Merry Christmas

Hello all,

It is only a few days before Christmas. Us here in the mid west are bracing for an ice storm to bring in the Christmas Holiday. On my way home tonight due to Lynda's asthma kicking up we bought a present for the family of a generator. A few years back we had an ice storm and we were without power for 3 days. A very scary 3 days with Lynda and cold weather. Reminder for all of you that are hosting holiday parties to keep a close eye on your kids with food allergies, especially when you have new people that are unfamiliar with the rules around to celebrate with you.

Safe alternatives to traditional fare is also a good idea so that your child can participate in the holiday. But beware to make sure all things are kept separate so cross contamination does not occur or worse an accidental ingestion.

Check your candy canes- Spangler brand is manufactured in a gluten and tree nut free facility. Lynda enjoys them each Christmas season.

Have a safe Christmas- travel safely, love HUGE and remember the reason for the season!

All our love,


The Taylor's

Matt is coming home from the ARMY

Yes the girls (and us too!) are very excited to welcome Matt home for Christmas. This will be his first (and likely only) leave before he goes over seas as a combat medic! He has been trained on Food Allergies as part of his medical training and it will be interesting to hear what he knows. All our food allergic friends, please be careful during this holiday season! Make sure you know what you are eating! You are your own best advocate!

Happy Holidays!

The Taylor's

Spaghetti for those who can not have egg or wheat noodles

One of the things we try very hard to do is to make mainstream meals for Lynda. One we have done for a while now is Spaghetti. We have a local oriental food store that has great prices on rice noodles of all types- when we go to the local chain store in their health area, a pound of rice noodles can be as much as $4 where we can get them at the oriental store ranging from .85 to $2.35 depending on the type. Lynda likes the thicker Alfredo style noodles.

So here it is:

3 Lbs Turkey ground and browned (or our favorite meat)
1 medium can Tomato paste
1 large can Tomato juice
2 lbs Alfredo style rice noodles-

Boil the noodles as normal- strain and rinse off with cold water- add the turkey and tomato products to the bowl and heat for 10 minutes and enjoy. This is also a great dish for those calorie counters out there.

Hope this helps- we will post more recipies as I remember to right them down.

MN Food Allergy Group Trying to effect change at resturants

I got this from the Minnesota Food Allergy Assocation Newsletter. This would be great to do in any area.

Make Eating Out With Food Allergies Safer!

The City of St. Paul is considering an ordinance to increase food allergy awareness among food service employees. The ordinance will:

1) require a food allergy awareness poster in the employee area of restaurants and;

2) offer a discount on license fees if trained restaurant staff are on site and an allergen plan is adopted.

Due to opposition from the food service industry, the ordinance evolved into these two provisions. Earlier versions also included requirements to keep updated ingredient lists; having ingredient lists to be available to anyone at all times; and public signage.

Although not as comprehensive as earlier versions, AFAA and national food allergy advocates feel that the ordinance is an excellent step and ask for your support.

They also provided their supporters with a listing of contacts, armed them with information and invited them to the city council meeting. This is a stripped down version of what was originally presented due to push back from the food service industry.

Here is the text they provided on the what to say:

What You Can Say:
Share information -
12 million Americans have food allergies
6-8% of children have food allergies
1-2% of adults have food allergies
200,000 Minnesotans have food allergies
30,000 Minnesota K-12 students have food allergies
allergic symptoms include digestive upset, hives, swelling, breathing difficulties, blood pressure drop, and sometimes death
24% of restaurant operators thought eating tiny amounts of allergens was okay*
35% restaurant operators mistakenly thought fryer heat destroys allergens*
25% restaurant operators thought it was safe to remove an allergen from a finished meal*
awareness is essential
reactions you/your child has experienced
your experiences in restaurants
*statistics from an Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine 2006 survey of 100 restaurant operators

If you need a contact there to find out how to start this campaign in your area, send me an e-mail through the blog. Knowledge is power- we all just need to help educate the rest of the world!

