Spring Into Spring with The Ottawa Public Library

By Tracy Facchin, Children's Public Programming Public Service Assistant

Spring is here and with it come a whole slew of new and exciting books to read. So snuggle up with your little ones and take a look at these great reads suggested by our friends at the Ottawa Public Library!

The Inside Tree by Linda Smith

Kind-hearted Mr. Potter allows his dog inside to share his comfortable, cozy house and as the title suggests, he decides to bring a lonely looking tree inside, as well. Brimming with vocabulary, this humourous story will have little ones guessing what will happen next. The illustrations capture the craziness of the situation, with Mr. Potter singled out in a bright orange and red striped pattern on every page.

The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler

This story is based on the authors experience as she patiently earned the trust and affection of a stray cat.  The captivating illustrations are my favourite feature of this unique book.  The characters, their clothing, the tiny house, and all of its’ adorable miniatures have been created by hand.  The scenes were photographed using a variety of coloured filters, giving an indoor or outdoor feeling to each page.  The cumulative text will encourage youngsters to help with the storytelling.

The Berenstain Bears Inside Outside Upside Down by Stan & Jan Berenstain

This book is a favourite from my own childhood! It is a wonderful early reader, with lots of repetition and images that support the text.  The idea of being taken on a little trip somewhere by accident sparks the imagination, and could lead to an interesting conversation with a child about where the box could’ve ended up!

Scooter in the Outside by Anne Bowen

This is a fantastic read-aloud book, as the text is full of super-fun things to say!  Scooter the dogs’ wet kiss is a ‘SLOPPITY-SLURP’ and his wagging tail goes ‘THWAPPA-THWAPPA-THUMP!’ Poor Scooter gets more than he bargained for when he escapes out an open door headed outside on his own. Children will like Scooters curious nature and will learn about making careful decisions.  The illustrations are bright and cheerful and the story has a happy ending to an outdoor adventure!

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

The dedication in this book is ‘To children everywhere sitting in cardboard boxes’, and it is a sweet story about an imaginative little bunny that pretends a plain cardboard box is anything but!  The minimalism of the line drawn illustrations will appeal to even very young children, while the text will inspire readers to stretch their own imagination.  I love that the cover is brown and rough like a piece of cardboard!

Animals Home Alone by Loes Riphagen

Wordless books enhance creativity, vocabulary, and language development. In this book, the animals in the house go WILD when their owners leave! Their silly antics include a pig who hogs the T.V remote control, a cat who chats on the telephone and a goldfish that swims around in the dog’s water dish. There are so many things to look at and to talk about on each page and it is easy to use your imagination to create your own story.  At the end of the book, the author prompts the reader to recall what they have seen, with questions like ‘What is on Petey’s beak?’ and ‘Why is Katherine’s cage empty?’

A Dragon Moves In by Lisa Falkenstern

http://ottawa.bibliocommons.com/item/show/643864026_a_dragon_moves_in

Bringing home a newly-hatched stray dragon turns into a problem for Hedgehog and Rabbit, when their friend gets too big for their house!  Quirky characters and charming illustrations carry this story through to its happy ending.  Rabbit and Hedgehog problem solve and work together to build a castle big enough for all of them!  Their pet fire-breathing dragon thanks them with a fireworks display!

 

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean

This is a great book for inquisitive children who are interested in construction and about how a house is made from the ground up.  Based on the author’s own childhood experience with his parents and two sisters, the family gives up their city life to build a homestead in the country.  What I love most about the book is that everyone is involved in the building process; both the Dad and Mom (even with a round expectant belly!), all of the children, and even extended family and friends.  Teamwork, hard work and the importance of family are values that are ‘built-in’ to this story.

Cruising with kids

by Lara

Kids on Carnival cruises

This February my husband and I decided to go on our first family vacation. We'd gone on a cruise just the two of us the year before and loved it so much we decided it would be fun for all five of us.

