First Day of School

Making Room for School

When you homes school gearing up for school doesn't just include gathering the school supplies and the curriculum. There is a flurry or preparations that resembles the nesting process that many women go through right before child birth.  You have to prepare to prepare to learn... or something like that. 

I wanted to set systems in place so that when we started our new school year thing could just flow. Part of that was creating this space to learn and play.

With any home project, one change can set a domino affect in motion. This seems especially true when you have a small home. All the pieces are fit together perfectly... change one thing and you have to change it all. This is essentially the process of how we transformed Roses bedroom into the school/play room.

 Objectives I had for this space:

1. Corral all the toys and home school supplies in one room. The other room became the bedroom that contains the bunk beds, clothes and stuffed animals. Everything else needed to fit into this room. Having one room for toys has helped the rest of my house stay cleaner. It has also cut down on the time it takes to tidy up.

2. A space for everything and everything in it's place.  We had to purge and pair down to make the amount of toys fit the amount of space we had. I purchased some bigger storage boxes and put tags on them. This way the girls could find them if they want to play with them, and also know where to put them away. Since we need to use this space for school as well. We needed to be able to put a lot of stuff out of sight to minimize distractions.

3. Functional for our needs. My parents had a counter they were no longer using. We installed it on the far wall. This makes a great puzzle and computer work station. We can also do projects at the counter as well.

4. Personalized. I wanted the girls to feel at home in that room. The Ribbon Art Gallery  really helped make that happen. This is a great way to dry art work and display it for all to see.

Counter Action

As a recovering Messie one of my recurring messes is my counter. My wide open space of counter top is really just an over sized stuff magnet. In fact I think that we may be able to scientifically prove that "stuff" is actually magnetized. It is my firm belief that if you place anything on a counter top it starts to take on magnetic properties  Stuff begets stuff. Stuff attracts stuff. (I am pretty sure that food storage containers self propagate!)
This magnetic process starts out very innocently. You go to the mail box, you set them mail on the counter, you walk away. Or, your kid does an art project and not all of it get's cleaned up. And next thing you know you are conducting a therapy session for lost, broken, misplaced and homeless items. I am not sure if the items on my counter need therapy, but I sure do by the time I finish a whole day of trying to clear it off.

And really, who wants to spend their whole day cleaning off a counter? I could be doing more productive things like cleaning the bathroom!

In all seriousness, my goal is to stop having to battle the clutter everyday all day. I'd rather spend an hour actually cleaning the house instead. Then do something else!  Busting out a few chores each day is so much more rewarding than spending a day rearranging clutter around a home.

So, I decided to get serious and do some major counter intelligence! Here is my process:

Photo #1-- The Old Normal

Step 1: I took an inventory of all these seemingly random things that ended up on my counter. I did a case study, if you will, of what typically found its way there. This study was conducted as I put things away.

Step 2: I reviewed my inventory and looked for patterns. Then I found spots for the frequent counter offenders. This way the next time they ended up on my counter I could swiftly put them away.

I easily eliminated stacks of paper by following my friend Melissa's advice. She fills a magazine holder with pocket folders and quickly files all those papers that need to be accessible yet need a home off of the counter. Each person in the house has a file folder, and each major activity your family does has a folder. For instance we have one for church papers, a folder for phone numbers and directories, and one for local community and preschool places and events.  It works!

In my inventory I found that a huge amount of clutter was due to my daughters love of paper and crafts. I dedicated a drawer to all her papers. This eliminated me trying to sort through them at all. I just scooped all her papers and put them in the drawer. (I also created a system for keeping kids art.... more on that later)

Light at the end of the tunnel! This is at least functional.

When cleaning the counter off I always end up with a pile of random stuff I don't know what to do with. These random items usually end up in a laundry basket that I take from room to room looking for homes for it all

Step 3: Remove whatever does not need to be on the counter from the counter. Since I am a believer that stuff has an inherent magnetic property, I decided to remove as many magnets as possible.
I got rid of my paper towel holder, spice rack, and the decorations I used to put at the end of the counter. I also made a spot for the blender in the cupboard. Even if I use something every day... it still does not need to be on the counter. We don't keep all our glasses and plates on the counter (well I hope you don't)--- how hard is it really to just get something out when you need it?

Step 4: Do a clean sweep a few times a day. Have zero tolerance for counter clutter. Take that mail to the trash, don't let the kids pile their toys on the counter, find a place for that item...or get rid of it.  These are all new habits that I am having to retrain myself to do and encourage my family to do the same. 

Victory! Now to keep it this way!

Back in Business

A lot has stood in the way of me blogging lately. Most of my obstacles have been good things. Healing, catching up on life. Accompanying my husband on youth group trips. And some have been technical difficulties.
Now, I am happy to report, I now have wireless internet and a working laptop computer! I am so happy!
I couldn't wait to make my inaugural blog post with the new laptop and working internet.
And in addition to blogging, I will be able to do all those simple things that just need done, like ordering books from the library or getting important things from Amazon....and still be able to keep a close eye on my 3 year-old.  (She keeps doing things like dismantling the toilet, and smearing honey all over the counter, tonight she tasted glue. And really she's not destroying the house... she's just discovering her surroundings!)

See you soon! I hope!

A Breath of Fresh Air

In the past month I have experienced a wild turn of events. It is something that is best described as a Miracle.

