Mubu & Mu-Mu (The Little Animal Doctor), by Peter Alexander

Mubu & Mu-Mu

The Little Animal Doctor

(click to proceed to website)

I really love reading children's books. I am sure you have read this before, but I do. I was given the opportunity to read and review a book called Mubu & Mu-Mu. I must say, after reading it, I was glad the opportunity was given.

Mubu is a little girl who lives in Thailand with her mother and grandfather. Most of her life is filled with fun and adventure. She spends most of her time playing with animals, running through a forest, etc. The one thing she likes the most is the she has been able to take certain animals under her wing and raise them as her own.

One day, Mubu's grandfather went into the forest to look for some herbs and came back with a gibbon. It was hurt and needed to be taken care of. So her grandfather instructed her on what to do. Of course, like most little kids, she did not listen to his three rules and almost got hurt along with the gibbon.

This story teaches children what happens when they don't listen to adults and how important it is to follow rules. It also shows them about life in another country.

The art in the book is also just as great as the story. The colors are vibrant and kind of pop of the page. The detail is right on point, which also helps to draw you into the story. Another wonderful aspect of this book is the little synopsis and pictures of Mubu as a child and all grown up.

I say people should own a lot of books because I love reading, but I really think this one is one that all kids should own.

I thank Bostick Communications and Kennebec Entertainment LLC for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Precious Moments Storybook Bible

Just about everyone has a Precious Moments book in their house. I know when I was younger, we had the coloring books. I remember sitting on the floor with my father and sisters and picking a favorite page to color. Well now I have found a Precious Moments Bible.

This is a really great Bible for the younger generation (the ones that can't quite keep still). At the beginning of the Bible, they have a lot of neat fill-ins to commemorate different things. Like most Bibles, there is a family tree to fill out. This is great to look back on when you are older. They also have a Church record page for when you get baptized, etc. It also comes with a favorite things page. As you can see, it is filled with a lot of pages to fill out and look back on later in life.

The actual Bible part is broken down in four different parts: Favorite Classics, Words of Praise and Wisdom, More Stories of Faith, and Songs and Prayers.

Favorite Classics: Stories that we all grew up with presented in a way that a young child can understand. Stories like Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, etc.

Words of Praise: This is a section that has different Bible verses accompanied with inspirational words.

More Stories of Faith: In this section it has even more stories that go along with favorite classics.

Songs and Prayers: This section has a lot of the songs we learned when we were young. As you teach them to your child, it will take you down memory lane. I know that is what happend with me. It also has the prayers that most kids are taught to say when they are young. Now you can teach them to your children!

This Bible is done in different pastel colors. The pictures are adorable also. I think that everyone who has a young child should get this book or at least get one for someone else with a young child.

I thanks Thomas Nelson for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Breaking Free of Parenting Pressures, by Debbie Pokornik

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with being a parent? Do you ever feel as though you cannot live up to your or someone else's expectations of a "good parent"? Well, in Breaking Free of Parenting Pressures, by Debbie Pokornik, we learn just how to do that very thing. Break free and let go.

In this book we are shown how to deal with the various tasks of being parents. The book is broken down into four different parts:

Part 1 - Being a parent
Part 2 - Understanding you and your family
Part 3 - A free parenting pack
Part 4 - Caring for the caregiver

All throughout the book the author has placed free parenting tips for us to read and use. I found a lot of them to be very helpful. For instance, one of the tips was regarding privileges and taking them away as a measure of punishment for misbehavior. Also listed throughout the book are other helpful tidbits. There was one that I liked in particular, In Case of a Power Struggle-Emergency Guidelines. She suggested that you take the list and copy it and put it somewhere you could see it (and possibly use). Duly noted!

I also found very helpful were the different exercises at the end of each of the chapters. This made me feel as though I was really engaged in the book and it helped me get into the book a little more.

I really think that every parent should read this book. No matter where one is in their life with their kids, there isn't anything that we cannot learn. Whether you have 3, 2, or even 1 kid, there is something new you can learn. Remember, ever kid is different and you will have different experiences with them. I enjoyed it and feel as though you will too.

