So the boys both had their parent teacher conferences today. I will start with Max. His teacher started out by saying that he is doing worse. He fidgets with his shoe all of the time, he doesn't pay attention, he doesn't follow directions.
Then she showed me his work. He is one of the top readers. He is doing excellent at spelling and sight words. He exceeds expectations on math.
Hmmm, and this is worse? I am trying not to make any judgmenets right now, but I have to think. He isn't paying attention, but he is showing as an excellent student. Perhaps he is bored? I don't know. Max's ADD testing is March 5th and 6th. I guess we will know more then.
Gavin's conference went well also... for the most part. He also is doing amazing in all of his classes. A's and A-'s in everything. However he tends to make bad choices with his friends. Today, the day of conferences, he tells another boy in his class to go look up the word breast in the dictionary. What?! Are you kidding me?!
Sooooo.... since Gavin is soooo exctremely interested in the dictionary I am giving him lists of words that he gets to look up in the dictionary and write the definitions to. :) words like: choice, respect, example, teacher, and of course breast. I am going to give him 10 words today, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. he is going to hate the dictionary. but I bet he won't tell someone to look up an inappropriate word in the dictionary again.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
A symptom of????
So Max woke up with a rash on his face. little bumps on one side of his face and some large red splotches on the other side. Is it gluten? Is it dairy? Is it something entirely unrelated? How the hell am I supposed to know, because he ate both bread and butter for lunch yesterday at school.
I am still pissed.
he is gluten and dairy free today. Tomorrow he will have gluten.... again.
I am still pissed.
he is gluten and dairy free today. Tomorrow he will have gluten.... again.
Friday, January 27, 2012
An issue
I have a dilemna. Who do I yell at first?
I went to work at 6am this morning, Ron has the day off. I gathered all of the kids' homework, snow pants, hats, and gloves and made sure they were in their back packs ready for school. I organized ther shoes and boots next to their back packs so they wouldn't forget to take them to school. I made Max's snack for school and placed it into his back pack. I made his snack for him to eat after school and placed it onto the counter to be handed to the after school teacher. I made Max's lunch including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit cocktail, chips, and a drink and placed it into the fridge until it was time to go to school. I told all of this to Ron. All he had to do was get the after school snack and Max's lunch box and be on his way.
Are you guessing where I am going with this story?
Ron forgot to send Max's lunch.
Max tells his teacher when he gets to school. He asks his teacher to call us so we can bring it to him. Ron was home almost the whole day.
Max's teacher does not call us. She sends him through the lunch line at school and he has to get the school lunch. Max chose no drink- he knew he wasn't supposed to have the milk. He ate the corn dog, because he knew he could have hotdogs (and honestly, it was the only choice- eat it or eat nothing) He also ate the fruit. he didn't eat the cucumbers because he doesn't like cucumbers. I am sure he ate the dessert, whatever that might be.
Well Ron was by me, so he got the first round of "Angie's pissed". Now what do I do about the teacher? She should have called. Ron could have had the lunch brought to the school in 5 minutes.
So we were going to introduce dairy this weekend, but instead it looks like gluten has been introduced. So we are going with gluten I guess. We are going to start on Sunday.
I went to work at 6am this morning, Ron has the day off. I gathered all of the kids' homework, snow pants, hats, and gloves and made sure they were in their back packs ready for school. I organized ther shoes and boots next to their back packs so they wouldn't forget to take them to school. I made Max's snack for school and placed it into his back pack. I made his snack for him to eat after school and placed it onto the counter to be handed to the after school teacher. I made Max's lunch including a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit cocktail, chips, and a drink and placed it into the fridge until it was time to go to school. I told all of this to Ron. All he had to do was get the after school snack and Max's lunch box and be on his way.
Are you guessing where I am going with this story?
Ron forgot to send Max's lunch.
Max tells his teacher when he gets to school. He asks his teacher to call us so we can bring it to him. Ron was home almost the whole day.
Max's teacher does not call us. She sends him through the lunch line at school and he has to get the school lunch. Max chose no drink- he knew he wasn't supposed to have the milk. He ate the corn dog, because he knew he could have hotdogs (and honestly, it was the only choice- eat it or eat nothing) He also ate the fruit. he didn't eat the cucumbers because he doesn't like cucumbers. I am sure he ate the dessert, whatever that might be.
Well Ron was by me, so he got the first round of "Angie's pissed". Now what do I do about the teacher? She should have called. Ron could have had the lunch brought to the school in 5 minutes.
So we were going to introduce dairy this weekend, but instead it looks like gluten has been introduced. So we are going with gluten I guess. We are going to start on Sunday.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Almost there
Okay, I took short hiatus while I was sick, but I am back. Max is still eating dairy and gluten free. We are going to introduce dairy back into his diet this weekend to see how he tolerates it. Then next weekend we will introduce gluten back and see how he tolerates it.
Max chose the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks; Chip wrecked this weekend. He did well not having to stay inside for recess last week. His next goal is to get 20 days of stars and then we will take him to Incredible Pizza. Today was not a good start to that goal, though, as he had to miss part of recess today to finish some math work.
I did get a semi-positive report from his teacher on Friday. She said that he had a better week last week but Monday is always better than Friday. I am sure that he is more rested on Monday which impacts his attention span. I am not sure how we can get him to bed any earlier during the week. What I need is a job that allows a work schedule of 9-4. then he can sleep in and wake up rested. I'll keep dreaming....
Max chose the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks; Chip wrecked this weekend. He did well not having to stay inside for recess last week. His next goal is to get 20 days of stars and then we will take him to Incredible Pizza. Today was not a good start to that goal, though, as he had to miss part of recess today to finish some math work.
