Wow, Time Flies When You Are Not Having Fun

I can not believe it has been so long since I have been here....almost a year and a half. Time really does fly when you are not having fun. While not here we were having the fun of a little life trauma, that is finally fully resolved. Whew!!!! I don't want to get into the specific details to maintain everyone's privacy (do I have you intrigued yet??) but just in case any of you were worried here are some important updates:

Everyone is fine.

Nothing bad has happened in regards to allergy and asthma

Conor took a peanut challenge and failed, but it was a good thing.

Super Epi-pen has not had to use his super powers

Grandma is hanging in there except for an unfortunate run in with Bells Palsey

Buster the pug is doing well also after his second cancer scare and loss of half his ear.

We got a new dog named Rooney who is a crazy hyperactive Labradoodle, but great for Conor's
allergies.

I am still trying to remember how to use this lovely blog program, so this post is probably not quite as pretty as it could be.......but hey, it is what it is (something I learned over my absence) until it is something else of course.

Almost a Challenge Mr. Peanut

So, we went into the allergist for a check up a week or so ago, and while we were there, she mentioned the option of doing a peanut challenge for Conor. I have to say I was a little surprised by this request, as I have always assumed he would never outgrow it since he has asthma and is allergic to almost everything that grows or walks. Of course previous Doctors had told me that he only had a 25% chance of outgrowing his egg allergy, and after a successful egg challenge last year we have welcomed the egg back into our family with open arms. (Although I do still make my exciting and quick Coke Cake sometimes).

According to my allergist, she said she suspects that he has not outgrown it, but it is worth checking him every once in a while to make sure, and see just how reactive he is. I have to say despite my trepidation, I would really like to know just what we are dealing with here with the evil peanut....kind of like knowing your enemy. And I really trust my allergist.... she has been great with everything else including not thinking my crazy, and really explaining cough variant asthma to me. Conor's rast # were 7 or so last time he was tested, and she said if he has not had a reaction in over 2 years and is now over 5, it is worth testing him.

So I put my head around the idea for a while. Especially after she told me I would need to bring in some peanuts to do the challenge. BRING IN PEANUTS!!!! I would have to buy peanuts!!!! aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! But after it sunk in, I decided we should go for it.

But then came the real issue. For this challenge he would have to be off of any antihistamines for 7 days. I remember having problems with this for the egg challenge, but don't remember how we finally were able to do it. But we did, so I figured we could do it again now.

Later that day I went home and skipped his evening antihistamine. Then we skipped his morning dose...... Then it started........ The poor child was secreting, sneezing, coughing and itching away, after only being off of his antihistamines for not even a day. It took 3 days of extra anti-histamines and nebulizers to get him stable again. I guess we do take all that stuff for a reason.

After discussing it again with my favorite allergist we decided perhaps this would not be the best season to try and take Conor off of his antihistamines for the challenge. So after all the excitement/ fear/ surprise, it has all been put on hold again until flu season is over, and allergens have calmed down.

Almost a Challenge Mr. Peanut, Almost a Challenge

Sometimes the Needle Is Better Then The Nose - Always Double Check Everything Your Doctor Tells You

OK, I feel like a bad bad Mommy. I thought I had learned never to trust Doctors, and always double check any information I was given, especially if it comes from a plain old pediatrician. But no, life gets busy, and somehow something I should have done slips by the back burner.

It all started when I called our local pediatrician to arrange flu shots for my three sweet young things. As I was talking to the nurse on the phone, she informed me that all three would be eligible for the flu mist instead of the flu shot. I asked her if even Conor could have it and she left for a second and then came back assuring me it was fine for him.

So, we head off to the Doctor's office last Wed, all excited to be misted and not shot, and still get our immunity to bad bugs. Everyone got the mist, and not a scream or yell was heard from the bunch. Natalie even thought it smelled kind of good!!!, And we went on our merry way to go on with our busy lives.

