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Tag Archives: Texas

Field Trip to U.T.!!!

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by sunconnor in Austin Adventures, Coolin' and Homeschoolin' the kid!

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activities, Austin, boys, college, field trip, homeschool, out and about in austin, sun in austin, suninaustin, Texas, University of Texas, unschool, UT

Today, the kid accompanied me to the University of Texas for a visit with an old friend who’s also a student there.  For months, he’d inquired about UT as we’d often pass it walking or driving along the drag.   So, I thought I’d plan a lunch date with “Ms. Nikki!”  My son was filled with great excitement as this was his first time visiting the university.  “WOW!  It’s HUGE!”  Is what he said.

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When we arrived, he noticed students with a boyfriend or girlfriend.  He’d look up at me, frown and say, “YUCK!”  Normal for a young boy, right? After lunch, “Ms. Nikki” took him on a brief tour of the campus – he was really thrilled to be there!

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He later discovered the George Washington and Martin Luther King statues on Campus which was perfect, as we’d recently read about the American Revolution and Civil Rights.

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It was a great adventure for him to eat and hang around all of  the “young adults” as he referred to them…  He created his own play area -SLIDE INCLUDED- and the students passing by smiled and admired his high energy level and tenacity!  I was totally amazed to see him comfortably interacting with UT students at such a young age! blah, blah, blah….not surprised one bit.

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This kid IS a social butterfly!.  He was in a superb mood as he gallivanted around the UT campus exploring and chatting with students.  His face and this moment brought up a pleasant smile within me. The kid had a great day and the world is HIS playground!

 

My ADVENTUROUS 5 year old ziplined for the first time this month!

20 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by sunconnor in Austin Adventures, Food Allergies

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5 year olds, adventure, Austin Families with Food Allergies, boys, children, food allergies, high energy, kids, Killeen, Peaceable Kingdom, Retreat, Texas, Zip line, zipline

Earlier this month we attended the annual Food Allergy Retreat at Peaceable Kingdom hosted every year by the Austin Families with Food Allergies.   It’s always a treat to connect with other families with food allergies within the community.   Every year our son has enjoyed the kiddie obstacle courses, theater, archery, arcade room and other amenities. This year was different.

Instead of our usual routine of connecting with the 5 and under crowd – the kid asked if he could join the “BIG BOY” group.  Initially, I was a little hesitant…but, realized my bravehearted son has always been FEARLESS.  So, I asked a staff member if we could give it a try and the rest, shall we say, is history!

Looking up at the rock wall before climbing, FOCUSED!

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The kid climbing the 40 foot rock wall to get to the 175 foot zip line.

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Video of of the kid zip lining. He had a a blast! 🙂

 

Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 11-17th!

12 Monday May 2014

Posted by sunconnor in Food Allergies

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advocacy, Austin, awareness, Central Texas, Danny's Pantry, families, FARE, Food Allergy, Food Allergy Awareness Week, food allergy research & education, Food Allergy-Friendly Food Pantry, gluten free, kids with food allergies, peanut allergy, Texas, vegan

This week is the 18th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Week, from May 11 – 17, 2014.  Austin Families with Food Allergies (AFFA) has shared a few ways you can get involved:

Monday, May 12:

  • Wear teal today in support of food allergy awareness! ‪#‎TealTakeover www.foodallergy.org/tealtakeover Post your photos on our Facebook page!
  • Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Twitter Party! To kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week, FARE will be hosting a Twitter chat that will allow you to “Ask the Experts” your questions about food allergies. With members of FARE staff moderating, Ruchi Gupta, MD, PhD and Wayne Shreffler, MD, PhD will answer questions submitted by parents or individuals with food allergies, or anyone else interested in the topic.  Click the link below for details – http://ow.ly/wIZ2y
  • Challenge your friends or family to “subtract” an allergen from their diet for a week!
  • In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week – Support Danny’s Pantry’s FIRST Food Drive ending May 17, 2014.  Please donate food FREE of the following: Dairy, Egg, Wheat, Peanut, Soy, Gluten, and Shellfish.   Location: Cameron Road Church of Christ (East Austin).  For more information, contact Sun at sunconnor (at)gmail (dot)com.

Tuesday, May 13:

  • School Awareness Day!  Make a food allergy presentation or hang an Awareness Poster at a local school.
  • #TealTakeover – Bake food allergy friendly cookies for friatends, co-workers and family.  Here’s the recipe!  http://ow.ly/wIZoU
  • The Austin Walk for Food Allergy is November 1, 2014.  Register here!  http://ow.ly/wJ26h

Wednesday, May 14:

  • Anaphylaxis Awareness Day! Learn how to use an epinephrine auto-injector or train someone else.
  • The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, in cooperation with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC), offers the Be a PAL Patch Program. Girl Scouts from any council can earn the patch. Information located on FAAN’s website.

