Yesterday, I had the privilege of listening in on BlogHer and Sunlight Foundation's conference call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The call lasted about an hour, and there were so many questions I wanted to ask. I didn't even have time for one, though I thought the other callers asked some good ones.

As Speaker Pelosi was rattling off her talking points, she mentioned that the Senate bill was way different. Of course, we weren't talking about the Senate bill, but I found myself wondering not only what the differences are but how are we, the American people, supposed to know which will pass? And they're so different? Eeek. Methinks its time for a letter-writing campaign.

This is what Speaker Pelosi said:

• Women pay 48% more for healthcare than men do -- the House bill prevents "gender rating"
• The House bill won't allow insurance companies to deny you coverage or charge you more just because you have the "pre-existing condition" of pregnancy, a C-section or domestic violence.
• 79% of women with individual policies currently have no maternity coverage
• The public option in the House bill (there is no public option in the Senate bill) would offer income assistance to anyone making up to 400 times the federal poverty level, or roughly $80k. Insurance would be required.
• The House bill requires:
• • No dropping of coverage if you get sick
  • No co-pays for preventative or wellness visits
  • No need to change doctors or (if you like your old plan) insurance plans
  • Yearly caps on what the consumer would pay out-of-pocket
  • No yearly or lifetime caps on what the insurance company will pay for healthcare
  • No pre-existing condition refusal to pay
  • Americans must get insurance and companies must pay for insurance.
  • You can choose your insurance out of a pool in which insurance companies and the public option compete.
  • The public options allows Americans sick of insurance companies a Medicare-like plan.
• This whole thing won't add to the deficit because the public option won't require advertising, etc. and will be just like Medicare with 85% of premiums going to pay for healthcare. (WTF? I like this bill, but that is crazy talk.)

I found myself wondering if the public option would have better technology and friendlier civil servants than other government services (cough, DMV), but I do believe we need a public option. My comment on BlogHer:

I know I personally have had a hard time getting a handle on thetalking points and what they mean to both me and to the larger Americanpopulace. I know what would be best for me, but I'm also worried aboutwhat would be best for others -- particularly those whose very life ordeath or quality of life hangs in the balance when it comes tohealthcare coverage.I personally feel health and medicine can't be a for-profit businessand operate ethically for any period of time. Our current state ofaffairs evidences that every day. I'm not sure this bill will fixthings, but I want to learn more.

Some more information and questions rolled in after the call, including comments about Massachusetts' attempt at public healthcare, Medicaid, disability and C-sections. Click here to sign a petition from MomsRising and contact your elected officials.

If you have opinions, pro or con the House bill, feel free to discuss in the comments and send me the posts you've written on the matter. Be aware I only tolerate civil disagreement and won't allow mudslinging on this blog.

If you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Head of the Charles this weekend, consider one of these family friendly fall festivals: Auburn Fall Festival (Auburn), Fall Fun Festival (Boston), New England Wild Flower Society Fall Family Festival (Framingham), Green Meadows Farm Harvest Festival (Hamilton), Homestead Hayfest (Newton), and Rockport Harvest Festival (Rockport).

Kids need to move, and never is that more evident than when our craft and book loving kiddo reaches the end of the day without enough climb time (envision Laurel leaping off of furniture). And if you’re looking for a way to combine literacy and exercise (particularly on a raw day like today), check out the Literacise exhibit at the Boston Public Library. This exhibit is based on local author Irene Smalls's book Jonathan and His Mommy and allows kids to benefit both mind and body by moving and grooving their way through a kid-sized interactive book. Literacise opened in early October and runs until March 2010.

Back in March I gave myself a really excellent gift and started making self-care a priority. And after embarking on various challenges of the shredding and yoga variety, I decided to test my longstanding belief that I'm not built to run by trying the Couch-to-5K running plan. Miraculously, here I am, on Week 8 of the plan and now signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Gobble, Gobble, Gobble run in Davis Square (which, by the way, I thought was a 5K but actually is a 4 miler...gulp).
I’d like to invite you to come run (or walk or wheelchair) with me (and the lovely Sharon and Paige!). I'm giving an early heads up on this in case you want to start training (and also because there are a limited number of spaces for the run), but however you cross the finish line, it will be pretty awesome to give yourself the gift of fresh air and self-care before the Thanksgiving festivities begin. Let me know if you plan on coming!