On Friday I picked Conor up from school, and he was secreting, hacking and sneezing to no end. Confused as to what could have brought on such an attack, I went home and drugged him and nebulized him for a few hours. After much hacking, sneezing and secreting, he fell asleep for the night, and then woke up in the morning perfectly fine, and well enough to score 2 goals at his soccer game. For the life of me though, I could not figure out what caused this sort of reaction in him, as there was nothing out of the ordinary in his day that I could put my finger on.

Later that Soccer filled day, I was talking to another parent whose son also had asthma and even goes to our same awesome allergist. I mentioned Conor had asthma also, and told her we had gotten the flu mist instead of the flu shot. This other soccer mom looked at me and told me her Dr. had said that kids with asthma should not get the flu mist. I was a bit disturbed on hearing this, as my son has asthma, and even had some sort of reaction a few days after having the mist. She told me it was even on their package insert in bold letters. OOOPPPPPSSS!!!!!

After all my distrust of doctors, I failed to double check a recommendation given not by my allergy son's allergist, but by the local pediatrician and his nurse. I feel so bad that I put Conor through an evening of fun. I subsequently went on line to check this myself, and of course it is clearly stated everywhere that the flu mist should not be given to those with asthma. Thankfully Conor only had that episode of hacking, etc, but I have still learned my lesson about double checking everything doctors tell me!!!

Super Epi Pen Swims With Sharks

Jamacian Irish Moss Peanut Drink

Just when you think you have seen everything...

http://www.roboppy.net/food/2009/02/why-did-i-drink-that-irish-moss-peanut-drink.html

Big Bamboo Irish Moss Peanut Drink,

Can 11ozIrish Moss / Sea Moss Drink - Ready to drink, right out of the can!INGREDIENTS:Water, sugar (sucrose), milk, peanut butter (roasted peanuts, dextrose, monoglycerides, and salt), corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, mono & diglycerides, soybean oil, sodium silicoaluminate, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, annatto color, modified food starch and carrageenan.
Shake Gently Before Opening.
I'll give you one good reason to try this beverage. It has been said to increase a man's sexual ability. Long before Viagra, Caribbean men have been drinking this gel-like drink to increase their natural ability.

You can buy this exciting concoction online here.

If Only Some Adults Thought More Like 4 Year Old Boys

I have just had my second appointment for my root canal, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, but root canals suck!!!! Yes, they hurt like heck, no, they are a big deal, and yes, the second appointment will hurt even more then the first!!!

OK, now that I have said that, I wanted to share a cute story. At Conor's totally great school, he has a little friend he knows from the pre-school who just turned 4. This little friend apparently went home and told his mother (as she was making him a peanut butter sandwich), that he would no longer eat peanuts or peanut butter. If Conor could not eat peanuts he would not have them either. He would only eat soy butter, and he and his mother went out together to buy some. This little boy was willing to not eat peanuts at home because his friend could not have them. If only some adults thought more like 4 year old boys.

OK, maybe not..........

Peanut Free Zones - Consent Agreement

Conor started kindergarten this week at a local little private school that I LOVE!!!! They are totally peanut and nut free, and are really consciencous about enforcing their rules. One of the things that impressed me the most is this form every student's family must fill out and agree to before entering the school. I thought I would include a copy here in case it could be of help to anyone else.

Consent Agreement

Peanut Free Zones

In order to ensure the health and safety of students at ********School, we are aware of the need to implement a peanut free zone and to inform parents and students of the severity of this allergy at the school. We humbly request parent participation in this matter so as to ensure that the *********School is a safe and fun environment for all students.



We have children with peanut and tree nut alelrgies that puts them at severe risk of death. We are therefore designating all areas of the school free of nuts/nut products and nut residue. There are signs posted around the school reminding the community of this policy.



A "peanut free zone" essentially means that nuts or food items containing nuts may not be brought or eaten at school. We also ask that any treats provided for school events or birthdays be nut free and not processed in the same facility wehre nuts have been processed.



In addition, parents and students will receive information on the severity of peanut and tree nut allergies and the risk to students. We ask parents to educate their children at home on nut allergies and are happy to provide parents with articles and materials to help them do so.



