Preparations

In three short weeks, I will have a preschooler. I must admit, I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. Why am I nervous? Three things.

1. Life threatening milk allergy
2. Life threatening peanut allergy
3. Viral induced Asthma

Why do those three things scare me? Easy.

1. "Little Johnny's having a birthday today! Cupcake and Hershey bar time!"
2. "What's that on your hand little Billy? Peanut butter?"
3. Germs, sneeze, sneeze, sneeze, cough, cough, flu, germs, germs. *wheeeeze*

Did that make enough sense to you? Well the whole 'trust a total stranger with the protection of my child' thing isn't settling as nicely into the black pit of my stomach as I'd hoped it would. As they say, you can't protect them from everything forever. Anyhow, in light of the new school year, I am loaded down with things I need to do before it all begins. Not only do I need to buy the school supplies and get the medical records filled out, but I also get the joy of ordering a second medical alert bracelet *cha-ching!*, double inhalers*cha-ching!*, double Epipen Juniors*cha-ching!*, and stock up on frozen cupcakes for all the 'little Johnny birthdays'. That first day of dropping him off at school will either end with me in tears and sick with worry or with me sitting outside the school window behind a bush watching for the rogue attacking Reese's Peanut butter Cup...ready to pounce at any given moment. Do I chance being kicked out of the preschool because of my obsessive nature to nurture and protect? Probably not. I'm not that scary...yet.

In more preparations, Alex (and Abby as well) gets to visit the eye doctor next week. Family eye doctor trip. That should be a barrel of happiness. It's Abby's first time so we'll see how that goes. Next up is a trip the pediatrician for a shot appointment. Hep A never got done but it's got to be done before school according to what I've read. And naturally, the oral milk challenge was never done because of Alex's knowledge and understanding of his own allergic situation. I have had some problems convincing him to willingly drink cow milk at the doctor's office because he knows it's dangerous. How do you reason with him when he tells you, "I can't drink cow milk, I'm allergic and it will hurt me!" I've taught him this for his entire life so how can I tell him otherwise? So I think I may have convinced him, but it will cost me a blue Mighty Morphin Power Rangers costume. Which, by the way, doesn't come cheap as it is vintage and hard to come by. Sadly, I'm not sure I want to even do the challenge anymore. But I'll delve into that can of allergen-free gummy worms another day. For now I'll get started on all of the preparations. Excuse me. I'm going to go drain my checking account now.