Today, Sarah recommends Partnership Parenting, a book written to help parents reach mature discussion and calm compromise amidst conflicting parenting styles. Read on for Sarah’s review, as well as to learn how to be one of two winners to receive a copy of Partnership Parenting (entry closes October 17):
From Sarah:

“With one more year to go until my younger son heads off to kindergarten, I’ve started to turn over a new leaf in my parenting arsenal. I devoted a massive portion of my vacation reading -- usually devoted to pulp fiction and chick lit -- to some seriously insightful advice books, in hopes that I could polish out the rough spots in my kid/parent interactions and re-write some of the less effective scripts I rely on when put on the spot. (You know, pot bubbling on the stove, dog whining to go out, phone ringing, and a temper tantrum breaks out in the living room about who touched the puzzle last and thus has to put it away.) And I think the change was worth it; I digested some amazingly helpful books this summer.

One of the top three was Partnership Parenting, by husband and wife psychologists Kyle and Marsha Kline Pruett. Conceived to fill in the gaps between parenting books directed at moms and other books directed at dads, this easy read focuses on the differences between viewpoints that often create conflict between parents when child-rearing situations get stressful. Sort of like Mars and Venus Raise A Kid. The Pruetts point out that many parents receive this advice after getting separated or divorced, when they have to juggle father-time and mother-time and the differences between the two, but this is the first program that helps parents while they’re still together.

Beginning with conversations they recommend couples undertake before the baby is born, the Pruetts guide the reader down a path to better he-said/she-said understanding of the motivations behind our parenting decisions, such as how moms are more likely to protect their children from encountering stressful and possibly disappointing situations, and how dads are more likely to let kids encounter disappointments as a learning tool for the way the world really works. Or how moms are more likely to reason with their children when disciplining or scolding misbehavior, while dads are more likely to summarily dismiss the offender to a timeout without too many words. More importantly (especially when a couple gets to bickering over whose parenting style is “right”), the book discusses the best, most effective and most emotionally healthy approaches to help diffuse the bickering before it starts. And in my household, I know it’s often easy to get to arguing over whose point is the right one and lose sight altogether of why we’re trying to find consensus in the first place.

The books also includes a parenting checklist, to compare your child-raising ideas against your spouse’s and find commonalities and differences (and subsequently to discuss in a civil manner how to reach a compromise), as well as a quiz to see how your idea of developmentally appropriate actions on the part of your child match up with experts’ opinions. It’s amazing how many disciplinary battles, especially with younger kids, simply are the result of parental misunderstanding of what the child is capable of at their age.

In my humble opinion, one of the hallmarks of a good self-help book (or maybe just of someone who’s help-able) is that the advice therein seems like very sensible stuff you would know yourself if you were thinking clearly at the time you needed it most. Partnership Parenting gives parents the tools they need to practice the mature discussion and calm compromise that is the pinnacle of two-parent decision-making, before the three-year-old paints the dog blue while the toddler takes every box of cereal out of the cupboard and crushes it into little piles on the floor. I only wish I’d had this book seven years earlier.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winners Annie & Allison!
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Now, want to be one of two winners to receive a copy ofPartnership Parenting? Here’s how:

Visit the Da Capo Press website, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Partnership Parenting’ in the subject), and name another Da Capo book you’d be interested in reading (other than Partnership Parenting!).

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Today was my team's weekly trek to Chipotle. I can't begin to describe where the conversation started, but it moved into our collective chagrin over professional landscapers ripping out still-blooming annuals to make way for the next season's goods.

I couldn't let it go, even when I saw my friends' eyes beginning to glaze as they did when I tried to discuss Andrew Sullivan's brilliant call in The Atlantic for Bush to take accountability for Gitmo Bay. (Direct quote: "Rita, I just felt my brain shut down.")

I started thinking about all the places the used annuals could go. Inner-city daycare centers! Rest homes! Hospitals! Some of those mums ARE STILL BLOOMING, DAMMIT!

