Monday, March 24, 2008

Obsessed with “The Office”

by Kelly

I have a problem. It’s an addiction really. I am nutty about the NBC show “The Office.”
With the recent writer’s strike, and the fact that I lent my DVDs of seasons 1 & 2 to Teresa with the hopes of recruiting another fan, I have been in serious withdrawal. I have been crawling through the Office fan sites like “officetally” (click here) and the NBC homepage (click here) every free moment. I find myself saying “That’s what she said!” at every opportunity. I work hard at my other “job” as a salesperson for Dunder Mifflin Infinity (click here), the show’s ultimate fan interactive distraction. These things have made my Office-mania tolerable, and I find that life without new episodes to fuel my “problem” is a little lacking, but manageable.

For example: I have been more awake on Friday mornings, not having to stay up for the latest episode. I find I don’t annoy my fellow Sunrise employees with detailed re-caps and witty quotes from the current Office anymore. My kids don’t have to delete Office episodes from the DVR to make room for Curious George on PBS. My addiction was under control… WAS.

Now that the strike has ended, I feel the rumblings of complete and utter Office obsession re-emerging. I have already seen the still pictures from the next 2 upcoming episodes online. I have read the spoilers over and over. I have watched the commercials on NBC set to the “Welcome Back Cotter” theme song. The bear is out of hibernation!

The new Office episodes will begin April 10 and I can’t contain my excitement!  I am looking fiendishly at the network promotions for those precious frames and dialogue of the actual new episode. I need to know if Jim and Pam’s relationship has evolved even more since we last tuned in. I wonder about Dwight and if he’s back with Angela or making a go alone. Did Jan leave Michael after he completely bungled her case with corporate?  I miss Stanley, Creed, Meredith, Kelly, the warehouse crew, Oscar and Kevin. I miss Michael tormenting Toby. I miss the pranks. I hope Andy/Drew sings again.

April 10 is so close yet so far away! 

So…. Do you have a tv show obsession? Which shows do you have set to “record all episodes” in your DVR? Let us know! We can make a post-strike television show anticipation support group of sorts! 

Friday, March 21, 2008

Sibling Rivalry in NYT

by Teresa

My children are best friends who love each other completely.  Really, this is true.  They’re good kids who often share things with each other, even if they don’t “have” to share.  When my son walks out of the school building when kindergarten lets out, they RUN across the playground to hug each other.

But still.  We are definitely not immune to moments of sibling rivalry in my house!  We’ve heard things like “I don’t want him near me!“ and “I wish I didn’t even have a sister!“ and “I hate you!“  These comments are usually shouted when one scribbles on the other’s artwork, or knocks over a Littlest Pet Shop village, or destroys a painstakingly-created Lego plane. 

Now that I’m a parent, I really have a new understanding of how my brother and I must have tried my parents’ patience. 

A video posted on the New York Times website this week got me thinking about the things I used to do to my brother, when we were younger.  I won’t embarrass myself or him by detailing those escapades here.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, like many siblings, by the time we were teenagers, my relationship with my brother was greatly improved (my parents might even tell you that we became partners in crime.  They might tell you stories about parties in the house when they were out of town.  I’m not admitting or denying anything here.)  When I see my brother these days, there’s certainly no more name-calling or shouting “I hate you!“  I assume the same will be true of my kids, someday.  Perhaps they’ll grow up and the closest they’ll come to conflict in their adult years will be vigorous debates about political candidates.

Anyway.  To the video.  A New York Times camera crew recorded people’s stories about sibling rivalry.  You can click here to see it.  (The video was a sidebar piece to an article about an author who had apparently faked her recently-published memoir; her lies were uncovered when her own sister revealed the truth about their upbringing—yikes!  Now THAT is some serious sibling conflict!  To see that column, click here .)

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Soapbox Topic: Vaccines (Flu)

by Teresa

The Boston Globe reports that four children have died this year in the state of Massachusetts, from the flu.
No children died from the flu in the Bay State in all of 2007.
This flu season has been a bad one, but thankfully, health officials say it’s nearing its end, and the worst is behind us.

To read the Globe article, click here.

Articles like this one only reaffirm my belief that the flu shot is a good thing, for ALMOST everyone.  It’s a good example of the benefits of “herd immunity.“  The idea is that if MOST people are vaccinated against a disease, fewer people at high RISK for the disease will actually get it, because there will be fewer sick people to spread the germs around, among the healthy people.
This is why the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recently recommended changing the guidelines, and advising MORE people to get the flu shot (click here).

