Thanksgiving morning!

Jumping back into time a bit further than usual.  First batch of carmel rolls with pecans in 6 years. 
They were heaven.  So Thankful, tree nuts are not an issue for THE MAN.  He does not eat them.  But so far, we are able to consume them and not cause an issue for him.  That was our goal for having him tested for individual nuts.  Make life a bit easier on the rest of us.  I sometimes need a quick protein snack and a handful nuts are just an easy go to snack.  Not something I typically due with a peanut allergic kid around....but having an option is always nice. 

I am soooo excited and this email is why!!!

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The ladies are every where!

There is a new favorite restaurant in town with my crew.

2 Brothers.

Hockey Player loves the buffet. 

Plates and plates of ribs, beef, pork, chicken

potatoes, maybe some veggies,

bread and salad.

Don't forget dessert.

Well all my carnivores love the buffet.

 

The Man, however, has a Ms. Stephanie wrapped around his finger and smile.

She knows about his food allergies.

She spoils him.

She gets him his dessert all special like so there is no cross contamination.

She makes sure the rest of the staff knows what to do if she is not there.

She talks to him. 

She chases him down in the parking lot to get a good bye.

This time, The Man, was shy.

She chatted with him about his day.

She colored with him.

We all chuckled at the other table watching the two of them.

 

 

and finally a smile!

 

 

His whole being captures the attention of all around.

Something I can't figure out.

But I love his smile. 

That is one thing I know!

The Man makes everything Fun!

We had our annual allergy check up for The Man.

He is the one with food allergies.

Not much else, just food.

What a bummer.

This year we were able to get orders for a break down of which nuts he has actually has an allergy.

We have always known peanut, but not any certainty of the tree nuts.

Those of you out there wanting to shout out cross contamination!

The clarification is mostly for the wellness and needs of the rest of the family.

We need to know which nuts we can bring into the home and still

provide him with a safe and nut free kitchen.

It is easier to keep a handle on blood sugar with a handful of nuts

here and there throughout the day. 

Less cooking, fewer dishes and it is really quick.

With that clarification, the doc agreed.

He tested "negative for tree nuts"

There were "negligible numbers" for almonds and hazel nuts.

Numbers so low they are considered a negative.

We will err on the conservative side and avoid.

During his visit Doc told The Man to blow out.

Doc couldn't help but chuckle.

The Man gave it all he had with his mounth open wide to inhale....

 

 

and his mouth open wide to exhale....

 

 

Got the job done.  But there was quite the animation in his whole being.

Just like The Man!

How to get your 6 year old to take medicine

The Man started running a fever. 

Thrashing and coughing and sooo uncomfortable.

He didn't sleep well.

(Let's just assume I wrote MOM didn't sleep well.)

His throat hurts.

His head hurts.

His body hurts.

He is HOT!

My first thought is strep.

School is back in session and that is what happens.

Doesn't seem to matter we HOME School.

We still get what the public school kids get.

Haven't figured that one out.

The docs haven't either.

So we take the first appointment, cause I am tired.

AND he is dramatic and we need relief.

He has some contagion I have never heard of before.

Antibiotics are prescribed.

We get the said antibiotics.

He digs his toes into his blankets and sets his lips.

I have had that kind of medicine.

I don't like it.

BUT IT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER. 

(I don't add, if you are better, I am happy---

cause you aren't so whining and grumpy. )

PLLLLLLEAAAAASE take the medicine.

NO!

I will let you wash it down with some of this...

Nope.

We call Daddy out of desperation. 

He will stop here

and get you whatever you want.

"I don't care what you get"

He must be sick.

Still not getting anywhere.

Siblings are suggesting candy, slushes, pop, treats.

Everyone wants him better.

NO ONE wants his contagion.

NOPE.

Then I offer to buy everyone lunch from

It works.  He will try.

But he has held out so long, that he gets to chug some...

and he gets not one treat but two from

A slush and apple pie.

I take Fun Girl to work and stop for lunch at

And I sit on the couch and read these little lines on the bottom.

