Reading, Writing, Watching

In my previous post, I wondered if there was a schedule of childhood vaccinations that lessened the risks of adverse effects from vaccination and indeed there is. The Vaccine-Friendly Plan by Paul Thomas, M.D. and Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D. is a fantastic resource. It's easy to read and understand and gives new parents the tools to discern what is right for their child. Because let's face it, our children are more sick now than ever before. In 1983, the CDC recommended 11 shots until the age of 16 whereas in 2015, they recommended at last 50 shots starting at birth, with most of them given before the child turns two years old.  

"To what extent is overvaccination contributing to the rise in chronic diseases and other health problems among America's children? To what extent is overvaccination a trigger for autism? Have we taken an unquestionably good practice (childhood vaccination) and turned it into something that is actually causing harm?"

The Vaccine-Friendly Plan is a comprehensive look at all the vaccines currently in use, their ingredients, as well as a schedule of vaccination that makes better sense for each child, rather than the current guidelines that follow a "one-size-fits-all." The authors recognize that "vaccines are preventative medicine. They do not cure an illness--they give a boost to an already healthy immune system so the body is less likely to succumb to illness in the future." Therefore it's "even more imperative that we have proof that the vaccines we are recommending are both necessary and safe." One thing is clear, the medical industry must start following its own mandate: First, do no harm. 

Alas, this has been sadly missing with the Covid vaccines. It's very rare for a child to die from Covid, yet our govt. agencies continue to push mask and vaccine mandates upon our children. The former VP of Pfizer, Dr. Michael Yeadon, says that a child is 50X more likely to die from the Covid vaccine than of Covid itself. Covid remains a problem for the elderly and those with comorbidities, so we should be focusing on keeping them safe, not making the rest of the people, including children take a vaccine that may or may not be useful. Here's a well-written piece on rethinking our strategy for managing Covid. 

It is the unreasonableness of the vaccine mandates that made me question our current protocols. It's up to the parents to do due diligence because we can no longer trust the CDC to evaluate what's best for our children. The Vaccine-Friendly Plan follows a chronological approach from before birth to adulthood, with emphasis on the child's well-being. I highly recommend it. I've already invested in my own copy and know I'll be lending it out. 

So, I'm a fan of Julia Cameron and her morning pages. They really work. I've been writing morning (sometimes they turn into afternoon or night pages, lol, but all writing is beneficial) off and on for several years now and it is amazing how much clarity one gets not just in writing but in life. Michael is nearing retirement so I got a copy of It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Middle Age and Beyond, and we're both enjoying going through it. The one thing that resonates deeply for us is that human beings are naturally creative and we seek expression. Michael put aside many of his hobbies to focus on being a husband and father who provides and is present to us. What I've appreciated most is that he cultivated so many of the home arts in his spare time, from gardening to cooking. The newest interest is in all things fermented. He started with kombucha and beer, not the easiest things to manage, and onto pickling, and now yogurt, kefir, cheese. He's having fun. And we're often consulting Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz or On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. It's so lovely sharing books and ideas. And what joy being a beginner again. We spend a lot of time together and I'm looking forward to when he can retire and spend more of his time doing ALL the things he loves. Perhaps he'll write a book too! As for me, I'm deep in revisions of my historical. This time it's do or die! I just received a wonderful conference critique with so many helpful suggestions that resonate, that I'm confident I can polish this until it shines.  

This past weekend we watched Show Me the Father in the movie theater. I've not been in quite some time and even surprised that it was available, wondering how they can even sustain being open. Our little art house theater has closed permanently :(  But the movie! Beautiful! It's about fatherhood and how important it is because it reflects the fatherhood of God. He's not distant, but near. We cry out Abba! Daddy. How many of us are lost because we do not have a father and don't know the Father's love? Even the best of fathers aren't perfect. The Kendrick brothers share not only their own story about their father, but also follow a couple more men and their struggles with an absent father and the blessing of other father figures in their lives. This movie touched me so deeply, to my core (couer?), I cried. I needed this very much, even as I bow my head to pray, Our Father...  Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. It's reminds me God so loved the world that He sent His only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Go see Show Me the Father. Know that you are loved. Covid be damned.

Parenting Books

Samantha Bell interviewed me for a parenting blog hop about the books that helped me become a better parent so here are my picks! As you can see, I also took a trip down memory lane.
 
There are so many books that have helped me become a better parent, so it’s hard to choose just one.

