We are back!!!!!

Hi all, sorry it has again been forever!  We have been focusing more on making you tube videos but I decided today set up an website that would let me dedicate time to posting the you tube videos and putting my thoughts down and out of my head.   Let's see how long it lasts this time! lol


So the last I posted we had tried the Connections Academy and it wasn't going well.  I am pretty certain the day I posted that was the same day that we dropped out!  It just didn't work for us.

Little Waffles (the tween girl) is now known by 'Waffles'  it is her name at the gym so we will just stick with that here.  She is currently training for level 7 in gymnastics but mentally and physically is having challenges so who knows what will happen there.  She is obviously still diabetic but a few months ago we got a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor and it has really improved her control of the diabetes.

Baby Waffles is definitely no longer a baby.  He is now 8  (how did that happen?????) He still doesn't really want to do anything but play games and make videos.  He wants to be a you tuber when he grows up.  Hey I have seen the stats, if the market doesn't go away I don't have a problem with that!  He tried soccer and lasted all of 20 minutes (maybe, if that?)  We are looking to put him in cub scouts but just haven't gotten our act together to do it yet.  His speech, oh my gosh he has improved soooo greatly!  He has FINALLY gotten one of his top two teeth which were pulled out when he was 3 and the other is just about to pop through.  I honestly believe with those teeth coming in he may very likely graduate out of speech by the end of this school year.  I will miss his therapist but I will be THRILLED!

As for Daddy Waffle, he is still protecting the city (our own little Batman, maybe??)  He will be retiring in a few (6 or so) years so we are trying to rework our lives so we can live a cash life with no debt.   I will be posting more about that as we get in a better place with setting it up and knowing what we are doing.  

Then there is me, Mommy Waffle.  I am trying to balance, a growing travel agency business, developing a budget, teaching these crazy kids and schlepping Waffles to all her gymnastics.  It's a tough busy life but most days I love it.  

Oh and in the middle of it all I really am trying to lose like 100 lbs but who knows when that will happen!

So anyway that is our life these days.  I don't think I have enough interesting to post DAILY but I will try to post at least weekly, more when there are things to post about.  In the mean time we try to post videos on our you tube channel a least weekly sometimes more depending on what we find to post about.  Please come check it out at www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXdtwCjs9JNW3sZ7rvK8ng

We would love if you would like (if you do), comment (if you'd like) and please subscribe so you can keep up with all our fun!!!

it's been awhile!

Wow I can't believe it has been 2 1/2 years since I posted here.  I started a different blog but it is just a weight loss blog so not the same at all.  You would think  I had nothing to ramble about.   

So, a little update about us.  I am still homeschooling my children.  "Baby" Waffle is no longer a baby, he is currently working on Kindergarten work mostly concentrating on reading as his math skills are amazing. "Little" Waffle is almost a tween!  She is currently working on fifth grade.  We decided to try out an online charter school(Connections Academy) for something a little different but I am not sure it is working.  I know I am beginning to hate schooling her and I can't imagine she is loving it.  We have only been at it two weeks so I am hoping things level out but right now I am not sure what is going to happen.  Little Waffle is telling me she can't comprehend anything when she reads it, she is skipping things in the online instructions and now I am having to sit with her and go line by line through the assignments to make sure nothing gets missed.  The reason we started this school was so I could have more time to focus on Baby waffle and his needs but it is turning out worse than anything I set up on my own.  I am not sure if that means I just was failing her before this and she has missed out on so much she should have been getting before or what but the way things are going right now I barely want to be her mother let alone her teacher.  Also the amount of things I have to stay on top of make me wonder what in the world they pay the teacher at the actual school for doing!! 

