To Vax or not to Vax

By Melissa

Last week, I sat in the pediatrician's office, watching my 3 healthy children play with blocks. I was hemming and hawing about which shots, if any, we should get during this "well child" visit.

My first few children were vaccinated on the recommended schedule. Never any real worries, just sadness over the pain. I'd done a lot of reading and concluded it was right for us. Eve came along with a special set of worries and we did her shots a bit different, making sure she had what was most critical and delaying the ones that might cause problems or we deemed least necessary, but she ended up getting everything over time.

FF to Lily. At 20 something months she had a set of shots. Nothing seemed wrong, no obvious fever, but when she woke from her nap she wouldn't stand, at all. She wouldn't bear any weight on her leg. No walking, no crawling, hardly any moving her leg... I was freaked out! (Of course, it was a Friday afternoon. Why do all things questionable happen on Fridays?) Anyway, we kept a close eye on her. 2 weeks later she was back to walking but still limping and our doctor suggested we not finish up that series.

So here I sit, watching my sweet Henry, who at 18 months has only had a handful of shots (and a minor (major to a mother) reaction with the last set) and I concluded-- no shots today. (again!) We'll start to catch up next time... with this baby, the maternal instinct has been loud and clear-- hold off, go slow! My doctor has been understanding, and even supportive. I love her.

When the doctor came in, she looked over his records. I told her my plan: MMR at 2. I can do that. I'm comfortable with that. She then said, in the way a friend talks to a friend, "Melissa, I admitted a child for Mumps this morning. A child who was out, playing with those same blocks in the waiting room. ---And the next county over has an Measels outbreak! Measels Melissa!"

And I looked at my baby. And I panicked. What is worse, worrying about possible side effects to vaccinations given to millions of kids, or worrying about my son getting a serious illness I could have prevented. I started to sweat.

I suppose this post could be about determining the voice of fear vs trusting your instinct or listening to God Given Promptings... It is about figuring out what is right for your baby. It isn't easy.

We got an email this week about Gardasil, and it made me wonder how I'll handle that one when the time comes. Hopefully, I'll have answers and be able to listen for them.

And, for what it is worth, I'm not providing any support either way. On purpose. After doing hours and hours of research, I have yet to find a good, solid, unbiased source pro-vax or anti-vax. I'd love to hear your take on it, and what helped you decide... however, all the discussions, IRL and online have been heated. Let's be civil. :)

Cheap Date.

By Sally

When I was in college, I had a saying that went:

"If it's free, it's for me!"

I still like free stuff, as long as it's not junk. I especially like free craft activities that I can do with my kids because: 1. it's free, 2. quality family time, 3. if the crafty item breaks, I don't have to care because it was free!

I like y'all so much that I am going to help you go have some crafty fun for free. Yahoo!

First (and my favorite), check out Lowe's Build and Grow workshops for children. These free workshops are hosted by Lowe's every two weeks. The crafts are very cute, and this Saturday, April 25, you can make a hang glider. In my experience, the under 8 crowd will require adult help, but it really is fun and Lowe's has great employees that help out. One of the perks of the Lowe's workshop is that they will give your child a work apron (to keep), safety goggles (to keep), a certificate, and even a patch that can be sown (or hotglued or stapled if you are like me) to the apron! CUTE.

(If you go to Lowe's, or any of these activities, and you have a small child with you, too small to do the craft, DO NOT under any circumstances place the child in a shopping cart, forget to check on said child, and then find that the child has rolled away into the parking lot and been retrieved for you by a total stranger. I can ONLY IMAGINE that would be a terrible thing to do.)

Next, check out Michael's "The Knack". Starting May 2, they have free workshops every day for a week for children to make crafts for Mother's Day. I am going to encourage my husband to take my kids and make the picture plates.

Then there's Home Depot. They also have children's workshops. They are the first Saturday of the month. While the crafts haven't been as cute as the Lowe's crafts, IMO, they are still pretty great. On May 2 your kids can make a wheelbarrow (I am assuming this is a miniature w'barrow, very useful for carting cheerios or legos around).

After your craft, you can get a cheap lunch. Restaurant.com sells gift cards to restaurants for cheaper than the value of the cards. They are super cheap. There are a few restrictions on when the cards can be used, but if you find a restaurant on the site that you eat at regularly, you should try it. However, if you only find restaurants you've never eaten at, don't be like me and buy a gift card and then never use it. That would be a waste of money.

Then you can stop at Redbox and use a code to get a free video to watch that evening.

What a cheap and fun date with the family! You are WELCOME!

PS Do you know about any other fun free stuff for families?

Having Fun...local style

By Sally

Do you like to have fun? So do I.

Cyndi knows that girls just want to have fun.

One way to have fun is to find great things to do in your community. I am a big fan of this kind of fun because it is close to home, I see people I know, my kids love being out and about, and it's generally safe and free.

The town we live in has events constantly. At least once a month there is a free outdoor concert, a music or art festival, a tree lighting, a movie on the town green, a fair at the library, or some other fun free community event. We go to as many as we can and almost all of the time we have fun. Here are some ideas on how to find local events:

1. Check your city's official website. There you'll find a calendar of events and most likely a parks and recreation department that offers classes and workshops for every age group. We take advantage of soccer, music and basketball programs through our city. I want to do yoga at the park but my schedule won't allow it. Most cities have great offerings through their parks and rec departments. Also check out the community library. We've done Mother Goose storytimes a zillion times, it's fun.

I've been to an art festival in Boise, ID that looks just like this.