(A quick note here - we drove to Florida and back. That definitely added a whole other component to this trip which is very likely another post in and of itself :)

5-days in the Bahamas on Carnival

We took a 5 day cruise with three stops in the Bahamas. We all shared one cabin. We had a good time but I have a lot of thoughts and tips to share :)

- Food. The ship was a lot smaller than the one my husband were on last year. We really felt this in terms of the amounts of activities and especially food options. I expected food to be available all the time. Unfortunately all that was available 24 hours a day was lemonade, ice tea, pizza, deli sandwiches and ice cream. Not great for kids who need a mid morning or afternoon snack - especially when one can't have dairy. Solution: I started hoarding huge plates of plates of food in our room.

- Rooms. I was nervous about having all 5 of us in one room. Cruises aren't cheaper for kids, but each person's price goes down the more people you put in a room so all of us together it was! :)

All of us in one room went surprisingly well and the housekeeping attendants made it fun to come back to our room every night :)

not only did we get towel animals, our own friends got staged :)

- Camp carnival was an amazing option. My husband and I were able to get a break from the kids, which was much needed a few times :) Unfortunately the camp for kids 5 and under was 100% indoors - not exactly what I was hoping for from our trip to the Bahamas. We primarily took advantage of their evening program so that we could go and have a nice dinner. They came back tired and ready to go right to sleep.

swimming on board the carnival ecstacy

- Kid friendly? This ship definitely wasn't "un" kid friendly but the options for things to do with the kids were very limited. There was one pool and 3 hot tubs (our previous ship boasts 10 pools and hot tubs!) and it wasn't very big. The only other activity was mini golf which was beyond our three year olds. There was no place on the ship where I could let my very active kids get their energy out other than in a not very big pool that required us in the water with them 100% of the time. For this reason, I'm fairly sure an all inclusive resort with options for running around outside in big spaces, where you don't have to worry about disturbing others would be a better bet.

- Port stops. My kids LOVED the beach/ocean (all the more reason to try an all inclusive next time I think) and I loved that they had the space to run and play but other than that, we didn't do much (we did walk around Nassau for a bit). We especially loved Half Moon Cay and the public beach in Freeport.

playing on the beach in Freeport

Overall, we had a great time. But if you're asking me if I'd recommend it, I'd say unless you're going on a Disney cruise or your kids are at MINIMUM 6 years old, I'd skip a cruise and try something land based. Now... I just need an affordable all inclusive to try out next year! :)

Diagnosing a Peanut Allergy: One Family's Story

by Liisa It could be worse. That has been my mantra when it comes to my older son's possibly life-threatening, always manageable, but oh-so-annoying health conditions.

Before I get into the meat of my story, let me introduce myself – I'm Liisa. I'm the mother of two boys, ages 5 and 7. I am thrilled to be able to contribute to Kids in Capital on health and medical topics. In the spirit of this blog, I am going to make things personal, taking you on our family's journey to stay healthy and happy.

Part 1

In the summer of 2008, my three-year old son vomited immediately following a bite of his first-ever peanut butter cookie. We had kept him nut-free until then. My husband has an allergy to cashews and the doctor had advised us to wait until his third birthday.

We were referred to an allergist by our family doctor. Three months later, during a gruelling afternoon wherein the skin scratch test showed very little, but the blood test showed something more, we would learn that my son had a peanut allergy (and my little son would learn that sometimes moms lie (“it's not going to hurt much, just put your arm out”).

We were told that his levels of IgE were low and there was a good chance he would grow out of this allergy. We could retest in a year. If the test was still positive with low IgE, he could go on to do a food challenge (i.e. eat peanuts and see what happens). In the meantime, we were to carry epi-pens for him, avoid ALL nuts and traces of nuts and maintain a nut-free home.  You never know whether the next reaction could be an anaphylactic one with peanuts.

Part 2

Eighteen months later it was time for the next allergy test (on April Fool’s Day no less).  Much googling for journal articles on diagnosis of peanut allergies in children gave me hope.  We had experienced no further reactions. I looked forward to the results and to good news.

My son did not look forward to the appointment the way I did. He was convincing in his argument that testing was not necessary since he did not care for peanuts and nuts, and would not need to eat them now or in the future.

We prepared well for our trip to the allergist. My husband and I were both there for extra distraction and mutual moral support; we brought a treat for morning snack, and a promise of a toy store visit after the appointment.

The good news: We didn’t have to go for a blood test - what a relief.

