Naturally Sweet Sisters

Naturally Sweet Sisters - WALK TO CURE DIABETES T-SHIRTS FOR SALE

2013-06-18T12:31:00.001-04:00

Calling all "We want a CURE" fans and supporters!!!!

The Naturally Sweet Sisters have set up a campaign with Custom Inc. to fundraise for the 2013 Walk to Cure Diabetes.

To help start the fundraising efforts in style, our girls created this super fabulous, one of a kind, 100% cotton, t-shirt.

To order yours, simply click on this link (or cut and paste into your browser) and order a shirt for only $14.00!

http://campaign.customink.com/sweetsisters

$3.00 from the sale of every shirt will go directly to JDRF and their efforts to further research and help CURE TYPE 1 DIABETES!!!

The shirt will ship from CustomInk directly to your home, approximately two weeks after the close of the campaign on September 1, 2013. Which makes it a great time for fall walks, back to school, birthdays or even save one for a Christmas surprise!!!

Here are five reasons of why you should purchase a t-shirt:

5.) Green is the universally best color for all skin tones!

4.) Everyone who is anyone is going to want to wear this.

3.) Wearing this shirt will start a great conversation on type 1 diabetes.

2.) No one should be naked.

1.) Buying a shirt makes an immediate donation to help CURE TYPE 1 DIABETES!!!!

Diabetes and Crafts: How to Make a Summer Survival Kit for Kids

2013-06-17T04:30:00.000-04:00

Completed Project: Summer Survival Kits for Kids

This week, my niece and nephew are coming for a visit. Because I love and adore them, I always try to have a fun little surprise planned. Over the years, my niece has dubbed me her favorite 'Ant' and to me, there is nothing sweeter than being a little girl's 'Ant'!

From my favorite niece!

To keep in their good graces and to make sure my title goes unharmed, this is what I am surprising them with:

The Naturally Sweet Sisters Summer Survival Kit Contents

I am calling it a Summer Survival Kit and it contains a decorate your own bug jar, a package of marshmallows, one chocolate bar, one sleeve of graham crackers and some sparklers. For fun and to annoy other adults, I added some poppers. This may very well be what makes me a great 'Ant' - I have a high tolerance for loud fun!

The jar is simply a recycled glass jar (for little ones, you may opt to use plastic) from our pantry. I think I used pickle jars, salsa jars and even a garage sale jar. All of them will work just fine and you do not have to worry about sizes matching. Anything goes! Just wash and dry before adding anything inside.

The poem is written by me - feel free to copy as you would like.

Next, I have a cutie patootie Bug Jar Decorating Kit from Kids Camp. For a dollar, the kids will be able to personalize their jar and make a super cute container. While there were a few to choose from, I bought only the lady bug and the bumble bee kits. You can purchase the sticker kit at your local JoAnn Fabrics.

Since the kids will be decorating the jars on their own, to make the plain glass container interesting, I added four gummy worms and a little slip of paper that reads:

Just add a few gummy worms for that 'bug effect'! Guaranteed kid pleaser!

This is my little bug jar

To study bugs from afar.

I promise before the day is done,

To let the bugs back out so they can have more fun!

For the marshmallows and graham crackers, I added a sharpie label with the carb amounts. As in the past, the kids often mix and match their things - thankfully, we have a bunch of 'sharers' in our family so having a label on all food items is very helpful. No matter what bag you use, the carb count is right there, making it for an easy bolus.

Hershey Milk Chocolate has a label on the back of the candy bar, so no need to re-write. For reference, I think one s'more is 24 carbs ( 1 marshmallow is 6 carbs, 2 sheets of graham crackers are 12 carbs and two chocolate squares are 6 carbs). Please be sure to double check your labels as YMMV - your mileage may vary on your carb counts.

If you are on injections, why not dose for a s'more with your meal and then make a microwave version after eating?

Not to mention that having my niece and nephew receiving labels on everything food oriented, tends to normalize type 1 diabetes. The cousins have grown up together and know that part of maintaining good health, is to match insulin to carbohydrates. It all seems routine to these kids now and no questions are even asked. If anything, the kids have fun taking turns trying to use their math skills the fastest!

Have fun making your own Summer Survival Kit and if you come up with other find items to add, please leave a comment below. As one 'Ant' to another, I am always looking for good ideas!

Disney and Diabetes: What Are Your Thoughts About the Disney Guest Assistance Card?

2013-06-16T23:11:00.001-04:00

I received this comment today and found it interesting. From what this person has left under the initial "K", I thought it might be good to open conversation.

Do you or do you not think that people living with type 1 diabetes need to use a Guest Assistance Card?

If you have a moment, please write a comment on this post using the www.naturallysweetsisters.com website. Facebook comments will not link to the blog, so for the sake of conversation, please post all thoughts here.

From "K"

I think it is terrible that you encourage and train people to get the guest assistance card. You and people like you are the reason they are revamping the program. My father has Type 1 Diabetes and my niece has had it since she was 2. Never in all the years that we have traveled to Disney has either of them asked for or needed a "front of the line" pass. What are doing is deplorable. You need to save the pass for families who actually need it. Disney is cracking down on people like you and I intend you report your website to them. on Walt Disney World And The Mysterious Guest Assistance Card (GAC)

Sunday Serenity: Happy Father's Day

2013-06-16T04:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day!

Love,
The Naturally Sweet Sisters

Happy Father's Day

2013-06-15T19:48:00.004-04:00

In 1994, my dad suddenly passed away. I was in college, living with three other roommates in an apartment off campus when the phone call came in. I could hear my sister-in-laws unusually worried young voice on the other end of the line. Tearfully, she asked if I could drive home and meet the rest of the family at the hospital because my dad wasn't doing well. She explained that he was in the hospital and no one was fully sure of what was happening except that my mom had driven him in after he had complained of chest pains. My boyfriend, now my husband, quickly grabbed his car keys and we drove straight away. By the time I arrived, my father was already gone. He suffered several heart attacks after an aneurysm ballooned in his stomach. It happened so suddenly that none of us really had time to even know how to help him.

I never had the chance to say good-bye or to give him one last hug. Just barely in my 20s, my dad was long gone.

Because I was so young when he died, my dad never saw me graduate from college or start my first job. He didn't dance at my wedding, see our first house or see the birth of either of my daughters.

Many a times I have wondered what he would have thought. Would he have been proud? Would have he have cheered us on? Would he have offered sage advice or loving compliments?

Most of all, I wonder what he would have thought at realizing his two granddaughters, even while beautiful, sweet and smart, were also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Would he have supported us? Learned how to do an injection or calculate carbohydrates for an after school snack? Would he have cried when we cried? Would he have rallied around us when the girls had a good or a bad blood sugar day? Would he have helped pick out a pump color or even let his granddaughters give him an injection?

