Healthiest Life 4 Me

I have not been happy about the school my kids go to for sometime.  But now both of my kids spend each day complaining about all the things that make them miserable there.  I am now on the search for the right place for them both.  I just don’t think that elementary aged kids should absolutely HATE school with all of their being.  It should still be fun.  It should still bring them great joy.  I am in school and it brings me joy and I still like it.  Yes, I am not normal, but I think that there are ways to make kids like school even if they don’t LOVE what they are learning.

My dilemma all these years is that my husband, the bread winner in the house, works for the public school system.  We have always had the option to take them to his district, but it is a 30-40 min drive from the house and since I have been at home I didn’t want to do that every day.  Now that I am subbing, it makes it difficult because I don’t always know where I’ll be.  So, we’ve put up with what is going on.  UNTIL this week.  We have written 7 emails in one week about things that are UNACCEPTABLE to our kids school, district, and teachers…each one about something different (and that number doesn’t include the people we either cc’d or bcc’d).  I don’t think that is the best use of my time.  I am fully aware of the troubles in CA and the stress on teachers and staff…but that is not an excuse!  Everyone has a job to do whether or not they are nervous about what is to come…it’s not our children’s faults: they didn’t vote for anyone who has played any part in this screw up on the part of the state, they can’t vote, they can’t change it, and they STILL deserve our best.  And my kids (and the other children at this school) are not getting the best.  And it is SAD.

So, in the process of looking most of the year for somewhere different to send my kids, I’ve explored many options.  I even talked to the kids about homeschooling, but the problem is that since I have all these student loans to pay for now that I am a college graduate, I need to work.  So, this week a good friend (THANKS KIM) I was introduced to River Springs Academy.  It is a public charter school, so it’s free and yet looking so wonderful.  It is a 4 day a week program with an independent study day.  After talking to someone there, I am looking forward to going to see their Open House.  I am so excited that there are options that are affordable and accommodating for my students.

I will keep you all posted.  The decision to take my to-be 6th grader and 5th grader out of the only school they’ve ever known is very difficult…but I am trying to make their experience better and hope that in the process they will start to enjoy school again!

Today I was able to call the pediatric cardiologist that we were referred to in order to make an appointment for my son.  The first available appointment they had was February 1st.  FEBRUARY 1ST!!! What?? This is my 9 year old and his doctor said his heart had a problem and he can’t play sports.  It sounds too serious to me and scares me to wait that long…I explained to the poor receptionist.  She assured me that the doctor would go over all of my son’s information and they would call me to get me in sooner if he thought it was necessary.  So, I went back to work and tried to keep my mind off of it.  Then my phone rang and about gave me a heart attack since the number was the same as the doctor’s I had just called.   I couldn’t answer because I was teaching, but they left me a message.  They said that the doctor reviewed my son’s information and he would be okay to wait until the 1st to be seen.  I guess that should be good news, but it sure left me unsettled. 

I appreciate all my prayer warriors, GOD IS GOOD!! And he answered my prayer…later this afternoon I got another phone call from the doctor’s office to tell me that they had two cancellations and that they could see my son Monday or Tuesday afternoon.  We took the Tuesday appointment since it’s an early day for the kids and my husband has a game on Monday.  What is one day when I get a week that I didn’t have earlier? 

So, we were told we still have to honor the pediatrician’s recommendations to abstain from athletic activities until we are cleared by the cardiologist.  Otherwise, he should be okay until his appointment on Tuesday. 

Please keep your prayers going.  GOD IS LISTENING and I know he has a plan for my son and our family.  I pray the plan is to see that all our faith can’t be in medicine and must be in him and there be NOTHING at all wrong.  A mom can pray ya know!  AND I PLAN ON DOING MORE OF IT!!  And I hope you will too!

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Other
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For more information or to order contact me at lisasurvillas@healthiestlife4me.com!  Look forward to helping you LIVE WELL.LONGER!!!

Hi, I would like to take a moment to invite everyone to a very special event here in Riverside, CA.  If you aren’t making residule income and work a J O B everyday…then this event is for you.  I can show you how SIMPLE it is to make the kind of money you want.  If you want an extra $500 per month…I can show you how to do that.  If you want to make $1500 per month…I can show you how!  If you are interested in life changing moeny…I can show you that TOO!! 

Please make time on April 18th, 2009 from 1-3 pm to hear the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING opportunity that I have for you.  This is gonna be a packed house and I want you to be a part of it.  I have never been so excited about my life and my future…and especially with so much gloom around me.  But I will tell you, I haven’t met a person in this company saddened by the economy.  We are all doing great and loving what we do.  And best of all…there is an opportunity for you to do and feel the same.  So, take a moment out of your busy life and do something to CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER!! 

Either call me or email me with questions.  Once you RSVP, I will give you the location of the event.  It will be held in Riverside, CA.  If you are from outside the area and are unable to come to this event, the opportunity isn’t lost.  Contact me and we can work something out, either by phone or in person with one of the many contacts I have throughout the US. 

