Food Prices To Stay High on "Grain Drain" Fuel

Food prices to stay high on "grain drain" fuel
By Brian Love

Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, meaning millions more risk further hardship or hunger, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday.

Beyond stating the immediate need for humanitarian aid, the international bodies suggested wider deployment of genetically modified crops and a rethink of biofuel programs that guzzle grain which could otherwise feed people and livestock.

The report, issued ahead of a world food summit in Rome next week, said food commodity prices were likely to recede from the peaks hit recently, but that they would remain higher in the decade ahead than the one gone by.

Beef and pork prices would probably stay around 20 percent higher than in the last 10 years, while wheat, corn and skimmed milk powder would likely command 40-60 percent more in the 10 years ahead, in nominal terms, it said.

The price of rice, an Asian staple expected to become more important also in Africa in the years ahead, would likely average 30 percent more expensive in nominal terms in the coming decade than over the 1998-2007 period.

"In many low-income countries, food expenditures average over 50 percent of income and the higher prices contained in this outlook (report) will push more people into undernourishment," the report said.

Millions of people's purchasing power across the globe would be hit, said the report, co-produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.N. food agency in Rome, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris.

The cost of many food commodities has doubled over the last couple of years, sparking widespread protests and even riots in some of the worst affected spots, such as Haiti.

Many factors, including drought in big commodity-producing regions such as Australia, explained some of the acceleration in prices, as did growing demand from fast-developing countries such as China and India, the report said.

GRAIN DRAIN

But it singled out the big drive to produce biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels, a push the U.S. government is sponsoring heavily, and Europe as well.

"Biofuel demand is the largest source of new demand in decades and a strong factor underpinning the upward shift in agricultural commodity prices," said the report, adding it was time to consider alternatives.

The benefits at environmental and economic level as well as in terms of energy security were "at best modest and sometimes even negative," the report said.

Under U.S. plans, about a quarter of the U.S. corn crop will be channeled into ethanol production by 2022 while the European Union is also aiming for as much as 10 percent of road transport fuel to be produced using crops by 2020.

While it was hard to always identify exactly how much retail food prices were affected by food commodity prices, the direct impact was clearer in poorer countries where there is less of the value-added, packaged and processed food that is consumed more in wealthy regions, the report said.

The proportion of total funds that households use to pay for food varies hugely, from more than 60 percent in Bangladesh, to 40 or 50 percent in many other developing countries, and just 10 percent in the United States or Germany, or 27 percent in China, the report said.

It also highlighted the impact of financial investors in the commodities futures markets, saying this added upwards pressure on prices in the short term but that the jury was still out as to the long-term impact, beyond generating greater volatility.

(Additional reporting by Sybille de la Hamaide, Editing by Peter Blackburn)

Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

Another reason to make sure I water my garden today. I wish I could grow rice!

Kindergarten ASD Student "Voted Out" of class By Peers

St. Lucie teacher reassigned after student 'voted out' of class
By Colleen Wixon

Originally published 10:12 a.m., May 27, 2008
Updated 06:30 p.m., May 27, 2008

PORT ST. LUCIE — Morningside Elementary kindergarten teacher Wendy Portillo has been reassigned until further action may be determined, according to St. Lucie County School District spokeswoman Janice Karst.

Last week, Portillo held a vote in her classroom in which kindergarten students "voted out" 5-year-old Alex Barton, who was in the process of being tested for Asperger's Disorder, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex's mother, Melissa Barton, said the vote was taken after classmates were allowed to tell Alex what they didn't like about him.

The class voted Alex out of the room, by a 14 to 2 margin.

Portillo was reassigned out of the classroom at the district offices on Friday, as soon as Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon heard about the incident, Karst said. She said it could be up to two weeks before the district's investigation on the matter is concluded.

Portillo has been a St. Lucie County teacher for 12 years, and at Morningside Elementary for nine, Karst said.

Barton said Tuesday morning that Alex had officially been diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. He is not in school, but misses the one friend he made in the classroom, she said.

"He's a little better today," she said. "He's just being Alex."

Barton said she thinks Portillo should be fired.

"She has no business being near children at all," she said.

As to the news of Portillo being reassigned, Barton responded, "That's just a slap in the face."

© 2008 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers

I am beyond disgusted by the ignorance of this school district and teachers. I hope this case can be used as an example of how we need to EDUCATE THE EDUCATORS. Autism Vox has one of the more popular blogs about this issue.

Things That Make My Head Explode

Some people have been asking why I haven't blogged about the recent "articles" in the news, such as the one that I can't even mention that again points fingers at the parents rather than at the true culprits. And the usual vaccine garbage. I am just too PISSED. I am trying to make "better choices" in what I go crazy about - things I can hopefully make a difference on. Like keeping my family healthy and that includes myself. I am trying to get myself mentally (and physically) healthy these days or I think I'll really lose my mind. So there ya go.

Vinyls vs. PVC, What is What?

I just found this when I researched buying these reusuable sandwich bags I use for the kids. One side is cloth and the other side is wipeable/cleanable plastic that's PEVA. They are about $6 a piece. I spend that on a couple boxes of plastic bags not to mention how much they add to my list of environmental infractions. I decided to be a jerk and buy them as teacher gifts. This isn't California, it's stodgy old New England where we are a bit behind on "green " stuff like that. Boy will I be unpopular, but I don't care. This year's theme is "It's All About ME." I'll go ahead an force my values on my well meaning AWESOME teachers that we've had this year. Of course, I'm too lazy to give credit where credit is due regarding the plastic info...that's my mood for today and I'm too tired to fight it. ResusableBags.com also has water bottles (other than Nalgene) and other pricey greeny thingys. Fun fun fun!

Sorting out the Vinyls – When is "Vinyl" not PVC?

Vinyl is commonly used as a shorthand name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic as used in a range of products from flooring to siding to wall covering. Most commonly, when a product is referred to as "vinyl," it is comprised primarily of PVC. Occasionally it also may refer to polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) a closely related compound, used in food wraps ('Saran') and other films, that shares most of the same environmental health problems.

