Disillusioned

Dear all of us,

I'm just feeling down today. There were so many stories about violence in the news yesterday and I woke up to more awful news today. I'm getting to the point where I don't want my kids to leave my side.
There was a killing spree in PA yesterday.
That gunman ran and was spotted in another area of PA, that area was on high alert for hours.
Two local high schools had violent threats made against them.
Over 100 kids were killed at a school in Pakistan.
All of this right around the second anniversary of Sandy Hook.

I believe that Americans have the right to bear arms.
I also believe that there should be strict gun laws in place.
Above all I believe that as Americans we need to step up our work in the area of mental health. We are the greatest country in the world and we are failing our citizens and our children.

When will a change take place?

Stop waiting for someone else.

Dear all of us,
What do you do when you recognize that there is a problem that needs to be fixed? Do you sit by? Do you hope someone else will take care of it?
Or do you get up and do something about it?

I have a question today. Well, I have questions everyday….. I should rephrase that. I have many questions today.

If you see something that you think is wrong, do you do something about it? If there is some injustice going on, do you let it continue or so you speak up?

If you let it continue-
Why do you let it continue? If you see something is not right, how do you sit by and not try to change things for the better? What will it take for you to get involved?

If you get involved-
Why did you get involved? What motivated you to put away your fears or your worries? What made you get off the couch, get out from behind the screen to actually get up and get involved?

If you see something that you think is unjust, don't just sit there! Get up!


You might say-"Well, that's easy for her to say!"

Well, no it's not! It is so hard for me to be confrontational. I am an introvert. I am shy. I am not confrontational.

However, the older that I get, the more I can not just sit by and watch things happen. If I feel that something is unfair, I am going to speak up. I am going to speak up for those that can not speak up for themselves. Namely, children.

We are the best advocates that a child can have. They need someone to be their voice when no one will listen to them.

Do it today! What is it in the world that is bothering you? What do you want to see changed?

Everyone thinks that the other guy will get up and do something about it. This is not necessarily so. Stop sitting around waiting for change. It's not coming. Be the change.



Will you be the change?


"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have."-Margaret Mead

Making memories

Dear All Of Us,
How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was perfect. Lots of yummy food of course, but also lots of time with family. I think that the best gift that we can give ourselves and our family is time. Good quality time together. This is why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No gifts to buy! A good meal with family. That's what we had. This year we even had a family football game. Besides a few minor injuries it was great. The day was filled with laughs. I hated to see it end.
Until next year……..

Violence doesn't solve anything, it's not just Ferguson.

Dear all of us,
When did it become acceptable to commit violent acts? When did it become acceptable to threaten children? I truly do not understand what is going on in our country.

Watch this video. This is a school board discussing the fact that there are 20 kids with food allergies in the school. One school board members jokes that the children should be shot. The rest of the members laugh. In what capacity is this ok? Now we joke about kids being shot because of a medical disability. Really? I am stunned. I do hope that this video becomes viral. I do hope that there are consequences for this. It is obvious that this board does not care about children at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-JTBl6ORUY

Ferguson-There are no winners. We have all lost. A boy lost his life. A police officer has had his life turned upside down. If you do not agree with the verdict, how does violence make it better? I understand peaceful protests and I support peaceful protests. Looting, violence and the like will not bring Michael Brown back. Honest, difficult discussions will not bring him back either. However, honest and difficult discussions may help to keep the peace.

I am begging now. Think about what you say and do. Take a breath. Don't jump to stupid speech and dangerous actions.

Step up!

