Life is Therapy

Would you believe it took three years to work up to this hands-covered-in-sticky-gooey-icky-yucky-slimy-paint moment? It was a proud momma moment indeed!


For more Life is Therapy click here.

Making Yogurt in a Crockpot

Well, folks I did it! I successfully made my own yogurt. It tastes delicious and was so easy. This is something that I have thought would be fun to do for years, but was somehow convinced it was a really difficult process and I would need lots of special equipment that would end up costing lots more than what I would actually save by making it myself.

Not true!

Thanks to Tammy who made it seem possible and then this fabulous blog that made it seem so easy that there was no reason to not give it a try.

What you need:
A Crockpot (mine is a 3.5 quart)
A thick bath towel
1/2 gallon of milk (I used whole milk but I hear any kind of milk will work)
1/2 cup natural yogurt (you know, the kind of nasty - no flavor added kind you buy at the store. After you make your first batch, you can use 1/2 cup of your own yogurt next time instead of the store bought kind)
1/2 cup powdered milk (you don't really this - it just makes the yogurt thicker)

Now, here's what you do:

Pour the milk into the Crockpot, put the lid on, and turn to Low for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 1/2 hours, turn the Crockpot off and let sit for 3 hours (DO NOT remove the lid - just unplug the machine and let it be).

When the 3 hours are up, scoop out 2 cups of the warm milk and put it in a bowl with the 1/2 cup store-bought yogurt and powered milk. Stir until mixed, then throw it all back into the Crockpot and mix it up. Put the lid back on and then wrap the entire Crockpot (remember, it's still unplugged) in a big bath towel. Then let it sit for about 8 hours.

When the 8 hours are up - unwrap your Crockpot, take the lid off, and just like that you have YOGURT!

(I started the process at 4:30pm. Cooked milk until 7pm, let it sit until 10pm, added the yogurt and powdered milk, then went to bed and left it until about 6:30 the next morning.)

As soon as I took the lid off, I could smell the tangy yogurt smell which meant success! You can enjoy a bowl right away, but after that be sure to put the remainder in the fridge. After about 8 hours or so in the fridge it will thicken up a bit more.

I chose to leave my yogurt plain and just add what I want to each individual serving I dish up. That way I can make it sweeter if I'm in the mood for sweet, or not as sweet if I'm not in the mood. You can store in fridge for at least 7-10 days (one site I read said up to three weeks, but as good as this stuff is, I don't think you'll have a problem eating it within the 7 days).

Here's a picture of the yogurt and dressed up with some maple syrup (or you could use honey) and frozen raspberries. It's a bit of heaven on earth (the bowl really doesn't do it justice, please excuse it - we are poor students, remember? My bowl options consist of the bowl you see or an oversized, very awkward squarish, ceramic thing with a few cracks through the center).

Wordless Wednesday - Sisters

In True Antalya Style

Antalya has two speeds. It's been that way since she learned to crawl. They are STOP and GO. While most people have a low, middle, and high gear, Antalya seemed to have only been programmed with a high gear (I snapped these pictures with my phone on our walk home from school. Although the quality isn't the best, they sure prove my point).

When we stop we stop for a long while and for any number of things: it could be to sip her milk, to sit down on the pavement to rest, to put her mouth on the metal fence we are passing to see what it tastes like, to knock on a door we are passing, to greet strangers as they pass, to take off shoes because she suddenly has the impulse to walk barefoot. I never know what she will throw at me, and I've gotten pretty good at going with the flow. If there's one thing I've learned it is that you don't rush Antalya when she is in stop mode - it only slows things down further.




Her other speed is GO - and believe me, when she is in go mode - there ain't nothing gonna get in her way. She is fast. Too fast. I have to run to keep up with her. Luckily for me, she likes to run several yards, then spin a few circles in place while I try to catch up. This always elicits laughter on the part of Victoria (it appears not even her hat can keep up with her when she decides to go).

Life Is Therapy

It's been about eight months since Antalya has had any formal therapy. I try to make up for it with activities at home and encouraging her speech and practicing new sounds. Despite the lack of therapists in our life lately, I think she is still progressng and learning so much everyday.

I recently found this post about Life is Therapy (thanks Michelle) I couldn't agree more. There is so much to be learned everyday and so many new skills our little ones with special needs can be working on and perfecting without a "therapist" helping them along. Don't get me wrong - therapy has it's place, and I am anxious to get going with a regular program again (we had an assessment with a speech therapist just this morning).

So along the theme of Life is Therapy, here are some of the fun things we did on Saturday at our family outing to the Museum of Childhood..

Played with sand and was fascinated (like always) at the way it moves through little fingers.


Used gross motor skills to climb up into the ambulance and pretend drive it.

Practiced good cooking skills.

Learned about colors, mirrors, and lights.

Experimented with different textures and sensory input.

Sat a table in a public place and ordered food to eat (this was a BIG one - we haven't taken Antalya out to eat for a very long time, but we decided since the cafe was right there and there wouldn't be much of a wait for food, it would be good practice for her to have to sit at the table and eat whilst surrounded by people and distractions). Sorry there is no picture of this one - I was so impressed with her good manners that I was afraid pulling out the camera to document it would ruin the moment :)

And Victoria had a great time too!

A Common Thread

One the greatest things about having a child with Down syndrome is the connection you instantly have with over 1 million other families throughout the world. Although each one of our children are an individual and different in many ways, the path we walk as parents is very similar despite differences in race, religion, or politics. I love that a child with Down syndrome is recognized immediately and without having to say a single word, two mothers who cross paths on the street can form a bond with no more than a glance to both children and a big smile to one another.