In chemistry, however, the term "vinyl' actually has a broader meaning, encompassing a range of different thermoplastic chemical compounds derived from ethylene. In addition to PVC, "vinyls" in building materials also include:
- ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), used in films, wire coating and adhesives
- polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) a copolymer of polyethylene and EVA used in shower curtains, body bags
- polyvinyl acetate (PVA), used in paints and adhesives, such as white glue, and
- polyvinyl butyral (PVB), used in safety glass films.

What differentiates PVC from the other vinyls is the addition of a chlorine molecule (the chloride "C" in PVC and PVDC). Chlorine is the source of many of the environmental health concerns with PVC, such as the generation of dioxin, a highly carcinogenic chemical produced in both the manufacture and disposal of PVC. Due to its persistent and bioaccumulative nature (it travels long distances without breaking down and concentrates as it moves up the food chain to humans) dioxin has become a global problem and an international treaty – the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - now prioritizes the elimination of processes that produce dioxin.

Some of the non chlorinated vinyls (EVA, PEVA, PVA and PVB) are now beginning to be used as direct substitutes for PVC. EVA has been in use for several years as a chlorine free substitute for PVC – primarily in non building materials like toys and athletic shoes, but occasionally as a protective film or binder. In the building industry, post-consumer recycled PVB is now beginning to be used to replace PVC in carpet backing. Absence of chlorine alone does not make these other vinyls the final answer in the search for green polymers. There are still plenty of toxic challenges and untested chemicals in the life cycle of any petrochemical product. As is the case with most other polymers competing with PVC, however, the weight of available evidence indicates that the absence of chlorine in the formula will generally render the lifecycle environmental health impacts of PVB and the other vinyls less harmful than PVC and initial study is bearing this out. Like the polyolefin plastics, the use of PVB and the other non chlorinated vinyls represents a step forward in the search for alternatives to PVC.

In summary, with the exception of paints, glues and certain films, "vinyl" as a product description almost always means made of PVC. The term vinyl in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), and polyvinyl butyral (PVB), however, does not refer to PVC and does not raise the same concerns associated with chlorinated molecules like PVC.

When in doubt about the use of the term "vinyl", ask if it is PVC.

CDC: 3 out of 4 new moms in US now breast-feed their infants

CDC: 3 out of 4 new moms in US now breast-feed their infants
By MIKE STOBBE – 4 hours ago
ATLANTA (AP) — More than 3 out of 4 new moms now breast-feed their infants, the highest rate in the U.S. in at least 20 years, according to a a government report released Wednesday. About 77 percent of new mothers breast-feed, at least briefly, up from 60 percent in 1993-1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
"It looks like it is an all-time high" based on CDC surveys since the mid-1980s, said Jeff Lancashire, a CDC spokesman.
Experts attributed the rise to education campaigns that emphasize that breast milk is better than formula at protecting babies against disease and childhood obesity. A changing culture that accommodates nursing mothers may also be a factor.
The percentage of black infants who were breast-fed rose most dramatically, to 65 percent. Only 36 percent were ever breast-fed in 1993-1994, the new study found.
For whites, the figure rose to 79 percent, from 62 percent. For Mexican-Americans, it increased to 80 percent, from 67 percent.
Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher celebrated the report's findings, noting that black women have historically had lower breast-feeding rates.
"It was very impressive that when it comes to beginning to breast-feed, African-American women have had the greatest progress," said Satcher, who is now an administrator at Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine.
The new report is based on a comprehensive federal survey involving in-person interviews as well as physical examinations. The findings are based on information for 434 infants from the years 2005 and 2006.
A telephone survey of thousands of families, released last year, found that 74 percent of infants in 2004 had been breast-fed.
At least three types of CDC surveys have shown breast-feeding rates moving upward since the early 1990s, officials said.
The latest CDC report found rates of breast-feeding were also lowest among women who are unmarried, poor, rural, younger than 20, and have a high school education or less.
On the Net:
CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs

Good news for a change! Not to be a buzz kill or anything, but the change is probably due to social reasons. It's what people now do in society. Another example of how powerful culture (and the support that comes with it) affects the choices we make for our children.

Study Links Autism Risk to Distance from Power Plants, Other Mercury-releasing Sources

Research led by Raymond Palmer, Ph.D., of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the first to show a statistical relationship between autism prevalence and proximity to mercury-emitting site.

Newswise — How do mercury emissions affect pregnant mothers, the unborn and toddlers? Do the level of emissions impact autism rates? Does it matter whether a mercury-emitting source is 10 miles away from families versus 20 miles? Is the risk of autism greater for children who live closer to the pollution source?

A newly published study of Texas school district data and industrial mercury-release data, conducted by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, indeed shows a statistically significant link between pounds of industrial release of mercury and increased autism rates. It also shows—for the first time in scientific literature—a statistically significant association between autism risk and distance from the mercury source.

“This is not a definitive study, but just one more that furthers the association between environmental mercury and autism,” said lead author Raymond F. Palmer, Ph.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. The article is in the journal Health & Place.

Dr. Palmer, Stephen Blanchard, Ph.D., of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and Robert Wood of the UT Health Science Center found that community autism prevalence is reduced by 1 percent to 2 percent with each 10 miles of distance from the pollution source.

“This study was not designed to understand which individuals in the population are at risk due to mercury exposure,” Dr. Palmer said. “However, it does suggest generally that there is greater autism risk closer to the polluting source.”

The study should encourage further investigations designed to determine the multiple routes of mercury exposure. “The effects of persistent, low-dose exposure to mercury pollution, in addition to fish consumption, deserve attention,” Dr. Palmer said. “Ultimately, we will want to know who in the general population is at greatest risk based on genetic susceptibilities such as subtle deficits in the ability to detoxify heavy metals.”

The new study findings are consistent with a host of other studies that confirm higher amounts of mercury in plants, animals and humans the closer they are to the pollution source. The price on children may be the highest.

“We suspect low-dose exposures to various environmental toxicants, including mercury, that occur during critical windows of neural development among genetically susceptible children may increase the risk for developmental disorders such as autism,” the authors wrote.