Dear all of us,
I watched a story this am on the Today Show that rocked me. I cried and cried. It was about homeless children. To hear this girl speak about what her life is like.....it's so very sad and so very unfair. No child in this country should be homeless. She deserves better, from all of us.
Do something to help someone that has less than you. Do one thing. Not just during the holidays but during every season.

http://www.today.com/news/shine-light-willie-geist-helping-renovate-shelter-homeless-families-1D80302217

Take the risk

Dear all of us,

Do you have a dream? Do you have a goal? Is there something that you have always wanted to do but you have been afraid to try?
Go for it!!!!!!!
What do you have to lose?
Do you want to look back in 5 years and think about what might have been?
Don't do that to yourself.
If you have an idea or a dream then you owe it to yourself to follow it!
Find a friend and pitch your idea. Brainstorm.
What's the worst that's going to happen? It won't work out. Well, yes it might not work out. At least you tried!
Don't do the "what if" game. Just go for it! It will be worth it in the end.

Look at this. This is a great example of someone who had a dream and she went for it!

What's stopping you?

http://www.gofer-errands.com/

Do one good thing

Dear all of us,
Imagine what the world would be like if we each did one good thing....
Do one good thing today.
Do one good thing this week.
Do one good thing this month.
Do one good thing this year.

Just one good thing! Help someone. Smile at someone. Imagine how great the world would be.
There are so many good charities to get involved with.
Volunteer at a school.
Your good work is needed.

Need help finding a place? Ask me, I will help you find somewhere to volunteer.
Not only are you helping someone but you will also help yourself. It feels great to help someone who needs it!

Go and do one good thing....

Is this ok?

Dear all of us,
Is this ad ok? I honestly can not make up my mind. Please know before you watch that this ad has lots of foul language, it's not for the kids. But, there are kids in it. Spewing bad words all over the place. Trust me, I'm not a prude when it comes to foul language. I can curse like a sailor when I need to. However, I would not let my kids talk like this.
It is an ad for equality for women. Of course I am all for equality for women. I am a woman and I would like to be treated equally. I would like my daughters to be treated equally. I just don't know if this is the right way to go about getting that equality.
In full disclosure I will admit that I did laugh when I watched this. Cause really, what's cuter than watching little girls use the f word???
I'm so conflicted.
What do you think?
http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/23/feminism-for-sale-girls-drop-f-bombs-in-viral-ad/17769607/

Is compassion a thing of the past?

Dear all of us,
Is compassion a thing of the past? What in the world are we teaching our children if we are not teaching them to be compassionate towards others?
As you may have guessed my youngest has life threatening food allergies. We found this out the hard way when she was 3. It was the scariest moment of my life. I am not looking for sympathy. I am not looking for pity. I am not looking for attention. Nothing that I did caused the allergy. Yes, I know that it could be worse. I know all of that. A little compassion towards her would be nice. A little compassion towards all children with food allergies, diabetes, and so on at Halloween time would be appreciated. Imagine if it was your child that had to watch most of their Halloween candy go into the trash. Imagine for a moment what that feels like.
The teal pumpkin project has taken off! It's very exciting to see those that are not in the food allergy community embrace the project. Google it and you will find many news articles, interviews, and the like. It's so great!
What's not great are the comments underneath the articles.  I do not understand when I read the horrible, hurtful comments. I do not understand what makes a person type those words. The words that say that parents caused the allergy, parents like the attention, that it's all about Darwin and survival of the fittest.
I would do anything to make the allergy go away. She doesn't sneeze when she eats nuts, she stops breathing. I wouldn't wish our life on anyone. I do however wish that some people could spend just one day in our shoes.
You can still pass out whatever candy you would like. If you are so inclined, you can put out a bowl of non food treats too. Bracelets, stickers, crayons, glow sticks and so on are great non food items. You do not have to spend a lot at all.
Here's more information-feel free to share and spread the word and the compassion. Thank you to those that are participating, it means the world to us!
http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project

What if it was your child?

Dear all of us,
What if your child went missing? It is excruciating to think about. If your child, your friend, your cousin went missing, wouldn't you want everyone to look for him/her? Wouldn't you want your community to back you up? Wouldn't you want everyone to help.
Please share this link and help this girl find her way home to her family and her community.
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/---URGENT--MISSING-TEEN-ALERT--PLEASE-SHARE---.html?soid=1114179096740&aid=CWyq1-V2hXQ

Never say Never

Dear all of us,
Never say never. Well, I have always been one of those moms that looks at all of this Elf on a shelf stuff and thinks"this is crazy and a waste of time".

