Update on Mark

We were at the hospital this morning from 4:45am till 10:45. The pain in his chest and difficulty breathing brought us there. His CT scan and all other tests were normal except for that one spasming artery that fluctuates between 40-60% blocked. Dr. Duber recalled that the ONLY time the pain has left in the past month was right after he took the nitroglycerin tablet. So he sent him home with a prescription for Imdur which is a nitro tablet to take daily. He'll see Duber next Monday and regularly after that I'm sure. I'm tired, but have to be down to work at the school at 11:30....gotta go. For the record, I am so, so relieved that the CT scan is normal!

My Happy Birthday and "Day of Beauty" at Sephora!

BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER

Well I turned 42 on the 30th. The strange thing is that I've been thinking I was 42 for the last few months. The numbers are just getting too high I guess, to keep track? I went out with Mark Friday night and we ate at King's Fish House at Victoria Gardens, then saw "Shutter" the spooky Asian horror movie at AMC. Since I've been taking tap every Friday afternoon for TWO HOURS, I have not made it through any Friday night movie, without falling asleep. That's the main reason I picked the scary one. I knew it would keep me awake. Mark gave me a gift certificate to Sephora, the cosmetic fun store at Victoria Gardens. I would have been satisfied to have never switched away from "Cover Girl" for the rest of my life---certain that all make-ups were alike, until...........SEPHORA!!! Kelsey introduced me to this place and showed me around like she was a regional manager. She has virtually lived in that store down at Downtown Disney every weekend for a year or so while her mom trades Disney pins for profit. So Kelsey, Ressa and I went over there Saturday night and spent at least 2 hours in there. We arrived with our faces clean of any make-up. That was tough, but we marched on it, ready for makeovers. I'm speaking for myself :D There are stations full of swabs, make-up remover, foam, applicators of every kind to enable you to try a sample of every single product sold in the store, including every perfume.

Supposedly they specialize in selling the true Hollywood-makeup-artist-stuff that the stars wear to the everyday consumer. It's pricey and I would never have fallen for it until I tried the "smashbox" brand "photo finish" which comes in clear, lavender, green, and tan colors. It goes on before the foundation, filling in fine lines and offsetting any color or splotchiness one may have in their skin tone. IT WENT ON LIKE VELVET! In all my years of Jafra, Mary Kay, etc. parties, I've never used anything like this stuff! Even the eye shadows that I thought were "all alike" were amazing. The Dior mascara "lengthened and separated" my eyelashes with 1-2 strokes of the brush, whereas the typical drug store types I used would take 4 strokes trying to get it right and by then, they're so caked up, I'd wind up with 5 lashes falling out in the process. So, I had given up mascara all together for the past couple years for that very reason--until now. I had to get the Dior. Kelsey made up Ressa's face just for fun. We had a blast.

Afterwards, we wound up at the food court at Panda Express for a late dinner snack. For some reason the lady said, "I'm giving you 30% off". "Huh??" I said. Kelsey said, "It's because it's your birthday, that's why!!!" Oh well, I'll take it?!?! The lighting in the food court was a little wierd for our "after" shots. But I'm certain Kelsey and I were quite improved when we left the store.

Mark made my favorite dinner of his today and bought me a "triple chocolate cake." He made the roasted chicken, cooked slow, uncovered at a low temperature with the tastiest combination of a handful of spices. Then with cut-up red potatoes and onions in the pan. Yummy! He made that the first time he invited me over to his place when we were dating. I was SO impressed! Thanks for all your nice calls today everybody! I love you all too!

Joey Gets GOOD NEWS from Dixie State!

I'm so excited!!! Just got this letter and had to copy and paste it onto here. Joey has been awarded free tuition for the 2008-2009 year at Dixie College! As an out-of-state resident it was going to be even more expensive, but they awarded him the "Western Undergraduate Exchange" scholarship of $5,586.00 for his grades and test score. Thank goodness he re-took the ACT test because he scored much higher the second time. He actually got the identical scores that I did back in '84 in Math and overall English. Not trying to brag, just had to tell somebody. We've been working for this for SIMPLY YEARS NOW!

