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Friday, May 28, 2010

Something I had NO idea happened…

until I became a MOM.

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/522161.html

“Ohio children entering kindergarten and the seventh grade this year will have new vaccination requirements to take care of before the students can start school.

The Ohio Department of Health recently updated its requirements, and seventh-graders will now need to have a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccination, kindergartners will need a second dose of the chickenpox vaccine and the final dose of polio vaccine must be given on or after a child's 4th birthday for kindergarten entry.

"By requiring these additional vaccines, we hope to minimize the spread of preventable illnesses in schools and provide Ohio's children with a healthier environment to learn," Ohio Department of Health Director Alvin Jackson said in a news release.

Children were already required to have a shot for tetanus and diphtheria, but pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is the new component, said Vickie Kelly, director of nursing at the Marietta Health Department.

Most children age 6 and younger receive protection against it but older children typically don't.

There had been an increase in cases of whooping cough in Ohio in recent years, with cases jumping from 628 in 2008 to 1,096 in 2009.

"This is geared now to children that are 11 or 12," said Kelly. "They've had it before, but after so many years the protection wears off."

When older children get whooping cough, they often react differently than a very young children would, said Kelly, perhaps having spasmodic coughing but not severe respiratory problems, vomiting and other symptoms.

"A lot of times they don't realize what it is then and think it's a cold or the flu," she said. "And all this time they're contagious and can spread it to the very young and very old."

The Marietta Health Department offered the Tdap shots at Marietta Middle School to sixth-graders and vaccinated about 40 percent of the class.

They will be available all summer at the city health department, which is open until 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month to accommodate working parents.

The cost is $7, although no one will be turned away for inability to pay.

"We always encourage parents to bring their kids sooner rather than later," Kelly said. "The waiting time is a lot longer when it's right before school starts."

The second dose of the chickenpox vaccine, now required for kindergartners, is also available.

A second dose provides 99 percent protection against the disease and acts as an insurance policy, said Kelly, in case the immunity wasn't formed when children received their first dose.”

I honestly had NO idea until I became a Mom that parents could legally even delay or not get their children vaccinated. I personally don’t understand the paranoia behind not getting a child vaccinated other than for medical or religious reasons. I personally think that if neither of these apply that it should be mandated and that exceptions for any other reasons should not be allowed.

Here a link to my state’s laws regarding the topic:

http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/massachusetts.htm

*stepping off my soap box for now

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

On the topic of Summer Eating…

I came across this…

http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/hilary_meyer/2010_05_25/no_fail_tips_to_overcome_your_fear_of_grilling_seafood

I love cooking seafood on the grill because it’s so fast and, because most seafood is relatively mild, it readily absorbs smoky flavors. Plus seafood is  super-healthy—it’s an excellent source of lean protein and some types of fish, such as salmon, are good sources of omega-3 fats, which are good for your heart and your mental health. Click here to find out 6 of the best fish and shellfish to eat and 6 to avoid.

But seafood can be delicate, so here are a few tricks that we use in the Test Kitchen for good results when we’re making grilled seafood recipes:

• Oil it up. We scrape the grill grate clean with a grill brush and oil the grill rack before the food hits the hot surface. It greatly reduces the risk of sticking. See a photo of how to safely oil the grill rack here and get 12 more essential grilling tips.
Grill on foil. This is good if you want something like herbs underneath the fish, as in Grilled Salmon with Mustard & Herbs or if you are working with grilling shrimp or other foods that are small enough to fall through the grate.
Use a grill basket. Sometimes we use a fish basket if we are cooking larger fillets or whole fish, as we do for our delicious Grilled Fish Tacos. It makes flipping the fish over on the grill easier and the fish is less likely to break.

*I read Eating Well through my Facebook feed and find a lot of their articles timely, easily to read and packed full of information!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Summer Eating…

In some recent conversations and discussions online and off I have began to notice that during the summer time people tend to WANT to eat better. Is this because heavy food is just too draining to eat in this weather, or the fact that fruits and veggies are offered as Pick your own and therefore people want to eat them more?

I totally get the fact that watermelon is super refreshing this time of year, but why not eat that well all year?

Do we as a culture put winter weight on only to take it off during the summer, and actually eat healthy?

I could eat an ear of corn any time of year, and do.

I love fresh fruits and veggies and will pay more to get them even in December.

What are some of your favorite summer recipes?

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Still in Shock

I found out today that a good friend of mine that I had met through Yelp died from complications from an accident at a restaurant.

I found out he died on the same day that I was celebrating Dakota going in the potty at the same time. I had no idea until today.

Although we only met in person once, he had become a sympathetic ear to my problems, and always knew how to make me laugh. He was truly my best male friend aside from my husband.

He was 29 years young and although he had been through quite a lot in his short life he found a way to look on the bright side, crack a joke and knew how to make himself and others feel good.

I will miss him immensely and hope that he is resting quietly now and that he can be reunited with his own Mother that he lost just over a year ago.

Friends come in all shapes, sizes and forms. He truly was a wonderful friend that I will remember fondly. I just wish I had gotten to know him better.

R.I.P Matt Kibel Thank you for everything you have done for me, and all the time you took to listen. You will never be forgotten.


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