Back-to-School Weekly Meal Planner
Can you believe it? After five and a half months, the kids are back to school! Fingers crossed all stay healthy and the schools stay open. One of the things on my to-do list last week was updating the kids’ lunchbox situations. I’ve had reusable containers for awhile but I kept seeing these bento boxes and kinda had to have them.
Can you believe it? After five and a half months, the kids are back to school! Fingers crossed all stay healthy and the schools stay open.
One of the things on my to-do list last week was updating the kids’ lunchbox situations. I’ve had reusable containers for awhile but I kept seeing these bento boxes and kinda had to have them. At first I ordered the smaller size box but the compartments weren’t big enough, so I swapped them out for the “Tapas” size. The clear divider section comes out for easy cleaning as well. Naturally, I headed over to Pinterest to do some bento box lunch planning. I got a little inspired by seeing so many options! To keep things simple, in the past I typically stuck to these lunch packing guidelines and I’ll continue to do so for this year too.
Protein / Cheese
Fruit
Veggie
Something crunchy
Something sweet
I pick two options of each for the week and make up different combinations to mix it up. Because of Amelia’s Type 1 Diabetes I also have to count carbs, so I try to stick between 30-40 grams of carbs at lunch. For example, here’s a week of lunches:
Monday: Turkey, provolone, mayo & lettuce pinwheels (no wrap, just those ingredients), berries, carrot slices, pretzels, yogurt raisins.
Tuesday: Ham & cheese square skewers, watermelon, pickles, cheez-its, M&M’s.
Wednesday: 1/2 turkey sandwich, berries, pickles, pretzels, oreo thins.
Thursday: Ham & cheese pinwheels, watermelon, carrots, cheez-its, yogurt raisins.
Friday: 1/2 ham sandwich, berries, pickles, cheez-its, M&M’s.
I find that if I try to have TOO much variety per week, I don’t use everything up and stuff goes bad. This system seems to work and I never get complaints!
I also grabbed new lunchboxes for the girls at Target. They are perfect size for the bento boxes. They are also like a giant gel ice pack, so you put the entire lunchbox in the freezer and it helps keep the contents cool all day long! I got them the same design because #1, it’s all they had and #2, it’s just easier that way haha.
In the midst of all this planning I whipped up a Weekly Meal Planner graphic to try to stay organized! I tried looking for one online but I didn’t need the extra note sections or snack sections and I just like things that are clean and simple! If you’d like to download it, click below! What other types of printables would you guys be interested in?
And just because back-to-school pics make me smile so much, I’ll share some of ours with you! :)
Diabetes is Hard
Had a rough diabetes night last night. Blood sugar wasn’t terrible, but her emotions were all over the place. 😭 Amelia was crying over little things all day and when I laid down next to her in bed and asked what was really wrong the floodgates opened. “Why isn’t there a cure?! I hate diabetes, it’s not fair, I want to die.” I don’t think there’s anything that hurts a parent worse than hearing that. 💔
Had a rough diabetes night last night. Blood sugar wasn’t terrible, but her emotions were all over the place. 😭 Amelia was crying over little things all day and when I laid down next to her in bed and asked what was really wrong the floodgates opened. “Why isn’t there a cure?! I hate diabetes, it’s not fair, I want to die.” I don’t think there’s anything that hurts a parent worse than hearing that. 💔 “No one understands, kids at school say I’m LUCKY because I get snacks when I’m low, I hate doing shots, I hate testing, I hate the dexcom!” 😭😭😭 It’s honestly hard to know what to say because I can’t imagine having to do what she does at her age, well at any age. I tell her, “This happened because you CAN handle this, you ARE handling this 💪🏻 you are the most responsible conscientious 9-year-old. We share all about Type 1 so people don’t say things like, ‘You’re lucky,’ to someone with a health issue they don’t know much about.”
I know it’s good to just let her get the feelings out so that’s what I do. It’s a lot for a kid, it’s a lot for the parents, it’s just a lot. Social media helps paint a picture of having it all together, but we definitely don’t. Emotions are sometimes a roller coaster in this house, my anxiety is through the roof to the point of wake-you-up, middle-of-the-night panic attacks and we have to take it day-by-day. Diabetes is a full-time, literally 24/7 job, for the kid AND the parents and to put it bluntly, it sucks. 😡
I don’t say these things to be pitied or to get a pat on the back. I just want to share what’s real and what life with an autoimmune disease is really like to in turn spread awareness and acceptance to those around us. As always, thank you for being our friends and for supporting us always!
Disney Cruise Summer Vacation
We kicked off summer vacation with a Disney Cruise out of Port Canaveral! It was actually a celebratory cruise — we were celebrating my parents’ 40th anniversary, our 10th anniversary and my nephew’s 2nd birthday!