AND I YELLLL

STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

PEANUTS!

DON'T

EAT

YOUR

LUNCH

THE 3 NOT SICK KIDS COME RUNNING!

Good Golly Molly!

I had no idea restaurants still fried in peanut oil.

Fortunately, THE MAN had gone to use the restroom.

He had yet to touch his food.

And I kept thanking the Lord.

The only thing worse than being sick:

 sick and getting anaphylaxsis

And the shot from one of these

His response,

That's okay mom, I like

Translation: I was going back out and getting him a Happy Meal which was also

HAPPY TUMMY.

HAPPY TUMMY is the label we put on food that is food allergy safe.

It is food that will not make The Man sick.

Therefore he has a Happy Tummy.

Something we started back when he was one and we first discovered food allergies in our home.

AND THAT is how you get a 6 year old to take his medicine.

Who knows what it will take tomorrow!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Please read my disclosure here.

Pizza Doctor

Our first night in Wisconsin we went to Pizza Doctor.  Not your typical pizza place.  It has been featured on the food network.  Nothing could of prepared me for this place.   Dara tried.  She told me they had Skittle Pizza.  They had Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza.  Still did not prepare me for our trip.   

I did call ahead and check on the food allergy issue.  They told me there was no way we should let The Man eat there.  I asked and got permission to bring in a small pizza from elsewhere for him.  They provided him a clean plate to eat off and even warmed his pizza up for him in a clean microwave.  All of that was enough to get them a thumbs ups.  I love places that will work around food allergies and make dining a fun family affair.  We did get some looks, but hey that is okay.  We had fun and my boy didn't feel left out. 

Here's his dinner. Well at least half of what is left when I thought to take a picture. 

While he was munching happily on his cheese pizza., the rest of us were being fed more than we could imagine.  This isn't your normal buffet.  As pizza comes out of the oven, the wait staff plays host/hostess like you have never seen.  Each person in the restaurant is invited to sample the new pizza as it comes out of the oven.  Which means before you can finish one slice, they are back with more.  There is a system to survive their hospitality.  I definitely did not catch on to this too quick.  You take a bite or two, if it isn't a favorite, eat no more.  I got the giggles and was sooo full by the time the "dessert" pizzas came around.  I could fathom eating any more and they just kept coming around.  We were trying to pack up and leave and they kept offering us more.  The kids caught on real quick.  One or two bites of the "good for you" pizza.  They had lots of room for finishing off the dessert pizza slices.....

Some kind of chocolaty pizza with sprinkles

 Skittles + marshmallows

1/2 skittle ~ 1/2 Oreo

Reese's Peanut Butter pieces + Peanut Butter + Choc Chips
M and M's + Peanut Butter

This is what was left when we finally were able to slip out.

 The Man ate almost his whole pizza! 

 I don't think he has ever eaten that much pizza before in one sitting.

 Check out the salad in the upper right had corner.
Fun Girl discovered the dessert pizzas and forgot all about her salad.

Once home, I showed Big O Daddy O our trip pictures.  I had only showed him 2 from Pizza Doctor and he started to go into shock.  Carbs, Sugar, Blood Sugar Nightmares were all he could think of while looking at the pictures.  I was laughing over all the choices.  

Spaghetti, Macaroni and Cheese
Cheeseburger
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Seafood
When we got to the dessert pizzas he thought I had really lost my mind.  Couldn't believe I actually let the children eat all of it.  

Guess I am cooler than him as a parent.  

Ha Ha 

When I got to this picture of The Man later in the night,

he wasn't surprised. 

"Drop in blood sugar," he said.

I think it was just a really fun day!

SunButter ! ! ! YUMMY!!

