Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Peanut Recall

Big J and I were talking over dinner this evening about how the current peanut scare is non-issue for us, and how funny it seems that we could totally disregard such a far-reaching product recall and still be 'safe' (since we would never have such products in our home anyway). For those who do not already avoid peanuts and products that contain (or may contain, or are made on equipment that also processes, or made in a facility that also processes items containing) peanuts, perhaps this is a peek into the life of someone who is allergic to peanuts. In our case, our family avoids peanuts and peanut products to ensure Miss M's safety. For those who can't find their favorite cookie, candy, granola bar, frozen dessert, meats, or even dog treats, you are unfortunately getting a taste of what PA (peanut-allergic) folks experience every day. You aren't making a conscious choice to avoid those items, they just aren't on the shelf in your grocery store right now. We aren't making a choice to avoid those items, either. It's not a choice for us; it's a requirement.

I feel little on a soapbox, which is certainly not my intent. My desire is simply to share an observation - unusual as it may be.

Update 1/30/09: I'm not the only one who thought about it from this perspective.

Mealtime persuasion

As I was making quesadillas for lunch today, I was reminded of a couple of times I've been able to persuade Mister J to eat foods he wasn't so sure about.

Mister J used to eat just about anything, and still has some favorites that raise eyebrows among other parents we know. Hummus, for example. Salsa, even if it's a bit spicy. Cucumbers and carrots - dipped in the hummus or not. Edamame.

There are also a few things he doesn't really care for, and even we don't understand. Corn - just doesn't excite him at mealtime. Guacamole - he used to eat it, but doesn't anymore. Oranges - will only eat the mandarins that come out of a can, not the 'real' thing.

Last spring/summer, our Costco had beautiful blueberries - Miss M would eat a bowlful, Mister J wouldn't touch them. Was it wrong of me to tell him that eating them would keep his eyes blue? It got him to try them, and now he loves them! (Check out this and this for evidence of my success.) Now, every time we go to Costco, Mister J asks if we can get some blueberries - and most of the time we do.

Getting him excited about refried beans was just as sneaky, but I'm not as likely to get busted for this like I will when he finds out the blueberries don't really make his eyes blue. I've already mentioned that he likes hummus. Not too long ago, on another day when I was making quesadillas for lunch, I explained to Mister J that refried beans were very much like hummus - both are made from beans. He was willing to give it a try, and now likes to help me spread the beans on the tortillas when we make quesadillas.

I wonder if these 'lessons' will become one of those things that he says he'll never do when he's a parent, but ends up doing anyway. Oh, yes - I've had to eat my words. Even some unspoken ones. Haven't we all?

Sick Day

3/4 of the family is sick today. It's the second day in a row that Mister J has asked to stay home from school (he loves school, so I know he's not feeling well). Add to that the day school was closed, and he might make it to school one day this week. Miss M is so tired of tissues that she cries at the sight of them and is now using her blanket to wipe her nose. Ick. But it's much softer than tissues, and we have hot water for washing it, so I'm letting her do it. Did I mention that I'm the other sick person in the family? If I felt up to it, I might contest the use of blanket-as-tissue alternative. We are kicking back with snacks, movies, and other sick day treats - since being sick is no treat at all. Big J is working from home today - he's sequestered in the office to (hopefully) avoid getting what the rest of us have.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Miss M Grows Up

She can show you how old she is on her fingers now!
She knows her first and middle names (we call her by a nickname)!
And there's something else she did yesterday that was cool, but I can't remember now*. I'll update this post when I remember.
Have I mentioned how well she can stay in the lines when she colors? She's very intentional about it - when she wants to be :)

*...because Mister J and I are sick. He asked to skip preschool today, which is not a good sign. It's also cold and rainy out, which doesn't help - except to be sure we stay inside cuddled on the couch watching movies. He fell asleep at 6pm.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Pancakes

I should have taken pictures, but the house (as usual) is a mess. The kids are out of school today, so we made pancakes this morning. The kids wanted blueberry, and I wanted to try a new recipe for sweet potato pancakes, so we made both. They were yummy - both kinds. The kids ate more than I thought they would, which is just fine by me. Miss M didn't like the sweet potato pancakes (no surprise) and Mister J did (again, no surprise).

The kids were great helpers - pouring and stirring and then getting seated while Mommy cooked. It didn't take too much extra patience on my part - I'm trying to relax and let them participate more, and I guess I'm getting better. It was actually fun. Now back to real life - cleaning up the kitchen, emailing everyone I owe a reply to, and washing some laundry (well, maybe not the laundry....).

