Pros and Cons of having the kids gone for a week or two...
Pros:
You can sleep as late as you want or until the dog’s whining to go out wakes you or hubby thinks it is time for you to get up, even though it is the weekend and is raining therefore your plans for the day are cancelled.
You don’t have to do dishes every day (or twice a day).
You don’t have to do laundry every day.
No yelling or fighting …at least not among the kids!.
You can watch whatever you want and not worry about little ears hearing or little eyes seeing inappropriate things.
You can sit around all day and no one will bug you, unless hubby is home.
You can walk around naked or in your underwear and as long as your blinds are closed only you and the dog will know-not that I did this. LOL
You can go shopping and spend hours in the book section without kids screaming that they are bored. I did do this and it was absolute bliss!
Cons:
It is just you... by yourself... all day.
It is just you and unromantic hubby all weekend. (What am I going to do when the kids move out?!)
I am bored. (And no I do not want to clean.)
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
No Kids! Oh the choices, the oppurtunities, the chances to get out...wait what?
So I get a break…for 2 weeks!! I was excited about it…to begin with. Now, a week into it, I am not so sure. Believe me – I am glad to get a break from the kids. I hope they are having fun at their grandparents. I do miss them but again I needed this break.
I had all these plans to do while the kids are done- a whole list. Have I done anything major on that list? No. I really don’t want to. I want to relax and sleep and not have to clean. I guess the absence of kids does not make my lack of fondness of cleaning disappear. LOL I did make an attempt today to get some things marked off that list. I still have a lot more to do though.
The other thing I was hoping was that this time without kids would create some romance in our marriage. I am always the one planning everything- every night we ever had without kids was me behind the scenes planning who was going where and then where we were going. I thought without the kids maybe he could be romantic and plan something. I have even given him ideas as to what kind of things I would enjoy, even specific things, like where we could go and where to stay. But all I get in return is we don’t have the money, it’s too expensive, why would I spend the night in a hotel when we have an empty house here, etc. I even told him flowers would work- they aren’t expensive and he hasn’t given me flowers for almost 10 yrs! He thinks flowers are a waste of money.
One of my friends suggested I make it happen. But that’s the point! I don’t want to make it happen. I am tired of planning everything. I want him to plan something!
I don’t think he gets how much I need this. I need him to be romantic, to show he loves me. He does still have a week until the kids get back. I hope I am not disappointed but I have a feeling I am going to be.
I had all these plans to do while the kids are done- a whole list. Have I done anything major on that list? No. I really don’t want to. I want to relax and sleep and not have to clean. I guess the absence of kids does not make my lack of fondness of cleaning disappear. LOL I did make an attempt today to get some things marked off that list. I still have a lot more to do though.
The other thing I was hoping was that this time without kids would create some romance in our marriage. I am always the one planning everything- every night we ever had without kids was me behind the scenes planning who was going where and then where we were going. I thought without the kids maybe he could be romantic and plan something. I have even given him ideas as to what kind of things I would enjoy, even specific things, like where we could go and where to stay. But all I get in return is we don’t have the money, it’s too expensive, why would I spend the night in a hotel when we have an empty house here, etc. I even told him flowers would work- they aren’t expensive and he hasn’t given me flowers for almost 10 yrs! He thinks flowers are a waste of money.
One of my friends suggested I make it happen. But that’s the point! I don’t want to make it happen. I am tired of planning everything. I want him to plan something!
I don’t think he gets how much I need this. I need him to be romantic, to show he loves me. He does still have a week until the kids get back. I hope I am not disappointed but I have a feeling I am going to be.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Vaccinations and medical issues
For info about vaccinations and all kinds of medical issues check this article out:
http://www.regardingcaroline.com/pubmed
http://www.regardingcaroline.com/pubmed
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Camp and Gluten-free diets don't mix. :-(
Good News: My ½ week at camp went well, as far as the kids, activities, etc. The kids seemed to have a blast.
