weathered a few storms this week. class trip --lots of preparing foods, but the director of food services (lots of emails to him too!) was great and my teen got the meals I cooked, served hot on a plate with the other kids--you all know what a victory that is. I made lunches and dinners, put each meal in a zippered plastic baggie and labelled it with a name, meal time and school name (just in case). The biggest challenge was the third day when lunch was on the bus--thank goodness for prosciutto--stays delicious while refrigerated or not. that and individual applesauces. whew.

And and overnight debate trip that only meant two meals to store. What I think is a riot is on Sunday, we were going out to lunch with old friends who suggested a burger and fries place which is great for us--easy to eat a burger without bun and fries were purportedly great. Well my teen --who with the debate group had gone to a TGIFridays at midnight and ordered a burger and fries--my teen went nuts about how possibly unsafe the lunch place was (I had asked about dedicated fryers) and how it's tough to try a new place!!! Ah the teenage years.

I was glad about the "Fridays " dinner-- spontaneity is what is so hard with allergies --and the camaraderie of it. I suppose I should have anticipated the spillover anxiety/ tiredness the next day. Live and learn . Hope all's well out there with you.

Well it's sumertime again--just kidding, but it is time to investigate summer programs for teens and just when one sounded really fun--friends going, fun program--whammo. The program can't provide meals for food allergies. Usually I would try to figure out a way, but this administrator was honest and honestly did not feel that the meals would work out well or safely, and I felt that a teenager shouldn't have all the responsibility of making meals or finding food--it's summer for pete's sake. So I hung up the phone feeling crushed. I felt angry that I had not called before my teen got interested-- that would have saved some heartache. Lots of anger --frustration--disappointment followed.
We always say that allergies shouldn't define these kids, shouldn't stop them from doing things,. Well, in reality, the allergies CAN redirect them, CAN even stop them in their tracks.