The great Christmas Tree Experiment

Well as you all know Lynda has many food allergies. She does not (according to our visit at National Jewish 2 + years ago) have environmental allergies. So we are going to try the great Christmas Tree Experiment! Lynda and Callie wanted a real tree this year for the holidays. So we went to our favorite local Christmas Tree farm (who also happens to be the place we pick blueberry's in the summer). So in the best tradition of Clark W Griswold we went out into the wilderness and acquired a tree. As only a manly dad can do I conquered the tree by cutting it down in nothing flat, hauled it to the family truckster and mounted it to the roof for the 20 mile journey home. Once we purchased the tree it was determined we now needed stuff for the tree since we have pre-lit artifical trees- so off to help the economy buy purchasing lights, bulbs (the glass ones the girls all broke last year) and a tree stand. So now that Thanksgiving has passed it is now officially the Christmas Season at the Taylor house. (not to mention at every store we were at today they wished me a Merry Christmas).

Have a great week.
The Taylor's :o)

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving all! Well it was an uneventful Thanksgiving. We were able to have breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa. The off to Grandpa John's and Grandma Diane's for Thanksgiving with the extended family. Today was not as great however. Lynda was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia today so a few days without contact of her friends. Unfortunately she was supposed to have her birthday party with her cousins from out of town this evening. Lesson- take what comes at you one day at a time. We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Many blessings for the Taylor's. We are looking forward to a great 2010. I hope your family has had many blessings and more to come.

Enjoy Black Friday- what is left of it anyway.

Have a great week and a safe food day!

The Taylor's

Halloween Safety- Candy Warning

From our friends at Kids with Food Allergies:

1) Bite-size, individually-wrapped candies may have different ingredients or be processed in different facilities than their regular-size counterparts, so don't assume they are safe just because you have previously used the regular-size candies.

2) The ingredient label on a bag of candy may differ from the ingredient labels on the individual candies inside.

3) Advisory labels such as May Contain, Processed in a Facility, and Processed on Shared Equipment are voluntary. If a candy label lacks these statements, it doesn't mean the candy is safe from potential cross-contamination with an allergen. The only way to know if your Halloween candy is safe from allergens is to contact the manufacturer. (Read "Is Your Food Really Safe?" for more information.)

4) If a product does have an allergen advisory label, the product should be avoided. Studies have shown that many of these products actually *do* contain allergens.

5) Chocolates are commonly cross-contaminated with milk, soy, peanuts or tree nuts.

6) Allowing children to carry candies that contain their allergens can be dangerous. The wrappers can become loose and fall off the candy in their trick-or-treat bag, or children may attempt to eat the candy without you knowing. (Read Lynda Mitchell's story about how her son bit through the wrapper of a Snickers® and had an allergic reaction!)

7) Halloween dangers don't disappear that night. Be aware that other children may sneak candy to school the following week and attempt to share it. Remind your food-allergic child not to accept candy from anyone but you.

Have a safe and ghoulish Halloween!

The Taylors

Learning is Fun

Lynda recently did a caterpillar unit at school where they got their own caterpillar and were able to watch it transform into a butterfly. The picture is of Lynda releasing her new butterfly into the world. What a proud momma. This one was named Pinkie. What a great project at school. Kids are so fun when the come home and tell you about what they learned. It is great to see that excitement and thirst for knowledge. Support it as it will do your children well.

Don't forget about Trick or Treat for Food Allergies- your support helps research to find a cure for this affliction.

This week Sean saw an allergist- seems by cutting out a majority of the sugar in his diet, eating more of what Lynda does and eliminating soda from your diet, well those pesky food allergies you did not know you had start popping up. More to come on the results- Tested for a bunch of things.

Hope you all have a very safe week. Watch your asthma those in areas (like us) you have damp cold weather. Attacks can sneak up on you.

Have a safe week!
The Taylor's

It's cold and rainy- that means Asthma kicks up

Today is cold and rainy- for those that have asthma it is a mixture that causes asthma attacks. Be on the alert for the symptoms-
* Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out
* Coughing with asthma that won't stop
* Very rapid breathing
* Chest pain or pressure
* Tightened neck and chest muscles, called retractions
* Difficulty talking
* Feelings of anxiety or panic
* Pale, sweaty face
* Blue lips or fingernails
* Or worsening symptoms despite use of your medications

Have your inhalers close and make sure you do your peak flow readings as often if you suspect an issue. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Want more info- visit this webpage on WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-attack

Have a great (and wet) week.

