Our long story shortened...

20 years of being in love

14 years of marital bliss

5 years of infertility

9 months of a high risk pregnancy

2 perfect boys (at the same time)

1 heart failure

1 type 1 diabetes diagnosis

1 happy life

To see the whole story click on the "about us" tab

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I am a stay at home mom who is raising twins. One of my guys has type 1 diabetes and one does not. I am writing this blog to unite type 1 parents or twin parents. Comment on my posts or in the "what's your high?" and "what's your low?" to join the community of parents just trying to do the best we can!

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4/28/12

A Special Disney Helper!







After I did my blog about Disney, I got a message from a Robyn at www.travelwiththemagic.com. I was at first super excited! Sometimes I live in a PollyAnna world and I thought maybe she was from Disney and wanted to offer me free trip so that I could blog about my experience. Well, that didn't happen, but maybe one day!

 

Instead though, I discovered a person just as good! So, until I save up enough to get myself to the magical world of Disney, I will let you all know about her.

 

Her name is Robyn and she works for a company called Travel With The Magic. They are a travel agency that actually specializes in Disney. The twist is that her goal is to be the Disney Whisperer for "Special Kids".  Now I just made up that phrase for the sake of being "compassionately correct.(See, I just made up another one. I should write more at 2 am). Robyn knows Disneyworld and all the magic of the mystical land. But she knows it as it exists through the eyes of our special children. Our children that have Type 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes,  autism, cerebral palsy, ADD, ADHD, allergies, etc...

 

When I spoke with her, I could feel the love and care she felt for every family she has helped over the years. She truly loves this specialized part of her job. She knows Disney is magical for families, but for families with special circumstances, it can also be intimidating!

 

Imagine that your child has a form of autism and is overwhelmed by a trip to the grocery store. A trip to Disneyworld would seem out of the question. But Robyn has been able to help such families navigate their way through their amazing Disneyworld week(s) with a lot less stress and anxiety. She knows the parts of Disney that are pleasing for an autistic mind.

 

She also knows the parts of Disneyworld that a parent of a Type 1 diabetic would appreciate.  This knowledge comes first hand, as her husband and son have Type 1 diabetes. However, her knowledge is not limited to autism or diabetes. She can help any child with a "specialty." (That one sounds good too!)

 

She can also help a family that has a child in a wheelchair. She knows the special passes that are available.  She knows the best months to go. She knows quiet places to eat and relax. She knows how to accommodate a 7-year-old with a stroller. She knows how to alert a chef when a child is allergic to the whole planet and only came out of his bubble to meet the big mouse! She really is the "go to" girl if your family has a child with special circumstances.

 

She knows that the cast members at Disney are ready and willing to help with any medical emergency. That is what makes them special.

 

She even has helped service dogs get into and navigate their way through the park! So she helps "special animals" too! She is heaven-sent.

 

In March, she hosts a Diabetic Mouseketeers tripfor families with diabetic children. It is a chance to enjoy the park knowing that there are other families dealing with the same issues at the same time. During this trip, she includes times when everyone can meet and mingle. We all know how it works when great minds collaborate!

 

Ok, now I know the cynical (I mean practical) ones out there are saying, "Great Shari, but Disney is expensive enoughI can’t afford a personal concierge too. Fear not my worrisome friends! You should know me better than that by now. I come bearing gifts! Her service is free! She can even take over your existing reservation with no cost to you, adding the benefit of her special knowledge! She has not paid, bribed or threatened me to toot her horn. No! She is just a great lady and I couldn't keep such a golden nugget to myself!


If you do not have a "special kid" but you know someone who does, feel free to pass this blog post onto them. 


Also, if you do not have a "special kid", call her if you and your family are going to Disney. She helps everyone!!

 

If you would like to contact Robyn, you can email her at Robyn@travelwiththemagic.com or call her at800-680-4312 ext. 125. Tell her I sent you and she will be thrilled to give you extra special love!


Don't forget about us little people. Let us know how your trip goes! 




4/24/12

Having twins comes in handy sometimes!



