Back on Track?

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!!

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!!

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!

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

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).

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

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!