rev-ving it up for summer

Nothing says summertime like Country Time lemonade . . . . and . . . .VBS! (vacation bible school).  Last year we had such a great time attending and volunteering at Saylorville Baptist Church that it played a major role in our decision to become members.  This year our entire family is attending all five evenings; with me, hubby and Maddi volunteering in the snack area while Ellie and Ben participate full throttle.  Yep, we are ready to Rev It Up and have some fun.

We headed up to the church this morning to take stock of the snack supplies and decorate the kitchen 'pit stop' area.  As we were arriving, we pull into the parking lot to find three of our pastors racing go-carts.

If you have kiddos between the ages of 6-12 and are a local reader, I urge you to sign up.  As one of our pastors said, "This is the best week of their lives!".  Just fill out the form here and come 1, 2, or all 5 nights.  VBS runs from this Sunday, June 5th through Thursday, June 9th from 6pm-8:30pm.  There is no cost to attend and we would love to see you there! 

In other fun summertime D-news, Ellie, Ben and I loaded up our bikes and rode to one of our local pools.  This was not only the first swim of the season, but also the first swim with T1D.  Our 'beach bag' was full of extra stuff, so I bagged all the D-supplies in a waterproof bag and added a few ice gel packets to keep everything cool. 

Ellie went into the pool at a nice and high 237 and exited 50 minutes later with a not-so-nice low 55.  A juice box and a fruit smasher pulled her our of the double digits and back into the water she went. We only stayed a couple of hours, but long enough for me to realize I will not be relaxing by the pool with a book as I previously planned.

Nope.  I might as well put on a red bathing suit and wrap a life preserver around my waist and stand shoulder to shoulder with the teenage life guards.  While they are armed with a whistle and a visor to block the rays, I will be armed with a juice box and a canister of glucose tabs, ready to lift a low in seconds.

I know my worries and anxieties will recede as the season progresses, but for now I am on high alert to ward off the lows.  I will relax a bit as Ellie transitions to the Omnipod insulin pump, as it will allow a change (lower or even suspend) in her basal insulin rate while she swims, but I fear summer will be coming to a close by the time she is pumping full time. 

One thing we have discovered so far, exercise certainly drops the blood sugar numbers for Ellie.  This does not mean I will slow her down, however, I will just need to rev up the pancreatic magic a bit to keep up with her.