When our children were little, we read a lot of books together. One of our favorite series were the OLIVER AND AMANDA PIG books written by Jean van Leeuwen and illustrated by Anna Schweninger. The stories mirrored our life together, cooking, cleaning, gardening, playing, and resolving conflicts. I learned so much from Mama Pig! When I accidentally stepped on a toy car in the kitchen and landed on my backside, I remembered how Mama Pig controlled her anger when she slipped on the wet bathroom floor. She joined in the soapy fun. Later, they all mopped and dried off the floor. Likewise, after a good laugh, we all picked up the toys.

Over and over, the depictions of simple family life reinforced my desire for simplicity and the value of cherishing all the small moments. I learned from Mama Pig to be patient as we baked bread together, flour dusting the entire kitchen. I learned to spend time throwing rocks in the pond for the fun of hearing the plop and watching the ripples. I learned to hug harder and more frequently. Mama Pig *showed* me how to be a mother who was firm, yet gentle, hard-working, yet fun, in control, without being overbearing.

As the children grew and parenting became more challenging, we turned to Christ. The Bible has many passages on raising Godly children. The books we have found most helpful in this regard are BE A MAN! by Fr. Larry Richards and ADVICE FOR SUCCESSFUL FAMILIES by Fr. Alain Dalagneau. We have read and discussed these books with our teenaged children and I am thankful they are growing up to know, to love, and to serve God.

 

On Dreams

 

 

For her 12th birthday, we decided to splurge on horseback riding lessons for my daughter. She's been asking and asking, and this was what she wanted with all her heart. Ask and you shall receive? Oh yes! She is loving her lessons. We cannot afford to give them year round, but as she gets older, she can find a way to make her dreams come true. Sometimes doors open in the most unexpected ways. For now, I enjoy watching her ride, as she dreams of galloping in the woods.

 

Years ago, before I was married, when I was visiting my sister in England, she gave me the gift of a riding lesson on an enormous horse! I don't remember obsessing over horses like my daughter does, but my sister still knew. At the time I never thought about the sacrifices she must've made with three small children to make this dream come true. I loved riding that horse and I never wanted it to end. I am soooo tempted to have a lesson too, but I try to be content. I get such pleasure from watching my daughter ride. I've included a couple of videos even though taking video is not my forte ...  And here's a link to Carbon Leaf's song about some things being best left between a girl and her horse.

 

 

 



Recently we started a family dream journal. We write about big and small things we'd like to do, have, virtues to grow in. We hope this draws us closer as a family as we help each other make our dreams come true. I do believe that the deepest desires of our heart are placed there by God. And so we pray. Persistently. Like my daughter. Funny how a mysterious melding of wills occurs.

So what are your dreams and how are they coming true?

Raising Moral Teens

Last night we had the opportunity to hear a talk about raising moral teens by Chris Stefanick. If he's anywhere near your area, don't miss out. We already have one of his CDs and I'm looking forward to his new one on moral relativism, which is really what we're fighting in our culture, as though there are no absolute truths.

But I digress. I want to give you some of the same hope that Chris gave us. As parents we do worry about the opposing influences of the very loud culture we live in, but Chris said a brook can also be very noisy. But the Mississippi runs deep and quiet, so trust that what you teach your children will run deeply in their hearts and resonate.

And what resonates with teens is authentic love. Love that doesn't say, "I want you," but love that says, "I want what is best for you." This is the heart of chastity. It's not just saying no to premarital sex and surging hormones, but chastity and purity is about controlling desire and putting it in its proper context (marriage) and saying yes to their dignity and the love they were made for.

All the statistics (I'm sorry I didn't take notes, but I only grabbed my jacket on my way out) show that kids who engage premarital sex are more depressed, earn consistently less money (the number 15% sticks out), get sexually transmitted diseases that have a whole host of other side-effects including infertility, and if they do get married, end up divorced (50% higher rate). This one choice can affect so many areas in their lives, it is madness not to teach our children to wait to have sex until they marry.

So what can we do?

Love unconditionally (love them always, no matter what they do, even if they hurt you).
Model authentic love ourselves (we are our children's first teachers and from the moment they are born, they are watching us).
Protect our children (the biggest threat is not from people on the street, but what comes into your home via television and the Internet).
Expect greatness (some of the most courageous and passionate saints were teens).
Talk to them (sex-education is one area where everybody ought to home school).
And never give up hope (because Truth, Goodness, & Beauty is on our side).

Do you have some tips to share? Please do.


This is a picture taken after receiving our Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, fifteen years after we took our wedding vows. We didn't do things in the right order, and I'm always thankful God doesn't give us what we deserve, rather pours out His love and grace and mercy upon us.