I did get a semi-positive report from his teacher on Friday. She said that he had a better week last week but Monday is always better than Friday. I am sure that he is more rested on Monday which impacts his attention span. I am not sure how we can get him to bed any earlier during the week. What I need is a job that allows a work schedule of 9-4. then he can sleep in and wake up rested. I'll keep dreaming....
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 18
I picked Max up from daycare tonight and he immediately said, "Before I say anything else.... I have to tell you something important. I didn't have to stay inside for recess!" Yippeee Max!!! He has just earned a movie! We'll have to try and squeeze on in this weekend. Now I have to figure out what is playing!
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: hot dog, catsup, fruit cup, carrots
snack: cereal bar
snack: kettle corn
supper: chili, gluten free crackers, non dairy cheese
snack: almond ice cream
Max loved the chili. He wants it for lunch tomorrow. That works for me!!
He is going to be tired tomorrow. Wrestling practice tonight until 7, he doesn't get home until 7:20, then eat a snack and take a shower. He got to bed at 8pm. Ugh. That makes for a tough morning.
I did remember Zyrtec this morning. I don't remember if he was stuffy tonight or not. I think not, but he did get a bloody nose at wrestling practice. I think he will always be prone to bloody noses. but if we can make him less stuffy that would be better.
Only 12 more days of this diet and then we will add back foods. I think we are going to add dairy back first, see how he tolerates it. I know gluten can take longer to get out of your system. I would hate to add gluten back and then he react to it and then I have to wait another 30 days for it to get back out of his system before seeing if he reacts to dairy.
I just purchased a book on Amazon called Unhealthy Truth. It was recommended to me by a friend. I love reading food/health books anyway, but I am expecting some good information that maybe we as a family can incorporate into our eating habits.
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: hot dog, catsup, fruit cup, carrots
snack: cereal bar
snack: kettle corn
supper: chili, gluten free crackers, non dairy cheese
snack: almond ice cream
Max loved the chili. He wants it for lunch tomorrow. That works for me!!
He is going to be tired tomorrow. Wrestling practice tonight until 7, he doesn't get home until 7:20, then eat a snack and take a shower. He got to bed at 8pm. Ugh. That makes for a tough morning.
I did remember Zyrtec this morning. I don't remember if he was stuffy tonight or not. I think not, but he did get a bloody nose at wrestling practice. I think he will always be prone to bloody noses. but if we can make him less stuffy that would be better.
Only 12 more days of this diet and then we will add back foods. I think we are going to add dairy back first, see how he tolerates it. I know gluten can take longer to get out of your system. I would hate to add gluten back and then he react to it and then I have to wait another 30 days for it to get back out of his system before seeing if he reacts to dairy.
I just purchased a book on Amazon called Unhealthy Truth. It was recommended to me by a friend. I love reading food/health books anyway, but I am expecting some good information that maybe we as a family can incorporate into our eating habits.
Day 17
Yesterday Gavin stayed home from school with a little stomach bug. Hopefully no one else gets it!
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: chicken fingers and french fries
snack: cereal bar
snack: whole pear
supper: chicken enchiladas (gluten free tortillas and dairy free cheese)
snack: almond milk ice cream
symptoms: he didn't seem real tired until about 6pm. he had a shadow of circle under his eye, but improved. I forgot to give him the zyrtec, but I will remember in the future. He didn't have to miss recess today. another sticker!
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: chicken fingers and french fries
snack: cereal bar
snack: whole pear
supper: chicken enchiladas (gluten free tortillas and dairy free cheese)
snack: almond milk ice cream
symptoms: he didn't seem real tired until about 6pm. he had a shadow of circle under his eye, but improved. I forgot to give him the zyrtec, but I will remember in the future. He didn't have to miss recess today. another sticker!
Monday, January 16, 2012
14, 15, 16
14th: We attended a wrestling tournament.
breakfast: toast
lunch: hot dog from the concession stand with no bun
snacks: various things: fruit rollup, craisins, tomatoes
supper: spaghetti with gluten free pasta
snack: almond ice cream
15th: a birthday party for a cousing
breakfast :smoothie
lunch: leftover spaghetti
dinner at the party (we didn't know there would be food): beefburger with no bun, little smokies.
snack: almond ice cream
16th:
breakfast: toast
lunch: ham and veggie cheese sandwich with mayo. fruit cocktail, and something else that now I can't remember.
snack: blackberries
supper: chicken strips, baked beans
snack: almond ice cream and a few craisins
symptoms: 15th was really tired by 5pm and had circles under his eyes. 16th: complained of a stomach ache after he ate the blackberries but he did eat almost a whole pint. :) circles under his eyes. all days he had nasal congestion.
today we bought an allergen matress and pillow cover. Let's see if that helps with his allergies. We also started Zyrtec today. We'll give it two weeks and if it doesn't help I'll call the ENT and see what else Max can try. In the past Zyrtec hasn't helped like I think it should. Also today Max did not have to miss any recess. Max did say his teacher had to tell him once to pay attention.
breakfast: toast
lunch: hot dog from the concession stand with no bun
snacks: various things: fruit rollup, craisins, tomatoes
supper: spaghetti with gluten free pasta
snack: almond ice cream
15th: a birthday party for a cousing
breakfast :smoothie
lunch: leftover spaghetti
dinner at the party (we didn't know there would be food): beefburger with no bun, little smokies.
snack: almond ice cream
16th:
breakfast: toast
lunch: ham and veggie cheese sandwich with mayo. fruit cocktail, and something else that now I can't remember.
snack: blackberries
supper: chicken strips, baked beans
snack: almond ice cream and a few craisins
symptoms: 15th was really tired by 5pm and had circles under his eyes. 16th: complained of a stomach ache after he ate the blackberries but he did eat almost a whole pint. :) circles under his eyes. all days he had nasal congestion.
today we bought an allergen matress and pillow cover. Let's see if that helps with his allergies. We also started Zyrtec today. We'll give it two weeks and if it doesn't help I'll call the ENT and see what else Max can try. In the past Zyrtec hasn't helped like I think it should. Also today Max did not have to miss any recess. Max did say his teacher had to tell him once to pay attention.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday the 13th
Max was so excited yesterday that he got a sticker on the calendar after I dropped him off at daycare he said he was going to try hard again today. :) I was starting to feel some confidence building in what we are doing. Then I received this email from the teacher this afternoon.