Bad News: The cook is an @#$%@^#. I emailed the Monday before camp with specific concerns- such as if they used real eggs, potatoes, etc. and if certain things contained gluten. He NEVER emailed me back! I finally called a higher-up Friday night and left a message. We were to be at camp Sunday afternoon…So I receive an email Saturday morning from the cook. He was obviously pissed off. Here was his response…on SATURDAY MORNING (when we had to leave Sunday to go to camp!!!):
“My suggestion to you is if you are concerned about any food items you can bring your own food as a replacement. The items must be in a clear plastic zip-lock type bag with the child’s name and date of packaging clearly marked on the outside of each bag. We will store the food items in the kitchen for you and have them available for you to prepare at each meal service. A microwave oven and other kitchen equipment will be available for your use. We also have a book with the list of ingredients for the items being served at camp available in the kitchen for review. I hope this helps.”
Ummm HELLOO!!!! The camp is about an hour away but I had been near it 3 times the week before. If I had known there was a book I could have stopped by and checked it. But telling me Sat morning- less than 24 hrs before we have to be there, isn’t going to help me! I also obviously didn’t read it very well because I completely missed the “available for YOU to prepare” part! But more on that later.
So we get there. The camp director volunteers to help haul my cooler to the kitchen. I go in and start unloading it. The cook gets an attitude and says “You have another cooler right?” I was like “umm no. This cooler contains things other than his food items. It is for our camp site. I wasn’t aware I needed to provide a cooler. Everything is marked with his name.” His reply “Fine! I will see if I can find something.” He returns with a clear tote. We store his food where it needs to go and I am about to leave when he says: “you are going to be here 15 minutes early to fix his food, right?” –Remember when I said that I didn’t read the email thoroughly? So this was a shock to me. Literally. -- I was floored.
So I am waiting outside for the camp director, getting really pissed off. While he drives me back to our camp site I decide to confront him. I told him I didn’t realize I would have to fix J’s food. I didn’t have to last year (as I hadn’t been at camp) and that I would need to be there 30 minutes early because I didn’t realize I needed ready-made stuff. I provided the same stuff I did last year, such as pasta for spaghetti and mac &cheese that needed to be cooked. The camp director was like “We are short-handed. He is just asking you to volunteer.” I replied that he didn’t ask me to volunteer he told me to do it. And that last year I didn’t have this problem. I also thought that he was only being like this because I was in camp, where-as last year I wasn't.” He said he would look into a solution and get back to me.
So I fixed J’s dinner that night. Thankfully it wasn’t much- he was able to eat most of what was served. I just needed to heat a g-f roll and provide a cookie for dessert. At dinner the camp director told me that they had figured out a solution and the director of activities would fix J’s food. I thanked him and told him if I was there as J's parent, without any responsibilities, it wouldn’t be an issue but I wasn’t there as J’s parent. I was there in another capacity, one that kept me separated from J most of the day.
So the cook never said anything else to me, although he gave me dirty looks the whole time I was there. And I only had to fix 2 of J’s meals.
Oh and the other thing that ticked me off…they had a white board in their kitchen with a list of allergies on it. So every kid/group that had an allergy should have been on that board; so-so from this group has a peanut allergy, etc. Well J’s name/group wasn’t listed at all!! How are you to know which kid has an allergy if you aren't listing all the allergies?!? Maybe they didn't list him because I provided most of his food but he still should have been listed because he also ate their food. His raw carrot allergy should have at least been listed, especially since I wasn't providing alternatives for that. (Oh and by the way I was right about the salad bar- it was all pre-packaged mix with carrots in it.)
The camp directors told me they hope to keep the cook. I personally hope they don’t but either way they WILL be cooking J’s food next year…come to find out they get Federal Funding…and there is this thing called the Disability Act Law that all groups who get Federal Funding must comply to…Guess who is going to be pressing this issue next year? ME!! ME!! (Hand in the air!)
The thing that really got me in the end is that all the cook needed to do was communicate.
I wasn’t asking them to provide food, just tell me what was in their food. If I read the Act right I could have forced that issue (providing food) as well. But I am not here to add extra financial burden on them. I just want them to cook the food I provide. Is that so hard?
