So Many Blessings!

Wow!  We've had so many great things happening. Where to start....

Lets start with the fact that the boys have had their ADD/ADHD medicine dosage lowered.  I wanted to see for myself if what we were doing might be making a difference.   We have lowered Nathan from 36 mg of Concerta to 27 mg and R.D. from 45 mg to 27 mg.  So far so good.  They definitely still need some medicine, but I am encouraged with dropping the dosage.  Their pediatrician was VERY excited to find out they were doing the Brain Balance program.  He doesn't currently have any other patients doing the program and is very interested in monitoring the boys progress.  He was more than willing to lower their dosage.  It was great to have the support from their pediatrician.  We really love him and it just feels good to know he is supporting the process.  

We had their first progress report this week and the boys are doing great!  R.D. has come so far in his vision exercises.  He tells me that it is making it easier for him to do work from the board, since he started the eye exercises.  They are progressing just like they should.  Nathan also had some great achievements in several different areas.  The coaches put really positive feedback about the behavior of both boys and how great they were to work with.  Always nice to hear that they are a joy to work with.  Nathan did have one area where he tested lower than his initial assessment, but they aren't concerned yet. Their grip and strength has improved quite a bit, which is going to help with their penmanship and a lot of other things.  

Both boys have exhibited some behaviors we've never seen with them before.  Nathan had about a week of being sneaky...something he's never done.  However, it is a stage he should have gone through as a toddler.  Both boys are loving to read and draw.  The coaches are excited they have taken to drawing....very good for right brain delays.  R.D.'s ability to draw has grown leaps and bounds.  He never has liked to draw....apparently for right brain delays it is difficult, so they avoid it.  Makes sense to me....I avoid the things I can't do well.  

On Saturday we went to Vegas for the NASCAR truck series and survived the tailgate and concessions.  We packed a cooler with quinoa flatbread, roasted turkey, homemade ketchup and apples.  We also had grandpa's homemade potato chips and fruit leather.  I can assure you that of the thousands and thousands of people there, we were the only ones eating healthy.  It felt great!  
We avoided spending tons of money on the concession foods.  The only thing that we all agreed on was that we sure would like a lemonade.  They have yummy lemonade there, but we all resisted.  

Finally, we have found a couple of successful recipes this week that were hits! 
First off, we created our own healthy fried chicken.  I took chicken breasts and sliced them like chicken tenderloins and then soaked them in almond milk for 30 minutes.  I then mixed together a cup of quinoa flour and a teaspoon of garlic salt.  I heated a frying pan with sesame oil in it and then rolled each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and put it in the frying pan.  It was crispy on the outside and they boys couldn't get enough.  Definitely, doing that one every week.

The second recipe I found in a recipe book that they have on the counter at Brain Balance.  Better-Than-Bisquick Pancakes from the book "The Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook.  

2 cups quinoa flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons light-flavored oil, such as sunflower
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid crystals dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon maple syrup

In a mixing bowl, whisk together quinoa flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a blender, grind nuts to a fine powder, pausing to scrape under the blades 2 to 3 times.  Add water, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and maple syrup to a blender and blend 3 to 4 minutes.  Pour liquid over dry ingredients and whisk a few times, eliminating lumps.  If batter is too thick, add water as necessary.

Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter onto hot non-stick griddle (heated until water dances on it) for each pancake.  Serve with fruit or applesauce.

Variations:  Add 1-2 tablespoons flaxseed to blender with the cashews.  For a heartier, buckwheat sourdough pancake, replace up to 1 cup quinoa flour with buckwheat flour.

I had to use olive oil, since Nathan has a sunflower intolerance.   I also didn't use vanilla since R.D has an intolerance to that.  I did add an extra teaspoon of maple syrup.  The recipe doesn't state where to use the oil, but I added it to the batter and it came out really good.  

Enjoy!  We certainly are!  

We did it!