Thursday, May 15:

  • Contact your legislators. You can help to get important legislation passed by simply contacting your representatives and asking for their support. Visit www.foodallergy.org for all the information you’ll need to easily do this.
  • Host or Create your own Fundraiser to support this year’s Austin Walk for Food Allergy.

Friday, May 16:

  • Read a food allergy story at your local library, go into your child’s classroom, do a social media blitz to your friends, family, co-workers.  Visit www.foodallergy.org for video links, story ideas, coloring pages & more.
  • Jennifer B-Food Allergy Buzz’s – ANNUAL Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) Twitter Party! Use #foodallergy to tweet and participate! Let’s make #foodallergy #1 trending topic again! (Twitter @foodallergybuzz)  Learn more here.

Saturday, May 17:

  • Learning at Libraries Day!  Donate a Food Allergy Book to your local library.
  • Don’t forget to register for the Austin Walk for Food Allergy! http://ow.ly/wJ2oB
  • 10:30 a.m. – Food-free Family Story time at the Round Rock Library (216 East Main Street, Round Rock, Texas 78664). This interactive program includes a variety of activities such as books, fingerplay, music, movies, and puppets.

For more information on Food Allergy Awareness Week (and giveaways), visit our Facebook page here.

Austin Families with Food Allergies is a support group of parents located throughout the Austin-metro area raising children with food allergies.  The Austin Walk for Food Allergy is organized by Austin Families with Food Allergies in conjunction with The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).

FARE is a non-profit organization that provides services nationwide, funds research of food allergies and has been at the forefront of progress in food allergy awareness, advocacy, education, and research.  Findings from FARE-sponsored studies have been used to change laws here in Texas, improve school policies, raise public awareness, and provide education for patients, caregivers and health professionals.  Funds from programs like the FARE Walk for Food Allergy support FARE’s efforts to achieve these feats.

Here’s a brief summary on my intro into the food allergy world…

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by sunconnor in Food Allergies

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Allergen, Allergies, Allergy, Austin, baked egg challenge, breast milk, chronic diseases, Conditions and Diseases, Danny, egg allergy, Food, food allergies, Food Allergy, Health, leaky gut, lieberman, Natural Grocers, No Gmo, no sneezes, sensitive child, Sun Connor, sun in austin, Texas

Back in 2009, at the tender age of 11 months, my tenacious, adorably cute son was diagnosed with food allergies by his doctor. Mind you, they discovered this after I had already removed the top 8 allergens from my diet. He was reacting to my breast milk of all things. Severe eczema, recurrent ear infections and acid reflux issues had us at the doctor’s office quite often during the first year of my son’s life. I became adamant about finding the root cause of all of my son’s health issues.

We were referred to allergist, Dr. Lieberman who diagnosed our son with dairy, peanut, egg, and wheat allergies. We got a diagnosis of asthma two years later. Dr. Lieberman told us to remove all peanut butter products from our home. It terrified me to think that something my husband and I enjoyed could make my son really sick. I learned to spot hidden food allergens and read nutrition labels more closely. At night, I would read about anaphylaxis and food allergies. While I was going through all of this, I did not have anyone around me that understood what we were dealing with.

I started going to Vitamin Cottage’s Natural Grocers religiously to find stuff Danny could eat. I met with our helpful nutritionist, Trevida Trevino to discuss allergy friendly meal options. She suggested many helpful things including finding a local food allergy group on meetup.com. I met some wonderful ladies that helped me manage my son’s food allergies like Stephanie Miller, Beth Martinez, and many other moms who were dealing with similar situations. I am so thankful for all of the advice and support I have received from the ladies in this group. It truly does take a village, especially when you are dealing with a child with food allergies.
BTW, my son has a “baked egg challenge” this morning…say a prayer, cross your fingers and toes!

 

About Me?

Nah…it’s bigger than that.

This blog will of course be filled with random thoughts, trips around Austin and of course…FOOD ALLERGY related content.

Related articles
  • Food Allergy Facts (nutallergycomm.wordpress.com)
  • The New Thinking on Allergens (plumorganics.com)
  • Bullied With Food: Another Risk For Kids With Food Allergies (npr.org)
  • Top 10 Food Allergy Misconceptions (expertspages.com)
  • Viaskin ‘Peanut Patch’ Could Be The Answer To Peanut Allergies In Children (medicaldaily.com)

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