We appreciate all parent participation in this matter, and know that it is every family's goal to create a safe learning environment for all students. We are asking you to play your part in making *******School a safe environment for all of our students. Please feel free to discuss any questions/concerns with the *****School staff.



Please initial:



___I have read the Health and Safety information above.



___I understand the requirements and stipulations stated herein and agree to abide by them





_______________

Child's Name



_______________

Parent/Guardian Signature



_______________

Date

Super Epi-Pen - What I Did Over My Summer Vacation

I was going through some of our summer pictures, and I was happy to discover that Super Epi-Pen was with us on our travels. Here he is exploring the giant redwood trees during an excursion to the redwood forest at Memorial Park near San Francisco.

Things I Wish I Had Not Heard...

Having three children so close in age, I sometimes hear things that I wish I didn't.

On the way home from the dentist...

"Mommy, these new toothbrushes work really well. It is really cleaning up this penny I found on the ground."

"Look Mommy, my new toothbrush can clean the bottom of my shoes."

"Mommy, can I use this floss stuff to clean the cleats on my soccer shoes?"

Around the house...

"Mommy, Conor is cleaning the sink with the ice pack you gave him when he hurt his leg. He is even using soap and everything!!!"

"Mommy, you don't want to know how Conor is wetting his head to spike up his hair." Me, "I am sure I don't" Laughs and giggles come from the bathroom. "Mommy eeewwwwww, Conor is sticking his head in the toilet to wet his hair!! Look how spiky it is!!!"

"Mommy, Michael is wearing your bra as a backpack"

Give Bees the Bounce!!!

Michael has been attending soccer camp this week and loved every minute of it. He was even named the best camper out of his group (yes, I am gloating like a proud Mommy). The only bad thing about the camp was the bees. They were everywhere, and lots of people had gotten stung. Of course the first thing I thought of was "I hope none of those kids are allergic to bees, and if they are, someone has an epi pen and knows how to use it." I even packed an extra epi pen in Michael's lunch box and told him it was there just in case - and he does not even have any known allergies.

While I was trying to avoid bees and calm screaming beephobic children, another mother told me a great tip. Apparently dryer sheets keep away bees and wasps. Each day she sent her child in to camp she rubbed down his clothes and hair with the dryer sheet. When I got home I looked it up on the Internet, and it appears to be true!!!

Huh! Who knew? dryer sheets keep bees away

Someone even told me that the US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away.

While researching this fascinating information on the Internet I also found many other uses for dryer sheets.

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

He He He An Assaulted Peanut

Assualted Peanut!!!

He He He. THis is something I dream about doing on a daily basis!!!

AAHHH I Never Knew Mr. Peanut Played Soccer

Unfortunately, I guess I was a bit naive in assuming that since there were no peanuts at soccer matches in England and Ireland, there would be no peanuts at a soccer match in America. So, even though it was soccer and not baseball, apparently there were still a few moments where evil Mr. Peanut reared his head. I am glad I was not there, since I worry alot about everything, and would have been hyperventilating through the whole thing cursing evil peanut villains under my breath.

The report I was given by Mick, was that there were peanuts on the floors and stairs in most of the general areas, but not that much. He was pretty much able to avoid these areas and Conor sat on his lap during the game. There was one incident where the man seated in front of them opened his bag of evil and started shelling his peanuts, but after informing him that the little boy behind him could die if he continued, he nicely moved to another section to finish his snack.

Conor appeared to have no severe reactions to any of these brushes with danger, but he did start sucking his fingers (for us a sign of the beginnings of something. I have no clue why). He was dosed up with my favorite product portable benadryl, and all seemed ok from there.

In general, I would say the soccer game went well. The boys had fun, and enjoyed seeing their first real sporting event in person. I think they would even go back with proper precautions, lots of wipes, and all of our emergency medicine. I just have to remember.....Never underestimate the evil legume!