So, Zeke lost his two front teeth yesterday. He lost them the same way Rocco "lost" them. No old fashioned door slams for us! He also lost the exact same two teeth as Rocco. Twin thing? Maybe. 

It went great! He manned up and just let daddy work his magic. They came out easily! 


We all went up to bed to put them in the pillow for the tooth fairy to come! 

That is until one of the teeth fell out of the tooth fairy pillow somewhere between the kitchen and his bedroom. Between those two rooms are three other rooms including a set of stairs. Yes, each of these rooms have cream carpet. Perfectly tooth-colored cream carpet. Talk about a needle in a haystack! 

Well, Zeke started to cry and Rocco started a tooth finding mission! Duh duh duh daaaa! Rocco will definitely have a Superman complex when he gets older. He loves to come to the rescue. Zeke says he can't fall asleep until he finds it. So that of course had Michael and I on our knees helping out the mission. 

After about a half hour of looking, Michael and I got bored and just wanted to stop looking. Every time we tried to explain to Zeke that the Tooth Fairy will DEFINITELY (duh?) bring two golden coins, he would cry harder. 

Michael even pulled the old, "we can just write the Tooth Fairy a letter" trick. Until we both realized that telling a six year old to write a letter could take longer than actually finding the tooth in the cream colored carpet! Scratch that! 

Michael whispered to me, "I wish we had a decoy tooth we could use and just trick him into believing we found it" 

Hmmmmm.... Now, who do you know that just lost the EXACT same tooth about a month ago????

Oh no! You dittttnn't!!!

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, we did! 

Michael ran down into my jewelry box got one of Rocco's teeth and came running up the stairs chanting "I FOUND IT!".

Zeke (and Rocco) smiled two huge toothless smiles and tucked the tooth into the pillow and went right to sleep. 

Now we are not proud parents, however, we are crafty parents! Every family needs these kind of stories, right? 

Share a funny story from your family!

4/21/12

my dad

Two years ago today, my father passed away. He had a heart attack. It was a shock. He was a great dad. 

He lived on his own. My parents divorced after I graduated from college. I always hated that neither of them found another person to share their lives with. Especially my dad. After he retired, he got comfortable being alone. He was lonely, but at 74 didn't have much need to go trolling the bars for ladies. He didn't understand the Internet, so Match.com was never an option. He said to me one time that he always was kind of a lone wolf and he was okay with that. I took a small amount of comfort in that, but I really had a lot of guilt for not seeing him as often as I should have.
 
I wished he had someone to look after him. I believe he would still be alive today, healthy and happy, if he had found someone. No point in wishing for greener pastures now, I guess.
 
He lived an hour away from my sister and me. He would come for Christmas and Easter. We would meet him for his birthday and Father's Day. We would try to meet him in the winter at Red Lobster or to see a movie. It was hard. I wanted to reach out and invite him over for dinner more, but, as a single parent, he seemed uncomfortable when he was over. It really seemed like he just wanted to go back to comfort of his own world, in his own home. As he got older, he seemed antsy when he was out.  So, eventually, I asked him out less and less. I felt as if I was forcing him to be uncomfortable.
 
I regret that now.
 
I know that part of the reason my dad was uncomfortable when he would come over was because I was uncomfortable. I would try to flit around my kitchen and act as if everything was fine and light, but really I was nervous. Nervous that I was forcing him out of his comfort zone. Nervous that I was making him come and be with us. I now suspect that much of that was just in my head.
 
Was he happy to come over? Did he want to be with us more? Or was it hard for him like I thought?
 
I found my answer at the wake after the funeral. One of his long-time friends came up to me and said, "Boy! Your dad talked about your boys so much when he would come visit us".  Once a year, my dad would go down to Kentucky and hunt with this friend, and he said he couldn't wait until the boys got old enough to take them fishing.
 
My heart broke when he told me this.
 
Even as I type this two years later, I cry. His friend’s comments were a little window into my dad’s thoughts. He did like to come over and he did enjoy his grandsons. This was confirmation that I wasn't forcing him to be with us.  I should have had him with us more. I realize that now and that is still hard to accept. Really, terribly hard.
 
