5 Updates and EMeals

1. Remember when I said that I hoped Kara would continue loving school for a few more years? She didn't. She didn't even last for a few more months.

2. But, on a positive note, Jack hasn't had any more aggression issues. I can send him to a friend's house (almost) without fear. He has clipped up every day this year (2016) on his behavior chart at school. What a relief!

3. Also, about Jack. Remember that huge ER visit just two week ago? Well, I took him to a birthday party this weekend and forgot his Epipen!?!?! Fortunately, nothing bad came of it, but still.  Sheesh!

4. Last blog I said we rescheduled Kara's Pump it Up party. Well, we did, but then we decided it didn't make sense to have a birthday party a month after your birthday. So, we let her choose something else she wanted to do and she said Dutch Wonderland and Hershey Park. So, hopefully we can make that happen this Spring, which will still be way after her birthday, but there won't be cake or singing involved.

5. The Job. I think I already mentioned this, but I did not get the job. I don't know why or if I was even seriously considered. The interviewer said she would call regardless, but she didn't. I suppose I could call her, but what would I say? Why didn't you hire me? Should I apply to any vacancies in the future? So, they never called me, I never called them and at home I stay. I am moderately content. I still think I would prefer to work and I feel frustrated that after 7 years of college and almost 10 as a military attorney I'm not really qualified to do much. I also haven't lost any weight.

Random note: recently I signed up for e-meals. For $48 a year, I get healthy dinner menus with shopping lists e-mailed to me weekly. Best money I ever spent! We have loved almost everything we've tried. You get 7 dinner recipes a week and I usually make the 6 that sound the best, which leaves a night for leftovers. One of my favorites was a taco recipe that sounded so strange I wasn't even going to try it (greek yogurt, no cheese, etc.). But, since we are committed to trying new things, I made it and it was unbelievable! One of the best things I've ever tasted. Almost every night, Thomas comments on how glad he is for all the new stuff we are trying. We rate everything on a 1-5 scale and the lowest we've given anything is 3. Last night, we had "italian tuna melts." I thought it was just okay (a 3 in my opinion, as much for ease of preparedness as taste), but Anna couldn't get enough. She said she was going to have to remember this one as a potential birthday meal! Anyway, it has been fun to try all these new recipes and have my shopping lists made and organized for me.

Kara Turns 7

On February 12th, Kara turned 7. Valentine's Day was on a Sunday this year, so the class celebrated on the Friday before, the 12th. It was the first day in months that I didn't have to wake anyone up for school. They were all so excited! Kara combined her birthday outfit with her Valentine outfit to create this awesome combo:

As tradition dictates, Luke and I went and had lunch with Kara. He is becoming much more social. He kept walking in circles around Kara's table, stopping to "talk" to each girl. No one had any idea what he was saying, but he was content with their smiles and nods. We also had lunch with Jack and Anna, but their table is much smaller (peanut free table). Anna doesn't have to sit there, but she will join Jack sometimes and always on the days when Thomas or I visit.

Very earnestly explaining something to Kara's friends.

The kids had their class parties and came home on a sugar overload. Kara had gymnastics that night and wanted to save her birthday dinner for when the Darrows could join us. So, we did homemade pizza and had ice cream sundaes. We gave her a gift from us (Shopkins) and Anna and Jack gave her their present as well (the Calico Critters doctor's office).

Saturday, we had planned on going to Mount Vernon, but it was cold! The wind chill was in the single digits, so we ended up going to the library and then Ollie's for some baseball supplies. It wasn't the fun day we had planned, but it was still nice. Kara had a friend over to play and seemed okay to miss out on Mount Vernon.

Sunday was Valentine's Day. The kids each awoke to a small gift from Thomas and me. They were thrilled! Thomas and I don't typically exchange gifts on Valentine's Day, but I was excited to see that he left a surprise for me as well. A box of chocolates, a gossip magazine (one of my guilty pleasures, but I won't generally waste the money on them) and a cute stuffed panda, since I had loved Bei Bei so much. It was very sweet and unexpected. Unfortunately, I had nothing for him.