When All Else Fails, Try Distraction - Or Why Soccer is Way Cooler then Baseball

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas about what to do about my child's dreaded question. I have come up with a temporary solution. It goes back to my old motto, when all else fails, try distraction. Since the boys are huge soccer fans, we did some looking and discovered that a famous European team was playing some Americans (can you tell I know absolutely nothing about soccer???) in Palo Alto.

Mick and the boys are off to go to their first real sporting event tomorrow afternoon. Mick has assured me that peanuts are not a part of any sort of soccer tradition, at least in Ireland or England, so we should be ok. Even though I have absolutely no interest in Soccer, I have come to the conclusion that it is a way cooler sport then baseball. There is more running up and down the field, less of people waiting around to do something, and most importantly of all, peanuts are not such an integral part of the game that they are included in a song everyone sings during a break between innings.

OK, I will admit it, I actually have no love for soccer. I used to hate playing it when I was younger, and felt I was aimlessly running up and down the field. I also don't really enjoy watching it, and it seems like nothing ever really happens. Although I enjoy watching my son play on Saturday mornings, I am very relieved that I do not have to attend tomorrow's soccer outing and instead get to hang out and do girly things with Natalie.

I used to really like baseball too. I would watch games on tv and even attend some in person. I excitedly cheered when the Angels won the world series, and followed their seasons for some years after. I even own an Angels t shirt.

But you know, sometimes distractions can distract your outlook. Soccer is way cooler then baseball!!

The Other Day My Child Asked Me That Dreaded Question..

The other day, I heard those words every mother of a peanut allergic child dreads to hear. They are the words that put a chill through my heart and an ache in my head. And even worse these words were not even uttered by my peanut allergic child!!! It is so painful I have trouble typing them even here......... But OK, here goes. Other peanut allergic child mothers look away if you have to.

Two days ago, on July 7 2009, my oldest son Michael looked innocently up at me and asked, "Mommy, when can we go and see a baseball game?"

I calmly replied in an attempt to distract him "T-Ball season is over for the year, you can play instructional next year"

Michael looked up at me exasperated and replied, "No Mommy, like the one on TV. My friend friend is going to see the Giants. When can we go?"

I was able to tell him we would have to look into it, but what do we do???

I quickly ran over to the awesome web site Peanut Free Baseball Games, to see if I could find any sort of somewhat safe games, but Alas the closest games to us that I could find are in San Diego and Seattle.

I know I could try and take all sorts of precautions and just go, but I think I would have a heart attack ducking peanut shells, and trying to get an almost 5 year old to continually wipe his hands. Of course this is also the child who may have reacted to sitting next to a man on the airplane eating a bag of peanuts. I just don't think I could stomach going without actually going insane.

So, what are my other options.... Send the older child with his father while the other one sits at home and I am wracked with guilt over what he is missing out on. Send the older child with a friend and hose him down when he gets home? Don't let anyone go???

If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. Maybe it is time for a road trip to San Diego or Seattle.

Peanut Knows

As I get everyone ready to head down to Southern California again for the July 4th weekend, I thought I would share an interesting find I came across while surfing the Internet superhighway. I don't know how I find these things, but hey, I do have many hidden talents.

This is posted on the web site The Greener Grass. As they describe themselves,

"The Greener Grass is produced by Kaleidoscope, a product development consultancy in Cincinnati, Ohio. It uses our resources to initiate positive change by opening discourse, connecting people, and becoming a conduit for new thinking and discussion that leads to positive outcomes. Our goal is to build a community by interviewing experts and thought leaders, identifying trends, and creating concepts for products, services, and ideas that bring solutions to life."

Sounds like a great goal for me.

Anyways, one of the products they have on this site is called Peanut Knows.

"The Peanut Knows is a friendly little fellow that can detect the presence of peanut and peanut trace in food products. The electronic nose sniffs out the culprit and alerts the user, helping to prevent allergic reactions.

The concept is from a form metaphor of the elephant's affinity for peanuts. This is an elephant pendant that, when placed on the side of your dish (bottom button is depressed), 'sniffs' for peanuts. If peanut content is detected the 'mouth' lights up."

