Every family has its quirks, right?

Well, ours came with a side of food allergies.

My two boys both have peanut and tree nut allergies, and my youngest son, William, drew the bonus round with shellfish, too.

Meanwhile my daughter, the youngest, somehow walked away from the genetic casino with no allergies and perfectly straight teeth that never needed braces.

(Yes, the boys endured the full orthodontic gauntlet… rubber bands, wax, overpriced retainers “lost” in the lunchroom.)

Talk about the distribution of genetics.

If I didn’t witness their births, I’d swear some of these traits were swapped at the hospital.

Growing up, the boys had it rough around party season… especially Halloween.

Navigating peanut-laden candy was like Mission Impossible: Trick-or-Treat Protocol.

And don’t get me started on classroom cupcake celebrations.

Back then, it mostly depended on how vigilant the teacher was in making sure the goodies came in peanut-free. These days, most schools have actual policies.

Small mercies.

I still remember the day my oldest came home upset because the lunch aide refused to let any of his friends sit with him at the “nut-free table,” even though none of them had peanuts in their lunches.

So he sat alone

Let’s just say… you did not want to be the recipient of my polite-but-nuclear mama-bear wrath at that meeting with the principal.

That policy changed real fast.

I think about all this now because when they were younger, I had control.

I could keep them safe.

Now? They don’t listen to me. (Oh, those were the days…)

And I know they could stand to be a bit more cautious.

Case in point: the other night, William called from Philly.

He and Stephen are roommates, and apparently Stephen had eaten Chinese food with hidden peanut sauce and wound up in the ER.

In his defense, they had checked the menu. The restaurant just… casually garnished their dumplings with peanut sauce without mentioning it anywhere.

It was Stephen’s very first peanut exposure. The hospital did what hospitals do, and thankfully he’s totally fine.

But now they know, they must always ask.

We always joke about which allergy is “worse.”

Gluten? Dairy? Peanut?

And both boys say, very matter-of-factly, they’d choose peanut over the other two any day.

Yes, peanut can kill you, but in their minds?

Life without ice cream, cake, or bread would be a fate worse than death.

Honestly… I can’t even argue with them.

Farm Happenings

We kicked off wreath-making season with our first workshop on Saturday, and oh my goodness, the gals came ready to party.

So much laughter, so much evergreen confetti, so many gorgeous wreaths.

I doubled the sessions this year, and while a few are already full, there are still openings. Come join us, it’s genuinely such a fun time.

Our Early Black Friday Special is also officially ON.

Truly, it’s a good one.

Pricing is special through the 25th, then it bumps back up and closes for good at midnight Cyber Monday.

If you’ve been thinking about it, now is the time.

And in the field… it’s ranunculus time.

I’m finishing the first round of planting this week, with a second succession coming in December and January.

Over a thousand corms are going in, I can practically smell spring already.

The remaining cold-hardy seedlings are also being tucked in this week. Tulip planting comes right after Thanksgiving, which feels perfect.

Give your kids (grown or otherwise) an extra hug today, even if they roll their eyes at you.