The Taylor's

Trick or Treat for Food Allergies- 7th annual campaign

It is that time of year again- the 7th annual Trick or Treat for Food Allergy research and education. The Taylor's will be particapating again this year. How can you help. Get out your check book and send a check to Sean or Laurie Taylor marked with Trick or Treat FAAN in the memo- we will add it to the money Lynda will collect on Halloween night and send it to our favorite Food Allergy charity to help kids like Lynda. Can you help? If you need our address,

105 Maiden Street
Center Point, IA 52213

Thanks in advance for helping the cause!
Boo!

Breathing Treatments!!!!

Well it is that time of year when Lynda's asthma decides to kick into high gear. The cool, wet and falling leaves set her asthma off. Her eczema has flared too. Just have to keep her healthy, so we can avoid the hospital.

Puffy Eyes

Last night Lynda slept in her brothers bed- he is off at AIT Training in the Army and I think she was missing him. With new sheets on the bed she had a reaction to the mattress. She woke up with puffy eyes and swollen face. So off we went to church with sunglasses. Benadryl and ice packs took care of it.

Have a great Sunday.

The Taylors

Too hot

Lynda got to hot at school today so her eczema has flared up. In the tub she went, then it was 2 tsp of benadryl, lotion, and wet pjs. I rocked her for about 10 minutes and she fell asleep.

Emergency Room

Last night I had to take Sean to the emergency room. He was having an allergic reaction to acorn squash. Redness and some swelling in the face, broke out in a sweat and then had diarrhea within 1 hour of eating acorn squash, he said that it felt like his throat was closing. It was very scary. He was able to come home. We went to church this morning and he has been sleeping ever since we got home.

Last week Sean and I were out of town and grandma and grandpa were taking care of the girls. Lynda's and Callie's lunches were put into the wrong lunch boxes. Lynda opened her lunch box and saw that the food was not safe for her. She called the lunch room supervisor over for help. The nurse drove Lynda home and grandma was able to fix Lynda a new lunch. We are so proud of Lynda and the school for paying attention. This could have been a tragic disaster. God was watching over Lynda while we were away.

Unfiltered Raw Honey

I read that if you apply Unfiltered Raw Honey to your skin if you have a cut it will act like an antibiotic. So last night we tried this on Lynda's skin where she has these staph pustules. Then we covered them with wet socks and then dry socks. This morning to my surprise the pustules were just a red spots on her skin. A pustule basically looks like a pimple. The yellowish head on the pustules were gone. We are going to do this again tonight. Now that I know this works when we just see one pustule we will pull the honey out of the cabinet put some on her skin and then put on a bandaid.

Take care and God bless

Skin Infection

Lynda does have a staph skin infection. We are keeping her skin covered and she is on antibiotics.

The First Day of School- 2009!

The first day of school is an anxious one for any parent. The rush of emotions, glee, sadness, excitement, worry and pride. But for a child with food allergies (and their parents), all these emotions are multiplied. A new teacher, kids and maybe even a new school that has to get used to your child, understand their "rules" and learn to live with the differences. We are very blessed to be in the Center Point-Urbana School District (CPU) and they have a wonderful staff, and excellent nurse and kitchen staff as well as understanding parents and classmates. That being said it does not mean that all is always rosy. Lynda's skin flared 2 days before school started. With this mild summer we have had we have been blessed that she has not had much to report on the eczema side of things, but the humidity hit like a freight train a few days ago when the reality of Aug finally hit. So through careful planning and enacting "the plan" Lynda looks great on her first day of school. (see picture above) It took 2 days of wet wraps, face included, and her daycare provider doing the same while her parents were at work. You never know what each day will bring, except the smile of your beautiful child. So those with allergies, eczema or asthma please know your hard work is worth it everyday. It can be frustrating, hard emotionally for your child if they are teased or made fun of, but know that you and the strength of the Lord will pull you both through.

