So, a few months ago, I talked about my daughter’s night terrors that she has had since as far as I can remember.  Her doctor indicated that the closer she grew to school age, she would begin to outgrow these.  She is 4 1/2 now and she is slowing beginning to outgrow the terrors.  However, now she is aimlessly walking and talking in her sleep – just like her mother, moi, did as a child. 

She will wake up bright eyed and appear to be fully awake until you see her walking to a table laying imaginary items down and talking in a language I’m not at all familiar with.  She will carry on a full conversation in this strange tongue and I pretend to understand every word so as not to irritate her during strange sleep state.

Within several minutes, she will either lay back down to sleep as normal folk do or she will suddenly truly awaken with a smile and a hug.  It is the oddest site to witness and can be a little comical although I do try not to laugh because she is, afterall, asleep and her demeanor during this state can change at any moment.  When she strolls around, I do still have to follow her to ensure her safety.

One thing I have noticed is that more often than not these days, this sleepwalking state is triggered by the need to go to the potty.  I would say that 70% of the time, this is very true.  My first realization of this came one afternoon as I observed her during one of these states and she politely walked into the hallway and “pretended” to pull down her bottoms and squatted in the floor.  I immediately realized what was happening and rushed her to the potty before she soiled herself and the carpet.  Now, when she has these sleepwalking/talking episodes, the first thing I ask her is if she needs to use the potty and sometimes I have to nudge her in that direction.  More often than not, as soon as she does her thing, she lays back down without further incident and goes back into a true sleep state.

When she awakens I always ask her about her actions and she doesn’t have a clue of what I’m talking about because she doesn’t remember any of it.  Although I would prefer she not have any of this, I would rather she merely sleepwalk/talk than wake up screaming in terror for no apparent reason.  Her doctor still insists that all of this is completely normal and will soon become a distant memory.

Dee

This is, by far, the easiest dip for chips or vegetables that I’ve ever seen or made.  My Mom made this dip for us as kids and I still love it today.  In fact, I made some today.  It is easy and can be changed to suit the mood or the occasion.  You can make it as a cheese ball, a thick dip or a creamy dip simply with additional ingredients.  I will explain how to make it as a thick dip and then add the variations at the end.

Ingredients

2 packages of your favorite cream cheese

1 bundle of green onions (my personal preference is 1 1/2 bundles for the strong onion flavor)

3 2 oz packages of Buddig Beef (or similar brand)

Directions:

Step 1

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and allow it to sit for an hour or two prior to preparation so that it will soften, making it easier to work with.

Step 2

Place the softened cream cheese in a medium to large sized bowl.

Step 3

Rinse the onions then finely chop and place them into the bowl with the cream cheese.

Step 4

Shred the beef and place it into the bowl.

Step 5

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly and serve.  Enjoy!  How easy and delicious was that?

Tip: Although this dip tastes good any time, it tastes best once the flavors have had time to thoroughly blend, allow it to sit for a few hours or overnight.

Variation: A variation of the above is to add a half of a can of diced pineapples (without the juice).  The combination of flavors is a fantastic treat for the taste buds!

As a cheese ball: Simply form the above mixture into a ball and roll into the chopped nut of your choice, walnut is my personal favorite.  You can also try a nut mixture for even more flavor.  Chill the ball for a couple of hours and then serve.

As a creamier dip: Just add milk to the mixture.  The more milk added, the thinner the dip will be.

Last night before going to bed, I went to recharge the batteries to the Wii Fit Plus board by plugging it into the USB port on the back of the Wii.  When I did, I heard a sort of sizzling noise coming from the long surge protector strip.  It wasn’t completely plugged into the electrical outlet and when I moved the Nintendo Wii equipment around, it moved the cords and I guess it caused a small power surge – a couple of times.

When I got everything settled, the Wii was not on.  I worked with it for 30 minutes and could not get it to come back on.  Upon waking this morning, the first thing my daughter wants to do is play the Wii.  I tried again, no luck.  By all appearances, the brand new Wii was dead.  I thought of everything and tried everything but nothing worked.

I decided to unplug everything from the system and take it in for repair.  It remained unplugged for a couple of hours.  Just before I got ready to take it to have it looked at, I tried plugging it in one more time just in case I missed something.  Shazaaam!   It suddenly worked.   Apparently, the box attached to the power cord has some sort of internal surge protector that turns off the unit if a power surge is suspected.  By unplugging it and leaving it off for a time, the unit is reset.

Whew!  Problem solved.  I just knew I was going to be out an arm and a leg on a new Wii unit since our family can’t live without it now.  However, once again, it’s Mommy to the rescue.  Now, let’s go bowling!

Step by step instructions to repair a “dead” Wii

1. Unplug all of the cords from your Wii unit
2. Allow it to sit for at least a couple of hours
3. Plug the cord into the wall first
4. Then plug the power cord into the back of your Wii
5. Plug in the other cords

If this doesn’t work for you, then you probably have bigger problems and should call Nintendo support at (800) 255-3700.