It doesn't help that Little Waffle is still struggling to keep her diabetes in check.  I know back when it was diagnosed I mentioned this briefly and then stopped writing on this blog.  She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 7 years old.  Currently she is doing insulin injections but I think we are finally hoping to get her on a pump but first we need her to be in better control.  I don't know what else is going on with her, maybe just her age and that pre-puberty stuff, but she seems like she is always miserable---well she gets that way as soon as we start doing school.  I have spoiled her up to now I think.  I don't think I have expected enough of her with school up to this point.  I really prefer a less intense method but seeing how she reacts to this I just think I have slacked.  Makes me think as much as I hate this we have to keep doing school this way, I think I just suck at this homeschool thing and I don't want her to suffer for it. 

Little Waffle is still in competitive gymnastics.  Actually she had not even started that the last time I posted so I should say she has started competitive gymnastics.  We recently switched gyms which has been such a good thing for her relationship with the sport.  At her old gym they never seemed to pay her any attention but worked all the kids way too hard.... many of these 7-12 year olds are coming up with repetitive use injuries that I just don't think should be an issues at their level.  The new gym is much more positive and just fits so much better with her.  The meet season starts up at the end of this month but thanks to a wrist injury from before she won't be competing just yet.  Hopefully by the 2nd or 3rd meet we can get her going.  Fingers crossed.  If we make it through this season we might have to make big decisions and possibly not continue next year.  She has so many whines and complaints between the cold she never seems able to shake, the aches and pains and the diabetes, I frankly am just tired of hearing about it.  I know it is really good for her and I think she just needs a good season so we will see.  

That just leaves little man, Baby Waffle.  He doesn't have much going on in his life other than school and Minecraft.  Little Waffle spent so much time at the gym with the old gym I really had no time to find what Baby waffles 'thing' would be.  Now that things are easier it will be time to see what we can sign him up for.  I want him to do at least one sport.  

As for me, I have become an at home Travel Agent.  I work with Magical Moments Vacations with Carol Lyn and love what I do.  I mostly book Disney vacations right now but I am trying to expand my business.  I am actually able to book anyone pretty much anywhere, all inclusive, cruises, Vegas you name it.  Feel free to hit me up to help with your next vacations :) 

Well I guess that is all for today.  I am going to hit this blog way more often. Don't know what all I will end up putting in it but that is why it is thoughts from my Rambling mind. 

Menu plan Monday

I actually planned this week last week but never posted it so I will post it now.  For the recording have so far pretty much stuck to my planning except for a few minor adjustments.  

Monday: Roast in crock pot

Tuesday: taco Tuesday 

Wednesday: church chili in crock pot

Thursday: something with chicken in the crockpot (edited to add I decided to make Chicken delicious

Friday: Chinese take out probably 

Friday is grocery day, will have to plan the weekend based on what meats I can find will shopping.  

For now I am off to make some cupcakes (from scratch) for our scout meeting tonight.  

It's time I started planning

 Hi World!  Sorry I haven't been around, I have been focused on my diet blog.  School kind of fell off the radar for awhile when Little Waffle ended up in the hospital and we found out she has diabetes (for anyone who reads this and didn't already know)  So now we are back on track school has started and we are going full swing.  I did opt to put Latin on the back burner until fall, we just have toooo much going on for right now.  

So what I have decided to do until I have more things to talk about is to start menu planning.  I keep saying I need to menu plan but since Little Waffle was diagnosed I have found it really is essential.  So here is my first stab at it.  I know most people do Menu Plan Monday but I don't know about anyone else around these parts we eat on Sunday too!  So my meal plans will actually be for two weeks from Sunday to Friday(the Saturday after pay day we generally end up getting food out or take out.)

Sunday 9/16  
filet of beef with potatoes 
in the crock pot

Monday 9/17

I have a season packet that I will put on a whole cut up chicken that you then roast in the provided bag with long grain rice

Tuesday 9/18
hamburger helper

Wednesday 9/19
Church 

Thursday 9/20
Easy Slow Cooker chicken 
( a recipe I found on a diabetic website) with some noodles

Friday 9/21 
tater tot casserole 

Saturday 9/22
grill out 

Sunday 9/23
Chuck roast steak in crock pot with potatoes

Monday 9/24
Chicken and dumplins in crock pot

Tuesday 9/25
beef stew 

Wednesday 9/26
Church 

Thursday 9/27
hamburger helper

Friday 9/28
Downtown  


These menus will hopefully improve after 10/5 when I can actually enjoy the food as well but in the meantime this is the best I have since I don't get to even eat!!!!