2. Read the local paper. On the weekends there is generally a calendar of events in your and nearby cities. I read the local paper like this: cover story, first 2 pages, crime report (rubbernecker? me?), and calendar. I often end up tearing out the calendar, walking over to my own calendar, and writing all kinds of things to do. I don't have to do those things, but now they are on my calendar and if I want to I can. The newspaper calendar is great because it will include sporting events and events sponsored by cities, churches, schools, just about anyone.

Not the one we went to. The sandcastle festival we went to was in Oakland, CA, not really even on the beach. Most of the castles were made by amateurs. We had fun anyway.

3. Whatever your interests are, find local options for those interests and get on their email and mailing lists. We get monthly mailers from local concert venues, children's sports programs, and art studios. Someone mistakenly thinks we're athletic as we keep getting invitations for "fun runs" (an oxymoron if there ever was one). We have taken advantage of guided children's nature walks, free play days at children's gyms, sandcastle festivals, all kinds of fun stuff.

Newsflash, Old Bill: Running is not fun. It is good for you. The fun part is when you are done running. I met lots of nice people when I was training for a 1/2 marathon through a program I found in the local paper.

4. Ask people what they enjoy doing locally. Our neighbors across the street picked up on the fact that we like to explore. Now, every few weeks, they drop some awesome wisdom on us about a cool spot to check out. Sometimes it's an event, a park or scenic spot, a restaurant, doesn't matter, they know we are interested and they share their wealth of knowledge.

Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

5. Check out your local university/college/school district. University music departments often put on decent musicals, holiday concerts, and even free senior recitals.

6. Last but not least, don't overlook the web. I love Yelp for finding places to go and restaurants. Fodor's website has traveltalk forums where people post all kinds of great info about every locale. Thanks to Fodor's, we've recently been to a planetarium and a nature reserve. If you are lucky, you might even find a local parenting group online where people post reviews of things they've done with their families.

I bet our readers do this stuff all the time. How do you find out about local events and sights? If you keep your eyes open for fun things to do, you'll see they are all around. It's just a matter of getting everyone out the door! (And good luck with that!)

Get Outta the House!

By Emily

Do you ever catch yourself giving a lecture about something you feel very strongly about, and then you realize you're really lecturing yourself--because maybe this is something you know, but you still struggle with?

Before kids, Joe and I had no problem getting out of the house. We didn't have to be very planned about it, we could just go on a whim. After kids you can still just go on a whim, but it take a lot more effort, and emotional energy as well. I think though, in my experience, I have always been glad that I did it.

[There are times when you know it is best to stay home (kids are sick, or you are sick...) but other times you just need a kick in the pants to get you out that door! The best part? The kids aren't home messing up the house, so leave early in the morning before messes begin!]

This is the best time of year to find cool things to attend outside of the home. Here are some things you are likely to find near your home, for free, cheap, or otherwise:

• Christmas Lights Sight Seeing (drive around and sing Christmas carols--or listen to them)
• Public Library special programs
• Zoo Lights
• Matinee or Dress Rehearsal of The Nutcracker (cheap or free, and okay if your kids are restless)
• Santa at the Mall
• Train Rides
• Christmas Concerts at the local schools or university
• Ice Skating
• Lighting the City Christmas Tree (usually at your City Hall)
• Museum special programs (some offer free entrance during certain times)
• Model Train exhibits
• Festival of Trees (or similar programs, where a collection of various decorated Christmas trees can be viewed)

To find out info about your area, first check your local paper. You can do this online, if you don't subscribe. Also, check out the websites for all of the things listed above--sometimes the city visitor's bureau has an online listing of local events, or the public library may have a newsletter online with info.

Or go to McDonalds and Ice Skate with Bambi and Ronald!

Tonight I think we're going to see Santa and do some ice skating ($3), visit local art galleries and sip hot chocolate, all at the local public square.

Tomorrow I'm going to a cookie exchange! I'm taking 4 dozen, and will get to bring home a variety to share with my neighbors. If you attend a church, there are often festive activities during this time of year that are fun to go to--and if you don't, find a friend who does and pal along! The more the merrier. ;-)

What gets you Outta the House?

Vote!

The conversation I had with my 12 year old today in the car was interesting. He said, "All of my friends are saying this is the most important election ever." First of all, I was surprised that his friends are discussing politics in any sense at all. He is primarily schooled through an online, virtual academy and I haven't seen any political stuff coming through that, so it was just a little intriguing to me. We discussed this election and whether or not it is truly "the most important ever". My opinion is that it is not. I believe that it is a critical election, a historical election, and only time will tell whether or not it will deserve the title of the most important election ever.

To witness and participate in the selection of a new "landmark" presidential duo is amazing. This year we will either elect a black man, or a white woman, to serve in roles that have been held by white men since 1789. This makes this election a powerful statement within our own nation.

My father-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law, and 3 nephews have all served in the armed forces to protect the freedoms we so enjoy. One of my nephews was almost killed on several occasions, he saved many of his comrades' lives, and earned the bronze star for Valor, for his service. One of those freedoms he worked so hard to protect is the right to vote. Whether or not you feel your vote matters, whether or not you "love" the candidate who most closely represents your ideals (and there may not be one that comes as close as you wish), whether or not you are "cancelling out" your friend's, spouse's, or sibling's vote; go to the polls and vote. Be a part of this nation, be active, be a participant and vote. You will feel good about it. You will be doing your part. You will be making your voice heard.

And a nice little bonus is that you can get the little sticker that reads, "I Voted". I love that sticker, I wear it all day long with pride. Vote, you know you want to.