I spent the morning working on Kara's cake, which did not look at all like I had planned. I really wanted to try my hand at fondant, but it just wasn't working for me. So, I just put more and more candy on it until I thought Kara would like it. We made her requested birthday dinner of lasagna. As usual, the girls wanted to help make the dinner and did a great job at layering the meal. They were also happy to finally use their aprons from Grandma Marta.

The Darrows joined us for Kara's birthday meal and we had a nice visit. I can't believe we have kept up our monthly dinner tradition for over 4 years now, but we have and I am so glad!

I think Anna was afraid the smoke detector was going to go off.

Monday was supposed to be Kara's party at Pump it Up. The forecast was for a dusting of snow on Sunday night and 1-3 inches on Monday. We awoke to 6 inches of snow with no end in sight! Pump it Up called and said they were closed and we were forced to reschedule for March 12th, which was the first Saturday with an afternoon slot available. Kara was extremely disappointed. We had warned her that the postponement was a possibility after seeing the forecast, but she was still very upset. I tried to cheer her up with waffles and the promise of a special day, but she was not ready for any consolation. She rejected all our offers of fun snow day activities and chose to spend about an hour sulking. Finally, she decided she was ready to live again and asked to take me up on my offer of a fun day.

We sent out a message inviting all her neighborhood friends over for cupcakes, which I quickly baked. I scoured the house for juice boxes and found those along with a bag of pretzels. Thomas shoveled the sidewalk and driveway and the "party" was formed. Everyone showed up at 10:30, a few even brought her gifts. They played, sang happy birthday, ate the cupcakes and opened presents. I think we ended up having 16 kids here (counting my 4). Kara had a blast and loved it!

A little Karaoke

A bit of food

And some presents, what more could a girl want?

She spent the afternoon playing with her presents, then went outside with Thomas to enjoy the snow. They built the biggest snowman I had ever seen! It was taller than Thomas, who is 6'2". We let them have some extra electronics time to end the day and Kara proclaimed it was one of her best birthdays ever. I think it is the birthday that never ends. She had her actual day with ice cream, singing and presents. Then, her birthday dinner with the Darrows, which included more singing and cake. Then, her pseudo party with the neighborhood kids, still more cupcakes and singing. We also promised we would take her to Mount Vernon this weekend. It's good to be 7!

Anaphylaxis and the ER

Yesterday, Jack and Anna had a (much-belated) well-doctor visit.  I picked them up early from school and took them to their pediatrician in Prince Frederick. While many parents have given up well-visits by this point, they are a necessity for Jack. His doctor won't fill out his allergy paperwork for school if he hasn't seen him in the past year for a check-up. And, since I have to take Jack, I might as well take Anna. While there, we had our usual discussion about carrying his epi-pen. The visit went fine and we headed home.

Once we arrived, I was talking to the babysitter (Summer) and Jack held up a snack from a bag of treats given to us by a neighbor. I looked over and granted him permission to have it. About 60 seconds later, he remarked that his throat felt funny. Summer asked him what he was eating and it clicked for me that I had given him permission to eat a Nutty Buddy! We are not a peanut free house, but we are very peanut careful. I hand-wash anything that has touched peanut butter and then put it in the dishwasher. Kara eats peanut butter and jelly for lunch everyday and we use separate containers for her sandwiches and we always make them on paper towels completely separately from where Jack's are made. If we happen to make a treat with peanut butter, we immediately tell Jack. He is also very cautious. But, this one escaped my attention. I didn't buy it and I just wasn't thinking about his allergy when he asked if he could have it. It wasn't in a box, so the name wasn't immediately available to remind me. Jack didn't taste the peanut butter, so he ate more than half before he started feeling funny. Everything about it was just a bit outside of the norm for our normally careful procedures. Also, if I am being honest, I have gotten a bit lax. I don't always remember to carry his epi-pen. After all, he hasn't had a reaction in years. So, it just wasn't in the forefront for me like it should have been.

Delicious, yet potentially deadly.

I immediately gave him Benadryl. I didn't want to give him the shot if I could avoid it, but I was also nervous since he was talking about his throat. I called Thomas to tell him what happened and he suggested I give him the shot regardless. I did a quick internet search and saw an article about a girl who died in California after her physician father did everything according to protocol. The point of the article was there is no harm in giving the epi-pen and the sooner it is received the better, even if there are no symptoms. Of course, Jack had a very severe, immediate symptom, so I quickly gave him the shot. No more than 10 minutes had passed, but I was feeling extremely anxious that I had allowed even that much time to pass. I called his doctor to see if I could monitor him at home and the nurse delivered a message to hang up and call 911 immediately.

