A question mark follows that title for a reason! I'm desperately trying to get back on track w/ my blogging, but life keeps throwing itself in my way - in a very dramatic fashion, too. (Imagine a teenager throwing themselves across their bed in complete disbelief of a parent's lack of understanding of their need for a certain new pair of shoes!) I've had a series of events that have left me w/ a dry well of creativity, but I'm hoping that if I just make a step in the right direction my brain function will start to return - maybe! One can only hope!!
JG has been experiencing a lot more bad days than good lately, but I'm still fighting the fight. I know that the diet has helped get us this far w/out the need of medication, so I'm determined to stick w/ it. Most of his issues at this time are due to some sensory overload problems that are occurring at school. I received an email from his teacher yesterday describing the horrible day that he had and describing the inappropriate behavior that was occurring w/in the classroom. This was my email response:
"Yes, it sounds like he had a horrible day, and I wish that I could have prevented whatever it was that triggered his unusual behavior. Anything that was at all out of the ordinary could have sent him in to a sensory overload, and his brain went in to "fight or flight" mode. The inappropriate behavior is all part of it. I wish I had a magic wand to make it so that he could deal w/ outside stimuli the way that neuro-typical children do, but I unfortunately do not. (In fact, I wish that there was no such thing as autism or Asperger's.) The only thing that I can possibly do is to try to look at the world the way that it must be for him - to try to walk a day in his shoes. Everything that you described is textbook Asperger's, and unless I was there I wouldn't know what triggered the problems. It may have been something outside of the classroom, for all I know. He was obviously upset when he returned home, as it took an hour or so to get him calmed down. I'm glad you thought to send him to Angel for some extra time beyond his scheduled 2 trips a day. He needs all of the help he can get, right now, b/c he is really struggling. He will soon be returning to OT, and that will make a marked difference in his processing. He will begin to actually hear you when you say something to him! The ILS did wonders for him when I was homeschooling him!"
It was good that I waited and cooled off for a while before I responded. It's hard to remember that most others DO NOT get it - they just don't! A teacher can be as sweet & loving as they come, but if you don't try to see the world through the eyes of a child w/ Asperger's, you're NEVER going to understand. I live w/ JG every day, and I have lots of moments that I just don't understand. Often times it's about choosing battles! That's something that I'm trying to get through the head of my 11 year old. He's so determined to be right all of the time and determined to make sure that JG has the correct information that we have lots of unnecessary explosions!! I guess I can't expect a pre-teen to get it when the majority of adults don't.
As far as food goes, we've been having some "normal" lunchboxes lately. I finally gave in and started buying some gluten free bread (Udi's), and JG has been taking ham sandwiches, chips, and fruit for lunch for the past couple of weeks. It's been nice for me, and he seems to like taking a lunch that looks like everyone else's. I also bit the bullet and payed $8 for a bag of gluten free oatmeal from Bob's Red Mill, and that's been a pleasant change for breakfast. Although, I think JG has hit his limit on the oatmeal, as he asked for the old stand by of Chex cereal w/ Rice Dream this morning. I've been doing more big meals w/ leftovers to stretch lately, too, as I need all of the breaks that I can get these days, but the family is starting to buck the system on this, as well. They are sick of ham! I'm thinking chicken tonight!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Patience Bank
So, I tried to explain to my strong willed child the concept of patience today. I've used this metaphor w/ him before, but I think it may have sunk in this afternoon. I told him that my patience is held in a bank (think piggy bank),... and he dumped it all out in a matter of minutes!! Of course, this was not my child that sees all things literally, JG. This was the eldest of my crew, B, and he should know about Mommy's patience by now. Here's hoping that today's "discussion" will stay fresh in his mind - for at least the next week!
One of the most difficult parts of raising a child w/ Asperger's Syndrome is the struggle that occurs w/in the child's own family. All of those things that are usually accepted as the typical dynamics amongst siblings just do not work in our household. The picking, the joking around, the rough housing are all various kinds of "button pushing" for JG. In fact, sometimes it even starts out as being okay for JG to play around w/ his brother in this way, but it almost always turns ugly - really ugly! And no matter how many times I've warned against this kind of play, it seems that I still have to explain it to B every day - if he's at home! The fact that my tween stays so busy is actually my saving grace. If he's not at home, then there won't be fighting.
Please don't get me wrong! I love all three of my kiddos like you wouldn't believe!! However, it is like watching dominoes tumbling down, one after another. If B is in the mood to push buttons, then he's going to set off JG. After JG has lost his temper, he's going to strike out at me or his little sister. And, boy, can he ever hold a grudge!! My prayer is that he wakes up in the morning refreshed and having forgotten all about this afternoon's battle.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Van's Gluten Free Waffles, bacon, orange juice
Lunchbox - Bush's Baked Beans (sounds gross, but it was requested), pear
Snack - Juicy Juice, gluten free choc. chip cookie, & gluten free macaroon
Dinner - pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, orange juice
*I will be posting more info on the cookies & the macaroons at a later date. Mommy's tired!!
One of the most difficult parts of raising a child w/ Asperger's Syndrome is the struggle that occurs w/in the child's own family. All of those things that are usually accepted as the typical dynamics amongst siblings just do not work in our household. The picking, the joking around, the rough housing are all various kinds of "button pushing" for JG. In fact, sometimes it even starts out as being okay for JG to play around w/ his brother in this way, but it almost always turns ugly - really ugly! And no matter how many times I've warned against this kind of play, it seems that I still have to explain it to B every day - if he's at home! The fact that my tween stays so busy is actually my saving grace. If he's not at home, then there won't be fighting.
Please don't get me wrong! I love all three of my kiddos like you wouldn't believe!! However, it is like watching dominoes tumbling down, one after another. If B is in the mood to push buttons, then he's going to set off JG. After JG has lost his temper, he's going to strike out at me or his little sister. And, boy, can he ever hold a grudge!! My prayer is that he wakes up in the morning refreshed and having forgotten all about this afternoon's battle.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Van's Gluten Free Waffles, bacon, orange juice
Lunchbox - Bush's Baked Beans (sounds gross, but it was requested), pear
Snack - Juicy Juice, gluten free choc. chip cookie, & gluten free macaroon
Dinner - pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, orange juice
*I will be posting more info on the cookies & the macaroons at a later date. Mommy's tired!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
No Lunchbox!
What a treat today! We didn't have to pack a lunchbox for JG!! Please don't take me as being a cruel parent, but, good grief, packing lunchboxes every day gets old! Better yet, the hubby let me sleep in a bit & packed JG's snack for him, too! The truth is,... JG had his first official field trip for the school year today, and it included lunch. It was a walking field trip from the school to the art center, the library, the museum, and a local restaurant, Abner's, for lunch.
With his teacher's help, we planned ahead for JG to have an alternate lunch. I was, of course, concerned that a problem would arise, so I met JG and his class at the restaurant. I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of the children so that I could verify that they had gotten his order correct and so that I could place an order for myself. I was very impressed w/ their willingness to make concessions for JG's special diet. He dined on non-marinated grilled chicken fingers, french fries, and cole slaw, while his classmates had fried chicken fingers, fries, and bread. He devoured every bite of his lunch, and he didn't seem to have a bit of a problem w/ eating differently than everyone else.
Chalk one up for Mommy!
And another accomplishment worth cheering about: one of the other mommies asked me about JG's diet and said that she had brought cupcakes the previous day for her son's birthday,... and (drum roll please) JG refused! I'm so impressed w/ my little boy! He's a sponge when it comes to this nutrition stuff that I'm always harping on about! He was even reading the ketchup bottle while we were having lunch and discussing the sodium and sugar content. He was happy to report that it contained no high fructose corn syrup!! I must be doing something right!
With his teacher's help, we planned ahead for JG to have an alternate lunch. I was, of course, concerned that a problem would arise, so I met JG and his class at the restaurant. I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of the children so that I could verify that they had gotten his order correct and so that I could place an order for myself. I was very impressed w/ their willingness to make concessions for JG's special diet. He dined on non-marinated grilled chicken fingers, french fries, and cole slaw, while his classmates had fried chicken fingers, fries, and bread. He devoured every bite of his lunch, and he didn't seem to have a bit of a problem w/ eating differently than everyone else.
Chalk one up for Mommy!
And another accomplishment worth cheering about: one of the other mommies asked me about JG's diet and said that she had brought cupcakes the previous day for her son's birthday,... and (drum roll please) JG refused! I'm so impressed w/ my little boy! He's a sponge when it comes to this nutrition stuff that I'm always harping on about! He was even reading the ketchup bottle while we were having lunch and discussing the sodium and sugar content. He was happy to report that it contained no high fructose corn syrup!! I must be doing something right!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
C-R-A-Z-Y
Yes, I'm crazy,... and it's been crazy busy! And my DSL has been driving me crazy! If Sesame Street can have a word of the day, I can claim a word of the week!! I do apologize, though, for not posting for a whole week! Weekends are always nutty, and the hubby being home means that I have one more person to give some attention. Plus, the hubby has actually been in town this whole week. Although, it has been fantastic to have an extra pair of hands to make mornings go a bit easier w/ JG. He has someone else that can keep him on task while I'm making lunches! AND, we just plain missed him!