On our drive home from Colorado Springs we stopped in Colby at the Kansas Country Store. 
Everyone was in need of some time to stretch their legs and take advantage of the facilities.
The folks there were wonderful and hospitable.  They overheard me tell Flutter Nutter to not go touching all the food stuff since they had nuts and such and offered us samples of SunButter.  Oh my goodness!!  It was so yummy.  It made my mouth do the happy dance it only gets to do when Flutter Nutter is not around and I have a chance to eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  Sooo happy !!
The other children were overjoyed at the possibility of cookies and sandwiches. 
No nuts,  no cross contamination! 
Yummy !!!
Happy Mouths and Happy Tummies !!! 
Now I am doubly excited, cause the first thing I had to do was check Amazon and see if they offered it online. 
They do!! 
Our lives are forever changed for the better!

Couponing Thrill sure can make a rough day better!

I haven't been to Walgreens much since they dropped the Easy Saver Rebate program.
It doesn't help that the Walgreens that works into my regular route, the people are really grouchy and dislike coupons. I just dread going in there. I do try my best to smile and be cheerful, but it is a real downer and decreases the thrill of a deal when you have to work with people who are not pleased to see the stack of coupons.

But in spite of all that I did dare to venture to Walgreens. I needed a prescription 2 days ago and well, it was time to just get it done. I didn't take a picture. I would have had chaos on my hand. My kiddos would have seen all the goodies and begged, pleaded and bugged me for the next couple of days for the treats I bought. But I will do a quick a run down.

I spent out of pocket $94.57! I stocked up on a bunch of allergy medicine and pain reliever, which means I get reimbursed by flexible spending account. That total is $64.92. So in all I spent $30.65.
First I picked up my waiting prescription (more on that later) and the Walgreens coloring book. Lots of good children's products coupons in there. Best part you don't have to surrender these coupons when making the purchase. They are Walgreen's coupons so you can hold onto them till they expire. You can pair them up with manufacturer coupons and sales for some pretty awesome deals. (Right now that includes the children's Listerine rinses and Benadryl).

Like I said I stocked up on allergy medicine.
I have to keep Benadryl on hand in multiple places for my food allergic child.
My daughter will be switching to Zyrtec later when she finishes up the other stuff she has. So that will make two of us taking Zyrtec. Gotta stock up when there are deals. This time around I got $7 Register Rewards for each purchase. Woohoo! Plus I had a Manufacturer Coupon for $4 off. I like to go to this website to look for medicine coupons. There I found $2 off of Zyrtec as well.
I also stocked up on the Tylenol buy one get one free. Paired up with coupons, a good deal there.
I also did the kids Listerine deal. I had a buy one get one free Q plus after the fact I got RR as well.
Dental floss was on sale and if you used the in-ad coupon to make it 99 cents and paired that up with Manufacturer coupon even better. Buy 3 and you get a Register Reward as well.
I gobbled up some of the Rimmel makeup with my coupons from All You magazine. I am finding makeup, nail polish and the like make really good "tween"/early teenager gifts. With Fun Mom being 13 as well as her friends, they are all experimenting with makeup goodies. So when I get them for free or almost free, I get really excited.
I stocked up on the scotch tape deal. Christmas is just around the corner. My kids like to wrap presents and tape is used up real quick. So this was a great time to stock up.
I also snagged a bunch of the scotch envelopes. They are great for various mailings, but I also use them sometimes for stuff I sale on ebay, so this helps keep my shipping costs down.
I also am trying to make good of the Goody Ouchless hair products. These are great for Operation Christmas Child, Christmas stockings and birthday gift fillers. Also helps to replace what my hubby vaccuums up, as he won't pick them up when the girls (rolling my eyes) "unknowningly" drop them on the floor.
I also snagged a bunch of Orbit gum and misc. candy that was clearanced. About now I start thinking ahead to Christmas stockings. Cause the kids behaved while I was gone and showered as well, I grabbed some sweets for my sweets to say thank you. All bought with register rewards. I also picked up a few goodies for Fun Mom's friends, who have birthdays lined up between now and eternity.
So that is what I got for $30.65 after all the coupons and register rewards I spent and my flexible spending account.
What I also didn't mention is I bounce my prescriptions around to whoever is offering the best deal if you transfer your scipt. So I did that this week with Walgreens and they gave me a $25 check to spend in the store. So if I add that into my savings that total is $173.72.
Best part is I still have $11.00 in Register Rewards to spend!!