That was before the Mensch on a Bench came out. I am not paid by the company in anyway, I just love it though! I discovered it last year and I ordered one immediately. It's a good thing that I did because they sold out quickly. My kids love it! They named him Martin. My little one fully believes that he watches them.

So, I was just on Pinterest. I couldn't find any Mensch on a Bench ideas but I did find plenty of Elf on  Shelf ideas to use with Martin.

Never say never.....

Do you have any great ideas for your Mensch or Elf?

Dear all of us, when your kid is sick....

Dear all of us,
When your kid is sick, it's the worst, isn't it??????
Even a silly stomach bug is sooo stressful no matter how old your kid is.
This needs to pass. She feels awful. She is sooo rarely sick that this has hit her hard.
Any tips on how to make it all better? :)

Dear all of us, thank you!

Dear all of us,
Thank you! Two words that mean so much.

Thank you to all of you that read this blog, thank you to those that share it too, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all of you that are participating in the teal pumpkin project! Some of you that are doing it don't even have food allergies in your home. You are going above and beyond, I hope you know how much the food allergic community appreciates your support.

We finished ours!  I have dum dum lollipops and stickers and bracelets to give out!

It is so exciting to see everyone's pumpkins on social media. The #tealpumpkinproject is even making the news!!!!!!!!

Here's our pumpkin.

Here is an article about the teal pumpkins

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/health/halloween-safety-food-allergies/

Dear all of us, did you ever have the wrong impression of someone?

Did you ever have feelings about someone then to find out that those feelings were so very wrong?
It happened to me today. I had feelings(not great ones) about someone. Then I sat down and listened, really listened. It turns out that I was really off base. I'm glad that I was off base but I was really, really off base.
I am so glad that I met with this person today....
I am even going to send her a note of thanks for meeting with me.
Has this ever happened to you?
How could I have been so wrong?

Dear all of us, scrambled thoughts

Dear all of us,
Do you ever have times when you have so much going on in your head that you can't even focus? Please tell me it's not just me!
There's too much going on. School has been in session for almost two months and I still can't get with it. The quantity of homework and common core is driving me insane. The math homework! Oh the math homework! I have to believe that whomever invented common core does not have children. It is pure torture.
I look at the calendar and laugh. There is so much on the calendar that I have to schedule in when we can go get some pumpkins.....
Halloween-never been my favorite holiday and even less with food allergies. But look at this!
http://blog.foodallergy.org/2014/10/06/the-teal-pumpkin-project-for-an-allergy-friendly-halloween/

Remember to paint your pumpkin teal! I will post pics as soon as ours is done.


There is so much out there that is making my head go crazy. I can't turn on the news anymore. Ebola, the respiratory virus that's going on (we don't have asthma but it still makes me nervous), beheadings, ISIS, and on and on.....

I wish the news would show more of what is good in the world. I have to believe that the good outweighs the bad. It's just that, of late, all I hear is bad. It hurts my heart when I hear of those doing the wrong thing. Especially those who are involved in the lives of children.

I wish people would take a minute everyday to be thankful for what they have. If you have a good life, if you are surrounded in love, if you and your family have your health, please don't take that for granted. Enjoy it. So many, many people have lost so much. Be grateful for what you have and spread love and joy. Have some perspective. Don't spread hate. Don't hurt others. Play nice! Isn't that what we teach our children? Adults need to listen to this advice.

Changing focus....

I am the mom of two amazing kids, I am truly lucky. Yes, one of them has life threatening food allergies. The food allergies consumes a lot of my time. I have to be diligent to keep her safe and that then affects every aspect of our lives. Food allergies are not however the only thing that happens in my life. This is why I am thinking of changing the focus of the blog. I will of course still discuss food allergies but it will also cover every other aspect of life as a mom.
What do you think?
I am sitting her busily jotting down notes....
I'm excited to share the new blog with you soon!