I don't think that I could possibly catch up on all of the food that we've eaten this week, but I can tell you about the new recipe that I tried out this morning. Gluten Free Banana Bread,... and it is soooooooooo yummy!! The all purpose flour that I used was from Gluten Free Pantry. I would choose this gluten free version of banana bread over the original version any day!! It turned out perfectly golden brown and oh so moist! LOVE IT! I'll be adding that to my permanent file, right along w/ the Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies!
I've also had a major accomplishment amongst the siblings this week! On Tuesday afternoon I was scrambling around trying to complete some errands when it was time for the boys to get home from school. So, I met them at the house, unlocked the front door, and sent them in w/ instructions to get busy on their homework while I finished my running around. I certainly didn't expect them to listen!! When I called to check on them, B said that he was working on JG's practice spelling test w/ him & they were almost done w/ homework. Homework w/ JG makes me want to pull my hair out!! And B had him almost finished in less than an hour! I was amazed!!!! I praised B profusely, and JG said that he was his favorite person to do homework w/ - WOW! If only that could happen every afternoon!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Chex, Rice Dream, and orange juice
Lunchbox: leftover Chinese string beans & chicken w/ rice w/ plums
Snack: Crunchmaster Multi-Seeded Crackers w/ peanut butter
Afterschool Snack: Gluten Free Banana Bread
Dinner: deer burgers, baked potatoes, & steamed broccoli
I don't think that I could possibly catch up on all of the food that we've eaten this week, but I can tell you about the new recipe that I tried out this morning. Gluten Free Banana Bread,... and it is soooooooooo yummy!! The all purpose flour that I used was from Gluten Free Pantry. I would choose this gluten free version of banana bread over the original version any day!! It turned out perfectly golden brown and oh so moist! LOVE IT! I'll be adding that to my permanent file, right along w/ the Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies!
I've also had a major accomplishment amongst the siblings this week! On Tuesday afternoon I was scrambling around trying to complete some errands when it was time for the boys to get home from school. So, I met them at the house, unlocked the front door, and sent them in w/ instructions to get busy on their homework while I finished my running around. I certainly didn't expect them to listen!! When I called to check on them, B said that he was working on JG's practice spelling test w/ him & they were almost done w/ homework. Homework w/ JG makes me want to pull my hair out!! And B had him almost finished in less than an hour! I was amazed!!!! I praised B profusely, and JG said that he was his favorite person to do homework w/ - WOW! If only that could happen every afternoon!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Chex, Rice Dream, and orange juice
Lunchbox: leftover Chinese string beans & chicken w/ rice w/ plums
Snack: Crunchmaster Multi-Seeded Crackers w/ peanut butter
Afterschool Snack: Gluten Free Banana Bread
Dinner: deer burgers, baked potatoes, & steamed broccoli
Thursday, September 16, 2010
In a Dive...
Remember when I referred to our life w/ Asperger's as a roller coaster ride? Well, we're in a dive at the moment! That's why I haven't been posting regularly this week. By the time I get the kids to sleep, there is not a drop of brain function left for blogging. However, I'm going to try to push through for a bit tonight!
I'm not certain what has sent JG on this downward spiral this week. I can't put my finger on any one thing, but he's definitely not doing well. School has been a struggle this week (more so than usual), he's been angry & spiteful, and really loud. It occurred to me tonight during homework time that this "noise making" could be a new tic. All I know for sure is that I'm freaking exhausted from it all & can't wait for Hubby to get home tomorrow!!
Here's a catch up on the menus:
Wednesday
Breakfast - EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch, Rice Dream, & o.j.
Lunchbox - leftover grilled sausage (Aidell's), carrots, & watermelon
Snack - flourless peanut butter cookies & La Croix "Lemon"
Dinner - pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, & baked beans
Thursday
Breakfast - EnviroKidz Panda Puffs, Rice Dream, & o.j.
Lunchbox - leftover grilled sausage, carrots, & plum
Snack - peanut butter cookies & La Croix "Lemon"
Dinner - slow cooker pinto beans over rice
Strange Quote of the Day: Me to Miss Priss, "Please pick up Squidward's head"; referring to a broken board game piece. (These are the kinds of quotes that, as a mommy, you catch yourself saying out loud & realize how odd they sound!!)
For example, "He knows how to throw chickens!" This was once spoken by me to B regarding JG's ability to "throw chickens" on Zelda (& B's occasional inability to mind his own business).
I'm not certain what has sent JG on this downward spiral this week. I can't put my finger on any one thing, but he's definitely not doing well. School has been a struggle this week (more so than usual), he's been angry & spiteful, and really loud. It occurred to me tonight during homework time that this "noise making" could be a new tic. All I know for sure is that I'm freaking exhausted from it all & can't wait for Hubby to get home tomorrow!!
Here's a catch up on the menus:
Wednesday
Breakfast - EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch, Rice Dream, & o.j.
Lunchbox - leftover grilled sausage (Aidell's), carrots, & watermelon
Snack - flourless peanut butter cookies & La Croix "Lemon"
Dinner - pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, & baked beans
Thursday
Breakfast - EnviroKidz Panda Puffs, Rice Dream, & o.j.
Lunchbox - leftover grilled sausage, carrots, & plum
Snack - peanut butter cookies & La Croix "Lemon"
Dinner - slow cooker pinto beans over rice
Strange Quote of the Day: Me to Miss Priss, "Please pick up Squidward's head"; referring to a broken board game piece. (These are the kinds of quotes that, as a mommy, you catch yourself saying out loud & realize how odd they sound!!)
For example, "He knows how to throw chickens!" This was once spoken by me to B regarding JG's ability to "throw chickens" on Zelda (& B's occasional inability to mind his own business).
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Juggling Hats
Today has been another busy day of juggling hats - mommy hat, chef hat, stylist hat, hairdresser hat, taxi driver hat - you get the picture. Miss Priss doesn't have preschool on Tues. and Thurs., so I try to make it a point to stay put & not go anywhere until it's time for her dance class. I can accomplish so much more this way!
I started out the morning w/ a new recipe that was given to me in the grocery store by the mom of an old friend of mine from high school. The recipe was for flourless peanut butter cookies, and they turned out great! I whipped up a double batch & got the first pan baked & cooled in enough time to make it in to today's lunchboxes. All you have to do is combine 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 beaten egg for the dough. Make tablespoon size balls & press down w/ the tines of a fork & bake at 350 degrees. It doesn't take them long to bake, but I regret to say that I didn't really watch the time. I'll try to get that next time I bake them.
So, that means that I fed & dressed the boys, baked cookies, & packed lunches all before 7AM! I'm impressed w/ myself!! I continued to scramble around cleaning, planning, etc. until it was time to take Miss Priss & her friend to their dance class in the afternoon, and it became crazy from that point on! The boys returned from school, and JG had a bad day. His bad day wasn't going to work well w/ our busy evening of soccer ahead, so I had to put a call in for Super Nanna to come to the rescue! And she did, thank the Lord!! I got Miss Priss & JG bathed, fed the whole gang, and took B to the soccer field for his game - all by myself. It was beyond pleasant!! And JG was able to spend the evening relaxing, as well, which is exactly what he needed. It was a win-win for everyone involved!!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Chex cereal, Rice Dream, & orange juice
Lunchbox: rolled up deli ham, grapes, carrots, & water
Snack: peanut butter cookies & Juicy Juice
Afterschool Snack: smoothies made w/ ginger ale & frozen mixed berries
Dinner: leftover taco salad
I started out the morning w/ a new recipe that was given to me in the grocery store by the mom of an old friend of mine from high school. The recipe was for flourless peanut butter cookies, and they turned out great! I whipped up a double batch & got the first pan baked & cooled in enough time to make it in to today's lunchboxes. All you have to do is combine 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 beaten egg for the dough. Make tablespoon size balls & press down w/ the tines of a fork & bake at 350 degrees. It doesn't take them long to bake, but I regret to say that I didn't really watch the time. I'll try to get that next time I bake them.