Has you child ever woken up abruptly screaming in terror for no apparent reason?  Does it happen often?  If so, then chances are your child is suffering from a condition known as nigh terrors.  My child has suffered with them since the age of at least 9 months.  They are very frightening to your child and to you. When my daughter first began getting these, I was none the wiser.  I just thought she had an upset stomach or wasn’t feeling well.  When she was a toddler, I attributed it to the grumpiness that everyone sometimes feels after a nap.  Then they began in the middle of the night with her screaming to the top of her lungs and looking like she was having an out of body experience.  Well, in a sense, she was.

What does the doctor say about them?

Her pediatrician explained that a lot of toddlers experience these night terrors but the actual cause is uncertain.  They can come on at any time and are usually the result from a disturbance of the child’s sleep patterns.  Growing pains experienced during sleep can be a big trigger.  She explained that while the child appears to be fully awake, this is far from reality.  Actually, the child’s mind is in a deep sleep but his/her body is fully awake and functioning.   It sounds like something out of a scary movie, right?  Well, when it happens it is very scary.

What happens during a terror?

My daughter would be (and still is) very reckless when having a terror.  She will attempt to walk down the stairs as if she is walking straight ahead on a flat surface.  She will stand on the bed very close to the edge without fear.  She will say things that don’t make any sense and will refer to me as being someone else.  She will jump near the edge of the bed or walk into walls.  I’m looking at her and she looks fully awake but I have to remember that she is NOT.  She is very much asleep mentally and this is how she is able to blow caution into the wind.  It is a pretty scary sight if you’ve never witnessed one.  The child screams uncontrollably and very loudly.  My daughter’s eyes are wide open but not “normal”.  Picture someone who is staring into space and daydreaming and this is what it looks like.  Even if she is looking at me, it’s like an empty stare, as if you’re looking into her soul.  This, for me, is the number one way to determine if she just woke up in a bad mood or is actually having a terror.

When does it happen?

As her pediatrician explained, night terrors typically occur when a child’s sleep pattern has been disturbed.  This can be anything from a subtle noise to a loud bang.  It can be triggered by a bad dream.  Sudden movements on the part of another person in the room can trigger it.  They can be brought on by pretty much any movement or noise.  They can also occur more frequently if the child’s regular sleeping patterns get disturbed in some way.  For instance, if the child typically goes to bed at 9:00 p.m. and normally wakes up at 8:00 a.m. but one day you have to get him/her up for an early doctor’s appointment – the normal sleep pattern has been disturbed opening the window for a possible night terror within the next 1-3 days.

I have observed my own child and have discovered all of the above to be true.  She is four and is beginning to get out of the nap phase.  If she does take a nap one day, she’s almost certain to have a night terror sometime during that nap, that night or within a couple of days.  Why?  Because she doesn’t normally take naps anymore and when she does, she probably won’t sleep as long that night.   For my child, this is very predictable but that wasn’t always the case in the past.

Will it result in permanent harm to the child?

My child’s pediatrician assures me that no permanent damage will be suffered from these terrors.  According to her, the condition should resolve once she’s completely past the pre-school age.   Her pediatrician is certain that what she is experiencing is nothing to be concerned about and is fairly common in young children.  She has no other symptoms that would indicate other issues.  If, however, they continue past the age of five then she will order tests to make sure there are no brain or neurological issues that we need to be concerned about.

What to do if your child has a terror

The short answer is – NOTHING.  Because the child’s mind is fast asleep, they don’t recognize you.  In fact, they oftentimes see you as the “enemy” in whatever dream they’re having at the time.  No matter how much they scream, don’t try to stop them.  Don’t even comfort them.  If they were awake they would recognize the loving comfort you are trying to give them but because they’re still asleep, it only prolongs the incident.  The only thing you can do is just watch them, make sure that they don’t hurt themselves unintentionally, and hope that it’s a short terror.  Any interaction that you have with them will only prolong the terror.  I would always try to comfort my daughter, before I knew what I was dealing with, and when I did the terror would inevitably last for up to an hour.  Once I knew what to do and just let her “work it out” and go back to sleep, they never lasted more than 20 minutes.  Sometimes she will just lay down and go back to sleep.  Sometimes she will wake up first.

In closing

My heart goes out to any other parents out there who’s child(ren) suffer from this condition.  It’s frustrating, heartbreaking and just plain scary sometimes.  It just becomes an unfortunate part of life.  The best way to thwart the episodes is to make sure that your child goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day.  It is very important that your child get uninterrupted sleep both at night and for naps.  Make sure that they are in the most sound proof room in the house with the door closed while sleeping and trying to avoid any activity that will make loud noises.  If your child is napping, make sure that they get at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours of sleep before waking them.  If they awake before 1 1/2 hours, the chances are very high that a terror will be imminent.