Then the bottom fell out

The children have been in school for about a month. It has been a relatively quiet month. There's homework, after school activities and so on....pretty typical first month of school.
I have known my youngest child now for 9 years. I'm her mom so I think I know her pretty well. She is the happiest child that I have ever met. It's just her nature. From the time she gets up until she goes to bed, she is happy. She has a huge smile on her face and she is a bundle of energy.  I wouldn't have it any other way. So, when she cries I know something is wrong. She was sitting on the couch and suddenly burst into tears last night.  I couldn't even begin to imagine what was wrong. It turns out that she had been made to sit at the allergy table since the beginning of school. This is not something we asked for, it was in fact the exact opposite of what we asked for.
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.
My child has never, in 6 years, shown any anxiety about her allergies. Now here she is balling her eyes out because she was shoved at another table.
Fast forward to this morning. My husband sent an email last night and went to the school this morning. The situation was explained. The teacher didn't realize the stress that the table situation had caused. She is going back to a regular table today. Hopefully problem solved.
I think like most situations  you don't really get it until it happens to you.
Do parents of allergic children need to become more vocal? I already feel like all I do is talk about allergies to others. Does anyone here me or do they hear waaa waaa waaa like Charlie Brown's teacher? What else can parents of allergic kids do to make the non-allergic community listen and understand what it's like for our kids?
I don't know but the advocate in my is awake and ticked off today.
Parents of allergic kids-we are our kids best advocate. You have to stand up. You have to shout from the roof tops. You have to raise awareness. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

It only took 5 days

On the 5th day of school the phone rang. It was noon and I was relaxed. I had spent the morning with a friend drinking coffee and chatting. Then the phone rang and the school number came up. It's only the 5th day. The 5th day!!!!!!!!!
My youngest was coughing. She was coughing and couldn't catch her breath. She was given water and the coughing stopped. She was then asked, "Does your throat hurt?" "No" "Does your chest feel tight?" "Yes"
Well.....that led to a dose of benadryl and a call to me.
Am I thrilled that the school was on top of things? Of course. Will a dose of benadryl hurt her? No it won't.
I do know that if I was there I would have seen that a cough is sometimes just a cough.
Thank goodness for teachers that care.
Do any of you work full time or even part time out of the house? How do you handle it? I can't imagine what would happen if I did work. How do you handle the stress? I'm home and still stressed out......

A good feeling

We filled out all of the paperwork. We researched. We came up with a plan. Then we met the teacher. She seems very nice but she's new to the building.......
Fingers crossed for a good year. Another safe year. Please let this teacher get it.
Have you met the teacher that your child will have?

I wonder what it's like to have a "normal" school experience. I can't remember what normal is.....

Endless paperwork

As I get ready to start another school year and attend yet another 504 meeting, I am astounded by the amount of paperwork that needs to be filled out.
I do not understand why year after year I have to fill out the same forms. This year there is even a new form. I am not sure why there is a new form but there is one. It pretty much asks the same questions as the other paperwork does. This means more wasted time filing out forms, getting doctors signatures, and so on. Of course I will do whatever it takes to keep my child safe but this is insane....
Are you filling out piles of paperwork too?

One more week

One more week off then school starts. I have my paperwork in order, epi etc is ready to be dropped off at school. Just waiting on the yearly 504 meeting.....
Going to work on safety AND inclusion this year. We learn as we grow I guess.
Are you ready for this school year? What do you do to make sure that your child is safe and included?

A big event with allergies

We have never had to worry about a big event with allergies, it just hasn't come up. Until a few weeks ago. We had our oldest daughters Bat Mitzvah. That meant lots of planning for my youngest so that she could be completely safe and so that I could somewhat relax. From deciding how to get safe juice and challah to the Temple to the entire menu at the reception, we sure had our hands full. It truly took a village! Thanks to all that helped us. Everything was pretty much nut free. Any event over the weekend that was not nut free, we brought food with us like we usually do.
The whole weekend was smooth, safe, and amazing!

