Category: Working Mama

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The first day of school, the sequel

Today was really the first day of school–the first day of school in our newly constructed building. Reasons why it rocked:

1. I didn’t have to apply bug spray or sunscreen
2. I didn’t have to play camp counselor
3. My students were happy not to be in “the log cabin” anymore.
4. No one wet their pants.
5. A few parents banded together and gave the staff an appreciation luncheon–La Fiesta style
6. I didn’t break a sweat.
7. The day was pleasant and went by quickly.
8. I had enough energy when I got home to cook dinner and do a few things, not just zone out on the couch.

Truly, this was the best first day of real school ever. Partially, I think, because we were all so grateful to be off the ever-loving prairie!!!

To top it off, MAM came home with NO wet clothes. We’ve been averaging 1-2 pairs of wet undies a day, which is perfectly understandably. Today? None. Now she didn’t go 100% at home, but that’s ok. Making it to the potty for 9 hours straight is quite a feat!

The one odd thing is that her cough is back–it started yesterday, and she coughed through the night and during nap today. She’s gone to be early because she was so exhausted. She’s had absolutely no milk, so I’m thinking the cough may be the product of one of the other triggers which may have snuck into her diet. Have you ever tried eliminating SOY? Nearly impossible. If it’s gone tomorrow, we’ll know it was for sure a reaction and not a cold (I think).

If the first day of school hadn’t gone so swimmingly well, I think I’d start studying dietetics and consider changing careers.

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Hooray for Friday!

Today’s been the best day of this never-ending week.

For starters, it was our last day on the PRAIRIE. That, in and of itself, makes it the best day of the week.

For seconds, I met with a fantastic pediatric dietitian, who told me I was doing a great job eliminating MAM’s allergens, and gave me a few things to add to my to-do list on that front. I need to check out our most frequented restaurants to find out about frying oil and assorted additives to meat products. I also need to check labels and exclude products “manufactured on shared equipment” to said allergens. But she also said that phone calls or emails to assorted companies can verify if a specific product is made on shared equipment. Why be so diligent? So that she can totally avoid these foods for awhile, which should facilitate her out growing of said allergens. Without total avoidance, they may not go away or they may pop up later.

Thirdly, I ate every meal out today. I did find it ironic that I ate an exceptional double cheeseburger from Hardee’s on my way to the dietitian, but such is life. Why the sink is still full of dishes is beyond me.

And last but not least, after working for 3.5 hours tonight, my classroom is ready for Monday. And more importantly, the building finally passed inspection, so the classrooms can actually open on Monday. In our lovely new building AND NOT ON THE PRAIRIE.

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It was nice while it lasted…

So the down side of having a wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free household is that when you are presented with baked goods and your kiddo isn’t around, you go a little overboard.

I work with a group of ladies who either eat or bake when they are stressed. It’s a nice balance–there are bakers and there are eaters. Since I don’t bake, guess which group I fall in???

That would be the eaters. So the fudgy brownies with chocolate chunks, along with the oatmeal-vanilla chip cinnamon cookies that were baked were eaten–by me, every time I walked into the school kitchen last week. We had a lot of boxes to unpack and move around–so I walked into the kitchen a lot. I couldn’t help it….I kept finding kitchen boxes (and wrestling them out of peoples hands so that I could go to the kitchen, but that’s another post) .

How many treats did I eat? Apparently about 7,000 calories worth because I’ve gained back 1.6lbs for an even 174.0 weight this morning.

Since we’re out on the prairie this week with the children (since the school parking lot isn’t done and we haven’t passed inspection), I was hoping to get more exercise-yesterday we did go on a nature walk. But then it started raining. And it hasn’t stopped. The more it rains, the more time we will spend on the prairie (in a log cabin room, no less) since our new school can’t open til the parking lot is done. And right now the gravel pit that needs to be paved is a swimming pool.

So while I may get more exercise on the prairie (once it stops raining) I think there will be much consumption of mood-altering substances such as chocolate and what not. Maybe it will balance itself out. Maybe I will become a fatter person on the prairie. At this point, I don’t really care!