Dixie State College Banner Web Services Skip Module Navigation Links Personal Information Student and Financial Aid Search Search RETURN TO MENU SITE MAP HELP EXIT Award Package By Aid Year Aid Year 2008-2009 00199520 Joseph M. Mar 24, 2008 06:46 pm This is a summary of your financial aid award package for the selected aid year. Financial Aid Award Fund Status Amount WUE Academic Waiver Accepted $5,586.00 Total $5,586.00Select Another Aid Year Skip to top of page Skip Award Package By Aid Year Links [ Award Messages Overall Financial Aid Status Account Summary By Term Award Payment Schedule Award History Loan Application History ] Release: 7.3

Easter Weekend in Pictures

We took a trip up to Stephanie's, up near San Luis Obispo. It was loads of fun. Here are some pictures to tell the story. Wouldn't be a normal hotel stay without some kids picking up pillows and starting a pillow fight...

Mark and Ressa were up early taking a walk in the "forest" as she called it.

The Easter egg hunt was fun and then we played bunny store where the kids redeemed their tickets for prizes. Steph's living room nearly looked like "Christmas morning" by the time we got through.

Dinner out was great fun with 8 kids and 4 parents wrapped around the largest booth in the place.

They all kept busy though and behavior was no problem at all. Here's Ressa talking with her hands to Mitty as he listens as patiently as one could to such a gal with so much to say.

Austin's thinking to himself, "Uhhhh, a little too close guys."

Steph and little Ellie Jayne...

Mark, Ressa, and Ellie Jayne.

After dinner, everybody got a treat at "Yogurt Creations". What a fun place that was!

Steph served the greatest food, concluding with this fancy Key Lime Pie/Cheesecake. Wow! Melody's comment after her first bite was, "The slime's really good!"

School Report Reveals How Melody REALLY Feels About the Cat Sleeping on HER Bed Every Night

Mark's Diagnosis, Easter plans, and a Big, Big Thank You to Barbie!

Mark woke up Sunday morning feeling pressure as though somebody was sitting on his chest. He went over for his church meetings, but left abruptly when it got worse. The doctor he was SUPPOSED to see last week in the hospital met him over there at emergency Sunday. By the time I got there, he had his IV in and was situated with electrodes galore all over his chest. The big shot cadiologist (who really thinks he's cool---you can just tell) comes in and is asking a zillion questions to Mark. Just about the time I thought he was being quite professional and thorough, he begins tapping on the electrode nearest to Mark's neck. He's tapping his finger like he's doing Morse code or something. The pulse reading on the monitor jumps up to 240 beats/minute. I stood up and asked, "what's happening?" In TOTAL seriousness the doctor says, "I'm just waiting to see how long it takes that staff out there to realize a guy's about to explode in here and get up and do something! Then he added, "or they already know it's me in here, because I do that every time." Mark's reaction to the whole thing was, "I love knowing I've got 'House' on my team." Hahaha! Joey picked up his girlfriend and friend to go to church with him (3rd week in a row) along with the kids. Then all of a sudden Joey, the older girls, and Ressa show up down at emergency. Ressa had been hiding out, crying in the bathroom at church wanting Mommy. Several girls and ladies tried to coax her out but she wouldn't budge until Joey promised to bring her to me. Oh boy... I tried to comfort her in the hospital parking lot trying to help her understand I needed to be there and only one person was allowed to be with daddy. She begged me to call Grandma, Grammy, Barbie, Marilyn, (any relative close-by) that she could be with. Thank goodness, Barbie was willing and able to come out for the afternoon. The kids just loved her being there. They were still talking about it today, quoting things that Barbie told them. They had fun playing games with her and talking about "stuff." Back to the hospital, Mark got the angiogram/catheterization done and it revealed one artery with a 40% narrowing in a small section, due to cholestrol build-up. The doc said he'll need to take an anti-cholestrol medicine, cut all his current portion sizes in half, no fast foods, minimal restaurants, and a brisk 30 minute walk every day for the rest of his life. He added that they don't do anything for a 40% blockage. I was under strict orders to be his slave for the day today. When Mark called in to his boss at work, that joker responded with, "Well, my gosh, can you believe it takes something like this before we can get our wives waiting on us hand and foot? Well, it's about time!!!" Oh, they both had a big belly laugh over it, from what I heard at my vantage point.... Then an Asian cardio doctor called Mark this morning saying HE reviewed the results and find that the one artery that has some blockage is also showing spasms. And when the spasms happen, it is constricting up to a 60% blockage at that time. THAT is what's producing the tremendous pressure he's feeling. So I took him to our doctor today who prescribed him the Lipitor for cholestrol and Norvasc, a blood pressure medicine that will stop the spasms. He was all ready to start his walking routine, but the doctor said to wait a week until his incision site is more healed up. They put a "disolvable plug" into the place where they insert the instrument into the artery to do the angiogram. SCARY! He's supposed to apply hand pressure to it anytime he has to cough, sneeze, etc. Mark came home at 10pm from the hospital Sunday night. I had to send Joey to pick him up because I was up against a big deadline for my online class. It was an online exam , 50 questions that covered 4-30 pg. chapters. The test had a two hour timer on it and had to be finished by Sunday night at 11:55pm. I never dreamed I'd be having an emergency visit that day or I'd have planned better. I wound up with 47/50 which I was happy with. Gotta love those open-book-tests. Time to start thinking about the annual Easter Egg Hunt and combined "Bunny Store." I'd love to work around having it when Steph is down. Let me know Steph, what your schedule is like. I've got a really fun childrens' craft project for making a small Easter bunny basket. Gotta go sleep. Love you all.

