It was not only an epic summer, with vacations to Cape Cod and Maine, but it was a successful summer with no allergic reactions. It has actually been a few years since the last allergic reaction, but the fears of a reaction and my natural instinct to keep my child safe never goes away.
Even being away from home, on vacation with so many family and friends, who filled the refrigerator and cupboards with all kinds of foods that we don't keep at home, we were able to stay safe. Constant vigilance was needed and at times it got overwhelming making sure we used the right loaf of bread or the safe container of margarine. We only keep one kind of margarine at home, the safe one. Every time my son, now eleven, opened the refrigerator door, while on vacation, I felt myself take a deep breath and hold it. We were not at home, where our son has a little independence and can make some of his own food choices without worrying about grabbing the wrong food. The overwhelming feeling of wanting to make all of my son's choices and protect him will always be with me. That's just part of loving your child and wanting them to have the most normal childhood as possible.
With good planning and cooperation from all, we had great vacations. No, we weren't able to go to the local ice cream shops with the cousins, but we were able to make soy ice cream sundaes at home, and even enjoyed lobster in Maine with soy margarine instead of butter.
So now it's back to school, sports and the fall season on the Chesapeake Bay. Looking forward to trying new recipes that I can share and getting back to blogging!