Just make sure that you stay with them to ensure their safety but avoid physical contact at all costs.  And just know that the occurrences will become less and less frequent as your child reaches school age.

What is it?

Baking soda is a form of salt also known as Sodium Bicarbonate.  In fact, in England they refer to it as Sodium Bicarbonate and I only know this because I watch way too much BBC America but that’s beside the point.   Baking soda is a powder that has numerous uses ranging from baking to health uses to cleaning and more.  In my house, it is known as the miracle compound and we buy it in bulk because we use so much of it.

Baking soda used in food preparation…

Because it is mildly alkaline in nature, it breaks down proteins making it perfect leavening agent for baking breads, cookies, cakes, etc.   Although baking soda is a component of baking powder, they are not one and the same.  Cream of tarter and cornstarch are combined with baking soda to form baking powder.    Baking soda is the ingredient that creates the rising effect in baked products.  Other ingredients in a recipe serve to incite this reaction.

Baking isn’t the only use for baking soda.  It can be added to other cooked foods such as beans, vegetables, soups, etc. to speed up the softening time of some foods.  If a half of a teaspoon or so of  baking soda is added to a pot of beans, it will help reduce the likelihood of flatulence.     Lightly coating meats with baking soda before baking or frying will aid in retaining the moisture of the meet internally while making the outside nice and crunchy.

Baking soda used for its cleaning and freshening properties…

Cleaning Surfaces

Baking soda can be used to clean tubs, tile, counters, sinks and many other surfaces.  It can be placed in a fridge or freezer to absorb odors.  To make a mild scrub, mix baking soda with lemon juice or vinegar.  Note:  mixing with vinegar will cause a strong bubbling reaction which is normal.

As a carpet freshener

Sprinkle in your carpet.   Let it set for several hours then vacuum.   It works as good or better than commercial carpet powders by absorbing the odors.  It doesn’t leave a perfumed smell but the odors will be gone.

Odor control for litter boxes

Sprinkle it generously into the litter box the next time you change the litter for more odor control.

In laundry detergents

My favorite use for baking soda is in making my own laundry detergent.  I will post my recipe for this at a later time.   I have found that homemade detergent is far better at removing stains and odors from laundry at a mere fraction of the cost of commercial laundry detergents.

As an air freshener

Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with a couple of drops of essential oils and place in a votive cup to freshen your room.  Place these throughout your home for a fresh, clean scent that lasts for days.

As a drain cleaner for mild blockages

For minor plumbing blockages, place a generous amount of baking soda over the drain opening and follow with a generous amount of vinegar.  A bubbling reaction will occur.  Continue to pour the vinegar liberally into the drain and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.   Then follow by running very hot water through the drain for about 5 minutes.  Works like a charm for minor issues.

For smokers, to keep down odors

Fill your ashtrays with baking soda and dip your butts into the baking soda.  The cigarette is put out almost instantly and it doesn’t allow the odor to build up.

Baking soda used for health and personal care

For diabetics or those with callused feet

Soak your feet in a tub of water with about a cup of baking soda.  Do this every couple of days to keep your feet soft and callus free.

After handling onions or garlic

Remove the smell of onions and garlic on your hands by making a past of baking soda and lemon juice.  Scrub your hands with this mixture and then rinse.  Repeat if necessary.

For a quick “hair wash” when time limits a regular washing

If you have extremely oily hair and time doesn’t allow for a regular wash, sprinkle some baking soda in your hair and then brush.  The excess oils will be absorbed for several hours until time allows for a normal washing.    Once or twice a week, you can also use baking soda and water in your hair as a first cleanse and then wash with shampoo as normal.  It will help remove any excess residue from hair care products making your hair soft and luxurious.

For those suffering from heartburn

Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water and drink to relieve heartburn or upset stomach.  Note:  If you suffer from hypertension, it is not a good idea to do this regularly.

Use as a mouth cleaner

If you’re in a pinch and have run out of or don’t have access to toothpaste, wet your toothbrush and dip it into some baking soda.  Brush as you would with toothpaste.  I didn’t say it would taste good but it does work and leaves your mouth feeling clean and fresh.  As an added plus, it also naturally whitens your teeth with regular use.o

In a pinch for deodorant?

Mix a paste of baking soda and water and apply under your arms.  It works as a temporary fix.  You can also liberally apply baking soda under your arms.   If you suffer from foot odor, lightly sprinkle it in your shoes nightly to help absorb odors.

There’s hundreds of uses for this amazing natural chemical.  To list them all here would take up numerous pages.  I will add more as I discover them.

Storing baking soda for food use

Because baking soda absorbs odors so well, it is best to keep it in a tightly sealed container if you are planning to use it for baking and cooking.  The shelf life for an unopened box is 24 months but once opened, it will last about 6-8 months before it is no longer usable.

Thanks for reading!