Funny how things happen...

So we randomly decided this was a good year to surprise (yes SURPRISE, so shhhh no one tell her!) Little waffle(dd7) with Disney.  There was no reason to treat just her except we love her and feltwhile baby waffle (ds3) would enjoy it for a minute we would all enjoy it more with out him....now it turns out to be one of those mysterious ways things because out of the blue suddenly in three day little waffle went from healthy and happy to lying on a hospital bed.  While she will be fine, I don't think things will ever be completely the same for her.  Unless something highly unexpected shows up in her labs it seems she has diabetes and will have to deal with it for the rest of her life. There has been no talk of meds and I honestly don't know enought to know why that isn't an option or why we have to jump right to insulin.  I guess I will know soon enough, I see lots of research in my future.  

I do have to say I have never been happier that we home school!

Summer is over!

Well here at Carolina Classical Academy our summer is coming to a close.  We will be starting classes on Monday.  I am trying very hard to finish up my prep work so I am ready to go but it isn't looking so great!  (we were going to start this week but....)

We will be starting:Right Start Math level C
                            All About Spelling level 3
                            Prima Latina
                            Writing With Ease level 2
                            First Language Lessons level 2 
                            Life of Fred- Butterflies, Cats and possibly Dogs
                            Story of the World-The Middle Ages 
                            Elemental Science
                    and   Handwriting without Tears 3rd grade (cursive) 

I am very excited to get started on this year.  We will basically go right through with no days off until Thanksgiving at which time we will wrap things up for the year pretty much and start back up after Christmas.  We will be surprising Little Waffle with a trip to Disney World (SHHHH no one tell her!) I can't wait! 

This weekend in the mean time we will be so busy.  Our semi-annual huge consignment sale is next week so I am busy busy busy pricking, hanging and tagging my items.  The Sunday we are going to a reptile exhibition show to buy Little Waffle a bearded dragon.  We have promised her a new pet since her leopard gecko from Santa died 3 months after Christmas.   

That is all for now, hopefully I will update by next Friday with how our first week goes! 
                                

a little summer break

I have not forgotten this wonderful blog, I have just been more focused on my weight loss blog and not to mention Carolina Classical Academy (our home school) is officially on summer break.  We are taking the month of July off and will start with Little Waffle's grade 2 year in August.  I am taking this month to do lesson planning and to figure exactly where we want to go this school year.  

As soon as I figure it all out, I will come share with the world what we will be studying.  

On a Baby Waffle note, I am in a very frustrated place with his speech situation.  The state agency that has been helping us with his speech has a strict policy that he must receive his services in the 'least restrictive environment' which for us means in our house.  However everyone fully agrees this is NOT working for him.  Well I have found out that other people who have insurance that helps with the cost have been seen in the office.  Now it turns out since switching agencies we have to cover part of the cost.  I am not upset at having to pay a part however if I am paying WHY can we not go to the clinic first of all and secondly WHY did I get a bill for FIVE months of services at ONE time.  I have put a call into the agency to look into these issues but in the mean time I am taking my search elsewhere.  I live within 45 minutes of two of the best University hospitals in the country, to be sure there is some sort of program that will help us really get some where with his problems! 

Need just ONE minute to vent

I am so frustrated with Baby Waffles speech situation.  Yes, he has come so far and yes he is working so hard and yes I am very please with our current situation BUT just for one minute can I please just wine how very frustrated I am with trying day in and day out to just understand what he is saying?  Even when he does get words that make any sense he has no proper lilt to his sentences I guess would be the right term for it.  Everything he says there is a pause between words, like Maaie...pause...en..pause..house (Maddie our dog, in house).  That is one of the actually clear ones. 

