So I do not usually do these things...but I kind of liked this one. At least it doesn't sound like some of those freaky myspace surveys that a five-year-old wrote. Read and Learn.
Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to:
1. Started your own blog (you are here!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (3 times now..can I go back yet?)
8. Climbed a mountain Grandfather mountain. Remember that Smartbutnotwise?
9. Held a praying mantis-no way!
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child -no, but I feel like I've adopted several neighbor children some days
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill-my kid(s) were sick, though.
24. Built a snow fort-unfortunately we don't get 'nuff snow to do this often
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping -those crazy college days :-o
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise -in the sound
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors..not the really old ones..but some more recent ones.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - not in public, thank goodness
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - never as the patient, though
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie-I don't think this means your average home video...
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check-thank goodness for overdraft
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square-I got close, but missed it by a few blocks.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle-I was out of control and driving!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - lots of times...benefits of living in a small town
85. Read the entire Bible - sadly I'm sure I've missed some spots
86. Visited the White House- on the outside, anyway.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - fish?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life-not knowingly
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous-yep
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - a long, long time ago...I don't want to update the memory.

Thanks for making it through...share your list if you've done one!

more than small relief, really.

I know you all are sick of hearing about this, but:
You know, it is way more than small relief about the whole colors in the food things. Have any of you ever read labels? Not just the calories & nutrition, but all that fine print. Yikes. It took us about 40 minutes in Harris Teeter to find 3 things we thought she could have (before I found out the colors in food were ok). I was seriously starting to get pretty nervous. Tell your 12 year old, sure have a salad with no dressing and no tomatoes and see what they say!

Knowing that the doctor was referring to only liquids with added colors does make meal times much more simple than if we were trying to avoid dyes. Not that I am a health food freak or anything, do you seriously realize how much 'stuff' is added to our foods? I always thought we did pretty good with our foods...

It will still be a challenge to cut out chocolate & fruits, but I really am beginning to think we can do this!

Small Relief

I had to call the doctor's office with a couple of questions today. While I was speaking with them, it came to light that she does not have to avoid ALL artificial colors. Only to avoid them in her beverages...this does make feeding her a little bit less difficult.

more medical stuff

I still don't want to go into too much detail, but the oldest has an issue which is going to involve major diet modifications...at least for the next several months. We are going to be avoiding a large list of items: most fruits, carbonation, caffeine, chocolate, artificial colors, and more. We also have to do some specific things which will also have to occur while at school.

I am stressed over this. Obviously I want to do whatever I can to help my child. But she is very upset especially about her beverage choices: white milk & water. A lot of this is going to depend on her making the right choices when I am not there. I cannot control her every move and exposure to these things in situations away from home. And when she is home, I do not want the rest of us to be making it worse for her by eating/drinking things in front of her that she cannot have. This means there will have to be major modifications for our entire household. (This is *not* necessarily a bad thing). Grocery shopping is going to take a lot longer while we are learning to inspect those laundry lists of ingredients. It looks like I may have no choice but to become closer to being one of those *wink* crunchy granola people *wink* :) If anyone has advice on where & how to shop or make this any easier...that would be awesome!

Oh, and the youngest did great at the dentist.

made it back

We made it back safely. It was a super long day, and we had a pretty big bomb dropped at the doctor. Nothing life threatening, but a lot of work. I'll discuss more later. I'm exhausted. I just thought ya'll might worry;)

Heading out...

This morning will find me up-and-at-em a bit earlier than usual. I'm having close my business (sorry kids, I'd rather be with you) to drive a few hours out of town to the nearest metropolis for medical care for two of my kiddos. This has been scheduled for about a month or so now, and I have been totally dreading it. One is in the morning, in the north-east part of one big city...and the other is in the afternoon in the heart of a very busy medical conglomerate in the center of a different urban area. I've been there before, but it has been over 5 years for a different child. I cannot say I am looking forward to the parking/traffic or away from home doctors. Yuck. I must really love these kids... :) The timing is just so that we have time to get from one to the other and a lunch break in between. I think I might have to swing through the Target on the way home just to make myself feel better. That is, if I have any money left after the dentist...

Happy Veterans Day

As a fellow blogger noted today, I have seen very little information posted online regarding today's holiday. Happy Veteran's day to everyone. I remember...and am thankful, and pray for an end to all wars. There has been an interesting series of articles in the past few days' The Virginian Pilot regarding POW's, and I have cried while reading them.