Saturday, January 24, 2009

More on 'Rock' Obama

My kids continue to surprise me with their attention to all things Presidential. This evening, we were watching HBO's We Are One (thank goodness for the DVR, but I also just discovered you can watch it online). As it started, Miss M noticed 'Rock' Obama and got very excited. She and I enjoyed the show quite a lot - she was dancing to the music! Towards the end of the program, when Beyonce was singing, Miss M said, "That's 'Rock' Obama's friend!" Mister J objected, and I asked him why he thought that way. His reply? "Michelle is Barack Obama's friend." Well, alrighty! I explained that Mrs. Obama is President Obama's wife like I am Mr. J's (Daddy's) wife, and that President Obama can also have friends. Every day I find myself having these kinds of conversations that require somewhat detailed explanations. They catch on so fast that pretty soon, the kids are going to be doing the explaining to me!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Thanks!

Thanks, everyone, for all of the prayers! Check out the latest news on my Dad's blog!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Perfect Jellybean

I have discovered the perfect jellybean - and perhaps the perfect candy company. If you've been reading for a while, you know that Miss M has food allergies, which make it particularly difficult to have commercially-prepared cookies, candy, and baked goods in the house.

She and I went shopping today with one very important item on the list - jellybeans. In our home, they are used as a special treat. We ran out of jellybeans a couple of days ago, and right now we are using them for a little potty training encouragement, so they were, in fact, a very important item on our shopping list.

I find several of my preferred nut-free items at Wal-Mart. I didn't know if I would find 'safe' candy on the shelves today, and I didn't look forward to a 2.5-year-old getting upset about leaving the jellybeans behind if they were not nut-free (she's not old enough to understand yet), but I had to give it a try. I picked up a package of jellybeans fully intending to set it right back on the self, but instead I saw this:


Gimbal's Fine Candies
hit the ball out of the park with this one! Wow! Not only can we give these to Miss M withouut worrying, but she can even take these to school. There are two other children with allergies in her classroom, and these will be safe for them, too! Yay!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Snow Fun!

It's been chilly here lately, and Mister J has been asking for hot chocolate. Then, it snowed today. I've got pictures of both for you (perhaps I'm getting back into my bloggy groove!).



Mister J had been asking for a few days, and last night he was thrilled that I actually said, "Sure, let's do it!" when he asked to make hot chocolate. We made the real thing, and I let him help me stir the milk as it warmed up.



Miss M enjoyed her mug of chocolate-y goodness, as well! Many of you know that it's hard to get a smile out of her on cue!



Although I wasn't thrilled with the snow day, Mister J was very excited to see the snow on the ground. Miss M was not openly impressed with the snow, but stayed outside almost as long as Mister J. We took a short walk in the neighborhood to see the family making snow a few houses away. As you can see, we didn't get much snow. It was melting by the time we got outside, but the kids enjoyed it anyway.

Is that okay?

Well, the snow won out and we are home today, but the up side is that I get to watch CNN all day! I thought the kids might be a little disappointed that there will be no NOGGIN today, until Miss M made me realize that might not be 100% true. When we came downstairs, CNN was running a clip about their inauguration coverage. The volume was turned low since I'd been the only one awake for about an hour. The image of our President-elect flashed on the screen, and Miss M said:

"Look, it's 'Rock' Obama!"

Now, I know that Mister J's preschool class talked about the election and the President-elect in November. I'm not surprised that he has some understanding of what we are watching on TV. But Miss M? My 2 1/2 year old? I made her say it about 4 times. Perhaps the last two days of almost-all-day CNN have made an impression....

Monday, January 19, 2009

sNOw

Snow, snow, get outta here -
Come again another year!

Everyone I see on Facebook this evening is hoping for snow. We've already had a three-day weekend and frankly, I am looking forward to preschool tomorrow. I made plans to visit with a friend, I have a few errands to run, and I have a grocery list. All of those things are made easier when there aren't two little ones in tow. In fact, if there's no preschool I won't get to visit with my friend. We will have to reschedule and, as busy as we are, it'll be about a month before we can make it happen again. Also, since I didn't get a 'pre-potential-snow-day' shopping run in today, I need to go to the grocery store. We're down to milk, bread, and a bunch of things that don't really go together and make a meal.

Please let my town be the one that misses the snow, and please let the schools NOT be closed on account of a 'close-but-not-quite' snow day!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Read This

Well, actually, read this. It's awesome, and describes how many of us Mommies spend our days. Thanks to Kathryn at Daring Young Mom for daring to share with all of us!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Bloggy Break

Hello again! It's me! Remember? I've taken a much longer bloggy break than I ever intended - but I wanted to let you know that I'm back! My laptop has been revived thanks to Big J, and I have some new stuff to blog about. Check out the newest addition to my bloggy lineup - Tin Grin ... Again. This new blog is my personal journal about my experience as a second-time wearer of braces - comparing my experience to the first time I had them, marking my progress, and counting down to my second time wearing retainers. I hope you'll pop in over there on occasion - be sure to leave me a note!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Overheard ,,, #11

Questions asked by my 5-year-old in recent days:

"What's 'slight bone loss'?" (Thanks, WALL-E movie and, more specifically, the computer on the bridge of the Axiom!)

"Why are plants green?" (also related to WALL-E....)