I'll never know.

And sadly, my daughters will never know. Even more sad, they'll never know him.

I'll continue to do my best with stories and tall tales. Uncle Monkey will fill in the blanks and together, we will be more than enough of a 'grandpa' for all of the grandchildren.

For me personally,one thing that I do know and something that I hold close to my heart is that no matter, we have done an amazing job with this life, even with the added surprise of type 1 diabetes.

That's more than enough to be proud of and especially to know.

Love you, Dad.

Happy Father's Day.

Selling Shoes and Selling HOPE

2013-06-13T04:30:00.000-04:00

Our elementary lunchroom table for selling paper sneakers for JDRF.

A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter initiated a school project for her Student Leadership Council that involved selling paper sneakers for JDRF at lunch time.

It was a very simple and easy way to help spread awareness of the need for a cure of type 1 diabetes.

Not to mention, it was also a fun and colorful way to decorate her school.

Paper sneakers. I'll always think they're cute!

All we needed to do was to send a letter home with directions to send school children back to school with some spare change to donate to JDRF. In return, we offered the families a chance to sign a paper sneaker with their child's name.

We hoped that the project would sell about 200 paper sneakers. At $1.00 each, our estimated total would be $200.00. Not bad for the last week of school and some spare change.

Instead of achieving our small goal, our school wowed us with even more! $349.50 to be exact!

My youngest daughter was amazed. One little idea blossomed into a big way to help JDRF step closer to a cure for type 1 diabetes.

As a parent volunteer for the project, I felt pride in helping my daughter's vision to be realized. Not only did I want to see her school earn money for JDRF, I also wanted her to know that she (or her sister) were not alone in fighting this disease. I wanted her to know that people, especially kids, truly cared about her. Really, I wanted her to know that an entire community of families, teachers and friends rallied around to say LET'S END TYPE 1 DIABETES!

Youngest Daughter receiving her award for Student Leadership Council's Community Service.

It thrilled our youngest daughter. Her school cared!

Not only did it make an impact on our youngest daughter, it also had an affect on one younger student.

During his lunch hour, he ran up to the donation table and slammed down a rumpled envelope.

I smiled and asked him if he would like to write his name on a sneaker.

He said "Yes, please" in a small voice. So I asked him his favorite color and peeled one off for him to write his name on.

While he was writing, I opened the envelope and gasped when I saw a $20 and $10 dollar bill staring back at me.

"Wait, does your mom or dad know that you are giving us $30.00?" I gently asked.

The little boy looked me straight in the eyes and said "Yes. It is my money. My mom knows that I would rather give you all of the money in the world than to have diabetes anymore. I want to buy a cure and give back my diabetes."

Startled, I nodded my head in agreement. I had forgotten that other students were living with type 1 diabetes too. In fact, our tiny elementary school is home to four students; all in separate grade levels. Afraid to say much more as tears were threatening to spill, I smiled and said, "I will do everything I can to help make that happen."

And I will. So will my youngest daughter. And my oldest. And all of you that continue to do everything you can to help us eradicate t1d.

One day, type 1 diabetes will simply no longer be.

It's important for our kids, all of our kids, to have this hope. It's what gets them through the daily ins and outs of having their little fingers poked, receiving their injections of bolus and basal, of managing blood sugar swings while playing or studying, of stopping what they are doing to attend to their care plans..... all of which is HARD.

They need to know that this isn't something that is forgotten about. That we have people in our world that care.

What I wanted to do more than anything was to give that little boy a hug and to tell him that he is wonderful and amazing just by being who he is and living fully with type 1 diabetes.

But instead, I simply smiled and handed him a stack of shoes and asked if he would like to decorate the school with his name.

That cheered him up and with a big smile, he called over his friends and asked them if they wanted to help write his name too. Which they did and before long, 30 sneakers proudly showed one word: "LANCE".

And then, I told him that I thought he was a hero.

For all of the heroes out there...... we won't give up.

HOPE.

BELIEVE.

CURE.

Calming Back Down - Summer Vacation

2013-06-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

Summer.

Just typing that word brings me a sense of peace and calm.

Imagine me sitting here as I am, with a light-filled heart, listening to the sprinklers tickling the grass and hearing the happy play between the girls drifting down from their open bedroom windows.

Summer is finally here and with it, comes a freedom that I have deeply missed.

In particular, the freedom comes from knowing exactly where my children are and how they are feeling. No longer a prisoner that is held hostage to the cell phone, if I have any questions about blood sugars, all I need to do is simply walk over and ask.

This simple freedom is both exhilarating and calming.

My kids are home. Everyday. All day long. With me.

Pure bliss.

Which makes me carefully avoid the uneasy thinking that perhaps I should make the most of this time while I still have it.

Deep in the back of my mind lies the unspoken thought of 'how many more summers will I be able to have this dear luxury of sweet children at home with me'?

I try to squash that thought back down, along with the other thought that this time is short and before I blink, the air will once again turn crisp with a lingering sound of geese flying southern bound and my girls planning their locker space design.

Let's all enjoy our summers....

Diabetes and Dance

2013-06-10T13:05:00.001-04:00

Can you spot the insulin pump?

With a whirlwind of afterschool activities coming to an end, we had one last (and adorable!) activity to deal with... ballet recitals.

The dance school that youngest daughter attends is founded on the principles of Cecchetti Dance.

From the website: "Cecchetti training is a rigorous method which pays careful attention to the laws of anatomy. It develops all of the qualities essential to the dancer: balance, poise, strength, elevation, elasticity, “ballon”, etc. It is classic in its purity and clear-cut style".

Which also means that her school used a strict dress code, complete with proper hair styling and simple black leotards and pink tights.

All of that completely intimidated me as I also needed to somehow bring along the diabetes monster and make him dance!

Dance monster, dance!!!!!!

And how adorable is this little tutu wearing monster??

So why did we go this route when it seems more complicated? After all, youngest daughter had been dancing just fine at the local studio that had an 'anything goes' approach to their variety of classes. Type 1 diabetes was simple there and I could even walk into the dance room if I needed to.

Kids first/diabetes second. It just wasn't enough for youngest daughter.

We chose this school after youngest daughter asked to learn more about ballet and wanted to one day be able to go en-pointe. It was a wonderful fit for her personality as it was very structured but also, very rewarding. By the end of the year, she was not only more graceful and poised, but also had a special self-confidence that is rare at an age of developing bodies and tween-years.

After the recital, I was ready to shout out "we did it! Kids first/diabetes second!!!!

With this new school and year of dance, also came a few challenges: Pump on or pump off during her hour-long class? G4 Sensor on or sensor off? Infusion sites placed on arms or hidden on legs? Glucagon in ballet bag or just a juice box?