Study highlights

• Mercury-release data examined were from 39 coal-fired power plants and 56 industrial facilities in Texas.
• Autism rates examined were from 1,040 Texas school districts.
• For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by all industrial sources in Texas into the environment in 1998, there was a corresponding 2.6 percent increase in autism rates in the Texas school districts in 2002.
• For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by Texas power plants in 1998, there was a corresponding 3.7 percent increase in autism rates in Texas school districts in 2002.
• Autism prevalence diminished 1 percent to 2 percent for every 10 miles from the source.
• Mercury exposure through fish consumption is well documented, but very little is known about exposure routes through air and ground water.
• There is evidence that children and other developing organisms are more susceptible to neurobiological effects of mercury.

Implications

“We need to be concerned about global mercury emissions since a substantial proportion of mercury releases are spread around the world by long-range air and ocean currents,” Dr. Palmer said. “Steps for controlling and eliminating mercury pollution on a worldwide basis may be advantageous. This entails greener, non-mercury-polluting technologies.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated environmental mercury releases at 158 million tons annually nationwide in the late 1990s, the time period studied by the Texas team. Most exposures were said to come from coal-fired utility plants (33 percent of exposures), municipal/medical waste incinerators (29 percent) and commercial/industrial boilers (18 percent). Cement plants also release mercury.

With the enactment of clean air legislation and other measures, mercury deposition into the environment is decreasing slightly.

Limitations

Dr. Palmer and his colleagues pointed out the study did not reflect the true community prevalence rates of autism because children younger than school age are not counted in the Texas Education Agency data system. The 1:500 autism rates in the study are lower than the 1:150 autism rates in recent reports of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Furthermore, the authors note that distance was not calculated from individual homes to the pollution source but from central points in school districts that varied widely in area.

Data sources

Data for environmentally released mercury were from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory. Data for releases by coal-fired power plants came from the same inventory and from the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality. Data for school district autism came from the Texas Education Agency.

Citation

Palmer, R.F., et al., Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury release as a predictor of autism prevalence. Health & Place (2008), doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.02.001.

From Material Girl to Monsanto. Who is Monsanto?

I decided to take a break from reading about Autism or the environment while on spring break. At the airport, I saw exactly what I needed. Madonna was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. My savior! My idol from high school that continues to inspire me with that figure and determination of hers. A perfect thing to indulge in. I may even read something "smart" or "intellectual" in the other articles. Hmm..that Princess Di update looks good too.

After getting my material fix, I saw a reference to an environmental article. Curious, I took a look. This is Vanity Fair after all. It couldn't possibly get under my skin.

I started reading about this company I knew nothing about that has had the MOST impact on our food supply and environmental contamination. Monsanto. How was this possible? So much in one company's hands? I know there are a slew of offenders of industrial polluters. I was amazed and shocked as I read further. They are responsible for saccharin, dioxin, PCBs, GMO seeds, and finally hormone milk!!! All from one company! I still can't believe it!

Monsantohas a decades-long history of toxic contamination. Here are some shocking snipets:

1) Monsanto Chemical Works began in 1901 by John Francis Queeny. Started out with saccharin, which started his company. Coca-Cola made him solid. Then added vanillin, caffeine, and drugs used as sedatives and laxatives, aspirin. Later, plastics, resins, rubber goods, fuel additives, artificial caffeine, industrial fluids, vinyl siding, dishwasher detergent, anti-freeze, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides.

2) They are responsible for dioxin and PCBs. Dioxins refer to a group of highly toxic chemicals linked to heart disease, liver disease, human reproductive disorders, and developmental problems. Finally in 2001 the government listed it as a human carcinogen.

3) 1981 created the GMO. Can introduce anything into a plant cell. 1980 U.S. Supreme Court turned seeds into widgets laying groundwork for a handful of corporations to begin taking control of the world's food supply. They held out for a decade, viewing seeds as lifeforms with too many variables to patent. But they say it's a live human-made microorganism. It's actually a bacteria developed by a GE scientist to clean up oil spills.

4) Roundup, the weed killer is their product. They discovered the way to genetically modify a seed to not be affected. For farmer convenience, they can spray fields. For soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. Up and coming are sugar, beets, and alfalfa. 90% of soybeans are from Monsanto seeds. Currently has 674 biotechnology patents, the leader.

1980; no GMOs
2007: 282 million acres worldwide. 142 million in U.S.

5) Now, latest is on to rBGH and rBST milk. In 1993, Monsanto studies convinced the FDA to approve use. Still no long-term studies on human safety have been doen. All data continues to come from Monsanto. An FDA deputy commissioner joined Monsanto as senior vp in 1999. An assistant at the E.P.A. left and became vp of Monsanto from 1995 to 2000, only to return to the E.P.A. The incestuous back-and-forth goes on and on. So many players. After FTC in 2007 saying there's no difference in milk with or without it. Says marketers are using "deceptive advertising and labeling practices" of milk that is labeled free of the hormones.

We are totally screwed.

Coming Out Of P.A.N.D.A.S. Season

So we just got back from a week away in Arizona. I looked forward to the break, but even more so to see if Sydney's facial tics would be better in a hot, dry climate. My regiment or the fact that it is getting more spring-like seemed to be helping, but the tics were still present. I was nervous trying my new regiment off-site since it's a homeopathic protocol that requires lots of clean water, cups, etc. Sydney's symptoms improved a small amount, then got significantly better when we came back to the east coast. I am just happy that she's so much better and that her tics are barely present. I also got validation from a pediatrician friend that western medicine doesn't recommend medication for these type of tics, as they see them eventually go away. They only recommend it for classic Tourettes.

Leo has a blink here or there, but that's about it from him. After years of being afraid, I finally decided to revisit a metal detox. We had done everything else, but metals still persist although much better. I know in my heart that these detoxes are the only way I can minimize toxic overload. It sucks, since I must continue to do these as prevention. That's all I need, another major neurological disorder to deal with. So whatever I can do to prevent it and maximize health as much as I can, so be it. Their doctor has no advice, but to monitor it.

So this week we started. No effect so far, the usual response for Leo. It takes him about a week. I'm also hopeful that the groundwork we've laid the past two years will be uneventual with the metals. Wish me luck, if anyone is out there listening. I am also planning on doing it once I am over a virus that is still with me.