The bad news: As we sat and read stories for 15 minutes, we glanced periodically at our son's arm. It was clear that the second “P” (indicating peanuts) on his arm was lighting up with a nice hive, a 6mm hive to be precise.

At that point we were, and would likely remain, a nut-free family. Our younger son, then 3, would also be tested as there is an increased likelihood of peanut allergy in siblings of allergic children.

We were glad to know where we stood, glad it was peanuts, an allergen that is common and simple to manage in North America. It could be worse!

Our allergist answered some of our questions and gave us some tips:

1) He recommended getting a Medicalert bracelet. We did though it was tough getting him to keep it on. We found disposable bracelets from Mabel's Labels that he was happy to wear when he was at birthday parties or occasions when his family was not with him.

2) We could eat at restaurants as long as we asked about the food; if a restaurant gave us the “we can't guarantee” speech, we must be absolutely sure we had an epi-pen with us.

3)  Though he was not allergic, almond butter (even with the peanut-free label), was not okay.  This would be too confusing for him and for others.  We should keep it simple and say absolutely no nuts or nut products.

4) We should go back in a year to test again.

Part 3

Late 2011: My son was now 6 years old. We visited the allergist again for the third round of testing in 3 years. The continued absence of reactions gave me hope that perhaps there was no more allergy.

We grabbed his Star Wars sticker book and off we went.

After a brief consultation, we went into the exam room for the drops and scratches, which this time would include environmental allergies. Shortly after the nurse left the room, my son began to feel uncomfortable itching in his arm:

• He reacted strongly to cats. We don’t have a cat. No biggie.
• He reacted to peanuts, not strongly but still significantly.

This time medical science had something new for us – a blood test (privately funded at $180) that can type an allergy to predict the likelihood of a systemic (i.e. anaphylactic) reaction. The test isolates the different types of protein in the peanut and the reaction to each.

In studies, there are certain proteins which have little association with anaphylactic reactions and certain proteins which have strong associations with anaphylactic reactions.

If there was no reaction to those proteins with the strong association to anaphylaxis, we could move to a food challenge.

Hope!

I hypothesized that he hadn’t had any reactions because he had the mild type of allergy, and now we could identify it.

Two weeks later the call from the allergist’s nurse came…He only reacted to one protein, the one to which 90% of those who have had anaphylactic reactions were positive.

[Insert expletive]

We had been doing a good job of keeping him nut-free and would continue to do so.

It could be worse!

Epilogue

My younger son was tested and has no allergies. He enjoys nutty treats when we are out of the house and away from his big brother.

My husband and I continue to go on “peanut dates” which include Vietnamese food with oodles of peanuts and peanut sauce, followed by a movie wherein we consume peanut M&Ms like they are about to be discontinued.

We are due to return for testing this month. I have put it on hold to deal with other more pressing concerns, but it will be done sometime in early 2013. The allergy diagnosis was just the beginning of what I have now learned is called “the allergic march”. In future posts I will describe the asthma and anxiety that followed.

If you suspect a food allergy in your child, talk to your family doctor. Only a medical doctor can diagnose an allergy. Diagnosis includes a patient history, skin prick test, and possibly a blood test and/or food challenge test.

References and Resources

Anaphalaxis Canada anaphylaxis.ca

Allergy/Asthma Information Association  www.aaia.ca

Allergy Safe Communities www.allergysafecommunities.ca

CSACI (Canadian Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology) www.csaci.ca

CAAIF (Canadian Allergy, A

sthma & Immunology Foundation) www.allergyfoundation.ca

Ontario’s Sabrina’s Law www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=135&isCurrent=false&ParlSessionID=38:1

The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook by Dr. Scott Sicherer (available through online retailers)

Liisa is mom to 2 boys, ages 5 and 7. She is a medical writer and a book lover. She blogs at FitforKid.net andLittleBookLovers.Wordpress.com.

Taking the mourning out of our mornings

by Carly With the possible and occasional exception of my husband, we're not morning people around here.  I think I've mentioned that a time or ten in the past.  And now that the Little Man is back to being on the school bus every morning at 7:40 am, not to mention being gone for a whole day and therefore needing more crap stuff, I knew I needed to get my bum in gear so that mornings wouldn't be a nightmare.