I get the flu shot every year, and so does my husband.  My children get the vaccine, also (my daughter gets the shot, but my son’s old enough to get the nasal spray).  Not only are we protecting ourselves, we’re also protecting the people around us. 

Sure, there are arguments against the shot.  They’re not perfect; this year’s formula didn’t perfectly match the strains of flu that are out there.  There’s the never-ending debate about whether it’s safe.  Some people still mistakenly believe that you can GET the flu, from the flu shot (you can’t; it’s a “dead” virus.  The nasal mist, however, is a different type of vaccine.  For more, click here).
I believe—again, from my own research and conversations with our pediatrician—that the risk of the sickness we COULD get without the vaccine, is far worse than the extremely minimal risk of having the vaccine. 

That’s my Vaccine Soapbox for today.  Next fall when you consider the flu vaccine for your family, you’ll have to make your own decision.  But I hope you’ll at least consider the idea that the shot could be a good thing for your family, AND for your community. 
Something to think about: four families in Massachusetts are mourning the deaths of their children from flu, right now. 

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Breaking News:  HPV

by Teresa

I’ve been working on the HPV Vaccine post (below) for several days.
In an occurrence of coincidental timing, some HUGE news about HPV just came out this week.

If you watched our local news, or any national news programs last night—or if you read virtually any newspaper, you’ve seen the shocking headlines that were JUST published yesterday, about the high percentage of teenagers in the U.S. who have sexually transmitted diseases.

ONE in every FOUR teenaged girls aged 14 to 19 have contracted at least one STD.  The most common of them all? HPV.

(In case you missed my last posting: Some strains of HPV can eventually cause deadly cervical cancer).

Parents of all teenagers should read this story if they haven’t already.
For the article in the New York Times: click here.
Or the one in the Boston Globe: click here.

Soapbox Topic: Vaccines (HPV)

by Teresa

Vaccines (HPV)

A vaccine called Gardasil protects against HPV, the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer.  An article in the New York Times recently talks about how the vaccine is currently marketed to girls, but could soon be recommended for boys, too, and why that may be a good idea.  (For the Times article, click here. . For more information about Gardasil:  click here.)

Gardasil is pretty new, and when it first came out, some districts tried to make it mandatory for girls in certain age groups.  There was an outcry from some parents who didn’t want their daughters to have it.  Why didn’t they want the vaccine?  Because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease.  Human Papilloma Virus, in addition to causing most cases of cervical cancer, can also cause genital warts.  The HPV vaccine protects against two strains that cause cancer, and two that cause warts.  Not a pleasant topic, perhaps, but it’s important medical information.

Some parents actually objected to the vaccine because they said it would make kids more likely to become sexually active.  That’s right.  This vaccine could save the lives of daughters all over the U.S. someday, but some parents didn’t want it, because their kids might take it as a sign that they were free to have sex.  Moreover, many of these parents said their daughters didn’t NEED it, because they would never have sex before marriage.  (I guess it never occurred to those parents that perhaps their angelic daughters might end up MARRYING someone who’d already had sex; no matter whether you get it before or after marriage, HPV can STILL cause cancer!)

And so.
Here comes my soapbox, folks.

First of all, TEENS HAVE SEX.  Despite years of federally-funded efforts to promote abstinence, TEENS ARE STILL HAVING SEX.  No, I don’t like to think about my daughter having sex in high school (and my husband will assuredly turn pale if you mention it in his presence).  I don’t know any parents who aren’t concerned about teen sex.  But let’s get real, here.  A recent study reported that 47 percent of all high school students in this country say they’ve had sex at least once.  By spring of their senior year, 63 percent say they’ve had sex.  (To read more about the study, which also looked at the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex ed, click here.)
Kids are already having sex, with or without this vaccine. 

Secondly, since many schools have been using “abstinence” programs instead of comprehensive sex education, now more than ever, it’s up to parents to explain to their children that there can be MANY consequences of sex during teenage years. Those include, but are not limited to: HIV and other diseases, teen pregnancy, gossip among other students, and just plain old broken hearts!  If offering your child a vaccine to protect against one STD actually convinces your child that he or she can pursue sex with no consequences, then you’re failing as a parent.  It’s not the vaccine’s fault.  It’s yours.