This book was give to me for free for an honest review.

The Duck Song, by Bryant Oden

I just recently had the opportunity to review a really great kid's book, The Duck Song, by Bryant Oden. When I pulled it out of the box and looked at it, I realized my daughter had to read it for herself and I am glad I did. As she read it, she laughed all the way through. She truly enjoyed it. She enjoyed it so much that she ran downstairs and immediately read it to her grandparents.

The story is about a duck who wants some grapes. The only problem is that he goes daily to a man at a lemonade stand. Of course he doesn't have any. The duck is very persistent and keeps asking even after the man becomes very irate. You see, the man offers the duck some lemonade but the duck refuses only to come back asking for grapes. Finally, the man has a change of heart and decides to take the duck to the grocery store to find some grapes, where the duck also has a change of heart and wants some lemonade.

The illustrations in the book, by Forrest Whaley, are perfectly drawn. They are in somewhat of a cartoonish form and are very colorful. I noticed my daughter was not only into the story but also into looking at the pictures while she was reading the book.

The book comes with a button on the front that plays the Duck song while you read the story. Along with the book, you receive a music CD in the back that contains 12 tracks.

Here are two songs off of the CD. I must admit, the first one (I Got A Pea) has become a house hold hit. We fell in love with this song and sing it all the time while laughing!

Here is a video clip of 'I Got A Pea', one of the songs off of the music CD that comes with the book:



And here is another video clip of the song 'Honey Bear', which is also off of the CD:



I highly recommend this book for every one to own. It would make a great addition to your children's collection. You will enjoy it just as much as they will.

This book was given to me by Flinders Press in exchange for an honest review.

Geek Dad, by Ken Denmead

How many of you love working on projects with your children? Most of you I am sure. Well I have the perfect book for you. It is called Geek Dad, by Ken Denmead. The book is filled with many different hands on projects that you can do with your children. And a lot of them are reasonably priced also.

First and foremost, is an introduction on what a geek dad/(mom) really is and how it came to be. I learned in order to be a true geek you need to have three important factors: Knowledgeability ( being able to store a lot of information and easily recall it), Social Skills (being able to form lasting friendships, but not in the popular sense), and Obsessiveness (one's ability to be able to catapult himself into something that he is passionate about).

The projects are broken down into six different sections in the book. These categories are games and crafts, activities for outdoors, accessories, kids go green, build/learn/geek, and potpourri (the geeky way of course). Each project also has an informational chart at the beginning for you to look over. At the top of the chart is the concept, so you know what you are about to work on. Second, is the cost which gives you an idea of how much you need to spend. Third, is the difficult level of the project. What is neat about this is that it is broken down by age group, so you know if your kid will be able to fully hands on complete it with you or not. Fourth, is the duration. This ranges from zero to fifteen minutes to three hours or longer. Fifth, is reusability.  I found this really helpful. It lets you know how many times a project can be used over again after it is completed. And last but not least are tools and materials.

Some of the projects that I thought were really cool are: Make Your Own Cartoon, The Coolest Homemade Coloring Book, Create the Ultimate Board Game, Build an Outdoor Movie Theater, Lite-up Duct Tape Wallet, and Exploding Drink Practical Joke.

This is a really great book and I encourage everyone to go out and get one for themselves. I think you would really enjoy working with your kids on these different projects and your kids will love them just the same. I highly recommend it. And if I can pull a line from the book, 'Go get your kid (s) and get started!'

This book was given to me for an honest review.

A Big, Big Dream by Michael Scott Roberts

Every parent wants a good book to either read to their child or have their child be able to read and enjoy. Well, I have found that very book.


A Big, Big Dream, written and illustrated by Michael Scott Roberts, is a story about Milton Hershey. The story is set up as though a teacher is speaking to his students about having dreams and making them come true. The story lets you know that no matter what your dreams are, big or small, they can come true.