Angie,
Max was very off task every day this week except Monday. He had to stay in from recess to complete some of his work. I haven’t noticed much difference this week except for Monday. It is almost like he can’t control it. I will have to bring him back to what he is supposed to be doing. Let me know if I can help you any further.
Well, that's a buzz kill.
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: taco salad and fruit rollup
snack: rice cakes
snack: rice krispie bar
supper: leftovers: sloppy joes on a gluten free bun. blueberries
snack: fudgecicle
symptoms: fatigue, stuffy, circles under his eyes. He might be coming down with a cold. He sneezed several times tonight.
He told me he didn't have to miss any recess today and he passed his list three sight words. Way to go dude! Another sticker on the calendar.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Day 12- A sticker day!!!
I picked Max up from daycare and on the ride home I asked how his day was. He said, "I have something very special to tell you. I didn't have to miss any recess!" Woo Hoo Max!!!!! He said he even had to alphabetize and all of the words started with the letter A!! And he got it done in time. So that is two times this week that he has gotten his work done on time. That hasn't happened for awhile!
So we came home and placed a sticker on his calendar. :)
On a sadder note, one of his frogs died today. Max was quiet for a minute when I told him and then he said, "I just don't understand why it's eyes are still open." Max thinks maybe the other frog ate all of the dead frog's food. Who knows... maybe he did.
Max also had wrestling practice last night and didn't get to bed until 8pm. That is about an hour past his bedtime so I decided to call in late to work and let him sleep longer. I normally get him out of bed at 6:45; I finally had to wake him up at 7:45 or he was going to be late for school. He was more refreshed, though, and it obviously helped during school.
Breakfast: cereal bar, grapes
lunch: spaghetti, rice krispie bar, mandarin orange cup
snack: rice cakes
snack: apple cinnamon muffin
supper: bacon, sausage, cherry tomatoes. (breakfast night tonight and the kid won't eat eggs!)
snack: mandarin orange fruit cup
symptoms: circles under his eyes, stuffy and bloody nose today. not so tired tonight and didn't have to stay inside for recess. :)
So we came home and placed a sticker on his calendar. :)
On a sadder note, one of his frogs died today. Max was quiet for a minute when I told him and then he said, "I just don't understand why it's eyes are still open." Max thinks maybe the other frog ate all of the dead frog's food. Who knows... maybe he did.
Max also had wrestling practice last night and didn't get to bed until 8pm. That is about an hour past his bedtime so I decided to call in late to work and let him sleep longer. I normally get him out of bed at 6:45; I finally had to wake him up at 7:45 or he was going to be late for school. He was more refreshed, though, and it obviously helped during school.
Breakfast: cereal bar, grapes
lunch: spaghetti, rice krispie bar, mandarin orange cup
snack: rice cakes
snack: apple cinnamon muffin
supper: bacon, sausage, cherry tomatoes. (breakfast night tonight and the kid won't eat eggs!)
snack: mandarin orange fruit cup
symptoms: circles under his eyes, stuffy and bloody nose today. not so tired tonight and didn't have to stay inside for recess. :)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Day 11
We started a calendar with stickers. If Max can get all of his work done on time at school and not have to stay in for recess he can put a sticker on the calendar. If he gets five stickers he can pick an activity. He says he wants to see a movie- so a movie is what we will do.
No stickers yet, though. He had to stay in for part of a recess.
On Tuesday daycare asked if he could have a store bought rice Krispie bar. I had to say no, because their is milk in it. (butter). but I thanked them for telling me and told them I would make some home made bars and bring one for snack. It worked out perfectly!!! I made homemade Rice Krispie treats with gluten free Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and smart balance margarine which has no dairy in it. I even threw some sprinkles on top so they looked like the store bought ones. I bet they tasted better too!!
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: hot dogs, grapes
snacks: Kettle Corn
snack: Rice Krispie treat
supper: stew (he is totally NOT a fan of stew)
snack: frozen grapes and a fruit cup
I haven't spoken of symptoms in a while so here they are: circles under his eyes, fatigue, still can't get his work done on time at school.
Ron and I have made an appointment with a Dr. Hilliard for a second opinion. This Dr is a child psychologist and I have been told will do more testing than the last doctor. This doctor will do an IQ test and also test him to determine what his current learning level is and then will compare the two. If there is a large discrepancy between the two then we will discuss ADD. The appointment is scheduled for February 10th.
No stickers yet, though. He had to stay in for part of a recess.
On Tuesday daycare asked if he could have a store bought rice Krispie bar. I had to say no, because their is milk in it. (butter). but I thanked them for telling me and told them I would make some home made bars and bring one for snack. It worked out perfectly!!! I made homemade Rice Krispie treats with gluten free Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and smart balance margarine which has no dairy in it. I even threw some sprinkles on top so they looked like the store bought ones. I bet they tasted better too!!
breakfast: cinnamon toast
lunch: hot dogs, grapes
snacks: Kettle Corn
snack: Rice Krispie treat
supper: stew (he is totally NOT a fan of stew)
snack: frozen grapes and a fruit cup
I haven't spoken of symptoms in a while so here they are: circles under his eyes, fatigue, still can't get his work done on time at school.