Third.  It can’t be said enough.  Cervical cancer KILLS WOMEN.  More than 10,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with it each year.  Of those, more than 3,000 will die from it.  This vaccine could SAVE your daughter’s life someday.  Listen, it comes down to this for me.  It’s really simple.  You have a vaccine that could save my daughter’s life?  SIGN HER UP.  You want boys to get vaccinated too, to make sure they can’t transmit a potentially deadly disease to others?  SIGN MY SON UP, TOO.  I will sign them up as soon as they’re old enough (Gardasil is recommended for the pre-teen years, before children become sexually active). 

Now, if you don’t want your child to have a vaccine because of a medical concern of some kind, that’s a completely different story (in the districts that tried to make the vaccine mandatory, any parent who wanted to “opt out” simply had to sign a form, and that was that).  Do what you have to do, check with your doctor for advice, read all the information you can get your hands on, and make an informed decision.

But please, don’t argue that a life-saving vaccine should be eliminated, just because it’s aimed at an STD.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Soapbox topic: Vaccines (Rotavirus)

by Teresa

So far in this blog, my posts haven’t been TOO opinionated, but as you’ll learn if you keep reading, there are some topics that really get me going!  One of them is childhood vaccines.  My next few posts will be on this topic.

For today: Rotavirus vaccine.

A new vaccine for Rotavirus was recently approved by an FDA advisory panel.  Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis, what many people commonly call “stomach flu.”  (Symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea that often last for 3 to 8 days; for more information about the illness, click here). 

The new vaccine is called Rotarix (click here).  It could earn full FDA approval as early as next month.  There’s another one, Rotateq, from a different pharmaceutical company (click here).  That one was fully approved by the FDA a few years ago.

My kids, both of them, were participants in vaccine trials for Rotateq before it was approved.  I remember when I made the decision to enter my kids, as infants, in the vaccine trials.  Some people thought I was a little crazy to allow my children to have vaccines that weren’t on the market yet. 

Certainly, parents should always give thoughtful consideration to any decision about their children’s medical care, including vaccines.

In this case, the facts convinced me that it was worth getting the vaccine to protect my children.  Rotavirus is VERY common in young children, and very contagious; in fact, nearly EVERY American child has been infected by the age of 5.  Between 55,000 and 70,000 children in the U.S. are hospitalized with Rotavirus every year, most because of dehydration.  According to the CDC, 20 to 60 American children DIE from it every year!

The vaccine had few reported side effects.  There’s no mercury or thimerosal in the vaccine.

And my pediatrician recommended the vaccine to us.  Our kids have a truly excellent doctor, and I trust his advice.  Of course, I always do my own research, reading and asking questions, but I do value his opinion and I give a lot of weight to it when I make my decisions.  Tests showed that Rotateq was extremely successful—preventing 98% of severe cases of Rotavirus, according to the CDC.

The result, in this case?  My kids suffered no side effects at all (they were closely tracked by a nurse, because they were in the vaccine trial).  It was an oral vaccine, so they didn’t even have pain from a shot.  And to date, my kids have never had severe “stomach flu;” they certainly have never required hospitalization for any stomach illness.  I know some children who have stomach illnesses a few times a YEAR; mine have had them a few times in their entire LIVES, and they’re almost 4 and almost 6 years old.  They’ve had mild stomach illnesses that lasted about 24 hours, but they’ve never had the 3 to 8 days’ worth of sickness that’s typical of Rotavirus.  I feel very fortunate that we were able to get the vaccine.

That’s just our personal story, of course; other families may have different experiences.  But I always tell new moms they should check with their doctors about getting a Rotavirus vaccine for infants.  We all know how awful it can be to have “stomach flu.”  In my opinion, it’s worth having the conversation with your pediatrician, if there’s a chance of sparing your child those days of misery.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Hippopotamus Love

by Teresa

Take a look at our copy of “But Not the Hippopotamus” by Sandra Boynton.  You can tell by the picture how beloved this book has been.
This was, for a couple of years, one of the top-five favorite books in my household.  My husband picked it out for my son at the bookstore when the little one was just about a year old.  After hundreds of readings, I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen apart.
When I let my kids choose gifts to give to new babies, they often choose this book.
Many parents already know of Sandra Boynton.  She’s written and illustrated dozens of kids’ books; she’s also had a series of books containing song lyrics and CDs with recordings of big-time musicians singing her delightfully, deliberately silly songs.  My favorite of her songs is the one called “I Need a Nap,“ performed by Weird Al Yankovich and Kate Winslet on the CD “Dog Train.“
There is a really nice profile of Boynton in the New York Times this week, headlined “The Power of Whimsy.“  (You can click here to read it.) 
My children still love the silliness of “But Not the Hippopotamus,“ and its rhyming phrases such as “A MOOSE and a GOOSE together have JUICE,“ and “A HOG and a FROG do a dance in a BOG.“  Each phrase is followed by the words: “But NOT the hippopotamus,“ right up until the funny, surprise ending. 