Milton's story starts out when he was a young boy and was taught important values by his parents on their farm. When he gets a little older, he starts to work in a candy shop. That is where his love for candy began and also where his dream, of owning his own candy business came about. Sometime later, once he grows up, he opens his own candy shop. The first one wasn't successful. Neither was the second one. Yet he kept at it. One day a man from Europe purchases a large order from him, which enables him to build a big manufacturing company. He also opened up a school called the Hershey Industrial School, which is now called The Milton Hershey School.

At the top of the book are words to a song that goes along with the story. When you purchase the book, it comes with a code that lets you download the song and story so your child can follow along by themselves. I did this for my daughter and she loved it.

This is a really good book that can teach the older kids about their future becoming a reality and can also engage the younger ones because of the great illustrations and song. I highly recommend this book as a must read for all kids.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Melvin the Magnificent Molar, by Julia Cook and Laura Jana, MD.

I was introduced to Melvin the Magnificent Molar, by Julia Cook and Laura Jana, MD. through Twitter Moms, and I'm glad I was. It is a great book to introduce your children as to what happens with their teeth.

Greatly illustrated, Melvin takes you through the process of what your child needs to do to keep their teeth healthy and clean. As in, brushing the "green sleeping scummies" off their teeth, a well drawn out description of what happens when they go to the dentist, and your child writing the tooth fairy a letter. There also is a really great song for your child to sing while they are brushing their teeth.

My daughter LOVED the book. The minute she saw it, she sat down and read it. Then she brought it over to me and asked me questions about the different things in it that she did not understand. I think the writing style and pictures are perfect for children to read and look at and understand on their own. Even though my daughter has already started going to the dentist, she enjoyed the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a child that is going to the dentist or even has already been to the dentist.

Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Happy Child Is A Hyper Child or Is It ADD/ADHD?

I am sitting here looking at all the paper work that I have to fill out for my daughter's ADHD evaluation and I am thinking, 'Oh, boy. What have I gotten myself into?' You see, her teacher (not being able to outwardly say) has hinted around (along with some family members and maybe a friend) that she might have ADHD. I have been told over and over again to get her tested instead of dealing with everything that I have to go through with her. For sometime it has been a running joke with my family (no disrespect to those whose children do have it) because of her constant hyperness. I kept telling them, 'a happy child is a hyper child'. At least that is what I had read somewhere.

When I really think about it, there are some attributes that she does possess, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. One time when she was around 3 or 4 I had her in a library program and would take pictures. I remember looking at one of the pictures and wondering why I didn't see her in the picture. Oh, but she was there! She was the one lying on her back with her legs sticking straight up in the air in the middle of all the kids. Or just recently in her Taekwondo class, where she was looking at the lights in the ceiling, talking to herself, and moving her finger up and down toward the lights instead of listening to her instructor.

At home and in public (i.e. the supermarket or walking down the street) I get most of the hyperness. I remember people would look at me and be like WOW and my response would be, 'and to think I don't give her sugar!' and they would be shocked. It was just pure natural hyperness (from happiness). At home she likes to jump on the beds (normal), climb on the railings (inside and outside), run through the house (normal), fall on the couches from the steps, swing on the counter tops, etc. The list could go on forever. And don't get me started about the stuff she throws around her room. Oh, and her new found screaming. She just recently started to scream out loud for no apparent reason. You ask her why she is doing it and she says she doesn't know. She does have little issues that boggle me. She can't have the sown part of the sock below her toes. It has to be above or she can't put her shoes on. She also can't have a certain pair of tennis shoes on if a small part of it is bent inside. She will literally fall out on the floor crying if she can't get them just right.

At the beginning of her schooling, I didn't pay attention to it too much either. You see, she was always ahead of her pupils. She was reading before any of her friends and also learning how to speak Spanish among other things. But once she got into kindergarten, her teacher told me she had to keep telling her to get her work done. She said she would always be the last one to complete her work. And now that she is in first grade, her teacher has to deal with some of the same things. One thing that struck her teacher as odd was when she got up from her desk and put her jacket hat on her head and walked around the classroom. I asked her what was she doing walking around the classroom instead of doing schoolwork and her response was that she wasn't walking around the classroom; she was just trying to get to the other side.