Update

Mark spent a long time on the treadmill today for his nuclear stress test. I don't know if they were trying to provoke a heart attack or what. The test took about 2-1/2 hours and involved getting radioactive injections. Yuck! We won't know the results for a week they say. He said he felt great afterwards. That must be a good sign! Ressa went to spend the night at her friend's house. That family has two girls, Ressa and Melody's ages, and a son whose a year younger than Austin. The son is here staying the night with us, while Ressa is at their house spending the night with the girls. Melody was supposed to go, but we ended up taking her to urgent care for a bladder infection. When we got all through with the antibiotic in hand, she was having a crying meltdown over not getting to go spend the night, while Ressa got to. I have her the medicine and called my friend who said the kids weren't even close to going to bed yet, so to just bring her over. So I did and she recovered amazingly fast! ;D My friend's taking them to the primary party tomorrow morning then I will pick them up. Mark's mom invited us to come over and go to dinner with her, Steve, and Edmay. We'll leave for their house around 3. I paid Ashley to come over and clean the past three days this week. She called it the "deep cleaning" and said it will make it easier to come and maintain the place better, "every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." A dream come true. I told her I could only pay for Monday and Friday, but she insisted she's so bored during the day and loves cleaning so much that she'll do it anyway. WOW! I have no idea how she did it, but in three days she turned every room of the house into model home condition. There is just lovely carpet everywhere, no clutter, no papers, no clothes.... I told her I forgot/failed to get in the "good housekeeper" line and the "skinny" line in heaven, so I am deferring to her. If I had to do what she did to save my life I still couldn't not have done it. I'm so grateful to her for what she's done. Mackenzie has been here and gets along beautifully with the new kitty. She's sleeping, cuddled up beside Melody every night, just purring away. It's very comforting to Melody who had been so scared of monsters/ shadows/ scary sounds, etc. It was a good decision!

Welcome Home Mark and Kitty!

Mark was a little jealous when everybody got back home tonight: Ashley drove Mark home from the hospital, while I took Austin and the girls with me to my child development class to drop off my "take home test" and homework. Next, we picked up the kitty from the vet. She has an ear condition that needed antibiotics. It's just like having another child, in a way. I have to put 4 drops in each ear, twice a day for 10 days! When we all got home, everyone immediately surrounded the cat. After awhile Mark announced, "Well geez, I came home TOO!" Everybody then greeted Mark and went back to the cat. How sad! Mark is to take some "heart protector" medicine, stay home from work until Monday, and go back to the hospital Friday am for the "nuclear stress test". That's all for now.

Health Scare for Mark

Mark woke up yesterday feeling pressure in the center of his chest and difficulty breathing. He kept insisting it was smog or asthma or something else. He finally made an appointment with the doctor for this morning. The doctor did an EKG and said there was nothing wrong. Then he got about five miles down the road to work and felt the pain move further left and get more intense. Actually he calls it pressure. He drove himself to the hospital at that point and was in the Emergency all day today from 9am -5. Their tests showed he did not have a heart attack, but the doctor thinks he has an "obstruction" in an artery somewhere around the heart. He thinks that because when Mark lies flat the discomfort leaves. When he's sitting up or standing, the pressure is back. They admitted him to the hospital overnight and have him taking aspirin and a blood thinner shot to the stomach. Tomorrow morning I said I'd be down there at 9am and requested that a dietician meet with us both to spell out a plan for not only Mark, but the FAMILY. My biggest challenge is what to cook for a woman who needs to lose weight (that's me) and a man with diabetes, two teen boys who need 3500 calories/day and two little girls who are picky. It's very difficult! I spent the evening over at the hospital with him. The bishop came by to visit and it was fun chatting with him. Sometime in the morning they'll do an Angiogram and something else to determine what if anything is wrong with his heart. I'll keep you informed...

