On The Road Food

When we face a day with many hours of driving, we prefer to pack our meals and eat them en route at a park or rest area versus stopping at restaurants.  So I thought I would share what this looks like for us.

There are three of us in the family who will eat the same dishes, one of us with a very self-restricted carb-heavy diet due to hypersensitivity to oral and olfactory stimuli, and one of us who likes most foods to be served just so.  Furthermore, Little One is always excited for travel, but it also drives her anxiety through the roof and when that happens, she struggles to eat at all. So in addition to everything else, we have to really monitor her intake and sometimes set aside one on one time at a quiet place for her to eat while we are traveling.

For lunch, I packed herbed cream cheese (so much goodness in the garden right now) with cucumbers on homemade sourdough bread, sliced apples, water and lemon shortbread for our mainstream eaters.  Cold pesto pizza and chicken/fresh berries were on tap for the other two.  

Here we are in Veedersburg, Indiana at Hub Park enjoying lunch, fresh air, and movement.

For dinner I made salads in a jar which have been a huge hit with Big Girl since the first time I prepared them for a road trip.  Our more persnickety eaters happily had a repeat of their respective lunches.

Snacks in the car included pretzels, bananas, blueberries, M&Ms, and almonds.

For dessert we tried to have icecream at Park 'n Chill in Springfield, Illinois, because if we're going to eat out, it has to be local.  Unfortunately, it was closed, so DQ to the rescue.

Fifth Week Of Summer

 A busy and exciting week!

1) Medical appointment for Little One

2) Our nephew's high school graduation party for all

3) NCFA Conference in St. Louis for me

4) Sightseeing in St. Louis for all but me (Arch, Telephone Museum, Forest Park, Cathedral Basilica - Craig and I used to live pretty close to St. Louis and had already seen all of these places in the years B.C. so I didn't miss out all the way)

5) Arrival of Oma from Germany

6) Stops on the Family History Tour to show the kids where we got married as well as the shady apartment complex that was our first shared home and Craig's alma mater for all

7) Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln family home - yes, this counts as home education hours - for all

8) Cardinals vs. Astros game for Middle Kid and dad

Fourth Week Of Summer

Well, I know I said there was nothing on the calendar, but then emails started rolling in with invites and reminders, so here's what we did this week.

1) Information session breakfast at the JCC for the Under One Roof community art show for Big Girl

2) Annie's retirement dinner for dad, Big Girl and Middle Kiddo

3) Sleepover with her BFF for Big Girl

4) Haircuts for all the ladies

5) Golf for Middle Kiddo and dad

6) Kings Island for Middle Kid, Little One and dad

It's hard to believe that school has been out for a full month already.  Time has flown.  But I am very happy to report that all three kids have done very well this month with a highly unstructured schedule.  As recently as a few years ago, we relied on a Mother's Helper to assist us during the summer and now here we are with three teenagers who have gained enough independence around our home that their dad and I can succeed through an entire month with only one therapist seeing one child.

Third Week Of Summer

 Another fun week!

1) Flag Day Parade in our neighborhood courtesy of Little One

2) Kings Island for Little One, Middle Kiddo and dad

3) Orthopedic appointment for Big Girl

4) Field trip to see a replica of Columbus' Pinta for all

5) Dinner and icecream with grandparents, aunt and cousins

6) Another strawberry pick for mom - what a prolific season at our nearby u-pick

There's nothing yet at all on the calendar for week 4, so we shall see.

Second Week Of Summer

 I don't think I'll do a post for each week of summer, but we've had another busy and fun seven days.

1) Strawberry picking - the last u-pick of the season for mom (at least for this particular fruit)

2) Kings Island for Little One, Middle Kiddo and dad

3) Movie at the park for Big Girl and her BFF

4) Two-day neighborhood yard sale for mom

5) Summer Dance Day at the Cincinnati Ballet for Little One

6) Dental check-ups for the girls

First Week Of Summer

 We kicked off summer with a busy week that included a lot of fun activities.

1) Kings Island twice for Little One and Middle Kiddo plus dad

2) Golf for Middle Kiddo plus dad

3) Live opera at the park for Little One and Big Girl plus dad

Enchanted by opera

4) Pride challah baking class for Big Girl plus mom

5) Swimming for all minus mom

6) Date morning for the parents

Let the good times roll.  We love summer.

IAC Results Session 576-581

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 576 which was held on March 9, 2023:

1) Spanish dossier from April 2014 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months

2) Canadian dossier from February 2018 referred a female child aged 5 years with features in health status

3) Italian dossier from December 2021 referred brothers aged 8 years and 6 months & 7 years and 5 months

4) US dossier from January 2022 referred a female child aged 3 years and 3 months with features in health status and a family history

5) US dossier from February 2023 referred an identified waiting child

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 577 which was held on March 14, 2023:

1) Italian dossier from July 2014 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months with features in health status

2) US dossier from May 2021 referred a male child aged 1 year and 4 months with features in health status and a family history

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 578 which was held on March 28, 2023:

1) US dossier from March 2023 referred an identified waiting child

2) US dossier from March 2023 referred an identified waiting child

3) US dossier from March 2023 referred an identified waiting child

4) US dossier from March 2023 referred an identified waiting child

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 579 which was held on April10, 2023:

1) Spanish dossier from August 2014 referred a female child aged 2 years and 5 months

2) Spanish dossier from September 2014 referred a male child aged 8 years and 9 months with features in health status

3) French dossier from September 2015 referred a male child aged 1 year and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

4) Italian dossier from December 2021 referred brothers aged 6 years and 7 months & 7 years and 8 months

5) Italian dossier from December 2022 referred brothers aged 10 years and 11 months & 8 years and 1 month

6) US dossier from March 2023 referred a female child aged 1 year and 11 months with features in health status

7) US dossier from March 2023 referred a male child aged 1 year ad 5 months with features in health status and a family history

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 580 which was held on April 18, 2023:

1) US dossier from November 2022 referred an identified waiting child

2) Italian dossier from April 2023 referred an identified waiting child

 The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 581 which was held on April 27, 2023:

1) US dossier from September 2020 referred a male child aged 1 year and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

2) Canadian dossier from December 2022 referred a male child aged 1 year and 6 months with features in health status and a family history

3) Canadian dossier from April 2023 referred siblings, male and females, aged  7 years and 11 months & 9 years and 2 month & 5 years and 9 months with features in health status and a family history

4) US dossier from April 2023 referred an identified waiting child

5)  US dossier from April 2023 referred an identified waiting child

6)  US dossier from April 2023 referred an identified waiting child