We did it!  We survived watching "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" for our movie night.  Nathan has been begging to watch this movie.  He finally convinced his brother to have it be their movie for movie night on Sunday.  I was nervous....we were going to watch a movie filled with all kinds of food that we don't eat anymore.  How was this gonna work out?  I chose the picture with cheeseburgers for this post, because it is Nathan's favorite food and one of R.D.'s top picks.  It is also what has been the hardest for them to give up.  It is the reason we eat bison and ostrich burgers....they are very similar.  I knew when those cheeseburgers started falling from the sky we were in for our own food storm....I was prepared!  I had made their favorite sweet potato fries for dinner that night....we had leftovers.  I had the bowls of sweet potato fries and homemade ketchup ready.  We followed that up with grandpa's homemade fruit leather and a bowl of raisins.  Just like that....we survived the food storm.  Yes, it really was that simple.  For me, I had to eat grandpa's homemade potato chips and fruit leather. 

My dad's homemade fruit leather and homemade potato chips have been one of our favorite treats.  All four of us LOVE the fruit leather.  No, I don't know how he makes it.  What I do know is it is only 2 ingredients.....pureed apples/strawberries or pureed pears/apples or pureed granny smith apples/bananas.  He only puts a light coating of olive oil on the dehydrator plates to make it easier to pull off and then the fruit.  Nothing else.  No sugars. No preservatives. No sweeteners.  Just fruit, that's it!  It is delicious!  Now, for the potato chips....I know he makes them in the microwave.  He slices them and then dehydrates them in the microwave. Only potatoes. Nothing else, absolutely nothing else.  I have no clue how.  I really should find out and share with everyone, right?  I will do that, but for now it is so handy having grandpa make it.  It also makes grandpa feel good.  He feels like this is his own personal way to support the boys journey.  They can only get it from grandpa.  I guess that's why I haven't been in a hurry to figure it out. 

One of the things that seems to stress out parents, including myself is "school lunch".  I would stress about what to put in their lunch each day.  Finally, it dawned on me.....quit stressing.  They have never been big school lunch eaters.  They have always been more interested in visiting and getting to recess.  So, I asked them what do you want?  They now get anything from sliced carrots, raisins, sweet potato fries, fruit leather, buffalo burgers, and oranges.  Lunch for today (Wednesday, September 19) is for R.D. ---- Buffalo burger, fruit leather, raisins, and water.  Nathan ---- Buffalo burger, sweet potato fries, homemade ketchup, fruit leather, raisins and water. Since I quit worrying about it....lunch boxes come home empty.  Here was my thought process....They get a very nutritional breakfast.  One designed to fuel their body.  They get a healthy snack at home after school.  Dinner is healthy and full of what they need.  Put stuff in their lunch that they are sure to eat.  They don't want to eat a lot at lunch anyhow.  They are not starving.  What they get for lunch is a lot healthier than what some kids are receiving in their lunches from home.

We are over 7 weeks in to this diet and it is just routine.  We don't stray too much from what we know works...that gets dangerous for me.  Actually, more for R.D. than for me.  Since it is usually his menu I mess up the most.  He likes to remind me of that whenever he can.  ; )  The boys have done 7 sessions at Brain Balance.  They never argue about going and are enjoying it.  R.D. did 100 military sit ups on Sunday night and couldn't wait for me to text my dear friend/trainer/Rockstar athlete, Colleen to tell her his achievement.  This kid couldn't do 5 of them when we started this journey.  Nathan is up to 30 sit ups!  They are changing....so, for those who ask have we seen changes....YES!  We absolutely are seeing changes.  Subtle to anyone else, but huge to us.  Is this easy...NO!  But, like anything else, if you want it bad enough....you will make it happen.

Just Cruisin'....

I feel like we have set the cruise control and our sailing down the highway at a comfortable rate of speed.  We have a system and it seems to be working for now.  The first week of Brain Balance sessions went great. The boys absolutely love going.