I've got two and half months before my maternity leave ends and I'm back to work full time.  That means two and half months where my only task in the morning (is it terrible that I shudder a wee bit inside every time I type the word "morning"?) is to get just the Little Man out the door and on the bus, clothed, fed and watered.  Come mid-November I'll have to add myself and the Baby Man into that mix.

Knowing this, I started planning ahead for that eventuality.  I may have a hate-hate relationship with mornings (shudder), but I love me some organizing.  Here's what we're doing . . .

1. Must-Do Posters Inspired by a similar poster designed by Kids in the Capital mom, Kim-Anh, I made these:

They're on the wall between the kitchen and the powder room and the Little Man loves checking them every morning and afternoon to ensure he's crossed his "must-do's" off his daily list.  My personal favourite on this list?  Choosing his clothes for the next day the night before!

2. "Make" Breakfast the Night Before We've all heard of making lunches the night before, which we do around here too, but Mr. Tree was quick to point out how much easier it would be for the Little Man if we set out everything he needs for breakfast before going to bed every night.

Since the Baby Man wakes up at the same time as the Little Man, and still needs a grown-up to feed him, I put out what Jake will need for his breakfast the night before.  Thankfully Jake loves a good, big breakfast but dragging stools or chairs to the necessary cupboard to get everything he needs out in the morning is time consuming and leaves us tripping all over each other.  So his bowl, spoon, cereal and honey are put on the table for him, and the milk is left easily accessible in the fridge.  Whenever possible, I get his fruit and yogurt ready to go as well.

3. Making use of the Powder Room Like most kids, Jake is an easily distracted dawdler.  Imaginary friends can suddenly and unexpectedly pop out of anywhere, urgently needing his attention.  Sending him upstairs to floss and brush his teeth every morning was taking anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes.  So we put a second toothbrush (for everyone in the family), toothpaste and flossers in the powder room on the main floor.  Amid the hustle and bustle of everyone in the family getting ready, Jake finds it easier to stay focused on the task at hand.

No running back upstairs (to get dressed or brush his teeth) also ensures he doesn't get sidetracked by the ALL! THE! AWESOME! LEGO! in his room.

4. No TV in the Morning This was a tough one for Jake, as there's nothing he loves more than chilling on the couch first thing in the morning watching a fifteen minute episode of pretty much anything on Treehouse or Disney Junior.  Like a lot of children (and adults), the Little Man has a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time.  Even having the news on while he eats is distracting so we're working on limiting TV even for the grown-ups to the first 10-15 minutes after the hour or half hour . . . to catch the weather and traffic.

5. No Dishes in the Morning If it doesn't go in the dishwasher (we prefer to wash some of our kid-friendly dishes by hand), it gets left neatly in the sink to be washed later.  Right now I'm doing those dishes once Jake is on the bus, but I plan on teaching my recovering perfectionist self to just leave them there until I get home from work.  Sure it's not always fun to walk in the door to a sink full of dirty dishes, but since mornings and I already struggle to get along, this works for me.

And one of the very important reasons I'm choosing not to do dishes is because I want us to have . . .

6. Ten Minutes to Hang as a Family As I write this we're only on the second day of school and so we're still working on this one.  I'm trying to make sure we're setting aside ten minutes in the morning to just touch base as a family.  Ten minutes for Jake to sit on the floor and be goofy with Noah.  Ten minutes to read a short story.  Ten minutes to express our hopes for the day ahead or just talk about a crazy dream we had last night.

I'm a night owl at heart so I'm always interested in what works for other families.  What do you do to make mornings less mournful?

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband, her 6 year old son, Jacob and her 10 month old son, Noah.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Question of the Month: Baby, it's HOT outside!

This year has got to be some kind of record for heat advisories in Ottawa! It makes it challenging to keep kids active and safe too. (Water, sunscreen, hats - they're all absolute essentials this summer.)

Since you can't possibly stay home day in and day out, what are some ways you're keeping busy this summer without getting overheated outside?

Are you going to indoor attractions? Cozying up to friends with pools? Installing your own pool? Haunting the local splash pad?

Tell us how you're coping in the comments!