On other topics, we had an interesting reminder of how things used to be while on vacation. Leo and Sydney swam about 4 to 5 hours every day for the whole week. On our last day, Leo was drying off and my DH noticed a puddle of red water undereath him. We both jumped up and begin questioning Leo while looking for a cut. He didn't feel a thing! I quickly got irritated with Leo (which I regret) since he wasn't helpful and for a moment I blamed him for the situation. This is my blog, so I can be honest! Anyway, we quickly found the culprit, a blister that burst under his big toe. All of his toes were red and raw from all the getting in and out of the pool. Leo was amazing and helpful, and even didn't whine about having to wear a Hello Kitty bandaid, the only thing I had. Of course I had bandaids, kleenex. Mom artillary.

Shades of years of major hyposensitivity in his calves, feet, arms, face, and hands. Leo used to be deathly afraid of swimming, had to wear weights on his calves to train his mind to feel them in the water. He was afraid of drowning, and hated splashing and getting his head wet (hypersensitiviy in his eyes). He also feared going upside down.

This week, I saw him go upside down, head first down the water slide with 4 other boys his age following behind him. His idea. I saw him play football on the grass with these same boys, initiating what to do next. He even skipped snack with no consequence one afternoon, his hypoglycemia under control. Leo also decided to join me and Sydney for a trail ride. His idea. He narrated out loud as he does, his initial fear and discomfort with the movement, the unpredictability of it. The flies, the glaring sun, all the chatting, taking it all in stride, dealing with all that input at once. Hypo and hyper sensitive still perhaps, but it doesn't stop him, as Artemisia says. I am forever in awe and amazed by Leo's determination and strength.

Delaying DPT Vax May Reduce Incidence of Childhood Asthma

Delaying DPT Vaccination May Reduce Incidence of Childhood Asthma CME

News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD
CME Author: Laurie Barclay, MD


April 14, 2008 — Childhood asthma is reduced by half when the first dose of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) is delayed by more than 2 months vs given during the recommended period, according to the results of a retrospective longitudinal study reported in the March issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

"Early childhood immunizations have been viewed as promoters of asthma development by stimulating a TH2-type immune response or decreasing microbial pressure, which shifts the balance between TH1 and TH2 immunity," write Kara L. McDonald, MSc, from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and colleagues. "Differing time schedules for childhood immunizations may explain the discrepant findings of an association with asthma reported in observational studies. This research was undertaken to determine whether timing of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) immunization has an effect on the development of childhood asthma by age 7 years."

The investigators analyzed data from the complete immunization and healthcare records of a cohort of children born in Manitoba in 1995, from birth until age 7 years. Using multivariable logistic regression, they computed the adjusted odds ratio for asthma at age 7 years according to the timing of DPT immunization.

Among 11,531 children who received at least 4 doses of DPT, the risk for asthma was halved in children in whom administration of the first dose of DPT was delayed by more than 2 months. For children with delays in administration of all 3 doses, the likelihood of asthma was 0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18 - 0.86).

"We found a negative association between delay in administration of the first dose of whole-cell DPT immunization in childhood and the development of asthma; the association was greater with delays in all of the first 3 doses," the study authors write. "The mechanism for this phenomenon requires further research."

Limitations of this study include possible ascertainment bias; findings not yet confirmed with the diphtheria, acellular pertussis, tetanus (DaPT) vaccine; and inability to refute the issue of early-life infections as an explanation for the association between delayed immunization and protection against the development of asthma.

"Further study is vital to gain a detailed understanding of the relationship between vaccination and allergic disease, because a perception that vaccination is harmful may have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of immunization programs," the study authors conclude.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research supported this study. Some of the authors have disclosed various financial relationships with the Western Regional Training Center for Health Services Research, the National Training Program in Allergy and Asthma, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Allergen, and/or Novartis.

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008;121:626-631.

Clinical Context

Early childhood vaccinations may promote development of asthma, directly by stimulating a TH2-type immune response or indirectly by decreasing microbial pressure. In support of this hypothesis, an IgE response to vaccine antigens often occurs in children vaccinated with diphtheria/tetanus, and this response is more pronounced among individuals with atopy.

Epidemiologic evidence linking DPT immunizations to childhood asthma is inconsistent. Some studies show an increased or decreased risk of developing asthma, whereas others show no association. This study assessed whether timing of DPT vaccination affects the risk of developing childhood asthma by age 7 years.

Study Highlights

Of children born in Manitoba in 1995, 11,531 children (82.6%) had received at least 4 doses of DPT and were included in this study.
These children were primarily immunized with whole-cell pertussis DPT, because the DaPT vaccine was phased in throughout Manitoba beginning in November 1997.
The investigators analyzed data from the complete immunization and healthcare records of these children from birth until age 7 years.
The investigators used multivariable logistic regression to compute the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for asthma at age 7 years, based on the timing of whole-cell DPT immunization.
Prevalence of asthma was 11.7%.
Children with asthma were predominantly boys (3:2) and lived in urban areas (70.3%); 25% were from low-income homes; and 10.1% had mothers with a history of asthma.
The risk for asthma was decreased by 50% in children in whom administration of the first dose of DPT was delayed by more than 2 months (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25 - 0.97).
Sensitivity analyses that varied the interval for DPT immunization showed that these findings were robust.
Asthma prevalence rates decreased successively from 13.8% to 5.9% with each month delay in DPT administration.
Likelihood of childhood asthma was also decreased after delays in the administration of the second and third doses of DPT. Most of these delays were in children with delays in their first dose.
The reduction in asthma risk for the second and third doses mainly resulted from the delay in the first dose because there were no statistically significant differences in asthma risk with delays in the second and third doses in the absence of delays in the first dose.
However, for children with delays in administration of all 3 doses, the likelihood of asthma was further reduced by 60% (likelihood ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18 - 0.86).
Based on these findings, the investigators conclude that there was a negative association between delay in administration of the first dose of DPT immunization in childhood and the development of asthma; that the association was greater with delays in all of the first 3 doses; and that the underlying mechanism requires further research.
Limitations of this study include possible ascertainment bias; findings not yet confirmed with the DaPT vaccine; and inability to refute the issue of early-life infections as an explanation for the association between delayed immunization and protection against the development of asthma.
Pearls for Practice

Among children who received at least 4 doses of DPT, the risk for asthma was reduced by 50% in children in whom administration of the first dose of DPT was delayed by more than 2 months from the recommended period.
For children with delays in administration of all 3 doses of DPT, the risk of developing asthma was decreased by 60%. The reduction in asthma risk for the second and third doses mainly resulted from the delay in the first dose.
CME/CE Test

Questions answered incorrectly will be highlighted.