I shot a quick text to my neighbors to see if anybody could come over immediately to take care of Luke. One quickly responded (Amanda H.) that she was on her way. So, I put Jack in the car and pulled out as she pulled in. Luke was sleeping and I didn't want to take the time to wake him and get him ready to go. Another neighbor made sure Kara made it home from the bus stop. A third reported that she had been praying for Jack since seeing my text. All were concerned and I appreciated their thoughts and prayers. I called Thomas to tell him what was happening and he left work. He wanted to meet me at the hospital, but we decided it made more sense for him to go home to watch the other kids.

In the meantime, Jack was reporting that his throat still felt weird and his stomach was now hurting. I ran the only light (a red arrow) to get to the hospital. I have read countless articles about people dying from allergen exposure and I was worried his throat was going to close. I think Jack could tell how scared I was, which obviously didn't help. I also still felt really stupid that I had wasted time and not given the shot immediately and that I even called the doctor. I kept asking myself why I hadn't given him the shot and put him in the car right away. I am a pretty laid-back parent, but this obviously hadn't been the time to take a "wait and see" approach and honestly I was worried that my stupidity could kill my child. Although, I never realistically felt that was going to happen, it did make me think about how I would feel if it did, which is a thought-train no parent wants to ride. Anyway, I was experiencing a lot of emotions and none of them were good!

When we got there, the ER was packed, but Jack was taken to a room immediately. They hooked him up to a heart rate monitor. They also gave him an oral steroid, making it his third drug in a very short time. Shortly after, most of his symptoms went away, although his nose began to run. They kept us there for about 3 hours for monitoring. Jack had access to a private t.v. and they even brought him dinner--pizza, fries, and a cookie. Upon seeing his dinner, he exclaimed, "wow, I need to remember to tell them thank-you!"

I kept everyone apprised and there were lots of concerned texts. His pediatrician called me to check on him. I think he also wanted to make sure I had followed his instructions, everyone's concern was to get his symptoms under control and to make sure there was no rebound reaction.

Upon first arriving, I took this picture to send to Thomas to reassure him, but Jack ended up looking so small and scared that I didn't send it.

Hooked up to lots of wires.

Nearing the end of our stay, he felt better and was so excited when they brought him dinner.

We headed home after the all clear. I wanted Jack to sleep in our room, but he wanted to be in his own bed. I kept waking up in the night to check on him and I think Thomas did as well. I don't know what would have happened if we didn't have the epi-pen handy and thankful doesn't even begin to describe my relief that he is okay. Through the whole ordeal Jack was a trooper. He didn't cry or complain about the shot, he maintained completely composure at the hospital and was very brave.

This was a good reminder for me. I need to do better at making sure his epi-pen is always with him and that we are vigilant about what he eats. I am devastated that I allowed the substance into his body, which research suggests makes future reactions more severe. People frequently ask me how severe his allergy is and what type of reaction he has. For me, one of the scariest things about food allergies is that you just can't be sure what will happen. His first reaction, as a toddler, was head to toe hives. His body was completely covered! His next severe reaction came during a peanut challenge in a controlled setting and his symptoms were watery eyes, sneezing and an upset stomach (required 2 shots of epinephrine to get that one under control). This time, it was an "itchy, funny feeling" in his throat and a stomachache. We just never know! I also worry that this exposure may increase the severity of his allergy. Right now, he can sit next to someone eating peanut butter and be fine. We can go to a baseball game and not worry about the nuts in the stand. Basically, I just feel awful that I didn't prevent this from happening.

But, on the positive side, I feel so grateful for the support of my wonderful neighbors and thankful for modern medicine. The ER staff were very kind to us and Jack was so excited to tell his classmates about his adventure. He even wore his hospital bracelet to school today. I hope that is the last allergic reaction he ever suffers, although I know it is not likely.

Zoo Day!