Ah the thrill. Sure turns a bumpy evening into a little happier place of mind. The day went well, but on Thursdays it seems I have two that must fall apart for 2 hours in the evening. It drives my NUTS! At the end of the two hours they are fine.

Thumbs Up for Eggs!

Flutter Nutter has added eggs to his diet with no problem.
Fun Mom chatters at me tonight while I work and she makes pizza for diner,
"so much easier to fix food now."
"No nuts is no big deal."
"He can have real Oreos now, too!"
Guess what is going on the shopping list.
But she is right. It is great, only to have the nut allergy now.
Flutter Nutter made a comment yesterday at the table and he was irked about his peanut allergy. I suggested we start praying for him to be healed from his nut allergy and he calmed down a bit. He looooooves chocolate. The one food he would get into during his "avoidance" years. Benadryl would come out. I would ask him, "was it worth it?" His answer was always a resounding, "Yes!" So to have some chocolate be okay and other chocolate not happy tummy, really bugs this guy.

Oh the tears!

Oh the disappointment !
When you are 3 and have spent the last 2 years with food allergies.
The doc says to start trying foods he couldn't have.
Mom makes Brownies.
But first there is dinner at McDonalds to experience the joy of McD's french fries !
Then there is dessert.
Everyone gets a piece.
When all done, everyone scatters to do their thing.
When you are 3 you climb on the counter.
You get a plate.
You get more brownie.
You aren't too smart.
You bring the plate downstairs.
Mom takes one look, takes plate and heads upstairs.
There is alot of brownie on the plate.
Mom looks at the plan.
Flutter Nutter has scooped out half the pan and put it on his plate.
The cries and sobs escalate as he is twarted.
Then silence, he has somehow found lollies. 2 of them.
Mom here's ha ha ha, I have lolli.

This all after Flutter Nutter demostrates his ability to climb over the gate railing to the stairs to get downstairs to the big kids board game! AIY! (the gate is one we had built to match the stair railing is not something easy to scale.) OIY, I guess the baby stage is over and we are into the challenging preschool years.

Thumbs up for Milk!

So Flutter Nutter has done okay with milk. Even though we wanted to wait a week, that didn't happen. The olders were just too excited and he just had to try.
This week is milk!
Fun Mom is frustrated cause Flutter Nutter can never make up his mind about what he wants to eat. A bite of this, a bite of that. Can't finish anything, cause it is all just so yummy and he wants to eat it all even though his little tummy is not big enough.

Not one but TWO in one day!

D got to go to the doctor twice today!
Isn't he a lucky boy.
Really not so bad.
Dr. Scott is a favorite of ours.
3 weeks ago we had D's blood drawn.
Today was his annual appointment and we got the test results....
Big Drum Roll here..


His peanut allergy levels went up and we received the instructions "STAY AWAY from them"
Nothing new
His milk and egg went way down ! !
They are in the borderline and low positive range.
Which indicates he is outgrowing them.
We are now allowed to do food trials.
Big sis treated him to some chocolate, minus the processed in a facility with nuts.
He played outside.
Had fresh corn on the cob with real butter/margarine (not the soy only stuff).
Doing first aid on his toey and looked at his face..
covered in dots !! (hives...they were in early stage, they looked like thirty little mosquito bites.)
Gave the benadryl, spots went away.
We are going to wait about two weeks to start food trials.
Let his foot heal, get him off the antibiotics for his foot.
Maybe do the food trials in doctor's office. We have that option.
They can only do one food trial at a time and a week apart.
Doc did say he might end up being lactose intolerant. So we will be praying that is not the case.

For now we are all praising the Lord for healing his body this far.
Dear oldest daughter gave me the what for, for forgetting to thank God again during our evening meal prayers. She is very excited and can't wait to shower him with all the yummies he has been missing out on.