A while back I attended a Webinar held by the CDC about Influenza and the flu vaccine. It was very interesting and enlightening. I had become so confused by so many beliefs out there that I was unsure of how to approach it anymore.

I have been hearing statements like . . . if I get the flu vaccine I can give the virus to my child or an elderly parent; I got the flu from the vaccine; it really doesn’t protect you anyway . . . . etc.

Have you heard those things as well? Do you believe them or are you unsure what to believe? Well, let me present a few facts about the Influenza virus and the vaccine.

Here’s a few basic statistics about the flu:

• 36,000 deaths per year
• 200,000 hospitalizations per year
• 20% of the US population is infected with Influenza each year.
• Hostpitalation rates for children under the age of 2 is similar to that of the elderly.
• About 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized from serious flu-related complications.
• About 100 children die from the flu each year.

OK, now that we have the horrible information before us what can we do about it? Kids are considered “super spreaders” when it comes to germs.  No surprise to parents who are constantly sending their children (especially preschoolers) back into the bathroom to wash properly. Good hygeine is definitely a must, but another very real solution is to get certain children AND THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO SURROUND THEM vaccinated. And there is definitely still time!

Flu season peaks in January and February. December and beyond is still a good time to get a flu vaccine. Here’s a list of the specific groups of people that the CDC recommends get vaccinated:

• Anyone over 50
• Children 6 mos to 5 years
• People with chronic medical conditions (asthma, heart disease, recovering from cancer, diabetes, etc.)
• Pregnant women
• Healthcare workers
• Anyone who comes in contact with the people mentioned above!

There are two forms of the vaccine now, the traditional flu shot and a nasal spray . . . the nasal spray is recommended for children 2 and up. Two doses of the vaccine are necessary for children getting their vaccine for the first time. The nasal form isn’t recommended for those who have experienced respiratory issues recently. 

Mist vs. Injection?
The strains covered are the same, toleration is similar, some early reports do suggest that the mist may give a slight advantage over the shot.  Wondering what’s in each form?  In the nasal spray there is a “live attenuated virus” in the shot it’s dead, but neither can cause actual influenza.

Who shouldn’t (or can’t) get the vaccine?

• Under 6 months old cannot be vaccinated! So vaccinating those around these little ones is important.
• Anyone with an allergy to eggs cannot get this vaccine!  It is grown in eggs, so it does pose a risk to anyone with a serious egg allergy.
• Anyone with severe chronic conditions should talk to their doctor about the vaccine. 

Resources: www.cdc.gov/flu, www.cdc.gov/widgets podcast specifically for children and influenza at http://www.cdc.gov/.

It is precicely 8:49 am as I begin to type this and already my day has been interesting!  Who knows how long it will take me to get this published. 

Let me start with the fact that hubby is sick - something respiratory!  For many of you I probably needn’t say more, but for those of you who like a story this involves much coughing, hacking, tossing and turning through the night as one by one some of the youngest children join us, read on.  (Yes we are horrible parents who occasionally are so tired we end up with several children sharing our bed . . . this would have never happened with the oldest three children though!)

I awoke this morning to discover our 4 year old had somehow climbed into our bed (in the middle no less) without my noticing in the night.  I heard Baby Bug running across the living room to come join us and not a peep out of Monkey Boy (thank goodness for something).   Oh, and I think that answers a rather obvious question . . . yes, our 21 month old twins know how to get out of their cribs!  They began practicing this lovely maneuver shortly after they turned 15 months and mastered it shortly after they were 18 months ~ oh the joy!

My husband’s alarm goes of at an inhumane hour, and it is on my side of the bed, so if he doesn’t get up right away it is up to me to start the nudging!  He actually thinks this is rather amusing and it honestly has saved him from tardiness many times over the years.  Hubby did finally get up . . . lights went on . . . a general rustling about was heard and the door opening and closing and opening and closing (did I mention that our front door isn’t very quiet?) until he finally decided to leave for work.  Thankfully Monkey boy still slept on, but the Lion and Baby Bug were somewhat awake.  I looked at the clock (I have to practically touch it with my nose to see it LOL) and it was 4am . . . 4 AM?!?  I waited for a few minutes until all was quiet next to me and then I decided to get up and start my day. 

Unbelievably I was able to shower, get granola made, spend a little quiet time and check email before it was time to get the older boys up to get ready for school.  I was shocked at all I was able to accomplish (though I’m pretty sure I’ll be paying for it shortly). 

Onward goes the day though, so in to wake the oldest two I went, much mumbling and groaning begins as I shoo the oldest into the shower (something he has decided he shouldn’t have to do each day - sigh - but for heavens’ sake he is 12 years old!) and inform The Salesman (9yr) that he must gather his clothes and get a hair cut - shockingly (ha) he just looked at me with a blank stare.  Yes, you read that right I decided that his mangy locks must be brought into submission right here and now (well, at 6:40 this morning). 