Bad News: The cook is an @#$%@^#. I emailed the Monday before camp with specific concerns- such as if they used real eggs, potatoes, etc. and if certain things contained gluten. He NEVER emailed me back! I finally called a higher-up Friday night and left a message. We were to be at camp Sunday afternoon…So I receive an email Saturday morning from the cook. He was obviously pissed off. Here was his response…on SATURDAY MORNING (when we had to leave Sunday to go to camp!!!):
“My suggestion to you is if you are concerned about any food items you can bring your own food as a replacement. The items must be in a clear plastic zip-lock type bag with the child’s name and date of packaging clearly marked on the outside of each bag. We will store the food items in the kitchen for you and have them available for you to prepare at each meal service. A microwave oven and other kitchen equipment will be available for your use. We also have a book with the list of ingredients for the items being served at camp available in the kitchen for review. I hope this helps.”
Ummm HELLOO!!!! The camp is about an hour away but I had been near it 3 times the week before. If I had known there was a book I could have stopped by and checked it. But telling me Sat morning- less than 24 hrs before we have to be there, isn’t going to help me! I also obviously didn’t read it very well because I completely missed the “available for YOU to prepare” part! But more on that later.
So we get there. The camp director volunteers to help haul my cooler to the kitchen. I go in and start unloading it. The cook gets an attitude and says “You have another cooler right?” I was like “umm no. This cooler contains things other than his food items. It is for our camp site. I wasn’t aware I needed to provide a cooler. Everything is marked with his name.” His reply “Fine! I will see if I can find something.” He returns with a clear tote. We store his food where it needs to go and I am about to leave when he says: “you are going to be here 15 minutes early to fix his food, right?” –Remember when I said that I didn’t read the email thoroughly? So this was a shock to me. Literally. -- I was floored.
So I am waiting outside for the camp director, getting really pissed off. While he drives me back to our camp site I decide to confront him. I told him I didn’t realize I would have to fix J’s food. I didn’t have to last year (as I hadn’t been at camp) and that I would need to be there 30 minutes early because I didn’t realize I needed ready-made stuff. I provided the same stuff I did last year, such as pasta for spaghetti and mac &cheese that needed to be cooked. The camp director was like “We are short-handed. He is just asking you to volunteer.” I replied that he didn’t ask me to volunteer he told me to do it. And that last year I didn’t have this problem. I also thought that he was only being like this because I was in camp, where-as last year I wasn't.” He said he would look into a solution and get back to me.
So I fixed J’s dinner that night. Thankfully it wasn’t much- he was able to eat most of what was served. I just needed to heat a g-f roll and provide a cookie for dessert. At dinner the camp director told me that they had figured out a solution and the director of activities would fix J’s food. I thanked him and told him if I was there as J's parent, without any responsibilities, it wouldn’t be an issue but I wasn’t there as J’s parent. I was there in another capacity, one that kept me separated from J most of the day.
So the cook never said anything else to me, although he gave me dirty looks the whole time I was there. And I only had to fix 2 of J’s meals.
Oh and the other thing that ticked me off…they had a white board in their kitchen with a list of allergies on it. So every kid/group that had an allergy should have been on that board; so-so from this group has a peanut allergy, etc. Well J’s name/group wasn’t listed at all!! How are you to know which kid has an allergy if you aren't listing all the allergies?!? Maybe they didn't list him because I provided most of his food but he still should have been listed because he also ate their food. His raw carrot allergy should have at least been listed, especially since I wasn't providing alternatives for that. (Oh and by the way I was right about the salad bar- it was all pre-packaged mix with carrots in it.)
The camp directors told me they hope to keep the cook. I personally hope they don’t but either way they WILL be cooking J’s food next year…come to find out they get Federal Funding…and there is this thing called the Disability Act Law that all groups who get Federal Funding must comply to…Guess who is going to be pressing this issue next year? ME!! ME!! (Hand in the air!)
The thing that really got me in the end is that all the cook needed to do was communicate.
I wasn’t asking them to provide food, just tell me what was in their food. If I read the Act right I could have forced that issue (providing food) as well. But I am not here to add extra financial burden on them. I just want them to cook the food I provide. Is that so hard?
Monday, June 11, 2012
I HATE MENUS!!!
I hate menus!! Literally hate them!
