I’ve always known Kayla’s doing very well at school. Not just by what she’s learning (like how yesterday, she, all on her own, found the item to bring into school that started with a ‘K’ – a key chain). But also that she has seemed virtually unphased with the fact that she has to eat a different snack than everyone else in her class. I supply all her food and she has never complained or even questioned it.

Last Thursday when I picked her up, the teacher’s assistant brought me a box of Jell-O so I could check the ingredients. Apparently, for the ‘J’ week (everyone brings in an item that starts with J), two kids brought in Jell-O. Kayla did not get to have any that day b/c they never feed her anything that is unapproved by me. They had the other box for the next day. As I was reading the box, Kayla’s ‘boyfriend’ Ethan came up to me to ask me if Kayla could have Jell-O. He was quite excited to find out that she could.

Yesterday, they had the other Jell-O. It was the first thing Kayla told J when he picked her up. She was beside herself with excitement that she got to eat Jell-O. And I’m sure that she got to eat what all her friends were eating. She even told J that Miss Danielle told her she could eat it. So I know, although my little girl takes the snacks in stride, it does impact her and she would love nothing more than to eat the things her friends are eating.

Every day she makes me more proud. Her understanding is growing each day. If she sees food on the ground, she points it out to me and tells me it could be dairy or asks if it is. And more and more scenarios like what happened last night at gymnastics are becoming the norm for her…

J took her to gymnastics last night – it was his first time taking her to the new place. When they got there, as Kayla was getting ready – taking her coat and shoes, etc off, there was a girl who had a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup in her hand and was about to open it. Kayla saw it and immediately asked J – “Does that have dairy in it?” The Mom of the girl heard her and it started a conversation between her and J. She was quite impressed, that Kayla, at 3 ½ recognized the danger to her. She then voluntarily told her daughter to wait and eat it in the car.

I had hoped that Kayla’s allergy would go away before she was old enough to have this level of understanding. But that did not happen. And as I watch her learning to speak up and question the foods around her, it makes me happy and proud. She is learning to advocate for herself and that is so important. She has a long way to go, but she’s heading in the right direction.