So, that means that I fed & dressed the boys, baked cookies, & packed lunches all before 7AM! I'm impressed w/ myself!! I continued to scramble around cleaning, planning, etc. until it was time to take Miss Priss & her friend to their dance class in the afternoon, and it became crazy from that point on! The boys returned from school, and JG had a bad day. His bad day wasn't going to work well w/ our busy evening of soccer ahead, so I had to put a call in for Super Nanna to come to the rescue! And she did, thank the Lord!! I got Miss Priss & JG bathed, fed the whole gang, and took B to the soccer field for his game - all by myself. It was beyond pleasant!! And JG was able to spend the evening relaxing, as well, which is exactly what he needed. It was a win-win for everyone involved!!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Chex cereal, Rice Dream, & orange juice
Lunchbox: rolled up deli ham, grapes, carrots, & water
Snack: peanut butter cookies & Juicy Juice
Afterschool Snack: smoothies made w/ ginger ale & frozen mixed berries
Dinner: leftover taco salad
Monday, September 13, 2010
Manic Monday (now hum the tune)
With "encouragement" from my dear friend, Ms. Lissa, I will try to put to use the remaining part of my brain capacity for the day w/ a fairly mundane post. To be honest, I'm pooped! Little Miss Priss decided to get in bed w/ me last night, and she likes to sleep side ways & poke you w/ her little bitty toes! Add that to the fact that it's a Monday, and you can begin to imagine why I'm exhausted!! Why, you may ask, am I still awake? Because exhaustion doesn't always equal sleepy, and I have a handful of amazingly dedicated readers that I couldn't let down. (My sarcasm tends to increase w/ each yawn!)
We were notified, today, that my oldest has made a select soccer team - in addition to the regular season rec. team that he is on. I'm so proud of him!! However,... you other mommies know what that means - more running! My taxi service is fairly maxed out as it is, and now we're going to add in another extra curricular activity! Practice tonight for select team, game tomorrow night for rec. team, church on Wed. night, and so on! You get the picture!!
So, if all I get blogged this week is our meals, please bare w/ me!
Breakfast: Chex, Rice Dream, orange juice
Lunchbox: rolled up deli ham, gluten free pretzels, pear slices, & water
Snack: Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco bar, Juicy Juice
Dinner: Taco Salad (see post titled "Today's Menu) YUMMY!!
Comic Relief for the Day: Miss Priss told me that she was the "Calender Girl" at preschool today!! I really hope she aspires for more!
We were notified, today, that my oldest has made a select soccer team - in addition to the regular season rec. team that he is on. I'm so proud of him!! However,... you other mommies know what that means - more running! My taxi service is fairly maxed out as it is, and now we're going to add in another extra curricular activity! Practice tonight for select team, game tomorrow night for rec. team, church on Wed. night, and so on! You get the picture!!
So, if all I get blogged this week is our meals, please bare w/ me!
Breakfast: Chex, Rice Dream, orange juice
Lunchbox: rolled up deli ham, gluten free pretzels, pear slices, & water
Snack: Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco bar, Juicy Juice
Dinner: Taco Salad (see post titled "Today's Menu) YUMMY!!
Comic Relief for the Day: Miss Priss told me that she was the "Calender Girl" at preschool today!! I really hope she aspires for more!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
When Rules Backfire...
I have never been a parent who caters to her children at meal times. What I cook is what you get. Period. You might be surprised to hear that, considering I have a child w/ Asperger's Syndrome. I've read that many children who are on the Autism Spectrum are very particular about what they eat; often it is regarding the texture. My Aspie, on the other hand, eats anything, when he remembers that he is hungry! (Of course he's limited now by our GF/CF eating style.) To be quite honest, it's my two neuro-typical children that give me the biggest problem w/ meals. B is my texture freak, w/ an extreme dislike for beans, and M just won't sit still & hush long enough to eat!
So, w/ all of this in mind, what happens when you, the parent, cooks a meal that you don't particularly care for? That's what happened at our house tonight.
One of the things that I promised myself when we began this journey in to GF/CF was that I wouldn't spend a fortune trying to replace gluten filled items w/ the gluten free counterparts. However, there is one exception - pasta. And I have been in a maddening search for a gluten free pasta that actually tastes & feels almost like the real thing. (See! I'm willing to compromise. I said "almost".) Finding a decent replacement is important for our family, b/c one of the kids' favorite meals is spaghetti! I've tried quinoa pasta, rice pasta, & corn pasta. The quinoa was AWFUL - a big pile of mush! Then I tried rice pasta, but I think I undercooked it b/c of my fear of it turning out like the quinoa pasta!! Lastly, I tried the corn pasta, which looks the most like regular semolina pasta, and it turned out okay - last time. Tonight was a different story! I don't know what in the heck I did wrong,... but YUCK! The children were not at all phased by the starchy pile of stuff resembling spaghetti! They devoured it & asked for more!!
What did I do? Blow my cover? NEVER! I took little tiny bites while they busied themselves w/ dinner conversation, and the moment JG asked for more I gave him my plate, stating that I just wasn't very hungry! Then I had almonds & grapes for dinner while no one was looking!
Today's menu:
Breakfast: pancakes (Namaste pancake mix), sausage (Jones Farm), & oj
Lunchbox: pork t-loin, apple slices, & Jello w/ water
Snack: Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco Chewy Bar & Juicy Juice
Dinner: Spaghetti - organic ground beef, Newman's Own Sauce, & corn pasta
So, w/ all of this in mind, what happens when you, the parent, cooks a meal that you don't particularly care for? That's what happened at our house tonight.
One of the things that I promised myself when we began this journey in to GF/CF was that I wouldn't spend a fortune trying to replace gluten filled items w/ the gluten free counterparts. However, there is one exception - pasta. And I have been in a maddening search for a gluten free pasta that actually tastes & feels almost like the real thing. (See! I'm willing to compromise. I said "almost".) Finding a decent replacement is important for our family, b/c one of the kids' favorite meals is spaghetti! I've tried quinoa pasta, rice pasta, & corn pasta. The quinoa was AWFUL - a big pile of mush! Then I tried rice pasta, but I think I undercooked it b/c of my fear of it turning out like the quinoa pasta!! Lastly, I tried the corn pasta, which looks the most like regular semolina pasta, and it turned out okay - last time. Tonight was a different story! I don't know what in the heck I did wrong,... but YUCK! The children were not at all phased by the starchy pile of stuff resembling spaghetti! They devoured it & asked for more!!
What did I do? Blow my cover? NEVER! I took little tiny bites while they busied themselves w/ dinner conversation, and the moment JG asked for more I gave him my plate, stating that I just wasn't very hungry! Then I had almonds & grapes for dinner while no one was looking!
Today's menu:
Breakfast: pancakes (Namaste pancake mix), sausage (Jones Farm), & oj
Lunchbox: pork t-loin, apple slices, & Jello w/ water
Snack: Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco Chewy Bar & Juicy Juice
Dinner: Spaghetti - organic ground beef, Newman's Own Sauce, & corn pasta
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Roller Coaster
I swear, our life is like a roller coaster ride, but I could handle the downs a lot better if I had a guarantee that there was going to be an up the next day!! JG had a fantastic day today! There was not a single meltdown, and that is monumental! He came in from school in a great mood & had his homework done by 4PM, and he did it on his own (except for the practice spelling test)! I didn't have to sit beside him to help him go from one question to the next! I didn't have to coax him to stop rolling his pencil or spacing out! He wanted to go outside to play, so he just sat down & finished every bit of it - humming & singing, all the while!!
JG remained in this great mood for the entire evening! I took he and his sister to feed the ducks & geese down at the bay for his reward. Then we came home to get settled for the night, and he continued to cooperate w/ everything! He showered on his own!! He started the water! He undressed himself! And, most importantly, he was in and out in a very short amount of time! (I usually have to go into the bathroom multiple times during his showers to remind him to bathe & get out.) I'm telling you - you couldn't get any more opposite than yesterday! My head is spinning from the turnaround!!
So, what did I do different?! I certainly didn't wave a magic wand, b/c I would be swinging that thing around every day if I had one! I think that one factor in this amazing mood change is that he got to go to his resource teacher & hang out in the sensory room two times today. It makes an enormous difference if he can decompress at set times during the day,... so that he doesn't "explode" all over us when he gets home! But really & truly, in my heart, I know that the biggest reason that he did so much better today is b/c someone very special to me prayed sooooo hard for us today - for JG, specifically, and for mine & my family's ongoing struggles to take care of such a complex (but amazing) little boy! And I'm so grateful to her for taking time out of her busy schedule today to talk & pray w/ me!!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Kinnikinnick (allergen free) donuts, fruit, & orange juice
Lunchbox: leftover white bean soup & water
Snack: Mareblu nut crunch mixed w/ dried cherries & Juicy Juice
Afterschool Snack: grapes
Dinner: grits, eggs, fruit, & orange juice
*Today was our first time to try anything from the Kinnikinnick product line, & it was very well received!! Thank you, JenLacy! I managed to get part of a donut that M didn't finish, and it was oh so yummy!!
