is taking away my ability to do MY job by taking away MY choices and my health care.

If you don't think you will see more of this happening people I am sorry to say you are in denial and frankly delusional.  This is just the beginning and it will fundamentally change our country for the worse.  I truly believe that. 

For those of you that are for the new government health care a few questions:  Did you know you will be paying for it for 4 years in higher taxes before you even see one health plan?  Hopefully you, your wife, your mother, your daughter won't get cervical or breast cancer in that time. 

Did you know that really all of us HAVE health care right now?  We all have access to health care right now and after the government care we won't ALL have access?  Yes people, everyone currently can go see any doctor or visit any hospital and BY LAW you can not be turned away just because you don't have insurance but, after the government plan goes into place you CAN be turned away because you have the government policy?

Did you know that really if you just open up the borders of health care companies we all could have cheaper, better, more effective and more options of health care?  Why?  Because if the companies actually could cross borders of states and you could truly shop around for a health care plan that not only has the options you want but, also the price you can afford that companies would be forced to charge less for their insurance.  Plus, it would force them to offer more options and to allow more people to be covered by their plans.  Yes, if we just allowed health care companies to offer health care in every state  we would have all the options we wanted and they would be forced to compete for their customers much like Target, Wal Mart and KMart do right now for their customers. 

For all of you who voted for change well, congratulations, you certainly are getting it.  Are you just sure this is the kind of 'change' you really wanted.  I have to say, I saw the best bumper sticker today at my daughter's school and I want one on my truck.  It said, "For you that voted for change, I want mine back."  Now THAT is funny!  Sad but, funny.
 If you look back through out history, everything the government has touched does not turn to gold, it usually turns green.  We are currently more concerned about making everything fair for everyone while destroying everything our country stands for and we are worried more about giving terrorists civil rights and we are more concerned about the rest of the world while we have abandoned our troops in Afghanistan and now, we are taking even more of our beloved freedoms away with government health care.

I didn't know until recently were I stood on this health care initiative.  I was leaning against it but, at the same time since even our family finds it hard to find good and affordable health care I thought, hmmm might be a good idea.  But, as they are changing things before anything happens and people, this really is only the beginning and it scares me terribly.

I can't imagine where this is heading and I am afraid to know.

Here are some links to more information about stats with breast cancer and cervical cancer.  Fight for yourselves ladies, fight for your daughters, your mothers, your friends!  Fight!  Stand up and fight!  Women have changed the world through out history, it is time to change it again and change it quickly before our government changes it for us.

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/statistics/

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/STT_0.asp

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/cervical

I love my country, I love my freedom but, I love myself and my family more.  I will die to protect my children, I just hope I don't have to.

Blessings to you all,

-Liza

To vaccinate or to not

Good Evening everyone!

I really should be in bed but, after watching our local news program about vaccines and how they used the 'scary' voice to advertise it, I felt led to write about it in a blog.

I am that parent that has done both.  I have given some of my children ALL the shots and one has received only 2 shots so far.  Why?  Well, my biggest reason is because I don't think we know the answers!  I am choosing to do something because of MY research and MY experiences with MY children and what has happened to them after vaccinations. 

I truly believe there is no right answer when it comes to vaccinations.  I think they are truly good for most people.  However, there is a small percentage of people that a vaccine will kill, mame or utterly change that person for the rest of their life.  It is a small risk however, I am not willing to risk my children without doing everything possible to understand and know WHY and WHAT shots they are getting.  What is DtaP?  What is Pertussis?  What is MMR?  What is Varcella?  They sound like very serious vaccinations and when you read about what the diseases/sicknesses are that they protect you from and read all the side effects of those diseases and what could happen, well of course you are going to vaccinate your child!
However, when you also read and compare what the vaccine is, what is in it, the side effects of those vaccines and what diseases/sicknesses and deaths those have caused well.....what is a parent to do?

