Crayola Product Review

My co-writer at the SVMom's Group asked if any of us wanted to try out some new Crayola products. Crayola? You're never to old for Crayola!! So I said yes.

We got to try the No Drip Paint Brush Pens and Pip-Squeaks Mix'ems Markers.

Adam, although nearly 10 and not too much of an art fan was immediately interested after seeing the big Crayola crayon box the items were shipped in.
After checking out the 2 new items he called his friend over from next door and headed outside to the porch with some paper. The kids had a blast!

They both liked the No Drip Paint Brush Pens, because they weren't messy and drippy, however, they had a tendency to treat it like a marker which you can't, you still have to use brush strokes.

The Pip-Squeak Mix 'Em Markers were by far the favorite of the 2. Each marker is actually 2. You snap them together, push the button on the end and the colors match. You can even see this happening in the clear window! Then color away. Depending on what angle you hold the marker depends on how much or little of both colors you get. And you can mix and match the color - since I'm not a math person I can't tell you how many combinations there are, but let's just say it's lots and lots!

Adam's response when asked if he liked them "Well, I still won't like doing school projects, but they'll look a lot cooler with these markers and paintbrushes to add in special effects."

Thanks to Crayola for allowing us to try these!!

Be sure to check out the other new items when you're shopping for back-to-school supplies!

Cross-posted at Yup - Another Review Blog.

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Is it in color?

This past weekend we joined the swarms of parents and kids to get school supplies at the local Target. We also ended up buying "Stand By Me". It was on the end of the checkout aisle. (You know, that last chance for the store to suck all of your money out of your account) And I figured I'd already spent a fortune in school supplies, new sneakers and the very new and cool Shawn White T-shirts, so what was another $7.50.

While reading the back description to Adam I also mentioned that the movie came out when I was in high school and how much I liked it. Adam asks "Is it in color then?" Just how old does he think his Mom is?!?

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What To Wear, What To Wear....

Once upon a time there was a boy that had lots of sensory issues, didn't really care to socialize all that much and didn't like change. This carried over into what he wore. Sweats and t-shirts. Never shirts with collars or buttons. Very rarely jeans. Just sweatpants/shorts, t-shirts and sweatshirts. Anything else truly bothered him.

Something started happening 2ish years ago. He started to wear jeans. He started learning the names of a few kids in his class. He even tried wearing shirts with collars. And he found out that when he stepped out from his own world, the rest of the world could be fun on his terms. He started to notice that some things were just not cool to wear each day (like sweat pants). He started to learn that he could have fun interacting with his peers, especially if he learned their names.

Fast forward to yesterday. We went to Target to get school supplies. As we were walking by the boys clothing we saw a new line of clothing - Shawn White skateboarder. I've never heard of him. But boy has Adam. He NEEDED to have a tshirt by him. He WANTED to have a tshirt by him. All the cool kids would be, and so that included him. He didn't care that it had tags or anything else on it. What mattered was that others would be wearing them and hey - they are from a skateboarder!

I thought back to the screams and tantrums when clothes that looked and felt OK to me didn't touch him the right way. I never thought I'd be so happy that he was into fashion!

This post brought to you by The Parent Bloggers Network and Hanes.

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To Clean Or Not To Clean - That Is The Question

One reason why it's been easy to read around here is because all I have to do is plop myself down on the couch. It's a lot safer and less aggravating than this.

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Books, Books and More Books

Here's another reason I've been quiet lately. I've been busy reading:

The Septembers of Shiraz
The Longest Journey
The Gatherer
Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting
Memoirs of an Immigrant
Knife on Skin at 7:30

And Adam and I have been reading:
In Search of Molly Pitcher
the rabbit and the snowman
The Most Valuable Treasure
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

Go ahead, check them out!

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Unwordless Wednesday

I have no picture for Wordless Wednesday. Because I'm in bed trying to sleep instead of wake up. Because for 2 nights now (and days) I've been having, umm, 'stomach issues related to a virus of some kind'. And while my stomach has calmed somewhat, I can not sleep because of a Certain Bird. This bird in fact. So, if you can all imagine this picture, but with blooming Crepe Myrtle flowers on the branches, but the SAME Certain Bird who is STILL with us, that would be my picture right now.

You'll have to excuse me for a while. I have to go set up some contraption of a shoelace to the blinds to the bed so I can flick the blinds without getting out of bed when Certain Bird keeps flying back. And hope the good germs (yes, there is a story behind this but that is for another day) Adam gave me kick in soon.

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And would you like some dairy with that?

That is the new question around here for Adam.

After just about 2 years of no gluten and casein (minus a cheat every 6 months) we are giving him casein. And so far, knock on wood, please.don't.let.me.telling.the.blogshere.this.jinx.me, all is going OK.

In the past, when we've let Adam cheat to see how he reacts we've always given him gluten and casein. And there's been a reaction. So, we go back to none of either.

This past summer I decided to peel another layer of the onion and we went to a Pediatric Gastrenterologist. Who did a lot of blood work - as in FIVE viles (poor Adam, he was such a trooper). And everything came back just fine. Except the Celiac Genetic Marker Test. There are 2 genetic markers. You need one of them to get Celiacs. He's got 1 of the markers. But so does 3o% of the population. So. We got to thinking. With Adam's history of ear infections and an amazing amount of antibiotics (the first round causing C-diff at 6 months old) and with a marker for Celiacs maybe he does have either Celiac or a true intolerance to gluten. Actually. We know he has an intolerance. That was confirmed by the doctor. You can't make your body react the way his does - it's not just a behavioral reaction. But we aren't willing at this point to scope him. We know staying off gluten is a good thing for him still. With an intolerance there is still hope he'll be able to have it one day.

But casein. Well, the gluten and casein proteins react very similarly - especially when you are looking at it from a Leaky Gut Syndrome perspective. But what if all along it was just gluten?

Only one way to find out.
Here's a bowl of ice cream Adam.
Two days later - here's a taco with real sour cream (not tofu based).
Two days later - here's some carmel sauce for your apple slices.
And all has been fine.
And my Mom has been visiting us for 6 days.
And all has been fine.
No extra hyperness, persevering and rigidness.
No bumps or red ears.

We're still going to take it slowly. But wow. Being able to have dairy changes things SOOO much. Even if it's just here and there (like cheese slices, dairy toppings on stuff) a couple times a week.

We'll maybe try gluten next summer. Maybe it was just Leaky Gut and his stomach is healing. Maybe it's Celiacs. To do more testing for Celiac's there has to be gluten in his system. They look at IGA reaction and a biopsy. But right now it's great to know that all his systems are looking normal, if there ever was damage due to gluten it's gone, and (keep fingers crossed, knock on wood) he can tolerate casein.

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