How cool is that???? It would be like the Peanut Detection Dog, but in a small pendant in the shape of an elephant. I got all excited until I tried to do further research, and discovered that this is just a concept for a product, and one like it does not appear to be in the works anywhere I could find.

So, all you people who make products.....

I would buy one of these!!!

Please make it!!!

What a great idea!!!!!

My Amazing New Talent

This week I discovered an amazing new talent. I know, I know, you are saying that I already have so many talents already, how could I discover even more....but alas, the trials of motherhood have shed light on this previously (and thankfully) undiscovered skill.

It all began on Tuesday. Conor woke up in the morning saying he was not feeling well. Despite this, he still wanted to eat, so I fed him his usual breakfast. As soon as Mick walked out the door to go to work, the puking began. WOOoohooooo. what fun. I got the puke bowl, and the towels, and proceeded to get the other two sweet young children ready for their camps. Then it dawned on me I have to get them to their respective camps, and I have no one to stay home with Conor. After the throwing up subsided, I figured I would try my luck, and load everyone in the car and hope for the best. I took the puke bowl, and the towels and we were on our way. Everything seemed fine driving along the road until I heard the words I dreaded to hear...."Mommy, I don't feel so good."

Of course my sweet young child had dropped the ever useful bowl, and that was when the adrenaline started. Somehow, with reason beyond reason, I was able to find the missing puke bowl, catch the sick child's regurgitation and drive for 5 minutes until I was able to get to a safe place to pull over on the highway. I did all this without hitting anything, getting a ticket, or even getting a drop of the unfortunate sickness onto the car. I was even able to sooth the sick child, and clean out the bowl by the side of the road without making a mess.

Now if that is not a talent, I don't know what is.

A Peanut Butter Tree

I know I don't have too much free time on my hands, but I find these oh so interesting things when I should be doing other oh so interesting things. So, here is my latest find, The Peanut Butter Tree (also known in plant terms as Bunchosia)

And of course the Peanut Butter Tree produces the Peanut Butter Fruit.


This of course lead me to my favorite source Wikipedia

"Bunchosia argentea is a species of plant in the acerola family, Malpighiaceae. It produces a small red-orange fruit with sticky, dense pulp and a flavour resembling a dried fig. It is native to Venezuela and Colombia in South America.[1]
It has a flavor similar to that of peanut butter, hence the name. Additionally, the scent is unmistakably of peanut butter. Mostly eaten fresh, also used for jellies, jams, or preserves. It is cultivated in South Florida."

Of course this raised many questions for me that lead me to waste even more time trying to pursue. I first tried to find out if this fruit is in any way related to the peanut. If my darling little allergic son ate this fruit would he have a reaction. After hours of research I was unable to find an answer on the Internet superhighway, and I am not that worried because I don't think the tree is too popular here but still inquiring minds want to know......

So now I am off to find more answers for myself (Does anyone know the meaning of life?) and avoid doing all those other things I should be doing. Until I find the answer though, beware of the peanut butter fruit.

Why God Made Moms - An End of the School Year Tribute

With the end of the school year upon us, I am presently sitting at home trying to write this while 3 still pajama clad children run wild around the house. I am finding it quite hard to concentrate with things whizzing by my head, and dangerous sounds coming from the next room. There is no screaming yet, so I figure all is good for now. In honor of the end of the school year a friend of mine sent me this below. It gave me a chuckle and I hope it will for you too. (Hmmm, I just heard from the other room "I think it is stuck in the oven" to look or not to look, that is the question.)

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2.. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your Dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Things I Learned on our Vacation - Lesson #2

Yes, I know, more lessons from our fun filled vacation to Ireland. When we arrived my very well meaning mother in law told me all the preparations she had done for our visit. She really is wonderful, and after a month or two of trying to understand Conor's allergies, she now really gets it, and does her best to help us out. Before we arrived she cleaned the house of any peanut products, made an effort to find safe foods for him, and cleaned the whole place thoroughly. She even had some things she was not sure of to have me check out for myself.