Welcome our new addition..."Sandy" Claws

"Look how excited she is. Also Ressa and Melody made up this ,''cat dance'' when they heard me say we'll get it!"....by Ressa.

We found her at the city animal shelter. Best pet bargain in town, as compared to the dogs. We were out the door with a receipt for $45 that covered the spay, computer chip, rabbies shot and all other vaccines...and the cat of course. She was found behind the Target store and they estimate her at 10 mos. and only 6 pounds. Most of the cats in there were sleeping, scared, or very docile. This one stood up, walked to the front of the cage and started licking Ressa's finger. We opened the cage door and she let the girls pet her and scratch under her chin. Very, very friendly with a round face and big light-green eyes. The girls are so excited. I've never seen them this way. Since I told them the cat could fall on something if they kept their room messy----it has been kept immaculate for 3 days now! We got all the supplies we could possibly need and have our litter boxes and food bowls all in place. She is going to be an indoor cat and not go outside as that helps them live longer and avoid a whole bunch of diseases. Should be fun. We pick her up tomorrow night after she has her "procedure".

Information Every Parent Should Know...

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001- Part II

(By April M.)

President George W. Bush had many reasons for creating the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Children’s reading levels in this country were suffering without any significant improvement seen in decades. Some national statistics concerned President Bush enough to create the Act. First, the average reading level of seventeen-year-olds had not improved since the 1970s, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Second, sixty-percent of high school seniors were reading below proficiency as of 1998.[1] Third, forty-percent of fourth graders and seventy-percent of eighth graders scored below the basic proficiency level.[2]

Prior to the implementation of the NCLB Act, the federal government had remained in a very limited capacity with regard to local school government. Managing public education on the local level remained the responsibility of the states. Darla Margurger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Education, describes past federal involvement in education as follows, “Prior to No Child Left Behind, [states] were required to report student performance but they were not being required to hold their schools accountable based on subgroup performance. States had accountability plans but those accountability plans did not necessarily have a focus on having all students proficient.”[3] The trend toward measuring progress in terms of dollars spent on supplies and programs had to be focused back on measuring the children’s progress at learning.[4] Traditionally, some subgroups such as the African American and Hispanic children in the United States have been lagging behind the white children. Since the states were only required to report the progress of their students, without any accountability for their test scores, the federal government chose to rescue what was a failing education system for these students. Many call this a worthy effort. However, for example, giving the same test to an English learner that a proficient English speaker receives seems unfair to many. A test in the child’s native language could better assess their knowledge. National organizations such as the Forum on Educational Accountability, which includes the National Education Association and the National School Boards Association, have suggested different methods for the states to use in setting goals and assessing their students’ progress toward the testing targets. A week before these organizations unveiled their proposed modifications, ten Democratic senators sent a letter to the key members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that criticizes the NCLB Act for overly relying on standardized testing. The Forum agreed with their concerns.[5] Those who helped Bush design this educational reform did so in an effort to stop the children’s downward spiral in education and put them on an upwardly mobile course toward proficiency. According to Mr. Sandy Kress, a domestic policy advisor in the White House who served as chief negotiator for President Bush in creating NCLB, “The problem generally has been that the standards were and are still too low. This condition predates accountability and NCLB.”[6] A growing concern for critics is the stipulation that 100% of children in the United States must be working at their respective grade levels in reading and math by the year 2014. “It is an impossible goal to reach,” stated Shelly Sayeg, a Special Education teacher for the Etiwanda School District in California. “This requirement applies to all the children in my class who are in here for a reason, and that is generally due to learning disabilities.”[7] When confronted with this impossible hill for schools to climb, Kress acknowledged the flaw in the law by saying, “I believe strongly that virtually all youngsters ought to be performing at grade level each year. There are a small number of students, such as the severely cognitively disabled, who will not perform at such a level, and the law should recognize these challenges.”[8] U.S. Education Secretary, Margaret Spellings, who supports NCLB, has observed the following results: “We've made more progress over the last five years with our young readers than we made in the previous 28 years. Minority achievement is at an all-time high. The achievement gap is closing around the country.”[9] Closing the achievement gap and helping all children reach their potential, is the hope of NCLB supporters and critics alike.