Have you ever had your allergic child at a big event? How did it go? Any tips on how to handle it?

School nurse success and stock epi update

A huge congrats for Teri Saurer. She has worked tirelessly to get a full time school nurse in every school Charlotte schools. It's so great to share the news that she did it! She is a trailblazer and I am so excited for her and her whole team!
http://www.allergyhome.org/blogger/school-nurse-advocacy-success/



The stock epi bill needs your support! If you are in NC please write the Senators below and encourage your friends and family to do the same. We really need a huge push in the letter writing department.

1. Senator Jeff Tarte
jeff@jefftarte.com 

2. Senator Harry Brown
Harry.Brown@ncleg.net
910-347-3777
NC Senate
300 N. Salisbury Street
Room 300-B
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

3. Senator Kathy Harrington
kathy.harrington@ncleg.net
919-733-5734
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2113
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

4. Senator Neal Hunt
neal.hunt@ncleg.net
919-733-5850
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 309
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

5. Senator Brent Jackson
brent.jackson@ncleg.net
919-733-5705
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2022
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

Summer, events, and relaxation

Another fast school year is over.
We made it through the last party and now I can relax. We are together just about 24/7 so there really isn't any extra worry. Just the regular worry. I just read a study that said that allergy moms have anxiety and stress. Really? I didn't notice. Gotta laugh about that one.
We are planning a very big event this summer. That's stressful. Fun but stressful. It is great though to work with a large event hall that is very flexible about allergies.

The last party

The last party is over. I will never be more stunned as when a parent goes out of their way to make sure there are safe foods. Well, it happened again. Peanut/treenut free cookies! They are sooo good and they made her feel so included.
It's nice to have a safe item. I think it helps take the sting out of the unsafe cookies and candy that was there.
It's time for me to start thinking about our 504 for next year as I have already talked about. Inclusion, inclusion, inclusion in addition to safety.
Candy awards were handed out. My daughter got the "starburst award". It's a very cute idea until someone gets the "almond joy" award. Not cute.
One day everyone will "get it"
Until then we work harder....

One week to go

School ends next Wednesday. Yay!!!!!
The end of year party is Monday and parents are invited. Yay again!!! Less to worry about.

Like I said the last time that I posted the eczema was back and it was bad. I tried everything. Now the eczema is gone. Out of nowhere gone. Sooooo strange! Have you ever had that happen?

The end of the year and eczema

There are about ten school days left. Another year over. The end of the year stress is coming too. Awards, parties and so on mean one last round of food coming into the classroom. I'm ready but I am so tired of fighting the fight. When will food not be used in the classroom?

Does anyone else have a child that has eczema? Our eczema has been under control for a loooong time and this week it is back. It is back with a vengeance. I can not get it to go away! Any tips?

Food allergy awareness week

Another food allergy awareness week is here. Won't it be nice when food allergies are a thing of the past? Until that is a reality I feel that it is our job to not only work towards a cure but we need to raise awareness too. 1 out of every 13 kids has a food allergy but so many people do not know enough about this potentially fatal condition.
What are you doing this week to raise awareness? I have sent in certificates, pencils, and stickers to my daughter's classroom.
Check out FARE and FAACT's websites to learn more about what you can do this week to raise awareness.

Hello May

Well, that was another fast school year. Time really needs to slow down. Only about 5 weeks left. Very hard to believe.
I'm sure there will be the end of the year festivities coming soon. We will be ready, cupcakes in hand.
How was your year?

May also brings food allergy awareness week starting on May 11. I have also read that FARE has declared it food allergy awareness month, great idea!
What are you doing to raise awareness this year? I am sending in certificates, pencils, and stickers for my daughter and her classmates.