Our schedule seems to flow nicely and we seem to handle the few bumps in the road that have come up.  I still haven't found a bread recipe, but the boys don't ask anymore.  The new favorite at this house is sweet potato fries and homemade ketchup.  Yep, homemade ketchup.  I didn't like that the ketchup I was buying at Natural Grocers didn't list the spices.  Knowing that RD has a lot of spice intolerance, I decided to find my own.  I searched the internet and found a recipe that had ingredients that were on the "yes" list.  I found the recipe at www.thetolerantvegan.com.  Nathan, Chris and I all like the recipe.  Of course, RD does not.  I am trying a new recipe for him today.  Keeping my fingers crossed that he will like it.  Actually, the new one has less ingredients and takes less time to make.

I have started reading Dr. Robert Melillo's book "Reconnected Kids".  Dr. Melillo is the co-creator of the Brain Balance Centers.  This book is amazing! I am learning so much.  When we started Brain Balance everyone would reference it as if I knew what they were talking about.  After admitting I hadn't read it yet, they would encourage me to get it.  I finally bought a copy at the center on Saturday and began reading, while the boys did their sessions.  I am learning so much more!  This Brain Balance journey has only just begun. Dr. Melillo has 2 books....the first one is "Disconnected Kids".  This one gives you a way at home to test your own kid to see if they are right or left brain delayed.  He also gives you exercises that you could begin at home, that are like those they do at the center.  Definitely worth a read!  The second book is "Reconnected Kids" and is designed for those that are in the center or who have read his first book. Buy both of them!  They were $12 a piece at Brain Balance and I am sure you can pick them up online or at other retailers.

If you have been following my blog and are curious about your own children.....start with the books.  You'll be out $25-$30 at the most, but I believe you will have answers that are priceless.  Answers that I think every parent needs.

"Mom, I can't wait for Thursday!"

Yesterday was our first Brain Balance session.  Both boys loved it.  Alright, so it probably helps that they can earn "Brain Balance Bucks" and then shop in the Brain Balance store, but I'll take it!  They both agreed that it was more fun than the "at home" exercises.  I also believe it was good to associate something different with this Brain Balance journey.  The staff at the facility here in St. George is pretty amazing.  R.D. started first and was partnered with another boy who is also right brain delayed.  Nathan went a half hour later and did his session with just the staff member.  It was funny sitting in the waiting room and listening to the conversations.  Kids talk about their brain delays, they ask if you are right or left brain delay, are you obsessed with certain things....all topics that are fun to hear these kids discuss.  I think it is great for my boys to know that there are others that have the same struggles that they do, and that they are not that different. 

R.D. walked out with 6 Brain Bucks, as we call them.  Not bad for his first day.  And then he handed the nice lady behind the counter a "Brain".  She was shocked!  She asked if he had really earned a brain on his first day....brains are hard to come by and usually not handed out on the first day.  I know you are reading this and thinking, "they hand out brains".  Yes, they do!  Brains are exactly that.....brain shaped cutouts that are orange and green.  One half is green and the other half is orange.  Whenever the kids do something really well they earn a brain.  That brain then hangs in the hallway with their picture.  Each kid is pictured that is in the program and the brains they earn are displayed for all to see and congratulate them.  It's pretty cool to see. 

Nathan came out a half hour later and handed in his 6 Brain Bucks.  No brain earned, but a smile on his face.  The boys were told that they can earn up to 30 Brain Balance Bucks a week and then they get to shop in the new Brain Balance store.  After being given a tour of the store....Nathan announced, "I want to come everyday to Brain Balance and earn Brain Bucks."  They earn their bucks by doing their best in their sessions, doing their at home exercises, and following nutrition.  Ummm, yeah that means mommy can't mess that up anymore!  I can proudly say my boys have not cheated on their diet.  No candy, no unacceptable snacks, no cheating.   Now, I have messed up nutrition for them, but not in the way that would be considered horrible.  Just a part of the learning curve.  I am so proud of my boys!  They are being asked to do a lot, but they have tackled each hurdle we have put in front of them.  I love learning from them....I feel so blessed! 