**Comic relief for the day: JG now wants a female goose named Lucy for Christmas!!
JG remained in this great mood for the entire evening! I took he and his sister to feed the ducks & geese down at the bay for his reward. Then we came home to get settled for the night, and he continued to cooperate w/ everything! He showered on his own!! He started the water! He undressed himself! And, most importantly, he was in and out in a very short amount of time! (I usually have to go into the bathroom multiple times during his showers to remind him to bathe & get out.) I'm telling you - you couldn't get any more opposite than yesterday! My head is spinning from the turnaround!!
So, what did I do different?! I certainly didn't wave a magic wand, b/c I would be swinging that thing around every day if I had one! I think that one factor in this amazing mood change is that he got to go to his resource teacher & hang out in the sensory room two times today. It makes an enormous difference if he can decompress at set times during the day,... so that he doesn't "explode" all over us when he gets home! But really & truly, in my heart, I know that the biggest reason that he did so much better today is b/c someone very special to me prayed sooooo hard for us today - for JG, specifically, and for mine & my family's ongoing struggles to take care of such a complex (but amazing) little boy! And I'm so grateful to her for taking time out of her busy schedule today to talk & pray w/ me!!
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: Kinnikinnick (allergen free) donuts, fruit, & orange juice
Lunchbox: leftover white bean soup & water
Snack: Mareblu nut crunch mixed w/ dried cherries & Juicy Juice
Afterschool Snack: grapes
Dinner: grits, eggs, fruit, & orange juice
*Today was our first time to try anything from the Kinnikinnick product line, & it was very well received!! Thank you, JenLacy! I managed to get part of a donut that M didn't finish, and it was oh so yummy!!
**Comic relief for the day: JG now wants a female goose named Lucy for Christmas!!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A long day...
So, JG got sick w/ his first cold of the school year & stayed home Thursday & half of Friday, and we continued to lay low through the long weekend. He never ran much of a fever, and I never gave him any medication - just ran the humidifier a couple of nights. He still sounds a little nasally today, but he went to school all day. What I find disheartening, though, is that a nice long weekend that most of us would love actually wreaks havoc on JG. The lack of routine is just so hard on children on the spectrum!
The last few days have included some major meltdowns - the kind that wear me down to a puddle! In fact, as I sit here blogging, I'm having a beer & trying to come down from the day. It's hard, especially when you know that you'll probably have to face the same thing the next day. I know that all of you Aspie parents know what I'm talking about, for sure, and probably some of you other parents, too!! I need to look back at my own blog & read about the day that we had the "awakening" - when JG apologized to his little sister & wrote a letter to God! I need to read it & be reminded that there will be more of those kinds of days to come. We're just at the beginning of this path to healing!! "Awakened" days will multiply & meltdown days will diminish!! That's my prayer for JG today.
All of the whining being said, I warned ya'll that I wouldn't have much shopping this week - so what should I tell you about? Recipes? Menu? Maybe a little of both!
Breakfast: Rice Chex, Rice Dream milk replacement, & orange juice
Lunchbox: Thinly sliced pork tenderloin (grilled on Sunday), leftover sauteed red potatoes, whole green beans
Snack: Mareblu nut clusters, a plum, and Juicy Juice
Afterschool Snack: Luigi's Italian Ice Philly Swirl Stix NEW DISCOVERY!
Dinner: Homemade White Bean & Ham Soup - In the crock pot combine 1lb. dry white northern beans (previously soaked); 1 whole onion, chopped; 2 stalks of celery, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 bay leaves; salt & pepper to taste; and some leftover ham, diced. Cover w/ plenty of water & cook until the beans reach your desired texture.
*This is the kind of recipe that makes it clear that I threw things together & left it, but it turned out soooo yummy! Even my bean hating, non-Aspie loved it & ate 2 bowls!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Today's Menu
Breakfast: eggs, grits, fruit, and orange juice
Lunchbox: ham, potato salad, fruit, water
Snack: Mareblu nut crunch & Juicy Juice
Dinner: Taco Salad topped w/ salsa, romaine lettuce, & organic ground
beef seasoned w/
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
This was my first time to use my own taco seasoning, but after the episode w/ JG's tics getting so bad after having store bought fajita seasoning last week, I couldn't risk that happening again. I'll never know for certain if the hydrolyzed soy protein was the true cause, but now that I've seen what neuro-toxins can do I'll be mixing all of my own seasonings!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING!
An amazing thing happened at dinner tonight, and I am not using the word "amazing" frivolously! As Hubby & I were getting our plates ready to head to the dining room, I glanced in at the kids and saw JG getting up from his chair at the table. In the moment that followed I received a blaring affirmation that I'm doing the right thing!! JG went to his sister, hugged her, & told her that he was sorry for ever being mean to her!!!!! We weren't even in there yet, so he wasn't performing for us to see! I backed right up in to our kitchen and started crying!!
Only my closest friends & family know what this means, but M is typically JG's "whipping boy". He takes out a lot of his anger & frustrations on his little sister. I often worry about the long term effects of M being told that she's "stupid" or an "idiot" repeatedly every day by her big brother. (I try to counteract it by constantly telling her that she's smart & beautiful.) I think that God gave her the personality that she needs to love her brother unconditionally and to forgive him often, because she truly thinks that he hung the moon! And tonight she gathered up lots of missed hugs & kisses while her brother was willing to share them!
AND, as if that wasn't enough, (my heart is exploding) JG was a pleasure to be around at dinner and the entire evening! He made us all laugh multiple times at the table, almost making me spit out my food, which then made B laugh at me getting so tickled! There was lots of giggling,... which is a far cry from the nights, not too long ago, that were spent w/ JG & I eating at a separate table from the rest of the family.
I can't stop there! He also sat down after dinner, on his own devices, mind you, and wrote a letter to God. I asked him if I could read it & he let me. It was so sweet, and soooo JG! He told God that he knows that people get wishes, and he has never had a wish come true. So, he told God that he wishes that he could have the power of fire-bending, and that he would try his very best to be good if he could have his wish. He later added to his letter that he wishes his brother & sister could have special "bending" powers, too! (JG is really in to Avatar: The Last Airbender, right now, just in case you couldn't tell!!) Needless to say, we had to have a little talk before bed about God's timing & plans not always being the same as ours, and that you don't have to write a letter to God & leave it like a tooth under your pillow for the Tooth Fairy b/c you can pray to God anytime.
God is so good!
Only my closest friends & family know what this means, but M is typically JG's "whipping boy". He takes out a lot of his anger & frustrations on his little sister. I often worry about the long term effects of M being told that she's "stupid" or an "idiot" repeatedly every day by her big brother. (I try to counteract it by constantly telling her that she's smart & beautiful.) I think that God gave her the personality that she needs to love her brother unconditionally and to forgive him often, because she truly thinks that he hung the moon! And tonight she gathered up lots of missed hugs & kisses while her brother was willing to share them!
AND, as if that wasn't enough, (my heart is exploding) JG was a pleasure to be around at dinner and the entire evening! He made us all laugh multiple times at the table, almost making me spit out my food, which then made B laugh at me getting so tickled! There was lots of giggling,... which is a far cry from the nights, not too long ago, that were spent w/ JG & I eating at a separate table from the rest of the family.
I can't stop there! He also sat down after dinner, on his own devices, mind you, and wrote a letter to God. I asked him if I could read it & he let me. It was so sweet, and soooo JG! He told God that he knows that people get wishes, and he has never had a wish come true. So, he told God that he wishes that he could have the power of fire-bending, and that he would try his very best to be good if he could have his wish. He later added to his letter that he wishes his brother & sister could have special "bending" powers, too! (JG is really in to Avatar: The Last Airbender, right now, just in case you couldn't tell!!) Needless to say, we had to have a little talk before bed about God's timing & plans not always being the same as ours, and that you don't have to write a letter to God & leave it like a tooth under your pillow for the Tooth Fairy b/c you can pray to God anytime.
God is so good!
This Week's Shopping
I have a dear friend that gets a laugh out of the fact that it seems like I am always "at the store" when she calls. Her jests are not too far off base! Mind you, most of those shopping trips are rather small. With the GF/CF eating style I have found that it's very difficult to "stockpile" items in my pantry, b/c we typically just eat meat, fruit, & veggies. You wouldn't want to stockpile fresh items like produce b/c some of the items could spoil before you use them, and meat (predominantly "green") is too expensive to stock up on! And have you ever noticed the limited amount of coupons that are floating around for fresh foods?!
This time last year I was a coupon queen!! We didn't eat a large amount of convenience foods, and there were a lot of coupons that were useless to me back then. However, I still managed to save "mucho dinero" w/ the coupons that remained after my weeding through! Now,... good luck on finding coupons for fresh organic meat & fresh produce!! Yes, every now & then I'll have some good luck & find some in a copy of my Kiwi magazine or in the Sunday circulars, but it is extremely rare! With all of that in mind, I've gotten a really bad attitude about how those of us who live on a tight budget are strong armed in to eating unhealthy. Or, at the very least, I feel comfortable in saying that it is quite difficult for a frugal family to eat healthy. I'll refrain from discussing my conspiracy theories!