Something great happened

So, she went on a field trip without us.
I was nervous.
I was scared.
I was worried.
Then the phone rang while she was on the trip. I think I aged about 30 years. It was the teacher. I just aged 50 more years. Everything was fine. She wanted to know if my daughter could hold baby chicks while wearing gloves.
My mind was screaming no but the word yes came out....
I hung up the phone and I wondered what I had just done.
My cell phone dinged. I had a text. It was a picture from the teacher. My daughter, with gloves, was holding an animal.
I cried, sobbed actually.
A few hours later she came home. She got off of the bus with an enormous smile. She talked and talked about how soft and cute the baby chicks were. She pet a goat and a pig too with gloves on.
It was quite a day for all of us.

A wonderful friend said"You've found a great balance of keeping her safe and letting her grow"

Very powerful words to me. I need to print them out and put them on my office wall. I need to read them when I'm having a hard day or when I am worried about a decision that we have made. I do need to keep her safe but she does need to grow. As much as I try to keep her little, it isn't working. She's getting older and she needs to live a life.

Powerful words....

A trip today

My daughter is off on a walking field trip today. Pretty much out the door, across a field and over to the high school. They will learn about animals, plants and so on. They will have lunch before hand and the trip doesn't include eating anything.
I told her a thousand times this week-
Don't touch the animals.
Don't feed the animals.
Don't get close enough to the animals so that they could possibly lick you.
When you plant something wear gloves.

I think that all falls under "things you didn't know that you would have to say to your child".

It certainly is a strange life that we lead.....

Food Allergy Bullying

Have you ever had any problems with bullying and food allergies? So many people face bullying in regards to their food allergies. This is going to be a great event that you should not miss. Please share the information with others who may need it. Please also share with your schools, it is so very important. Not one child should be bullied because of their food allergies.

Love Remembers

Today is a day set aside for remembering those that have been lost to anaphylaxis. It's so important but so very, very sad.
I find it amazing that today is the day to remember those lost to anaphylaxis because today is the day that my house was hit by anaphylaxis.
My daughter at the time was 3 1/2. She ate walnuts. She turned red. She was lethargic. She was zoned out. She was coughing and wheezing. It was an awful sound. That day is burned in my brain for ever. I will always remember the sights of that day, the sounds too. It's like it was happening in slow motion. I remember everything that was said, everything that we did.
By the grace of G-d she made it through.
It's hard to believe that this awful day was 5 years ago.
How horrible my life would be if she didn't make it......
Hug your kids tight and think of those lost today.

inclusion means include them

Doesn't inclusion mean including all? Exclusion means leaving someone out?

I have said it before and I will say it again, I need to learn to meditate.

How is it ok to have an activity coming up and not know if it's safe? How is it ok to say "parents, you can be there to monitor it?" My being there doesn't make it safe. If it's not safe she can sit out or go to another room. Really? Oh, I don't think so.......
Game on.....

I do this to myself

It happens every time. Every.Single.Time. Every time I think to myself "We are doing ok, we've got this", something happens.
It doesn't have to be a life threatening emergency (thank goodness) but every time I think it will be ok, something happens.
When will I learn? I need to turn my brain off and not even think for a second that all is good. When I think we are good the allergies hit the fan so to speak.
When will I learn that unless someone lives like we do, they just do not get it. When will those that don't live like this understand that they can not leave our kids out? Will they ever learn?
I'm beginning to think that they won't.
Can someone out there explain to me why every single activity has to include food? I do not have any answers today...........

Consult your Dr.

I was checking out Facebook earlier when I saw something that a nut free cookie company posted. It said that people with one nut allergy should then avoid all nuts. Meaning if you are allergic to tree nuts don't eat peanuts and if you are allergic to peanuts you shouldn't eat tree nuts. I am not a doctor. If you are allergic to one type of nut I think that you should consult your doctor and you should decide together on a plan for your child or yourself. My daughter is anaphylactic to tree nuts. She eats peanut products without a problem. She always has, peanuts and peanut butter. She has been eating peanut products since before we found out about the tree nut allergy. I'm not bragging, it's just a fact.  I can not imagine pulling her off of a food that she has always eaten without a problem. Trust me, if I thought for a second that this was dangerous for her I would not do it.
Please consult your doctor before you pull your child off of a food and please do not ever do a food challenge at home.

