AAIA Family 2k Scamper

This year, we participated in the Allergy & Asthma Information Association’s (AAIA) Family Scamper, part of their EpiPen-sponsored Take Action event held locally in Whitby. Family and friends donated to help raise money for Allergy and Asthma research and education. One of the participants this year raised over $3000 !

We arrived early to register
and then went to get tea & coffee

The walk was held at Heydenshore Kiwanis Park, located right on Lake Ontario (which was somewhere down there through the fog), and had quite a few participants for the 2k Family Scamper & 5k run.

When we got back, the registration
was in full swing, and Kyle Dine
was beginning to get the crowd going

And then the race was on! The 5k runners started first, and 10 minutes later the Family Scramble started – 1k out and 1k back. Joseph – our oldest – ran out ahead of everyone and blew past the turnaround spot, running an extra kilometer before realizing he’d gone too far. Then when we got back, Joseph realized his keychain had fallen off of his belt loop somewhere along the route; so back he went.

He found it out where he had turned around before, which means Joseph got an 8k run in this morning. As one of my friends remarked, “He’s not allergic to exercise.”

They provided water and Chapman’s popsicles after the event, as well as a full snack table … with allergy-friendly snacks, of course … and gave us bags to fill to take home afterwards. There were plenty of choices, below are some of our favourites.

The sunbutter chewy bar was definitely a crowd-pleaser
and it contains none of the top 8 allergens.

It was lots of fun, and I think we will definitely be participating again next year … who knows, maybe even in the 5k walk?

If you still want to donate even though it’s after the event,
here’s the link to sponsor us (or anyone else, for that matter).
We’re listed under “Liam Elliott”

First Day Down

First off, I want to apologize for not posting lately. My laptop has been put out of commission and I am taking longer than expected to get things back up and running on an older computer.

Tuesday was the big day. As many parents of peanut-allergic children, we were nervous wrecks the day before and on edge the morning of. But I am happy to report that everything went extremely well.

All of the class lists were posted on the outside walls of the school, and the teachers were mingling about their individual areas of the schoolyard to meet the students and parents. We found each of the boys’ areas and Joseph ran off to play with friends – Grade 6’s won’t wait with their parents :)

Keeghan’s and Liam’s classrooms are across the hall from each other, so we were able to wait in the same area for them to meet with both teachers. When the bell rang, we headed up to Liam’s classroom to help with the morning routine.

The children swapped their outdoor shoes for newer indoor ones and then placed their lunchboxes on a table and shelves outside the classroom.

lunchboxes waiting patiently

Then Liam’s teacher took the class on a tour to show them where the washrooms were – and wash their hands as part of their morning routine – then back to the classroom where Krystyne had prepared a little talk about allergies – we need to get a copy of Allie the Allergic Elephant for Liam. We also had Be a PAL cards (from the PBS Kids’ Hooray for Health activity book) for the teachers to give out. Then Krystyne and I were off to follow up with the Vice Principal.

The really cool thing was that within the novella of take-home notices from the school that night we found the Peanut Alert notice that the Principal drafted based on Krystyne’s letter to parents that she had created for Liam’s Kindergarten class. AND the one-page notice that alerted parents to the fact that there are peanut-allergic students asked (in bold) for cooperation to make the school a peanut-free school.

Liam went through Junior and Senior Kindergarten with no reactions at school – we’re praying that this streak continues … and big brother Joseph has volunteered to be a lunch monitor for Liam’s class again this year, so he’ll help keep his brother safe.

Peanut-Free Contest !!!

If you haven't already, make sure you enter the Pack a lunch with panache contest from Dare Foods!

As a back to school treat - for the parents :) - Dare is giving away a great lunch tote from Built, along with a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. AND you also get a selection of Dare's peanut-free snack products to go in the tote!

Get more details and sign up for the contest here.

... Sorry, but the contest is only open to Canadian residents.

