Our 11-year-old daughter had a sleepover!
That’s typically not big news, especially in the summer when there’s often quite a few “extras” at our house. But this time, our 11-year-old, Katie, finally hosted a school friend, Megan, who was on her very first sleepover.
See, Megan has food allergies, including nuts, eggs and dairy. And dog allergies. Like most moms, Megan’s mom is careful about her child’s activities. Unlike other moms, she is extra vigilant to keep Megan safe. Understandably, sleepovers were out of the question.
Until now.
It was a long process, beginning four years ago. That’s when Megan moved here. Megan loves to tell the story that Katie was the first classmate to talk with her, the first to ask if she could join her at the “nut-free” lunchroom table (where our daughter often brings SunButter® and jelly sandwiches), the first to partner with her at a school field trip.
That’s when I first met her, since I chaperoned that trip. She’s a gorgeous little girl with huge blue eyes, a shy smile and quiet but wicked sense of humor. I liked her right away. I also liked her mom, who I met at a school event. Her mom told me Megan wanted Katie to come over for a play date, but it would require some preparation from me.
Nut-free play date
I made sure Katie didn’t eat peanut butter then washed and dried her clothes carefully to remove dog hair. They had a great afternoon at Megan’s house, the first of many.
Two years ago, Megan spent her first afternoon at our house. Her mom coached me on what to keep away from her and how to identify if she was having a reaction. She brought her epipen and Megan taught me how to use it. Thankfully, we didn’t have to. These get-togethers continued, too, until Katie and Megan really wanted a sleepover at our home.
I was 11 once. I know the magic of sleepovers, the whispers, wonders and looking through teen magazines. The junk food and no sleep.
SunButter® snack recipe
So I worked with Megan’s mom to make it happen. Again, she guided me through preparations. I also checked out some online resources, including:
Forum on Allergic Living
Forum on Food Allergy Support
The day Megan’s mom dropped her off, her mom admitted she was nervous. I admitted I was, too, but I was also confident and prepared. Megan arrived for dinner, and we had chicken, corn on the cob, pasta with SunButter® and market-fresh watermelon.
The girls took our dog, a hypoallergenic labradoodle, for a long walk through the woods. They had a good laugh since our Katie’s pollen allergies acted up, and Megan was the one we were all worried about with allergic reactions. They didn’t stop laughing all night. They curled up with magazines and a movie. I brought them apples, Ezekial cereal and SunButter® for Raw Crunchers, lemonade and animal crackers (I learned most don’t have eggs or milk).
SunButter breakfast
I’m not sure when they went to sleep. I do know they woke up at 6:10 a.m., still laughing about something and “so hungry, mom!” I made them berries and pancakes, made with a special recipe from Megan’s mom that includes rice milk and no eggs. They piled more SunButter® on the pancakes. The girls made an interesting coffee, SunButter® and rice milk drink in the blender. I’m pretty sure there are still drops of it on our ceiling since they neglected to put the blender cover on. More laughs…
Megan’s mom picked her up just before lunch, and I’ll forever remember what Megan whispered in my ear when I hugged her. She said: “Thanks for making me feel normal.”
Katie’s birthday is next week, and I’m already having fun planning the party sleepover for a gaggle of girls, including Megan—and of course SunButter®.
We’d love to hear about how SunButter® fits in your nut-free recipes. What works for you?