To give you a bit of background, my life has been marked by sickness and major surgeries since childhood. Normal daily activities have been hard to keep up with. To say that pregnancy was hard on me would be an understatement. I have been carted from specialist to specialist most of my life. Most recently, I had been experiencing jaw & facial pain. It had gotten so bad that I was mostly living off of smoothies.

I went to a specialist for TMJ--Dr. Farrand Robson in Tacoma. He told me that TMJ was the least of my worries. Instead, the greater issue is that I have been "choking on my tongue" for pretty much my whole life.

He went on to explain that because I had too many teeth pulled in elementary school the natural boundaries for my tongue changed. As a result my tongue is going too far back in my mouth and depriving me of oxygen. He said that this accounts for my low blood-pressure, high heart-rate, cold/blue hands and feet, and "asthma".

That same day he fitted me for a retainer. This helps pull my tongue forward. I thought the doctor was crazy until he put this thing in my mouth...AND I BREATHED like I have never breathed before. I got really dizzy from all the oxygen! After a few minutes of wearing the retainer my hands started feeling weird. I looked down and they were turning pink and were warming up!! I went home and slept like I have NEVER slept before!

My doctor said that a lot of my other health problems will probably fade away because my body will not have to put so much effort into breathing. We are hopeful, but also realize this will take time.

This will be a three to four month process with the doctor, fitting and adjusting the retainer (AKA orthotic) as my mouth and body adjust to the changes.This process will cost $16,000, which is not covered by insurance. My doctor is writing a letter to let the insurance company know that this is medically necessary for me. I am also going to make an appeal for them to pay.

Dr. Robson's office has a payment plan, but it is too steep for us. We know that God definitely brought me this far and gave me an amazing new joy-- experiencing oxygen!! We know that He will provide for this somehow.

Please pray for provision, and please pray for us as we go through this 4-month adjustment.

With and Without

 Here is a series of pictures that show the difference between when I am wearing the orthotic in my mouth and when I have taken it out for a while. (I have to take it out while I am eating)

The following pictures were taken without 
the orthotic in my mouth.

Before: This is what my hands used to look like a lot of the time.  This picture was  taken after a meal.

Before: Notice the white on the tips of my fingers. They are white because my capillaries are clenching and not allowing blood to come in.  

Before: Note the blue color, also the white sections.

Before: Another look at my hands without the orthotics.

The following pictures were taken with 

the orthotic in my mouth.

After: Blood is starting to refill my hands now that I have the orthotic back in. Notice the different color in my fingertips.

After: Blood is returning to my hands. This is another look at the  pinking up process.

After: This is after I had been wearing the orthotic for a while and my hands had fully warmed up. 

After: My new normal! A lot less blue!

Commonly Asked Questions

The following questions are in regards to my orthotic and the Oral Systemic Balance


How is this different from the mouth guard you can buy at the grocery store, or custom ones made by your dentist?
I tried the grocery store mouth guard and the custom mouth guard from my dentist before going to see Dr. Robson. Neither of these helped me, in fact they made me worse.

While, my orthotic does fit over my teeth in a similar way, however, the design of it is completely different. The other mouth guards just prevent your teeth from grinding on one another. This orthotic actually redirects my tongue and jaw so that I get more air.

My orthotic is worn all day and all night. The only time I take it out is to eat. I have grown accustomed to the proper amounts of oxygen. It is very noticeable when I take it out, my hands start turning blue, and my chest starts pulling back in. My body also starts to produce adrenaline to adjust to the decrease in air.

Why does it cost so much?
The orthotic itself does not cost $16,000, it is the entire process. This process is called Oral Systemic Balance. This is the estimated cost of my recovery process based on the best plan Dr. Robson has to get me well. The process can not be completed in just one sitting. As my body changes and responds to the increased level of oxygen, the orthotic needs to be changed and modified.

When I go to the office I am not just having a brief meeting with Dr. Robson. There are several technicians who work to adjust my orthotic. I also see an RN who is monitoring my body functions and changes. I receive complete care while in their office. Most of my appointments have lasted about 2 hours or more.


Have you continued to see improvement?
In the first week I noticed better sleeping, tone and color of my skin and more energy.

Within the month I stopped taking all my medications. 

Before I received my orthotic I had a large indentation in my chest. Since I have been wearing the orthotic my chest has pulled forward dramatically. The amount of air that I am getting in each breath has increased significantly.

Before this, if I did too many activities (fun or otherwise) it was always followed by some kind of sickness that lasted for a week. After getting the retainer/ orthotic I was able to go on a week long mission trip with my family, and I did not get sick when I returned.

I have had many more amazing experiences -- like what it's like to sing and breathe at the same time!

Our quality of life has improved dramatically. I am told that this is just the beginning.

Is this a common problem? 
As I understand it, this is an extremely common problem. There are lots of testimonies with dramatic results for all kinds of symptoms. There has been amazing results for those with Fibromyalgia, Autism, ADD and ADHD, Bulimia, Anorexia and many drug and alcohol addictions, depression, chronic fatigue, sleep apnea and the list goes on.

Side Note: I did not have any of the above conditions. 

How can I find out more about it?
Further information can be found at www.oralsystembiology.com.

A fellow patient and blogger share's her story at: http://myhealthtestimony.blogspot.com/.


There are numerous discussion threads that mention Doctor Farrand Robson
and Oral Systemic Balance(OSB).

Article by Dr. Robson

Article: Miracles in Medicine