Communication is the Key

The boys are at Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week. I know from other parents of children with allergies that this fills them with anxiety. Thankfully, the VBS is being hosted at my sister-in-law’s church, and she has been hard at work to ensure that the week is peanut-free – not just for her nephews, but for other allergic children as well. Also Krystyne is hosting a class on baking with the kids so she is right there in the kitchen, keeping an eye on all of the snacks for the week.

Our boys’ involvement in this week’s VBS stresses the importance of communication – communication with organizers, with school staff, with camp staff, anyone. If you’re longing to send your peanut- (or other allergen) allergic child to a camp, or are looking towards the coming school year with trepidation, let me encourage you to open a dialogue with those who will be responsible for your child in your absence.

Another method of helping your child have some of the “normal” experiences you remember as a kid is to offer to volunteer time, information, snacks, or anything else to help. The first time the boys went to VBS at their aunt’s church, Krystyne volunteered to provide the snacks to ensure they were peanut-free. The other volunteers were spoiled with homemade chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and other such goodies.

We just got back after spending some time at Grandma’s trailer (she bought it for the grandchildren to enjoy, and since none of them can drive yet we get to tag along), where the boys were able to attend a children’s program every weekday. The staff there were so supportive and a couple of times asked Krystyne to check the snacks up-front. Krystyne also attended a staff meeting to teach everyone how to use an EpiPen, just in case. During one of the days home to do laundry Krystyne baked a LOT of chocolate chip cookies to take back to the staff as a thank-you.

Open the door to communication, and keep it open.

A Kindred Spirit

It’s great when you connect with someone who truly understands.

When we enrolled our boys in day camp for the summer, we were ready for disappointment when it came to Liam’s class. We fully expected that we wouldn’t be able to sign him up at all – or at least have to keep him home from special events like cookouts or campfires.

What a beautiful surprise to learn that the person responsible for the children’s programs was herself extremely allergic to bee stings and carries an EpiPen with her. She grew up knowing what it was like to be excluded from things, so she was determined to include as many kids as possible.

We’ve been overjoyed to see Liam and Keeghan at their first class campfire, toasting marshmallows with their friends, with huge smiles on their faces for being a part of it all.

Camping with Allergies

After a week of “winter camping” (seriously … 12°C in Central Ontario in July???) I think I’ve finally gotten used to the hot spots in the small BBQ at the trailer. Maybe when it warms up a bit more we can enjoy some time in the lake when we go up.

But major kudos go to the Sobeys family of supermarkets for their Compliments store brand and their clear allergy labelling! Here’s the label on the back of a package of hamburger buns bought recently.

 
all glare aside, it’s quite clear labelling

The white exclamation point within an orange circle is how allergens are highlighted across the Compliments brand, and they clearly list – in English and French – any allergens that are or may be present in the item. And on the front of the packaging, they draw your attention to allergens by placing the same symbol on the label ….

the exclamation mark is there to remind you
to read the label

We also had the counsellors from the boys’ day camp ask us to check the food they were using for their weekly campfire. The only thing without clear allergy labelling was a package of marshmallows by DOUMAK. A quick Google search brought up this page, which was a declaration from the company that their marshmallows are free from milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans.

I’ve never thought of marshmallows possibly containing nuts, but it was good of this company to have allergen information easily available. Companies like these certainly make shopping for camping much less stressful.

Play Ball!

If you’re in Chicagoland on July 8th, why not take in a peanut-free ballgame? The Kane County Cougars are hosting their 3rd annual Peanut-Free Night at 6:30pm against the Burlington Bees.

No peanut or peanut-related products will be available at the stadium, which will be be scrubbed in advance of the game. The players on both teams have also agreed to refrain from using food containing peanuts or peanut ingredients.

Call (630) 232-8811 or go online to order tickets.

Hope everyone had a great Canada Day and I wish my American friends a happy Independence Day!

In the Summer Time

This weekend we registered the boys in day camp for the summer. At the same time Krystyne offered to show the counsellors how to use an EpiPen and a Twinject injector, which I also outlined here.