Friday, February 01, 2008

Groundhog Day!

by Kelly

Anyone who knows me, knows about my February mania. I have one major obsession – I LOVE Groundhog Day! I LOVE it! It’s my New Year’s mixed with Christmas Eve and topped off with the Fourth of July. I love Groundhog Day! 
I love the history of the holiday and how it arrived in America from Europe.  I love the media frenzy it has become today, and the mystique surrounding the furriest weatherman in the world.
At 7:25 this Saturday morning, an American cultural icon will have his day. In the sleepy mountain-side town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the spotlight will be on the famous fuzzy forecaster known as Punxsutawney Phil. Phil has the hardest job of any groundhog - predicting the weather for the rest of winter. Talk about pressure! At least he’s had practice. Punxsutawney Phil has been working on February 2 almost every year since 1887.
The first thing you need to know to prepare for Groundhog Day is what the “shadow” business is all about. According to the official website for all things Groundhog Day, “If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.  (You can click here  to see the site.)  Phil usually sees his shadow, by the way; he’s seen it 96 times since the first prediction in 1887. The folks there insist he’s 100% accurate – and they’re not wrong.  February 2 is six weeks from the astronomical start of spring in mid-March. So with the vast majority of forecasts tending to be for six weeks of prolonged winter – technically, he is right.
Despite the often dismal forecast of a prolonged winter, I like Punxsutawney Phil. He’s a colorful rodent with his paw on the pulse of American culture. For example, during Prohibition Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn’t allowed a drink. Phil has met presidents and celebrities. He’s been on the Today show on NBC as far back as 1960. He’s been to the moon twice (okay, this one may be a stretch, but it’s on the website!). And who doesn’t love the movie, “Groundhog Day”?  They also insist that the groundhog making the forecast today is the same one who made that first forecast more than 100 years ago. Phil folklore states that he drinks the “Elixir of Life” to maintain his longevity and youthful vigor. (Get me some of THAT!)
Attendance at the Grand Prognostication each year is up to 30,000 thanks to the movie, and national broadcasts of the very minute Phil tells his handler his forecast. I would give anything to be among them. I have long dreamt of going to Punxsutawney and making the trek up to Gobbler’s Knob in the freezing cold, and screaming like a fan at a concert, at the appearance of a rodent.  Maybe next year.  This year, I’ll be here at NBC 10, forecasting the weather on Sunrise at 7am, and watching from my chair in the studio as we broadcast the event, live, as Phil tells the fate of winter 2008. I can’t wait!

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Double-dipping!

by Teresa

Remember that Seinfeld episode with the scene where someone yells at George for double-dipping?  Taking a bite of a chip with dip, and then putting the same chip back into the dip?  Well, scientists wanted to find out just how many germs get left behind, if someone double-dips.  They actually did a study, and the New York Times printed an article about their results.  You can click here to read it.  It might make you think twice about that tasty-looking salsa or guacamole you might see at Super Bowl parties this weekend!

Friday, January 25, 2008

TOY RECALL: Christmas Tree Shops Blocks and Train Sets

by Teresa

Here’s some important information for anyone who bought sets of toy blocks, or wooden train toy sets from Christmas Tree Shops recently.  Some of these products are being recalled because of lead paint!  Please click here for more information, including a phone number you can call… and pictures of the sets that are being recalled.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

FDA: No cold medicine for kids under age 2

by Teresa

The FDA has new recommendations for parents today.  They’re advising parents NOT to give cold medicines to ANY child under the age of 2.
Moms and dads should, instead, make sure the little ones get plenty of fluid and rest.  Saline drops can be administered nasally.  Using a humidifier can be helpful, too.
And for kids over 2, the FDA wants parents to be sure to follow the instructions on cold medicine labels, and avoid using more than one product.  If more than one medicine is used, parents need to check the labels carefully to make sure kids aren’t getting too much of any one active ingredient. 
For more information, please click here.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

