Be Nice to Mama

I Wanna Be a Snowmama

The other day I submitted an application to be a Snow Mama in Park City, Utah. What is a Snow Mama,  you might ask? Well, it's a mama who likes to ski, snowboard and do other fun things with her kids and talk about it with other parents. It's essentially a parent Ambassador or go-to person for other parents who are thinking about traveling. We all know that traveling with kids, especially small ones, can be stressful, so I think this is a great way for the resort to reach out to parents who are thinking of paying a visit to some of the most beautiful mountains in the US.

Will and I have lots of great childhood memories of going skiing with our families and it was really important to pass this tradition and love on to our boys. Liam got his first pair of used skis and boots last year at a Labor Day sale in Sun Valley, Idaho. He tried a bunny hill in the Poconos last year and lasted about 5 minutes. We're hoping now that the's 3, he'll be a little more eager and daring.

We'll see how it goes. Here's the video I made. Hope you like it and wish me luck!

 

First Day of Work

 

Tomorrow is my first day back to work in a very long time -- about a year and a half to be exact. Since then I have spent my days as a stay at home mama for my two boys. I am excited to get back into my professional life. I have been looking forward to this for a long time, but just now that I have put the kids to bed tonight and my mind is beginning to slow down from the day, I feel the butterflies in my stomach descending. And I feel the melancholy moving in--just like I felt when I first went back to work after Liam was born.

Wordless Wednesday: Corndogs and Cowboys

 

Food Allergies

UPDATE: I called up the director of the preschool to confirm these food allergies to dairy, soy, egg, peanuts and tree nuts. As it turns out, Luke's teacher misunderstood "the memo" and the only restrictions we really have to make are peanut and eggs. The child has an allergy to the others, but the reaction is very minor. Phew. So, basically, I made a really big deal out of nothing. Thanks for listening. At least I'm a little more educated about food allergies now. Thanks to all of you who left such thoughtful and informative comments. L

Last night we took our kiddos to their Back to School Night to see classrooms & meet new teachers and new classmates. It was very cute and everyone was very nice. I will be able to rest easily at night knowing they're in a good place with good teachers.

While talking with one of the teachers, she asked me if I'd heard about the new dietary restrictions in her classroom -- this happens to be Luke's classroom. She went on to tell me that peanuts, all tree nuts, eggs, soy and all dairy are prohibited from the classroom.

My first reaction was, WHAT?!  What the heck is my kid going to eat and drink at school? His regular diet consists of staples like milk, yogurt, peanut butter, tofu, edemame, and various soy products. Of course fruits and vegetables too.

I get it. I'm a nurse, and I should be 100% sympathetic because I know there are some serious, dangerous health consequences associated with food allergies. And I know that the more a child is exposed to an allergen, the more serious their reaction can be. But if there is truly a kid out there that has a violent reaction to all of the food sources I just mentioned, I can't even imagine how paranoid the parents must feel when their child leaves their sight. I am really fortunate to have two healthy boys with no apparent allergies, and I understand the need to take precautions, but I just wonder if this is going a bit too far. I don't know the whole story, so I shouldn't really comment. And it's none of my business what their medical records say (although I wish I could take a look at them), or who their doctor is. I should follow the rules without question. But these restrictions are pretty limiting, and it's sort of a lot to ask of another parent, especially when alternative food sources tend to be more expensive and less readily available.

Also, the kid is going to be spending 3 8-hr days at school each week. That's 24 hrs of his life (minus nap-time) every week that he can't have any dairy, which, we know is important for brain and bone development.

To be honest, it's just going to be a challenge (and sort of a pain) to pack lunch for the guy. It seems that a lunch of chicken, carrot sticks with hummus and some blueberries falls in line with the guidelines. I guess I could throw in some crackers and sun butter, as well.

So, I'm calling out to all of you creative minds out there if you can give me some food suggestions, or direct me to some helpful websites. I'm hoping daycare will give us a list of acceptable food items, but until then I'd love your help. And if you are a parent with kids who have food allergies, I would love your suggestions and any input you might have about the issue.

And I do apologize if I've been offensive or insensitive during this post. Life is challenging enough with two little ones, and my superficial self just sees this as one more thing to think about.

Here are a couple of websites I've found so far...

Kids With Food Allergies

The Food Allergy And Anaphylaxis Network

Wordless Wednesday: Look At These Curls

 

Update From the Cornfields

  
For those of you who have been waiting for the next Be Nice to Mama post, I didn't want you to think my family and I had been swallowed up by a massive combine in one of the cornfields nearby. I have been blog-negligent. Apologies.

The house is pretty much un-packed and we are ready to roll for the school year. By the way, we live on a boarding school campus now. In about a month, the grounds will be swarming with teenagers.

Wordless Wednesday - Cape Cod Wedding

Army of Women: Breast Cancer Research Needs You

While living in DC, I recently met some volunteers from an awesome organization called Army of Women. It is a collaboration between Avon and the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. This non-profit focuses on recruiting women to participate in breast cancer research, taking a grass roots approach. They are looking for women of all types who might be willing to participate in trials around the country: women with breast cancer, women in remission, and those of us who have never had cancer but want to find a cure for our family, friends, patients, teachers, and all of the other strong women out there who've had to endure the disease.

The Perfect Solution for a Snotty Nose

  
   

We have another cute snotty-nosed kid on our hands these days. My littlest guy has two green fountains streaming out of each nostril. I'm blaming it on the air-conditioning.

Wordless Wednesday: Shit My Kids Ruined

I'm sure most of you have seen the site Shit My Kids Ruined. It's a collection of hilarious photos that (mostly) parents have sent in to a blog, showing the massive destructive forces of their children. On a whim, The Husband sent one if of our older guy and back in May they posted it. We just recently discovered it.

(Since it's a picture I'm going to categorize this post with Wordless Wednesday -- eventhough there is a lot of verbage.)