Based on the study by McDonald and colleagues, which of the following statements about the risk for asthma in children in whom administration of the first dose of DPT was delayed by more than 2 months from the recommended period is not correct?
( )
The risk for asthma was decreased by 50%
( )
Asthma prevalence rates decreased successively from 13.8% to 5.9% with each month delay in DPT administration
( )
Sensitivity analyses that varied the interval for DPT immunization showed that these findings were robust
( )
Conclusions from this study apply to the DaPT vaccine
Based on the study by McDonald and colleagues, which of the following statements about the risk of developing asthma among children with delays in administration of all 3 doses of DPT is correct?
( )
Reduction in asthma risk mainly resulted from the delay in the second dose
( )
Reduction in asthma risk mainly resulted from the delay in the third dose
( )
The likelihood of asthma was reduced by 60% (vs children with no delays in DPT administration)
( )
The likelihood of asthma was reduced by 20% (vs children with no delays in DPT administration)
[Save and Proceed]

Medscape Medical News 2008. ©2008 Medscape

Interesting how little about this is in the mainstream press. I wonder what spin will come out of this. Asthma, one of the 4 A's of the New Normal.

Nalgene Water Bottles Pulled From Stores

Associated Press

April 19, 2008


What's happening: Hard-plastic Nalgene water bottles made with bisphenol A, or BPA, will be pulled from stores.

Why: Growing consumer concern over whether the chemical poses a health risk. The U.S. government's National Toxicology Program said this week that there is "some concern" about BPA from experiments on rats that linked the chemical to changes in behavior and the brain, early puberty and possibly precancerous changes in the prostate and breast. While such animal studies provide only "limited evidence" of risk, the draft report said a possible effect on humans "cannot be dismissed."

Replacement: Nalge Nunc International said Friday that it will substitute its Nalgene Outdoor line of polycarbonate plastic containers with BPA-free alternatives.

It's just so depressing.

Soy Compound Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk

Soy compound linked to lower breast cancer risk
By Amy Norton
Fri Apr 11, 11:12 AM ET
Women with high blood levels of an estrogen-like compound found in soy seem to have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 24,000 middle-aged and older Japanese women, those with the highest levels of the compound, called genistein, were only one-third as likely as other women to develop breast cancer over 10 years.

Genistein is one of the major isoflavones, plant compounds found in soybeans, chick peas and other legumes that are structurally similar to the hormone estrogen, and are believed to bind to estrogen receptors on body cells.

While some studies have linked soy consumption with a lower risk of breast cancer, others have found no protective effect. Some animal research, in fact, has suggested that genistein might spur tumor development and growth. The new findings, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, suggest that this is not the case in women, at least when genistein is consumed through food alone.

"This finding suggests a risk-reducing rather than a risk-enhancing effect of isoflavones on breast cancer, even at relatively high concentrations within the range achievable from dietary intake alone," write the researchers, led by Dr. Motoki Iwasaki of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo.

The study included 24,226 women ages 40 to 69 who gave blood samples and completed a dietary assessment, then were followed for an average of 10 years. During that time, 144 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.

When Iwasaki's team separated the women based on their blood levels of genistein at the study's start, they found that the one-quarter with highest levels were 65 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than the quarter of women with the lowest genistein levels.

There was no risk reduction seen among women with moderate levels of the isoflavone, however.

Most past studies on soy isoflavones and breast cancer have used dietary questionnaires, Iwasaki noted. "In contrast, our study used a direct measurement of plasma isoflavone levels, which provides not only an index of intake but also of the absorption and metabolism of isoflavone," the researcher told Reuters Health.

Together with past studies, Iwasaki said, the findings suggest that a high isoflavone intake from food may help lower breast cancer risk.

Whether the findings necessarily extend to women in Western countries is not clear, however. Japanese women, Iwasaki noted, typically consume soy isoflavones on a regular basis starting from a young age, which may influence the compounds' effects on breast cancer development.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, April 1, 2008.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

Interesting how they opening admit that genistein is an estrogen mimicer/binder, but don't mention ANYTHING about how different levels of estrogen affect the body.

I'd also be interested in knowing the protein consumption percentages. Perhaps these women with less cancer ate less animal protein. As I've blogged about before, cancer rates correlate to the amount of protein consumed. All kinds of cancer, not just breast cancer.

Soy in this country has huge problems. Not only is it an estrogen mimicer, it's also the #1 GMO (genetically modified ingredient) and endocrine disruptor.

Tempeh, fermented soy, is a safe alternative. It breaks down isoflavones. Most HFS carry it, and it came be made every way from Sunday. I just had it sauteed in tamari sauce and canola oil over rice last night for dinner.

School Closings May Be No Holiday For Flu Pandemic

By Julie Steenhuysen
Wed Apr 9, 2:32 PM ET
Closing schools during an influenza pandemic could prevent one in seven cases of flu, British researchers said on Wednesday in a study that suggests such action would have less impact than some other estimates.

But they said school closings would create significant hardships for working parents, who might be forced to create informal daycare arrangements that would undo efforts to contain the spread of flu.

"We find school closings would be less effective than some studies have suggested," said Dr. Simon Cauchemez of Imperial College London, whose study appears in the journal Nature.

"The main effect would be to slow and flatten the outbreak -- so the numbers becoming ill in the worst week of the outbreak might be reduced by up to 40 percent, reducing peak demand on health-care systems," Cauchemez said in an e-mail.

Health experts almost universally agree that a global epidemic -- a pandemic -- of influenza is overdue. The most likely cause now is H5N1 avian influenza, which could evolve into a form that passes easily from person to person.

