Things I'm...

...Feeling
Better and relaxed! I've worked out too much tea makes me feel ill and tired and lacking in energy. Rats. Tea is my favourite thing ever. I think it's the copper in it. So I'm avoiding avocadoes and mushrooms too. And, in theory, chocolate.

...Doing
having friends over for lunch and wanting to do it, and enjoying it! A by-product of feeling better above.

...Enjoying
my children. Oh they are gorgeous and I adore them.

...Persisting with
Daily therapy with Bright Eyes. I can see the results, so it's not as thankless as it seemed to be last year.

...Watching
We've enjoyed Evan Almighty, Amazing Grace and Hairspray on video. I still like survivor, even though I already know who the winner of this season is.

...Hearing
A gorgeous compliment from my daughter yesterday. "Mum, you're more fun now."

...Reading
The book of Mark. Plus stacks of subversive literature about homeschooling, including the most awe-inspiring chapter on religion and education by Gatto. Quotes in the post above.

...Thinking
Am I just a rebel? Since I was 14 I seem to have done and thought things that not too many people around me have done or thought... Am I just looking for the road less travelled out of principle? Is it a habit because I don't want to be ordinary or like other people? I hope not! I hope my motives are pure.

Blog

This blog has been a little quiet this week because I've been tired tired tired, with a headache that is possibly connected to the ache in the hole where my wisdom tooth used to be. (Apparently this is not normal, and I have to go back to the dentist. Great!!)

With a dodgy body, I've had no thoughts beyond 'poor me' and 'how can I feel better' and 'how and what can I get my children to eat', all of which is a little dull to blog about. In order to feel better I've given up drinking tea and eating sugar (truly!)... it hasn't worked yet, but it may...

Fog in head

I didn't eat dinner with the kids last night. I like to wait until they've gone to bed before I make my Sunday night two-egg omelette with cheese, tomato and fresh coriander.

I could feel my blood sugar dropping a little, but didn't worry about it too much as I thought I could last the half hour before 7pm when the oldest goes to bed.

We were playing chess and were on our second game when all of a sudden I looked at the board and thought, "I don't know what colour pieces I am playing with. And which way do those pawns go? Up the board or down?"

It looked like a dreadful mash of black and white and I said to my daughter, "You win. I can't play. I've got to eat."

The same thing happened again today. I was sorting the washing mid-afternoon and thought, "I don't know what piece of clothing I'm holding, nor which pile it goes on."

It happens pretty regularly. I rarely know what day it is, and never the date. Whenever someone asks me "how has your week been?" I have to say, "I honestly don't know because I can't remember."

Brain fog. It makes me feel for my boy who has learning problems! He must feel like this all the time.

Chocolate mousse

I had a successful morning. I managed to make a non-dairy, gluten-free chocolate mousse to bribe the children with. It was absolutely scrumptious.

The recipe came from the book 'French Women Don't Get Fat' which is making me realise how much standing up snacking I do. A good eating principle the author suggests is to only ever eat sitting down.

Here's how you do it.

Melt 125 grams of really good quality dark chocolate. Mix in 3 egg yolks and 1 tbsp of sugar. Beat 5 egg whites to form stiff shiny peaks and fold in the chocolate mix. Refrigerate overnight.

It's impossible to eat too much because it's just so rich!

Oh, and if you're wondering about the health kick - yes, I'm still on it. Turns out dark chocolate is very nutritious (in reasonable amounts obviously), eggs are a great source of protein and I use pure fructose in place of sugar. It works the same but it's easier to digest.