Bilingual In The Boonies » peanut free

At Parenting.com: Pass the Reese’s

Carrie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:24:00 +0000

I am not on vacation again, just a little busy with Pollitos and PR. Hang in there with me un poco.

Some of you who follow along here regularly may know Maria was diagnosed with a peanut allergy when she was 1. Well, la Nena got a new diagnosis last week and she has outgrown her nut allergy.

It is a whole new day, let me tell you. Our gratitude knows no bounds for this gift.

I wrote about it with a little more detail over at Parenting.com today.

Next week, I begin a regular gig volunteering in her classroom, working with the kids on their reading in Spanish. If, perhaps, I can help the nenes to read in the Mother Tongue, then maybe I will increase my own regular usage, which has been slipping slowly downhill lately. My guess is the exercise will provide mucho blogging fodder, as those bilingual kids are hee-larious — in both languages.

Sweetness in an Upa tee

Carrie — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:58:00 +0000

The latest baby picture e-mailed to
Los Pollitos Dicen’s World Wide Headquarters
in Tiny Town Tennessee.
Que nino tan rico!

In other deliciousness, we got ourselves a sales rep to join us in the effort of clothing all the children of the world in little Spanish chicken t-shirts.

It’s a good day here.
Hope it’s a good day there.

Oh, and the peanut free chocolate Easter Bunny from Divvies I wrote about a few posts back is on sale again. I just ordered one. Whew!

Sweetness in an Upa tee

Carrie — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:58:00 +0000

The latest baby picture e-mailed to
Los Pollitos Dicen’s World Wide Headquarters
in Tiny Town Tennessee.
Que nino tan rico!

In other deliciousness, we got ourselves a sales rep to join us in the effort of clothing all the children of the world in little Spanish chicken t-shirts.

It’s a good day here.
Hope it’s a good day there.

Oh, and the peanut free chocolate Easter Bunny from Divvies I wrote about a few posts back is on sale again. I just ordered one. Whew!

Easter basket chic chicks

Carrie — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:24:00 +0000

The Easter I was 5, my aunt gave me a giant plastic purple blow-up bunny. I can almost still smell the plastic. I loved it so much. So not a gift for our green-era children, but I have to say I’m glad I lived a childhood where a little bad wasn’t so bad. Not that I am giving my own kid toxic, plastic bunnies.

As I plan Maria’s Easter basket — and this is the first year she’s really getting one — and as I work my way around the her peanut allergy and my allergy to too much, I went hunting on the Web for Easter basket gift ideas.

Of course, I am here to pitch that you, dear reader, get yourself a little Pollito tee, tuck it into an Easter basket and present it to your favorite toddler or a mom-to-be at her baby shower. The egg is made of wood and can be decorated and kept as a treasure box. (Imagine it with a little green Easter grass and tiny little jelly beans. Sweet!) If you’re game, here’s a 20% off discount code: Easter08.

OK, so moving beyond the obvious, below are some lovely ideas to help you — to help me — fill the Easter basket.

No plastic purple bunnies.

Sweet, sweet, sweet little Pio Pio Pio onesie. Even sweeter wrapped in tulle.
Perfect idea for Easter, baby shower or birthday gift.

A baby chick costume!

Felted little chick toy.

A baby chick cookie cutter from CopperGifts.com.
They’ve got a couple of egg-shaped cutters too.

Beautiful little hair pins by siiri.

Allergen-free candy from Divvies, where unfortunately, the chocolate bunny has been sold out. But, they have bright jelly beans and gum balls.

Spring is Here/Llego la Primavera, a sweet bilingual book by Taro Gomi in English and Spanish.

Mother Hen and baby chicks picnic and tea set.

My credit card is going to hurt later.

Easter basket chic chicks

Carrie — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:24:00 +0000

OK, so moving beyond the obvious, below are some lovely ideas to help you — to help me — fill the Easter basket.

No plastic purple bunnies.

Sweet, sweet, sweet little Pio Pio Pio onesie. Even sweeter wrapped in tulle.
Perfect idea for Easter, baby shower or birthday gift.

A baby chick costume!

Felted little chick toy.

A baby chick cookie cutter from CopperGifts.com.
They’ve got a couple of egg-shaped cutters too.

Beautiful little hair pins by siiri.

Allergen-free candy from Divvies, where unfortunately, the chocolate bunny has been sold out. But, they have bright jelly beans and gum balls.

Spring is Here/Llego la Primavera, a sweet bilingual book by Taro Gomi in English and Spanish.

Mother Hen and baby chicks picnic and tea set.

My credit card is going to hurt later.

The kindness of children

Carrie — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:27:00 +0000

I’ve mentioned this before: Maria is allergic to peanuts.

Sending her to a school where peanut butter is not banned was a leap of faith for us. But, after several conversations with other parents and her teacher, we trusted she would be cared for and protected.

The only time Maria’s teacher speaks English in class is to ask the children who has peanut butter for lunch. If they do, they can’t sit with Maria.

In the last week, three mothers have told me their children came home to say they don’t want peanut butter in their lunch boxes. They told their mothers their new friend is allergic. The peanut butter could hurt her, they explained. And, they’d like to sit with her.

Filled my heart. I think it filled the mothers’ hearts too, to see their children react with such compassion and open arms.

And a little child will lead them, si?

The kindness of children

Carrie — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:27:00 +0000

I’ve mentioned this before: Maria is allergic to peanuts.

The only time Maria’s teacher speaks English in class is to ask the children who has peanut butter for lunch. If they do, they can’t sit with Maria.

Filled my heart. I think it filled the mothers’ hearts too, to see their children react with such compassion and open arms.

And a little child will lead them, si?

Cacahuate-free Easter bunny

Carrie — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 12:54:00 +0000

There have been community Easter egg hunts all over this region for a week now. We have not gone to any. When Maria’s pre-school teacher told me she was hosting a hunt at school, I was less than thrilled. But, thank goodness for Jolly Rancher jelly beans and Yogos.

Maria is allergic to peanuts and isn’t allowed to eat other nuts or seafood until she’s tested again at 5. There are few candies she can eat. There is a lot of explaining on our part about what is safe and what is not. About how sharing is cool, but don’t share food and treats, por favor. I can’t tell her tainted food can kill her. She’s only 3. We talk about “safe’’ foods and treats. We talk about how some foods can make her very sick and why we have to read every single food label.

We carry an Epi pen, an instrument of horror and hope. You pray never to have to use it, and yet, you are grateful to have it.

I’ve had to learn to say peanut, mani, cacahuate at Mexican restaurants and my latest goal is to teach her the Spanish translations for various nuts, but since we don’t eat them or see them, the learning has been slow. Sometimes I feel like she just needs to always wear a big sticker: No avellanas, almendras, anacardos, castañas, piñones.

Ridiculous, perhaps.

But this is why, despite my having a million Los Pollitos tees in inventory, I prefer to dress her in this. No kidding. It has been so much a part of her wardrobe my brother asked if Maria had any other T-shirts. Pues claro, pero the Mami is a little nuts when it comes to this topic.