Understandably they felt a little intimidated by the matter, but Krystyne passed out a couple of EpiPen trainers that we carry as well as the new Twinject ejector that we received recently. The counsellors were also shown how to use the pre-programmed cell phone to contact us (as if teenagers need to learn how to use a cell phone – although it is an older model). :)

In the end it went well, and the director for the children’s program was ready to meet with Krystyne before the general staff meeting. We are very thankful for the support that we get from people concerning Liam’s allergies, and it helps our summers be a little less stressful.

Speaking of which, here’s a quick shot from the weekend … summer has finally arrived.

The clouds are rolling in, but we spent 5 hours on the beach :)

Home Stretch

Last Friday was Liam’s graduation from Senior Kindergarten. That means another school year is nearing a close and – thanks to the cooperation of his classmates’ parents – has been incident-free (at least on school property)!

And thanks to a local allergy-aware baker, the cakes for the grad were peanut-free … and sooooo delicious.

And Mr. Liam was extremely proud too!

We want to extend a special “thank you” to the parents of Liam’s friends for helping to ensure that he was able to enjoy the school year as well.  But most especially to Ms. Jacobson, who volunteered to give up peanut butter (and Thai food) for the whole school year – that was one of the hardest things for Krystyne and I to give up as well. Have an extra sandwich for us!

Everyday Awareness

This weekend we took off on a mini-vacation.

Krystyne’s mother booked a condo for the week but due to a conference in Toronto, she wouldn’t be able to arrive in time for check-in. So we drove about two hours northwest up to Georgian Manor Resort in Collingwood to condo-sit for a few days.

While we were there we got to swim … a lot (one time for 3 hours straight), and revisited one of the fossil sites we went to last summer. However this time, the tide was in and even though it was about a month later in the year than our last trip; let me just say that Lake Huron was a little cold.

tide’s in … no fossil-hunting today

Liam wears his Epi-Pens in a pouch wherever we go – unless we’re at home or there’s a possibility he might get them wet; then they’re close by. While we were stopped at the nearest Tim Horton’s so the boys could go to the washroom (hey, I said the water was cold), a woman started asking about the No Peanuts for Me sign on Liam’s pouch strap.

We explained that it contained a cell phone and two Epi-Pens, along with an Epi-Pen trainer. Krystyne then took out the trainer, explained its use to the woman and gave it to her so she could “use” it on her own leg.

We were thankful for this lighter side reaction to Liam’s peanut allergy. With what seems like a more militant aversion to food allergies rearing its head around us (such as the infamous school secretary’s blog), it’s always welcome to be able to discuss Liam’s allergy openly and honestly.

Oh yeah – we also got to help a snapping turtle off the road and back to the nearby pond when we got back to the condo.

 the turtle’s saying “bye” to Keeghan

Summer Fun

With it being sunny and 22 degrees (Celsius) at about 7:00 tonight, we were having some fun at the pool – it also helps tire them out before bed too. :)

Liam and Joseph jumped, but Keeghan decided to wait
… and laugh

Farm Share

This year we decided to sign up for a farm share. For our first time at it, we’re splitting the share with Krystyne’s sister. Every week we pick up a basket full of fresh produce from Coopers Goat and Veggy Farm, which as a bonus is only 10 minutes up the road.

On Saturday we got to take a tour of the farm. We walked through the fields to see what we can expect in our baskets. There were rows and rows of peppers (5 different varieties), zucchini, lettuce, a full acre of garlic, and so much more.

strawberries – enough to last until October

As well as produce, they have a meat share! Coopers Farm provides all of the goat meat for Greek Town in Toronto, and they offer beef and broiler chickens to their shareholders as well.

 
big chickens – the butcher is a couple weeks late

The boys had a great time on the tour too! Steve had set out a couple of tractors (without the keys) for the kids to climb on, and that’s exactly what they did!

 
Keeghan and Liam “sharing” the tractor

And speaking of kids …. there were new baby goats which kept nibbling on the boys’ fingers!

