HISTORY!

I'm two days out from covering the Inauguration, and my mind is still spinning. What a great time to be in TV news! Here's a rundown of my exciting experience:

We stayed in a hotel about 6 blocks from the mall, because there was no way we could get in and out of DC and make deadlines. On Tuesday morning, I woke up about 1:30am to finish writing an early-morning story previewing the day. I sent my voice track via laptop and my producer and I headed out to wait for a car service to take us to our camera. Because we were on the north side of the parade route, we couldn't cross over.

The car dropped us as close as he could - about 6 blocks from our location. Walking, it was interesting to see all the people, and their kids, camped out in the cold, waiting to be let loose on the Mall!

I barely made it to my camera in time for a 4:30am Early Today show hit. My co-worker was originally supposed to do it, but she got stuck in the security sweep.

At 5am, the most amazing thing happened: people started RACING onto the mall in droves. And I do mean racing! For almost two hours, I watched this unbelievable spectacle of people running for blocks, trying to get the best spot. I don't think I'll ever forget the older lady I saw (about 70) pushing her walker across the grass in the dark, trying to keep up with the masses.

By daylight, the 4 blocks in front of me and about 7 more behind me were full and shut down. People were singing and trying to stay warm in blankets. What really made an impact on me was the cheerfulness of this crowd. They'd been up all night, now standing for hours in the cold. And everyone was smiling!

I did live reports off and on until about 9:30am. During the actual Inauguration, we were right in the thick of it - taking pictures and interviewing people in the crowd for our afternoon story. The sheer emotion of it was overwhelming. I spoke with a woman from Texas, a soldier, who'd been sick, but made the effort to get to DC because she believed Obama would bring her fellow troops home from Iraq. I talked to another man who was so overcome with emotion when Obama took the oath. He said he felt he could do anything.

I had many friends and relatives who came for the event. We tried to touch base via text or cell, but finding anyone in that crowd was nearly impossible.

I put together a story on the crowds for afternoon newscasts and did live shots from the now-empty mall until about 8:30pm. Then we walked back to the hotel.

What a day!

POLITICAL GHOST TOWN

I'm winding up my week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. I'm exhausted but SO glad to have been here. You really get the sense of what it's like being part of history. I wasn't alive when Kennedy or MLK were shot, and don't remember when man went to the moon. So I've never been able to answer those "where were you" questions about some of the most important events of our time. But when my kids ask me: "Mommy, where were you when the first African-American was nominated for president?" I can say: "I was RIGHT THERE!"

I didn't get to Invesco field because of my work schedule. The overnight reporter recaps for morning and midday news shows what happened the night before. So unless you stay up 24/7 for a week, we miss the evening events. I watched them on TV, like you, from my hotel.

That scene at Invesco was beyond words. It WAS like a concert, except that you knew people were there for more than just fun. They were looking for inspiration. Some of them found it in Obama.

The lines to get into the stadium were incredible. I was headed OUT of the area six hours before Obama was to speak and saw lines several blocks long, two and three deep, waiting for shuttle buses to take them over. It was HOT! It amazed me the sacrifices people were making to see him in action.

If you've never seen what the "media village" looks like at one of these large events... well... it's incredible. Tents, equipment, satellite trucks, platforms 2 and 3 stories high, miles and miles of cable, people everywhere, food (we're trapped for days - they have to feed us!) - a real controlled chaos.

Our media tent is in the parking lot of the Pepsi center. We call it our "workspace." It's 6,000 square feet, carpeted with astroturf and tables, phones, computers and editing equipment everywhere for us and our affiliates. You can't go anywhere without a credential, and if you don't have the right TYPE of credential, you may get stopped.

The catering tent is next door. We get four meals a day. The theory is that people are working such odd schedules, they offer meals at times so everyone can get at least one or two. The food's been great.

Now that it's over, security's pretty much gone - but there's a MASSIVE cleanup job here. My division alone filled a 58-foot trailer with equipment. Black cases are everywhere, packed and stacked on flats to head to St. Paul for hte RNC next week.