Ron and I have made an appointment with a Dr. Hilliard for a second opinion. This Dr is a child psychologist and I have been told will do more testing than the last doctor. This doctor will do an IQ test and also test him to determine what his current learning level is and then will compare the two. If there is a large discrepancy between the two then we will discuss ADD. The appointment is scheduled for February 10th.
Day 10
I started writing this yesterday and didn't get a chance to finish it. We received a wonderful report from Max's teacher! She said on Tuesday Max didn't have to miss a single recess and he got all of his work done on time. Wow!!! However, Max came home Wednesday night and said he had to miss recess, but only a few minutes. So, it was short lived, but it was a positive response!!
breakfast: smoothie: almond milk, soy yogurt, 1/2 banana, blueberries, ice, peanut butter
lunch: spaghetti, carrots, blueberries
snack: granola
snack: cereal bar
supper: sloppy joes on a gluten free bun
snack: fudgecicle
Max was invited to a friends house today after school to play and stay for dinner. Ugh!! I said he could play but not stay for dinner. I explained the whole allergy thing and the mom was great. She texted me and asked if Max could have fruit snacks, but I didn't see the text right away. I responded about 40 minutes later and said she had to read the side of the box. She responded back and said that Max said he could have fruit so he had an orange. Is that okay? I said that is perfect. Way to go Max!!
I had to really fight with Max this morning though with getting up. He refused to get out of bed. he said he was too tired, but I didn't wake him up. He woke up on his own. I don't know what to do about him being "too tired" all of the time.
breakfast: smoothie: almond milk, soy yogurt, 1/2 banana, blueberries, ice, peanut butter
lunch: spaghetti, carrots, blueberries
snack: granola
snack: cereal bar
supper: sloppy joes on a gluten free bun
snack: fudgecicle
Max was invited to a friends house today after school to play and stay for dinner. Ugh!! I said he could play but not stay for dinner. I explained the whole allergy thing and the mom was great. She texted me and asked if Max could have fruit snacks, but I didn't see the text right away. I responded about 40 minutes later and said she had to read the side of the box. She responded back and said that Max said he could have fruit so he had an orange. Is that okay? I said that is perfect. Way to go Max!!
I had to really fight with Max this morning though with getting up. He refused to get out of bed. he said he was too tired, but I didn't wake him up. He woke up on his own. I don't know what to do about him being "too tired" all of the time.
Monday, January 09, 2012
Day 7, 8, and 9
Okay, the weekends are too chaotic for posts I guess. An update, The birthday party went without a hitch. the father of the birthday boy bought Max a popsicle (since he couldn't have ice cream) and a taco salad with only lettuce, meat, and tomato since he couldn't have pizza. What a relief!!
Saturday:
breakfast: apple cinnamon muffin
snack: rice cakes and apple sauce
lunch: half of a sandwich and taco salad
snack: popsicle, some candy (skittles)
supper: chicken enchilada; a recipe from the internet.
Max pretty much isn't very excited about any meal I have made that is gluten free. We have done well with finding butter replacement and cheese replacement. (on a side note: the dairy free cheese smells weird, but doesn't taste too bad)
The worst part about Saturday.... we helped a family move and they served donuts to everyone. :( that was sad. Max and I skipped the donuts, but now without a lot of whining from Max. He is the king of donuts.
Sunday went well also. We even got to spend an hour swimming at the Y after church.
breakfast: cereal bar- gluten free
snack: fruit
lunch: hot dog and baked beans
snack: cereal bar
supper: walking tacos and apricots
snack: fudgecicle
the cereal bars are an amazing find. Max really likes them and they make good/easy snacks. the taco salad at the pizza place worked out well so we tried our version. Max was really upset he didn't get sour cream, so Ron and I use any sour cream either. Gavin, on the other hand, piled it on. Max had taco meat, corn tortilla chips crushed, salsa, black beans, and fake cheese. it was quite a dish!!
Monday-today
breakfast: peanut butter toast
lunch: sandwich, blueberries, carrots, and fruit rollup
snack: grapes
supper: chicken tortilla soup.
snack: cherry tomatoes and fudgecicle
Max told me he didn't have to miss any recess today. he also said he wanted to stay home from tae kwon do so he can get extra rest because he gets so tired at school. So I went on a google search, and did you know a symptom of ADD and sleepiness during the day? At least it was in the few posts I found. Who knows, right?! Max also said he didn't get a cupcake. Lily brought cupcakes to school for her birthday. He didn't get one. :( How said is that. If this gluten free thing is a bust, I am making the kid a pan of cupcakes all for him.
I called to make an appointment with the Dr for our second opinion. He is a child psychologist and I was given his name from another person I know who had taken her son to him. I had to leave a message so we shall see where this path leads us.
Saturday:
breakfast: apple cinnamon muffin
snack: rice cakes and apple sauce
lunch: half of a sandwich and taco salad
snack: popsicle, some candy (skittles)
supper: chicken enchilada; a recipe from the internet.
Max pretty much isn't very excited about any meal I have made that is gluten free. We have done well with finding butter replacement and cheese replacement. (on a side note: the dairy free cheese smells weird, but doesn't taste too bad)
The worst part about Saturday.... we helped a family move and they served donuts to everyone. :( that was sad. Max and I skipped the donuts, but now without a lot of whining from Max. He is the king of donuts.