It was even trickier as most days, the school closed off the viewing window so children could freely practice without parents or siblings distracting them. That meant that I needed to rely on my youngest daughter's abilities to feel her blood sugars and to actively take care of them in the situation of a high or a low blood sugar.

We made it through and with great success. Youngest daughter danced for three nights over the weekend and without back stage help from mom or dad. Its easy to forget that she is 9 years old and just leaving 4th grade. The maturity of our kids living with type 1 diabetes is AMAZING!

So here are a few ways that we made our year of dance at a new school work:

1.) Pump on or Pump Off: For our family, most practice days were scheduled immediately after eating an after-school snack, which we tested blood glucose and bolused for the carbohydrates in the food. Because of this regimen, youngest daughter was able to dance pump free for the hour-long class. An exception was on days where blood sugar was too high upon entering class and for that, we had her wear her insulin pump on a clip that was attached to a ballet skirt worn on top of the leotard.

2.) Sensor On or Sensor Off: Our dance studio did not allow bags to be brought into the classroom. Therefore, bags were either placed in a locker without a lock or left near the coat racks. Having a G4 that resembles an Ipod Nano seemed like an accident waiting to happen, so we opted to leave the receiver at home. The sensor was left in place and we simply calibrated blood sugars to the receiver when our youngest was hooked back up to the pump.

3.) Infusion Sites and Sensor Sites: Since we rotate between legs, arms, stomach and tush, our youngest daughter did have days in the studio with having a site in a visual area. This was the hardest part about dance as some kids did remark upon the site (usually in a curious kind of way) but youngest daughter wasn't too pleased about having to answer a ton of questions in the middle of a ballet class. For the recital day, we carefully worked the site rotation to make sure that we could place it somewhere hidden so that no questions would be asked and our youngest daughter was free to go about her day with less worries. One great tip is to practice role-playing with your child on how to answer some of the questions of "What is that?" We tried to normalize the curiosity and help our youngest feel more confident in talking about type 1 diabetes.

4.) Recital Day: Look carefully at the above picture. Can you see the placement of her insulin pump? It's there! What we discovered is that another great place to tuck a pump is in the waistband of her tights, under the leotard. It doesn't slip or move, even with twisting and turning around on the dance floor. We loved this as her backstage and recital time away from mom and dad totaled about 2.5 hours. That entire time, she was able to remote bolus using the Animas PING remote and her blood sugars stayed nice and steady.

Another great tip on recital day is to send your child with a cell phone. While she was backstage, our youngest daughter was able to check her blood sugar and send me text updates with her numbers. I felt calm, she felt independent and her time of dance wasn't overshadowed by type 1 diabetes. Truly a win-win.

5.) Glucagon or Candy (US) Smarties: This year, we opted to send our child with candy and not with Glucagon. Now, this may vary for you and definitely do what you think is right for your family. With the bag issue, just like the G4 Receiver, I didn't want the Glucagon falling into the wrong hands. We felt better with the idea of having candy in the bag. You can also pack a juice box, some dried fruit, or any other number of things that your child uses to bring up a low blood sugar. Just be sure to pack something.

6.) Tell Someone: At the beginning of the year, I try to set up a plan - much like the 504 Plan - I build a 'team' of people that will be able to help if an emergency should arise. At our studio this year, one of the receptionists was also a mom of a child with type 1 diabetes. How did I find out? By casually mentioning that my daughter had a bag of candy in her dance bag in case she had a low blood sugar. This sparked a conversation which led to meeting the daughter, learning that she was pumping with an Omni Pod and discussing which candies taste better when dealing with a low blood sugar. That mom turned out to be one of my biggest allies and because she knew the dance studio ropes, was able to give me great insight on the teachers, the best recital seats and where to save money on dance gear. All because of one little conversation.

7.) Have Fun! Don't let the diabetes monster get in the way of creating magical memories for you and your child. With a little planning, patience and practice, your dance year will be magical too!

Youngest daughter is directly in the middle and is about to do her big finish!

Sunday Serenity

2013-06-01T23:10:00.000-04:00

If you have watched Finding Nemo or forgot about loveable Dory, today is your day to 'just keep swimming'!

Love,
The Naturally Sweet Sisters

Marbles In My Mouth (or Speech Terror)

2013-06-01T22:56:00.005-04:00

It's been a long week.

And a hot one to add to that.

I think it might even have reached 1,000,000 degrees. Or at least in seemed that way as I ended up spending most of my week running between both of my daughters' schools. One day, I think I drove back and forth 8 times. That is CRAZY!

And most notably, both schools started to smell like puppies. Which is random, I know, but it did. Something about those younger school-aged children in the spring time. They morph into an adorable puppy smell.

Which by week-end, was not so adorable. It just added to the heat, lack of air-conditioning and overstimulated children ready to get out of school for summer. To add a little bit more whine, I was also tired. Yes, dog-tired. Those puppies wear me out!

Together, as a mom chaperone and volunteer for the kids, we went on one walking field trip, attended one awards ceremony for student council leadership (proudly, my child fundraised for something besides t1d and did it superbly!), one after school party, one last book club, one last dance lesson, and drumroll......

Youngest daughter went on and completed 'her first non-chaperoned by mom' field trip to present a giant check to the recipient of the above said fundraiser for student council. 30ish text messages later and WE BOTH SURVIVED!

Do you know how big of smile we both had at the end of the day?! Taking care of the diabetes monster is an AMAZING FEAT for a kid!

I still can't explain the overuse of text messages except for the fact that she might have been either a.) proudly showing off on her cell phone to classmates or b.) a little nervous to be on her own while at school and on a bus ride or c.) all of the above.

In any case, she did it ! Now we both know that 5th grade middle school will not be the challenge that we both thought it would be at the beginning of the year. She is maturing and ready for the next adventure of life without an aide at school.

And that oldest daughter of mine? She had her end of year 6th grade party and sent me just two text messages. The first gave me the details of her blood glucose, her food intake and her total carbs. Because I know that she is growing up and craving more independence, I simply responded with a short text that read, "thank you and have a great time". To my astonishment, I received a text back that said this, "Thanks for being a great mom and letting me go. I love you sooooo much!"

Maturity is a funny thing. Just as we wonder if they ever will get there, we are then scared that they got there too fast. It is nice to know that they are and always will be, our sweet girls.

I think I will always treasure both sets of text messages. I can't be more proud of them both!

Rounding out the week, was our 2013 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Family Team Rally. As you might remember, I agreed to co-chair the walk with my dear friend and fellow mom of two with T1d.