LINKS:  Adoption

by Teresa

WJAR has always been a welcoming place for employees who are parents.  Many of my coworkers have children with their spouses or partners.  Some are single parents.  And there are several families that have adopted children—in various ways.  Some of the little ones have come to their new families through traditional adoption, some from the foster care system in Rhode Island, and some from foreign countries.
You may have seen our long-running weekly feature called “Tuesday’s Child.“  The stories, done in conjunction with Adoption Rhode Island, and narrated by Patrice Wood, focus on one child each week… a child who’s waiting for a permanent home.  This week, we featured a boy named Zach, who says he feels he’s “missed out” on the chance to have caring, loving parents.  To see Zach’s story, and past stories… and for more information about Adoption Rhode Island, click here.
I also wanted to share a link to a great blog on the New York Times website.  Various writers contribute to the blog, periodically, and the topics focus on the joys, and the challenges, of international adoption.  It’s called “Relative Choices.“  To read it, click here.  I hope you enjoy it!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

LINKS: Kids Using Cold Medicine to Get High?

by Teresa

This really surprised me.
A new article in Newsweek says more than 3 Million young people in the U-S have tried to get “high” using cold & cough medicine.
To read the article, with more information for parents, click here.

LINKS: Vaccines & Autism

by Teresa

Okay, this one is a sensitive topic for a lot of parents: vaccines & autism.  Some parents of autistic children across the country believe an ingredient that has been used in some vaccines may have contributed to the increased rate of autism in children. 
A new study looked at the autism rates before, during, and after the period of time when vaccines using a certain preservative were in use, to examine whether there was a drop in the autism rate when it was removed.  The study didn’t find any decrease.  However, critics are questioning the study’s results.
I’m a firm believer that parents should always have as MUCH information as possible about issues that could affect their children. 
So: for much more detail on this very sensitive topic, check out some of the articles I’ve found on the topic: click here , click here , or click here . 

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt

by Teresa

I wish there were more celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt.

You may have seen news items about her recently, after some paparazzi photos were published, showing her in a bathing suit, walking on the beach. Some of the text that accompanied the pictures on some websites contained derogatory remarks about her body.

Hewitt responded in a dignified way on HER blog with a small statement. In part, it reads: “I’ve sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized… I’m not upset for me, but for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image… being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful… To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini — put it on and stay strong.“

Responses to her statement have been widespread, and varied, and included an offer from Hugh Hefner to feature Hewitt in Playboy magazine (she declined). To read an MSNBC article about the photos and her response, click here.  (There’s also a spot on that page where you can view a “Today Show” story about the whole thing.)

Now, you may wonder why I’m writing on a “parenting” blog about a Hollywood actress.

My own sweet girl is just 3 and a half years old and yet recently, she told me she didn’t want an extra treat at snack time because she “might get more fat.“ It turns out that a relative, someone who most assuredly had nothing but good intentions, recently told my girl that she has a “cute little fat tummy.“ My daughter was a happy, breastfed, adorable and admittedly, quite chubby baby—but she’s since grown into a completely normal, preschooler, body size and shape. She does, however, still have that characteristically round “toddler tummy” that’s common in kids her age. And she took note of the innocent comment about her tummy, because even at her tender age, somehow, she already knows girls shouldn’t be “round” or “fat.“

I told my baby that she’s healthy, and growing, and that’s what’s most important. And that she’s beautiful just the way she is. Her round tummy is beautiful, and her body will keep changing as she “grows up.“ And, I told her it’s okay to have a special treat once in a while, as long as we eat healthy foods most of the time.

But it was around this same time that I read the stories about Jennifer Love Hewitt, the things bloggers said about her and what she said in response, and that’s why it stuck out in my mind. It seems that most of the actresses who are in the spotlight these days are size 2 or size 0, with sharp cheekbones, collarbones, elbows and ribs… and few curves. (Even journalists aren’t immune; the anchors and reporters on the “Today Show,“ for example, seem to get thinner and thinner each year.) I was happy to see that there are some public figures out there who are willing to say to their critics:  “I will NOT starve myself. I will be healthy. This is my shape, and I’m fine with it… and YOU’RE the ones with the problem.“

Cheers to you, Hewitt… I hope there are more women like you in magazines when my daughter hits high school.