Government estimates suggest vaccines and drugs will not be enough to slow or prevent a flu pandemic. The U.S. pandemic plan recommends closing schools and implementing strategies to limit social contact as a way to limit transmission.

If done quickly, such widespread measures combined with drugs and vaccines might reduce transmission in a large city by as much as 80 percent, by one estimate.

But such estimates are often based on widely varying assumptions, Cauchemez said. He and colleagues instead used public health data from France that compared flu transmission when school was in session and during school holidays.

KEEPING KIDS ISOLATED

They found school holidays prevent 16 to 18 percent of seasonal influenza cases. When extrapolated to a pandemic, they said prolonged school closure might reduce the cumulative number of cases by 13 to 17 percent, and peak attack rates by 39 to 45 percent.

But that impact would be reduced if it proved too difficult to keep children apart. "If we want the policy to have an impact, children must be kept relatively isolated and not cared for in groups," Cauchemez said.

U.S. cities that quickly closed schools and discouraged public gatherings during the great flu pandemic of 1918 -- which killed tens of millions of people globally -- had as many as 50 percent fewer deaths than cities that took less decisive measures, according to a recent study.

Cauchemez said an especially deadly pandemic might provide strong incentives for people to keep their children at home. "It might nonetheless be difficult for a lot of working parents to be absent from their work for months to look after their kids," he said.

Cauchemez said a prolonged outbreak might force working parents to put their children into informal daycare settings, a risk governments need to consider when they formulate pandemic flu plans.

"We can't predict how people will behave, but we need to be aware that if this happens, school closings might have no effect at all on flu transmission," he said.

H5N1 bird flu only rarely infects people now. It has killed 239 out of 379 infected, according to the World Health Organization, but could easily mutate into a form that one person could pass to another, and governments around the world are preparing for the possibility.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.

CNN Coverage on Autism Awareness

For those busy parents out there that have no time to watch T.V., here's a link to CNN's Autism coverage. It's all day on many topics. I like watching the vignettes at my leisure, and those I am interested in.

Kids Helping Kids, Tic Relief, and My Love For Chemicals

This week has been a good week. I've been down hard with the flu. The silver lining of the flu is why it's been a good week....I've been upstairs in bed for 4 days has made me realize that all our hard work has paid off. Without mom, they can take care of themselves. They've made themselves eggs, cereal, and heated left overs for dinner (DH at work). Sydney said Leo helped her pour the milk....Showered themselves without complaining (they usually do), and remembered to pack snacks for the next day. My DH can make lunches and get them to the bus in time. I guess if I die from this flu everyone will be just fine!

It all started downhill after I threw up in the car on the way to pick up the kids AND A PLAY DATE from school (our bus is allegedly, and I say allegedly, too small). Did I mention it was a busy road and I had to quickly dart over to the side? (I know, insert violin music here). The mom picked up Leo and his friend and had the play date at the other house.

I'm finally turning a corner thanks to my homeopathic remedies - I think perhaps they've shortened it a bit (4 days?). I usually don't "do" the flu, so I don't know if that's short or not. I was really sleepless and in pain for those days. But, the BIGGEST thank you goes to my NEW BEST FRIEND AND ADDICTION.....Gatorade (insert "Hello Darkness My Old Friend"). Chemicals rule man! I got teary when my last bottle of the blue one (yeah, way natural), was gone. I do love Fruit Punch & Berry though I have to say. Without the chemicals, sugar, and oh yeah, the electrolytes, who knows where I'd be. Those Excitotoxins will be hard to get out of my tastebuds, but I'll worry about that later. I love Gatorade and who gives a shit! But seriously, is there a healthy alternative? Please let me know if you have one!

To my relief I found a remedy to really work for Sydney's mouth tic. Incredible! There's just a tiny hint of it when she eats, but other than that it has disappeared. Two for Homeopathy for this week. Sydney was so happy, as the tic was really bothering her. My normal onslaught of immune boosters didn't nip it in the bud like it did last fall. It is a different tic I believe associated with Fifths Disease. I've posted about the kids' reaction to strep as facial tics before, and the mouth tic for Syd has been around for a few weeks.

My conferences were scheduled for yesterday. I didn't cancel, hoping I'd feel a bit better since I just didn't want to wait to hear how Leo was doing. After all, I've been waiting for 3 years for this moment. The conclusion of this marker year. Will he need services in the near future? So I busted out the Vitamin I (Ibuprofen), and threw back three, and took a shower. I felt pretty good, just clammy, so I went on to the conferences. DH was away.

Sydney's conference was first: Everything was great across the board. A good student, a good listener, ahead academically. I asked the teacher about her attention since she seems a little disorganized for her age. She said she is a little messy, stands up for cutting and gluing, etc. Teacher said, "Interesting to see in a girl. You really don't see that." In my mind I shouted "It's totally normal when you are wired like our family is!" She goes on to tell me she recently partnered Syd with a girl that is a little behind the class. The teacher says, "She gets to play "teacher" to her. She's very helpful and patient with her." I was pleasantly surprised to hear this. She doesn't show a lot of patience at home, and she's all about chatting away with her friends. I'm very proud of her, she's becoming so mature! But my DH pointed out how she grew up with therapists teaching in the house. That's been her example her whole life.

Insert nausea and constant sweating for Leo's down the hall. Everything was great across the board here too. Doesn't seem ahead academically, just a 3rd grader in the top groups. I don't want to say the n word, it's just to foreign to me. Normal? I don't know. Nothing to say about the standardized testing or anything else. His handwriting great (still amazing to me since he could barely grasp a marker at 4). Socially, great, although he has to "watch the chatting". She went on to say she moved his seat because of the chatting (my frightened little boy who feared other kids).

She moved his seat next to a boy she says needs a lot of support and that it's been working out nicely for both. Leo gets to help out his friend when he needs it. "Leo is a very good example for Marshall, a kid that needs extra help", his teacher says. "Leo is always there for him, saying positive things. He is always reaching out to others to help at any time. He has such empathy for others, a very sensitive boy. And, he never seems to have a bad day."

Such nice things to hear about kids, let alone your own. So both my special kids are helping their friends in class. I couldn't be happier right now.