So far, we have had lots of fun meeting our coaches and bonding with our mentors and leaders through JDRF. I love my JDRF family and couldn't be luckier for having made deep friendships that will last beyond a cure. They are wonderful.

One interesting part of being a Walk Co-Chair is that I am to present a written speech from time to time. In my past life before type 1 diabetes, (I used to work in marketing and advertising) my job required me to speak in group settings often. At the time, I was pretty good at it too. I like talking and I like people, so the two naturally came together.

Sadly, it has been years, people! Seriously years! Can I admit that most mornings, I still can't function until I had at least one cup of coffee? I need two if I am going to pull myself together enough to be dressed by the time the last kiddo heads off to school! It's bad. I blame it on the midnight and 3:00 a.m. blood sugar checks.

Since I am sleep-deprived which doesn't always bode well for speaking engagements, my brain is sometimes muddled more than I care to admit. Ever have that feeling that you sound like you have a mouthful of marbles?

So what did I do? I received my lovely speech from JDRF and then I thought about the reason that I was doing this... I want all of us moms and dads to get back to the way we once were before sleep suddenly disappeared! Showered, awake, young and beautiful. OK, so a girl can dream. Showered and awake will suffice.

No, not really. I actually want a CURE! Well, and maybe a little make-over too.

At the JDRF Family Team Rally, I walked up to the podium and put my heart into saying all of the things that needed to be said about our walk efforts, encouraging more fundraising and stepping us closer to that CURE.

One day, we will get there. We really will.

As I talked, the nerves calmed, the marbles disappeared and I even made eye-contact with a few bright eyes in the audience.

Youngest and oldest daughter.

Sitting proudly, hanging on to every word and nodding their heads at their mama in encouragement.

For the puppies. This is why we do what we do.

Blurring The Lines - Insight Into Friendships

2013-05-29T10:30:00.001-04:00

Scanning through my 'Facebook Feed', I suddenly realize that the lines between type 1 diabetes and non-type 1 diabetes have been blurred. No longer is there a distinction between friends that understand and those that do not.

Maybe it was from the process of natural selection or maybe a bit of weeding occurred. I admit that early on, a few had to be plucked. Like the mom who voiced concern about all of the 'needles and blood in our home'. Um, good-bye.

But then the happiest thing occurred with friends learning and embracing type 1 diabetes.

One note from a friend (without children living with type 1 diabetes) tells me that the birthday treat from her son to be brought to school is a popsicle and each is 14 carbs.

Swoon! Such a kind, kind, kind gesture from a mom who cares.

Another feed announces a recap on the latest type 1 diabetes gadget. A couple of others come from my own blog but have friends without type 1 diabetes adding helpful hints.

My friends have been following along and want to help, like they would with anything happening within our life. I think diabetes has been demystified and we have shown how normal all of this is.

Two other friends that I can't imagine not knowing share a story (that has nothing to do with diabetes)about their families. While we met through diabetes, I am friends because I truly enjoy their company.

Love this the most! The best part of diabetes has been connecting with so many wonderful people!

And so it goes... with almost every post/feed/friendship connected back to type 1 diabetes.

Remarkably after seven years, everyone is on the same page.

Literally.

Diabetes Camp - How To Help Prevent HomeSickness For Kids (and Parents, too!)

2013-05-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

Following along in our series on Diabetes Camp, today's post is a tutorial on how to help prevent homesickness in kids - and to be honest, this is helpful information for parents, too!

Maybe it is your first time having your son or daughter away from home or maybe you are an old-hat at the process, no matter, having a child that lives with type 1 diabetes out of your care can be an emotional endeavor.

One of the most fun ways that I have found to help both myself and my children cope with separation anxiety is creating a 'Diabetes Camp Fun Box.

I take my worry and turn it into a positive by creating something that I know my child will love and remind them of how much mom and dad care. On the other hand, my children know that saying good-bye for the week is temporary and they immediately start looking forward to the fun things that mom is sending up during their week-long stay.

The box is simple. Just a couple of inexpensive photo boxes commonly found at stores like JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, IKEA or Michael's Crafts. I found my boxes on sale for $2.00 each at Michael's Crafts.

The nice part of these photo-boxes is that they are durable enough to withstand quite a bit of wear and tear and cute enough to be used just about in any room of the house. I also like that they fit neatly on kids bookshelves, so when camp is over, the leftover contents or any new camp related memorabilia can stay carefully tucked away inside their own bedrooms.

Notice that metal bracket? Carefully cut out a piece of scrap paper to add your child's name to the box by inserting it into the top of the bracket. Add a piece of clear tape over the entire label to help avoid it from slipping out. One part of camp is that with so many kids living in a small-sized cabin, everything should be labeled to prevent loss.

Have one of these handy - dandy label makers? I love this! We use this on everything diabetes - related, especially when my kids are away from home. Bonus is that it saves a ton of time hand-writing each child's name. Just print a bunch of labels ahead of time and have them ready to go for when you need them.

Another fun way to personalize the top of the box is to use alphabet stickers or vinyl lettering. Any color and any style goes. I like to place my child's name on the top of the box along with a quirky title like 'Oldest Daughter's Totally Awesome Camp Stuff!'

You can also add your child's favorite stickers. Is he into Star Wars? Or Legos? You could write "Austin's Cool Camp Adventure" and his favorite super heroes doing camp things. See- I could make these for boys too!

Once you have your box, you can start to plan all of the fun things that you would like to add. Here are some suggestions:

Postcards: Pre-address, pre-stamp and pre-return address each card. I always attach a sticky giving my kids direction on where to fill out their message. The comical part of the post cards is that they always end up arriving after the kids return home. They love seeing their own mail in the mailbox and it turns into a fun game of 'Can I get the mail?'

Look for inexpensive items that your kids can share with their cabin-mates. Truthfully, not every parent sends a care package or even a letter. The fun multiplies at camp when you can send some things that everyone in the cabin can share. The glow in the dark bracelets (package of 12) are especially nice during the Dance night. Tattoos are easy to share and kids love helping other kids put them on. Sidewalk chalk is fun and easily rinses off. The girls can even color their hair temporarily with chalk. It's all about creativity and being kind to one another. What a nice lesson for such a small investment. Each of these items are only $1.00 and you can find them in the Target Dollar Spot.

While I was at Michael's Craft store, I found several cool things in their dollar section as well. The journal is a great way to have your child record their camp memories during quiet time. The notecards can be shared with friends and the stickers were a mere $.44 in the clearance section. Fun and simple.

Michael's Craft store also had a specific section on Kid's Camp supplies. I found this pillowcase with a fabric marker for $3.50. The pillowcase is meant for auto-graphs from friends around the camp. What a neat keep-sake for your child to use all year long.