The only thing a parent really can do in my mind.  Research, research, research, and then more research!  You will never figure it all out, you will never find what is right and what is wrong and frankly, you will never know the right answer.  But, at least you will be informed and you will be aware.  Until our medical society and doctors start doing a simple test when a baby is born to see if they have a pre-disposition for Autism, sickle-cell, or seizures....well we are all gambling with our children's health whether we choose to or not to vaccinate.

All I know for my family is my son is on the Autism Spectrum.  I DO NOT believe vaccinations caused his Asperger's Syndrome however, I do believe they acerbated it.  I believe he was pre-dis positioned to have it and after seeing how simple foods can affect his behavior and his moods and how he feels, not to mention medicines well, how could I choose to vaccinate him anymore.  His body CAN NOT handle chemicals or certain foods.  Most, if not all vaccines are made in eggs or gelatin, both of which have adverse reactions for my son.  No he is NOT allergic to these foods, in fact they show up on no allergy tests of his as being an issue.  However, as with many children on the Autism Spectrum, after years of working with his diet and watching his behavior change over the years, he body just simply can't handle some foods, chemicals, and environmental hazards, of those, most vaccines fall into those categories.

When my 4th child was born we already had chosen to not vaccinate that baby if it was a boy.  For some reason Autism hits more boys than girls.  But, when she came out a little girl, I truly didn't have any answers.  I read and read and read then, yep I read some more.  I still don't have the right answers but, I feel like I am able to make some educated choices about her and we have decided to vaccinate her however, we have done it on a schedule that we have created with our doctor.  She is almost 18 months old, she has had only 2 vaccinations and is set to get her 3rd soon.  Am I making the right decision, I have no idea.  All I can do is educate myself, ask questions and pray.  I pay attention to who my children are and I keep a very close eye on them before, during, and after receiving vaccines so that if they every do have an issue with a vaccine, I can recognize it quickly so, hopefully we can fix it fast.

So, as our local news station did a story about statewide conscientious objectors in the state of Minnesota by looking at the school districts medical records here come all the questions and frankly very few of the answers. 

I watched the story and even teared up hearing the two mothers stories they interviewed.  After the story was done I quickly ran to my computer to look up my children's school district to see how many children in their districts aren't getting vaccinations.  I knew the numbers would be pretty low.  Frankly, we live in a lower income area and historically, lower income means higher vaccination rates.  It is usually the higher income areas that have lower vaccination rates.  Why?  Usually because of education levels and frankly many who choose not to vaccinate are the ones who do the research and know to ask questions. 

I will say, I giggled when I looked at our school district and realized that we are the ONLY people in the district to not object to one of the vaccines.  I actually was quite surprised that for the varcella vaccination only 2 children didn't have it and they were both mine.  Which, actually is now only 1 of my children because again, after doing research and knowing my child realized that it would actually be much worse for my son to get Chicken Pox than the vaccine (hopefully, I am right.).  Why?  Because there is no way with his texture issues he could handle things all over his body and itching and with his chemical issues and medicine problems, he could handle the anti-itch stuff or Tylenol or Motrin to keep his fever down.  So, we made a decision to give him the vaccination. 
I will say after seeing the stats though, I now totally understand why my children never got Chicken Pox!  Everyone has been vaccinated! 

Anyway, I don't have any right answers, I don't know what is right/wrong.  All I know is I am trying to make the best decisions I can for my children and to give them all the health advantages I can.  I just ask you do some research and think about and ask questions and know what you are putting in your child's body and why.

Here is the link:

http://kstp.com/article/11754/

For those of you in Minnesota you can read the article and find your school districts rates of objectors and what vaccines they are objecting too.  Just so you know, this is ONLY for the vaccinations that are required to start school and to have while in school.

Blessings to you all and those beautiful babies of yours!

-Liza

Be the best you can be.

(Our 5 year old off to her warm-ups for her first meet)

 Good Morning Everyone!