Now, we will see how I feel when we start having more regression in behavior and other "not so fun" phases that are all a part of this process.  I am expecting them and I will try to prepare to the best of my ability.  Thankfully, I have Jesus Christ as my savior and I know that he will carry any burden that I feel is too heavy.  I plan to be turning to him a lot over the coming months. 

Oops! I did it again!

Oops! I did it again...yeah, I looked for pictures that fit that description, let's just say I won't be using any of those.  Lucky for me, I stumbled on to this quote while trying to find something to go with this post.  I am glad my original idea didn't really work out.  This one is way better.

Now, what did I do again?  Good question, bad answer.  I messed up R.D.'s food, again.  This time with his absolute favorite thing on this earth....BACON!  When R.D. was tested his blood work came back as a mild intolerance to "pork", but because he ate bacon almost daily before the test, they said he couldn't eat it for 3 months.  That is how both boys lost "beef"...it was something they ate several times a week, before the tests.  Any food that was in the "mild intolerance" list that they ate a lot of got moved to the "moderate intolerance" list.  Well, in my looking at his sheet, I failed to notice the line I had drawn from pork to the moderate list.  OOPS! I did it again!  Yesterday, was what had been 4 days since R.D. had bacon.  I let him have it for breakfast, dinner and I even through in a pork steak for good measure.  I mean if you're gonna mess it up, why not do it with style.

Today has been full of a disobeying R.D.  He has not wanted to listen and has been argumentative.  We couldn't figure out what was going on.  Then I was going over menus and noticed that cute little star by bacon and the line going to moderate intolerance.  I might have said some really not "nice" things to myself.  Are you kidding me?  I have to go tell him again, that mommy completely messed up his diet.  After breaking that news to him....it dawned on me. He has been acting up because of the "Bacon".  Seriously, they tell us at Brain Balance to watch for changes in mood, behavior and other things daily.  Today, was clearly a reaction to the bacon.  I learned something new.  I could actually see the change and the result of the diet.  In a crazy way, I think it needed to happen.  It once again gives me more proof that diet plays a huge part in their behavior.

Tomorrow we head down another path....the boys start their actual Brain Balance sessions.  I am beyond excited.  I know it will be tough, but it can't be tougher than telling your son he can't have bacon.....

D'OH

D'OH (head slap included)  This was exactly my reaction last night, when I realized  that since last Friday I had been giving RD oranges.  What's wrong with oranges?  They are on his mild intolerance list.  He is only supposed to get them once every four days.  Along with pineapple, he'd been drinking pineapple juice as well.  Let's just say that I was on the verge of tears.  How did I miss it?  I am a horrible mom!  Why didn't I see it on his list?  Why am I not checking the list twice?  I felt horrible telling him that I had messed up big time.  R.D. had gotten used to his orange/banana smoothie and drinking orange juice with this horrible tasting powder supplement he has to take every day.  And he didn't hold back telling me that I had just taken away his favorite thing.  That he could finally take his medicine in orange juice and like it.  Why was I taking away everything that he liked.  D'OH! 

The only conclusion that I can reach is that I must have looked at Nathan's chart by accident and thought oranges were o.k.  I definitely had some moments last night where I was so mad at myself and I kept apologizing to R.D.  Yes, I know that I had been telling myself that I would mess up and it would be just fine.  No one gets it perfect right away.  It is a process.  But, still how did I miss such an obvious one....the orange!  I mean I understand if I mess up with his spice intolerance, but to mess up the orange.  Today is a new day and R.D. is now getting a strawberry/banana smoothie and apple juice with his supplement. Yes, I have double and triple checked that those are on the "approved" list or in the green section. 