It's March again

March.
Not my favorite month at all. March 31 is the anniversary of my daughter's anaphylactic reaction. I would rather skip over March.
This year there is an event, ironically being held on March 31. It is an event to help honor the lives of those that have been lost to anaphylaxis. Well, that's a wake up call. Once again I am reminded of how very lucky I am.
Please take a moment to read over the information and join us in remembering.
https://www.facebook.com/events/288379827975661/

I'm not even going to yell

Normally an article like this would make me crazy....
I guess I have realized that some people will just never get it.
Why does everything include food, especially at school? Isn't the easiest solution to have food free parties. Then, outside of school, the birthday child can have their treats at their own party.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todays-mama/why-do-your-kids-allergies-mean-my-kid-cant-have-a-birthday_b_4767686.html

Food allergies and Valentine's day

With the snow storm last week I forget to blog about Valentine's day. This year was easy! They were off. Nothing to worry about. Safe treats here at home. We had chocolate chip pancakes and of course chocolate. There are so many online companies that sell safe chocolate now. They are passing out their cards this Wednesday at school and I haven't heard about a party so maybe it will be easy. That would be so nice.
How was your Valentine's day? Were the kids off?
I hope everyone had a safe and fun day.

The snow and the ice

Well, we are being hit by a huge storm . Are you? It's crazy, tons of snow and ice to come. We will certainly be trapped in the house for a while. We are stocked up on safe food, water, batteries, etc. My hope is that the power stays on because I know that it will get cold fast and we are stuck here. The roads are awful.
Of course the kids think it's great. I keep reminding them that the days will need to be made up.
How is the weather by you? What precautions do you take in extreme weather?
Stay safe everyone!

I let her go and it was hard

My 8 year old doesn't get out much. Most people have some sort of furry pet and she can't be in a house with them. I feel awful for her. She's getting older and she wants to be like everyone else. She wants to hang with her friends.
This past Sunday something amazing happened. She just arrived home from Religious School and the doorbell rang. Two of her friends were at the door asking if she could come over to play outside because the weather was amazing. The mom was there too (she's awesome). She said the dog would stay inside and the kids would be outside. I sent her with her medicine bag that was filled with benadryl and many Auvi-Qs. The wonderful mom already knew all about the Auvi-Q because there are allergies in her family. I reminded everyone that she is not allowed to eat anything and that she could come home if she got hungry. I watched her on her scooter as she went up the street without me and without looking back. She was so happy! She was gone for 3 1/2 hours. I 100% trusted the mom that she was with but it was still hard. When she came home she was smiling from ear to ear! She still has not stopped talking about what fun she had!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the awesome family that had her over. It means so very much to be able to give her a normal life.

Back from Disney

I have not posted in a while because I was enjoying a week in Disney! Yay!!!! I love Disney. Besides how they handle food allergies, Disney is just the best place. We had such a fun time.
Disney is top notch when it comes to food allergies. I wish that they would train other restaurants. At every meal they took extra special care of my daughter. It's so great to feel comfortable and a little relaxed. We ate at the following restaurants with ease.

1900 Park Fare-Located at the Grand Floridian and it's a buffet.We met Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Step sisters and Step Mother. Chef Laura made us feel comfortable and safe. My little one ate well and even got a Mickey Shaped brownie with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. She was able to have everything but the pizza and bread.

Pinochio's Village Haus-Located by It's a Small World in the Magic Kingdom. This is a quick service restaurant. The manager came out with a binder so that we could check all ingredients.

Crystal Palace- Located in the Magic Kingdom and it's a buffet. We met Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eyore and Piglet. The chef walked me around the buffet. She was able to have everything but the bread. Two desserts were safe, the bread pudding and apple cobbler. She didn't want either so I gave her cookies that I had with me.

Chef Mickey's- Located at the Contemporary hotel. It's a buffet, we went for breakfast. She could have everything and they even had safe donut holes. We met Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.

