Update on life/unschooling

So I've been busy and lazy.  Blogging as of late has not been appealing even though I've had lots of blogging ideas.  Writing them down just has not been part of the thinking process.

As far as an update I am jumping into the world of research and will be taking a statistics class this fall.  I'm not looking forward to weekly Wednesday night classes (I haven't done a weekly class since 2007 during my MLIS days).  It will be a huge adjustment for all of us.  I think GymGirl will have the hardest time since her team class is also on Wednesday nights and DH will also be changing jobs soon and he'll be working evenings.  GymGirl will go from having her mom and dad for dinner nightly to just mom and mom will be gone one night a week.  I worry about so much for her at once.

Unschooling seems to still be working for us.  I must admit I struggle with letting her take the lead.  I want to buy a curriculum and put it on her desk to sort of trick her into showing interest.  She is doing a great job reading.  She is muddling through "2nd Grade" level books.  I'm not sure what leveling books really does other than make a parent feel justified in their own parenting decisions.  Yeah, my 4-year-old is reading a 2nd grade book!  I'm a great mom!  It's so not like that!  GymGirl likes to read.  She sees her mom and dad reading all of the time so she puts books up too. 

We have started something new with GymGirl.  We are reading The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary to her.  One chapter a day and we started on Monday.  It was one of my favorite books and I don't think GymGirl was too impressed with the first chapter but last night's chapter ended with a cliffhanger!  What happened to Ralph?  "Mom, did Ralph die?  Mom what happens next?"  You'll have to wait for Chapter 3 tomorrow.  I think I've got her hooked! 

DH will be staring The Wind in the Willows with her soon.  I think the chapters are too long but he loves the story and I think sharing what you love trumps "appropriate length" any day.  I mean these are chapter books and she is only 4. 

GymGirl is also showing a strong interest in math.  She does calculations for fun and then ask if she is right.  Her current math thing is to quiz everyone in the house on addition facts.  I guess we're fine just letting her explore life.

Mamavation Mom Application

So I decided to apply to be the next Mamavation Mom!  I'm so excited about the possibility to detox my house and lose weight.  Actually I'm not so concerned about the weight thing.  It has been a while since I blogged mostly thanks to the whole working on a doctorate thing but back in September I started working toward running a 10K!  The 10K is next week and I'm ready but this leads to the whole weight thing since I have not lost a single pound!  At least I didn't gain!

Anyways back to Mamavation.  I love the whole group of Mamavation Moms.  They are a super supportive group and I'm excited about getting back into the Mamavation swing of things.  My schooling has pushed everything not school and family to the back burner but I'm ready to get back to normal and enjoy some social media time again.

If you are so inclined, I highly encourge you to join Mamavation.  Seriously a more supportive sistahood does not exists online.  Here is the link for more information on becoming a Mamavation Mom:

http://www.mamavation.com/2013/12/apply-for-mamavation-detox-weight-loss-boot-camp-january-campaign.html

So join up!

Oh and here is my application video.  Enjoy!

Bittersweet: 3 years, 5 months, and 15 days (Breastfeeing pics included)

If you are a regular reading you will noticed that the Breastfeeding Timeline is now gone.  As of two weeks ago Ravebaby totally weaned.  My goal for nursing was 2 years.  I never imaged that I would go almost 3 and half years.

 It is bittersweet.  I am happy to have my body back.  I no longer have to worry about being able to nurse out of what I am wearing.  While it had been about 5 months since we last nursed in public and about 3 since she had nursed at anytime beside bedtime, in my mind I have always had boobs as a ready and willing tool for curing ouchies or helping her go to sleep.  We snuggle and we are both happy with it.  I nudged her to wean and then she decided it was time. 

Ravebaby weaning just in time for me to start my doctorate.  I thought she would regress.  I figured she want to nurse as soon as she saw and then stay on the boob all the time.  I think she just realized that there was lot of life away from the boobs and besides, mom's boobs don't make chocolate milk.

So anyways there you have it.  I am officially no longer a breastfeeding mom.  It is incredible to me that this one decision to breastfeed has changed me so much.  I am wheatless because I breastfed a wheatless baby.  As I sit here eating my Gluten-Free Glutino Toaster Pastery, I have to smile.   I don't miss wheat.  When DH got his "death sentence" of a wheat allergy 10 years ago, I was in shock and had no clue what to do.  When we saw the signs in DD at 3 weeks,  I went cold turkey.  Now, eating wheat makes me sick.  I can tell when I've had wheat.  I just don't miss it anymore. 