What would we call such a thing?

The Foliage Relocation Organization.

You have some pansies you need to replace with Christmas cheer? Rip 'em out, dump 'em in a plastic pot, and call the FRO. They'll be there within 24 hours to rid you of your foliage and distribute good cheer throughout the metro area. If you pay extra, the FRO will e-mail you digital photos of octogenarians weeping with joy at the site of a sweet pea vine of their very own.

Think about it. It's an AWESOME IDEA.

Finding age appropriate ways to have tough conversations with kids can be challenging, and if you need help addressing the topic of cancer with your child, WGBH is offering a special event this Sunday, October 18 (2 – 3:30pm). When A Child Knows Someone With Cancer will include a screening of The Great MacGrady (a new Arthur special that addresses cancer and survivorship), as well as the opportunity to interface with a panel of pediatric health and education experts on resources and strategies for supporting kids as they cope with the cancer diagnosis of a loved one. This event is free; RSVP is required.

At WGBH Studios, One Guest Street, Brighton; 617-300-5400

Per my role as a March of Dimes mom (through which I will donate one post per month to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, newborn, or general family topics), this month I wanted to share some tips on safeguarding your home; these tips are important to consider before bringing a baby home and while you have small children in the house. I extracted and adapted these ten tips from a home safety checklist guide prepared by the March of Dimes with the assistance of Dr. Ruth Etzel (Director, Division of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and editor of the Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health).
1. Stop smoking.

Children’s homes should be smoke-free -- both before and after birth. Smoking during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight (less than 5-1/2 pounds), poor growth in the womb, and subtle learning and behavioral problems -- as well as health problems -- in children. It also increases your risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, placental problems, and having a baby who dies of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Even if you don't smoke yourself, regular exposure to second-hand smoke during your pregnancy puts you at greater risk of these serious complications.

2. Check for lead paint.

The older your home, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint, which poses special health risks for pregnant women and children (e.g., miscarriage, preterm labor, or having a baby with developmental delays). Newer homes are less likely to contain lead paint, which has been almost eliminated since 1977. The greatest risk lies in homes built before 1950; they are most likely to have deteriorating surfaces covered with paint containing high levels of lead. When paint peels, chips, or is released into the air as dust (when opening or closing windows, for example), lead can be inhaled or ingested if a baby puts paint chips or dusty fingers into its mouth.

3. Consider renovations carefully.

If you're pregnant and live in a pre-1950 home, you probably don't need to be overly concerned about lead exposure if all painted surfaces are in good shape. But if you are planning any renovations, this could expose you, your baby, and any young children in your home to high levels of lead. Before renovating, test the paint for lead (your local health department can recommend experts). If lead is found, stay elsewhere while professionals handle lead paint removal.

4. Check for water damage.

Water damage from flooding, roof, or plumbing leaks can lead to the growth of molds. Some molds are very dangerous to newborns, so it’s very important to take care of water damaged areas before your baby comes home. Mold spores can get into the air and cause health problems when inhaled. One of the deadliest types of mold (Stachybotrys atra) looks black and slimy and grows mainly on water-damaged wood, ceiling tiles, carpets, and paper products. Indoor exposure to this mold has been linked to lung bleeding and sudden death among young infants. Older children may suffer allergy symptoms including nasal stuffiness, sneezing, coughing and eye irritation.

5. Check appliances.

Most homes have fuel-burning appliances, such as gas stoves, gas water heaters, gas-powered clothes dryers, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and gas or oil furnaces. If these are not correctly installed and maintained, they can emit carbon monoxide (CO) during use. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for hundreds of poisoning deaths each year in the United States. Pregnant women, their unborn babies, and children are most vulnerable to its life-threatening effects. Be sure to get all fuel-burning appliances, chimneys, and furnaces checked by a professional once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer. And install a CO detector outside your sleeping area.

6. Check your basement.

In certain areas of the U.S., Americans are exposed to radon, another colorless, odorless gas. It comes from the decay of radium in rocks and soil and enters the home through cracks in the foundations, porous cinderblocks, and granite walls, so exposures are generally higher in basements than on the first floor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that all homes be tested for radon. You can buy an inexpensive kit that measures the amount of radon in the air in your home. If the radon level is found to be higher than 4 picocuries per liter (4 pCi/L), make repairs where necessary, including sealing cracks in the foundation. You also can reduce radon exposure with good ventilation.