Check List for the Start of School:
________________________________
* Meet with the Administration- share your story, what it takes to keep your child safe and what you would like to see
* Be flexible- the plan you had may not work for the school as a whole- work with the staff at your school to come up with an alternative or compromise.
* Know your school nurse- make sure she has a list of your child's allergies, triggers and issues
* Make sure the school knows how to get a hold of you. Cell Phones, Pagers e-mail etc.
* If your child is highly allergic to certain things and they could come in contact with them in the course of their education, have a plan for gloves or masks to protect your child.
* Find out if there are other children in your school with the same issues, maybe you could start a small support group or have someone to discuss issues or ideas with.
* Suggest to your school that rewards should not be about food and to use food items as little as possible in their curriculum. i.e. using M&M's to learn counting.
* Start a PAL program in your classroom- your child's classmates need to understand how to help keep your child safe as well.
* Use on-line resources- share them with your district- they don't know what they don't know. This is your time to be an educator.
* Take Epi-Pen trainers to the school- Give them to the teachers, lunch staff and nursing staff so they know what to do should that time come.
* Create a safe zone for your child in the lunch room- Don't segregate children with food allergies, just create a safe zone on your child's table.
* Meet with the District Nutrition Director and staff, chances are they have not been trained in cross contamination. Help them help you- teach them how to keep your child safe.

I hope these back to school tips help. If you ever have any questions- post to the blog, send us your e-mail we will do what we can to help.

Have a great new School Year!

The Taylor's

Eczema flare and possible skin infection

Lynda's skin has flared up. It also looks like there might be a skin infection starting. Of course this would have to happen the weekend before school starts. We are wet wrapping and bathing three times a day to get her skin under control before school starts. We don't want her to miss the first day of school, but to keep her physically and emotionally healthy that might just be the route we take.

Lynda is becoming very aware that her skin is different from everyone else. She prefers to wear long sleeve shirts and pants. Her arms and legs are easy to cover up but when her entire face is affected that makes life much more difficult for her to deal with. She will ask to have her hair down to cover her face. She wants to wear her big sunhat and glasses.

Lynda needs a friend that goes to her school that has eczema too. Someone she can relate too. That way she does not feel like she is the only one that is different.

Callie's Birthday Party!

Boy the summer has flown by and we have been so busy we did not mention Callie's birthday party. We had a blast and Callie wanted a cupcake cake, so dad found one. We invited over all the cousins and kids from the neiborhood. The picture shows how center of attention Callie was. Did I mention she is a Hanna Montana superfan? She had a blast and fun was had by all. We had a record July as no place in the state of Iowa reached 90 degrees on any day, so with nice weather we were able to have the party outside on the 20th of July without melting away!

Have a great summer, we will be talking Back to School tips shortly- 2 weeks until school starts... whew, where did the summer go?


The Taylor's

The Blank Park Zoo

A couple weeks ago the family took a day trip to Des Moines and the Blank Park Zoo. Sean & Laurie had both grown up in Iowa and never been there. It was a pretty impressive zoo by all accounts. Lynda and Callie had a blast watching the sea lions, the feeding penguins and see the Lions and Tigers and Bears. We walked around for hours checking out the various animals- birds and general wildlife. We had a snack at the snack bar and enjoyed the cool July weather.

We heard from Matt

Hello All,

We heard from Matt- sounds like Basic Training (Army training Sir....) is going well for him. He did well on his first day on the shooting range putting all his bullets into the inner circle. Bad new though, he will not be returning in Sept to see us all due to the Army fast tracking his training. Will keep you posted as we hear, if you need his mailing address let us know.

The Taylor's

Happy 4th of July America

Well the annual Taylor tradition of going to Independence Iowa for their huge 4th parade continued yesterday. This year was not as sunny and dry as past years. Yep we all looked like soaked rats by the end of the hour and 1/2 long parade. The girls had a blast, grandma and grandpa came with us to hang out, get wet and drive back. We did not get to take pics due to the amount of rainfall- so next year we will double up. The girls have had a good forth, we have been trying to incorporate tradition with food allergy safety. So far so good- knock on wood as always. I hope you all had a great 4th weekend and enjoyed the birthday of our country. We have heard from Matt a couple times at Basic as he went through the reception process- sounds like things were going well so far- can't wait to hear back from him again soon! God Bless America!

Have a great week!

Summer Season of Parades Begins

Well is you are not aware the Taylor girls most favorite summer activity is parades and fireworks. So this time of year is GREAT! We overslept for the Freedom Fest parade so we went to Fairfax for their parade! What a great place, Daddy ran into his friend Lance there as well. Next week we are going to the world famous Independence Iowa parade. We were thinking of heading into town for the free drive in theater at the CRBT for Hotel for Dogs, but we had been out running around all day and we are pooped. So pooped both Callie and Lynda crashed when they got home. Hope all is well with everyone. Lynda's skin is starting to break out from the heat so we are back in the mode of getting back on top of it. Callie and Lynda had a great week at vacation bible school learning their "moves" to the go fish songs as Callie puts it. Hope you all have a great week. Be safe with your food.