When I look at the questions that they ask, I want to fill it out honestly, but I really don't want her to come across as having a real severe problem or even being 'crazy'. It is bad enough that she has to deal with food allergies and to have this also.... When it was a running joke, that was one thing, but if it turns out to actually be true (which I don't think it will) it will be a little sad and also offer me a lot of relief at the same time.

My Child's Attempt With Honey Nut Cheerios

When my daughter was first diagnosed with food allergies she was able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios. It always boggled my mind because it says, 'Honey Nut'. At the time, being new to food allergies, I didn't take the time to figure out what kind of nut it was because it never affected her. Plus I talked to another mother whose daughter had nut allergies and she said her child was able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios also, so, no big deal, right?

Sometime later, I gave my daughter a bowl of the cereal and she said it made her tongue feel funny. I asked her if she was sure. I thought she was fine when it came to this cereal. So I tried a bowl of it myself. I don't know if I was trying to "empathize with her", but it left a metallic taste in my mouth. Just like any mother who is weirded out by stuff, I threw the box out. This prompted me to see just what kind of nut they actually used in the cereal. I know, I know, bad mother. How could you feed your daughter something you haven't fully researched? Well, my daughter never had severe reactions to food like most other kids did and her allergist also told me that peanuts and cashews were the ones I needed to look out for. Not getting much help from her allergist, I realized how serious it really was after doing research on my own.

Now, we jump to the present. I was in the store shopping for cereal when I came across the "new" Honey Nut Cheerio. Well, it was new to me. Apparently they took out the nut and put in almond flavor instead around 2006. I figured we could try it again because the actual nut is no longer in it. So I gave her a bowl and she happily ate it. Halfway through the bowl she stopped eating it and started on her bread. She had a weird expression on her face, so I asked her if the cereal made her feel funny. She said that it did, with a little hesitance. I think she really wanted to finish it, but I didn't let her. This convinced me to pull out her results again and look them over to see what her number had gone down to. It went from a 2.58 (class 2) to a 0.44 (class 1). Now my question is, how is it that when she was listed as a class 2 she could eat the cereal, but now that she has dropped to a class 1, it seems to bother her? Am I the only parent out just doesn't get this whole allergy thing, or are there others?

A Child's Food Allergy Poem

I have a food allergy

So what if that’s true.

That doesn’t make me different

I just avoid certain foods.

You may think it’s funny

To taunt and to tease,

But I also have feelings

So stop and back away please.

Just think how you would feel

If denied all these foods,

Especially at birthday parties

Where you can’t have cake or ice cream too.

Each and everyone of us is different

Our allergies are not the same.

For some it could be dairy, nuts, or fish

And for others soy or wheat is to blame.

Whether young or old

I have to remain safe,

Because cross-contamination

Could cause a devastating fate.

So please learn to read all labels

And my arm bracelet too.

Cause 100% safety

Is the best thing for me and for you.

© 2010 Belladona Creations
QE4J2BJFGA37

Asian Food Made Allergen Free

Every Saturday our whole family gets together and we have lunch. Yesterday I decided to do something different. Maybe we should start having at least one ethnic day thrown in there. Not that typical American food is bad, but a little change is always nice. Of course this can cause some kind of a problem with my daughter not being able to eat everything.

One Christmas when she was about 1 years old we had Chinese food. That didn't go over very well. She was very lethargic while opening her gifts and wound up throwing up later on that night (this was before we definitely knew she had food allergies). So, in order for us to enjoy a nice variety of food and having her join in, I would have to figure out how to make everything instead of buying it.