We kicked off summer vacation with a Disney Cruise out of Port Canaveral! It was actually a celebratory cruise — we were celebrating my parents’ 40th anniversary, our 10th anniversary and my nephew’s 2nd birthday!
The ship was amazing, so fun that we didn’t even get off the boat in Nassau. We’ve been to Nassau before and thought it would be great to instead take advantage of the ships’ activities and accommodations! The kids swam, went on the waterslides and we of course hit up the buffets and treats!
The entertainment did not disappoint. We went to the nightly shows before dinner - they were “The Golden Mickey’s,” “Beauty & the Beast,” and “Believe.” The costumes, the effects, the actors, their voices… what is it about Disney performances that always makes me emotional? The girls loved them too, great for all ages!
My favorite part of the cruise was probably Disney’s private island - Castaway Cay. We hopped off the boat as early as we could and staked out some lounge chairs to set down our stuff. The water was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It was crystal clear and the fish were almost tame, swimming up to us in the water. We snorkeled all around the snorkeling area where they had submerged different items to swim around. There were so many tropical fish to see, the girls loved it!
The Kids Club was ridiculous. I didn’t take any photos in there but let’s just say the kids don’t want to leave. There are huge spaces, activities, snacks, experiments, and it’s all super secure. If we were on a longer cruise I think they would have wanted to stay in there longer for sure.
So after we left, my conclusion was that I would 100% do another Disney Cruise. It was more expensive than another cruise line, but the ship was immaculate, the entertainment and activities incredible, food was delish and a good time was had by all!
Thanksgiving Table Decor
We had a beautiful Thanksgiving that was simple and full of family time! We played badminton while the turkey was in the infrared frier outside. We snacked on a charcuterie board while the sweet potatoes and stuffing were in the oven. We each read little cards with “Words of Wisdom” and “Thanksgiving Humor” jokes when we sat down to the table.
We had a beautiful Thanksgiving that was simple and full of family time! We played badminton while the turkey was in the infrared frier outside. We snacked on a charcuterie board while the sweet potatoes and stuffing were in the oven. We each read little cards with “Words of Wisdom” and “Thanksgiving Humor” jokes when we sat down to the table. The girls wanted to help so I printed out place cards for them to color and they did so, very beautifully. We decided to host at our house since my Mom is still recovering from her hip replacement surgery but I was happy to be able to set our table with the decor I had around the house. Overall it was very was low stress and pretty perfect and I hope yours was the same!
Halloween 2018
Look at these cuties! We had a great time trick or treating this year, minus the mosquitos. This time of year reminded me of last year when Amelia was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We were so nervous about how much candy she could eat and what it would do to her blood sugar. A year in, we’re a little more confident! :)
Look at these cuties! We had a great time trick or treating this year, minus the mosquitos. This time of year reminded me of last year when Amelia was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We were so nervous about how much candy she could eat and what it would do to her blood sugar. A year in, we’re a little more confident! :)
Back to School After Type 1 Diagnosis
It's official, my child is not normal. 😂 We left the hospital this morning and she BEGGED to go to school. Literally begged lol. I got to talk to the amazing Nurse Tammy and I definitely feel confident about her care while at school.
It's official, my child is not normal. 😂 We left the hospital this morning and she BEGGED to go to school. Literally begged lol. I got to talk to the amazing Nurse Tammy and I definitely feel confident about her care while at school. At first I told myself I’d go to lunch with her every single day until they got the hang of it until I talked to Tammy and realized, “Hey, she’s a nurse, already treats one Type 1 at school and knows way more than I do.” I felt better about her being at school than I did at home ha! The only feeling I can equate it to is when you first come home from the hospital with your first baby. You’re constantly nervous. Am I doing it right? Are they gonna survive my inexperience? And dropping her off at school that day was like the first time you left your baby after you gave birth. It felt weird. This new sense of responsibility for her life was overwhelming to say the least.
Looking through the cards Amelia's classmates and friends made her and they're all so freaking sweet. 😍😭 Every single one of these cards touched our hearts. ❤️ Mrs. Weragoda is an amazing teacher and an amazing human being, that's for sure. 😇 It was also such a fun surprise when she got off the bus today. Thank you to whoever left cute balloons tied to our driveway gate...they put a HUGE smile on Miss Amelia’s face.
How Your Diet Changes with Type 1 Diabetes
Getting set up over here. 😌 I'm not downplaying it but it's really not as bad as it looks lol. People have been asking what exactly this whole thing means for meals... not much is really changing except we have to keep track of what Amelia eats and cover the carbs with insulin. Our goal is 30g carbs per meal which is about what she eats anyway.