Bongos-Located in Downtown Disney. Great Food and she had ice cream for dessert.

San Angel Inn-Located in Epcot. Great food and she even had churros for dessert.

Capt. Cook's-Located at the Polynesian Hotel. We did a quick service Lunch here. The manager came out, took the order, and made the food herself.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Located at the Grand Floridian. She had great food and had chocolate pudding and some of my fondue.

The Commissary-Located at Hollywood Studios. We checked the book for ingredients. It is a tree nut and peanut free facility. She even got a huge cupcake and had some of my chocolate mousse.

Hollywood and Vine- Located at Hollywood Studios. It was a buffet. She ate well and had ice cream too.

Be Our Guest-Located at the Magic Kingdom. I can not rave about this restaurant enough. The atmosphere and food were top notch! Chef Jerry came to our table and treated her like a person. He made her grilled cheese and fries. He even handed her a bowl with bread that was just for her. He made sure that she had a fantastic, safe dessert too. He really went above and beyond. Chef Jerry even made ketchup just for her! We would eat there everyday if we could!

During the week she also snacked on ice cream and pretzels at different parks.

If we could live in Disney we would! Have you been? What has your experience been like?

And then the phone rang....

OK, yesterday was not a great day. I slept horribly the night before and I am not a good sleep deprived person. Anything that could go wrong did and then the phone rang. School was on the caller id.  I instantly sprouted some more gray hairs. My little one had a stomach ache,no fever. Phew! Is that all, I can handle that. Sad isn't it? I sometimes think the school must think that I don't care but as long as they say she's breathing I do the happy dance.......

Next topic-
She's very picky. She can't eat tree nuts or raw apples. I don't send peanut butter in for obvious reasons. Any thoughts on what to pack for lunch? Healthy, easy, more fruits and veggies. I'm open to any and all ideas.
Thanks!

Changes

I absolutely believe that we have no idea what life will bring us. It can change on a dime. If you had asked me twenty years ago, where I would be and what I would be doing when I was 42, I would have said, teaching in New Jersey. Easy. Well, not so much. I am a stay at home mom in NC. Never saw that coming! I also never would have said that I would have a child with a life threatening condition. That certainly wasn't in my plans. I also never would have said that I would chair a charity event for three years. Didn't see that coming either. If you know me, you know that I am an introvert so doing a charity event brought me way out of my comfort zone. Well, after three years I have made the decision to step down. Not for any reason in particular, I just know that it's time for me to step down. It has been a lot of hard work but it's been great fun too. I have learned a lot and I have met many amazing people that I can now call friends.
We shall see what comes next.......

Thank you!

I just saw that I have over 5000 page views! Thank you for reading, I'm honored.
I hope that 2014 brings health and happiness to your home.
Keep sharing the food allergy information, it's the best way to raise awareness!

Back to school and reality

Well, two weeks went by in about 5 minutes. Our break was filled with holiday celebrations, fun, and laziness. It was perfect! I won't lie, the quiet is nice. I didn't have to jump every time the phone rang because she was sitting right next to me. Now it's back to having the phone with me all of the time. It was so great to let my brain relax for two weeks, it needed it.
We dropped off two new epi pens as the old ones expired while over break.....
Cheers to a new year and good health!
Happy 2014 everyone and thanks for reading!

Big news! FAACT is here!

So, I was sitting around being lazy yesterday. It was great! I spent way too much time on social media, especially Facebook. Suddenly, something caught my eye! A new food allergy advocacy group had been announced. FAACT, The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team. What? Wait? What's going on? I was stunned to see this. I read more about it and I found that many names sounded really familiar. I mean this team is made up of many food allergy celebrities. Authors, advocates, chefs, doctors, the list is amazing. Their website is full of great information for newbies and veterans. I see great things for the future of food allergy advocacy! There is even going to be a conference in the south later this year, so excited for that! I am going to do everything that I can to be there!
I have such hope for 2014!

Check it out-
http://www.foodallergyawareness.org/