Vaccines: Do or Don't get them?

So I've seen alot of conserversy latly about whether or not to get your children/yourself vaccinated. Some people think autism or epilepsy or even certain disablilities are caused by vaccines. I've also heard people say that the government use vaccines to spread the diseases around to keep people "regulated". I'm not sure if any of that is true or not.
I've also had this discussion with several different doctors that range from a family practioner to an ob/gyn doctor. They are are pretty much sticking to the same story. Every one should get vaccinated with the what the CDC suggests.
The doctors are saying that it helps keep our immune systems protected from diseases and also helps the spread of these diseases. Research has shown vaccines make some disease outbreak less likely. According to the CDC in 1979 Japan had a rumor spread around that the whopping cough/pertussis vaccine was no longer needed so alot of parents didn't vaccinate their children and there was a huge epidemic.
I guess each parent/ adult needs to do their research and find what they think works best for their family. I for one will have my daughter and all future children vaccinated. If i can help keep my child safe and keep from epidemics happening then I am game.

Respect and Politeness

Where did all the respect and politeness go in this world. Yes I was one of the crazy shoppers this weekend. I told my mom I would take my step dad (he has a TBI and dementia) and her adult family home client (who is developmentally disabled) christmas shopping. We went to Shopko and Walmart on saturday.
I haven't in my entire life, other than high school that is, see so many disrespectful and rude people. They were pushing people, cutting them off in lines, swearing. One child who was maybe 7 years old was swearing at his parents. The parents just stood there like nothing was wrong. I couldn't believe my eyes nor my ears!
When I was growing up if my brother or I had talked to my mom or showed anyone disrepect we would be at LEAST grounded. Tv time taken away, video games(as we got older) toys taken away. We grew up knowing how to be respectful of others. Now I can't even take my daughter to Walmart for groceries with out hearing profanity. Of course I'm not a saint either, I do swear but I try not to in the presence of others especially not children.
I am one of the mothers who will say some thing if your cursing in front of my daughter. You wouldn't believe how many kids and ADULTS I've had to scold, and the faces I get for saying something. Its like they have never been told they are using nasty language. It's still appalling hearing profanity used in every day langauge.
Would you be one in the Walmart check out that has to be told how to be respectful, even as an adult?

Sleep

My love for sleep has been a long loving relationship. It has lasted my whole life! My mom has always told me I could always sleep long periods of time, and would be very hard to get up in the mornings. Before having my daughter I could easily sleep 10+ hours. Now I can't sleep more than 8hours.
My body has this internal clock that tells me, I have to be up in order to feed and dress Hannah. I will only sleep 8 hours even when I'm sick and can't move. Those times I wake up sick I may be in bed but I'm awake. It takes me longer now to recover from being sick than it did when I was younger. I have asked my doctors why that is and all they tell me is that some people need more sleep than others.
I still have a relationship with sleep. As I'm sure every one does. Its just not as loving as it use to be. Now I'm so busy I don't have enough hours in the day to get every thing done, if I sleep even the normal 8 hours.
I have found that I am sleeping less and less but am able to still function on the fewer hours of sleep. My brain still thinks as it did before and I would love to sleep more but thats just not vesible. I hope every thing slows down and I am able to get more sleep in the future. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Holiday Season

This is usually one of my favorite times of year! And this year I feel ho hum.Its been a very busy and trying year. I want to get into the spirit of the season but its really hard this year. I have to work both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I love the smell, the music and all the beatiful decorations.
In years past I have driven around looking at all the decorations and lights. Thats definatly my daughters favorite part, the lights. She always uuuuussss and awwwwws them. It's hard not to smile after hearing her fawn over the lights. Maybe what I have to do is put up decorations and lights to help turn my mood around. I would hate for my mood to rub off on her. Especially when shes so happy. Its also her birthday two days after Christmas and I want her to think that her birthday matters to me!
Another great part of this time of year is my moms homemade candy!! Peanut butter balls, peanut brittle, fudge, and cookies. A couple of times my mom and I have made chocolate covered pepermints.
I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. I am just hoping my mood can be changed!