Getting set up over here. 😌 I'm not downplaying it but it's really not as bad as it looks lol. People have been asking what exactly this whole thing means for meals... not much is really changing except we have to keep track of what Amelia eats and cover the carbs with insulin. Our goal is 30g carbs per meal which is about what she eats anyway. Snacks are where we are changing things up, those are switching to 0 carb things, meat & cheese, sugar free jello etc. My first question was, "What about birthday parties?" to which Dr. Duncan said, "Let her do whatever the other kids are doing [within reason] and figure it out after. She's still a normal kid and should behave like a normal kid." That honestly made me feel SO much better. ❤️Amelia said to me, "What if no one wants to be my friend anymore?" I had to majorly hold back tears to tell her that of course her friends will still love her, she's still the same Amelia but she just has to take some medicine every now and then, and that there are other kids who take different kinds of medicine all the time. Whew. My sweet sweet girl. What a whirlwind of a few days. Going to bed early tonight! 😴
Type 1 Diabetes Signs & Symptoms
Update time! Amelia had a great day today! When Dr. Duncan came in at 7:30 this morning he said she was healthy enough to go home… HOWEVER, he said we had to stay a bit longer so we could 100% familiarize ourselves with all of our new responsibilities. We’re getting there! It’s a lot! 😅
Update time! Amelia had a great day today! When Dr. Duncan came in at 7:30 this morning he said she was healthy enough to go home… HOWEVER, he said we had to stay a bit longer so we could 100% familiarize ourselves with all of our new responsibilities. We’re getting there! It’s a lot! 😅
I’ve gotten quite a few messages asking how we knew something was up with her so I’ll go ahead and share. Amelia has never had a single health issue. We rarely go to the doctor except for well visits. About a week ago she started asking for lots to drink. On Friday night I saw her get into the fridge and come back with apple juice like three times and told her to slow down and have some water. On Saturday night we went to a friend’s house and she had a great time playing… that night she came into our room and asked if she could take a shower because she thought she was sweating a lot. Turns out she had an accident (which she hasn’t had since she was 2) and it was like, the entire bed. I thought it was weird but was like well maybe she was hitting the capri suns hard at our friend’s house and I didn’t notice. The next night came and another accident happened… so I started googling. Usually this is bad for me to do, hello hypochondria lol, but I saw some of the symptoms and thought hmm she kinda has some of those. When the 3rd night came and she was up once an hour to go to the bathroom and came out begging for water, I decided to take her to the doctor first thing.
Other symptoms are hunger, fatigue and weight loss. She would get off the bus every day saying, "I’m sooo tired," and then come in the house and say, "I’m sooo hungry.” I didn’t think much of those comments because that’s just kids right? I did notice last week that I thought she looked slimmer but another thing I also considered “normal” since she could have had a growth spurt or could have seen effects from the healthy lunches I’ve been packing for her all this year. When Dr. Google included these symptoms as well I knew something was up. 🤔
Steve really wanted to stay the night with her and as much as I hated leaving there tonight, I was glad that Steve would be able to spend special time with her and keep learning the ropes with her. Juliet is fast asleep at home and will go to school again tomorrow. She misses her sister but knows she is at the doctor to get all better!
We should be heading home tomorrow sometime, yay, and if all goes well she will go to school on Friday. Doc said he wants her to resume her normal routine as soon as she can!
Thanks again for all of the messages and prayers, we have been feeling the love!!! And thanks to special visitors today Christa & Samantha as well as Leanne and Emme! You ladies truly brightened Amelia’s day! <3
Amelia's Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
Well. Today has been interesting to say the least. Amelia was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She is fine, it was caught super early, but we will definitely be experiencing a new normal. Big thanks go out to my friend Kristi who called me late last night when I expressed concerns about Amelia, she helped me feel at ease and told me to take her in to the doc this morning.
Well. Today has been interesting to say the least. Amelia was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She is fine, it was caught super early, but we will definitely be experiencing a new normal. Big thanks go out to my friend Kristi who called me late last night when I expressed concerns about Amelia, she helped me feel at ease and told me to take her in to the doc this morning. Also THANK YOU to Dr. Marc who was awesome as always this morning and who just called to check on our little patient. We loved meeting Dr. Duncan, our pediatric endocrinologist and feel great about being under his care.
We checked into Holmes earlier today and will be here for awhile to learn how to care for our sweet Amelia. She has been the best patient, barely any tears through all her pricks and pokes, she was even excited that she has her very own TV in her room that SHE gets to control lol. Everyone at Holmes has been great, we loved our first nurse Shanna who answered our endless questions and broke down our blood sugar and insulin formulas 25 times.
No one knows what causes Type 1, it's not diet related, her pancreas has stopped making insulin which processes sugar, so we have to make sure we give her enough insulin to process the foods that she eats. Amelia is amazing student and rule follower, so although it obviously is not something we would have ever hoped for, I know it is something that she will be able to handle with grace.
Thanks to those who reached out, feeling love and support from others is emotionally overwhelming (in a good way) in times like these. We are so thankful we caught this early, and before Halloween candy, as it could have been way way worse. Love you guys, we will check in soon!