Last but not least, look around your own home for things that you might already have and can send to camp. Extra school supplies, leftover bubbles, nail polish, small games, playing cards, a Frisbee or a jump rope, all make for fun things to do with friends while at camp. The goal is not to spend a lot of money or try to outdo other parents, but to help you and your child feel safe and secure in knowing that he/she is having a wonderful experience while away from home.

When I am done finding little treasures for the box, I tuck in a card and add a colorful ribbon to close the box. If you choose to use the photo boxes like the ones that I used, you can fit one box perfectly inside a USPS Large Flat Rate Box. The boxes are free at the USPS and shipping is one flat rate with a quick delivery time. I like to send it about three or four business days ahead of my child's arrival to ensure that it will be there while my kid is still there!

Another idea is to drop the box off at camp check-in with a note of when you would like it delivered to your child's cabin. Last year, we tried this method and I chose Wednesday, as it seemed to be the day where both girls might need a pick-me-up. Make sure you still address the box to your child's name, cabin name and even counselor's name if you have it. In that way, nothing is lost. Our camp has over 350 kids coming during the two weeks of diabetes camp. That's potential for a ton of confusion.

However, it worked out perfectly and both daughters felt so special in knowing that mom (and dad) were thinking of them. I felt great in knowing that they were in good hands too.

Other ideas to help beat the homesickness bug:

1.) Have your child pack a favorite stuffy. Trust me when I say that everyone brings a stuffed animal. Even the counselors pack their most beloved and well-worn stuffed animals.

2.) Bring a picture of mom, dad or even the family pet. One child last year packed a picture of her big cousin because in her words, "He is so brave. He even went to COLLEGE!".

3.) Tuck in a special blanket. Most campers just bring sleeping bags, but some are wise enough to know that weather changes often. Sometimes the most comfortable sleeping is with a light blanket. It is even better when it is a comfort object.

4.) Pack batteries and lots of them. Some kids are used to sleeping with a night-light. Let your child use their flashlight under the covers. If the batteries die out, just replace them the next night. By the end of the week, your child probably won't need the light. It just is nice to know that it is available.

5.) Tuck love notes where your child will least expect them. One mom that I know tucked notes into her child's socks. I like to tuck a heart into each days' Ziploc bag of clean clothes. Some parents write notes into their child's toiletry kit. Just a sweet reminder that you and your child have a special bond.

Whatever you do, try to enjoy your child's new independence. Give yourself a pat on the back too. You did a great service by sending your child to camp!

As always, Kids first, diabetes second.

And The Winner of the First Ever Naturally Sweet Sisters Giveaway of A Disney Cookbook Is......

2013-05-27T19:59:00.005-04:00

Picked by random number drawing of youngest daughter....

Lucky #1 Erica Surman

Thank you for reading Naturally Sweet Sisters and be sure to send me your mailing information so I can send this to you right away!

And be sure to come back tomorrow to see what I have packed in this pretty blue box. Guaranteed to make your camper smile:)

Sunday Serenity

2013-05-26T04:30:00.000-04:00

A lot of people ask me how I keep positive. Maybe it is the things I surround myself with.

'Things' like oldest and youngest daughter.

We WILL get a CURE!

Love,
The Naturally Sweet Sisters

It's a Give - Away Day!!!

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago, I stumbled across this:

Dishing It Up Disney Style : A Cookbook for Families with Type 1 Diabetes by Lilly Diabetes.

While I really wanted one of these books, I was saddened by the fact that the only place I could find it was on the Amazon website where it was being sold for $10.00. Lilly Diabetes does not charge for these books and distributes them freely to most hospitals and endocrinologist offices. Making a profit just seems to be in poor taste.

Last weekend, our local JDRF branch held a 'Diabetes Today and Tomorrow' Conference. The beginning of the conference was set up to include a vendor booth area where anyone interested in distributing diabetes product information could meet with patients and families.

Luckily for me - Lilly reps were in attendance. Even better, they had a small pile of books including; Dishing It Up Disney Style. I took two books, one for our family and one for a Naturally Sweet Sisters reader.

If you would like to try to win a free copy of Dishing It Up Disney Style by Lily Diabetes then all you need to do are these two things:

1.) Leave a comment on this blog page telling why you love Disney.

To comment, type in www.naturallysweetsisters.com (be sure to link in to naturally sweet sisters to post as facebook link-ins will not allow comments.)

AND

2.) Like our facebook page.

To "like" the facebook page, click https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naturally-Sweet-Sisters/205072552896720. If you already "like" the facebook page, than you are all set. Just be sure to leave a comment on this post.

The contest is open until Sunday, May 26th, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will announce the lucky winner on Monday, May 27th, 2013. Special thanks to Lily Diabetes for making such a cool book and being so gracious in providing Naturally Sweet Sisters with two copies.

Diabetes Summer Camp - How To Pack Clothes For Children

2013-05-23T22:01:00.002-04:00

In my last camp post, I gave you a list of what to pack for diabetes summer camp, or really, what to pack for children going away to any kind of adventure camp.

In this post, I am going to detail one of my favorites ways of how to pack clothes for children while they are away from mom and dad.

Seems sort of simple right?

Like all you need to do is just neatly fold clothes, place gently in suitcase and zip tight?

Well, unless you have detail-oriented kids with a sense of calm and common sense in the early morning hours, most likely after they open the suitcase for the very first time, the clothes will end up looking like this:

Which means that your child will probably stick with approximately one shirt and one pair of shorts for the entire week. Don't even dwell on the underwear because I can guarantee that will not be changed! And to think that much of the camp staff is on a volunteer basis! Ew!

A few years ago, a veteran camp mom on an on-line website told me to start packing my child's camp things in Hefty or Ziploc storage baggies. The veteran camp mom said the 2.5 gallon size was the perfect size to hold exactly one day's worth of clothes.

And she was right! Brilliant!

After a rigorous test (two years' worth of camp mayhem), my daughters and I have arrived at the conclusion that this works perfectly!

My oldest particularly loved this idea because no one had to see her ahem! 'unmentionables' as she traipsed out of her cabin each morning to shower. She simply woke up, found the right bag and headed off. Her friends without the bags often misplaced a sock or worse, found themselves in the shower stall without a clean shirt or pair of shorts. Oh no! The dreaded 'what do I do now when mom is not in the next room'????

Below, is the Naturally Sweet Sister's version of the Ziploc bag packing method. This has been modified to include a little extra sweetness. Not only do we pack clothes, we also pack LOVE.

I can't help myself. I miss those girls while they are gone!

For your viewing pleasure, I snapped a few pictures of what I do to prep the bags.

First, I either use a Sharpie marker to label each bag or I type/print a list of the child's name and corresponding day of the week.