Sunday went well also. We even got to spend an hour swimming at the Y after church.
breakfast: cereal bar- gluten free
snack: fruit
lunch: hot dog and baked beans
snack: cereal bar
supper: walking tacos and apricots
snack: fudgecicle
the cereal bars are an amazing find. Max really likes them and they make good/easy snacks. the taco salad at the pizza place worked out well so we tried our version. Max was really upset he didn't get sour cream, so Ron and I use any sour cream either. Gavin, on the other hand, piled it on. Max had taco meat, corn tortilla chips crushed, salsa, black beans, and fake cheese. it was quite a dish!!
Monday-today
breakfast: peanut butter toast
lunch: sandwich, blueberries, carrots, and fruit rollup
snack: grapes
supper: chicken tortilla soup.
snack: cherry tomatoes and fudgecicle
Max told me he didn't have to miss any recess today. he also said he wanted to stay home from tae kwon do so he can get extra rest because he gets so tired at school. So I went on a google search, and did you know a symptom of ADD and sleepiness during the day? At least it was in the few posts I found. Who knows, right?! Max also said he didn't get a cupcake. Lily brought cupcakes to school for her birthday. He didn't get one. :( How said is that. If this gluten free thing is a bust, I am making the kid a pan of cupcakes all for him.
I called to make an appointment with the Dr for our second opinion. He is a child psychologist and I was given his name from another person I know who had taken her son to him. I had to leave a message so we shall see where this path leads us.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Day 6-An invitation
So... Max was invited to a Pizza party tomorrow. It is actually eating pizza and then playing games and doing the rides. There is pretty much no part of pizza that he can eat. Is it fair to send Max to a pizza party with a sandwich while everyone is eating pizza?! I can only imagine how he would reacto to that. Ron and I did manage a compromise. Max can go to the party, I will drop him off a half hour after it starts and hopefully the pizza will be gone. Maybe if we don't tell Max about the pizza we can pretend it doesn't exist? I am not sure how well this will work, but I bought him candy to take along and I hope that will cover up the lack of pizza.
breakfast: cinnamon toast, some Naked juice/smoothie
lunch: hotdogs, catsup, applesauce,fruit rollup
snack: rice cakes
snack: chips and salsa
supper: turkey burger on gluten free bun with veggie cheese and catsup. home made baked fries
snack: fruit roll up
He was not a fan of the turkey burger, but ate part of the bun and all the fries. He is totally a fan of taking hot dogs to school.
Max said he didn't have to stay inside for recess today.
symptoms: he had dark circles under his eyes, but I think they are lighter than they have been in the past. he is stuffy. he got up just fine this morning, but we were moving furniture around so we could get our carpets cleaned today.
Also, I tried that Lorabar, I thought it tasted pretty good! I might buy some more for myself! And on that note I have figure out suppers for the next week, now I need to compile the grocery list. This part is actually the hardest part. I have to look at every label, dig through my fridge, pantry, and freezer to see what I have and what I need so I am not making trips to the grocery store every day.
breakfast: cinnamon toast, some Naked juice/smoothie
lunch: hotdogs, catsup, applesauce,fruit rollup
snack: rice cakes
snack: chips and salsa
supper: turkey burger on gluten free bun with veggie cheese and catsup. home made baked fries
snack: fruit roll up
He was not a fan of the turkey burger, but ate part of the bun and all the fries. He is totally a fan of taking hot dogs to school.
Max said he didn't have to stay inside for recess today.
symptoms: he had dark circles under his eyes, but I think they are lighter than they have been in the past. he is stuffy. he got up just fine this morning, but we were moving furniture around so we could get our carpets cleaned today.
Also, I tried that Lorabar, I thought it tasted pretty good! I might buy some more for myself! And on that note I have figure out suppers for the next week, now I need to compile the grocery list. This part is actually the hardest part. I have to look at every label, dig through my fridge, pantry, and freezer to see what I have and what I need so I am not making trips to the grocery store every day.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Day 5
Not too exciting today. Max woke up this morning and I didn't have to fight with him to get out of bed. That was nice. On the other hand, he can't go to bed every night at 6:40 so I am sure I will have to fight with him most mornings.
Max came home from school and said that he had to miss part of a recess because he hadn't gotten all of his work done in time.
breakfast: cinnamon toast on gluten free bread and g/d free margarine
lunch: hot dog, catsup, carrot sticks, applesauce. he didn't eat his applesauce
snack: loramer bar. Max doesn't like it, bummer. that seemed like an easy snack
snack: kettle corn
supper: salmon burger, salad, rice.
snack: fruit rollup and tofu fudgecicle.
The salmon burger wasn't too bad. Better than I expected. Max ate half, he refused salad, and didn't want the rice. But, like my dad had me do when I was a kid, we poured milk (almond milk in this case) over the rice. He actually ate it. :)
symptoms: circles under his eyes are looking better today. he didn't get his work done in school. he didn't seem quite as tired today either.
Also on the positive side: hot dogs stay half way warm in a thermos. Who knew?!
On the downside, or upside, depends on which way you look at it... Ron and I have started the process of getting a second opinion for Max. We are looking into finding a psychologist that can do assesments such as IQ testing and other testing to get a diagnosis based off of numbers instead of me saying he gets down from the dinner table early and his teacher saying he fidgets with his shoe. Ron and I were sad about it last night, no one wants their child to struggle and I feel like if we don't take this step than we are forcing him to struggle, but if we do take this step then it is a whole different kind of struggle. Ron and I figure, though, that we better get the ball rolling on this because it could take several weeks for any kind of answers and if the diet change does not work then I want to be ready for the next step, whatever that might be.
Max came home from school and said that he had to miss part of a recess because he hadn't gotten all of his work done in time.
breakfast: cinnamon toast on gluten free bread and g/d free margarine
lunch: hot dog, catsup, carrot sticks, applesauce. he didn't eat his applesauce
snack: loramer bar. Max doesn't like it, bummer. that seemed like an easy snack
snack: kettle corn
supper: salmon burger, salad, rice.
snack: fruit rollup and tofu fudgecicle.