Living with regrets about things you cannot change infects your soul. It can eat you alive if you let it. It can be all consuming. Now, when I see pictures of my dad, all I feel is regret. I try hard to remember great memories, but, truthfully, I just feel sad. Sad that someone I loved so much sat most of his days in his house by himself. Sad that he died in his house alone. Sad because I should have pushed and tried harder. Sad that I didn't.  
 
So now, I try harder. I try harder with my mom. I try harder with Michael's 96-year-old grandma. I try harder with Michael's parents. I push them all out of their comfort zone. I invite them out with us more. Even if we are annoying to be with, it has to be better than being alone.
 
I can't change anything about my dad now except to take the boys fishing and hope his spirit comes with us.
 
If your parents are still alive, please try to invite them out with you. Take it from me, you can spend a wonderful life with someone, but after they die all you remember is all of the stuff you should have done with them - even if you and they are uncomfortable at times.
 
On a side note, here is a sweet "heavenly" story.
 
Three months after my dad died, Michael decided to take the boys fishing for their first time on an inland lake!  As with any trip, he prepared everything that these two little four year olds would need. It took him all afternoon. He finally left the house at 4pm with two very frustrated and anxious little people. They had been waiting to go fishing since 10am!
 
Michael stopped to get worms on the way. More waiting.
 
Finally, they got to the lake! Michael rented a little fishing boat and set out with two wiggly, excited boys. He had snacks and all of Rocco's diabetic supplies. He had drinks, he had worms, he had life jackets and he had three poles. All set!
 
They all got in the boat and Michael vigorously rowed into the wind for about twenty-five minutes out into the lake. Finally! They were about to have some fun!
 
But, as he started to bait the hooks, Zeke started to cry. Oh for God's sake, whaaaaattt?  "Zeke, what's the matter?" Michael asked in a controlled voice. "I haaaavvve to pooooooop!" he wailed! Michael said he almost jumped off the side of the boat, to end his suffering right then and there.
 
He knew he had to go in but he said "Let's just cast one time and then we’ll go home". He had to salvage something from this trip, even if only for himself!
 
He let each boy cast out. Then immediately, he heard the magic words.  "DAD! I've got a bite!!!" Michael said he was stunned to see Rocco's line spinning out into the water and the tip of his pole bending straight down! He helped Rocco reel in a huge large-mouth bass!
 
They all took a good look at it. They each touched it, snapped these pictures, and threw it back in the lake. Michael said the boat rental guy was shocked they that they had returned after only an hour on the lake! The funniest part of the story is, they haven't caught a fish since!

I guess my dad did finally get to go fishing with the boys and he didn't even have to leave the comforts of heaven to do it! 


4/19/12

Stupid bread filled with cheese!

Stupid Bosco sticks! Stupid trying to make everything "normal" mom who knows better!! Stupid fat that processes too slow! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

If you missed the post below read that first and this one will make sense. 

Before, lunch his blood sugar was 123. Perfect! 

He ate two sticks with milk.  75 carbs, Ugh!

Ok, so at 1:45 his blood sugar was 219. His ideal number is 90-120. This number is too high and he now has doesn't have any more insulin in his system. It usually helps him process his food for about two hours after delivery.  His school caregiver gave him some more insulin through his pump to off set this number. She is the best! 

At 2:30, she texted me because his blood sugar is now 261. Darn it! His body is STILL processing the fat from the cheese... Give more insulin but not too much because he is going to gym. The exercise and insulin could potentially tank his blood sugar. However, they are only bowling in gym today so it won't be that much exercise. 

At 3:00 his blood sugar is now 339! Damn it! Give him more insulin but not too much because he was jumping up and down for twenty minutes in gym out of excitement whenever anyone would bowl a strike (i.e. heavy exercise). And now he needs to get on the bus where he won't have me or his caretaker if his blood sugar tanks suddenly from the exercise and all of the insulin. Good thing he is only on it a short time. 