Water

And how could I forget THIS goody for the week?

Anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones found in public drinking water. Nice.

Too Much In The News

There's just too much to comment on I don't know where to begin.

Hilary vs. Obama...I really like them both, but I'm sad that our country isn't ready for a woman president. We are so backwards compared to the rest of the world. Number 2 in infant deaths, never a woman president. Pretty incredible.

Newsweek says we really ARE in a recession. I guess if the media says it, we are (insert sarcasm here).

Vaccine "news" has been plastered ALL over, as a not so secret response to our quiet victory in court last week. One for Autism. I guess they think people are too dumb to notice that the special interest groups cause these "pro-vaccine" articles to "suddenly appear", almost as a coincidence to balance out the autism news.

Interestingly "Children who get a combined vaccine against measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox are slightly more likely to have seizures compared to those getting two separate shots for the same diseases, U.S. officials said on Thursday. They go on to say how benign these seizures are, almost like they are an okay thing. Since when are seizures okay? From the CDC? Isn't their job to protect the public? The good news is they are not "expressing a preference that children get the MMRV". At least that's good news.

More news on the antibiotic front...like it's news, or hasn't been covered before, but hey. Antibiotics are over prescribed for common viruses. Hmmm...who would'a thought? The focus was on sinus infections.

Okay, I'm all done venting. I'm still thinking about those cows.

In other news, all is well here - Leo just finished his standardized testing for our state. He wasn't stressed at all, and he seemed to handle the testing well. We'll see what his teacher says in two weeks, another conference. I still can't believe he doesn't go down the hall to another room for untimed testing with the other 3 boys in his class. Pretty incredible.

On the health front, our school has been inundated with strep and 5ths disease. Both kids seemed to be fighting something last week. I hit them with all my immune support stuff, as much as I could think of. This week, my daughter Sydney started presenting a new tic (she'd been tic free since my post about it last). It's a mouth tic, very minor, but it bothers her when it happens. "I can't stop myself from doing it Mom". Then today, I found out that Syd's reading partner was sent home for 5ths disease. So there ya go, the new tic must be Sydney's version of 5ths. Leo is tic free thankfully. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my kids start blinking a lot when they are fighting strep.

I feel bad because I've been so remiss in visiting my favorite blogs. I'm so out of it! I think all of the illnesses in the house really set me back. I hope everyone is well.

Ashley

USDA Shuts Down Beef Supplier of Schools

Inspections at Hallmark Meat Packing in Chino are halted indefinitely while allegations of abuse and unsafe practices are investigated.
By Victoria Kim
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

February 6, 2008

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has shut down operations at a Chino slaughterhouse accused of supplying meat from at-risk cattle and treating weak animals cruelly.

The agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Tuesday that it was indefinitely suspending inspection at Hallmark Meat Packing, an action that in effect bars the supplier from slaughtering and producing meat while authorities investigate the allegations.

The meatpacker clearly violated "federal regulations and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act," USDA undersecretary for food safety Richard Raymond said in a statement.

After the release of a video from the Humane Society of the United States, the USDA last week suspended the company's contracts for federal food programs. The video showed slaughterhouse workers forcing "downer" cows to their feet using sticks, electric prods and water hoses.

Westland Meat Co., Hallmark's distributor and a ground beef supplier for the National School Lunch Program, voluntarily halted operations at the time.

The latest suspension "prohibits the plant from operating until they submit a corrective action plan which addresses the humane handling issues," said Amanda Eamich, a spokeswoman for the inspection service.

Eamich said there was no clear evidence at the time that downer cows entered the food supply. Cows that are unable to walk are banned from human food because they show a higher occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease.

But the Humane Society said it had "very clear documentation" on video of at least four downer cows being slaughtered for human food.

"The USDA inspection process clearly had a range of deficiencies," said Wayne Pacelle, chief executive of the society.

But Raymond, the USDA undersecretary, expressed confidence in the department's inspection system.

"We maintain an inspection system that safeguards the safety and wholesomeness of our food supply," he said in a statement.

Like I need another reason to keep my kids from buying lunch. Like I need another example of how an industrialized food supply is costing us. For those that don't know what a downer cow is, it's a cow that is sick from disease (mad cow or whatever)and can't walk. I can't help but think about the times I've visited a cattle farm and petted these gentle animals. I am beyond sad that these things continue to go on.

Scientists Create Three-Parent Embryos

Scientists Create Three-Parent Embryos

By Ben HirschlerTue Feb 5, 11:18 AM ET Reuters

British scientists have created human embryos with three parents in a development they hope could lead to effective treatments for a range of serious hereditary diseases within five years.
Researchers from Newcastle University, in northern England, presented their findings at a medical conference at the weekend, a university spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
The IVF, or test-tube, embryos were created using DNA from one man and two women.
The idea is to prevent women with faults in their mitochondrial DNA passing diseases on to their children. Around one in 5,000 children suffer from mitochondrial diseases, which can include fatal liver, heart and brain disorders, deafness, muscular problems and forms of epilepsy.
If all goes well, researchers believe they may be able to start offering the technique as a treatment in three to five years.
Mitochondria are tiny power packs inside cells that provide their energy. Faulty genetics can mean mitochondria do not completely burn food and oxygen, leading to the build-up of poisons responsible for more than 40 different diseases.
The Newcastle team believe these diseases could be avoided if embryos at risk were given an effective mitochondrial transplant. The process involves in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the subsequent removal of the egg's nucleus. The nucleus is then placed into a donor egg whose DNA has been removed.
The resulting fetus inherits nuclear DNA, or genes, from both parents but mitochondrial DNA from a third party.
"The idea is simply to swap the bad diseased mitochondria -- give a transplant, if you like -- for good healthy ones from a donor," Patrick Chinnery, a member of the Newcastle team, said in a telephone interview.
"We're trying to prevent kids being born with fatal diseases." Mitochondrial DNA is passed down only through the female line.
The technique has so far been tried only in the laboratory, using abnormal embryos left over from IVF therapy, and the handful of three-parent embryos created were destroyed after six days.
Stiff opposition to the technique is likely from critics of embryo research who fear the creation of designer babies.
The research was presented to the Medical Research Council Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases conference in London on February 1-2.