Happy 4th!

Summer is just a little sweeter this year....

Well yet another milestone. One of our worst memories of summer has been when the ice cream truck starts rolling down the street. Every year all the kids (and there are a lot) from our neighborhood would run and wait for the ice cream truck. Lynda always looked so sad. Sure we made her own Popsicle, but they weren't the same. Well the folks that come through our area got some that are Lynda safe and she was able to purchase her first Popsicle from the truck. She was grinning from ear to ear. It is such the little things in life.

Happy summer everyone!

Angel Food Ministries

Great news for all those allergy suffers out there. Angel Food Ministries has a program where you can get $60.00 worth of food for $30.00 bucks. No qualification needed, just submit your order and you are in. It is a great deal. Now for the new and exciting news.... They have an Allergen Free Box. Here is what their website says:

ALLERGEN-FREE BOX

Processed to eliminate the eight top serious allergens: Peanuts, Soybeans, Milk, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, Tree Nuts and Gluten (wheat, rye and barley). Great for children and adults!

A link to this months menu can be found HERE!

Support this great cause and get great food to eat. Hope this helps out someone! Have a great afternoon. 2 days until Gage's benefit!

Graduation Weekend

Lynda's oldest brother Matt graduated from High School yesterday. We had a great party and had a bonfire past midnight. Lynda's skin has been a bit iffy the last couple of days, but she has been outside playing a lot and the pollen count for trees is through the roof. With the holiday weekend we have had lots of fun with the neighbor kids and all our visitors. Matt did great at graduation and we are a few weeks away from heading to the army. Ships off to South Carolina for basic. Looks like Laurie and Sean will be heading east for graduation again in a few weeks. All for now we have more to come very soon. Has been really busy getting through the end of the school year and Matt's graduation. Remember next weekend is Gage's fundraiser- head over to Ottumwa if you can. If you have anything for the auction Sean & Laurie will take it over there.

God Bless!

Gage's Benefit is finally Scheduled! Horay!

Hello All,

The benefit for Gage is set! Please see the flier posted here. We will be taking donations for the silent auction and donations on behalf of Gage here in Eastern Iowa and get them down for the benefit. If you or you business can help us get Gage there, please prayerfully consider whatever you can do. Gage's mom does not have the benefit of insurance like we did, so this bill will be HUGE! Help how you can.

Let me know if you have questions.

Allergic Reaction Day Three

Lynda is doing much better the redness is almost gone and the swelling is starting to come down. We did not have to seek medical attention this time. The only thing I can think of that would have brought on this reaction is that she slept with the wrong pillow. The pillow she got a hold of did not have the dust mite protective zipper cover. That pillow has since been removed from our home.

Allergic Reaction day two

Her face is still swollen and red. No other part of her body is being affected at this time. She is not having any breathing problems. Spoke with the doctor on call this morning and we are going to wait another day and see if she can turn the corner her at home. If she is still bad on Monday we will go to the doctor.
We are wet wrapping and giving Benadryl every 4 hours.

If any of the Mercy Hospital nurses are reading this we may be coming to see you soon.

Allergic Reaction to something....

We went through our normal bedtime routine of bath, lotion, brush teeth, singular. This morning when Lynda came into the living room I was shocked. Her face was swollen and red. I am talking very bright deep red. So we washed her face off, gave her some Benadryl and then put on her steroid cream and wet wrapped her face for two hours.

Two hours later her face is still swollen and red. She is playing right now with her sister. We will be doing another two hour wet wrap session in a little bit. I hope we we can fight this off here at home.

I will post a picture of her later.

Earlier this week we have been fighting an eczema flare on both of her arms. That has seemed to calm down now.

I found a Lynda safe play clay recipe that I am going to share with you. We made this today and both girls are having fun! We will be making a batch to take to school since she can not play with Play Dough. If she does play with it she has to wear latex free gloves. That isn't as much fun as getting your hands in there.

1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/2 cup Salt
2 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Cooking Oil
1 teaspoon Food Coloring

Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook over low heat until it forms a ball. When cool enough to touch, pat gently until smooth. When completely cool,store in an airtight container.