All of that rambling being said, I have developed some tricks to feeding my GF/CF family frugally. And yes, Coco, it means I make multiple trips to the local stores! Here are some examples w/ this week's shopping:
On Sunday I went to Sam's Club to pick up a few staples that I had found the week before. Mareblu Naturals makes a yummy nut cluster, Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch, that is peanut-free, gluten free, & dairy free. My non-Aspie son thinks that they taste like blueberry waffles! I also picked up a Sam's Club brand spiral sliced ham that is certified gluten free, a big bag of corn tortilla chips ('cause taco salad is just so yummy & can easily be GF/CF), and a bag of romaine hearts. On my last trip to Sam's a couple of weeks ago I also picked up some frozen berries for smoothies, frozen whole green beans, hummus, organic baby carrots, and Multi-Seeded Crackers. I've also spotted a good deal on some chicken & apple sausage that is certified gluten free, but I haven't been able to bring myself to buy that large of a package of sausage!
After Sam's I stopped at one of our local farmers' markets & bought a bag of red potatoes, some sweet potatoes, a bag of onions, cantaloupe & some peaches. Then I stopped at Publix for our Rice Dream, orange juice, Van's Waffles, Juicy Juice, and a few other essentials. That was it for the day,... but then I made another stop by one of our other grocery stores today! I only got 7 items at Bruno's, though - paper products (recycled) & meat! And, to be honest, those items, added to the ones that I already had, will cover us for another week or so.
Menu:
Monday breakfast: Van's waffles w/ fresh cut fruit salad
lunchbox: leftover grilled sausage, fruit salad
snack: nut clusters & Juicy Juice
dinner: ham, potato salad, & green beans almondine
Tuesday breakfast: Van's waffles w/ fruit salad
lunchbox: ham, potato salad, fruit salad
snack: nut clusters & Juicy Juice
dinner: leftovers! (red beans & rice or ham & potato salad)
This time last year I was a coupon queen!! We didn't eat a large amount of convenience foods, and there were a lot of coupons that were useless to me back then. However, I still managed to save "mucho dinero" w/ the coupons that remained after my weeding through! Now,... good luck on finding coupons for fresh organic meat & fresh produce!! Yes, every now & then I'll have some good luck & find some in a copy of my Kiwi magazine or in the Sunday circulars, but it is extremely rare! With all of that in mind, I've gotten a really bad attitude about how those of us who live on a tight budget are strong armed in to eating unhealthy. Or, at the very least, I feel comfortable in saying that it is quite difficult for a frugal family to eat healthy. I'll refrain from discussing my conspiracy theories!
All of that rambling being said, I have developed some tricks to feeding my GF/CF family frugally. And yes, Coco, it means I make multiple trips to the local stores! Here are some examples w/ this week's shopping:
On Sunday I went to Sam's Club to pick up a few staples that I had found the week before. Mareblu Naturals makes a yummy nut cluster, Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch, that is peanut-free, gluten free, & dairy free. My non-Aspie son thinks that they taste like blueberry waffles! I also picked up a Sam's Club brand spiral sliced ham that is certified gluten free, a big bag of corn tortilla chips ('cause taco salad is just so yummy & can easily be GF/CF), and a bag of romaine hearts. On my last trip to Sam's a couple of weeks ago I also picked up some frozen berries for smoothies, frozen whole green beans, hummus, organic baby carrots, and Multi-Seeded Crackers. I've also spotted a good deal on some chicken & apple sausage that is certified gluten free, but I haven't been able to bring myself to buy that large of a package of sausage!
After Sam's I stopped at one of our local farmers' markets & bought a bag of red potatoes, some sweet potatoes, a bag of onions, cantaloupe & some peaches. Then I stopped at Publix for our Rice Dream, orange juice, Van's Waffles, Juicy Juice, and a few other essentials. That was it for the day,... but then I made another stop by one of our other grocery stores today! I only got 7 items at Bruno's, though - paper products (recycled) & meat! And, to be honest, those items, added to the ones that I already had, will cover us for another week or so.
Menu:
Monday breakfast: Van's waffles w/ fresh cut fruit salad
lunchbox: leftover grilled sausage, fruit salad
snack: nut clusters & Juicy Juice
dinner: ham, potato salad, & green beans almondine
Tuesday breakfast: Van's waffles w/ fruit salad
lunchbox: ham, potato salad, fruit salad
snack: nut clusters & Juicy Juice
dinner: leftovers! (red beans & rice or ham & potato salad)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Almost Done
I hope that it's okay that I start counting down the hours 'til the weekend on Thursday! Who am I kidding?! I probably start on Monday! It's not that we do anything particularly exciting on the weekends,... but I'm just happy to not have to get JG anywhere for 2 whole days. So, only one more morning struggle left before I get a 2 day reprieve. These are the thoughts that get me through a day.
JG had a much better day at school yesterday. His tics had settled down quite a bit after a good night's rest on Tuesday night. He does seem extremely tired, though - even more than he did during the first week of school. It concerns me, but I'm doing all that I can do. He has had 3 nights in a row that he's fallen asleep instantly, and that is absolutely not the norm!
I have scheduled a meeting w/ a woman for horseback riding lessons for JG. She lives right down the road, and we're going to meet w/ her on Friday afternoon. She said that she teaches them everything, not just how to ride. He'll learn how to brush the horses, how to clean their hooves, and all of the parts of caring for them, in addition to slowly learning how to ride. She doesn't have any particular experience w/ Asperger's children, but she seems very open to learning about JG. She asked some particulars, and she said that she was going to do some research about his difficulties. She has, however, worked w/ other children w/ various special needs. So,... it looks like we'll be teaching her, as well. I can't wait to tell him!
Also, I've realized that I'm not posting as much information about food as I had planned on doing, so here's a little re-cap.
Tuesday night I cooked spaghetti w/ organic meat, Newman's Own sauce, & corn pasta & it was a hit!! Spaghetti is one of JG's all time favorites, and it has been a long time since he has gotten to have some. I've warmed some up to put in to a thermos for the past two days for his lunch at school. (I also cut it up to make it easier to eat out of a thermos.)
Last night we had breakfast for dinner, and we had pancakes made from a Bob's Red Mill mix, Jones Dairy Farm turkey sausage, and cantaloupe. Everyone was happy! It amazes me that those pancakes are soooo much better fresh! FYI: We use Earth Balance spread as our butter replacement & Log Cabin syrup.
And this morning the kiddos had Van's waffles for breakfast, which has actually been requested repeatedly by my non-Aspie son! I cut up a little bit of cantaloupe on the side, and all the plates were cleaned!
The boys are going to get a special treat for their snack at school today, as I threw together a package of Betty Crocker Gluten Free brownies last night after dinner. And I also did some couponing yesterday in order to purchase some LaCroix Sparkling Water, in the lemon and orange flavors, so that the boys could have something else new & exciting in their lunchboxes! I'll be anxious to hear how they like them, but they were already excited just based on the fact that they were getting to take something that resembled a soda!!
JG had a much better day at school yesterday. His tics had settled down quite a bit after a good night's rest on Tuesday night. He does seem extremely tired, though - even more than he did during the first week of school. It concerns me, but I'm doing all that I can do. He has had 3 nights in a row that he's fallen asleep instantly, and that is absolutely not the norm!
I have scheduled a meeting w/ a woman for horseback riding lessons for JG. She lives right down the road, and we're going to meet w/ her on Friday afternoon. She said that she teaches them everything, not just how to ride. He'll learn how to brush the horses, how to clean their hooves, and all of the parts of caring for them, in addition to slowly learning how to ride. She doesn't have any particular experience w/ Asperger's children, but she seems very open to learning about JG. She asked some particulars, and she said that she was going to do some research about his difficulties. She has, however, worked w/ other children w/ various special needs. So,... it looks like we'll be teaching her, as well. I can't wait to tell him!
Also, I've realized that I'm not posting as much information about food as I had planned on doing, so here's a little re-cap.
Tuesday night I cooked spaghetti w/ organic meat, Newman's Own sauce, & corn pasta & it was a hit!! Spaghetti is one of JG's all time favorites, and it has been a long time since he has gotten to have some. I've warmed some up to put in to a thermos for the past two days for his lunch at school. (I also cut it up to make it easier to eat out of a thermos.)
Last night we had breakfast for dinner, and we had pancakes made from a Bob's Red Mill mix, Jones Dairy Farm turkey sausage, and cantaloupe. Everyone was happy! It amazes me that those pancakes are soooo much better fresh! FYI: We use Earth Balance spread as our butter replacement & Log Cabin syrup.