The salmon burger wasn't too bad. Better than I expected. Max ate half, he refused salad, and didn't want the rice. But, like my dad had me do when I was a kid, we poured milk (almond milk in this case) over the rice. He actually ate it. :)
symptoms: circles under his eyes are looking better today. he didn't get his work done in school. he didn't seem quite as tired today either.
Also on the positive side: hot dogs stay half way warm in a thermos. Who knew?!
On the downside, or upside, depends on which way you look at it... Ron and I have started the process of getting a second opinion for Max. We are looking into finding a psychologist that can do assesments such as IQ testing and other testing to get a diagnosis based off of numbers instead of me saying he gets down from the dinner table early and his teacher saying he fidgets with his shoe. Ron and I were sad about it last night, no one wants their child to struggle and I feel like if we don't take this step than we are forcing him to struggle, but if we do take this step then it is a whole different kind of struggle. Ron and I figure, though, that we better get the ball rolling on this because it could take several weeks for any kind of answers and if the diet change does not work then I want to be ready for the next step, whatever that might be.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Day 4- Teacher conference
Well, the muffin was a good idea, but it definitely did not need to cook the 30 minutes as written in the cookbook. I think 20 minutes would have been much better. Max seems to like it okay though. He ate one for breakfast and asked to take one for snack at school. This is definitely a learning experience.
Max's teacher emailed me today. I had sent her an email last week during winter break asking to meet with her and discuss all that is going on. She is the one that suggested Max see a doctor regarding his inattention. So I met with her after school today and gave her the run down of all that is going on. Max has some indicators of ADD, but he also has symptoms of allergies. We are going to try this diet for now and we will see in a month. She was supportive of everything I had to say and she also agreed to email me, at my request, ever Friday to get a brief synopses of how Max is doing. Is he paying better attention? Is he exactly the same? We will start the Friday emails next Friday since this week is not quite a routine week. She did end the conference by saying Max is having trouble alphabetizing. He says it is too hard and he didn't want to start the assignment on his own. The teacher and class then alphabetized the list together and the teacher wrote the list on the board and the teacher said the list had to be copied onto their paper or they would have to stay back from PE. Max immediately got to work copying the list and was done in plenty of time for PE. Is it frustration and lack of focus that kept him form alphabetizing, or is it that actually doing the work is boring... until you realize PE may be taken away? Guess I'll be googling websites for practice sheets on alphabetizing and working with him on writing his letters forward. Thank goodness it isn't a spelling and sight word week.
Breakfast: gluten/dairy free apple cinnamon muffin, banana
Lunch: ham and veggie cheese sandwich, fruit roll up, cherry tomatoes
snack: apple cinnamon muffin
snack: kettle corn
supper: barbecue chicken sandwich on a gluten free bun, garden green beans, apple and banana chunks
snack: tofu fudgecicle.
symptoms: the stomach aches seem to have gone completely. So I am going to only comment on them when they occur. dark circles under his eyes are still there. focus problems (during alphabetizing?) Max was tired when he came home from daycare. He was yawning. I also had a difficult time waking him up this morning. he said he wanted to sleep in. last night he went to bed at 7. Tonight he skipped wrestling practice and we got him to bed at 6:40.,but he got out of bed at 7 to use the restroom.
Max's teacher emailed me today. I had sent her an email last week during winter break asking to meet with her and discuss all that is going on. She is the one that suggested Max see a doctor regarding his inattention. So I met with her after school today and gave her the run down of all that is going on. Max has some indicators of ADD, but he also has symptoms of allergies. We are going to try this diet for now and we will see in a month. She was supportive of everything I had to say and she also agreed to email me, at my request, ever Friday to get a brief synopses of how Max is doing. Is he paying better attention? Is he exactly the same? We will start the Friday emails next Friday since this week is not quite a routine week. She did end the conference by saying Max is having trouble alphabetizing. He says it is too hard and he didn't want to start the assignment on his own. The teacher and class then alphabetized the list together and the teacher wrote the list on the board and the teacher said the list had to be copied onto their paper or they would have to stay back from PE. Max immediately got to work copying the list and was done in plenty of time for PE. Is it frustration and lack of focus that kept him form alphabetizing, or is it that actually doing the work is boring... until you realize PE may be taken away? Guess I'll be googling websites for practice sheets on alphabetizing and working with him on writing his letters forward. Thank goodness it isn't a spelling and sight word week.
Breakfast: gluten/dairy free apple cinnamon muffin, banana
Lunch: ham and veggie cheese sandwich, fruit roll up, cherry tomatoes
snack: apple cinnamon muffin
snack: kettle corn
supper: barbecue chicken sandwich on a gluten free bun, garden green beans, apple and banana chunks
snack: tofu fudgecicle.
symptoms: the stomach aches seem to have gone completely. So I am going to only comment on them when they occur. dark circles under his eyes are still there. focus problems (during alphabetizing?) Max was tired when he came home from daycare. He was yawning. I also had a difficult time waking him up this morning. he said he wanted to sleep in. last night he went to bed at 7. Tonight he skipped wrestling practice and we got him to bed at 6:40.,but he got out of bed at 7 to use the restroom.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Day 3- A very expensive muffin
Today Max took his diet to daycare. School starts again tomorrow, so today we did what I called a practice run for school. I packed his snacks and lunch and no foods from the daycare or other kids.