[1] “Testing for Results - Helping Families, Schools and Communities Understand and Improve Student Achievement”, US Dept. of Education, Archived 9/16/2004, http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:S8PE2E9qhzkJ:www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingforresults.html+why+do+we+have+nclb%3F&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us [2] “Nwazota, Kristina, “The Federal Role in Education Before No Child Left Behind”, The [PBS] Online News Hour, August 21, 2005, http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:3r8-kq8k1UwJ:www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/education/no_child/before.html+before+nclb&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us [3] Ibid. [4] “Testing for Results - Helping Families, Schools and Communities Understand and Improve Student Achievement”, US Dept. of Education, Archived 9/16/2004, Italics added. http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:S8PE2E9qhzkJ:www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingforresults.html+why+do+we+have+nclb%3F&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us [5] Klein, Alyson, “Critics of NCLB Ask Congress to Overhaul It,” Education Week, v26 n25 p1, 26 Feb 2007. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ755876&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ755876 [6] "Confessions of a 'No Child Left Behind' supporter: an interview with Sandy Kress.(Interview)." Education Next 7.2 (Spring 2007): 30(8). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Chaffey College. 11 Mar. 2008 . [7] Interview with Mrs. Shelly Sayeg, Special Education teacher, Etiwanda School District, Windrows Elementary, 3/10/08, by April M. [8] See footnote #6. Italics added. [9] “NEWSMAKER: Preparing Tomorrow’s Workers Today, An Interview With Education Sec. Spellings,” US Chamber of Commerce, 2005, uschamber.com magazine, http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:aRoLh7HghGEJ:www.uschambermagazine.com/content/0702_4a.htm+why+nclb+and+not+something+else%3F&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=16&gl=us

A Night of Dr. Suess and Basketball...

It was a full day today! Unfortunately, the dishes and laundry are there to prove that nobody was home today. I had another one of those training meetings from 8-11am. It was on effective math strategies. The one little idea that was particularly interesting was using dice to teach children math. For example, you take two dice with "five" up on one of them and "one" up on the other. Set them on a piece of paper to demonstrate that five plus one equals ....then have the child count them up = 6. Then switch the dice around to show that putting the "one" first plus five still equals = 6. Then put them with one above the other to teach any particular math sentence whether it's 3 plus 2 or 2 plus 3 they will always count up to 5. For kindergarteners and special ed. kids in all grades, it's a good way to visualize the problem.

A rather odd/ "strange but true" comment made by the instructor was: "the survival rate of "premies" is always increasing which corresponds to an increasing need for special education teachers and aides. You will always have a job available in this field no matter whether the economy goes up or down, and pretty much be able to name your price."

Then there was work from 11:30-2:30, followed by Ressa's dentist appointment to put her spacer in at 3:30. Then the Dr. Suess Family Literacy Night and the girls' school was from 5:30 to 8pm. It was so much fun! They had 8 stations for the kids to go and do different activities. At each station they got a special stamp. Once they had all 8 stamps they could be entered into a drawing for movie tickets to the new Dr. Suess movie, or new books or toys. Both girls got it finished just before the end and got entered. They particularly enjoyed playing "rhyming bingo". The cards had short words on them instead of numbers. They had to listen to the word called out and then find a rhyming word on their card. It was fun! They'll do the drawing at school tomorrow over the intercom.

Mark and Austin cut out for a half hour in the middle to do a home teaching visit. They are partners and divided up giving an inspirational message to the family they visit. Earlier today Austin was saying, "I hate that! Why do I have to do that!?! Geez!!!" After going though, he took back everything he had said, saying he didn't mean it and actually really was glad he went. He felt good for having gone. Joey picked up Austin and his new girlfriend, Kayla, after school and went on an errand I had for him...getting a smog check on the van. I just love that he can help me in those ways.

Then at 8:00 we were over to the church to watch the boys play basketball. Wow, what a game!!! Our team won 57-55! VERY EXCITING!!! Mark's prediction at the beginning of the game came true. He said, "Well, since Kayla's here watching we can expect to see some real heroic moves on Joey's part." Both boys were scoring baskets right and left. It was awesome! The girls always enjoy themselves at the games. Ressa particularly enjoys parking herself right by Kayla anytime she's around. Kayla's very sweet and soft-spoken. Here are some pictures I took...

Joey and Kayla

Joey in the foreground and Austin behind him.

Austin on the left, and Joey on the right.

WOOSH! No worries. Nothing but net!