I like the print method for ease of use as I am doing everything x2 and it gets a little tedious. Not to mention, that I have a bad case of sloppy handwriting when doing things in multiples. It makes it hard to read for beginning readers. Or so I have been told by youngest daughter.

If you print a label, the sticky can often be peeled back off which makes the bag reusable. I like to save them for things like collecting shells on the beach or even as garbage bags. The zip top makes it great to keep ants away from picnic areas. You just have to remind your child to bring them back home after camp.

Once you have labeled your bags, here is where the sweet part comes in; create a once-a-day love note for your child.

This will actually help to inspire a daily clothing change each morning. Your child will be eager to see what special letter or joke or funny comment that mom or dad has left for them.

For this step, I use a large-size heart shaped punch. No, I didn't buy it for this project but I do use this a lot. It's a great investment.

Punching out one heart for each bag that I assemble, takes only about 30 seconds. You could fold a piece of paper in half and use scissors to cut a heart shape as well.

My notes are simple and encouraging. Just a few words from mom to start off the day.

Place the heart into the Ziploc bag and then add your day's worth of clothes - like one pair undies, one pair socks, one bra, one t-shirt, one pair of shorts. Your child can take this little Ziploc bag bundle, along with a hanging toiletries bag right into the bathroom each morning. Dirty clothes can be placed back inside to make sure that all items are returned to the cabin or your child's laundry bag to take home.

I think we managed to save a lot of sock lives this way!

Have fun!

More camp preparedness coming soon......

The Chore Jar - Even Naturally Sweet Sisters Have Chores

2013-05-22T05:30:00.000-04:00

Over the course of time, our girls have always had what we like to call 'responsibilities'.

The naturally sweet hubby and I realized that at an early age, even the smallest of kiddos could be assigned a task or have responsibility for something within our household. It didn't have to be a big task or a big responsibility either. As long as it was accomplished correctly and with a good attitude (no shrugging or eye-rolls please!), it was successful.

Plus, I secretly had nightmares after hearing of friends who told me that they went to college without knowing how to operate a clothes dryer! Oh my!

We started with having the girls start brushing their teeth, washing faces, combing their hair and writing thank you notes. As the girls grew, their desire to have a family pet helped us to add the next level of responsibilities, cleaning the litter box and adding fresh food and water to our kitten bowls.

Last year we added extra things like making beds, picking up toys from around the house and helping with bigger projects - like cleaning debris up from the tree hitting the house or assisting with the laundry.

We also upped the ante and added $1.00 allowance per day for each completed day's worth of tasks.

If the kids forgot their responsibilities, mom and dad still had to do it, so instead of paying the children, we paid ourselves. Oh yes! That's right! We paid ourselves. Now, that is an eye-opener for children!

A few neat things happened.

* Our kids realized that they could buy things without mom and dad saying no.
* They learned the value of saving up for bigger and better things.
* Things that they purchased had more meaning and were taken better care of.
* We never had the whining in store for something they wanted. All I had to say was, "Did you bring your own money?" They knew if they could afford it or if they felt it was worth the cost.

Interestingly enough, it also taught our children about hard work and the realization that without working, they literally had empty pockets. The remedy? More completed responsibilities the next week. I am seriously hoping that this lesson stays with them through their teens and early 20's. Oh my!

So one more really cool thing happened. By establishing responsibilities, even though our kids had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we instilled the expectation that life would continue on, as normal as possible.

We helped our children to clarify their own identity so that they knew they were regular little kids. Type 1 diabetes or not, our kids learned that their identity meant to be good citizens and they had the responsibility to take care of household chores, homework, our family kitten and even themselves. There was no forgiveness on high or low days... either you completed your responsibility or you didn't.

Through doing all of this, we helped our little girls discover their own abilities - and removed the idea that they had any sort of disability. We also gave them a very stable home environment that clearly outlined the expectations and roles of each person in the family. Not to mention that it also left us a lot of time for loving and cuddling and snuggling - mom had less to do on her own!

As we head into another summer and with two slightly older kids, I am modifying the responsibilities list by giving it a new name. I thought I might share it with you for a fun opportunity for everyone to teach their kids a cool way to earn allowance money.

Introducing the Chore Jar.

Inside the jar are about 30 different household chores. Each completed chore is worth $1.00.

Every time a chore is completed and verified by mom and dad, the family worker gets to add the chore to their own bucket.

All chores will be paid on Sunday.

Now here is the catch: mom and dad have a bucket too. Any chore that they (we) complete first, goes into the 'Mom and Dad' bucket for the week and that chance to earn money for doing that chore during the week is done.

Also, the chores are to be drawn out of the jar at random. Whatever you get, you have to do. If you choose not to do it or if you try to re-draw, you lose your chance for the day to do any other chores. You also lose the chance to earn any money that day, which is very disappointing.

However, if you are on a chore roll, after every completed chore, you can redraw to get another chore - for as long as you would like and ultimately, earn as much money as you can. Just make it clear that mom and dad must verify to ensure the chore was properly completed before moving on to the next task.

I placed the Chore Jar near their bedrooms in the hallway with the diabetes refrigerator. I thought it might be a nice daily visual of how many dollars they have coming each week. They can't walk by without seeing it!

With oldest daughter yearning for more make-up and youngest daughter wishing for Bath and Body Works supplies, this will be a nice incentive to help them both, especially over a long summer.

And me too. Less for mama to do by herself is always a good thing!

What's that saying? If mama ain't happy, no one is happy?!

Right now, I am very happy!

Rock Stars In Real Life - Dr. William Tamborlane

2013-05-20T04:30:00.000-04:00

When I was a little girl, I had posters of rock stars and teen sensations (oh my, did I really just say 'teen sensations - I am so OLD!), adorning my bedroom walls.

Then, when I hit my teen years, I became just too cool for those types of things and instead, created an idea that I could somehow style my bedroom to look like a New York City loft with minimalist decor. Deep inside, however, I still pined away for Prince, Thomas C. Howell and Kirk Cameron.

Now, here I am with two little girls that are back into the posters and teen sensations (gah! There I go again!) and while I still dream of minimalist decor, I am quite clearly living in a four-bedroom traditional colonial in the suburbs with a bunch of family stuff.

However, I am still a fan of a certain set of rock stars and I would even be tempted to hang up pictures if I had a few. The only difference between the little girl version of me and the adult me is that now my true affection has shifted to the doctors and scientists that could (and WILL!) one day cure my children.

Those wonderful people are my own personal set of rock stars.

I finally got to meet one of my beloved rock stars in person on Friday night at a JDRF VIP Meet and Greet Reception. Seriously sending HUGE thank yous to the staff at JDRF that so graciously offered up an invite to our family. I hope that on the outside, I looked like a normal parent and not the crazy fan that I felt myself to be!!!!

