Did some one say "High Ropes?"

Riley is back form her second year of attending the DYFI summer camp.  She loved it!  She has such a great time here and loves being with a great group of people who are all experiencing the same things as her.

This year she completed the High Ropes course!!!  H-I-G-H--R-O-P-E-S!  As in the tops of the trees.  62 feet off the ground.  Wearing a harness.  Can't touch the ground.  Those High Ropes.  We are so proud of her for doing this!  She said that she cried a lot while up there, but finished even though she was very afraid... Go Girl!  I couldn't begin to attempt this course, I couldn't even do the zip line a few weeks ago!  Once again, I'm a chicken.  Riley, we are so proud of you for not being like your Momma! :)

Check out the DYFI's website HERE.  There are tons of pictures from camp this summer plus a lot of good information about the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana!

Dr. Riggs and Riley

I think Riley has pictures from the High Ropes course on her camera.  I will post a few in the next few days.

Family Camp 2011 and the Zip Line!!!

In May, we attended the DYF of Indiana's Family Camp weekend.  It was a lot of fun.  It's neat to see how relaxed Riley is there and how much she enjoys being at the campground.  Payton loves it too.  He has a blast every time he is out there!

The whole group + counselors (except for Kyle who is taking the picture and his mom who is holding the ladder) 

Aren't we cute???

And now for the Best part of this year's Family Camp... The Zip Line!  As I've said before, I'm a chicken and did not try it, but the rest of my family did and LOVED it!

At the campfire, Riley and Payton helped lead one of their favorite camp songs: Fudgie the Whale!  Read the lyrics then look at the pictures.  It's fun to see what pictures go with what lyrics!

FUDGIE THE WHALE

I’m a great big mammal

I’m a great big whale

I got a chocolate wig

And a chocolate tail

I bought my car today

Because it was on sale

And when they call for me 

They call for FUDGIE The WHALE!

FUDGIE

FUDGIE

Fudgie the whale

...And a chocolate tail...

FUDGIE.....

...FUDGIE...

And Now For The Famous Words Of Alice Cooper...

School's out for summer!

Miss Brown with Payton

Mrs. Osswald, Riley, and Mrs. Jones.

Mr. Scott and Riley

I really cannot believe that this school year is over already!  Wow, time has flown by.  

This year the kids aren't very excited about summer break.  (Shocking, I know!) 

Payton is already missing his teacher and his class.  Missing them to the point that he is begging for me to go and buy him one of the 'Bridge' books so he can start working on 4th grade work and (in his own words) "keep his brain smart through the summer!"  How adorable is that?  A kid that loves school - what a blessing!   

Riley heads off to Middle School next year and isn't too thrilled.  She's leaving behind her comfort zone and is unsure of what's ahead.  HHES is the school she has been at the longest, has made great friends there, and it's where she started her diabetes and school adventure.  She's learned the 'ropes' there and has mastered them if I do say so myself.  She has had a team of FANTABULOUS (yes, it is supposed to say fantabulous, a wonderful blend of fantastic and fabulous) nurses that make her feel comfortable and somewhat normal.  They have been genuine and compassionate with the care they give her each day at school and again we are blessed.  Her teacher has been amazing this year as well!  Again, we are blessed!  She has completed the year once again with straight A's, but I'm pretty sure by the look on her face when Payton was begging to go and get a 'Bridge' book that she isn't a bit concerned with keeping her brain smart over the summer!

Good Cookie Recipe

A friend at work brought in cookies that she made with egg whites and black walnuts... they were called Black Walnut Meringue cookies.  I LOVE meringue.  Don't even care to eat the pie that it might be attached to, just want the meringue!  We were talking "cookies" and thought this recipe would be even better with.... chocolate!  So, I came home did a search and found this recipe.  Made them during our latest ice storm and we all loved them, so I had to share the recipe here.

Meringue always reminds me of Grandma Denny and Granny.  They always had the best chocolate pies with even better meringue on top!  I loved it when it would get a little too brown...yum that was the best!

I made these cookies again tonight, but this time I used Splenda instead of sugar.  This makes the calories and the carbs even less.  Not sure the exact carb count with Splenda, but guessing around 7 instead of 10.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home

24 Servings

• Prep: 20 min. + standing Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 3 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons finely crushed almonds or walnuts, optional

Directions

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes. Beat in cocoa. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
• Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert # 806 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with meringue. Pipe 1-1/2-in. hearts 2 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 300° for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 dozen. 
  
  Editor's Note: Meringue can be dropped by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake as directed.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 43 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 32 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Great Website

I was looking online for the carb count in Reese's Pieces for Riley and stumbled across this link (click here).  Even though it hasn't been updated for a few years, I'm sure the candy and carb counts haven't really changed.  Hopefully someone else will find this as helpful as I did tonight!

First day of School!

Well the day that they have been waiting for has come and gone and now they are tucked away in bed getting ready to do it all again tomorrow!   It flew by with only a few glitches, but those are to be expected... right?

I remember the days of getting ready for the first day of school without any medical issues.... let me tell you, those days are missed.  I wouldn't trade what we have now for anything, but I do miss the simplicity of the school "life" back in the kindergarten and second grade years!

We had a meeting with Riley's classroom teacher, school nurse, and administration last week, so we were able to take both Riley's and Payton's supplies to the building then.  Plus we had to take all the needed "equipment" for Riley to have at school for her Diabetes management and for Payton's asthma.... hmmm lots of paperwork!

We got the last minute items ready last night: clothes laid out (check), backpacks loaded up and ready (check), lunch packed (check), lunch money (check), note to the teacher for afternoon bus assignments (check), extra blood glucose meter synced up to Riley's insulin pump so that they can keep that one in the clinic at school (check), water bottles (check)....  off to bed.