We had one such encounter this morning on our walk to school. We passed a mother and her handsome elementary aged son. A quick glance at Antalya and her face lit up with a grin. Mine followed suit. Although she was engaged in a conversation with another mom, she stopped to say hello to Antalya and tell her what a beautiful pink coat she was wearing. We in turn shared a few words and then waved goodbye.

Albeit brief - our small interaction made my day. Without saying more than a few words, I felt connected to someone. And not just anyone - but a mother who understands what I feel. A mother who has fought for the education and acceptance of her child, a mother who has spent nights worrying about the health of her child, a mother who has been to appointment after appointment to make sure her little one is getting all the care they need, a mother who understands about sensory issues, eating issues, and sleeping issues, a mother who has felt indescribable joy when her child learned to clap their hands, or sit up on their own, or take their first step, or use their first sign, a mother knows words like OT, PT, T&A, CPAP, ENT, IEP, EI, a mother who knows how frustrating communication can be sometimes. A mother who knows all the love I feel for Antalya because she feels the same for her son.

Today I am reminded that the common thread of Down syndrome that I share with so many is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Sunday Grains of Gratitude

We have had a great week and I have so much to be thankful for!

My parents bought their plane tickets to come visit us in June. I am excited to have them come stay for a couple weeks, but even more excited that me and the girls will be flying back with them to spend a few weeks with family and friends back in Utah. I'll be flying back to London by myself - anyone interested in coming to London the end of July? I could really use some extra hands on the flights since I'll be alone with the girls.

Victoria slept from 8:00pm - 5:00am last night. Luckily I still had to get up with Antalya once, and make a couple trips to the bathroom. I'm afraid if I were to actually sleep more than 3 hours at a time I might not ever wake up again:)

Victoria is almost crawling! We started the week with her not knowing how to get on all fours, and we ended the week with her on all fours rocking back and forth and moving herself backwards. This might not be good news for some moms - but in my mind the sooner she starts moving around, the sooner I won't have to protect her every waking moment from her adoring (deathly smothering) sister.

I have started working out again and am feeling great. After I finished the marathon back in 2008, I quit cold turkey and have had one excuse after another not to start a regular workout program. My mom bought me the 10 Minute Workout trainer for Christmas and I am loving it!

I am on Day 15 of my 100 Day Book of Mormon read. Thanks to Tammy at Praying for Parker for inspiring me! It makes such a difference in my day when I spend a few minutes in the morning focusing on Christ.

We spend a fantastic day at the Museum of Childhood yesterday (pictures coming soon). Not only was the museum free, but we also managed to find free parking (unheard of in London). It couldn't have been a nicer day out!

What are you thankful for?

"She's Not My Friend"

This morning I took Antalya to preschool as usual. We were hanging up her coat in the bathroom while another cute little kid was washing his hands at the sink. Antalya went over to say hello to him. He looked up at me and quickly said, "she's not my friend!" I politely reminded him that all the kids in preschool were his friend. He didn't seem to agree and was quick to tell me once more that Antalya was not his friend.

I could've been very hurt by his words, but come on - he's three! And chances are he wasn't saying it based on anything that had to do with Antalya. She's been in his class for less than two weeks. I'm sure he was merely stating a fact that he has many friends at school, and that Antalya just didn't happen to be one. I get that.

He may not have meant any harm by his words, but I know that one day someone will say something similar and they will mean harm by it. Will I have to teach Antalya how to not take offense at others words and actions, or will her innocence carry her through all the hurtful things out there?

And really, how anyone (even a 3 year old) could not completely adore this sweet face is beyond me!

A Mother's Gift

Being a mother is hard work! I'm sure every mother out there would agree. Every day is such a balancing act. And every day it seems I struggle with the same things - loosing my patience when I really shouldn't, getting upset over spilled milk, worrying that I'm not doing enough, wondering if I am becoming the mother they both need me to be, and trying to find the balance between disciple and just go.

But at the end of the day, when I tuck my girls into bed and watch them drift off into peaceful sleep, all of the worrying, wondering, and frustration melts away. When I am cuddled in bed, reading stories with Antalya, or when Victoria is nestled in to my chest, it doesn't seem to matter how many times I lost my patience during the day, or how many mistakes I made. I know that they love me, and they know that I love them - and everything else falls into the background. I like to think of these quiet moments as God's gift to mothers. As I watch them sleep I feel renewed energy and determination to be better the next day.

Lime Chili Tacos

As requested, here is the recipe for the Lime Chili Tacos. I'm going to be posting some more recipes in the days/weeks that come. I am on a quest to find meals that are quick to get on the table. For me, that means anything that I can do all the prep work for while Antalya is at preschool in the morning. This recipe is compliments of my friend Emily Lillywhite.

Place in crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until tender.

• 3 chicken breasts
• juice from 1 lime
• 1 T chili powder

Remove chicken and shred. Place back in crock pot and add:

• 1 c frozen corn (or a can of corn)
• 1 c salsa
• 1 can black beans

Cook for another 30 minutes (or until all hot).

Serve with avocados, sour cream, lettuce, cheese, and whatever else you like on tacos.

This turned out great. Although I should add that because it was such a wet mixture it turned my crunchy taco shell into a mushy one pretty quick. For that reason I think it would be great as a base for a taco salad.