Mediation: Does it work?

So with having to go to court with my daughters father for custody of my daughter, we have to go to mediation. It is to see if we can settle our disagreements outside of court. I have to ask myself if it truely works? I have never been to mediation but I've heard it can go either way. I am hopeful that it works out the best way possible for Hannah. But I'm at my witts end, to the point where I am writing up a proposal and am going to stick to it.
He can either agree to my terms or off to court we go. I know I shouldn't think that but I am tired of trying to make things work and getting no where. I'm sure every one feels that way at some time and point in their life but I'm no longer taking no for an answer.
I've always been the person to bend over back wards for every one else. And all it got me was walked all over. People like to use and abuse others so easliy and freely that it is sickening. I epsecially empower woman to stop being used and abused by others. I have been there done that and I know its not easy to change or leave. HaHa this went way off what I was trying to ask, but I guess only time will tell if mediation works. I supose it has to work some of the time for the court to make it manditory before going in front of a judge. Although I think Hannahs dad will be less likely to tell me what i want to hear and not follow through. Again time will tell...

New Adventures to come!

So my last post was about dead beat parents and child support. This one is about mine and my daughters new adventures! This week I have had a really hard time with being a single parent and getting threw everything by myself.
As the child support problem came up, I have decided to go for full custody of my daughter. I don't think her father is in her life enough to make an informed decision on her life and shouldn't be allowed to make unenformed decisions about Hannahs life.
So with that said, should I get full custody I have made an informed decision that once my schooling is done we are going to move out of the state. To somewhere warmer!!
I'm very excited about it as I hate winter and snow. I wouldn't mind coming back for visits, as I have alot of family here. It will be exciting to not have to worry about winter coats or boots. Shoveling snow in freezing blistery weather does NOT appeal to me at all. Hannah as a young child also doesn't like the cold. She would always make me carry her and would not what so ever touch the snow.
My mom has always been talking about AZ, so I think that may be where we move. My mom has these funky ideas about buying land and building her own energy efficiant house. Using the land to raise cattle and pigs and grow all of her own fruits and veggies. Its a great idea what with the prices of food and the price of engery. The only couple of bills you would have to pay would be the land taxes, (or rent) and to feed the animals, and the septic tank drainage.
I never had a 5 to 10 year plan but I have changed that! I am most definatly set on what I'm going to be doing. Every person needs to stay positive in this negative world!

Child Support and dead beat parents

By now just about every one should know I'm a single mother. My daughter will be three in December. My daughters father and I had every intention of getting married. We just had to keep putting it off as our bills and Hannah were our first priority. Through out our relationship my ex's true idenity came out. Definatly wasn't someone I wanted to spend my life with or raise my daughter with. I won't go into detail about all that drama.
Because my ex and I weren't married we had to go to child support agency to determine paternity of Hannah and if he should be paying child suport. Well Hannahs dad and I were on good terms, living together and still talking of getting married. So when the child suport agency rep. asked if we wanted shared placement if we split up. Not thinking we would split up we both agreed.
Had I known that moment in time was going to mess with my life now, I would've never agreed to it. Because we have shared placement, child suport says that her father would only have to pay $55 a month. But they aren't going to make him pay at this time.
Even if he were helping take care of her both physcially and monetarily it would still come out to more than $55 a month. What with child care which is $110 all in its self a week, pull ups, food, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, clothes and shoes, rent and utilities, there is no way $55 dollars would cover even a small fraction of it.
In order to get child support changed, I, having limited resouces as it is now has to pay to get the paper work and pay a filing fee. And if i really wanted to make sure it was done right I would have to pay for a lawyer.
I learned they changed child support laws, that in my opinion protects dead beat parents and makes it harder for the parent taking care of the child to take care of the child and make ends meet.

