Jake and the Fly June Book Giveaway



Jake and the Fly

 Kids love adventures, especially ones with gooey slimy creatures!

This month I'm offering a FREE copy of Jake and the Fly, the first modern-fantasy children's chapter book in the Wunderkind Family series. The Wunderkind's are an extraordinary gifted family, and Jake, the oldest son, is the scifi-inventive genius. He can make a thingamijig out of anything. The only hang-up is all the rules he has to follow.

Join Jake Wunderkind on his next adventure!

Jake

In this story, Jake is doing what he loves to do best-exploring and playing outside. As he's picking up rocks, he discovers a dozen slimy gooey worms, captures them and then hides them in a secret place in his bedroom, so his twin brother and sister can’t free them. But when the worms transform into a dozen buzzing pesty flies, Jake's adventure begins. Find out if Jake rid’s his home from being invaded by the pesty flies, and if he’s able to rescue his dad from their beady stares?

Every child has daily adventures. And my son, Jake, is no stranger to them. His kid-like imagination and adventures inspired me to write and illustrate the first book in the Wunderkind Family series.

Additional Wunderkind Family books available
Jake's Adventures - Melissa Perry Moraja
Madison and G.A. (My Guardian Angel) - Melissa Perry Moraja

ENTER the JUNE BOOK GIVEAWAY through the Rafflecopter giveaway below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Safety Preparation for a Type 1 Diabetic Child

Last week, we experienced severe weather storm warnings, which encouraged everyone in Union County, NC to get to the lowest level of their home in case of an unexpected Tornado. After the Oklahoma tragedy, we took this warning seriously. My kids and I ran around frantically, gathering and lugging down the following to our basement bathroom - food, water, diapers, baby wipes, toilet paper, towels, and type 1 diabetic supplies.

Once everything was in place, we sat near the bathroom, doing homework and waiting to see if the storm would bring the unexpected-a tornado. It didn't! Thank heavens. But what if it would have? What if a tornado did form just before we were able to gather my daughters type 1 diabetes supplies or diapers for my baby?

That one warning made me realize that I needed to prepare for such possible events now. The following is what I would recommend keeping near the place you plan to hide if a possible tornado did form. I also shared a list of things you should always have with you in your car, just in case your car breaks down, you are stuck in traffic, or you got into an accident. We've been stuck in traffic for hours at a time, unable to get off the road. Being prepared is a must when you have a type 1 diabetic child.

Severe  weather warning:

1. Always have your child's type 1 diabetic bag with them during a severe storm warning filled with at least one juice, the Glucagon pen, sugar tablets, meter, test strips, batteries for meter and insulin pump, and protein (such as peanut butter crackers or Slim Jim). We also have frosting in my daughters bag, along with syringes.
2. Store a package of juice (8 juice boxes per pack), case of water, sugar tablets and a box of peanut butter crackers in your basement where you will be hiding.
3. Keep an extra meter kit.
4. Keep an extra unopened insulin pen if you are able too.
5. Make sure you keep extra batteries in their diabetic bag or in this area. Your child's meter or insulin pump's battery could die.
6. Store a pad of paper and a few pencils for the kids to draw and doodle. If you have an extra card set, store that too.

Automobile:

1. Always have your child's type 1 diabetic bag with your child.
2. Have an extra finger pricking device in your glove compartment. We've broken ours when we have been out and about. We were lucky we had stashed an extra in our glove compartment.
3. Keep extra waters and juice in your car. If it's too hot to keep them in there all the time, then make an auto diabetes bag (in addition to your child's type 1 diabetes bag) that you take with you whenever you are in the car. I have a Thirty-one bag that I store water, juice, sugar tablets, baby wipes, and box of peanut butter Ritz crackers that I take with me whenever I drive.

I would love to hear any additional supplies or tips that you may have!