At 4:00 his blood sugar is 394!! He asks me for "those meat squares" (ham cubes) and a cheese stick. Good boy! He yells at Zeke for "touching" him. Poor guy just felt terrible. 
You can see it in his eyes that he is off...

I changed his insulin port because we do that every three days anyway and today was a change day. An hour of heavy exercise, port change and more insulin later- he is FINALLY back to his old self again at 129... phew! 

Stupid Bosco sticks! I hope the boys don't freak out every Thursday because I am never doing that again! No more Bosco sticks for my little ones. I know, don't say it, poor Zeke...

75 carbs! Ugh!

Oh dear God! Rocco and Zeke have bugged me since September to let them have these cheese filled breadsticks called Bosco Sticks. All the kids get excited about them every Thursday. I blown off their requests and they have just let it pass until the next Thursday! But, today I decided to let them buy them. I just left the school and gave him insulin for 75 carbs!!! Usually we stick to 35-40. I am hoping he processes them well. I'll keep you posted. On a positive note, Zeke ate the Bosco sticks but also added 2 celery sticks, 2 pieces of cauliflower, two cucumbers white( not chocolate) milk and a green apple. I am so proud!! These are the days when you try to let them be like everyone else while you hold your breath for two hours and turn blue!

4/17/12

Healthy Snacks List

Let's face it. Cooking is annoying! Coming up with delicious, nutritious meals that everyone likes is daunting! The only thing worse than cooking meals is concocting great snacks!

Creating a yummy snack for a kid like Rocco who has diabetes is mind bending.  Of course, as I’ve said before, Type 1 diabetics CAN eat everything. They just need to give themselves enough insulin to offset their intake of carbohydrates.  But, in reality, SHOULD they eat everything? No.

A cupcake with frosting is not as healthy for Rocco as carrots sticks. True. But this is also true for all children (and all people).  The difference is, when you feed a child with diabetes a high-carb food, you see the effects of it in an increase in blood sugar within an hour or two, creating a significant health issue. You can physically see the impact.  However, if you give a child without diabetes the same cupcake, the only visible impact is the obnoxious sugar-high behavior that follows! You see this too but just in a different way. Either way, the cupcake is not a good idea! So, we try and avoid it.

I try, and try being the operative word here, to avoid almost all sugary sweet treats. I usually do my best to just not buy them or have them in the house. Sometimes, tempting treats just call my name in the grocery store. Even if i hide them in the back of the cupboard for Michael and I, the two bloodhounds sometimes sniff them out. 

So, it makes it weird because you have two little faces staring at you asking you for the treat. One of which I would give without even blinking but the other I have to protect.  His body just works harder to process it. It gets "sticky". 

Most days Zeke just goes with what is put in front of him but some days he just wants ice cream! Of course, once he asks, Rocco starts in too. So then I see two little faces in front of me and I cave.



 Not supposed to cave but I do. I give the correct amount of insulin and then I wait. While I wait to see how this surge of sugar will affect my kids, I usually pray. Asking for any divine intervention I can get!  Then while I wait for the prayer to be heard, I yell at them to go play outside and burn some of it off! Your mom probably didn't know the entire reason she was sending you out to play after a sugary treat but exercise does help bring down the blood sugar faster than watching SpongeBob. Another reason to be in aww of your mom! 

This daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly back and forth game I play in my mind is daunting. There are times while I am mentally on this diabetes "diet" that I burn out. I get sick of creating healthy snacks. I forget all of the foods that have less than 10 carbs and I default to some processed snack hat is easier to just cut open and receive two smiles back.  Cheese (any)
·
Sugar-free jello
·
Johsonville turkey sticks
·
Sausages
·
Cheese sticks
·
Turkey bacon
·
Deli meat wrapped around a cheese stick and microwaved
·
Bacon bit, hard boiled egg and cucumber salad
·
Pickles
·
Kroger Carb-Master yogurt (4 carbs)
·
Snow cones made with sugar free syrup
·
Popsicles (sugar free)
·
Pepperoni
·
Beef jerky
·
Tuna salad
·
Chicken salad
·