It doesn't happen often but some days I just get so frustrated, will he ever be able to make us understand??????? I worry alot what is going to happen after we lose our current speech situation at the end of summer when he turns three.  It took a long time to find someone doing something that all lined up and seemed to click with him and make some major difference.  What if the school system SLP tries other things and we spend another year and a half until something clicks.....


to be continued is all I can say I guess.

FINALLY time for a Baby Waffle update!

I really wanted to get to this sooner but you know things come up and life gets in the way.  

Baby Waffle has really been making some progress with his speech therapy.  He is picking up new words all the time but honestly nothing that most people can understand.  He will age out of his current program on July 22 when he turns 3. At that point he will go into the Early intervention program through the public school system.  I have serious reservations about this BUT unfortunately we are not independently wealthy and well those SLP's have a pesky way of expecting payment!  

So we had our intake meeting for the school system today.  I was actually semi prepped for a fight because our current case manager gave me a lot of 'if he qualifies' comments but I think she just had to cover her heiny! When I first arrived at my meeting today they had already completed all the paperwork that made him eligible and basically I was there to sign.  They did however have him only getting 1 1/2 hour session a week but between my caseworker and myself we got that back up to 2 1/2 hour sessions a week which he is getting now.  Unfortunately since this is the public school system they will not start with him until school starts leaving almost exactly a month without services.  This also means nothing during Christmas, spring break or summer.  United healthcare will not help with anything speech related to 'developmental delays'.  We have already decided to do what we can to continue our current services on our own dime until the school starts but that wont help with the other breaks.  Anyone who knows Baby Waffle KNOWS this will probably be a problem.  No one seems to be able to definitively say yes this is Apraxia we are dealing with.  He is sooo not a textbook case of anything!  What the ladies did say is that if we COULD get an actual Apraxia tag on him then it is medical NOT developmental and UHC would in fact pick up some speech.  NOW if anyone (*Amanda Furbeck if you read this!) could tell me what I should do to make that happen I would greatly appreciate the suggestions!  For now we are staying with the status quo and enjoying the cuteness that is Baby Waffle! 

concerned...

So speeh therapist just left. They had a really great session. However what I am concerned about is that the therapist brings with her a paper I guess maybe the page from his file that has the goals and such. Anyway of course itwas right there so I was curious and looked it over. There is a place to mark potential for (I think it said) recovery with circles to choose good, fair or poor. I am worried because they only think he has a fair chance. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN????

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Vacation Bible School

This week has been a busy one around the Waffle household. Little waffle has been going to VBS at the church where she attended preschool since she was old enough to go. I like that particular program because it is one of the few that is still held during the day. Also she has friends there still from her preschool which is also nice not to mention we have been going to church there too for the same reason.
Well mid week my friend invited to pick Little Waffle up and bring her home to their program at their church. Little Waffle was allllll over it. SOOO long story short, Little Waffle is walking very closely with God this week.

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Quietly bawling...

I am sitting in my quiet living room surrounded by Little Waffle's morning mess with Baby Waffle snoring away in my lap. I decided to take this time to try to catch up in my blogs that I have let built up, over 200 I am afraid. Anyway, the one I read first is from another home school mom who suffered the worst of all tragedies last fall when a dresser fell on her small son and he died. Many of her posts since then have made me heart sick and yes many brought tears to my eyes but his birthday was this week, he should have been two. The family celebrated his short life in a way I don't think I could but in their tragedy I actually found a little peace. I was bawling for the loss they have to deal with but also for Baby Waffle's issues and that was when I realized it can no doubt be worse. So I dried my tears and managed to accomplish a minor miracle.....Baby Waffle is taking his nap in his VERY OWN BED. (For maybe the second time in 6 months!!!
Not to teach little waffle some phonics and math!!

edited to add, Baby Waffle lasted in his own bed for about 45 minutes but then slept another 1 plus in my bed.......well, it is a start anyway!

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