The boys are doing better with the nutrition as far as accepting it.  Nathan even told me he liked it and that kids at school who were eating bad food couldn't focus as well as he can.  My mom even forgot to give him his Concerta (his ADHD meds) on Tuesday, and the teacher said he did an excellent job.  When I figured out he hadn't gotten his meds, I told my mom, "You get to call his teacher and apologize to her."  She actually did just that, and that is when we found out he had been well behaved. 

The steps are small right now, but we are seeing changes.  Looking so forward to beginning the Brain Balance sessions next Tuesday.  This is where I believe the boys will get to see that there are other kids doing the same thing and they aren't alone.  R.D. even asked me the other night if we were the only family who eats this way and does these exercises.  The boys need to be reassured that they are not alone and I believe that starting the sessions will be just what they need. 

Excuse me, I need to go check again that apples, strawberries and bananas are on the approved list....

Is that on the schedule?

It's gotta be on the schedule!

We found early on with our boys, like I am talking since birth, that a schedule is super important.  With Brain Balance it is even that much more important.  Our boys thrive on a schedule and we seem to have one that is working nicely.  They have settled in.  It goes a little something like this:

M-F

6:00 a.m.    Wake Up
6:20 a.m.    Do first set of Brain Balance Exercises
6:50 ish      Start eating breakfast/ take vitamins/take meds
7:45 a.m.    R.D. at intermediate school
8:00 a.m.   Grandma does Nathan's second session of Brain Balance Exercises
9:00 a.m.   Nathan at school

2:00 p.m.    Pick up RD from school
2:30 p.m.   R.D. does second session of Brain Balance Exercises
3:30 p.m.   R.D. does third session of Brain Balance Exercises
3:30 p.m.   Pick up Nathan from school
4:00 p.m.   Nathan does third session of Brain Balance Exercises
4:00 p.m.   R.D. does homework
4:30 p.m.   R.D. has 30 minute computer time
4:30 p.m.   Nathan does homework
5:00 p.m.   Nathan gets 30 minute computer time
5:30 p.m.   Nathan does his fourth Brain Balance Session
5:45 ish      Dinner

6:30 p.m.   Showers start, menu for next day gets planned, lunches get packed, more medicine
6:45 p.m.   Nathan does his fifth Brain Balance Session
7:00 p.m.   Clothes for next day are layed out
7:00-8:00 p.m.  Play time
8:00-8:30 p.m.  Snack time, Nathan's reading time, and bedtime story for all
8:30-9:00 p.m.  Brush teeth, prayer, and bedtime

Saturday

No exercises!  Just 30 minute screen time and vitamins and medicine.

Sunday

9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00  are the exercise times. 
7:00 p.m. is Family Movie Night

There it is in a nutshell....our days.  However, that schedule will be changed beginning next week.  On Tuesday, September 4th we start our official Brain Balance Sessions.  The boys will go every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for one hour.  This has to be worked in with the rest of the schedule.....yep, we have to find a different one that is gonna work.  They still have to keep the other exercises, plus add the new sessions. 

Is is working?  I am getting asked that a lot lately.  Yes, I believe it is.  Over the past few days there have been some noticeable changes.  Things that others might not notice, but stand out to Chris and I.  Example:  Friday night, Nathan suggested we go to the Washington City Community Center to swim and then go bowling.  Wow!  Nathan never wants to leave the house, except to go to Target.  We ended up going bowling and had a ton of fun!  All thanks to Nathan!   R.D. has been the most organized at school that I've ever seen him. He is taking more care to try and get it right.  We have less mood swings already.  They are performing their exercises better and getting stronger.  I am so excited to start our sessions next week.  The changes are gonna be off the chart, and I can't wait. 

How is the nutrition going?  Well, I bet you don't get this dinner request at your house...."Mom, can you make spaghetti squash with bison meatballs?"  Yeah, those are the kinds of things you hear around our house now.