It seemed the night went by in a flash, and before I knew it, it was time for breakfast, 1st day of school pictures, loading up the car to get down to the end of the driveway in time for the bus... better leave 5 min early in case he's early on the first day, wait we gotta walk the dog, stand here so I can get a picture of you both getting on the bus, bye have a good day, I love you.... and they were on the bus on their way to their first day of 5th and 3rd grade.

4 minutes goes by and I get a phone call from the bus driver's cell phone (panic strikes), it's Riley's voice on the other end of the phone: "Mom, we forgot to give me insulin for my breakfast!"  Of course we did, the morning seemed to be going to smooth!  Her new insulin pump saved the day (morning) that's for sure. I just talked her through what to do to give herself her bolus (insulin) for what she ate.  I'm sure the pump is some sort of magic because without it, I would have been chasing down the bus to give her an insulin injection!  Whew!  Problem solved.

Riley was thanking me and telling me that she loved me when another thought came through my mind... "Why didn't you call me from your cell phone or your brothers?"  Riley answers, "Because we left them laying on the kitchen counter!"

Happy First Day of School to All, and to All a Good Night (and better day tomorrow)!!!!

Riley climbing the cargo net at DYF camp!

How fun is this??? I just stumbled across this tonight and had to share it! She is the one on the left. She doesn't really seem afraid at all!

Insulin Pump: Day +8

On August 2, Riley had her pump start appointment.  Everything was running smoothing (or pumping smoothing, I should say).  We even managed to make it through our first infusion set change on Thursday. Then came Sunday, another infusion set change.  We thought everything was going great until lunchtime on Monday when her numbers were on the up and up at almost 500! (For those who don't know what your numbers should be, her Dr. has her target range set for between 100 and 120, so nearly 500 is pretty high!  Panic set in as she tested for ketones and showed positive for moderate to large ketones present.... hmmm.  Thankfully this is all happening before the doctor's office went on their lunch break, so after a quick phone call I had a plan of "action."   Once I was able to give her a quick injection with insulin to correct the high numbers, I then went to change her infusion set.  Ahhh ha!  Found the culprit as to why her BG numbers were sky rocketing... the cannula wasn't in the skin at all, just laying flat against it.  No wonder she said it didn't really hurt when we changed her infusion set!  After a new set was in place, BG numbers were dropping, and ketone levels were coming down she felt horrible.  She said she felt like she didn't have any energy at all.  Poor thing!  Crazy stuff, this roller coaster ride of diabetes... let me just tell you!  Oh, and of course, after all of that wouldn't you know that her numbers were in the 60's at dinner????   She's a trooper though!  We love you, Riley!

Perfect Brownie Pan Update

The Perfect Brownie pan that we got Riley for her birthday was WONDERFUL!  It did everything that it said it would do on the infomercial!!!  Can you believe it?  One product that delivers!  Here are a few pictures of our brownies from when we used it the first time.  I definitely think this is a pan that every Type 1 Diabetic should have in their home!

It's here, just waiting for pump start appointment!

It's here... the much awaited insulin pump!  Riley has been wanting this for awhile, and now it's here.  We are just waiting to schedule the pump start appointment!  Hopefully we will get that set up within the next few weeks and she will be on her way to pump therapy!  She wanted a purple one and is on the hunt for a zebra striped skin to go on it... oh to be 10 again!  We will keep everyone posted when she gets all set up for the pump!

JDRF Family Rally

Last night we (the Tindal's and the Welch's) went to the JDRF Family Rally at the Children's Museum.  It was a fun evening and we had a blast with the Welch family!  We are planning to do a team for Riley and Colton and participate in the JDRF walk in October.  One of the new Indianapolis Colt's players (John Chick) was the speaker and it was nice to hear his story of growing up with Type 1 Diabetes and also being a professional football player.  Here's a picture of Colton, Payton, John Chick, Riley, and Sierra.

Can You Believe She's in the Double Digits???

"One whole decade of delightful.  Double Digits.  Five times Two.  There's no doubting you're a blessing to the ones who care for you!"

Today marks a milestone for our family... Jon and I are now the parents of a 10 (yes, I said 10) year old!  Can you believe it?  Doesn't seem possible if you ask me.  I don't feel like I'm old enough to have a 10 year old.  I don't feel like she's old enough to be 10.  Back to the timeless statement... "Where has the time gone?"

Now that she is 10, she was able to get her ears pierced.  This has been the deal between her and her Daddy for quite some time now.  She was 4 when she first asked to have them pierced and he wanted her to wait.  When he said "10" it seemed so far away and now it's here and we just can't believe it!

Grandma "T" had a friend make this beautiful cake for Riley!

Blowing out her candle!  Don't forget to make a wish!

Riley enjoying the new deck at Grandma and Grandpa "T's" house.

Checking out the earring selection while waiting for her turn at Claire's.

More fun while waiting...

Getting Ready...

Didn't hurt tooooo bad!

Yay!  Congratulations, You Did It!

Waiting tonight for presents...

Just Dance... one of our favorite games for the Wii!  Riley and I love to 

dance against each other on "Cotton Eyed Joe"... so far I am undefeated!

Now, when she puts in "Sing it" I can say that she is undefeated against me. She's got the voice and I've got the moves!  :o)

I "over taped" this one just a little bit.

She was able to catch a peek and see what it is...

The Perfect Brownie...!  We think this is the 

perfect thing to have for dessert preparations

 for a T1 Diabetic!  It will be easier now to 

make sure that everything gets cut equally!!!

Jammin' to "Just Dance"  Ummm... it looks like she's doing the Beyonce' move???

Reading one of her new books in her new 

Zebra Jams.  She loves zebra striped things 

right now, but even more than that she

 LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to read!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!