Protection

First official day of summer!  Wishing we were camping during what used to be our annual week long primitive camping trip.  I have fond memories of mud covered babies, lots and lots of friends, comfy clothes, and drumming.  We will go again.  Next time we will have to plan accordingly.  We were planning on going this year but then December 28th happened and our focus has been elsewhere.   On the other hand teenager will be leaving in 8 days for his very first weeklong without family camping experience!  He's totally excited.  We are in the midst of packing all his needs.  My biggest concern, his headaches.  He hasn't had as many (still having them weekly, but not as debilitating).  Hoping camping is not too hard for him.  The neurologist okayed it. 

We didn't go to the drive in this past weekend.  (We went last weekend and saw How to Train your Dragon 2).  They were playing the same movies.  I'm hoping next weekend before the teenager leaves we can see a movie there. 

In other news, we joined the mainstream and started the vaccinations for our children.  Okay, okay, okay, before you start screaming at me.  I am not one of those die-hard anti-vaxxers.  (Obviously.)  And I'm also not a "follow the herd" with everything type of person either.  Yes, we opted for a very delayed schedule.  Did we have our reasons for not vaccinating "on time"?  Absolutely.  Do we have reasons for doing so now?  Yup.  Are they all personal.  Pretty much.  Do I despise how people who don't vaccinate have been portrayed.  Um most certainly.  Just like my choice to homeschool my children, to homebirth my Sugar Bear, to breastfeed, to have a "natural" childbirth, to parent with gentleness, to cloth diaper, to use disposable diapers, to introduce solids later, to do organic, to not do organic, etc....I've always, and I mean always, have done my research and given whatever the issue a lot of thought.  I will say one of the main reasons for going ahead with Sugar Bear now and vaccinating him is because of his Type 1.  Would he have eventually gotten his shots?  Yes.  But because I missed this, because I missed what was going on with him and it almost cost him his life.......it was time.  They didn't need the chicken pox vaccine as they'd already had it.  They did get extra Tetanus since that comes with the DTaP.   Everything else is started.  And I mean everything.  Did we get some grief from both boys about getting the shots?  lol Yes, and they wanted to know why we didn't just do it when they were babies.  After our very personal explanation they thanked us and then reiterated how sore their arms are.  Just another layer of protection and I'll stay vigilant but maybe if they do develop one of these diseases that seem to be reaching epidemic proportions I won't feel so guilty.  Maybe.