School and Allergies

Alright, I don't know how many of you had heard about the incident in Florida where parents of a child with food allergies was asked to home school (I don't believe the school itself did this because it's illegal, but I could be wrong). Many people are throwing out opinions like "Parents should be teaching their children to be kind to those with allergies. It's not that hard to follow an allergy list."
Here's my opinion. It is that hard. Not so much at home (this depends on the amount of allergies the child has) but in a school setting where there are 20 or more students per room, how many do you think have allergies and to how many things and to what degrees?
For me, at home, having a child with mild allergies to dairy, eggs, peanuts, and ham (this includes baked goods) is not that hard. Even if he has something he's allergic to, it just means we're going to have to deal with diarrhea. The doctors even told us he may grow out of it, so in a few years when my son is attending school, I will test him again. Of course, I'll tell the teachers to avoid it so they don't have to deal with his messes, but if he ends up getting some, it won't be the end of the world.
For others, that is harder. There are some who will quite literally die if there was contact between their allergy and a spoon used to stir the dish. Obviously, they'll have to be a lot more careful about where the food came from, who made it, how careful were they, etc.
Honestly, I don't understand why food served in a school should be any harder to figure out than food served at McD's. Now mind you, it was mind blowing when I was reading the allergen list at one of our favorite drive-thrus (they have milk in their french fries) and it is a lot to take in until you start crossing off things my child wouldn't eat anyway...
They should have a simple sticker system showing what allergens (at least the basic 8) are in the foods they serve so that the child with allergies can learn to spot them himself. My son knows if I pull down the jar of peanut butter, he's getting the almond butter. If I pull out a gallon of milk, he's getting any number of non-dairy milks. He does get some of his allergens (again, not life threatening) but that is my choice as a parent.
To other parents (those with children without allergens), it's really not that hard to find allergy free stuff. In fact, Starbucks (number 1 coffee shop) sells allergen-free cookies right on it's counter top (you'd have to buy them one at a time) and if you're looking for dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free cookies then Oreos (yup) is awesome.

Cloth Diapering

Okay, the facts are out there for everyone to find. Disposable diapers are almost equal to fast food containers in dumpsters everywhere. Disposables have those tiny beads that can't be healthy. They use bleach (I don't use chlorine bleach unless I have to) and that's making fish in the Great Lakes infertile. There's all sorts of reasons for not wanting to use disposables.
There's also plenty of reasons not to cloth. Having to wash poop out of clothes (though I believe every parent does at least once in their life) is gross. What are you supposed to do with the poop? Does it actually save money? What about when you are out in public? What about the convenience of disposables? Both parents might work...
Here is my decision and my answers to these questions (again, you can find them anywhere online). I'm going to try really hard to attempt to cloth diaper. I didn't even consider it when I was pregnant with my first. When I heard about it, I thought: "Gross. Really? Are people so against convenience?" Then I started doing research on potty training for a class I was taking online. It was about whether to potty train when the child is ready or to start when you think it's proper (I won't get into it). What was interesting to me and my husband was the amount of things that go into a disposable diaper (known as a sposie in the cloth diapering world) and it grossed us out. We were grateful we were potty training.
Now, to get to the whole poop issue... You are actually not supposed to toss feces in the trash ever, even if it's wrapped in a disposable. I know... I've totally done it hundreds of times. But, when using a cloth diaper, you can buy flushable liners made to catch poop. You can also buy a little hose (like the one on your kitchen sink) made to attach to the toilet to rinse off diapers for about $15. I think I'll go with the flushable liners, but I like convenience.
We have friends who told us they were buying us disposables no matter what (and one husband who said we can't come over if our child is in rags), so we probably will use the "sposies" when we leave the house until we feel comfortable and find a system that works great for us.
Does it actually save money? It can. If you are military and you live on base, then yes, it does. You don't pay utilities, therefore the only cost is the upfront cost of diapers and soaps and a few accessories. You can also buy used to save money if you are fine with that (I'm still deciding). In our house, saving money is only a plus. We are doing it for health reasons.
Now, I have been introduced to females in this world who think you are evil if you disagree with them on anything from breastfeeding vs formula, binky vs thumb, circumcising vs intact... This is one of the same topics to me. If you feel like using disposables will make your life easier therefore make you a better mother, than who am I to judge you? I'm just pointing out answers to questions I've gotten recently and reasons why our family will from here on out be trying to CD...
More on this topic once I start buying and using fluffies (cute nickname, right?).

Family Update

Okay, I think all those who would read this already know I'm pregnant. I'm about 15 weeks along. I should find out more precisely at the doctors appointment next week.
My son, 4 now, is happily enjoying his days just playing and watching tv. Next year we have the option of sending him to pre-school this upcoming September. If we have the money for it and I like the interviews at the school, then I will send him.
My husband is now working as a nurse at a local clinic. He loves it most of the time, though sometimes the drama gets to him (that's what happens when only one other male works with you). He's also going to school and doing well there.
Hopefully, next year, we'll move to an awesome place where my husband is going to a great medical school, but we'll see. That is the plan so far though.
By the way, ever since January, my house has gone back and forth between the nice and clean that we got used to for a while and the messy craziness that can happen when I'm exhausted but everyone else is not... Food has also been an issue, but I'll talk about it in my other blog.
I'm sorry I don't have more at the moment, but I'm exhausted and trying to think of a topic.