Megan Tietz :: SortaCrunchy

"No Shots, No School!" - Not True! (On Vaccine Exemptions)

As Aliza Joy fast approaches two, I've been working on correcting and updating our delayed vaccination schedule.  I have to admit that as I have re-read Dr. Sears' The Vaccine Book and found new media stories and articles on the topic of vaccination, I've been getting a little worked up on the topic again.

As children across the country head back to school, many states are launching campaigns to remind parents, "No Shots, No School!"  That statement is simply not true.

Every single state offers an exemption policy for vaccinations.  In Mississippi, vaccinations can only be exempted for medical reasons; in the other 49 states, parents may obtain forms for vaccination exemptions due to medical, religious and/or philosophical reasons.

I want to share with you the most current, up-to-date, and easy to navigate source that I have discovered on vaccination exemptions in the U.S. - the National Vaccination Information Center (NVIC) has compiled a map which details state vaccine requirements.  Using this map, parents can quickly see which exemptions are allowed in their state.  Clicking on the state will provide links to further resources applicable to each state.  For years, state vaccine requirement information has been scattered and difficult to navigate.  I am so grateful the NVIC has created a resource for parents and care givers that is clear and concise.  

Parents who are choosing exemptions may also wish to read through Dr. Merola's article "How To Legally Avoid Unwanted Immunizations of All Kinds." 

Remember that the underlying public health philosophy on vaccinations is based on herd immunity.  From the viewpoint of schools and public health officials, it makes sense for each child to be fully immunized.  But parents must also remember that full, on-schedule vaccination is not necessarily the best choice for your child, for your family, for your religious views, for your beliefs.  Neither the CDC nor the AAP nor the State Department of Education holds the responsibility of making the best possible choices for your child - that responsibility belongs solely to each parent. 

Don't be bullied into believing otherwise.

photo by ZaldyImg

Live~Love~Dance - Giveaway!

There's someone I would like to introduce to you today.

Keara and I met four years ago via our mommy message board.  We both had become first time moms in January 2005, we were both moms-at-home, and we soon found out that we share the same birthday!  When we lived in Texas, Keara and I lived close enough to each other that we were able to get together in real life to talk and hang out while our little ones played.  She and her husband are two of the kindest, most generous, loving, wonderful people I know.  I have so many sweet, happy memories of spending time with Keara's sweet family.

Just about two years ago, Miss Keara opened an Etsy shop to sell the handmade tutus she discovered that she loved creating.  Her shop took off right away, but she recently had put the business on hiatus when they added baby number three to the family.  She has opened up again with a fun new addition - glass tile jewelry.

Here is some more from Keara in her own words:

Hi! My name is Keara and I am a wife to my wonderful husband, Joe, and a mother to three beautiful kids. My oldest son is four, my youngest son is two and my daughter will soon be eight months. I definitely have my hands full!

I am most happy when I am creative. I think sometimes as mothers we can lose ourselves in the hustle and bustle of taking care of our families and we forget to do the little things that make us happy. This inspired me to open up my shop, Live Love Dance Boutique. This really makes me set time aside for my creative time. I started out just making custom handmade tutus and I loved it! I really liked the feeling of accomplishment when I would get the feedback of happy customers and see pictures of the tutus on smiling little girls. I took a break when I was pregnant with my little girl and have recently opened my shop back up with my fun glass tile pendents.

I offer both premade pendents with fun images or personalized pendents with names, words, quotes or pictures! Please come by and take a look around. If you do not see a listing for something that you would like, please convo me and we can make a reserve listing just for you!

When she started posting pictures of her creations on Facebook, I knew right away I needed one!  I sent her a favorite picture of the girls, and look what she was able to do:

As you may know, I'm quite the fan of owls.  My sister Emily is too, and so I picked up this sweet little guy just for her:

When Dacey turned three, Keara and her boys came to her birthday party.  Keara gave Dacey a tutu from her shop and it has been one of Dacey's absolute favorite gifts ever!  It has been through two moves and both Dacey and AJ have worn it a lot, and it has held up brilliantly:

This month marked a special milestone for SortaCrunchy - this little ol' blog that I started to talk about cloth diapering and raising babies hit the 500 subscriber mark which just fills my heart with humble gratitude.  To celebrate and honor you sweet readers, I am giving away a photo tile pendant from Keara's Live~Love~Dance Boutique.  All you need to do is pop over to her shop, look around at her lovely creations, and come back and leave a comment telling me if you won, would you pick one of the premade tiles, a custom-worded pendant, or have her create a photo tile for you?  That's it!

Givaway will run from today (August 29th) through Thursday, September 3rd.  Thank you for hanging out here with me, and thank you for shopping handmade and supporting work-at-home-parents!

Jonah & Me

I settle into the sands outside of Nineveh, nestle down into a spot next to Jonah.

Oh, Jonah.  You reluctant prophet.  The one who was birthed back onto dry land on a tide of fish vomit.  You sit outside the great city of Nineveh - newly spared from God's wrath - and you seethe over God's relentless pursuit of you and His relenting hand of compassion and grace.  It's so hard to follow a God who won't behave.

He's been pursuing me, too.  Insisting I do something I absolutely did not want to do.  Relentless pursuit.  I grew weary of running, exhausted with weathering threatened shipwrecks, and tired of the stink of fish guts in my hair.

I broke and I relented and my hot tears splashed on the alter of sacrifice.

And now, weeks later, I'm here.  Side-by-side with Jonah.  It's been a long time since I've been on this side of obedience.  I'd guess not since adolescence has my obedience stemmed from a fear of consequences rather than from a heart that desires to follow Him with reckless and selfless abandon.

"Have you any right to be angry?"

I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin on my knees.  The hot wind stings my eyes.  I know I'm being petulant.  I thought things would look different on this side of Nineveh.  There is forgiveness.  There is compassion.  He is slow to anger and abounding in love.  Jonah knew it and so do I.  I thought there would be sweetness and light.  Dancing in a rain shower of gratitude.

My tongue feels thick in my mouth.  Parched.

I realize I'm still clutching the soggy remains of my ticket to Anything But That.  I uncurl my fingers and it flutters away, borne by the scorching wind from the east.  Jonah's unflinching gaze never turns from The City God Spared.  I admire his tenacity; I'm too thirsty to stay much longer.

I'll get up soon.  I'll push myself up off the sand, and soon I'll turn back.

This is from my actual paper and pen journal.  I can't think that I've shared much of that writing here, but I felt like I needed to.  It's vulnerable and I hope it didn't make you too uncomfortable.  It's an explanation of sorts of the past few weeks of relative quiet here.  This is a dry season for me.  And I know you don't expect an explanation, but in one of the most brave and challenging pieces of writing I have read in a long time, Amber wrote, "humility hates a secret."  And isn't that the truth?  And that gave me permission to share, even if my hands shake a bit as I hit Publish.

photo by Rui Ornelas