·
SalamiSausage nibbles
·
Cauliflower cooked then puréed with butter cream and salt. Mmmm! Tastes like mashed potatoes
·
Any veggies cooked or raw
·

Popcorn
Cinnamon or Cocoa roasted almonds
Diet juice
Any meat cooked not rawVienna sausages
·
Pork rinds
·
Fresh mozzarella
·
Cottage cheese
·
Pickled green beans
·
Red, orange and yellow bell peppers
·
Ham-wrapped pickles
·
Olives
·
Almonds
·
Most nuts
·
Frozen cool whip
·
Fish
·
Celery with cream cheese
·
Scrambled eggs with cheese
(disclaimer: make sure you look at all of the serving sizes and carb counts on the packages. If it says 3 carbs per one serving, make sure you only serve one.)

So, I hope this helps! If we have missed anything, please include your ideas in the comments section below the post.

On a side note, I found another great product for breakfast cinnamon butter. Nutrigrain eggo waffles and Thomas's English Muffins work well for Rocco in the mornings. But, unfortunately, most things that go on these (syrups, jellies, etc.) spike his blood sugar.  The cinnamon butter only has 4 carbs for 1tablespoon and usually I smear on maybe ½ tablespoon. So I am not even sure it gets up to two carbs. Also, cinnamon helps maintain even blood sugar - bonus! Hope you like it as much as Rocco and I do!



·
Hot dogs

However, even though I burn out, I can not stay in that space. For the immediate and long term consequences of the health of both my guys, I have to pull myself out of the burn out. I have to stand up, go to the grocery store, come home and cut up the fruit. Cut up the vegatables and have the lunch meat ready to go. 

This week, I decided that making list to post in my cupboard would be a great way to remind myself of all of the healthy foods I should be serving. I also printed it off to put in my purse to use at the grocery store. 

I came up with a list of 23 things but then I decided to reach out to my friends. I belong to a couple of Facebook groups for parents of children with diabetes. I asked them what is your child's favorite "free food"? In the diabetic community, a free food is a low carb food. It usually contains no more than 5 carbs. Usually kids can have this many carbs and it will have only minimal effects on their blood sugar. A cupcake usually has about 35 of all the wrong kind of carbs! So we try to include as many of these free-food snacks as we can.

I wanted a make a list that you could post in your cupboard, to reference before going to the grocery store or anytime your kid is starving with a blood sugar in the 300’s. Even if your child does not have diabetes, feel free to use this list for them too! Or for yourself- what the heck! 

As always, my Facebook friends came through with an overwhelming response! Thanks everyone for helping the masses! Here is the list of their favorite "free foods" -

·

4/9/12

20,000 hits!



Hooray!!

We reached 20,000 hits in just 4 short months!
Thanks everyone for all of the love and support! 
Thanks for sharing us and "liking" us! 
It's all helping reach our goal of 100,000.
You all are the best! 

The boys and I decided, this time, we will go to a local bounce house to celebrate. No more ice cream! 
Rocco said when we reach 1,000,000 maybe we can go to Mexico! 
Meet us there! 
I will keep you all "posted" as the numbers climb! 

Love to everyone! 
Thanks again, 
Shari, Rocco and Zeke
 

4/8/12

The Easter Bunny left a scavenger hunt for the boys!

Happy Easter everyone!
Click here to see the boys find their Easter baskets!

Easter is my favorite holiday! If you can't tell by the colors I use, I love ALL pastels! Every year, the Easter Bunny hides the baskets for the boys. He sends them on a scavenger hunt to find them. This was the first year that they could actually read the notes. In years past, I(he) did it by using balloons when they were 2. Colors when they were 3. Alphabet when they were 4 and simple words when they were 5. So, it was fun to put it together with actual rhymes! Hope you enjoy watching it as much as they finding it. My favorite part is when they almost fall! Remember how exciting life used to be??? So, excited that you "fall for it"?

Post your Easter traditions below! Maybe I can use your ideas next year!