Riley and Avery

Here are a couple of pictures from our playdate at ArtSports. It's a trampoline gym that also has pre-ballet for Riley's age. Something to think about. The girls had a blast. Avery mostly enjoyed running back and forth on the trampolines, and trying to jump. Riley loved the foam pits. The picture of her on the swing-thing should give you a good laugh. Just look at my face. These pictures were not taken on my camera, since I didn't bring it as I intended on fully participating and acting like a kid. The swing is about ten feet above the pit. The first dozen times Riley swung on it, she swung back, screaming in excitement the whole way. Then she finally dropped the last two times. She's a pretty brave kid.

This is a picture of Avery that I've been meaning to post for a while, showing her process for eating a Flavor ice. It involves wrapping it around her head, apparently.

So, I went the vaccination seminar, and I have to say that I will not be giving the girls any more vaccines. In fact, I'm looking for a naturopath to detox them from the vaccines that they've already received. The facts are startling. For your enjoyment (and perhaps annoyance) I will be posting some random things for a while. For instance:

1.) In 1921 Johnny Gruelle's 8-year-old daughter was vaccinated in school without her parents permission. Between the months she became ill from the vaccination and her death her body was completely limp--like a rag doll. It was this sick, vaccine-injured child that inspired Gruelle to create Raggedy Ann.

2.) In one study: Of immunized children, 23.1% had asthma, 30% had other allergic illnesses. Of non-immunized children, 0% had asthma or other allergic illnesses. In another study, children vaccinated with DPPT (or MMR) had 14 times more asthma and 9.4 times more eczema than non-vaccinated children.

3.) 70% of babies who die of SIDS have received vaccinations within three weeks of their death.

4.) In 1975, Japan raised the minimum age of vaccination from 2 months to 2 years. Crib death, infantile seizures, meningitis and other infectious diseases in infants virtually disappeared. Japan went from 17th in infant mortality to 1st. Since 1988, Japanese parents have the choice to vaccinate under the age of 2. SIDS dramatically increased.

5.) What's in a vaccine?--formaldehyde, mercury, aluminum, phenol (carbolic acid), borax (ant killer), ethylene glycol (antifreeze), dye, acetone (nail polish remover), latex, MSG, glycerol, polysorbate 80/20, sorbitol, monkey, cow, chick, pig, sheep, and dog tissues and cells, gelatin, casein, human fetus cells, human viruses, antibiotics, genetically modified yeast, animal, bacterial, and viral DNA (may affect recipient's DNA).

6.) In the 1950's government scientists learned that the polio vaccine was contaminated with monkey virus SV40, a potent carcinogen. The public was not notified. The vaccine continued to be sold. By 1961, over 90% of US children received the contaminated vaccine (100 million shots given).

Scary stuff, huh? This seminar was given by a husband and wife chiropractor team. They were very understanding, wanting only for parents to be educated. They did not imply that parents who vaccinate are bad parents. They also conceded that there are no real studies on the effects of vaccines, but there are strong correlations between vaccines and various injuries that need to be explored and studied by scientists who are not sponsored by drug companies.

Oh, Avery wakes...

I'm letting this one go, since I have updates and more important stuff to blog about...next one will have pictures, I swear.

I've been such a blogging slacker lately. It's getting towards the end of the semester and it seems like I have many tests and papers due every week. That's the downside of taking once-a-week classes. They move so fast. Registration opens next week for Spring semester. I'm taking Legal Writing, Family Law, and Contracts. I am taking Indians of North America, an anthropology class, as an elective. I am doing well in all of my classes, currently I have all A's, but some of these classes have so few grading opportunities that if I do poorly on one test, it can knock me down to a B easily.