After we had been there a few days, (and I recovered from our 3 flights see lesson #1 only take direct flights) she excitedly told me she had checked out a local restaurant and thought it would be safe for Conor. She said she had gone in and talked to the staff and person in charge, and they said Conor could eat there safely.

Hearing this great information, we headed over there one night for dinner with tons of family. We all excitedly sit down and peruse our menu for our exciting dinning options. When I get to the bottom of the menu I see a giant disclaimer , "This restaurant is not safe for those suffering from nut allergies." Uh Oh, not a good sign. My husband gently points this out to my mother in law who stated that she spoke to the manager, and just never quite looked at the menu. I called the Manager over to our table, informed him about Conor's life threatening allergies. He first told me the food was safe, and there were only peanuts in a few things. I politely pointed out the giant disclaimer at the bottom of the menu stating his restaurant was definitely not safe, and then explained to him how cross contamination works. He went off to double check again, only to discover that many other products in the kitchen were not safe, and if my son was that sensitive perhaps he should not eat there.

Thankfully there was a McDonalds around the corner, (yes, McDonalds are everywhere) and the restaurant manager kindly agreed to let Conor eat his McDonalds happy meal in the restaurant while everyone else ate their regular food.

So what was my second lesson of our vacation.....

#2 Always double check any information someone gives you

and sub lesson - restaurant managers are idiots!

Another Lesson I Learned About Blogging About Our Vacation

I just checked my last post about that very important lesson I learned on our vacation only to discover that half my post was missing. Yikes!!! Where in the world did that brilliant prose disappear to in the cyberspace universe. Of course it was filled with brilliant pithy commentary about peanut allergies and flying, and may have even held the secret to peace on earth, but now it is all gone.... snif, snif snif.

So, the important lesson I learned is

Always Check Your Blog After You Publish It to Make Sure Your Entire Post is There.

Of course I discovered this almost a week later. Big oooppssss. I can not believe me or the three people that read this did not try and alert me that my blog ended in mid sentence. Talk about a cliff hanger.

OK, so I will see if I can finish off the exciting story. I am sure I can not remember all the really insightful, humorous details, and of course I seem to have forgotten the part about creating peace on earth, but I will try my best.

So, I think that after tossing Conor over the seat to Mick, he took him to the bathroom and tossed him back to me. Of course in this second toss, Conor's foot somehow hit the guy in the aisle in the head, thus awakening him from his peaceful airplane slumber. OOPPPPssss sorry. So, after I get Conor settled I look over to my right to again apologize to this poor man besides us only to discover that he has pulled out a snack to eat. Of course this was no ordinary snack, it was a giant bag of peanuts. My heart started to beat faster, as I turned to the man and anxiously requested that he put away his airline snack because it could kill my son. The poor man was so nice and apologized profusely that I offered to give him one of our snacks, or buy him a safe one from the airplane. Of course he declined my offer, and politely rubbed his head where my poor sweet thing kicked him, but I still felt bad for the guy.

I finally got Conor sufficiently drugged to calm the hacking and fall asleep. I contemplated giving him a nebulizer with really cool little nebulizer, with the fun option of freaking out the annoying flight crew by not telling them why smoke was rising from the middle of isle 24 but finally thought the better of it. I do have to say that I wonder if the proximity to peanuts could have caused all of Conor's symptoms, or could they just be related to the dust, etc on the airplane. It is something I will have to try and keep an eye on in the future.....

So we finally made it safely to Heathrow where I gave Conor a nebulizer, got all of our pictures taken in security, and wondered why the security people paid more attention to my socks then the large bag of liquids and needles I showed them.

We made it onto the third airplane where I discovered my air sickness gets very bad when traveling for almost 24 hours, and proceeded to throw up on the airplane, and for the hour ride to Nana's house. Those barf bags are really useful sometimes, and I made sure to stock up on our way home for little peoples new car sickness issues.

So anyways, just a simple reiteration of my first lesson that I have now hopefully completed....

1) Always Take a Direct Flight