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Learning Lessons for Managing Type 1 Diabetes with Sports

I love playing sports, especially softball and soccer! And I feel blessed that my daughter Madison loves playing them just as much as I do. But managing Madison's blood sugar during and after a game is like a weather person trying to predict which direction a hurricane will go in. There are so many variables (weather, meal, emotional state, growth spurt) that can trigger it to go in a direction you just wouldn't have thought possible. And last night, Madison's blood sugar dropped way below her norm while she was sleeping all because of playing in a tournament fastpitch softball game, which they won.

For an hour and a half, every kid and parent was on a high, including Madison's blood sugar, which stayed around 230, even after I gave her insulin during the game. I had hoped it was closer to 150 for several reasons. When Madison's blood sugar is above 250, she has a harder time hitting the ball. She also starts getting fidgety out in the field where she's moving and wiggling a lot more than normal. And she also starts getting more emotional.

But last night, no matter what I tried (giving her insulin and having her do jumping jacks) her blood sugar decided to just maintain itself around 230 a result of being ecstatic from hitting a home run, sad from striking out, pitching to a new team, and anxious for the next play. After the game, I let her have a lollipop and decided not to have her check her blood sugar. From past experience, I've found it's not worth having her check her blood sugar immediately after a game unless she feels really low. Usually after she's played a game, her blood sugar will continue to drop for at least 20 to 40 minutes afterward.

When we got home, I had her get ready for bed and then we checked her blood sugar at 8:27 pm. The meter said her blood sugar was 125, a number that is perfect. But something inside me thought she may still drop, so I gave her four Ritz peanut butter crackers, hoping that would keep her blood sugar around 125 throughout the night. But it didn't.

Usually, we don't check her blood again until my husband goes to bed which is around 11:00 pm. But last night, I had this urge to check her one hour later and my jaw dropped and eyes bugged out of my head when the meter showed the number 53. I immediately woke her up and had her drink two juice boxes and eat five Ritz peanut butter crackers. From there, we went into prevention mode and implemented the 15:15 rule. This is a rule where we have to check her blood sugar 15 minutes later, and if it hasn't gone up, then we need to give her 15 carbs and recheck it 15 minutes after that. Basically at this point we're feeding her disease. This is what I hate about the disease. Our endocrinologist said that usually type 1 diabetics will wake up from a nightmare when their blood sugar drops too low. And if they don't, they end up in a coma. 53 was way too low for me.

I've learned a lot about what to do and what not to do with controlling Madison's blood sugar during and after a soccer, basketball and softball game. I hope the following provides a guideline for other parents of type 1 diabetic children.

• For high active sports like soccer and basketball, we've found it's better to take Madison's insulin pump off. Soccer and basketball are two highly active sports, allowing Madison to run around enough for us to take off her insulin pump during the game and practice.
• For low active sports, we've had to keep Madison's insulin pump on. We've found baseball and softball to be low active sports. Madison isn't as active during a softball game, requiring us to keep her pump on.
• During a high active game, we've consistently had to check Madison's blood sugar half way through. We've found that we've needed to give Madison at least a 15 carb juice 30 minutes after the game has started.
• During a low active sport, we haven't had to check Madison's blood sugar as much, if at all. Madison is usually good with feeling her highs and lows. And because she's not running around as much, I haven't been concernd with her blood sugar dropping. In fact, I've been more worried with it going high because she is nervous and not active. 
• Because of last night, after a tournament game, I plan to take Madison's pump off for one hour. This will eliminate basal insulin from entering her body. The excitement and stess during last nights fast pitch tournament game caused Madison's blood sugar to be unpredictable.
• Madison's blood sugar has to be in the 100's for her to play at her best for softball. We've found that if she eats a high protein meal with measurable carbs, we're better able to manage her blood sugar.
• Pizza and pasta an hour or two before a soccer game works well for Madison. But it doesn't for softball. In fact, we've found it's best not to have Madison eat a high starchy carb before a softball game, because she's not active enough to burn it off quickly.
• After a game or practice, a parent should check their type 1 diabetic child's blood sugar an hour after they go to bed, because that is the time period where their body is relaxing and blood sugar is trying to stabilize. In addition, I highly recommend checking it again one to two hours later.
• Always share your child's disease with the umpire, referree and coach. We've had several instances where I've had to call timeout to give Madison a sugar tablet.