If I had to miss the first week of school, this was worth it.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE DNC

It's just before 7am, and I'm freezing and quite sleepy, high above the convention floor at Denver's Pepsi Center, site of the Democratic National Convention.

I'm covering the morning/noon shift, reporting for NBC affiliates across the country - which means my work and sleep schedules are pretty much opposite the rest of the world this week. My reports start at 2am local time (Hawaii's 10pm news) and go through 1:30 pm (Portland, Oregon's midday show). We've been doing about 25 live and 30+ taped reports a day.

Here's my schedule:

Wake up at 8pm to watch the speeches, write and record my voice track. Go back to sleep for about 30 minutes (if I can), then get dressed to ride with my overnight colleagues to our workspace outside the Pepsi center, about 20 minutes from our hotel.

Security's tight. We park about 1/4 mile from the site and go through 3 security checks to get in. Our workspace is a 6,000 square foot tent - it's actually quite nice. What's amazing is to see the massive amounts of equipment that was shipped and set up here. It's like creating an entire TV station!!!

Since I'm on the early shift, we recap the night's speeches and preview what's coming up today. I'm watching news events feed in live, writing, and doing taped and live reports about 13 hours a day.

By early afternoon, we head back to the hotel and try to get a few hours of sleep before starting all over again at 8.

Grueling, but fun! Who could complain about being in the center of history!

One thing that's tough is not being "in the middle of the action." When the convention hall is filled with cheering supporters, I'm asleep or in my hotel room watching. When it's empty, I'm at work reporting on events from the day before. Still, it's exciting to be here.

Super-sleepy... with 6 hours to go. More tomorrow!

CRAZY TRAFFIC!

Welcome to my first official "on the go" blog! I'm riding through South Carolina headed home from a family trip. We sat on the interstate for about an hour due to a really bad tractor trailor accident - one of three we saw in just a few miles. It got me thinking about how much time we spend on the road.

My commute's about an hour a day driving, almost two if I use public transit (which I actually prefer). It's always interesting when I visit friends in small towns, where 20 minutes is considered a REALLY long commute! I envy all the extra family time they have, getting off work at 5 and being home by 515.

I was recently in Atlanta, and for all I've heard about the horrible traffic there, we got from downtown to everywhere we wanted to go in under 30 minutes - much less in some cases. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

POTPOURRI

Several things to share today. Perhaps most importantly:

In the process of researching a story today on Vitamin D, I ran across info on a government web site that indicates breastfed babies are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to "rickets" -- which is basically like osteoporosis (fragile bones) for kids.

Apparently of all its benefits, breast milk has very little Vitamin D, compared to what the government and the American Academy of Pediatrics say children need. AAP actually recommends Vit-D supplements for babies. Who knew? I never remember being told this by a pediatrician with any of my children.

Warning: before you go popping vitamins in your baby's mouth: ASK YOUR DOCTOR!

In other news:

I recently read a really interesting article in the Washington Post which I thought was well-written but failed to address the underlying problem. The Fairfax County, Virginia school board has decided to spent $60,000 to put cameras in its high schools to discourage students from stealing food! According to the article, the district lost $750,000 in 2001 from students pilfering extra cookies, another burger, etc. from the lunch line.

I'm no proponent of stealing by any means, but these are KIDS... stealing FOOD. Did anyone consider the fact that maybe they're HUNGRY? I mean, who wants to snag a chicken wrap and let it get all soggy in your backpack, just for the fun of it. I'm thinking most kids who swipe the food EAT IT! So what gives?

• Are teens not getting breakfast, leaving them super-hungry by lunch? If so, why no breakfast? Are their families unable to afford it? Have they not been convinced of the importance of good nutrition?


• Are teens snagging a snack for later, because they don't have enough money to buy something to eat after school, or because there's nothing available between noon lunch and the end of football practice at 5:30?


• Are portion sizes appropriate for growing teens? Are we giving them skimpy meals, leaving them with growling stomachs during 5th and 6th period? Does the district need to revisit its lunch servings and perhaps shell out more to keep these 17 and 18 year olds nourished?


• Are prices too high for kids who are hungry to buy a second sandwich?

