Sleep? What's that?

So, my elusive friend sleep decided to stand me up again tonight, soooo, I thought what better way to spend my time than blogging?

Today I was really thinking about Bubba's food allergies a lot. We went to lunch with some good family friends to a restaurant (loosely defined) with a play area for the kids. It used to scare me to death the thought if him touching something that had been contaminated with one of his allergens- but I have really tried to overcome my fear (notice I didn't say HIS fear). And you know what? He did great! Next, we went to the whole foods store and picked up some of his special foods and signed the kids up for the kids club. If he completes the coloring activity- he gets a free smoothie. Now, as a mom of someone with severe food allergies, that thought first scared the bejeezes out of me. As I talked with the manager about it, it actually sounded a little less scary. When I talked about it with my husband, it actually sounded do-able. That's right- I actually said we may try it. Thank god for my hubby who is more brave than I- he tends to balance me out when I get nervous about this stuff. Anyway, we may try it (wonder if we pick it up and take it and enjoy it in the ER parking lot just to be safe?...) and my son will be delighted!

So, tonight as I lay here wishing for sleep, all I can think of is Bubba's allergies and wonder what the future holds. Since my crystal ball is being repaired (hahaha), I guess I will just have to know only that today was a great day. I love Bubba no matter what and I admire him for his strength and bravery. I love that my daughter now "reads" labels to see if things are safe for him to eat. All for one and one for all! :-)

So, now that I got all of that out of my head, I wonder if sleep will come. Catch ya later!

PS: we made it to the fair yesterday and Bubba and Moonie both loved the animals! They both got to pet a cow and several goats. They rode a few rides and had a ball!!!

A little behind....

I have found that there are not as many hours in a day as I once thought. I sometimes feel like time flies by so quickly that I blink and I miss hours. I think that this became really apparent to me once we were blessed with kids. The kids are so much fun and have more energy than I ever remember having! They love to go and do things- pretty much anything- farmers market, community garden, grocery shopping, dentist, you name it! Today we are planning on going to the 4 H fair in our city. We have gone to the fair for several years now and my oldest, Bubba, loves to go. He enjoys seeing all of the animals- and marveling at how big they are! Ollie, on the other hand, has been scared of the animals in the past simply because they are so big! :) How unique they are, my little monkeys. I am curious to see how they do! :)

Oh- I almost forgot to share my new recipe! If you are new here, I basically bake vegan due to my son's food allergies. It is funny- I look for vegan recipes all the time (since they don't contain dairy or egg) and then I sometimes add meat for a full meal. I do not do this to offend, it is just how we handle things in our life right now. OK, so back to the recipe- lemon blueberry scones-- perfect for summer when berries are fresh and sooooo yummy! Here goes:

1 1/2 tsp ener-g egg replacer
2 T water
Place above ingredients in mini-food processor or whip by hand until thick and creamy.

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Cut in 3/4 C cold vegan margarine until mix resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Add in to the crumbly mixture:
1/2 C soy or coconut milk (unsweetened, plain, vanilla, or vegan "buttermilk" all work well)
1/2-1 tsp lemon flavoring (depending on your taste)
pre-mixed egg replacer from above
Stir all ingredients just until dough holds together. If you stir too much, the scones will be tough.

Add in:
1 C fresh blueberries- fold them in gently.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After dough is mixed together, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a circle about 3/4-1" thick. Cut into wedges (like a pizza). Place pieces about 2" apart on a greased (or silicone lined) cookie sheet. Brush the tops with water or milk just to moisten and sprinkle with turbinado/ raw sugar or cinnamon/ sugar mix if desired.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly on the pan, then finish cooling on a rack (if they last that long!). Enjoy! :)

Now that I am done with this, I think I will go have a scone! :)

How precious...

I sit here and wonder why some families have to go through terribly difficult times and others are blessed to have easier roads. Cancer has taken a friend of mine, attacked several others, and is currently trying to take a toddler from his family (colleague of mine). I just don't know what the criteria is or how it is decided who has what battles to fight. I really feel there is a lot of injustice when I think of each of their situations. I feel powerless to ease their pain and that is where I am stuck right now.

When I sat down to start writing tonight, this is not what I had intended to share. I was going to share something cute and fun that my kids did today- but I am very obviously distracted with thoughts of my friends and their families. What I have realized through watching people I know and love face such terrible situations is that I have to be grateful for each and every opportunity I have been given. I have to rejoice in the blessing that is my family. I need to be grateful for the miracles that are my children and the joy they bring me daily. I feel so blessed to have all the wonderful people in my life that I have. I am lucky to be able to work and provide for my family. We are blessed to have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food in our bellies. We have a house full of love and laughter- and a safe haven for us to find shelter when the world threatens our peace. We are strong and united- and today it hit me again how truly precious life is.

Pool fun!

Well, for the last 12 days, the kids have enjoyed the pool and wanted nothing else... We are in it a couple of times a day (generally) and I don't think I would know several things if we didn't have the pool..
1. My kids are pretty brave in the water.
2. Pool water smoochies are sweet.
3. Bubba can hold his breath very well and likes to do alligator rolls, swim UNDER the raft, and swim underwater from one side of the pool to the other. Who woulda thunk it? His asthma hasn't slowed him down a bit!!
4. Moonie can walk on her knees in the pool- and knows how to hold her breath underwater. She doesn't get scared much anymore if she slips and her head goes under. She quickly rights herself and comes out smiling at the end.
5. Bubba likes to dive and get bean bags off the bottom of the pool.
6. I am impressed with their fearlessness and their spirit of adventure. Yet another reason to be proud of them and love them even more!!!

Who would have thought that a simple act of getting a pool for the kids to play in this summer would be such a lesson for me?

Time flies!

The kids are growing up so fast!! Moonie is 3 now and acts like she is going on 2! Bubba is 4 1/2 and already does so many things that we wouldn't expect him to do- he says the Pledge of allegiance and addition problems. Whose kid is this?? They are amazing kids who laugh easily and share lots of love. They play very well together (most of the time) and are always looking for each other when they are apart.