My older sister made the Chow Mein (she is a great cook) and white rice. I decided to make the Lumpia and Beef and Broccoli. As your mouth waters I will let you know that I am a vegetarian (which works out well when my daughter tells people she is allergic to meat), so everything has veggie meat in it. Surprisingly, everything can taste just as great with veggie food instead of meat. You just have to find the right products to supplement. At times it can be hard. I spent half a day trying to find veggie beef for the Beef and Broccoli!

To make the Chow Mein food allergy free, I had my sister put some aside for my daughter and used olive oil on it instead of the Asian sauce she uses. For the Beef and Broccoli, I took a portion of it out before adding the Asian sauce. She will just eat the beef tossed with some broccoli in it without any type of seasoning. And for the Lumpia, I took a portion of the mixture out and set it aside. I left out the soy sauce, egg, and cayenne pepper.

So, she can join in with us when we eat different foods. We just have to tweak it a bit so that it is safe for her to eat. I use to just make her separate food, but as she gets older, she wants to eat what everyone else is eating. So I have to learn how to substitute!

p.s. ~ All she ate was the lumpia and some of the veggie beef! Picky, picky, picky!

Unexplainable Hives

I decided to make some oatmeal raisin cookies for my family's luncheon on Saturday. I figured if I made them from scratch my daughter would be able to eat them also. So I pulled out all the ingredients for them and proceeded to create them. Once I was done, I put them in the oven and cooked them. After they cooled off, I gave one to my daughter to try. As usual, she was hesitant to try it. I think she has been told no so many times that when it comes to trying allergy free foods, she thinks problems will still occur.

For some strange reason she went downstairs to eat it. It was a good thing she did because she yelled out that her throat felt funny. I was able to give her something to drink and her throat felt better. I am beginning to believe that her food allergies aren't as life threatening as some other people's children. She doesn't seem to go through all the major symptoms that some other children go through. Don't get me wrong, I still treat them as though they are. You never know when it could change.

After I gave her something to drink, I thought that everything was fine. She went back to playing and it was as though she never had the cookie. I then put her in the tub to give her a bath. While she was in there she told me her legs were itching. I told her, her skin was probably dry. She use to have eczema when she was a baby, so her skin tends to be a little drier. When I took her out and started to put Vaseline on her, I noticed scratch marks on her legs. I asked her what had happened and she said after her throat started to hurt, her legs started to itch. She had little bumps all over her thighs. I told her to try and not scratch as it would put marks on her legs.

Later on in the middle of the night she woke up to tell me her legs were itching her really bad. I turned the light on and examined her legs. She had actual hives on them. I had to look for the topical benadryl to put on her. She stated that it didn't help, but she was able to go back to sleep.

I can't figure out why that happened. It is always hard to tell when it is not directly related to food. There shouldn't have been anything that would have set her off in the cookie. The only thing that I can think of is either the nutmeg or the cinnamon. I don't think she is allergic to either of them, but those were the only seasonings in them that she doesn't usually have. I don't know, maybe she is truly allergic to one of them or maybe she is just having a pseudo allergic reaction to them. Only time will tell.

From Food Allergies to Asthma

I just had a conversation with my daughter's allergist. We were going over how her RAST numbers have gone down and what to look forward to in the future. We decided (more or less me) that we would wait two more years before putting my daughter through a food challenge. I just think it would be better if her numbers were closer to zero.

According to her allergist (I can't speak for all the others), there is a certain trend they follow. This would be kids that she has dealt with that have had lower RAST numbers vs. higher ones. As excited as I was to hear that there was a trend in the numbers going down I become dismayed at what followed. See, my daughter not only has food allergies, she also has outdoor and pet allergies. I never thought that her outdoor allergies could become an issue like her food allergies, but apparently they can. She explained that most of the kids that she has whose RAST numbers fall (food wise), start having to deal with allergens in the nose which leads to asthma. The sad thing is that her outdoor allergen numbers went up quite a bit. This is due to the fact that we are going into spring/summer. So, this year, or over the next two years (before her next test session) I have to watch for her coughing or wheezing while she is running. If that starts up, it is back to the allergist again.