Pit bulls

While making lunch on Saturday afternoon my friend Jesse and my daughter Hannah were looking out our kitchen window at all the leaves and were talking about going outside after lunch to play in those leaves. My neighbor had her family over which includes a small Pomeranian. They were all outside on my neighbors porch with the pomeranian wandering right around the porch. Just as Hannah comments on the "puppy" being outside, a Pit Bull comes out of no where and attacks the Pomeranian. My neighbors were yelling and trying to get the pit bull off their dog for a few minutes. Finally the owner of the Pit bull comes walking over and just as the pit bull goes to lunge at the poor Pomeranian his owner was able to distract him and get him away from every one.
I left Jesse and Hannah in the house, to check to make sure every one was ok. My neighbors think the Pomeranian is ok. They weren't sure what they should do next. I suggested calling the cops to let them know the pit bull shouldn't be trusted. My neighbors told me not to call the cops as they thought the pit bulls owner is part of a gang. I told them don't worry I'm not afraid to contact the police.
So I went back to my apartment to call the police. It took me a few minutes to find the correct non- emergency number. As I was on the phone with them I watched the owner of the pit bull and his friends with the Pit bull. As i was on the phone with the dispatcher the "gang memeber" pit bull owner proceeds to kick the dog as its just sitting there doing nothing!!
I know there is big debates as to what should be done with this kind of breed of dog. Whether to have more strict laws about insurance and if allowing them in the city. Nov I haven't had much of an opinion about this until the last year or so. So far in my experience I have seen a total of three pit bulls attack other smaller dogs. Two of the three I have known personally and they were the nicest most loving dogs. They acted just as my moms chocolate lab does towards all people and even other dogs. With this happening this weekend in front of my eyes and with the two year old in the paper that was attacked by a pit bull. I truely believe the pit bull breed shouldn't be in family oriented areas nor with young children in the house. I understand all dogs can snap at some point but Pit bulls are and have been breed for guard dogs and hunting.
They are more likely to snap than most other breeds. I also read some where(not sure exactly where but it had to have been a newspaper as that usually where i read things) that pit bulls are also more likely used in gangs for retaluation(sorry on the spelling) and fighting. Which if that is true I now have to be extremely cautious any time i leave or come home, not knowing if that dog is roaming my neighborhood looking to attack some thing. I dont think any family should have to be that cautious. Kids love to play outside and run around. They shouldnt have to live in fear.
Oh to finish the story the owner of the pit bull had left before the police had come, but once the police had come and gone my neighbor came over to say thanks for calling them. My neighbor and her family were afraid to call the cops due to the pit bulls owners possibly being gang memembers and that they would cause problems for her since shes older and living on her own. We both concluded that we would look out for each other in that aspect. I dont know if the cops know who owns the pit bull but i know if i see it or its owners around here anymore i will immediatly call the police and my land lord will be notified about the situation.

Pumpkin Farm

Took my daughter to the pumpkin farm this weekend. She loved it! I think she enjoyed the farm animals more than picking out pumpkins. The farm has hay rides, pigs and piglets, cows, horses, pony's, ducks, chickens,goats, donkeys, peacocks and all kinds of decorations! Bulitz pumpkin farm even has a concession stand.

You can even feed the goats and pigs. Watching my daughter light up at the site of a goats tounge licking her hand is one of the greatest sights I've seen. Hannah was skiping around and singing to the animals. She even stepped in animal waste and laughed! Usually when her clothes or shoes get dirty she starts to cry like its the end of the world.

We tried getting her on the pony rides but she wouldnt get on, she only wanted to pet them if mommmy was petting them. But we kept going back to pet and see the horses and ponys. I have to say I think the ponies and horses were Hannahs favorite part of going to the pumpkin farm.

I'm glad we had the oppertunity to go when it was warm and get to spend time laughing. Its not often with busy lives that we can stop and "smell the roses" so to speak, and i have to say that i love stopping to smell the roses with Hannah as she is the light of my darkness.