I am NOT making an excuse for stealing. It's flat out wrong. But when people are stealing food, you've gotta assume it's because they're hungry, and deal with that issue.

MY latest school issue isn't nearly so weighty.

I've been on the hunt for a Princess backpack for my second-grader. OMG - I've been to 10 stores! There are plenty of backpacks, but they're too small or thin for the THREE INCH BINDER on my 7-year-old's school supply list! She's like a "baby tween" - old enough to need a big kid backpack -- but young enough to still want the cute (and tiny) character ones.

I finally settled on an American Princess backpack that she can pull if that huge binder gets too heavy in 3 months when it's full. Took me forever to find a once that's cute, sturdy and roomy. There's a butterfly on it - no Cinderella or Snow White - but it says princess, so I'm hoping she'll buy it.

If not, too bad - I am NOT going back out into that school shopping madness!!!

OLYMPIC TRIALS

While (nearly) all my co-workers are off eating Moo Goo Gai Pain between live shots, halfway around the world, here I am at home facing my own Olympic trials --

the kids' closets!

Spring cleaning has morphed into "end of summer" cleaning for me. At 1am, I'm sitting in the middle of the floor of my five-year-old son's room trying to figure out which clothes he'll still be able to wear in December.

It's a Herculean effort. You see, my friends and I have a massive "hand-me-down" habit - which is wonderful, because kids grow so quickly, many clothes we buy are barely worn. The other day, one mom in the group sent me home with two huge - I mean HUGE - bags of clothes. With my son out of town with his grandparents this summer, I'm trying to "guesstimate" his sizes, so I can have the closet cleaned out, organized and ready when they return just before school starts.

So my conversation with myself, sitting here on the floor at 1am, goes like this:

"This SAYS size 4, but it's huge - and he doesn't have pants that color. We'll try them - in the drawer they go."

"This size 5 shirt should fit, but it looks short. Back in the bag."

So here I am, surrounded by chinos, last year's uniform pants, summer T-shirts, winter boots, etc. etc. It's really a blessing to have so much to choose from. But I'm also trying to figure out which friend's child is the right size for OUR hand-me-downs.

Of course, that's the boy's closet. The simplest one.

For my daughter, there are fewer clothes, but more decisions. It's not just about can she wear it, but WILL she wear it. At 7, she's hit that age when she doesn't want to look like a baby, but I'm not ready for her to turn into "Second Grade Spice" overnight. So cleaning her closet, my conversation with myself is more like this:

"Cute dress. But those puffy sleeves look too kindergarten. To the giveaway pile."

"I love that sweater, and I just bought it at the end of last season. She'll wear it, if I have to drag her to school in it. Back in the closet."

It's really kind of fun, in a way. If you think about it, you're watching your kids grow before your very eyes. Clothes that fit just a few months ago are either too small, or no longer appropriate for their age. Last year it was Thomas the Train - now Batman. Not long ago, she was Dora. Now princesses. I am NOT ready for Hanna Montana!

My babies are growing up - and between tears, I think I'm handling it quite well.

Give me the gold!

SCHOOL BUSING

No, not the anti-segregation kind... the "should my 5-year-old ride" kind.

My son's headed to kindergarten (yeah!), and I have not a care in the world about him hopping on the school bus. Which is wierd, because when my daughter started two years ago, I was totally against it. My biggest fear was that she'd get off at the wrong stop and get lost.

Now, I'm actually looking forward to seeing Andrew hop on with Mr. Manny later this month. He's so excited. But so was Anna.

Why am I feeling so much less angst? Is it because I'm more familiar with the school, the route and the driver? Or -- might I think that because he's a BOY, he can take care of himself? Not consciously, but it is interesting that my husband - who wasn't concerned about Anna - has already decided to drive Andrew. He thinks Andrew may get lost and not be able to find his class once he arrives at school.

Deja Vu!

THE OLD NEW ME

Something wierd happened today. Someone I respect suggested, in a very nice way, that I update my "look." Instead of being offended, it actually made me feel GOOD about myself.