The person that I wanted to meet most was Dr. William Tamborlane, MD at Yale Medical.

Let me give you a little of the back story of why I am personally such a fan. If you read our oldest daughter's diagnosis story, than you know that I was given a precious few months to absorb yet another diagnosis and to try to stop the diabetes train from crashing.

Part of that attempt, was a phone call that I placed to Dr. Tamborlane.

Now, maybe it was from the complete brazeness that I exhibited or the fact that I name-dropped extensively, but somehow, I managed to get a line directly to Dr. Tamborlane.

This nice man, actually tool my phone call and chatted with me about my daughter's case. Not just one time, but several times over the course of a few days.

What's more is that I was left with the distinct impression that he cared. He really cared about the fate of my child... a child that he had not met.

On Friday, I was given the chance to say thank you directly to him.

And happily, I had to get in line with many others that probably wanted to do the same. One couple that I met had the honor of having their daughter as a patient of Dr. Tamborlane. They reminisced about the good 'ole days and cited the continued hope, even though their daughter was grown and living on her own, of having a cure.

Dr. Tamborlane still represented that hope to them, to me and to all of the other people waiting to say 'hello' and to shake his hand (or hug as I love to do!).

We all know that neither Dr. Tamborlane nor anyone else on the planet, could stop that type 1 diabetes train from crashing. It still did and our second diagnosis was sealed into fate.

But after talking once again to Dr. Tamborlane and then the following day, to listen to his presentation on the history of type 1 diabetes leading up to very tangible future of the artificial pancreas, I not only have hope....

I also have a feeling that I met a person who will one day change the direction of our lives.

Spread the Love - Diabetes Week

2013-05-19T18:47:00.003-04:00

As another Diabetes Blog Week draws to a close, let’s reflect on some of the great bloggers we’ve found this week. Give some love to three blog posts you’ve read and loved during Diabetes Blog Week, and tell us why they’re worth reading. Or share three blogs you’ve found this week that are new to you.

As the week comes to an end, here are a few blog posts from bloggers that I haven't read before. I chose a sample from Day 4., Greatest Accomplishments to share with you. I hope you enjoy!

1.) Dog Goes To College - Adventures of a college student and her service dog.

2.) One Girl's Diabetic Life - Awife, foster mama, wannabe couponer, kindergarten aide, thrifty shopper, lover of all things organized, and a Type 1 diabetic.

3.) Life Beyond Glucose - Lately it seems like my entire life is about counting carbs, measuring food, and injecting insulin. I thought that maybe if I write it all down I can figure out what my life beyond glucose is.

Tomorrow, a new post on who I am a fan of....... do you think he might send me a poster????

Sunday Serenity

2013-05-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Amen. 'Nuff said.

Love,
The Naturally Sweet Sisters

Diabetes Art - Diabetes Week

2013-05-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

This year Diabetes Art moves up from the Wildcard choices as we all channel our creativity with art in the broadest sense. Do some “traditional” art like drawing, painting, collage or any other craft you enjoy. Or look to the literary arts and perhaps write a d-poem or share and discuss a favorite quote. Groove to some musical arts by sharing a song that inspires you diabetes-wise, reworking some song lyrics with a d-twist, or even writing your own song. Don’t forget dramatic arts too, perhaps you can create a diabetes reality show or play. These are just a starting point today – there are no right or wrong ways to get creative!

School is still in session with no time for extra art projects, so without further ado, here is our "Art" - our 2013 Naturally Sweet Sisters Walk to Cure Diabetes video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rxoZjKJMGBQ

Freaky Friday - Diabetes Week

2013-05-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

Just like in the movie, Freaky Friday, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions?

Whoa!

As a mom of two kids heading into the teen years faster than I can blink, I have already been trained in offering the skilled advice of:

EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING!

The ironic part is that much of my needing to dispense that advice isn't about the ills of having type 1 diabetes.

It is about kids with long, straight, shiny hair - when my daughter is bemoaning her curly locks.

It is about kids with smart phones - when my daughter is feeling left out at not having the latest app or access to Twitter.

It is about perfection and glass houses and every fable that we have ever read. But of course I am substituting real life analogies in the hopes of teaching my children that there is no one who is perfect.

EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING!

So, would anyone want to switch their 'something' for another person's 'something?'

I think it would be a terrible mistake.

At least we know the ins-outs of type 1 diabetes. The surprises are less and less. We understand the roller coaster, the Diabetes Monster, the serial killers, the mean endo nurses, the idea that the student does in fact become the teacher.

As with curly hair and dumb phones, it is a part of who we are and to heal, we learn to ACCEPT TYPE 1 DIABETES.

Those others with their seemingly perfect existence often prove to have something far harder to deal with...

The kid with the smart phone? His mother is dying of cancer.

The girl with perfectly straight hair? Her family is broken and she spends long hours alone.

When the realization of those tragedies unfold, the myth of perfection is also shattered. We can not compare ourselves to others, no matter how tempting, because each of us quietly battles a (often unseen) monster of our own.

I have asked my kids if they would trade it and they both asked what for... a puppy? YES! ....a million dollars? ABSOLUTELY!

But for another chronic disease? .... um, no.

I know where our world of type 1 diabetes is heading. Better treatment, better technology and even a CURE. I've taught that HOPE to my children as well. We are sticking with this until that day comes.

Who knows, it might be sooner than we think!

Accomplishments: Big and Small - Diabetes Week

2013-05-16T04:30:00.000-04:00

We don’t always realize it, but each one of us had come a long way since diabetes first came into our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 5 weeks, 5 years or 50 years, you’ve done something outstanding diabetes-wise. So today let’s share the greatest accomplishment you've made in terms of dealing with your (or your loved one’s) diabetes. No accomplishment is too big or too small - think about self-acceptance, something you’ve mastered (pump / exercise / diet / etc.), making a tough care decision (finding a new endo or support group / choosing to use or not use a technology / etc.).

As a mentor for JDRF, one of the things that I often share with new families is this:

"Whatever your plans were for your child, don't let type 1 diabetes stop you from doing them".

I think is my most solid piece of advice.

Other things that I tend to say sound like this:

"Keep a set of diabetes supplies upstairs so that the serial killers lurking in your kitchen in the middle of the night can't get you."

or

"When the Diabetes Monster raises his head, there are two things you must immediately do to tame him - either give insulin or give carbs - but give them until he quiets back down."

Ok, so I don't really dispense that kind of advice. I am sure that my JDRF mentor lead would be kicking herself for letting me loose on people if she read that!

