Ask a simple question…

The children are “ice skating” to their self-created music in the nook normally used as the dining area.

Jay is filling out some huge survey, occasionally trying to engage me by asking questions.

I am trying to cruise through my reconceptualized novel despite the activity, and Jay reads from the survey:

“Do you have trouble concentrating or making decisions?”

Me: “YES!”

Results of the 3 week Allergy test.

Well, I learned more about me than the kids, but what I learned about me explains why I wouldn’t have noticed it in them.

What we will clear out of our house, and not buy any more:

Oatmeal.

Sort of a bummer and requiring a level of awareness I haven’t needed before, but of all the “common” allergies to have this is a relatively low-impact one.

I had a low-level (only noticeable to me) reaction to sesame, and a distinct response to cane sugar too (believe me, I checked this one three different ways before I let myself be sure).  The sensation I’ve now associated with cane sugar is a feeling I’ve had for *years* after eating sweet cereals, and ignored because I liked the cereals and wasn’t interested in quitting them.

So if the kids have the same thing they’re likely to be like me and endure it till they flip their pain/pleasure ratio.  I made it this far, so I’m sure if they have an issue they’ll figure it out too.

Anyway, the big deal: tummy aches can be directly timed to the oatmeal.  Disappointed children not waning to give up everything-oat have pointed out that they don’t get tummy aches *every* time they eat it, but since the tummy aches *only* happen with oats in the system, well, I’m not feeling particularly swayed.

Add to that my own reactions have seemed to be intensifying (the book we’re following indicated this would be the case, as the body tends to over-react to troubling things’ return once they’ve been cleaned out of the system), I’m ready to clean it out of the house and wait awhile to see if it continues to work.

*Very* hard 3 weeks, stirring up all sorts of unhealthy coping mechanisms (staying up too late, disproportionate emotional reactions… from all of us) that I hope will work soon back to normal.