Having to make sure I have her epipens and benadryl with me at all times is something that I have become accustomed to. But now having to think that I may have to include an inhaler with them is very disheartening for me. To think that she may have to carry her epipens and an inhaler to school..... I just pray it doesn't get to that point, especially for a kid who is HIGHLY active and loves being outdoors.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Food Allergy Conflict

This weekend has been a good one. We haven't had any issues with food, which is good.

Within the next two weeks my daughter's school is going to have a pizza day for lunch. She is not allowed to eat cafeteria food (per school request), which has her feeling left out sometimes. I am going to go up to the school again and see if they will let her participate in pizza day. Technically, I am against her eating food that I haven't prepared, but I think this could be an exception. So starting today, I will have to go to the office and make my way through the chains to find out if it will be okay.

Another thing I have decided to do is call all the local schools in my area and see if they are set up to deal with kids with food allergies. I will also ask (if they are) what protocols do they follow. Then I will put an article in my local paper so that more parents can be informed as to which schools to send their children to.

The only way for our kids to be food safe at school is for us parents, to take the initiative and make it that way.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Parsley ~ An Actual Food Allergy

There are so many different types of foods that children or adults can be allergic to. Sometimes I am not sure if my daughter is just not feeling well or if she is really having an allergic reaction. Most of the times her reactions to certain foods is pretty much clear cut, but then there are those times when she just vomits (pardon my words) hours later and has no other reaction with it. Those are times when I am left wondering if it is truly something to be avoided or not.

A while ago we had a big dinner at my parent's house. Everything was "food safe", so my daughter could eat until her heart was content. At least that is what I thought. A new item that was presented was red potatoes with parsely and olive oil. Now looking at that, you wouldn't think that it would affect someone in any way whatsoever. But later that night, she got up out of her bed and told me she felt sick. She then went into the bathroom and plopped herself in front of the toilet. I have been blessed to have a young child who can tell me she is going to be sick and still make it to the bathroom before throwing up. As gross as this may sound, I have been in the habit of checking her vomit to see what has made her sick. This time it was red potatoes and parsely. Wow, who would have thought that would be the thing to make her sick!

Today I decided to look on the internet and see if someone could really be allergic to parsely. Can you believe it, you can. I have always kept her from it after that one incident, but that is just because I tend to get paranoid when she has any type of reaction to food. On Wikipedia I found out that parsley is part of the Birch family. Some of the other foods in the Birch family are: almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, chicory, coriander, fennel, fig, hazelnuts, kiwifruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat, and potentially walnuts. After seeing this I thought that I should have done research on it sooner. She happens to be allergic to almonds, hazelnuts, wheat, and walnuts. It is hard to say what to avoid and what not to avoid. She can eat apples, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, soy, strawberries and wheat (her number for this is so low she is not affected by it) without a problem. Unfortunately, it is going to have to be a guessing game for me for the rest of her life.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Allergy Test Results

I received good news today from my daughter's allergist. Her test results came back with lower numbers. Now when I say lower, I mean way lower. To most of you this may not seem like a big deal, but for someone who has had to watch what their child ingests for the sake of their life, it's a big deal. I thanked her allergist over and over again. I'm sure she could see the smile on my face by the tone of my voice.

First, we talked about her cashew results. This one was the highest number the last time she was tested. The results showed that it went down from a 28 to a 6. She wanted the number to be a 5 or lower, but this was good news for me. See, I had to deal with her having a reaction to cashew butter and it wasn't easy. She fell asleep (her blood level dropped) and then threw up later. I was happy to hear that it was a 6 even though a 5 would have been better.

Next we talked about her peanut number. Originally, it was a 12 and dropped down to a 6 also. This is good news because peanuts seem to be in everything or cross-contaminated with everything. This shows that within the last 3 years, her numbers dropped in half. Just think what another 3 years could bring.

The last thing we discussed was regarding her having a food challenge. I can't say that I am all that keen on this idea. I would love for her numbers to be a lot lower. I still fear that something could go wrong even though she would take this test in a hospital.