What a wonderful weekend we had over here at the Schwab house.  My 5 year old daughter had her first 'real' swim meet on Saturday and she did great!  She is in the U8 division so, she is swimming against 6 and 7 year olds!!  She is so little out there and she swims her heart out.  I cried every time I watched her race.  I cried for the simple reason of I was so happy for her and she is such an inspiration to people! 

Our 5 year old(who will be 6 in 10 days) is little, always has been.  She is getting bigger but, she was always a peanut and she was my baby for 4 1/2 years until we had our 4th baby, so I still consider her my baby.  She is our little engine that could.  Not being able to do something is NOT in her mind.  She goes out there in anything she does and tries and tries hard.  She actually listens to her coaches (my older 2 don't!!) and she takes what they say to her and uses it to make herself better at what ever sport or activity she might be doing at that moment.

She is nice, kind, self-less, and always willing to try almost anything.  She isn't a dare-devil but, she is willing to do most sports.  She plays soccer in the fall and spring, does dance(ballet and tap), gymnastics, swim team, and ice skating in the winter months.  She wants to try hockey (we just haven't let her yet) and karate and she is fascinated by Yoga.  She practices her sports daily!  Many times during the day you can see her practicing her handstands, practicing her swim strokes in the air making sure her hands are 'just right' and she taps around the house and practices everything her teachers or coaches as of her.

She is a delight to have for a child and I am so pleased that I get the opportunity to be her mom.  She is very excited to teach me how to ski this winter and I am excited for her to do it.  She is a very patient person when it comes to teaching them! 
OH, she does have her moments of frustration, usually aimed at her older brother and sister or mom and dad and she is so soft-hearted she often gets it broken.  Those are things we still need to work on with her to protect her but, the determination to not really win but, to be the best she can be at her particular sport at that time, is amazing.

I have watched her grow in every sport and activity she does and I am so thrilled.  She doesn't necessarily have the most athletic skills, she isn't athletically gifted but, because she listens to her coaches, she practices, and she is determined, she will be a great athlete as she grows. 

I could learn so much from that little girl!  For the same determination she has in sports and activities she also has in school and doing her homework.  She is very determined to finish her homework, do her best and she is very pleased with herself when she has done something well. 

My husband and I have often compared her to a Golden Retriever...no, we don't think our daughter is a dog!  But, if you know Golden's, they have this desire to please their owners, they just want to make them happy.  Our 5 year old is very similar.  She has a desire to make people happy, to please her coaches, and her reward for that is how she feels about her hard work and that is pretty awesome.

Oh and by the way!!!  I have to say, watching swim meets is WAY better than any other kids sport to watch!  It was fast paced, super exciting, you had no clue who anyone was, or for me, what they were doing but, it was entertaining and fun.  I watched a lot of races when I could(I was volunteering in the kitchen) and it was a thrill to see those children race and swim. 

If you ever get the opportunity to watch a swim meet I suggest doing it.  It really felt like it does when you are watching the Olympics, it is high energy and the swimmers are all cheering each other on, it was really cool.  I wish my older 2 were on the swim team too, it is really neat.

Anyway, the baby just woke up so I must go. 

Go out today, put your best into everything you do.  You don't have to be the best but, you have to do your best!!

Blessings to you all,

-Liza

Diet? or Lifestyle change?

Good Evening Everyone!

Oh wow, it has been so long since I have written and I truly missed it!  Life just isn't getting any easier with 4 children!  Hahahahahahahahaha.  Yes, our lives are crazy however, I wouldn't change it, any of it for the world.
I love my children, I love being a stay at home mom and I love being a wife. 

My husband is busier than he has ever been at work, apparently when you own your own business, you are not only the owner but the secretary, the computer geek, the phone tech, and the delivery boy.  All of those roles my husband has been playing lately, in addition to his executive/trader role.  Sorry honey but, at least you are working for you and not someone else.  I promise it will pay off someday.