Talk about knowing where your ingredients come from! :)

Live it Out

This has been a rather busy few days!

This weekend, Krystyne and I volunteered with a youth-oriented challenge called Live It Out at our church. We were among 60 mentors working on almost 30 community-focused projects with teenagers from the Uxbridge area.

Our project was called “Hospitality”. We provided lunch for some of the volunteers working on two other projects – planting a community garden and running a sports camp for some younger kids in the area – and had a great time doing it!

The garden and sports camp took place on Saturday at St. Paul’s Presbyterian church in Leaskdale. Krystyne and I, along with Craig and Lissa – two teenaged volunteers – hosted a BBQ out of the church kitchen. It was nice to see a “peanut-free” warning on both the front door of the church and on the cupboards.

The night before, Craig and Lissa helped bake 150 chocolate chip cookies to go along with the burgers and hot dogs. Everyone loved it!

Once we had cleaned up from the BBQ, it was back to our house to make freezer meals for a local mom and her family. Craig and Lissa flew through the recipes we had planned out and were hungry for more!

By the end of it, we had boxed up:

• 2 9-inch shepherds pies
• 2 meals of chicken with white BBQ sauce
• 18 mini-quiche
• 2 meals of pulled pork with homemade buns
• 3 8” spaghetti pies
• 3 8” turkey pot pies
• and 18 tea biscuits

What a great time! We’re both exhausted today, but it was more than worth it. :)

Places to Go

If you’re in the Toronto area this weekend, you might want to take advantage of Doors Open Toronto. Historical, architectural, and cultural places like Allan Gardens, Black Creek Pioneer Village, areas of the Distillery District, and even the old Don Jail are opening their doors to the public for free!

Check out the full list of buildings to visit (175 in total) or check out some of the scheduled events. We’re already planning our picnic lunch.

May Two-Four

This weekend was Victoria Day in Canada – the unofficial start to summer – celebrated in honour of Queen Victoria’s and the reigning monarch’s birthday. Celebrated the Monday before May 24th (hence the name), it’s traditionally the weekend that everyone disappears from the cities and opens their summer cottages.

When living with food allergies, rest and relaxation is more than needed … without it, we would lose our minds! While there are getaway destinations that cater to food allergies, it’s much more relaxing to have a place where you know that your child will be safe.

Our extended family has a trailer near Huntsville, 2 hours north of our house in Uxbridge. In the summer Krystyne and the boys practically live there. We share weeks with her sister and parents to allow everyone a chance to get away from it all in the quiet woods – well, quiet until we arrive. :)

 The trailer – home away from home

The campground has a central restaurant – called the hub – where everyone is welcome to come and eat, but they’re not peanut-free. However, our trailer has a little kitchenette and we have a barbeque just outside the door, so we can still enjoy the holiday.

One of the funny parts of driving to the trailer is watching for the sign welcoming us to Port Sydney – the nearby town. The town council was certainly creative …

 Home of 800 nice families & 1 old grouch – HA!

So welcome to summer, everyone! Stay safe!

Baseball, anyone?

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack …

One thing we can’t do as a family is take the boys to a baseball game. Not because of cost, but because of the peanuts served in the stands.

The management of the Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), the home of the Toronto Blue Jays, periodically offer “peanut free” games where one section is cordoned off and cleaned out. The vendors in the stands are not allowed to bring peanuts into that section, which allows kids to come watch the game in person. We haven’t taken them up on the offer – we’re not sure how Liam would react – but the management are trying.

However, major kudos go to the management of Campbell’s Field in New Jersey – home of the Camden Riversharks. They have permanently made Suite 319 peanut-free, and the cost is low for families as well – starting at $5 for kids and $12 for adults. The full story can be found here as well as on the Riversharks’ website.

So if you’re in the area of Camden, New Jersey go out and catch a Riversharks game … and make sure to thank the staff for opening a great game to kids with allergies!