I HAVE to multitask when I do anything though, so sure enough as I’m cutting his hair, constantly reminding Son1 that he must finish up and giving him a countdown, Monkey boy strolls into the room “good morng, good morng” (if you happen to be a bit baby language challenged that means ”good morning”) and tries to walk through the hair.  I gather him up in his blanky and set him on a chair with a sippy cup to finish the job.  Thankfully Tater was getting up about that time so I told him to get in line as I ordered Son1 out of the shower . . . “there are two more waiting to get in for Heavens’ sake!”.

The process continues as I begin on Tater.  He is a small and very thin little boy, so his hair gets crazy out of control as it grows.  He’s also one of the three of our children who were given a combination of the crazy thickness of mommy and daddy’s hair.  It actually begins to look like it has a life all it’s own, so it needed to go!

OK, two haircuts down, two showers down, one in the process, breakfast is ready to go into bowls, make sandwiches for lunch.  Did I mention that baby Bug arrived in the kitchen in the middle of the process of haircut number 2?  Of course he did! Can’t miss out on all the fun now can he?

The kids really did have to keep on truckin’ this morning in order to get out the door in time.  About 5 minutes beofre it was time for them to leave for school I noticed that it was still shockingly dark outside and it sounded rather loud out there too.  Freezing rain had decided to make it’s appearance as the boys needed to go out and wait for the bus . . . I told them simply to wait on the porch for the bus to arrive.

Now I am looking outside at a crazy snow/rain mix that just does not seem to be stopping as I contemplate the rest of my day . . . after all I still have errands to run this afternoon and a Graham Cracker House making party to go to at The Salesman’s class (thank you mom!).  Hmmm ~ we’ll see!

BooMama is hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes and I was planning on humbly participating. I say humbly because we have a teeny tiny house that doesn’t allow us to decorate much, add to that a set of toddler twins who think anything is acheivable and nothing is sacred and you have a recipe for disaster if you do much decorating.  Sad but true! 

Alas, I have been getting more and more depressed this morning as I have visited one gorgeous home after another and I’m sorry to say that I have decided not participate this year (goodness you’d be depressed . . . or maybe it would make you feel oh so wonderful about your own decor, I don’t know, but either way . . . ).  Instead I will send you over to BooMama to look at some truly spectacular homes and decorations! 

Truly it is a joy to look at them and see all the festiveness that my poor family has missed out on this year.  I will be sending hubby up to the rafters of our garage this evening (in our electricity-less, dark garage on a high ladder eek) to at least get out the stockings and nativity!

I am not saying that our home is completely devoid of Christmas decor!  There would have been a mass mutiny by now and the constant pressure after Thanksgiving from the guys was so bad we HAD NO CHOICE!  So, what we have done this year is sort of decorate our Christmas tree. I have found that with toddlers it is often best to decorate only the top half of the tree though so it can tend to look a bit pathetic . . . well, that and the fact that the older boys feel it necessary to move all the decorations around LOL! 

Oh and we have hung a wreath on the front door . . . though I don’t know that anyone can see it.  This year we went crazy though and added a couple of blue Christmas Bells. 

I’ll tell you this though . . . you’d better watch out next year because there will be NO stopping me! 

I am so excited to be offering you this fun and fresh contest right before Christmas!  This contest is only going to last for one week . . . but we’ll get into all that later! 

I recently met the Southern Candle Lady - Jarmelia Ladson and you can get to know her too at her website, www.SouthernCandleLady.com where she offers beautifully scented candles as a Mia Bella Distributor.  Let me share a little bit about a conversation I recently had with Jarmelia.

Why did you decide to start this business?

I decided to join Mia Bella because I love candles. Their candles appealed to me because they were all natural. I was also looking at other natural candle companies and they just didn’t have the longevity or “presence” Mia Bella had. So, I actually had someone send me a sample in the mail, I was to blown away by how great the envelope smelled I could hardly contain myself!

She even shared a little bit about the benefits of joining this company:

I signed up thinking, I could quit if I don’t like it. But when I burned a candle and saw for myself that there was no soot, I could smell it down stairs, no residue all over the jar and I could get them for 9.50 as a Candle of the Month, I was sold! I threw away my “yankee” that same day, it was black and that was after I tried to clean it, the smell was gone and it was still half full! I was never going to waste $20 in that store again! I actually felt cheated, because they sold the candles for 19 or 20 dollars, but it really wasn’t worth it at all. I had already wasted over $100 on them, thinking they were the best of the best, but now I am glad to say that I sell the Best of the Best! I am actually glad to stand behind my company and product knowing they put hard work and dedication in to each and every candle or your money back!

She has decided not to stop there though!  When I asked her what other products she offers this is what she had to say:

We have candles, bar soaps, body wash and a body balm. But, I am trying to add more to may personal store along with Mia Bella’s Candles. I will be adding more bath and body products by Simply Tempted and teddy bears and some other things.