PHONE: (909) 213-7927

EMAIL: lisasurvillas@healthiestlife4me.com

So, the hubby and I took the first day we had NOTHING else going on to enjoy with our kids.  It is so cold in Southern California right now that we had to stay indoors.  We ended up taking the kids to Chili’s and then to see Coraline in 3D. 

MMMMMMMM!!! Chili’s was good as always.  Our 9 1/2 year old daughter wasn’t feeling like herself today.  She has been having a lot of problems with her ears and it is bothering her again.  So she wasn’t really eating much. I asked her if she was ok.then I feel my chair vibrate a bit.  I realize that my phone was signaling me that I had a text and I could feel it in the chair because my purse was hanging on the chair.  I take out my phone.and be ready.I had a text from my daughter who was so close I could touch her hand without out-stretching my arm.  Then I realize that my husband is texting back and forth with her too.  HELLO, people.were we all not sitting at the same tiny bar table?  Is this really necessary.  But she was feeling so icky, she didn’t want to talk. 

The movie was interesting.  I wasn’t really sure that Coraline was going to be a good movie for the kids.  It was cute and the kids seemed to be liking it until the darkest parts happened and then they were both a bit freaked out.  We did convince them to make it to the end with a son on my lap and my hubby hugging my daughter.  We think it went well and enjoyed the cuddling that doesn’t happen as much as we’d like!  We’ll see how they sleep tonight.

More and more children are being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD.  Many doctors and teachers disagree on the diagnosis and treatments of children suspected of having these disorders.  As a parent, it is very hard to hear from a teacher that he/she suspects that your child has this problem.  Well for those of you moms in CA there are 1 problems with this:  teachers are NOT allowed to make medical diagnosis’ SO don’t let them.  But if you have suspicions about whether or not your child does have this disorder, even in the smallest way consider seeing a natural doctor instead of your pediatrician.   There are many natural doctors out there that believe that poor nutrition is to blame from many things including these disorders. 

My son’s second grade teacher was convinced that he had ADD and we took him to the doctor and asked the school to do some testing, but nobody but that teacher believed it was in the best interest of the child.  One thing I have done though is started giving him a product by Symmetry Direct called Future Star.  In fact this product is responsible for me becoming a partner with the company.  Too many fabulous stories from moms about how much it has helped their children.  So I started with the company and also started supplementing my son with it.  I can say I noticed a huge difference in his personality. 

Let me back up.my son’s only issue seems to be that he is shy and doesn’t ask for help.  He struggles with writing and language analysis.  He thinks it’s boring and nobody has sparked his interest in it.  And how could they.it is just constant worksheets and no one on one teaching if needed.  It has been a frustrating few years.  But Future Star (2 times a day-with breakfast and dinner) has made a huge difference in his ability to pay attention.but he still hates those subjects and therefore doesn’t try to do them well. 

A very well known chiropractor in Southern California, Dr. Howard Cohn wrote an article called “The COHN (Compelling Original Health News) Report” about ADD and ADHD treatments in children.  He talks about the medical treatments and the reasons to stay away from them.  Besides just Symmetry’s Future Star, there are some other products that can be used in conjunction to add to the positive effect you are looking for without using synthetic drugs. 

He also has a practice in Newport Beach, CA that offers a once weekly FREE workshop that not only offers you the chance to hear about health the natural way, but also includes a FREE vegan dinner from Mother’s Market.  Please see his site by clicking HERE for more information. 

I understand how difficult these decisions can be, but please know that this information is just meant to help you make informed decisions with the best intentions of your child in mind. 

Future Star is not only used for ADD and ADHD, it is a Phenomenal multi-vitamin for any child or student wanting extra brain food’s helping their brain function!  Check it out by clicking on the link: Live Better With Symmetry on the right side of the page.  Feel free to contact me at lisasurvillas@healthiestlife4me.com for more information.

Last weekend was Zack’s last game of the fall season.  And of course, the next season starts right up.  This time he is playing NJB basketball.  He is in Division 3, which is 3rd and 4th graders.  He was so excited to start this season.  Last time he played was in 1st grade and it was considered Rookie Division, which is basically an hour of learning drills.  He thought it was boring and didn’t get much actual time with the ball or getting instruction as an individual.  So he chose not to play his 2nd grade year because it would have been the same thing again.  When he remembered that he would be able to play on a team and have games, he was ready to play again.

We’ve had about 4 practices with a great dad as coach.  He is so good with the kids.  But you never know how you’ll match up when the games start because after all, you’ve only seen yourselves.  And while we’ve seen improvement in 4 practices, what does that really mean? 

We got to see how we stacked against another team today.it was our First game of the season.  We played a team of what seemed to be mostly 4th graders.  But it didn’t really matter because only 3 of the players really touched the ball.  And while those 3 players were really good, how sad for the other 7 kids.  What I was most impressed with is that our coach really taught the kids to pass the ball around and make sure that everybody had chances to touch it.  After all, isn’t that what each kid is playing for.  They want to play.not just be a body on the court filling up space.  It’s a lot of running up and down, up and down, up and down, to barely ever touch the ball. 