I have been wanting to take Luke to the zoo for awhile. When the other kids were small, we went all the time. We were pass holders in both Norfolk and Memphis. I think we went at least twice a month up until the time we moved to Maryland. It was definitely one of our favorite pastimes. Unfortunately, the closest zoo is not convenient here. The drive home is difficult, with large roundabouts (take the 6th exit) that we always get wrong. Sometimes, we take the metro which relieves the city-driving issue, but not the fact that it is an almost 2-hour one-way evolution. So, we just don't go much.

Yesterday, we decided to bite the bullet and make the trek. Since they were doing construction on the metro, we drove. The drive up was easy, we made it in about 90 minutes. I really wanted to see the newest baby Panda--Bei Bei. This was only his second week on display, so I knew the crowds could be bad. We went there first and were able to walk right in. Bei Bei was worth the trip! He was absolutely adorable, we watched him climbing around, falling, and generally appearing like a very busy baby.

First we saw Bao Bao, who is 2.

Then, we went inside and saw Bei Bei and momma Mei.

From there, we saw many of the other animals. We made sure to see everyone's favorites: reptiles for Thomas, Ape House for Jack and Amazonia for Anna. While we were in Amazonia, one of the zoologists spent some time talking to us about the beautiful coral. Anna told her she wanted to be a scientist too and later asked a question. The woman told her it was an excellent question and that she had a mind for science. It completely made Anna's day!

The giant fish in Amazonia are always a favorite.

For whatever reason, Kara was being a grouch. She said she only wanted to see giraffes. Unfortunately, there are no giraffes at the National Zoo. She stayed fairly cranky throughout the day. She was hungry, cold (except when she was hot) and tired. We made our way through the zoo and saw most of the animals. The crowds stayed light and it was nice not having to push our way through the exhibits. Luke loved it! He walked for most of the day and loved seeing the animals. I think his favorite was probably an armadillo. He kept running along the display while the animal did the same. We had lunch at the zoo. They raised the prices significantly since our last visit, which was kind of a bummer. I like supporting the zoo, but $10 for a hotdog, banana and juice box seemed a bit excessive (especially when you are buying 4 of them).

Anna loves turtles

Luke and the armadillo

We were done by about 2 (about 4 hours after arriving). The drive home is never as easy as the drive there and we missed one of our roundabout exits. It ended up taking us about 2 hours, which included a stop at Dairy Queen. We got Luke a Julius, which we put in his metal water bottle. Since the bottle has only ever contained water, he was extremely upset when everyone else had Dairy Queen cups. He simply wouldn't take the thermos, instead screaming and crying. Finally, Jack opened the top and got him to actually look at the contents. He was immediately content after realizing we weren't giving him water while everyone else got a treat.

It was a fun day. Today, we did the kid's Valentines and are readying ourselves for the Superbowl. The kids are even excited for the big game. We also did the favors for Kara's party. I honestly hate party favors (I think I rant about this every birthday). I don't like giving them and I don't like receiving them. I think a thank-you note should be written and the favor is unnecessary. That being said, I understand that they are expected and I don't want to disappoint kids. So, we are doing full-sized Hershey bars with a cute, customized wrapper. I am resisting the urge to get more junk to hand out and hope the parents won't be too annoyed at us for giving their kids more junk food.

The kids had their hundred day of school last week. Jack and Anna made shirts. I was proud of their different ideas and thought they came out nicely. Kara's class is celebrating the 101st day of school with a 101 Dalmations theme tomorrow.

She did 100 polka dots to represent the 100 days along with her math facts. (Jack had already put on his coat and wasn't interested in having a picture taken.)

A few random photos to end the post.  First, Kara's "farm". She built it with the Lincoln Logs and left it set up downstairs. Later that day, Jack came running upstairs to tell her the unfortunate news that her farm had been surrounded by an army. He told her that a few militia men were attempting to defend the farm, but they were "not well-trained so it doesn't look good.". Unfortunately, the peaceful farm fell prey to encroaching army.

I find at least 3 pictures of Luke's foot on my phone daily. If I leave my phone anywhere he can reach it, he immediately claims it and does things like, well, take pictures of his foot.

The face that goes with that cute baby foot.

During the last snow storm, we built this snow family to represent us. (Anna is in front of the 6th snowman)

It turned warm and by evening, the Daddy had toppled over. By the next day, we were all just a bit of coal and branches.