I personally have had some of these candles around my house for over a year now and I have to agree they truly do smell phenomenal! I recommend that you give them a try by taking advantage of a wonderful 10% offer she has extended to my readers! Simply email her with your order and mention frogsoup when you do and she’ll take 10% off when she invoices you.  Order by Tuesday if you want to get it in time for Christmas!

CONTEST:   I am thrilled to tell you that Jarmelia has graciously offered a great gift basket containing one 16 oz jar candle (your choice of Spice Shoppe or Pumpkin Cheesecake - YUM!), 2 Votives and 2 votive holders - a $35 value!!!  What fun it will be to receive this basket right after the Holidays as you are trying to unwind and the New Year is upon us!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post!  It would be great if you would mention it on your blog or to your friends. 

*You have until Midnight on Sunday, December 23rd to enter!  I will announce the winner on Monday, December 24th (Merry Christmas to YOU )!

(This prize can only be shipped to US addresses, if you live outside of the US and have a friend willing to ship it to you feel free to enter.  If you aren’t a blogger you may still enter but please let others know about the contest.)

This contest is closed and the winner has been posted!  Thanks for your interest and be sure to sign up for updates to be notified of all our future contests!

This week we are discussing Chapters 26 & 27 and reading through the end of the book!!!!  Can you believe it?  It has been an amazing study and I truly hope that it has touched all of you as much as it has me!  What a blessing to recieve these wonderful and useful daily tools to help me guide my children toward a bright, happy and freedom filled future!

I would love to host another book study and I am still praying about a book to do in the new year.  If you have any ideas or suggestions I would love to hear them!

“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die?” Ezekiel 18:31

This is an area of constant struggle in our house.  The boys seem to always be asking, “How do I move the blame over to someone else instead of facing the music and coming clean?”  They honestly don’t get it yet and it’s up to me to pray that they do!  That they understand the freedom that comes with repenting and asking for forgiveness . . . and receiving it (But that’s chapter 26 isn’t it? hmmmmm).

I think that the last paragraph of this chapter (p183) says it all:

“Sin leads to death. Repentance leads to life. We don’t confess so that God will find out something. He already knows. Confesstion is a chance for us to clear the slate. Repentance is an opportunity for us to start over. Our children, as do we, need both.”

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this chapter about freedom from unforgiveness comes right before the chapter about repentance!  I believe that this chapter should be prayed over for ourselves as well as our children.  Only then can we think about moving on to prayer for repentance. 

I am guilty of reacting less than appropriately to some of the rediculous antics that come my way from the boys.  What attitude am I forming in them if I don’t handle situations correctly by allowing the children to see forgiveness firsthand?  UGH!  Not very pretty.

I know I don’t have nearly as much to say in this area as I do for most chapters, but I truly think that one sentence simply sums it all up . . .

Without forgiveness there is no reason for repentance!

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Phillipians 3:13-14

Oh, and one last thought . . . I really do like what she said about having the child say “I forgive you”. I too believe that it simply gives the child a tool to help them acheive true forgiveness.

I know I’ve been a little inconsistent with the Power of A Praying Parent study posts this month, but I have been fighting off twin tornados left and right.  It is truly an incredible feat to maintain daily life while keeping them off the ceiling (and you think I’m exaggerating haha)!   They climb everything . . . I know I shared much of their “doings” a week or so ago, they seem to be extra crazy these days.  That said, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the relatively healthy fall we had and are continuing to have now!  Now, if I can simply keep the tree upright until after christmas and not too many ornaments get broken all will be well.  Did I mention that they have figured out how to open doors and how to open the gate that blocks off the kitchen . . . . ah, a whole new level of crazy has begun!

Next week is a half week for the school boys at that moment we will enter the zone  . . . . you know the one I’m talking about, the ”Christmas isn’t here yet and I’m oh so excited and it can’t come fast enough and I’m an emotional roller-coaster” kid-zone!

I just want to say here and now that I truly hope that all of you have a blessed and merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  I will continue to post and will be posting the Praying Parent chapters for this week either later today or tomorrow.  Look for the return of “Mommy Reality Checks” and “Life with Boys” as the New Year begins! 

Don’t forget that we have a great contest starting on Sunday so be sure to come back then to sign up (or sign up for updates and you’ll get the notice).  I have some great contests planned for the beginning of the year again too, so I think we will have a very fun year and I look forward to it!

One of the rejected (though fun still) Christmas photos!

Updated: For all who are wondering . . . yes they are all ours!  In our 14 years of marriage we have birthed 6 boyz . . . ages 12, 9, 8, 4 & 22 mo old twinz!

Did you know that existed?  Well apparently it does and you have a chance to win some!  Hop on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and enter their True Jeans contest (sponsored by www.TrueJeans.com).

After birthing 6 children my body is definitely in less than ideal shape and it is amazing the difference the right pair of jeans makes!  I’m excited about this one!