What Have I Started?

My oldest daughter, Belly, now has a blog (sorry, private and by invite only). Fortunately, she is only seven and spells for crap. So, at least for now, I will be helping her as she sits and slowly types in her deepest thoughts. I’m sure at some point, she will be hiding in her room and typing all sorts of lies about me and what I have refused to let her do.

Payback is a bitch.

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I was feeling nostalgic on New England Mamas and decided to relive a few of my favorite New England Concert memories.

We’ve Got Arm, and Other Things

(yeah, a little blurry, but he’s a quickie, this son of mine)
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Last week, I finally got around to grading my daughter. As agreed with our public school system, I had to fill out a progress report to show that she has actually learned something while home with me for first grade.

Do homeschoolers actually flunk their kids? What parent is going to say, “Well, I’m going to give Johnny an “F” in Math, so he will have to repeat 1st grade next year”. Sometimes it is so odd trying to fit the homeschooling experience into the public school model.

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Just in time for ’08-’09 school planning, look what came in the mail a few weeks ago:


Oh, how cute! Homeschoolers have a catalog just for them! It even has a cute rainbow and a tiny schoolhouse on it!

Cute, my ass. This sucker weighs a ton and features over 35,000 products explained in teeny tiny typeface…(and, it really isn’t just for homeschoolers but any masochist who wants it).


I’m awed by it, and a little afraid of it.

Hold the Cow

If you’d like to hear my conversation with Kristen Chase about raising a child with a milk allergy, please click on the little “blog talk radio” icon in the right column. Hopefully, I’m not too dorky sounding on the radio.

For anyone who would like to peek into our pantry, I’ve put together a list of our favorite milk-free “finds”. These are things that we usually have on hand for Belly (and often the rest of us). I’ve left off the obvious things like Soy Milk, apples or carrots. Rest assured, she is not living on Oreos and Tings, although she would like that to be the case.

Favorite Milk-Free* Supermarket Discoveries

Oreos or Country Choice Organic Sandwich Creams
Tings
O’Soy Yogurt
Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Hannaford Store Brand Cake Mixes and Brownies (most flavors)
Pillsbury Frostings (some flavors)
Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
Fig Newmans (Wheat Free and Dairy Free variety)
Dove Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Topping
SO Delicious Ice Creams
PhillySwirl Swirl Stix Popsicles
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and Sour Supreme
Tofutti Cuties
ZenSoy Pudding
Soyatoo! Sprayable Whipped Cream

Tofutti Pizza
Earth Balance’s Buttery Sticks (new to our supermarket!) and their Whipped Spread
SoyBoy Ravioli (discontinued from our store—a sad day—really great stuff)

Here is also a great site for lists of vegan foods (a valuable resource for those with milk and egg allergies).

* Always double check labels, and note that some items may be processed on equipment that has been exposed to milk. For us, this is not a problem, but it may be a huge issue for people whose children are severely allergic to milk. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer directly.