"The Dangers of Smoking and Second-hand Smoke on the Unborn Child"

PRENATAL HEALTH ASSIGNMENT

(Child Development Homework)

In recent years, psychologists have been anxiously engaged in research studies to try and produce a more accurate picture of the effects that smoking has on an unborn child. A very grim picture unfolds as the effects of maternal smoking and indirect “second-hand smoke” are being uncovered. Smoking, whether directly or indirectly, puts the unborn child at a great deal of risk for behavioral problems among others. There are risks to the developing fetus that can have a negative effect throughout childhood, and as more recent studies are indicating, even extend into adulthood. The effects of maternal exposure to tobacco smoke are vast and can cause an innocent child to come into this world disadvantaged with irreversable harm they will have to deal with for a lifetime.

Cigarette smoke contains nicotine and carbon monoxide, among other harmful substances. Nicotine and carbon monoxide can cross the placenta and reach the developing fetus. The presence of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream reduces the supply of oxygen available to both mother and baby. An insufficient supply of oxygen can result in delays and abnormal development of the child’s cognitive and motor abilities. Even mental retardation can result. Women who smoke during pregnancy face a greater likelihood that their baby will have a low birth weight, be stillborn, or even die shortly after birth. If the child survives, they will have a greater risk of being hyperactive, inattentive, poor in language skills and cognitive abilities, and more likely to earn poor grades in school.

A recent study of Puerto Rican and African-American women living in New York City showed a strong link between maternal smoking and the child having increased tendencies toward aggression. More specifically, there was a significant link between the child being exposed to tobacco smoke in utero and the child demonstrating aggressive behavior. The authors of the study had previously done a study which showed evidence of a link between maternal smoking and negative behavior being displayed by the exposed child during their toddler years. They saw more impulsive behaviors, more risk-taking, and rebelliousness in the toddlers in their previous study. Their latter study however, followed those toddlers and found that the children became even more aggressive as they progressed into their childhood. The authors of the study concluded that substances within the cigarette smoke pass through the placenta and in some way are destructive to the structure or functions of the developing brain of the fetus. This damage becomes apparent as the child displays rebellious behavior in their toddler years and then more aggressive, dangerous behavior into childhood.

A pregnant woman’s exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke is no less harmful. Another study involving 171 children and their mothers at the University of Washington showed some alarming results. As would be expected, the children of mothers who were not exposed to tobacco smoke developed far less symptoms of ADHD or conduct disorder. A troubling finding was that there was no difference in the severity of the symptoms of ADHD or conduct disorder in the children exposed in utero by direct maternal smoking or by second-hand smoke. It is important to note that the women exposed to the second-hand smoke were exposed “continually and most of the day.” Another study testing the effects of cigarette smoke on animals revealed that the substances in the cigarette smoke damaged the animals’ brains during the second and third trimesters. The second and third trimesters are the time when the part of the brain that controls external actions is developing. These results are suggesting to other professionals that there is a need for further investigation into the connection between maternal smoking and maladaptive behavior including those diagnosed as anti-social.

There is also a negative correlation between fathers who smoke and a higher rate of defects in their children, even when the mother does not smoke. Male smokers produce damaged sperm. There is also evidence that the children of men who smoke are born at lower weights, have an increased risk of birth defects, heart problems, and infant mortality.

It is hard to understand how a woman in this modern age could justify smoking for any reason during her pregnancy. The tobacco companies are required to print the risks to the unborn child on almost every package of cigarettes made and sold. The harm to that child is evident and has been voiced throughout the world by all forms of media: television, magazines, etc. A mother has a moral obligation to that child to find other avenues to relieve her stress, depression, or whatever excuse she may have for smoking while pregnant. There is no justification for such a cruel, heartless act on the innocent, unborn child.

RESOURCE PAGE

1. Rathus, Spencer A., Childhood and Adolescence Voyages in Development, Second Edition, Thomson-Wadsworth, 2006, p.100-103.

2. Potera, Carol, “Secondhand Behavioral Problems,” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 115, no. 10, October 2007, p. A492.

3. Brook, David W., MD, et al., “Maternal Cigarette Smoking during Pregnancy and Child Aggressive Behavior,” The American Journal on Addictions, 15, November-December, 2006, p. 450-456.

Family Night Fun with Grammy & Pajama Day!

I never regret being spontaneous--just breaking out of the mold and doing something fun on the spur of the moment. I took off today around 4:30 with three of the kids to go spend the evening over there. I've been regretting not getting over to see Grammy in a while. It's an hour's drive over to Leisure World if there's no traffic. I never worry about her much because she has always been so well-connected socially. I've always admired the way she makes friends so easily and then keeps them forever. It really impressed me when I was young, as I'd sit with her while she would write out Christmas cards to everyone in her extensive address book. She wouldn't just sign it either....the whole inside of the card was filled with greetings, news, and best wishes. It would take nearly a whole roll of stamps to get them mailed off. I loved helping with the process any way that I could. That's when I realized how she came to have so many, many friends...and how she kept them.

