Getting Noticed

I woke up at 1am this morning, and after peeing and getting a drink of water, I laid down and began tossing and turning.  When I had gone to bed, Sam's peanut allergy had not even been on my radar, but somehow those middle of the night sleep cycles bring the subconscious mind to the surface, and from 1am until 3am I flipped and kicked and wrestled with my blanket as I composed emails to his school.

He came home with another piece of non-peanut-friendly candy yesterday.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays another mother from our daycare picks him up, so I didn't get all the details, but Jamie handed me a little blue plastic egg with a chocolate bunny inside, and we stood on the sidewalk and discussed our disbelief.  The other mother who had done the preschool-to-daycare shuttle earlier in the day arrived and she handed me a bag of peanut-friendly candy, "because I felt bad for Sammy."  Sammy's eyes lit up and I reminded him to thank Pandy, and then we three mothers again talked about how it made no sense that this was still happening.

At 2:30am I finally got out of bed and went to my computer.  I opened up Microsoft Word and typed NOTICE in big bold letters at the top of the page.  I wrote a brief note about how there is a child in this classroom that has a peanut allergy and that peanut allergies can be fatal.  I asked for help in keeping my child safe and I included a list of peanut friendly snacks for parents who want to bring treats in to the classroom.  I then composed an email to Sam's teacher and attached the document.  I told her I didn't think the gentle reminder in last month's newsletter had been enough, and could we perhaps post this NOTICE outside Sam's classroom and include a copy in all the kid's cubbies?  At 2:58am I hit the send button.

At 7am I was secretly dreading our arrival at school, a little nervous about having to discuss the issue with Sam's teacher, afraid of being "the difficult mom."  But before we even got to his classroom I saw a bright yellow copy of the NOTICE posted beside the classroom door.  And as I helped Sammy take off his coat and hang it on the hook below his name, another parent set down the pile of papers in her hand while she helped her daughter.  On the top of her pile was a yellow copy of the same document, the big bold letters at the top saying NOTICE.  I peeked in the classroom and saw Mrs. Heather sitting at her desk smiling, and I waved and said thank you.

Only after I got in my car did the relief and gratitude bring tears to my eyes.  I'm still learning how to navigate the world as a peanut allergy mom, and I'm so grateful to those around me who support me in keeping my child safe.