Yikes. This stuff is scary. My mind can't stop of possible repercussions and outcomes to something like this.

Study Warns of Chemicals in Baby Items

Study Warns of Chemicals in Baby Items
By LINDSEY TANNER – 1 hour ago

CHICAGO (AP) — Baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems, a small study suggests.

The chemicals, called phthalates, are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.

In the study, they were found in elevated levels in the urine of babies who'd been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.

Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn't limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.

Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.

Rigorous scientific evidence in human studies is lacking. The current study offers no direct evidence that products the infants used contained phthalates, and no evidence that the chemicals in the babies' urine caused any harm. Still, the results worried environmental groups that support restrictions on these chemicals.

"There is an obvious need for laws that force the beauty industry to clean up its act," said Stacy Malkan of Health Care Without Harm.

The study's lead author, Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a University of Washington pediatrician, said, "The bottom line is that these chemicals likely do exist in products that we're commonly using on our children and they potentially could cause health effects."

Babies don't usually need special lotions and powders, and water alone or shampoo in very small amounts is generally enough to clean infant hair, Sathyanarayana said.

Concerned parents can seek products labeled "phthalate-free," or check labels for common phthalates, including DEP and DEHP.

But the chemicals often don't appear on product labels. That's because retail products aren't required to list individual ingredients of fragrances, which are a common phthalate source.

The Food and Drug Administration "has no compelling evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used in cosmetics," spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said. "Should new data emerge, we will inform the public as well as the industry."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the health effects in humans are uncertain.

"Although several studies in people have explored possible associations with developmental and reproductive outcomes (semen quality, genital development in boys, shortened pregnancy, and premature breast development in young girls), more research is needed," a 2005 CDC report said.

The new study, which appears in February's issue of the journal Pediatrics, involved 163 babies. Most were white, ages 2 to 28 months and living in California, Minnesota and Missouri.

The researchers measured levels of several phthalates in urine from diapers. They also asked the mothers about use in the previous 24 hours of baby products including lotions, powders, diaper creams and baby wipes.

All urine samples had detectable levels of at least one phthalate, and most had levels of several more. The highest levels were linked with shampoos, lotions and powders, and were most prevalent in babies younger than 8 months.

John Bailey, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council, questioned the methods and said the phthalates could have come from diapers, lab materials or other sources.

"Unfortunately, the researchers of this study did not test baby care products for the presence of phthalates or control for other possible routes of exposure," Bailey said.

I guess I'll have to post a phthalate list. I forget about these buggers.

Q2 Update

We got report cards yesterday. I wasn't as nervous about this one since it wasn't our first experience with 3rd grade and this teacher. Everything still looks great! Icecream, a call to Grandma, high-5's, and cudos all around. He is a solid B student, and has shown improvement in several areas;

1) following directions (in personal development section), an executive functioning challenge for him.
2) using word analysis skills (reading section),
3) writing with organization, spelling correctly, and spacing letters and words appropriately (writing section). His teacher said "He shows strong word work and editing strategies in his daily work and is now giving more details in his writing." Pretty amazing since he has to work much harder than the typical student.

In P.E., he shows highest marks for sportsmanship, behavior, and effort, but "Satisfactory" for developing strength, skills, and endurance. No surprise here! I still can't believe he can do age appropriate skills. And to think he LOVES gym, and isn't affected by his largeness not matching the stereotype of a "tough football kid". He has similar marks in art, where he is just "Satisfactory". And highest marks for Music. Again, no surprise!

And speaking of Music, who in the heck invented the Recorder? I'm sure I'll offend someone when I say that it's the STUPIDEST instrument! I mean really! I hate the sound, and I openly complain to Leo when he has to practice. Poor kid, no role model here. I guess I'm a snob, as we continue with piano lessons at home (I teach them). I do look forward to the Spring Concert, where his class will play that dumb instrument while tears stream down my face.

As far as his personality goes, he is very well liked by his teacher and peers. His teacher says "Leo's genuine kindness and eagerness to help others is contagious and is a wonderful example to his peers."

Wow, is all I can say. His personality has nothing to do with parenting. We are just very blessed by his wonderful soul being in our lives each day.

Leo's social development continues to grow as far as I can see, in a typical fashion. I'm no expert for this age, as my daughter is 2 1/2 years younger. He still enjoys carpooling to baseball with one of his good friends. Recess is great, still revolves around activity led. I recently asked him who he usually sits with at lunch. It sounds like he rotates between his two good friends from class (they can only sit with their class). He told me one friend told Leo he was sitting more with the other friend, and asked if Leo could sit with him that day. Leo said he felt bad, and now really tries to "make it even." So sweet! If you told me years ago that kids would seek Leo as a friend that way, I'd say you are smoking something.

Recently, I found myself walking around Target with my 4'9" son looking for the "right" sweatpants that all his friends are wearing at school. He picked out 3 black pairs, all allegedly "very different, Mom." One pair, made that "swishy" noise. Each had stripes along the side - one with red, one blue, and one white. I said, "How about the same pair, but in grey?", as I held them up. "Nah." I tried navy, but no luck. So I was at the register, surrounded by pimply teens with their undies showing, buying 3 pairs of similar BLACK sweatpants. His new uniform, that goes with his fancy basketball shoes.

As we were getting ready for school this morning, I asked Leo if he was going to take his racoon Webinz to school (it was on the table near his backpack). He said, no. When I asked why, he said that most people don't bring them to school anymore. I shrug and say, "Oh, okay." A true follower, which is fine with me. Follower, leader, I just don't care. As we gather our things to leave, Sydney says "Hey Mom, Leo doesn't have his jacket zipped." And I say, "I know Sydney, Leo knows the rules, I'm sure he'll remember to zip it before we leave the garage." Leo chuckles a little while shaking his head, and says, "Of course, you had to say that loud enough so I could hear it." Which I did! Busted!

These little exchanges demonstrate that his Theory Of Mind is working well enough. Well enough to take shots at his Mom,
well enough to know his sister lives for these opportunities,
well enough to have a chuckle with his family before a long day of school.