As a parent of a kid who just loves to play and be a part of a team.I APPRECIATE the coach we were given.  He has the right idea.   And I know you are wondering.we lost 17-35 (i think that was the score.because it really doesn’t matter to me).  I am most excited about what the coach said to the kids after the game.”I am proud of you guys.  You passed the ball the way I asked.  You played a good game.  Now we are just going to work on playing harder in the game.”  Thanks Coach Powers (not that he’ll be reading this, but just in case.) I want you to know that I am very happy that we got a coach like you.lead us through a great season! 

Let’s GO CELTICS!! 

Here are some pictures of Zack during his first game!  He is number 11 (funny story: I picked up the uniforms for the coach on Fri night.  He told me I could pick one for Zack and bring him dressed.  When I went through the uniforms, there were 5 youth mediums - which was the smallest - so Zack wanted to be 11 since he is always 2 or 3 because he is always one of the smallest.  So Zack is 11 and kids bigger than him are 3, 5, and 10.  I think it’s really cute):

What a great game Celtics!! Let’s have a great season!

This morning started off slow.  I was behind schedule getting to the gym this morning because I had to take care of some room mom duties.  Worked fast and then off to the gym. Got a great workout in and saw a few old friends who are finally coming back to the gym.  Today was “shoulder” day.  Did 5 shoulder exercises, some abs and 50 mins of cardio.  Whew! Then off to some errands.  Had to go turn in paperwork and money for booth at family health fair in a few weeks, get some snacks at the dollar tree, then to get cookies for my daughter’s teacher’s birthday celebration at school, to the school for the celebration and finally home for lunch!
And that brings me to my food journal (which I hope to get to everyday).

630 am
5 egg whites
1 yolk
¼ c oatmeal
Supplements

8 am workout
10 am
Shake – iso extreme
2 sodium free rice cakes

12:30 pm
4 oz. ground sirloin
1 c broccoli
1 sodium free rice cake
1 tbsp ketchup
supplements

3:30 pm
Shake – iso extreme
2 sodium free rice cakes

6 pm
4 oz. salmon
1 c broccoli
2 sodium free rice cakes

9 pm
Shake – iso extreme
2 sodium free rice cakes (ok…kinda hooked on the rice cakes right now)

But the best part of the day wasn’t anything I’ve written about yet. This evening I got to feel like a kid again.  Of course, the reserved kid I have become at least.  At my son’s soccer practice it was them vs. the parents. OMG!!! It made me want to play soccer again.  See, before I became that fat girl in the pictures, I was an active young person.  I played soccer, and very well if I may say so myself, and I danced, and as a young adult my hubby and I played co-ed roller hockey.  I used to love to move and play sports.  I used to love to watch sports (ok…so it’s ok if that never comes back…I like my stupid tv shows).  So, today showed me that I wasn’t too old to have fun.  And a LOT OF IT!

The kids had so much fun!  The adults had so much fun!  The kids won (well, after we didn’t count about 5 goals, but hey it was all for fun, right).   I would like to point out however, that those dads from my previous post about soccer didn’t participate.  Again…not sure what could possibly be going on in their minds, but it would have been great for their kids.  The wives came through though…as if that would ever be a question…Let’s hear it for the moms…MOMS ROCK!!  Mom’s ALWAYS come through!  

Well, my son’s team in U8 of our Region is undefeated and yet somehow the family dynamics on the sideline is something that I find curious.  Each family sits far enough away from the other so as not to look unfriendly, yet are far enough away from each other that they don’t actually have to speak to the other.  This is the first time in 6 soccer seasons that I have experienced anything like it. 

However, weird as it may be.I kinda like it.  It is hard to be on the sidelines and listen to parents yell to the kid with the ball to pass it to their kid and their kid alone when sometimes another kid is in better position to receive the pass.  And when a kid other than theirs scores, makes a great pass to set up a goal/goal opportunity or stop a goal from happening against us, these few dads have nothing to say.  But they are loud and clear when their son does something right. 

That’s right, we are undefeated.  Not because we have a few good kids, but because our kids are learning to play the game together.  And while yes, we do have a few standouts on our team, they play well with the others.  The newer and younger kids on the team are learning a great deal from those who have been playing longer. 

But, hey DADS, would it hurt for you to cheer for the team as a whole.  I love seeing a kids face when he hears the whole group of parents on the sideline cheering out for him.  Especially those newbies who are unsure if they are doing the right thing.  When they make a great play, reinforce it!  Does it really cause you pain, random DAD?  Do you think it hurts your kid to have him hear you cheer out someone else’s name OR do you think it may help him be a better sport and better person in the long run??? 

Anyhow…Hats off to those of you who cheer for all the kids, encourage all the kids, and enjoy watching all the kids learn the game, play the game, and become better people and quite possibly, even become great MEN!