Let me start over- Every summer my boys go to a camp--Which means that I have to go over the menu since J has a gluten and carrot allergy. Do you realize how much stuff is hidden in menus? And it isn’t like I get the same cook every year. Some “cooks” are not really cooks, rather just hired help to cook the food, and they have no clue about allergies. Of course even if there is a “real” cook there that doesn’t mean anything. Last year the “real” cook, who actually knew what gluten was, got fired in the middle of the week because evidently she went crazy-literally. I was told she barricaded herself in the dining building and thought people were coming for her. They think she went off her meds- which isn’t comforting since my kids were there!!
But anyways back to menus. So I am reviewing the menu for this year…and it is full of pre-packed foods- which means more possibility for it to contain wheat/barley! I know it is easier for the cooks to prepare but come-on! The closest they come to home-made meals is a salad-bar…And that probably contains the packaged mixes of lettuce and whatever. They don't even have spaghetti on the menu this year.
I am just hoping that the “cook” I am emailing knows what he is doing. At least I will be at the camp for part of the week to make sure J gets what he is suppose to (and doesn't get what he isn't suppose to).
Let me start over- Every summer my boys go to a camp--Which means that I have to go over the menu since J has a gluten and carrot allergy. Do you realize how much stuff is hidden in menus? And it isn’t like I get the same cook every year. Some “cooks” are not really cooks, rather just hired help to cook the food, and they have no clue about allergies. Of course even if there is a “real” cook there that doesn’t mean anything. Last year the “real” cook, who actually knew what gluten was, got fired in the middle of the week because evidently she went crazy-literally. I was told she barricaded herself in the dining building and thought people were coming for her. They think she went off her meds- which isn’t comforting since my kids were there!!
But anyways back to menus. So I am reviewing the menu for this year…and it is full of pre-packed foods- which means more possibility for it to contain wheat/barley! I know it is easier for the cooks to prepare but come-on! The closest they come to home-made meals is a salad-bar…And that probably contains the packaged mixes of lettuce and whatever. They don't even have spaghetti on the menu this year.
I am just hoping that the “cook” I am emailing knows what he is doing. At least I will be at the camp for part of the week to make sure J gets what he is suppose to (and doesn't get what he isn't suppose to).
Friday, June 8, 2012
Really people?!?! Excluding kids based on food allergies.
J is gluten-free due to his reaction to gluten. He does not have celiac but is "sensitive" to gluten. This week I was confronted with a comment that made me very mad. I had asked about the possibility of an organization we are deeply involved in of purchasing a gluten-free (g-f) pizza. The place they were buying pizza from offers g-f pizzas for the same price as non-g-f so I didn't see it as a big deal to ask. The response was: "I do not want to start catering to all dietary needs, that could lead into a big ordeal.". Whether she intended it to or not, her response rubbed me wrong. My son does NOT have a "dietary need" - he has a food allergy!! To me, "dietary need" is not the same as allergy. And if we had an child with a more severe reaction they would HAVE to "cater to their "dietary need".
I responded and included the following: "I understand your position. However, I disagree. J is a member of this organization and it is medically necessary that he does not eat anything with gluten. It is absolutely possible for ANYONE to eat a gluten free pizza but it is impossible for J to consume non-gluten free pizza. To exclude him is unfair and directly telling him that he didn’t matter. He has gotten upset every time the organization has had a food event in which he can’t participate. I apologize- it was not my intent for my request to escalate as much as it seems to. Again I thought it would not be an issue, given where the organization was ordering from and the cost being the same."
I decided to look up the laws for people with food allergies. Here is what I learned:
"At a recent food allergy roundtable in New York City, Mary Jane Marchisotto, Executive Director of the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) shared the most recent statistics on food allergies, saying that, “Every classroom now has two students with food allergies.” A July 2011 study funded by FAI and published in Pediatrics, found that 15 million Americans and one in every thirteen children now suffer from food allergies – a significant increase from prior data." http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/04/27/virginia-enacts-stock-epinephrine-law-to-help-protect-students-with-allergies/
"A food allergy may be considered a disability under federal laws such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)." http://www.foodallergy.org/section/disability
I also called my son's specialist. I never asked for a letter stating his sensitivity to gluten because I didn't think I would need it since we homeschool. I am now requesting that letter.