After hearing she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it has really made me sad inside. I've felt scared of going over and having her not know me. But, thankfully, she's not even close to that point yet. She did tell me when I arrived how glad she was to have my daughter fix her hair up today...but she meant her daughter. She looked great though. I hope I look as good as her when I'm 86 years old.... On the other hand, I'd be lucky just to make it to 86. Grammy had a ball dancing with Austin there in the picture. She was so cheerful and happy to see everyone. My brothers, Mike and Danny came by. Mom was there. It's always great to see them. Danny had some tax questions for me. I'm so happy to hear him wanting to be careful and cautious about doing everything right, as far as the IRS is concerned.

I was worried about needing to study for my big midterm tomorrow night in political science. I tried engaging everybody in a conversation around the early founding fathers, slavery, origins of the senate and house of representatives, etc....but realized I was the only one talking. At that point I just asked everybody to bear with me while I try to talk it out, in practice for my test. Hahaha!

You should have seen me at school today. I remembered this morning that it was "pajama day." Oh geez, I thought. Maybe I'm too new of an employee to get involved with this. The teacher I work under was very insistent that we all dress up, so I did. I wore my pink and black silk polka-dot pajamas with a pink robe over it and big fluffy pink slippers to match. I felt so silly. I experimented with dangling a sponge roller or two in my hair to "accessorize" but it was just too much!!! I had to watch carefully out the door until all "morning walkers" had passed before jumping into the car. I obeyed the traffic laws meticulously so as to not be stopped for any reason. I got over to school and didn't dare park in my usual spot across the street. There was no way I was going to walk any further than necessary to get in the door of the school and get to work. I parked in the teacher's lot for a change and then sat there while panicky thoughts went through my head such as, "Did I get the day wrong? Is it really today? I just saw two teachers out front, not in pajamas...hmm, if I'm mistaken about the day, I'll never live this down." Oh well, I just headed on inside and got several giggles as others had interpreted "pajama day" as meaning to wear sweats and a sweatshirt. Here I looked like I was set for a teeny-bopper slumber party except for the bubble gum and pillow. Our class is so animated. They lack the social graces that help us know not to act on our immediate emotions and impulses. As I walked in, several of the real affectionate kids started squealing, "OH MRS. ____! MRS. ____!!!" They loved my get-up. Then I heard the principal and some other teachers were coming in for a child's IEP meeting. I suggested maybe I should leave the room, but then the principal walked in, wearing his pajamas and bathrobe. They had me stay. How wierd we must have all looked to the parent attending the meeting! As I was leaving school, one teenager picking up a younger sibling summed up the whole scene when he saw all the children exiting the campus in pajamas and asked me, "Geez what's wrong with all the kids today? Were they ALL sick???"

Mark Takes Day Off to Go On a Class Field Trip...

Mark and Ressa really enjoyed being together for the 3rd grade field trip down to Santa Ana last week. They went to the Discovery Science Museum, which they built right next to the old Bowers Museum we went to as kids.

Here's Ressa and her good friend, Deanna.

That would really get the kids' attention if every dentist office had a model like THAT in their office.

Ressa warming up to replace Dr. Laura someday...

Sorry I missed out. That would have been lots of fun.

Afterwards, they stopped over to Santiago Park in Santa Ana for a picnic. I was shocked when Mark told me that. After growing up in nearby Orange and hearing about all the gang activities and shootings at that park, it killed me to picture my husband and daughter spending even five minutes there. I suppose the teacher just looked for the closest park on a map and picked it. YIKES! But it turned out fine. There's her teacher in the back on the left. The boy in the front left is so nice and always reminds me of Brent Brague from church when we were growing up. What do you think, Barbie?

This is how you'll find Austin on any given day after school. He's always having to look up vocabulary words on the internet for English or be writing some paper. Last week he stayed after school in Spanish to ask his teacher (who's Mormon) how to say his testimony in Spanish. It's one of the options for the Duty to God program. I'm curious to see if he actually gets up in church today to share. That would be interesting! Austin just returned yesterday from an overnight campout with the Scouts to Calico Ghost Town. He really enjoyed it!

Here's Melody and Ressa out with Daddy. If there are two quarters available, the girls always get to take a ride.