I hope you will also share your learning lessons!

Hope You'll ENTER My First KidLit Book Giveaway May 13 - 19th!

I'm so excited to share that I am offering a FREE copy of The Tale of the Slimy Spitball (the first book in My Guardian Angel series)  in my first KidLit Book Giveway!

ENTER HERE

The Tale of the Slimy Spitball is the first book in the Madison and GA (My Guardian Angel) children's chapter book series. It's a funny, modern-fantasy children's chapter book that teaches children that they don't have to be perfect. Even Madison's guardian angel isn't. Every story will share at least one learning lesson such as bullying, friendship, and responsibility.

Three Meals, One Dinner - A Mom's Selfishness is Benefiting Her Kids

Three Meals, One Dinner | Working Mother
Three meals and one dinner has been my life for almost eight years. This year I've taken on a new leaf where my time is just as valuable as my kids and hubby's. And my mommy selfishness is actually benefiting my kids and family. Click the sub-title (in orange) and read what I shared on Working Mother!

How to Raise Intuitive Kids

Children have a natural intuitive ability from the time they are born. It's this intuitive sense that allows them to instantly bond with their mom and dad. It's the sense that allows them to know if mommy is leaving even if their mommy doesn't have her shoes or jacket on yet. My one year old starts to whine and gets clingy about 30 minutes before I'm leaving the house. She can sense that I'm going somewhere and she may not be going with me.

Kids are like little sponges, absorbing everything through their senses, even their sixth sense of intuition. As a parent, you can assist your child with developing their intuition by simply helping them develop their other senses. Intuition is the ability to know or understand something without prior experience or knowledge. Many people describe it as a gut-feeling or a knowing. Developing your child's intuition is a gift that will assist them all through life in negotiating, social situations, identifying an opportunity and more. And no matter what age you are, you can begin developing your intuitive ability.

So how do you help your kids develop their intuition?
From personal experience, begin with developing your child's most heightened sense. What you'll find is as this one sense gets stronger your child's other senses will start developing along side that one. The following are some steps in helping you develop your child's heightened sense.

1. Identify that one sense that is most developed. Every child is born with at least one sense (hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting) that is heightened. My type 1 diabetic daughter, Madison, is a feeler. She has to touch every toy. She uses the word feel and feeling when she describes her emotions. She says, "I feel this is going to happen" versus "I can see this is going to happen." 
2. Talk to them about their special sense. When my twin son Josh comes home from school, I always ask him if anything in his second grade class room changed. He notices things like his teacher having a new coffee cup or that someone brought in an apple and put it on her desk or she's wearing earrings for the first time. Also, because he is visual, I need to show him how to do things. He's lucky because his sense of hearing is heightened too. His heightened auditory ability allows him to play a song on the piano by listening to the song, something I have no ability to do. I have to read the notes to play a song.
3. Lastly, make an effort every day to help them express their heightened sense. Going for walks or exploring the outdoors is a great way to accomplish this. For feelers, have them pick up and touch things in nature. Have them feel the weather. Have them feel how they are feeling. For visual kids, point to things in nature. Ask them to find three different kinds of birds. Share in what you see. For auditory kids, ask them to listen to bird sounds and then describe those sounds. You can also drop leaves and rocks and have them describe what they heard. For kids with a heightened sense of smell, have them smell different leaves and flowers. Have them smell the air as you walk to see if they can pick up on any smells that smell different. For kids who love tasting, have them taste a leaf or a piece of grass. Ask them to taste the air to see if it tastes any different from when they were in the house to now being outside the house.

Be creative and have fun as you help your child develop their sensory ability. This skill will help them become more aware of their surroundings and of themselves, triggering their natural ability to kick in.

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