Breakfast: gluten free toast with cinnamon and raisin peanut butter
snacks: rice cakes and corn tortilla chips and salsa
lunch: left over spaghetti, applesauce, and a fruit rollup
supper: chicken tenders, home canned corn, and home canned pears.
snack: cherry tomatoes
Max said I did not pack enough salsa for the chips I sent. I will be more aware of the amount of salsa I send from now on. He is serious about his chips and salsa. I think Max is also getting tired of rice cakes or applesauce. So I am venturing out and making apple cinnamon muffins from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. This better taste like gold in a paper muffin cup. With almond flour costing me around $13.00 for 4 cups, this is by far the most expensive muffin I have ever made. However I do really like this cookbook, because I can by four non traditional ingredients and make a variety of foods. If this gluten/dairy free diet doesn't work, I don't want 10 bags of different kinds of flours at $15 per bag, and nothing to make with them! I have bought almond flour, agave nectar, arrowroot powder, and grapeseed oil. the rest of the ingredients I already have in stock. And this cookbook has your kid friendly recipes altered for gluten free eating. The chicken tenders we ate for dinner tonight was from this cookbook. Who knew almond flour and grapeseed oil could make a decent chicken tender! (not that Max would notice since he doused his tenders in catsup.)
Tomorrow will be the true test- school. What can I pack in a kids lunch that doesn't need reheated? He isn't a "sandwich every day" kind of kid. This is going to get tough. I do have an insulated container that will keep soups hot for 6 hours. I wonder if it works on hotdogs?
symptoms: dark circles under his eyes. He did sit and work on his handwriting which has improved over the last week. Now I need to head to the Learning Post and find help on getting him to write his letters in the correct direction. First grade teachers do not like letters being written backwards. Again he seems to be going to sleep in the evening much easier and faster.
Breakfast: gluten free toast with cinnamon and raisin peanut butter
snacks: rice cakes and corn tortilla chips and salsa
lunch: left over spaghetti, applesauce, and a fruit rollup
supper: chicken tenders, home canned corn, and home canned pears.
snack: cherry tomatoes
Max said I did not pack enough salsa for the chips I sent. I will be more aware of the amount of salsa I send from now on. He is serious about his chips and salsa. I think Max is also getting tired of rice cakes or applesauce. So I am venturing out and making apple cinnamon muffins from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. This better taste like gold in a paper muffin cup. With almond flour costing me around $13.00 for 4 cups, this is by far the most expensive muffin I have ever made. However I do really like this cookbook, because I can by four non traditional ingredients and make a variety of foods. If this gluten/dairy free diet doesn't work, I don't want 10 bags of different kinds of flours at $15 per bag, and nothing to make with them! I have bought almond flour, agave nectar, arrowroot powder, and grapeseed oil. the rest of the ingredients I already have in stock. And this cookbook has your kid friendly recipes altered for gluten free eating. The chicken tenders we ate for dinner tonight was from this cookbook. Who knew almond flour and grapeseed oil could make a decent chicken tender! (not that Max would notice since he doused his tenders in catsup.)
Tomorrow will be the true test- school. What can I pack in a kids lunch that doesn't need reheated? He isn't a "sandwich every day" kind of kid. This is going to get tough. I do have an insulated container that will keep soups hot for 6 hours. I wonder if it works on hotdogs?
symptoms: dark circles under his eyes. He did sit and work on his handwriting which has improved over the last week. Now I need to head to the Learning Post and find help on getting him to write his letters in the correct direction. First grade teachers do not like letters being written backwards. Again he seems to be going to sleep in the evening much easier and faster.
Day 2- Concession Stand troubles
Today was crazy busy! We had wrestling tournaments all day, which makes the whole gluten/dairy free thing that much more difficult. When everyone is eating doughy pretzels drenched in nacho sauce, walking tacos with the works piled on, and candy bars galore, Max ate apple cinamon rice cakes and kettle corn. I knew it was going to be difficult, but it was almost painful!! I tried to appease him with a grape fizz drink, but it didn't last too long. Definitely a learning experience! I think I am going to have to look into gluten/dairy free cookies or something.
As far as what he ate:
breakfast: toast with cinnamon and raisin peanut butter
snacks: kettle corn, rice cakes
lunch: jelly sandwich on gluten free bread
supper: gluten free spaghetti with meat sauce and salad with orange poppy seed dressing. Spaghetti was a total hit. The salad, well, while Max does actually like salad, it is required to have ranch dressing on it. He did eat one leaf of salad with the Orange Poppy seed dressing on it, but he made an awful face and said he wouldn't eat anymore. I, on the other hand, thought the salad tasted fantastic!
symptoms: he acted kinda hyper all day, but he was at a wrestling tournament with 150 kids screaming and 200 parents screaming louder. He also had dark circles under his eyes. He did not complain of a stomach ache. I also think he is going to sleep better and faster at night.
He started tae kwon do again tonight. He was excited and I am hopeful that this will help with his attention span. It seems that he paid better attention in school when he was enrolled in tae kwan do. Hopefully we can see an improvement.
Away from the diet: Gavin and Max both did a great job in wrestling! It was Max's first tournament. Max knew exactly what to do when a guy had Max on his back, but any other times Max seemed a little lost. I think a few more practices before the next tournament would be a good idea. Max placed 4th! Gavin did a great job as well. He placed 3rd!!
As far as what he ate:
breakfast: toast with cinnamon and raisin peanut butter
snacks: kettle corn, rice cakes
lunch: jelly sandwich on gluten free bread
supper: gluten free spaghetti with meat sauce and salad with orange poppy seed dressing. Spaghetti was a total hit. The salad, well, while Max does actually like salad, it is required to have ranch dressing on it. He did eat one leaf of salad with the Orange Poppy seed dressing on it, but he made an awful face and said he wouldn't eat anymore. I, on the other hand, thought the salad tasted fantastic!
symptoms: he acted kinda hyper all day, but he was at a wrestling tournament with 150 kids screaming and 200 parents screaming louder. He also had dark circles under his eyes. He did not complain of a stomach ache. I also think he is going to sleep better and faster at night.