And this morning the kiddos had Van's waffles for breakfast, which has actually been requested repeatedly by my non-Aspie son! I cut up a little bit of cantaloupe on the side, and all the plates were cleaned!
The boys are going to get a special treat for their snack at school today, as I threw together a package of Betty Crocker Gluten Free brownies last night after dinner. And I also did some couponing yesterday in order to purchase some LaCroix Sparkling Water, in the lemon and orange flavors, so that the boys could have something else new & exciting in their lunchboxes! I'll be anxious to hear how they like them, but they were already excited just based on the fact that they were getting to take something that resembled a soda!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Two Steps Back
So, today started out really great! I managed to get up and fix eggs & grits w/ cantaloupe for breakfast, pack lunches for the boys, get them dressed & out the door for the bus, and make up 3 of the 4 beds all before I woke up Sleeping Beauty for her preschool "meet the teacher". Then I got her fed & dressed & myself showered & dressed w/in 45 minutes so that we could arrive at the preschool by 9:00. I know that that may not seem too impressive to anyone else, but I was mighty impressed w/ myself - especially w/ the craziness that is my life!
Well, I must not have knocked on wood hard enough or long enough when I was emailing TD about the morning, b/c the afternoon went downhill in record time! Naturally the trip south happened to coincide w/ the boys' arrival home from school. JG came in & immediately started telling me about how he got to take a nap at school b/c he was stuck in a yawn (& really thirsty). As he was telling me this, I noticed how bad his tics were & put 2&2 together. He was describing his tics, quite appropriately, as being stuck in a yawn!
I must admit that I was really upset. Going by JG's description of the day, I thought that his tics had become really bad & his resource teacher had decided to talk to him about them. Since his tics began about a month ago, I have made sure that NO ONE talks about them, as that will just stress him out & make them worse. However, it was that his tics became so frequent & uncontrollable that his teacher called for his resource teacher to come to take him to the sensory room. JG came up w/ his own description for them, which means that they were so straining that he was finally noticing them! It's heartbreaking!! I called his resource teacher, and she told me about everything that had occurred w/ JG & his tics. She even let him curl up in a bean bag chair to rest, and he slept for 20 minutes! She said that his tics slowed down some, but they never completely came to a stop during his nap.
Needless to say, our evening has been difficult. I wanted to keep everything as calm & relaxing as possible so that JG's tics might settle down a little bit, but that's easier said than done w/ 3 kids. I did, however, manage to get them all to bed by 8:00, and they all fell asleep instantly. My prayers tonight will be that my sweet boy's body will be released from these fitful tics, & that God will guard him from the stress that is worsening the situation.
Well, I must not have knocked on wood hard enough or long enough when I was emailing TD about the morning, b/c the afternoon went downhill in record time! Naturally the trip south happened to coincide w/ the boys' arrival home from school. JG came in & immediately started telling me about how he got to take a nap at school b/c he was stuck in a yawn (& really thirsty). As he was telling me this, I noticed how bad his tics were & put 2&2 together. He was describing his tics, quite appropriately, as being stuck in a yawn!
I must admit that I was really upset. Going by JG's description of the day, I thought that his tics had become really bad & his resource teacher had decided to talk to him about them. Since his tics began about a month ago, I have made sure that NO ONE talks about them, as that will just stress him out & make them worse. However, it was that his tics became so frequent & uncontrollable that his teacher called for his resource teacher to come to take him to the sensory room. JG came up w/ his own description for them, which means that they were so straining that he was finally noticing them! It's heartbreaking!! I called his resource teacher, and she told me about everything that had occurred w/ JG & his tics. She even let him curl up in a bean bag chair to rest, and he slept for 20 minutes! She said that his tics slowed down some, but they never completely came to a stop during his nap.
Needless to say, our evening has been difficult. I wanted to keep everything as calm & relaxing as possible so that JG's tics might settle down a little bit, but that's easier said than done w/ 3 kids. I did, however, manage to get them all to bed by 8:00, and they all fell asleep instantly. My prayers tonight will be that my sweet boy's body will be released from these fitful tics, & that God will guard him from the stress that is worsening the situation.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Start of Week 2
The boys were so tired last night, so I let them sleep a little later this morning. I was certain that I could still get them ready in plenty of time to catch the bus. JG was REALLY tired, b/c he had a really hard time falling asleep last night. Isn't it funny how exhaustion can make you too tired to fall asleep? Poor baby!
Breakfast was a failure this fine Monday morning! Who knew that GF/CF pancakes are only good when they're fresh?! In the days of Pre-GF/CF, I would do huge batches of pancakes from scratch on some weekends & freeze them for the weekday mornings. I thought that I was some kind of smart, b/c I had made several extra pancakes yesterday morning so the boys could have something different for their Monday morning breakfast. When B started complaining I chalked it up as one of his many 'tween grumblings, but then JG refused to eat them as well. Once I got in to the kitchen by myself, I took a bite of the discarded pancakes. They really were gross! They had become very dry & grainy - like they were made completely of cornmeal. I'm sure that cornmeal cakes are fine for some, but we just aren't accustomed to them - no matter how much syrup you put on them.
For lunch I packed JG some chicken & rice that I made last night, along w/ some steamed baby carrots, and some grapes. He was also lucky enough to score one of the last pieces of the GF/CF chocolate cake for his snack.
While I do plan on beginning to experiment w/ various "from scratch" baking recipes, this particular cake is from the line of GF/CF products that Betty Crocker has started producing. I'm pretty impressed w/ the amount of products that they offer. Their site is very helpful, as well - even offering print outs of their GF/CF products to make grocery shopping a little easier. However, we were not a meal out of the box family before GF/CF, and we will not become a meal out of the box family b/c of the novelty of these particular products. They've just been an inexpensive way for me to throw JG a treat here & there until I'm able to stock up on the unusual & costly baking supplies that are required for GF/CF baking.
And, drum roll, please! The meal that I'm patting myself on the back for was our dinner. I went to the store looking for a deal on some "happy cow" ground beef. (Happy Cow = Organic Beef) I was unable to find beef, but I did find some Springer Mt. Farms chicken on manager's special. So,... we had chicken fajita salad! It was yummy!! So yummy that both of the boys want leftovers for their lunch tomorrow! SCORE!!!!
Breakfast was a failure this fine Monday morning! Who knew that GF/CF pancakes are only good when they're fresh?! In the days of Pre-GF/CF, I would do huge batches of pancakes from scratch on some weekends & freeze them for the weekday mornings. I thought that I was some kind of smart, b/c I had made several extra pancakes yesterday morning so the boys could have something different for their Monday morning breakfast. When B started complaining I chalked it up as one of his many 'tween grumblings, but then JG refused to eat them as well. Once I got in to the kitchen by myself, I took a bite of the discarded pancakes. They really were gross! They had become very dry & grainy - like they were made completely of cornmeal. I'm sure that cornmeal cakes are fine for some, but we just aren't accustomed to them - no matter how much syrup you put on them.
For lunch I packed JG some chicken & rice that I made last night, along w/ some steamed baby carrots, and some grapes. He was also lucky enough to score one of the last pieces of the GF/CF chocolate cake for his snack.
While I do plan on beginning to experiment w/ various "from scratch" baking recipes, this particular cake is from the line of GF/CF products that Betty Crocker has started producing. I'm pretty impressed w/ the amount of products that they offer. Their site is very helpful, as well - even offering print outs of their GF/CF products to make grocery shopping a little easier. However, we were not a meal out of the box family before GF/CF, and we will not become a meal out of the box family b/c of the novelty of these particular products. They've just been an inexpensive way for me to throw JG a treat here & there until I'm able to stock up on the unusual & costly baking supplies that are required for GF/CF baking.
And, drum roll, please! The meal that I'm patting myself on the back for was our dinner. I went to the store looking for a deal on some "happy cow" ground beef. (Happy Cow = Organic Beef) I was unable to find beef, but I did find some Springer Mt. Farms chicken on manager's special. So,... we had chicken fajita salad! It was yummy!! So yummy that both of the boys want leftovers for their lunch tomorrow! SCORE!!!!
One, Two, Skip a Few
I had such good plans to blog at least once a day, even if it's just a quick little note!! However, life happens,... and I'm a scatter brain! This weekend was all about getting TD ready to start his new job. I swear, it was like getting the kids ready for back to school! New shoes, new pants, fresh haircut, etc.! And I was trying to get myself ready for having him around a lot less for awhile b/c of his training. I'm very proud of him, though!
I'm not going to give a complete re-cap of the weekend or anything, but I have to tell you about a new & strange occurrence that happened Friday afternoon. The boys got in from school at a little bit after 3:00, they came in & threw down their backpacks, & then they disappeared! And before I knew it, I could see multiple boys coming in & out of my driveway!! JG was right in the mix of it all! It was an amazing sight! He was out there just like the other boys - riding bikes, climbing trees, throwing sticks at a spider web, and making water balloons - w/ a huge smile on his face! Could this mean that what I'm doing is working? Maybe,... slowly but surely.