It's just that when you start talking to another family in the midst of a life-changing moment, the best thing you can do is to reassure them that it really will be OK. And a little bit of humor helps. Because if you can't laugh, your crying and no one should be left to drown in a sea of tears. We all need someone to help us with a life-raft.

So my life-raft today is to share that the number one best thing that I ever did for our family was to keep doing all of the things that we planned to do for our family.

You've heard me say this a thousand times, but one more won't hurt: "Kids First, Diabetes Second."

For me, that a-ha moment came shortly after diagnosis when I realized that pre-school enrollment was starting. At the same time, I also learned that our school system did not have nurses on staff.

"Huh. No nurses???? What do other families do?"

That brought me to the third realization which was that we were about to be the only family in our school with type 1 diabetes.

Quite clearly, I had a choice. I could forever remain in the safety of my own home and having my child experience the world through me or I could dig my heals in, figure out a plan and have my child experience the world through the eyes of her teacher (and many teachers to come).

Both plans had pros and both plans had cons. The worst though, was that it was an unknown consequence. The kind of unknown consequence that made you have a belly ache. Would choosing an incorrect choice hurt my child?

Even though the consequence was unknown, I still had a feeling about the right direction FOR OUR FAMILY.

What it boiled down to was the vision that our family had of how we wanted to raise our children. You know those hopes and dreams that you discuss when you find out your pregnant? Well, being the scholarly sort (husband's employment is at one), we had hoped to choose the traditional schooling method.

Somewhere deep down, I knew it was important to take this step of independence and help my child start building a diabetes skill-set resume. Even though she was only three years-old, I wanted to model the idea that type 1 diabetes would NEVER HOLD HER BACK.

And it didn't.

From that point (and another diagnosis for our oldest daughter), our family has done so many wonderful things. We accomplished the goal of pre-school, then elementary and middle schools - for a long time, being the only family living with type 1 diabetes. After a few years, our oldest daughter even went back to her elementary school to help another young boy who was newly diagnosed talk to his classmates about type 1 diabetes. Talk about coming full circle. We went from being completely alone and making it up as we went to actually helping other new families find their way. Amazing.

Outside of school, my girls have played soccer, gymnastics, ballet, art classes, band, yoga and even field hockey. We have traveled, visited all over the US, taken many trips to Disney and even tried a hand at camping - with and without mom and dad supervising. Yes, it was a ton of planning and a bunch of worrying (remember this video?) but we proudly did it all.

Academically, the girls have flourished and this past summer, we even visited our Alma Mater to help foster the since of higher education; with our oldest daughter saying that she too, would love to be a Pediatric Endocrinologist. While she is not locked into a career - she's in sixth grade - it still might happen one day.

Looking back on those first few months post diagnosis and remembering how I was purely running on instinct, I now know that the best thing I have ever done was to say, "Kids First, Diabetes Second".

The proof? Two happy and healthy kids that can do ANYTHING!

Memories - Diabetes Week Post 3

2013-05-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

Diabetes Week Post 3 - Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere.... your or your loved one's diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share.

I actually forgot about this story until last week, when I shared it with a newly diagnosed family. I think it defines the feelings that most of us have during those first few tedious days of learning how to care for our children.

And it also exemplifies how nuts I was!

In 2006, care was a little different for a newly diagnosed family than it is today. After being discharged from our week long stay, I was given the gift of receiving a visiting home nurse.

Sounds like a dream, right?

Well the irony is that my visiting home nurse, a lovely woman that we shall call Rhonda, was not in the least bit experienced with type 1 diabetes (or even type 2 for that matter).

What I didn't realize was that Rhonda's area of expertise was in teaching how to correctly draw and inject a syringe. That was it. She came to our home with the understanding that this newly diagnosed family needed help with injections.

I didn't need that kind of help though. At four or more syringes a day, I was already an expert in pokes.

What I didn't know what to do was how to feed a skinny three-year old toddler or even our family. Everything seemed wrong and I couldn't remember what were taught in the hospital.

Rhonda wasn't sure either.

But one look at my ashen skin, worried frown lines and total lack of sleep, prompted her compassionate side to help us.

Together, we decided the best route to take would be carb counting and meal planning.

Remember, I had no idea of what I was doing.

Now, our pantry is large and always well stocked. One look inside and she started clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "Everything inside the pantry has carbs", she said. "This won't do."

So like two crazy people, we started dumping everything into a large garbage can. Cereal - no. Chips - no. Pancake mix -probably not. Cupcake mix - Oh ABSOLUTELY NOT!

At the end, I was left with some cooking oil, some unpopped pop corn and a variety of seasonings.

Then Rhonda and I sat down to start creating a list of things to buy. The words 'SUGAR-FREE' topped the list along with 'NO-CARBS'. We couldn't think of a lot except sugar free jello and sugar free crystal light. Still, Rhonda had me convinced that once I got into the grocery store and hit up the reduced sugar aisle, that I would find all sorts of good things to feed my child.

Since I couldn't leave the house until I knew my daughter was sleeping (still paralyzed by the fear that something bad would happen the moment that I left), I stayed, waiting until after the 3:00 a.m. middle-of-the-night glucose check to furiously drive to our local 24-hour grocery store.

Let me just tell you, the grocery store is a strange place at 3:00 a.m.. The aisles were being re-stocked by dudes that looked like they had never seen daylight. I also realized that most of the shoppers were getting munchies and had probably - no definitely! -closed down the local watering holes.

And here I am in the midst of all them, loading up a cart full of diarrhea inducing sugar free products, all the while trying to stifle the avalanche of tears.

An hour or so later, as I struggled to push my overly full shopping cart into the check-out lane, a guy with his bag of munchies turns and looks at me with huge eyes.

"Whoa! What happened to you?" he said.

I don't know why I told him this but I did.

"A fire. We had a fire."

As weird as that statement was, he just nodded his head in empathy and didn't ask anymore questions.

The weird grocery store experience healed a part of me that night.

The aftermath of that story is that for years, I kept those sugar free products but never fed them to my child. Not to long ago, I did a huge pantry clean-out and finally got rid of them. It was a little bitter sweet though. Somehow, I had grown quite fond of those sugar free things. It was necessary to say good-bye because it helped me move through another stage of acceptance. Each time I pass through the land of sugar free, I still have a little heart tug. It will always be a part of me.

We, The Undersigned - Diabetes Blog Week Post 2

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Diabetes Blog Week - Post # 2: Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so today let's pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) - get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change?

Date:___________

We, The Undersigned, agree to stop telling children that they shouldn't cry when you give them a (Circle One) shot/injection/blood draw/finger poke because they are "used to it".

We, The Undersigned, (Initial Here) _________ agree that if not immediately providing a cease and desist, the above said children will be allowed to poke us to see our reaction.

Print Name: _____________________ Signed Name: _______________