In the end the organization won't provide g-f pizza for J. While I still think they are being unreasonable, considering there is no added cost or effort on their part, I am fine with it. I will once again provide my son with food, while trying to explain to him that having a food allergy is not an exclusion from participation and that other kids don't think he is weird for not eating "normal" food.. :-(
UPDATE: So we went to our event with our g-f bought pizza. And one of the members of the organization had gone out of his way and purchased gf pretzels and cookies for J. He also gave us money for the gf pizza, saying that we shouldn't have to pay for our own food when it was a organization event. I am not sure if he purchased the items out of his own pocket or if the organization paid for them. I appreciate what he did because it made me feel like someone was on my side. At the same time if it is out of his own pocket it makes me feel bad. He shouldn't have to pay it himself either- it's not his kid. But again I really appreciate it. He even went out of his way to talk to J and show him where the stuff was. He really is a sweetie! :-)
I responded and included the following: "I understand your position. However, I disagree. J is a member of this organization and it is medically necessary that he does not eat anything with gluten. It is absolutely possible for ANYONE to eat a gluten free pizza but it is impossible for J to consume non-gluten free pizza. To exclude him is unfair and directly telling him that he didn’t matter. He has gotten upset every time the organization has had a food event in which he can’t participate. I apologize- it was not my intent for my request to escalate as much as it seems to. Again I thought it would not be an issue, given where the organization was ordering from and the cost being the same."
I decided to look up the laws for people with food allergies. Here is what I learned:
"At a recent food allergy roundtable in New York City, Mary Jane Marchisotto, Executive Director of the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) shared the most recent statistics on food allergies, saying that, “Every classroom now has two students with food allergies.” A July 2011 study funded by FAI and published in Pediatrics, found that 15 million Americans and one in every thirteen children now suffer from food allergies – a significant increase from prior data." http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/04/27/virginia-enacts-stock-epinephrine-law-to-help-protect-students-with-allergies/
"A food allergy may be considered a disability under federal laws such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)." http://www.foodallergy.org/section/disability
I also called my son's specialist. I never asked for a letter stating his sensitivity to gluten because I didn't think I would need it since we homeschool. I am now requesting that letter.
In the end the organization won't provide g-f pizza for J. While I still think they are being unreasonable, considering there is no added cost or effort on their part, I am fine with it. I will once again provide my son with food, while trying to explain to him that having a food allergy is not an exclusion from participation and that other kids don't think he is weird for not eating "normal" food.. :-(
UPDATE: So we went to our event with our g-f bought pizza. And one of the members of the organization had gone out of his way and purchased gf pretzels and cookies for J. He also gave us money for the gf pizza, saying that we shouldn't have to pay for our own food when it was a organization event. I am not sure if he purchased the items out of his own pocket or if the organization paid for them. I appreciate what he did because it made me feel like someone was on my side. At the same time if it is out of his own pocket it makes me feel bad. He shouldn't have to pay it himself either- it's not his kid. But again I really appreciate it. He even went out of his way to talk to J and show him where the stuff was. He really is a sweetie! :-)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
I have this on again/ off again love of writing. When I write I write a lot but then I can go for months without writing- as is obvious in this blog. Sometimes it is just because I am not in the mood but mainly it is because I am so busy I don’t take the time. I need to take the time to write because it helps reduce my stress. :-)
So I recently had a visit from my sis-in-law. She made me realize that I get so busy and stressed out that I forget to show my hubby how much I appreciate his hard work. He gets up at 4:30am to go to work and doesn’t usually get home till 6pm. He is always tired and in a mood when he gets home. So I have started getting up when he does and fixing him some breakfast to take with him. Amazingly it has improved his mood. I think he appreciates the effort. And I have found I actually enjoy doing it for him. I am going to try to continue this along with coming up with some additional ways to spoil him. :-)
So I recently had a visit from my sis-in-law. She made me realize that I get so busy and stressed out that I forget to show my hubby how much I appreciate his hard work. He gets up at 4:30am to go to work and doesn’t usually get home till 6pm. He is always tired and in a mood when he gets home. So I have started getting up when he does and fixing him some breakfast to take with him. Amazingly it has improved his mood. I think he appreciates the effort. And I have found I actually enjoy doing it for him. I am going to try to continue this along with coming up with some additional ways to spoil him. :-)
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