The flip-side to that super fun afternoon to end a tough first week of school is the utter exhaustion that was taking over our entire family - but especially JG. By the time we were dealing w/ showers & dinner the yelling had started, and his tick had gotten so bad that I had to leave the room for a bit to have a quick cry. It breaks my heart to see this happening to my little boy, and he has no control over it. In fact, I don't know that he even realizes what is happening, but his big brother noticed it for the first time this weekend b/c of its frequency. TD & I were quick to let him know that it is never to be spoken of again, as JG's knowledge of the tick would only stress him & make it worse.
First thing Saturday morning we had a little birthday party to attend, and the kiddos had a blast. JG was presented w/ another food challenge at the party, but I gave him a little break from GF/CF. The refreshments were pizza, cupcakes, & ice cream. I brought him a piece of gluten free cake that I had made Friday afternoon, so I let him choose b/w having a little piece of pizza or a cup of ice cream. Not surprisingly, he chose the pizza. What little boy doesn't love pizza?! In fact, I would have to say that I miss pizza more than any of the other foods, b/c we had a Friday night pizza tradition until we started the GF/CF plan. I know there's ways to have GF/CF pizza, but I just haven't gotten there yet - but I plan to. I'm full of plans!!!!!!
After the party, JG retired to his bed for a large part of the day. He needed the rest! Then on Sunday we went to visit TD's mom & grandmother, eat some lunch, and swim. I was so proud of Granny & Nanna, as they had prepared a GF/CF friendly meal for all of us to share! They even had grapes & strawberries for dessert, rather than the ice cream that we usually eat out by the pool. It's so wonderful to see our families backing us up on this transition. No, they're not all going to go completely GF/CF & throw out all of their "no no foods", but they have certainly been accommodating to JG's needs. One day his mind will be clear, & he'll think back to all of the people that cheered him on during this process of healing.
I'm not going to give a complete re-cap of the weekend or anything, but I have to tell you about a new & strange occurrence that happened Friday afternoon. The boys got in from school at a little bit after 3:00, they came in & threw down their backpacks, & then they disappeared! And before I knew it, I could see multiple boys coming in & out of my driveway!! JG was right in the mix of it all! It was an amazing sight! He was out there just like the other boys - riding bikes, climbing trees, throwing sticks at a spider web, and making water balloons - w/ a huge smile on his face! Could this mean that what I'm doing is working? Maybe,... slowly but surely.
The flip-side to that super fun afternoon to end a tough first week of school is the utter exhaustion that was taking over our entire family - but especially JG. By the time we were dealing w/ showers & dinner the yelling had started, and his tick had gotten so bad that I had to leave the room for a bit to have a quick cry. It breaks my heart to see this happening to my little boy, and he has no control over it. In fact, I don't know that he even realizes what is happening, but his big brother noticed it for the first time this weekend b/c of its frequency. TD & I were quick to let him know that it is never to be spoken of again, as JG's knowledge of the tick would only stress him & make it worse.
First thing Saturday morning we had a little birthday party to attend, and the kiddos had a blast. JG was presented w/ another food challenge at the party, but I gave him a little break from GF/CF. The refreshments were pizza, cupcakes, & ice cream. I brought him a piece of gluten free cake that I had made Friday afternoon, so I let him choose b/w having a little piece of pizza or a cup of ice cream. Not surprisingly, he chose the pizza. What little boy doesn't love pizza?! In fact, I would have to say that I miss pizza more than any of the other foods, b/c we had a Friday night pizza tradition until we started the GF/CF plan. I know there's ways to have GF/CF pizza, but I just haven't gotten there yet - but I plan to. I'm full of plans!!!!!!
After the party, JG retired to his bed for a large part of the day. He needed the rest! Then on Sunday we went to visit TD's mom & grandmother, eat some lunch, and swim. I was so proud of Granny & Nanna, as they had prepared a GF/CF friendly meal for all of us to share! They even had grapes & strawberries for dessert, rather than the ice cream that we usually eat out by the pool. It's so wonderful to see our families backing us up on this transition. No, they're not all going to go completely GF/CF & throw out all of their "no no foods", but they have certainly been accommodating to JG's needs. One day his mind will be clear, & he'll think back to all of the people that cheered him on during this process of healing.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tomorrow's Friday!!
This week has been so crazy that I'm actually excited about not having a vehicle to go anywhere tomorrow. Tribe Dad has orientation at his new job tomorrow, and we are a one vehicle family - so NO VAN! I have so much to get caught up on in the house, but I'm also pooped from running so much this week. Meetings, appointments, & shopping, oh my! And none of the shopping was for me! (It rarely is these days!!)
Speaking of shopping,... I had a very productive shopping trip to our local Sam's Club today! The purpose of my mission was to bring back some new GF/CF foods to add to the monotonous menu of this week. I'm happy to report that I got some interesting new products (new to us), and I did not spend a fortune. I got a large box of Multi-Seeded crackers, some hummus, organic baby carrots, salsa (the yummy fresh kind), corn tortilla chips, & some yummy little trail mix chunks that were both gluten free & peanut free (not an issue for us but at the school), and a few other things. I'll be happy to add the information re. the brands & such if anyone is interested, but I'm rather comfy in my chair at the moment.
With the busyness of the day, I hardly got to speak to the boys. They came home from school w/ Dad waiting & Mom running around doing errands. When I came home for a brief reprieve the boys were down the street playing w/ some new friends. (Did you hear that?! THEY were BOTH down the street playing w/ FRIENDS!!) Tribe Dad said that JG came home in a good mood & did all of his homework lickety split, b/c he wanted to go play w/ his FRIEND! (Although he doesn't know his name, but I'm sure his big brother does.) Not long after that, I had to head out again to go to JG's school for our "Get the Facts Night," and I have to say that I really think this is going to be a great school year for him. His class is small, he has some sweet, compassionate kids in his class, and some of the boys he has considered friends for a while. JG's teacher even said that she had one of the boys help to keep JG on task today and that he was wonderful w/ him. So, it looks like JG's team will include some peers this year, which will be so fantastic for his self esteem. (Oh, and the most exciting part is that we have a sensory room at our new school!!)
Now that everything seems to be falling in to place at JG's school, it's time for me to make some decisions about his extra curricular activities. Up until yesterday I thought he was going to play soccer, b/c he & his big bro had worked so much on his goalie skills. JG on the other hand has a different has a different plan, or lack of plan. We're tossing around the ideas of either gymnastics or horseback riding. JG's chiropractor thinks that gymnastics would be great for him, and I've also heard that riding can be very therapeutic for children on the autism spectrum. I guess it's going to come down to cost & availability. I'll let you know what we decide!
Speaking of shopping,... I had a very productive shopping trip to our local Sam's Club today! The purpose of my mission was to bring back some new GF/CF foods to add to the monotonous menu of this week. I'm happy to report that I got some interesting new products (new to us), and I did not spend a fortune. I got a large box of Multi-Seeded crackers, some hummus, organic baby carrots, salsa (the yummy fresh kind), corn tortilla chips, & some yummy little trail mix chunks that were both gluten free & peanut free (not an issue for us but at the school), and a few other things. I'll be happy to add the information re. the brands & such if anyone is interested, but I'm rather comfy in my chair at the moment.
With the busyness of the day, I hardly got to speak to the boys. They came home from school w/ Dad waiting & Mom running around doing errands. When I came home for a brief reprieve the boys were down the street playing w/ some new friends. (Did you hear that?! THEY were BOTH down the street playing w/ FRIENDS!!) Tribe Dad said that JG came home in a good mood & did all of his homework lickety split, b/c he wanted to go play w/ his FRIEND! (Although he doesn't know his name, but I'm sure his big brother does.) Not long after that, I had to head out again to go to JG's school for our "Get the Facts Night," and I have to say that I really think this is going to be a great school year for him. His class is small, he has some sweet, compassionate kids in his class, and some of the boys he has considered friends for a while. JG's teacher even said that she had one of the boys help to keep JG on task today and that he was wonderful w/ him. So, it looks like JG's team will include some peers this year, which will be so fantastic for his self esteem. (Oh, and the most exciting part is that we have a sensory room at our new school!!)
