I got a totally cool hoodie jacket for Christmas which includes the caption "This is totally going on my blog!" It's a very apt piece of clothing and is a constant reminder to me to keep my eyes and ears open for blogger fodder. With the influx of reviews and sponsored posts last year, I felt like my little corner of cyberspace was drowning in a sea of commercialism. I don't want that to happen again so I am going back to basics and writing more about the real stuff! The things that make us who we are.
Today, Freddy had his pre-school jabs. I have never questioned the ethics of immunisation as I personally believe that the programme we have in this country is definitely for the greater good. We eradicated Smallpox through immunisation after all, so it obviously works! When I went to ante-natal classes during my first pregnancy I met a woman who was rendered partially deaf and paralysed down one side of her face after a complication of measles. She urged all of us young mums to immunise our babies and the thought of my inaction leading to my child getting ill and possibly suffering such complications simply wasn't an option. All five of my kids have had their immunisations, thankfully with no negative effects, so I believe I did the right thing for us.
It is never nice subjecting little ones to having a needle stuck in both arms, but Freddy was unfazed. In fact, after the second jab he asked for another one! I believe that watching Doc McStuffins and Dr Ranj's Get Well Soon has demystified the doctor's surgery and hospitals for young kids. I wish we had those characters 20 years ago when my poor eldest daughter was constantly in and out of the doctor's with her asthma. She ended up terrified of the surgery and just one look at a stethoscope sent her scarpering to hide under the doctor's desk. Poor little thing.
The fact that Freddy had his pre-school jabs has made me think about the fact that he will be starting school this year. He is still so little and although he is so much more confident since starting nursery, he is still sometimes intimidated by other children. I hope that my decision to send him to the big, local infants school pays off. Sending him to a very small, rural primary school will almost reinforce his tendency towards shyness and never give him the chance to 'grow'. I want him to have a good experience that prepares him for his future and helps him reach his full potential. I don't want him shielded from being a part of a big school until he is eleven and has to start secondary school. I hope that I've made the right decision, I really do.
Freddy being back at nursery has given me more free time. I have used a few of these hours to catch up with the series of Dallas that has sat on my Sky Planner for months. Oh my goodness, I LOVED every minute of it. It was sad to think that Larry Hagman has since died, but what an amazing swan song for JR. Now I have the new series of Revenge to satisfy my love for glitzy American dramas. They are my little bit of escapism to counteract the problems of the weather and the economy!
I really hope the snow that is forecast fails to materialise next week. I am dreading the thought of icy roads. Not so much for me (although the prospect of sub-zero snowy school runs do scare me) but knowing that Joe, Megan and Ian all have to drive to work, and Ella has to endure an hour long bus ride at the hands of a slightly mad bus driver to get to college. If the Easterly cold front could limit itself to weekends only I will be a much happier woman knowing my loved ones are as safe on the roads as they can possibly be!
