Gluten-Free Waffles: a great way to start a day! and why we went GF.

The boys have now been off gluten for maybe a month. Hmmm…wish I’d kept track of the date we started. It has gotten easier every day as I have a friend who inspired me to try the GF thing when she mentioned that since she started it with her two kids two years ago and it has made all the difference in their behaviour. When I say ‘behaviour’ I don’t mean in just how they act but how they think as well.

I don’t know if I have said this before but I’ve had a trying time with L and getting him to concentrate. He always has to be doing something with his hands, and this easily distracts him from other things, like his math book sitting out in front of him. Sometimes it would drive me around the bend as I couldn’t see what the big deal was: why should it take him and hour and a half to do two math pages????? Maybe he is distracted by the Lego in front of him. Solution: no toys on the table while doing lessons. Did this work? Yes. Briefly. Then he would just sit there and stare part of the time unless I worked through each page with him to keep him on track. At this point there are many of his lessons he can do independently. Well, he can do but doesn’t.

I read in a book titled, Beyond Survival: a Guide to Abundant-Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring that we all have different learning styles. How interesting! L is actually one of those kids/people who, like myself, always needs to be doing something with his hands. How interesting! Like mother like son! So, I relented and said he could have a toy on the table to ‘watch’ him while he did his math, etc. Also, he fiddles with a toy (yet again, usually Lego) while we have our reading time where I read a book to them. (To clarify, at 5 and 7 they already know how to read, but me reading to them everyday helps them to understand how books are read when it comes to punctuation and tone and rhythm for comprehension. Also, they get to hear interesting stories that may be above their reading level.) I’d stop and ask L a question while I was reading to see if he was listening, and sure enough, he told me the answer almost word for word as I had read it. X, too – when he wasn’t doing hand stands on the couch. That boy cannot sit still! Again, mother…son. 🙂

Now, although I relented to the toys being around to ‘watch’ L as he worked he still took painfully long to get things done. I’d ask him a question he should know such as, “L, what is 5+7?” And he would say, “5+7. 5..+7..5…..+…..7……….” Boom. Gone. It was as if I had drugged him and his mind just went to mush. He would stare off into the air expressionless.

Then came the introduction of Gluten-Free foods. Can’t hurt to try, right? Makes, sense as we are what we eat. And if it worked for C and her kids then it just may work for us. In as little as 24 hours I noticed a difference with L and his school work. X, too. Albeit, X’s lesson load is much lighter as he is only five but nonetheless, the concentration was there where it hadn’t been before. It stayed. It hung around like a wonderful friend and helper. Amazing. Lucas can get his spelling done in ten minutes and his math in twenty to thirty. Aside: I also instilled a more realistic schedule for the boys that spreads out their lessons through the week where we get the brain challengers done first thing. Their various programs are also in the schedule, such as Multi-Sports class, Art Gallery and Discovery Centre and theatre group to name some, and if it keeps us out of the house for hours then I lighten the load of lessons for the day so it doesn’t seem so arduous. Also, Family Time Fitness thrown in there is a great way to get us energized again for 15-20 minutes before starting another lesson. Educational games are great too. They learn as they have fun. Well, we learn as we have fun!

Getting ready to go out the door, which used to take a good twenty minutes from the time I would ask the boys to go to the washroom, get their shoes and coats on and grab their water bottles shrunk down to a mere 5 minutes in most instances without very little repeating of this easy ‘getting out the door’ list.

Okay so, long story long, this wonderful friend of mine, C, gave me a recipe for waffles. The GF ones at the store are expensive but the boys love them. (Oh, and her recipe for sandwich bread has finally been successful for me after trying all of those bread-machine ones. Making this one by hand is much more rewarding. Pat myself on the back for my persistence! My reward is worth it.)

Here is ‘going into the oven’ and ‘out of the oven and oh so good’ hand-made bread.

Yesterday I bought a waffle maker with new recipe in hand. I was inspired by C as she makes a big batch every weekend and freezes them to use for breakfasts. Brilliant. I tried out her recipe (small batch first) expecting maybe a bit of difficulty or dry, distasteful (?) waffles. I was so thrilled as my first two waffles just cooked up perfectly and the boys scarfed them down. Oh, what a great way to start a day!! LOVE that waffle maker. There is hope, after all, with GF food and sane kids! Yay! …sane Mommy too! 🙂

I think next time I may add blueberries, or chocolate chips…yum…this time Steve just added the chocolate chips onto the top of the already cooked waffles.

Such a pretty sight for my eyes – home-made GF waffles. (Yes, I know, it’s blurry, argh, camera phone, but pretty nonetheless!)