Now that everything seems to be falling in to place at JG's school, it's time for me to make some decisions about his extra curricular activities. Up until yesterday I thought he was going to play soccer, b/c he & his big bro had worked so much on his goalie skills. JG on the other hand has a different has a different plan, or lack of plan. We're tossing around the ideas of either gymnastics or horseback riding. JG's chiropractor thinks that gymnastics would be great for him, and I've also heard that riding can be very therapeutic for children on the autism spectrum. I guess it's going to come down to cost & availability. I'll let you know what we decide!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Close of Day 2
There is no perfection in life, so you won't ever catch me striving for that elusive ideal. (Though I have been known to set the bar at a rather unattainable high point at times!) So today's accomplishment of having JG leave for school w/ a smile & return home w/ a smile was a sign of good things to come!! We had an appointment w/ his chiropractor this afternoon, and JG was talkative & made eye contact w/ she & her staff. The appt. also gave JG & I an opportunity to have some alone time & chat about his day. Everything was positive!! Woohooo!!!! And then we even finished all of his homework when we got back home!
Things took their usual turn to the grumpy side of life around dinner, which of course sent the two of us to our own private table. As he ate dinner, I once again gave him his melatonin, then he & B watched a little TV & fell asleep w/out a fuss! My prayers are that he will not wake up as terrified tonight. Dr. Nikki, our chiropractor, suggested that I teach JG some prayers to say whenever he wakes up w/ his bad dreams. I had never thought of that! Have any of you fellow Tribe Moms out there tried that idea?
Our menu today was quite unimpressive, but we got through another day of GF/CF on the go!
Breakfast: Chex Cinnamon Cereal, Rice Dream rice milk, & orange juice.
Lunch: leftover ham & homemade potato salad w/ ice water to drink. (Yes! Again!!)
Snack: boiled egg (which he didn't eat) & sliced apples w/ a Juicy Juice.
Dinner: chinese take-out, w/ JG dining on rice, chicken & sugar snap peas, & a spring roll.
I can't say w/ absolute certainty that his meal was completely GF/CF, but I made the best choices possible. After all, I couldn't poke ham at him AGAIN!!
Quote of the day: I was so proud of M, b/c she withstood A LOT of errands today w/out a case of the grumpies! When I told her how proud I was, she said "I'm proud of you too, Mommy!"
Things took their usual turn to the grumpy side of life around dinner, which of course sent the two of us to our own private table. As he ate dinner, I once again gave him his melatonin, then he & B watched a little TV & fell asleep w/out a fuss! My prayers are that he will not wake up as terrified tonight. Dr. Nikki, our chiropractor, suggested that I teach JG some prayers to say whenever he wakes up w/ his bad dreams. I had never thought of that! Have any of you fellow Tribe Moms out there tried that idea?
Our menu today was quite unimpressive, but we got through another day of GF/CF on the go!
Breakfast: Chex Cinnamon Cereal, Rice Dream rice milk, & orange juice.
Lunch: leftover ham & homemade potato salad w/ ice water to drink. (Yes! Again!!)
Snack: boiled egg (which he didn't eat) & sliced apples w/ a Juicy Juice.
Dinner: chinese take-out, w/ JG dining on rice, chicken & sugar snap peas, & a spring roll.
I can't say w/ absolute certainty that his meal was completely GF/CF, but I made the best choices possible. After all, I couldn't poke ham at him AGAIN!!
Quote of the day: I was so proud of M, b/c she withstood A LOT of errands today w/out a case of the grumpies! When I told her how proud I was, she said "I'm proud of you too, Mommy!"
The Morning After
I'm exhausted,... but I'm certain that I don't feel as bad as JG. What a rough night we had!! The difference in this first day of school & all the others is that I've gotten much better at seeing the world through his eyes. So, my little guy had a full day of sensory overload yesterday - from the moment he stepped on the bus. (Which was by his own choice, b/c he knew that he would be w/ B & his cousin.) And when he returned home on the bus, I had to wisk him away to a dentist appointment. Needless to say, by the time we got home at 5PM, JG was DONE! We had a lot of yelling, which we tried to calm w/ a long soak in the tub. Then we still had a little bit of homework to do, which he handled well b/c it was one on one time w/ Dad. Then dinner ended up being a disaster, b/c JG was lashing out at his siblings - ending w/ JG & I having dinner in a different room. I went ahead & gave JG his melatonin as we were eating, so that it would have plenty of time to help him settle for bed. And, being able to predict the progression of the evening, I stayed right by his side until he was asleep. I laid down w/ him & he fell asleep quicker than usual.
However, that was not the beginning of a peaceful night's rest! Due to the stress that JG went through yesterday, he had a full night of bad dreams. When that baby came to my room last night he was shaking b/c he was so terrified! His heart was racing!! I got up & went to lay down w/ him, but every time he was starting to doze off again he would startle & wake up. At one point he mumbled that he felt like he was in "death's house"! Needless to say, sleep was very fitful, so this morning was certainly not smooth sailing. I eventually got him in to an upright position so that I could dress him, give him some breakfast, and get him out of the door to start it all over again. And, miracle of miracles, he left w/ a smile on his face.
However, that was not the beginning of a peaceful night's rest! Due to the stress that JG went through yesterday, he had a full night of bad dreams. When that baby came to my room last night he was shaking b/c he was so terrified! His heart was racing!! I got up & went to lay down w/ him, but every time he was starting to doze off again he would startle & wake up. At one point he mumbled that he felt like he was in "death's house"! Needless to say, sleep was very fitful, so this morning was certainly not smooth sailing. I eventually got him in to an upright position so that I could dress him, give him some breakfast, and get him out of the door to start it all over again. And, miracle of miracles, he left w/ a smile on his face.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The First Test
I passed it! Not with flying colors, mind you, but I passed it!! Wondering what sort of test I passed today? I sent my Aspie to his first day of school as a GF/CF convert! I wasn't worrying about whether or not my kiddo was going to have fun on his first day back to school, though that would have been fantastic! I just wanted him to get through the day without a meltdown. Success!! He saved the meltdown for me!! (He's generous like that!)
We've been working on our transition, as a family, to a gluten free & casein free lifestyle for most of the summer. My hope is to heal, or at least lessen, the symptoms of my 8 year old son's Asperger's Syndrome by taking a bio-medical approach. And, yes,... we've tried the medical approach, leaving doctors', therapists', & psychiatrists' offices with stacks of prescriptions - literally. At the beginning of our adventure we had a particular psychiatrist that we visited who thought nothing of handing me 5 or 6 prescriptions at a time, never knowing how my little boy's body was going to react to the medication. It was scary!! So at the end of his 2nd grade year we decided that we had had enough. If we were handing out anti-psychotics to our son when he was 8, what were we going to do when he was 18?! So my search began!
Today's menu:
Breakfast - French Toast made w/ brown rice bread, rice milk, eggs, organic sugar, & cinnamon
fresh fruit
orange juice
Lunch - Leftovers! - ham, potato salad, & broccoli
water
Snack - Juicy Juice
apple slices
peanut butter (which he wasn't allowed to eat b/c of another child's allergy)
Afterschool Snack - GF/CF Chocolate Cupcake w/ powdered sugar on top
Dinner - Pork Roast
Baked Red Potato
Broccoli
I know today wasn't a stellar performance, but I have many ideas up my sleeves! My loftier ideas will have to wait a bit - until I get my groove! I had a very brilliant friend, who happens to be the mother of 2 children on the spectrum, remind me to not put too much on myself. That would only make me even crazier than I already am!!
Quote of the day: While helping JG relax & fall asleep by concentrating on what I was referring to as his "yoga breathing," he said, "yea, it kept you from pulling out your hair this summer!"
We've been working on our transition, as a family, to a gluten free & casein free lifestyle for most of the summer. My hope is to heal, or at least lessen, the symptoms of my 8 year old son's Asperger's Syndrome by taking a bio-medical approach. And, yes,... we've tried the medical approach, leaving doctors', therapists', & psychiatrists' offices with stacks of prescriptions - literally. At the beginning of our adventure we had a particular psychiatrist that we visited who thought nothing of handing me 5 or 6 prescriptions at a time, never knowing how my little boy's body was going to react to the medication. It was scary!! So at the end of his 2nd grade year we decided that we had had enough. If we were handing out anti-psychotics to our son when he was 8, what were we going to do when he was 18?! So my search began!
Today's menu:
Breakfast - French Toast made w/ brown rice bread, rice milk, eggs, organic sugar, & cinnamon
fresh fruit
orange juice
Lunch - Leftovers! - ham, potato salad, & broccoli
water
Snack - Juicy Juice
apple slices
peanut butter (which he wasn't allowed to eat b/c of another child's allergy)
Afterschool Snack - GF/CF Chocolate Cupcake w/ powdered sugar on top
Dinner - Pork Roast
Baked Red Potato
Broccoli
I know today wasn't a stellar performance, but I have many ideas up my sleeves! My loftier ideas will have to wait a bit - until I get my groove! I had a very brilliant friend, who happens to be the mother of 2 children on the spectrum, remind me to not put too much on myself. That would only make me even crazier than I already am!!
Quote of the day: While helping JG relax & fall asleep by concentrating on what I was referring to as his "yoga breathing," he said, "yea, it kept you from pulling out your hair this summer!"
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