So, I need to give you all an update on our son.  I can't remember if I wrote about this or not but, he saw a DAN doctor a few weeks ago.  A DAN doctor is a Defeat Autism Now doctor.  They specialize in treating people on the Autism Spectrum.  As you all know our son has Asperger's Syndrome which is considered a high functioning form of Autism.

Well, after seeing the doctor we have radically changed his diet and wow, the results have been so amazing.  It has been almost 2 weeks since the diet change and everyone is noticing including our son and his classmates.  For the first time all school year he is sitting in class, listening and not bothering the other students.  I am so pleased with how well he is taking this new diet.  It isn't easy for him, it isn't easy for any of us but, it is worth it to see my son finally happy at school and actively participating in his class.

It is amazing how dependant our family had become on 'processed' foods over the years.  Now that I have to feed my son ONLY Organic, whole foods..nothing processed, nothing conventionally grown, no GMO's, no wheat, no dairy, no gluten, no casein, no sugar, no soy, no eggs and minimal amounts of meat.
So, pretty much he is to eat mostly vegetables and fruit with a small amount of meat and even smaller amounts of grains or simple carbs.

It is really eating a diet of the foods God created.  Nothing processed, nothing 'man-made' or machine made.  Just whole, organic foods.  Seems easy enough but, wow, it is really, really difficult but so worth it for my guy.  He is happier, he listens better, he is calmer, he flat out enjoys life so much more.  It is nice to see the my true son coming out again.

I want to challenge all of you to try cutting back or even cutting out some of the processed foods.  Even if they seem healthy.  Try only shopping the outside of the grocery store.  Try only buying organic, foods and only grass-fed beef and free range chicken.  Limit your proteins, they aren't as good as you might think.  Keep your diet simple yet, colorful.  Eat more legumes, beans, and such.  It is fun experimenting and trying new foods that we would have never tried without this diet.  I am trying new recipes and frankly, even though my son may not like some of the new foods, with 6 people in the family, I have yet to make a recipe that at least one person didn't like!  So, I take that as a mark in the win column.

Try it, just for a week.  We are doing our diet for our son for 6 months but, try eating a diet for one week without all the processed stuff and I promise, you will see a change not only in your children but, in yourself too.

Blessings to all of you and if you do try it for a week, or even a day...please let me know how it went for you, I would love to hear!

-Liza

Sick and Tired...

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I am writing a quick blog before I go and try to take a nap.  I haven't been in the mood to blog lately because we have been fighting sickness in our house for about 10 days so far and we are still fighting!

We had H1N1 in our house and man, it started out not too bad but, the ending has been a bit much for our family lately.  I was the last one to get it, but, I had been sick for 4 days before getting H1N1 with Strep throat that wasn't getting better with meds.  Last Thursday I got pig flu (sorry, not typing the 'official' word for it) after the rest of my family was better.  My husband went out of town for a long planned boys weekend and I was stuck at home sick, with pig flu and really unable to get a lot of help with the babies.

I did have help on Saturday for a few hours and my son spent the night at my parents Friday night but, it truly wasn't enough.  So, last night I was blessed to be able to wake up in the middle of the night and unable to stop coughing and couldn't catch my breath so, I drove myself to the hospital and found out it is now heading to my chest.  Yay.

So, I am officially on 4 prescriptions and Tylenol to boot.  I feel like poop and I am exhausted and my mind truly isn't on anything other than just making it through the day so I can go to bed tonight.  I have been like this for a week and a half now and frankly, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!!

So, I am sorry I haven't been blogging lately I miss it but, just don't have the energy to try and think about anything but, just sitting around and trying to get better. 

I hope to be up and around soon and back to writing my blogs on a regular basis again. 

For now, please check out some of my older blogs again, and maybe you will find something you did see before. 

Blessings to you all!!!! 

-Liza

Here is a link to an old blog....until I am back on my feet, I will try and repost older blogs.....

http://outspokenmom.typepad.com/the_outspoken_mom_blog/2008/12/the-s-word.html.html