My breastfeeding journey maybe over but the wheatlessness will continue.  My blogging will be more sporadic too.  I started my doctorate classes on June 1st and I am swamped with work.  I'll be around and still glued to my computer but I might not have much blogging time.

5k rundown and birthday lowdown

So exactly 7 days ago I ran my first 5k.  I did well for me.  I ran 36.24!  I had set a goal for myself of 36 minutes.  Then as I got closer and it seemed I was clocking closer to 40 mins in training I back my goal to 40 mins.  I wanted to push myself but not discourage myself.  I also most hit my original goal!  I didn't use my iPhone during the run so I was running blind.  There weren't any markers for how far I had gone.  We finished on a track so I knew I only had 1/4 a of mile left and I kicked into high gear for my finish.  I felt so good!  I really couldn't believe how well I did.  I'm hooked.  I want to train up to a 10k, half marathon and eventually in the future a marathon.  I love the accomplishment I feel when I finish.  I love setting a goal for the run and then meeting it.  I don't think I'll ever be a fast runner but I am a runner.

I've been a bit MIA from blogging lately.  I've got a new part-time job plus I'm enjoying my life.  I use to blog in my free time and now I'm running or running after my Ravebaby.  Life is really good.  Yesterday I had the chance to see The Hates, a punk rock group from Houston.  I had a blast.  On Thursday, I got a henna tattoo, my first.  I had been wanting one and then someone just up and offered to do them so that people could have them for The Hates show.  I love it! 

Today is my birthday.  I've had such a good year.  I feel like I'm finally where I need to be.  I'm not working myself to death for a paycheck.  I'm reaching goals that only a few months ago seems impossible.  What will this next year bring?  God only knows.  What do I want?  I want a baby.  This baby quest has a direct effect on want #2 which is to finish a 10k.  Since I'm not running a 10k yet, I think a baby would derail the training but it's a derailment that I would gladly welcome.  I want to continue to listen to the universe and to learn to keep going with the flow of life.  I want a lot, don't I!  I'm looking forward to seeing everything that comes my way.

My henna tattoo

I'm over and out of a job

okay, I decided to leave my job.  I was struggling with leaving Audrey every day.  I'm at work for close to 9 hrs a day, planning cool events for children that my child will never get to attend.  I think DH is right that I won't be able to stay home.  I've been doing some job searching.  I think I would like to work part-time.  I have no real plans at this time. 

I guess I could make this blog pay.  I'll just start taking on any paying blog topic.  I'll promote the hell out of things I don't like just so that I can pay the bills.  Actually I just can't do that.  If I don't like it, I don't like it.  I want my blog to be a place that I can just be open and honest.  We'll see what I do. 

It's been fun

So "Wheatless Mama" is a year old.  I still remember how hard it was to decide on a new name for my blog and to take the plunge into buying the domain.  Previous to being Wheatless Mama, the blog was just Martha-mommy-to-be.  The name no longer fit since Audrey was earthside. 

It has been a fun year of blogging about not only mommyhood but the challenges of trying to be strictly wheatless.  I've learned so much about the struggles of people with food allergies.  It has also amazed me the total crap I've been putting in my body.  The extra chemicals and additives that are in processed convenient food.  I've also learned the hard lesson of asking question and not trusting restaurants.  How can I ever forget the time we got the wheat filled milkshake? 

So from this Wheatless Mama, thank you for the all of the support and comments.  I'll try to be less of a stranger and get better about actually blogging. 

My reasons for being wheatless.

Changing my name but keeping the ring

So you might have notice that Martha is a First Time Mommy is now Wheat-less Mama.  Why the name change?  Since Miss Audrey B. is now over a year old and my blog is almost two years old, I thought a change might be good but also the focus has changed a bit.
  When I started blogging, I was just keeping an online diary of my pregnancy for my family and friends.  Now I've expanded to my family life in general and affects of a wheat-less life on me.  Wheat-less Mama just makes sense at the moment.  I'm a mama and thanks to the funny twists in life, I'm a wheat-less one.  I hope you'll keep reading as I babble on about motherhood, womanhood, and wheat-free living.