http://familiesinvietnam.org/

Check it out y’all. It’s generous, kind and it’s Families in Vietnam!!!

Thank Goodness we only eat Gluten free cereal with very little sugar!

Some cereal no healthier than Twinkies or cookies

By Andrea Walker, The Baltimore Sun December 16, 2011
The group said sugary breakfast choices can be troublesome. It cited studies that have found that children who eat high sugar breakfasts have more problems at school. They become more frustrated and have a harder time working independently than kids who eat lower-sugar breakfasts.

If you’re feeding your kids Honey Smacks or Apple Jacks for breakfast you might as well just give them a chocolate chip cookie or Twinkie, according to results from a nutritional analysis of kids’ cereals.

The Environmental Working Group analyzed 84 cereals and found many contain as much or more sugar than many desserts. The worst culprit was Kellogg’s Honey Smacks. A one-cup serving packs 20 grams of sugar, more than a Hostess Twinkie, which has 18 grams of sugar. Post Golden Crisps and General Mills Wheaties Fuel also have more sugar than a Twinkie, according to the analysis.

The group said sugary breakfast choices can be troublesome. It cited studies that have found that children who eat high sugar breakfasts have more problems at school. They become more frustrated and have a harder time working independently than kids who eat lower-sugar breakfasts. By lunchtime they have less energy, are hungrier, show attention deficits and make more mistakes on their work.

Some laboratory studies have also found that sugar is habit-forming, stimulating the same brain responses as opiates, the Environmenal Working Group found.

These are the worst cereals, and their per cent sugar by weight, according to the analysis:

1. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks: 55.6 per cent

2. Post Golden Crisp: 51.9 per cent

3. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow: 48.3 per cent

4. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries: 46.9 per cent

5. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original: 44.4 per cent

6. Quaker Oats Oh!s: 44.4 per cent

7. Kellogg’s Smorz: 43.3 per cent

8. Kellogg’s Apple Jacks: 42.9 per cent

9. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries: 42.3 per cent

10. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Original: 41.4 perc ent

The Environmental Working Group recommends nutritional breakfast alternatives, such as eggs, fruit smoothies or oatmeal. You can find recipes on ewg.org.
© Copyright (c) McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Miss Belle is doing great. She is spelling words and recognizing them.
Every parent knows thats great, but spelling will be over when we want to speal secretly. Pig Latin it is.

Leila’s parents are visiting from China and we are so happy for her.

A few pictures to keep you happy.. (leila has refused pictures… We will work on that hahahaha)

I have so much to say and no time to say it.

Lulu is getting bigger faster than i can keep up with. I dressed her in an outfit to have dinner at her aunts house and her dress no longer fits her i had a spare dress, so we are ok (Gymboree, NWT at a Tag Sale!!! Hehehe i love a deal! I am thankful for deals)

I wanted to talk about all the things i am thankful for but maybe I can post again later.

I am most thankful for family and friends. I have been given so much in life from family and friends.

So, if you are a long time reader, you know that Miss LuluBelle likes a variety of “Boy Toys.”

This means, when you stroll through a Mart store, you ignore the pink aisles, and you go down the action hero, cars, and super hero aisles.

Last year, she wanted to be a baseball player when she grew up. This year a race car driver. Now, I know a female can be a race car driver. But, how many are pro race car drivers? And by the way, my mama was a race car driver in the 70′s so I know it’s possible, it’s just not common!

I love that she could care less about gender roles. I love that we let her do what she wants and so do her extended family members. I notice that we give her the choice to buy PINK items and usually she steers clear. We also have plenty of tutus, tiaras, and the like. Usually Daddy is the one who ends up wearing a tiara. And Lulu in a cape.

Some times I wonder i asf she gets older if she will feel more peer pressure to like “girl stuff.” My mom never forced us to have girl stuff or boy stuff. My sister was more of a Tom boy and I was a girls girl so she got both. Having loved Transformers and Hot Wheels as a kid myself, and getting ridiculed for that by friends, I had a mom who encouraged me to play with what I liked. I am the same. The only time I find it difficult is when we are getting a Happy Meal and we HAVE to request a Boy Toy. If they see her, they will try for a Girl Toy, but unless it is an animal, this is unacceptable to her, because she has caught on that the Boy Toys are usually much cooler. (and I agree!)

LuluBelle is taking gymnastics. She is really great at it. I don’t know how she compares to other kids, I just know she likes it and does a good job. I know her teacher is great and I know I love watching her. It’s about the only girls type thing she does.

So, when she grew out of her leotards from last year, I immediately asked what color leotard she would like.I would soon be buying her a girls leotard.

Her answer was RED! I was so excited to buy her a sparkly RED leotard. And then it came..

WITH SPIDERMAN ON IT!!!!

That’s my Girl! And if you may not know, I used to work in comics so this is even better! And it’s her first time asking for Spiderman specifically so I guess it is ME who is tickled PINK!

Only 50% of a McNugget is chickeN? EWWWWWWWWW

more on mickey D’s from mercola

Life has been moving at a fast rate since we took in Leila. We absolutely love having her here. She is a great kid. I can’t emphasize that enough. We are getting very attached.

We lost power for 9 days. It was because of ALFRED. It stank. We actually bonded tremendously as a family of four during this time, and Tim and I also realized we need some time together. Alone.

We also visited Chinatown in Boston for the first time. I would really like to go to Boston for an extended period of time. I want to go to a lot of places Boston, Dallas, DC, Disney, NYC, NEW HAVEN LOL

Lulu was a kitty cat for Halloween. Most Halloweens in CT were cancelled. Lulu lost her kitty ears ion her last five minutes of trick or treating. BOO.

Lulu also turned four during our power outage. But in Boston. So that was fun.

I was on FB and twitter a lot during the power outage thanks to power from friends. We were able to stay at our friends Jeff and Tammi’s house. THANK GOD FOR THEM!!!!

I can’t wait to go grocery shopping. We lost a freezer full of food in Irene (the end of August) and. I was JUST stocking up again!!! I guess I am good at starting over, so today it begins again

Hope you are all doing well and I promise pictures soon!!!

I love this girl.

We are going to our first hot pot party!!! We have had hot pot food at a restaurant in VN. But this is a first in America. It is a birthday party for one of Leilas friends. We are very excited.