7. Check your well water.

If you use well water, check it for levels of nitrogen-containing substances called nitrates. Infants fed formula made with well water containing nitrates are at risk of developing a potentially life-threatening blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Babies with this disorder suffer changes in their blood that make it unable to carry enough oxygen to their vital organs. Call your local health department for water testing help and information.

Note that it's safe to breastfeed your baby, even if you have been drinking nitrate-contaminated water. Babies do not appear to be affected by nitrates their mothers may drink, nor is there any proven risk to your fetus from nitrates you consume during pregnancy.

8. Check your tap water.

Tap water may contain lead, a special risk to pregnant women, babies, and young children. Most large municipal water supplies now are lead-free, but some homes still have high lead levels in their water because it passes through lead pipes that connect water mains to homes, or through lead solder used to connect the pipes. If you're planning to use tap water to make formula, you can have your water tested for lead before your baby is born; contact your local health department or the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or on the web.

Also, to minimize exposure to lead, let your faucet run for two minutes first thing in the morning, to flush out water that has been standing in pipes overnight.

9. Home crafters, beware!

Many artists work in home studios, which can be problematic given that many arts and crafts materials commonly used in painting, drawing, silk-screening, shellacking, ceramics, paper mache, and stained glass contain ingredients that are dangerous to fetuses, babies, and children. Pregnant women and babies should not inhale fumes from art materials and should avoid skin contact because the material may be absorbed through the skin, or get into the eyes or mouth.

When buying or using arts and crafts materials, read the labels and carefully follow instructions for all materials. Also make sure the product has been evaluated by a toxicologist; buy only products labeled "conforms to ASTM D4236," and bearing the seal of the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). When working on arts and crafts projects, ventilate the work area, wear protective gloves if you're pregnant, store materials in original, fully labeled containers out of the reach of children, and never eat or drink in your work area.

10. Avoid home and yard pesticides.

Try to avoid pesticide use if you're pregnant or have a baby or young children in the home. While there is little evidence that common low-level exposure to pesticides harms the fetus, some studies suggest that higher levels may increase the risk of birth defects. Because these substances are poisons, they pose a risk to babies who touch or crawl on treated surfaces such as carpets, floors, or grass.

If your home must be treated, use bait stations instead of spraying whenever possible. If indoor spraying must be done, stay out of the home, and keep babies and children out, while it's being treated and for several hours afterward. Clear away all food, dishes, and utensils from areas to be treated, including cabinets or drawers. Be sure the home is well ventilated during and after treatment. After the treatment, have someone else wash off any surfaces on which food is prepared or served, and make sure treated areas are well vacuumed or mopped.

If your property must be treated, have someone else apply pesticides or herbicides (weed killers). If chemicals are sprayed outdoors, close the windows and turn off the air conditioning so fumes won't be drawn into the home. Cover children's sandboxes and outdoor play equipment before such spraying. And wear protective gloves when gardening to avoid skin contact with chemicals.

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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I've had my work computer reimaged four or five times in the past three years. Every time I try to back everything up properly, but it appears this time I backed up everything but the five or six most important e-mail personal folders.  You know, the ones where I keep everything related to my day-to-day life, the people I manage, etc.

Yesterday when I got my computer back, I spent hours reinstalling important software, renewing cookies that had been lost and searching network drives for those goddamn personal folders. It was like looking for your keys when you're tired. Are they in the refrigerator? No. Are they in the bed? No. Are they on the big hook that says "keys"?  NO NO NO NO NO

Fuck.

Then I got distracted by a fire to fight and an angel to bathe and work that took me until midnight to finish. This morning, when I got in, I looked at the gaping maw where my personal folders totally should have been, and I gave up.  Anything people said to me before today? Dead to me. We'll just have to start over. I made up some new folders and filed them somewhere and thought really? If Hoarders ever does a show on digital packrats, they sure as hell are not going to star me. This happens to me at least once a year.

So there's that.