I had a great week down at my school. I'm now assigned to mostly making copies and binding up booklets, etc. I do accompany a 5th grade boy to lunch and recess everyday who has a higher functioning form of autism. He chose to sit on the bench sobbing quietly Friday instead of playing because he missed one on his test, and didn't get 100%. I tried to talk him into feeling better but then he turned the tables on me saying that he couldn't stop thinking about and neither could I because I kept TALKING about it. Oops! I'm learning too! He cracks me up though...very funny guy. He says the things that I used to be thinking when I was in school.

The teacher wanted each child to have a stapled packet of printing pages and cursive pages for practice. Having some extra time on my hands, with the other boy no longer coming, I offered to design a cover for each book, laminate the covers and bind them into colorful spiral-bound books...one for printing and one for cursive. I just love working in the teacher's workroom. It's like having everything Kinko's has right at your fingertips. Then there's the food...It seems as though twice a month a different grade of teachers is assigned to "Treat Day". Well some of them really go all out. They'd fit right in, into Relief Society leadership. The 1st grade teachers had about six crock pots full of various chilis with all the toppings, breads, rolls, cookies, brownies, etc. It was a war zone for any dieter present. I hear the office staff and all the aides (that's me) have a day in April.

Ressa and I did our "Special Time with Mom" on Friday. We went over to Victoria Gardens and rode the trolley around, then we rode the miniature train around the sidewalks, and of course, did a lot of walking. We ended up at JCPenney's and got her some new clothes. We got something for Melody too just so she wouldn't feel bad. I keep telling the boys that if they think something's not fair, just remember the $390 we paid for each of them to go to EFY this summer...

Ashley and Mackenzie surprised us Friday and wanted to come over and spend time with the girls so Mark and I could go out. She even brought us two free movie tickets too! We saw the "Penelope" movie which I didn't like very much. I just couldn't wrap my mind around being comfortable staring at a poor girl with a big pig snout the whole movie. I can usually find something to like about any movie, but this was just too far-fetched for me. We ran into Joey and his date as we were leaving the movie. Joey and his friend had both won a seminary contest which earned them the prize of having the teacher prepare a dinner for them and their dates. So the four of them went to the teacher's house first on Friday night for a terrific 4-course meal. They said it was great! The teacher works as a food scientist for Jose' Ole' that makes all those burritos, etc. that we see in the store, so it was bound to be tasty!

We ate at Panda Express afterward and I was proud of myself for turning down the chow mein and rice and just loading up on the steamed veggies. And if we eat in any close proximity to Golden Spoon, we just have to stop there as well. We both had minis so that couldn't have hurt the "cause" any.

I was so thrilled when we walked in the door back home, Ashley had cleaned the downstairs to perfection. It's two days later and I still don't know what she did with all the "stuff" that was on the counters, etc. Every table top and counter top was clean and sparkling. I don't care where everything went either. It's all so pretty. She said she's now been without a job for awhile now since she quit the restaurant where she and Joey worked, but then the new job fell through because she could not memorize all the wines along with their unique serving instructions. I'm proud of her for not knowing everything about the wine :D She said she's been so bored over at Jim's parents' house that she just cleans and cleans. She even discovered that a lamp they always thought was dark brown was actually white! She said she has run out of things to clean over there so she wants to come over here. "Name your price!" I said.

Melody was due for her "special time with Mom" on Saturday, but Mark took her instead out to the movie to the Spiderwick Chronicles, while I stayed home with Austin. Ressa got invited out with a friend's family to go to Ontario Mills for dinner and window shopping. Joey had to work. So there we were...Austin and I sitting there, side by side on my bed with each of us with our homework laid out all over our laps, keeping each other company and providing moral support that we'd finish EVENTUALLY! This is the hardest week so far...I have a research paper due on Prenatal Teratogens (hazardous substances to pregnant women) on Wednesday. A Political Science midterm on Tuesday night. Then there's the usual five paragraphs due of homework for the online American History class that's due every Sunday night. I was glad to get that out of my hair yesterday. The midterm Tuesday night scares me a little because there are two essay questions amidst all the other questions on the test. The essay questions could be on 2 of any of the nine articles we have been reading (arguments over political issues). So you basically have to be prepared to write on all nine of course. This is no business for a mother with a family. I've gotten in over my head this semester. I got all the easy classes out of the way in the beginning when I started back to school to make the transition better....now I pay for it.

I keep saying I'm going to choir practice every week, but this week I going to do it. Have a good day everyone!