When my daughter got out of school I told her the allergist called and gave me good news. I explained to her that her numbers were lower this time which means she is getting better. I told her she still isn't allowed to have the foods that are listed on her allergy bracelet, but one day she may be able to. With a smile on her face, she looked at me and said, "One day I may be able to take this bracelet off and not have to wear it?" I told her maybe. She jumped up and down with joy.

Even though her numbers are lower, I will still take the same precaution as before. The epipens and the benadryl will continue to go with us everywhere. The avoidance of bakeries, certain restaurants, and potlucks will still stand firm. But the thought that maybe, just maybe one day all of this will be in the past, is all I need for hope.
Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Food Allergy Appointment #2

How many people have had to sit and watch their child get their blood drawn over and over again? Well, because of my daughter's food allergies, from time to time I have to go through this process. To think that for the rest of her life she may have to succumb to this just to see if her RAST numbers have changed is daunting for me.

I first had her tested when she was around 3 or 4 years old. The results came out showing she had several nut, pet, and outdoor allergies. What her allergist didn't explain to me was that we had to come back every so many years to keep getting tested. I found this out through the many people I follow on Twitter (thank you fellow twitterers). They were discussing how they were taking their children back in to get tested. So I decided to set up an appointment and talk to my daughter's allergist.

After viewing her old test results, her allergiest came to the conclusion that her numbers weren't as high as I assumed they were. Her allergist then said that she may actually outgrow them. I previously read, once you have a peanut allergy, you have it for life. I thought this was how her life was going to be forever. Knowing that she could actually outgrow them makes me believe that she has a chance to have a "normal" life after all.

Now began our RAST number conversation. First and foremost, a RAST (radioallergosorbent test) test is a blood test that measures the level of allergen-specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) in your blood. She explained to me if your RAST numbers are very high (level 5 and above) then chances are you will not outgrow them. Or more importantly if you are an adult and get diagnosed with a peanut allergy, you will not outgrow it either. Seeing how her peanut RAST number is a 12.80 (level 3), her allergist wants to test her again and see if they have gone down. If her RAST number for peanut is 5.00 or below, her allergist would like to conduct a food challenge.

Right now I am just waiting for the blood test results to come back. And once they do, it will determine where we will go from here.

 

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Allergy Free Pudding Disaster

A lot of times I wonder if I am the only parent who can't cook for their own child. Maybe I'm not and it just feels that way. Seeing how she has food allergies and can't eat most foods from the store, I have decided to try to cook for her more often, that way she can try new stuff and not eat the same things week after week.

The other day I decided to make some chocolate pudding for everyone to eat. Now the fact that I am making it at home means my daughter can eat it because the ingredients will be nut allergy safe. I was so happy that she could finally partake in all the food we were going to eat. Excitement over took me and I grabbed the cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, etc. I put the pan on the stove and poured in all of my ingredients. Okay, it states that I am suppose to bring it to a boil and cook it on medium heat. My thinking was how on earth is it going to come to a boil on medium heat. HI heat is what I felt would bring it to a boil, so that is what I did. As I was stirring the ingredients together in the pot, my father came down the stairs and announced to me that it smelled like something was burning. I told him it smells like that but my pudding wasn't burning. He proceeded to walk over to where I was diligently stirring and looked into the pan. He noticed that there were clumps in the pudding. I told him it was pieces that I just didn't feel like breaking up. I was then told by him to take the metal spoon out and use a wooden one because it was scraping "stuck pudding" off the bottom of the pan. Well, I'll have you know, that I somewhat thought that I knew what I was doing, so everything had to be fine. I left the metal spoon in and continued to cook it. Then my daughter came into the room and looked into the pan. I asked her if she wanted to help and she excitedly agreed. Oh what joy, mother and daughter making chocolate pudding together!!! After some time, I took it off the stove and transferred it to a bowl to cool off. Then I realized, there was pudding stuck at the bottom of the pan and it did somewhat smell like it was burnt. I thought if we put cool whip in it, then it could mask the flavor. So I put it in the fridge to cool off until we are done with our lunch.

