Alex is going through a fearful stage. He periodically decides some of his stuffed animals and toys are scary, and he wants them out of his room.

To date, this is what has been banished:

All 3 monkeys

Curious George

His turtle pillow (a Pillow Pet)

2 dragons

A penguin (Opus)

A 3-foot tall Easter bunny

Spring 1992: I'm a junior in high school, driving my dad's pickup truck to school. It's pretty early in the morning, and the horizon is ablaze with color. I've got Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" playing loudly on the radio, and the birds in the sky seem to dance in tune with the melody. My friend Jonathan has introduced me to the music of Vivaldi, and it's the first classical piece with which I've made a connection. The music stirs me, provides a solace in the turmoil of adolescence. Later I will identify what I love about Vivaldi: the deep dramatic tones. I hear bass, strings, and a melancholy mood. It's the cello that rings out, leaving such an indelible impression on me.

Spring 1994: I'm a freshman in college, meeting with Professor Miller, my freshman advisor. We discuss my interests, and I tell him I'd love to play the cello, but I can't afford lessons. He encourages me to talk to Professor Lessing, who plays cello in the college orchestra. He's sure an arrangement could be worked out ... continue reading The Four Seasons: Spring

I'm sitting at my dining room table on a Tuesday afternoon. It's a snow day; we've kept our son home from daycare, and I've used this excuse to stay home from work. Alex, two years old, is napping upstairs; my husband, Jim, is working at his computer in the living room.

Sally, our smallest basset hound, is sitting beside my chair, waiting for some attention. I'm trying to read, but she's persistent. I reach my hand down to scratch her under the chin, and though she'll sit like this all day if I keep petting her, I'm obliged to continue.

At 35 pounds, Sally resembles a beagle more than a basset. Her small but strong body is covered in short, white fur that looks like it's freckled; her head and ears are brown, while her face is growing whiter every year. Her soulful, intelligent eyes are a chocolate brown, pleading for more attention while always alert for something to bark at.

Tucker, just over a year old, wanders over. He outweighs Sally by ten pounds, and by the size of his paws ... continue reading A Day With My Dogs

I took Alex to Story Time at the Library today. Instead of the usual Mr. John reading books, they had a special event - Mother Goose was in one of the bigger rooms and it was a big production. Apparently we should have registered in advance, but fortunately they still had sufficient space for the people that didn't know about it.

So Mother Goose told some stories and had ... continue reading Mother Goose at the Library

We've been taking Alex to the library lately for story time. The librarian reads some books and sings some songs. He has a grand old time.

So lately he's started doing Story Time for his stuffed animals as well.

It's been a few weeks since my initial post about my diagnosis with celiac disease, and I have a lot more to share! I thought I'd just type up random thoughts as they occur to me.

First of all, I'm still getting "glutened." I'm finding myself getting comfortable with my GF foods, I forget to look at the package, and so I inadvertently eat gluten. For example, some Chex cereals are GF, and they even say "gluten free!" in big letters on the front of the box. However, we must have grabbed an old box off the shelf, and I didn't look at the ingredients. A few days later, I looked at the box and discovered why I was feeling bad. In addition, the cocoa I use for my morning mocha -- yep, contains gluten. Well, to clarify, Nestle Milk Chocolate Cocoa Mix is GF. Their Rich Chocolate version is not. I must have opened a contained of Rich Chocolate I had laying around, and voila! Sick again!

On a more positive note, one evening we had GF pizza at Uno Chicago Grill, and I was thrilled to discover ... continue reading My Gluten Free Life

At the beginning of August, I had a routine checkup with my endocrinologist. I have hypothyroidism, so every six months or so I get my bloodwork done, and sometimes an ultrasound, then I visit my doctor to review my progress. This time, he told me the antibody for celiac disease showed up on my test, indicating that I may have it. Next, I would need to see a gastroenterologist to have a test to confirm the diagnosis.

Naturally, I was a little unnerved by this, but you do what you have to do. I was able to get in to see a gastroenterologist two days later. He told that, based on my bloodwork, I very probably have celiac disease. I scheduled an appointment for an endoscopy for two weeks later, and in the meantime I was not to alter my diet in any way, as starting a gluten free diet prior to the test would affect the results.

I spent the next two weeks saying goodbye to my favorite foods and dreading the upcoming change in my life. Then I went in for the endoscopy, and when I woke up ... continue reading Chronicles of a Celiac