He started tae kwon do again tonight. He was excited and I am hopeful that this will help with his attention span. It seems that he paid better attention in school when he was enrolled in tae kwan do. Hopefully we can see an improvement.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Day 1
January 1st and Day 1 pretty much go together. However for us, this is the first day of the gluten/dairy free diet for Max. After getting a progress report from his teacher about not being able to pay attention in class, Ron and I went on a mad search for possible reasons. Does it have to automatically be ADD just because a child doesn't pay attention during Science class? That is the questions we are facing. We have been to the doctor, at the teacher's suggestion, and the doctor said nothing is physcially wrong. but there are some great ADD medications available.
Hmmm.... That isn't where we were expecting to go with this doctor visit.
We went on a frantic search for reasons behind his staring off into space. There are books available that can lead you down whatever path you most desire. If you want to validate your reason for medication, there is a book for that. If you want to avoid medication, but are willing to provide behavioral modificaitons, there is a book for that. Being that Ron and I are from the midwest, a small town in Iowa, farming and food are all around us. For now we have decided to look into the food we are eating. Of course, there are books for that, too. Organic farming, the effects of ingesting pesticides, the problems with food intolerances. Is it possible to change from our way of eating to one of "limitations"? We aren't McDonald's junkies, in fact, we rarely go out to eat. We are a busy family, but we do sit down and eat together for almost every meal. We eat spaghetti, home made chicken strips, hamburgers, and pizza. We eat what is on sale, what I grow in my small garden, or the generic version of what ever food we can't grow or find on sale. What does that mean? That means, high fructose corn syrup, that means, added salt, and that means red dye #40, but that also means some fresh veggies in the summer and fall, home cooked meal almost every day, and a few extra dollars in our pocket.
So here we are now. After looking through all the books, and comparing Max to other people's symptoms and stories, we find ourselves looking into dietary intolerances. It just isn't that he gets spacey at school. It is that he constantly has dark circles under his eyes, even though he just woke up. It is that he complains of stomach aches a couple of times per week. It is that he is congested all of the time, no matter what season or what allergy medicine we give him.
So this is Day 1. The first day we removed gluten and dairy from his diet. We have a goal of lasting 30 days and then evaluating how he is doing. We will look at reintroducing dairy and gluten at the end of the 30 days and see if we can notice a difference in his health and behavior.
Day 1
breakfast: smoothie- frozen peaches, peach soy yogurt, almond milk, peanut butter
lunch: home made tomato soup with corn tortilla chips and half of a ham and soy cheese sandwich with catsup on it on gluten free bread. almond milk to drink.
snack: peach applesauce to go
supper: shrimp stir fry: shrimp, stir fry veggies, white rice, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, garlic. home canned pears in light syrup. almond milk to drink
snack: kettle corn
Symptoms:
dark circles under his eyes. no complaints of stomach aches.
What have we learned? home made tomato soup is not the same as Campbell's. We won't be making that again. Also, stirfry is not liked by the kids. Maybe they will like it over time?
My hope is that if I keep track every day we will see changes. What if we don't? I am not sure yet. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there, with soy cheese and almond milk in our hands.
Hmmm.... That isn't where we were expecting to go with this doctor visit.
We went on a frantic search for reasons behind his staring off into space. There are books available that can lead you down whatever path you most desire. If you want to validate your reason for medication, there is a book for that. If you want to avoid medication, but are willing to provide behavioral modificaitons, there is a book for that. Being that Ron and I are from the midwest, a small town in Iowa, farming and food are all around us. For now we have decided to look into the food we are eating. Of course, there are books for that, too. Organic farming, the effects of ingesting pesticides, the problems with food intolerances. Is it possible to change from our way of eating to one of "limitations"? We aren't McDonald's junkies, in fact, we rarely go out to eat. We are a busy family, but we do sit down and eat together for almost every meal. We eat spaghetti, home made chicken strips, hamburgers, and pizza. We eat what is on sale, what I grow in my small garden, or the generic version of what ever food we can't grow or find on sale. What does that mean? That means, high fructose corn syrup, that means, added salt, and that means red dye #40, but that also means some fresh veggies in the summer and fall, home cooked meal almost every day, and a few extra dollars in our pocket.
So here we are now. After looking through all the books, and comparing Max to other people's symptoms and stories, we find ourselves looking into dietary intolerances. It just isn't that he gets spacey at school. It is that he constantly has dark circles under his eyes, even though he just woke up. It is that he complains of stomach aches a couple of times per week. It is that he is congested all of the time, no matter what season or what allergy medicine we give him.
So this is Day 1. The first day we removed gluten and dairy from his diet. We have a goal of lasting 30 days and then evaluating how he is doing. We will look at reintroducing dairy and gluten at the end of the 30 days and see if we can notice a difference in his health and behavior.
Day 1
breakfast: smoothie- frozen peaches, peach soy yogurt, almond milk, peanut butter
lunch: home made tomato soup with corn tortilla chips and half of a ham and soy cheese sandwich with catsup on it on gluten free bread. almond milk to drink.
snack: peach applesauce to go
supper: shrimp stir fry: shrimp, stir fry veggies, white rice, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, garlic. home canned pears in light syrup. almond milk to drink
snack: kettle corn
Symptoms:
dark circles under his eyes. no complaints of stomach aches.
What have we learned? home made tomato soup is not the same as Campbell's. We won't be making that again. Also, stirfry is not liked by the kids. Maybe they will like it over time?
My hope is that if I keep track every day we will see changes. What if we don't? I am not sure yet. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there, with soy cheese and almond milk in our hands.
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