"You've got this!"

After Charlie was diagnosed with allergies, we retreated a bit. Restaurants and play dates out in the world just didn't feel safe. Peanuts and eggs felt like they were everywhere, and they were / are!

However, we finally feel like we have a grasp on this. We are careful. We are advocates. We know how to keep Charlie safe. If something seems unsafe, we stay away. When we go to a restaurant, we clean the high hair and the table. We don't care that we get the "oh look at that family cleaning everything" looks. We are keeping Charlie safe. We make it normal. Charlie knows it's the routine, william helps (most of the time). Life with the Luthers.

We were recently at two birthday parties ..
One for sweet Charlie's friend turning one and one for Williams friend who adores Charlie and invited him to attend. We packed Charlie's safe muffin, pulled it out at cupcake time and VOILA "normal." Derek and I smiled, high fived and shared a "we've got this!" Normal.

Now enter snack time and meal time. Charlie's safe list of foods is mostly comprised of fruits vegetable and coconut. It's amazing the doors that coconut opens. We hope for potato one day! It's the little things!! We are finally getting into a groove of "food matching." When William has cereal with milk, so does Charlie... Last night, chicken and orzo soup for the family... Whole wheat noodles and steamed carrots in a bowl with a spoon for Charlie. Normal. Appreciating the little things. Lunch today for the boys was comprised of "trail mix" made of corn chex  and craisins... Mandarin oranges... And a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,,, William with regular milk and charlien with hemp milk. "Mommy! Me and Charlie have the same lunch. We are brothers and we are matching!" Again, the little things... And again, normal. Normal. Normal. Normal.

Next up some "food matching" at thanksgiving... A little dose of "you've got this" and we will make it NORMAL!