2nd Annual Allergy Free Game in CR

Hello everyone,

Well the night is finally here! We have our big game at Kernel's stadium tonight and we will have the table like last year with great info on food allergies. Lynda will be in attendance so come see us and learn more about this affliction. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! We will have picutures and an update after the game. You still have time to go to the game and purchase a ticket.

"Take me out to the ball game....... give me no peanuts or cracker jacks.."

see you there!

The Taylor's

Gage's Video-

Hello all,

Our friend Gage who lives in Ottumwa also has severe food allergies and is desperately trying to get to National Jewish as well. He has heard about what it has done for Lynda and Jesse and would really like to go. Here is a link to Gage's Video:

Click Here!

Enjoy,

Have a safe weekend all. Laurie & I are celebrating our 12th Anniversary this weekend. Can you believe she has put up with me that long.

Sean

Easter is coming- scary time for food allergies

Well it is that time of the year again. Easter is coming and it is the worst time for someone with food allergies. Keeping a food allergic child safe this time of year is tough. In fact the last 2 years running Lynda has ended up in the hospital after Easter due to a reaction. Our goal this year is to keep her out of the hospital so we are being extra careful. Not attending some church celebrations, heading over to families houses for a few minutes vs the entire celebration.

Here are some ways to keep your food allergic child safe during this holiday:

1) Have your child wear gloves- most children do not wash their hands after eating candy (adults either)
2) Have your events not center around food and candy- give away trinkets, play games etc.
3) Minimize exposure- know the environments you are walking into
4) Expect that everywhere you go will be dangerous

I hope these tips help and keep you safe for the Holiday-
Remember to mark your calendars for April 21st for the 2nd Annual Food Allergy Awareness Night at the Ballpark! Kernels Stadium- Cedar Rapids, IA

Have a great holiday week.

The Taylor's

Spring Is Here and Lynda's eczema flares

We can always tell it is spring, because Lynda's eczema will flare. Historically we have been in the hospital every year around Easter. I know that Easter is only a few weeks away, let's hope this year is the year that we can break our record.

Yesterday and last night, we had to wet wrap both of her arms. She was scratching at them and I knew if we did not get those arms wrapped we would be heading for a full body flare. So out come the ace bandages and the steroid cream. She was still able to play outside as long as she had long sleeves on to cover up her wraps. She does not want the kids to see her arms wrapped. She is getting older and is sensitive to what other kids think of her.

At first she did not want me to wrap her arms. Once we got started she was fine. I told her that if we just do your arms and get them under control we might avoid having to wrap your whole body. We have come a long way with wet wraps. I can remember her screaming, crying, and fighting Sean and I every time we had to wrap her. Over time she has learned that the wraps calm down her skin and then she is at peace and can sleep.

I thank God everyday for the doctors and nurses who have taken care of Lynda and who have taught us how to care for her skin. Without them we would still be living the nightmare.

Another Hospital Visit.....

Hello All,

Just a note to let you all know Lynda visited the hospital late Sat night. She had a hard time breathing and we were not sure if she was suffering a delayed reaction, asthma issues or what. Her breathing got so labored we rushed her to the hospital. She ended having a bad case of the Croup! She spent the next couple nights in the hospital and had fun hanging out with her favorite nursing staff. They are so great up there in the peds unit, I hope you never have to visit there, but if you do they are the BEST! Lynda is doing great now. Here are a couple pics from the latest hospital visit.

Sean

Two weekends of Parties!

Hello All, I am really trying to post when I can. I have had a pretty full social calendar lately. A couple of weekends ago my friend from school had a birthday party at Pump It Up and Callie & I had a blast there. You can tell by our pictures. Then last weekend we went to Burlington to Fun City and played at our friend Thomas's birthday party! Wow that place was fun too. Dad won us both big stuffed animals at this claw game and he got a 3rd one for Matt. We got to go swimming at this water park there that is inside and has a huge bucket way up high and it dumps water out. Let me tell you when it comes down it will throw you back! Callie and I both did it (with dad's help). Once we got done swimming we went bowling they have a really cool bowling alley there with black lights and glowing lanes. We all bowled one game before dinner. I almost beat daddy! Next time I will get him. The we played video games for tickets and had dinner. What a blast. Both nights we were really tired from all the excitement.