I went to Sage Woman Herbs here in town and Riley is now on a calming infusion a few times a day. Chamomile, lavender, and catnip (I though that one was funny!). Catnip is also indicated for prevention and treatment of fevers, of which she gets a lot, so we'll see if this helps at all. I just can't go into the developmental pediatricians office in January knowing that I haven't tried absolutely everything. I also have recommendations for naturopaths and chiropractors who can do testing for food sensitivities. The book I'm using by the way is Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: A Commonsense Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health by Aviva Romm. Phenomenal book. It was lent to me, but I think perhaps I'll buy it.

On Thursday I'm going to a seminar "Informed Decision: The Other Side of Childhood Vaccinations." I need to figure out what I'm going to do with Avery; selective vaccination or delayed vaccination or what. Riley isn't due for more shots until she's five, so I have time to think about her. It's right across from my school at the public library. I'll go to an hour of class and skip out to go to the seminar. Don't tell anyone!

I finally found a doll that I'm going to get Avery for her birthday. It's the Tidoo Doll from Corolle. I'm not buying it from that website, because the price and shipping suck, and they have it in a local store here. It's meant to go in the bath, so it's fast-drying and Avery can wash it all she wants. It's smaller than I originally intended, but we can't win them all. It's also phthalate-free, so it won't kill her. Which is s plus, I guess. I'll probably just get her the doll and a couple extra outfits for it. I think that'll be enough. They're a little pricey, so that'll have to do.

What in the heck is up with Riley? She is feverish again today (she has been very mildly feverish for a couple of days now) starting last night (hooray for a horrible night's sleep!). I'm just so sick of it. My girl who used to have a rock-solid immune system is getting sick so often now. I don't get it. Her nutrition has never been better, hardly any processed foods anymore (unless we can't help it--I don't know how to stew tomatoes, so I buy canned stewed tomatoes, you know what I mean?) and excessive sweets have been virtually eliminated. I know that it's probably a result of the changing weather, or more likely the weather that refused to stay changed. Cold one day, warm the next, then snow, then warm.

I feel like a complete nerd, but a woman in West Side Moms lent me her copy of...oh poo, forgot the name of it...looking on Amazon right now...anyway, it has recipes for infusions for common childhood ailments. Although anxiety isn't one of them, I thought I'd try to make a tea to support her immune system. She's such a tea connoisseur, I thought it would be fun to create our own. Anyway, I'll try to make it to the apothecary within the next few days to get my weird herbs that probably taste like dookie...

Oh, yeah, yesterday was Halloween! Didn't take any pictures because I suck. Riley wore her costume from last year, saying that her witch costume was itchy, and Avery refused to wear hers at all. I still have to download the pictures from the Coffin Races, but can't find any stinkin' batteries. Riley had a blast, though, and Avery tagged along, not really trick-or-treating, just thrilled to be outside in the pitch darkness. Riley had a UNICEF box from school to collect change in. When she received the box a few days ago, she declared to me "I have so much work to do! I have to ask the grown-ups for money for the CHILDREN! And then we give the money to Stephanie and she sends it to the CHILDREN!" Sometimes she can be so serious. But as we were walking up one sidewalk, Riley and Avery both tripped on a giant crack in the sidewalk and Riley fell onto her UNICEF box and it exploded and all her change went flying everywhere. Because their porch light wasn't on, we could only recover 5 pennies. Riley was heartbroken, and Rudi felt so bad for her that he put his book change in her box. Anyone who knows Rudi knows how sacred his book money is...

Riley and Avery easily chose five pieces of candy to keep and put he rest out for the Switch Witch. They both were thrilled with their books and stuffed animals that the Switch Witch left for them. Avery got The Belly-Button Book by Sandra Boynton, which is rather a classic. Riley got The Faerie's Gift, which I was very pleased with. I didn't read it before I bought it for her, I just judged it by its cover. There, I admit it. Avery got a stuffed pig, and Riley got a stuffed guinea pig that looks a lot like Rosie. Riley always complains that she wants to bring Rosie along with us wherever she goes, so now she can, in a way.

Oh, I still can't find the name of that book, and I can't find the book either. Oh, great...