After everyone was done, it was time for the pudding. I warned everyone that it had a funny taste and smell, but they could still try it. My mother and I poured the pudding into small bowls and included a cookie for each person. We also put a dollop of cool whip on top. Now it was time for me to make my daughter's bowl. As I was pouring it in, she came over and looked at it and looked up at me and said, "I am going to get a popsicle". And down the stairs she ran for her popsicle.

I try to include her with the rest of us (food wise) as much as possible. Figuring I made this, she could eat it. Well, I guess there is always next time. I am better at baking vs. cooking. Maybe I will make a cake the next time and she will partake in that. So, for now I will leave the homemade pudding alone and buy it from the store.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

The Joys of Raising A Smart Kid

Is my child the only one who uses her food allergy symptoms to get what she wants (in terms of food)? My daughter thinks she can pull one over on me by saying she is experiencing symptoms in order not to eat a certain food. If it weren't for me knowing exactly what she is allergic to and how to really tell if she is having a reaction, she just might be able to get away with it.

Her favorite cereal, for the time being, is the Puffins cinnamon flavored cereal. I lucked out when I came across Barbara's Bakery cereals. They don’t have a lot of choices, but the two I get are wheat free, dairy free and made in a peanut free facility. Because we don’t have a slew of different cereals for her to choose from, when she finds one she likes, she tends to over indulge. Quite naturally, most kids do.

Just the other day, she was eating a bowl of cereal. In order for her not to eat up all the cinnamon cereal, I gave her the regular brand. Half way through her bowl she started to yell for me. I went in and asked what was wrong and she proceeded to tell me that her tongue was feeling funny. This is the first symptom she usually experiences when she eats something that she is allergic to. I looked at her and she seemed fine. I asked her what she meant by her tongue feeling funny and all she could say was that it felt weird. Apparently, she had forgotten that I gave her this same cereal the night before and the week before without any kind of reaction. When I refreshed her memory, she had a "man I just got found out" expression on her face. Yes dear, I know all your tricks! I've explained to her that she can't fake her symptoms (when she doesn’t want what is in front of her) because one day I may not believe her when she tells me she is having them. Of course, anytime she says something is wrong, I take her seriously. While she is trying to outsmart me, she doesn't need to know.

While sitting here typing this out, I wonder, is there anyone else going through what I am going through or is my daughter the only one who tries to manipulate me with her allergic symptoms?

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved

Valentine's Day Candy Denial

Valentine's Day is usually a fun time for most people, but for a parent of a child who can only eat certain foods, it is not.

On Friday, my daughter had an impromptu Valentine's Day party at her school. Normally this is fine, but when I went to drop her off, I saw a ton of candy filled bags and cupcakes. Her teacher proceeded to come over and asked me if she was allowed to have anything. I let her know that she couldn't, but she could bring everything home. Well, to my amazement, when I picked her up she was sucking on a lollipop. I know most of you are thinking, what is wrong with a lollipop? For my daughter, a small lollipop could set off a chain of reactions. One reason being, she is allergic to blue dye.

My weekend was spent going through bags of candy (not only from the party on Friday, but also from a birthday party on Sunday). First, I had to take out all the chocolate candy for nut reasons. Then the hard candy was divided up depending on color (blue or purple (we all know red and blue make purple)). And last but not least, anything that had blue dye #1 in it but wasn't the color blue, I also put aside. If you are thinking that she wasn't left with a lot of candy choices, you are right.

As sad as it is, she is use to being denied certain foods. It doesn't get any easier explaining to her that she can't eat what the other kids are eating because of her food allergies. She thinks that all we have to do is stick her with her epipen and she will be all right. I have explained to her that if it comes to that point, it would be a serious matter. Maybe it will get easier for her and maybe it won't. One thing I do know is that I am the one who has to watch what goes into her mouth and until she is able to use discretion, I will be the candy separator.

Copyright © 2010 Allergykidmom. All rights reserved