Lynda Dee

2nd Annual Food Allergy Awareness Night at the Ballpark!

It's here again folks- Food Allergy Awareness night at the ball park! Please join the Taylor family at the Cedar Rapids Kernels vs. Clinton Lumber Kings on :

Tuesday April 21st
Gates Open at 5:30 PM
Admission is $6.50 until 4-20-09 Price at the gate $9.00


The Taylor family will be manning the FAAN table again this year. Stop by say hi! Get some info and learn more about food allergies. And for goodness sake ENJOY THE GAME!

- No products containing peanuts/tree nuts will be served at the concession stands
- The stadium will be cleaned of any remnants of nut residue before the game
- Alternative snacks will be served in the stands during the game

To purchase tickets call the Kernels Ticket Office at 896-7560 or in person the Ticket Office hours are: 10 am to 5 pm M-F, 10 am to 2 pm Sat. The ticket office opens March 16th.

A special thank you to the entire Kernels organization for continuing to support this great event. Last year we had so many parents come up to us and say this is the only professional baseball game they have ever been able to go to as a family. Please support this worth while event so the Kernels continue to allow us this family activity every year! We are hoping for a sell out this year, help us achieve that goal!

The Taylor's

Working with the School

We have had a great many people ask us about how we handle lunch at school and what precautions we put in place for Lynda to ensure her safety at school. So we thought we would post some pictures of some of the things the school (CPU is GREAT! ) has put into place to ensure Lynda's safety. They have signs posted in her classroom (Laurie made the poster with all her allergens on there as well as her safe foods) and they have outfitted her table in the lunch room with special graphics so other kids (and adults that work with Lynda) understand the rules at the lunch table. They also block off a chair on each side of her to give her a "safety zone". There is a staff member each day that is responsible for wiping down her area prior to her arrival and they check on her during the lunch time to monitor for reactions. I will tell you this works, just check out a couple posts ago. I hope this will help someone with their school. Remember Knowledge is POWER!

Sean & Laurie

Field Trip with Dad

Well today was our field trip to UNI (or Northern Iowa) for a play depicting 6 short stories. My daddy decided to take the day off of work and go with me on the bus and sit with me as we watch the plays. One of them was about Giving a Pig a Pancake! It was funny. When we got there we had to climb up all these stairs -daddy told me 5 flights- and we sat way up high. (in the one picture of me you can see the stage way in the background) I was glad my daddy was there because we were up so high. Daddy road the bus with me all the way up, we sat next to each other during the performance and he road back to school with me and took me to my room so I could wait for the other kids to get their milk for lunch. We had a great time. Daddy and I looked for animals and animal tracks in the snow on the bus ride and we looked for airplanes in the sky. We got to sit next to my friend Nicole on the way back. All in all it was a fun field trip- I want my daddy to do that again some time.

When the phone rings.....

Can be the most scary and unnerving feeling for a parent dealing with food allergies. That was the situation last week for Laurie and I. The morning the school called. Lynda accidentally got the wrong play doh in art class. Guess what play doh has Wheat in it! Me being 45 minutes away from the school and Laurie a good 25-30 that is the worst call to get. We are very fortunate the staff at our school is very hood and on the ball. One of the lunch room workers noticed Lynda was not looking right and breathing funny. She had rubbed the play doh into her eye and it started to react. The nurse at the school acted quickly and she was observed in the office for 2 hours. By the time I got home she did not look like she had a reaction. The point to this post is to encourage parents to work with your school. Drill and practice what happens when a reaction happens, because most reactions happy outside the home. Have someone desinated to be their champion and an expert on your child. We are so blessed to have this situation, but we started planning for it long before Lynda went to school. So tonight as she went off to "church school" I got one heck of a smile. Keep Safe

Sean

Happy New Year!

Hello All,
Welcome to 2009. Callie, Matt and I had a great Christmas and a fun New Years. Our cousins from California and Western Iowa came to visit and we had a couple fun filled days of hanging out and playing until we dropped. We went ice skating and shopping. 2009 has been cold so far and there has been a bunch of snow! Callie and I have been playing in the snow a lot and pretty much getting in the way when it comes to shoveling and clearing the snow. We had no school today because we got 6+ inches of snow last night. I hope we don't get any flooding this summer. Keep warm everyone and remember as my daddy tells me "don't eat yellow snow!"

Lynda Dee