Understand, a TV reporter can break Watergate looking like Nixon's grandma - just don't be surprised when you're told: "With that Pulitzer you'd make an excellent NEWSPAPER reporter!

It's all in the image.

That may sound unfair - it certainly feels that way sometimes - but think about it: how many times have you watched the news and wondered: "What in the world is she wearing?" It's distracting. In my business, "good" distracting (think: Brad Pitt at the news desk) works. Bad distracting can eventually sink a promising career.

I'm going to optimistically consider mine a "moderate" case. :)

I recently heard a consultant call bad hair a "10-pound weight." You can win the race with it, he said, but it's rare - and much harder to do.

Years ago at a seminar called "How to Improve Your On Air Look," I heard a news manager explain how excited she was when a big story broke in a remote location and only her station had a live report. Her excitement turned to horror when she saw the reporter. It was raining, and her hair was a mess. That manager's advice? Always carry a wig!! She said the reporter's bad hair day ruined the whole effort.

Crazy, huh? Welcome to my world.

Fast forward to today's comment about me and my 80s wardrobe. (Shoulder pads are out? Who knew?) The person who told me couldn't have been nicer. She must've just finished sensitivity training. :)

Never afraid of a challenge, I'm actually looking forward to giving myself a facelift. But it made me think: how far do you go? How will I know if I've gone overboard creating the "new me?" Sure, I could lose a few pounds, get a consultant, buy a new wardrobe - and 'Hello, Success." But when I look in the mirror, who would I see?

I thought long and hard about it all and surprised myself. Turns out, I like "ME" a lot more than I realized. ME with the hair that's hard to tame. ME with the super-conservative wardrobe. ME with the jewelry that was purchased.... well, you don't wanna know!

In short, I LIKE less-than-perfect ME. I guess we've been together so long, that the thought of completely parting ways made me really sad in ways that success alone can't compensate.

So will I spruce up? Sure! It'll actually be fun! I'm tossing my 1970s gold hoop earrings as we speak. :) But I'll change with the confidence of someone who knows her limits and is completely comfortable saying "No" when I hit that line.

So be on the lookout for "new" ME. And if you see a few hairs out of place in my new do, or a great outfit with a pair of "where did she get THOSE?" earrings, just know that's ME - the old one - just peeking out to say:

"Hi everyone - I'm still here!"'

T

JEKYLL AND HYDE

Ever see a really cool kid and think: "I hope MY son is like that when he's older." Or, ever see a screaming toddler and think: "OMG, is my sweet little newborn gonna turn into THAT?!" Yesterday I met both.

In the grocery store, I heard - before I saw - number 2: whining, screaming, kicking the grocery cart. This boy looked about four and was not about to do ANYTHING remotely close to what his mother asked. His sister just sat in the cart quietly sucking her thumb, watching this war of wills.

Now understand, I'm not judging: as the mother of a 4-year-old son myself, I've certainly had those days when you want to scream in public: "No, I really DO teach my kids good behavior!!!"

Hours later, I picked up a friend's son for Vacation Bible School and was truly impressed by this 11-year old. He opened doors for me, carried my bags without being asked and engaged in interesting conversation - as charming as could be.

But it was the story he told me about his mom that put a lump in my throat.

Throughout the hour or so I spent with him, he probably mentioned 5 or 6 times how much he loved his mother. Finally he said: "Do you know WHY I love my mom? Because she plays football with me. Other mothers say 'I don't have time' or 'I don't want to mess up my hair.' But my mom always plays football with me and we have a lot of fun.'"

Wow - I'd love for my 4-year-old to turn into THAT kid! Guess I'd better figure out where the 50-yard line is.

RESURRECTION!

If you don't believe in it, you do now - because after 9 months, NEWSMOMS IS BACK!

9 months - did I have a baby, you ask? I WISH it were that simple to explain.

I stopped blogging for the same reason I started. I wanted to share my world, but I found my world was too busy. Blogging was taking away from the mom/family time I was writing about.

But this summer, my kids are out of town with grandparents, so I have newfound time. I feel both lost and free. It's like: "Yeah - I don't have to pick up toys and make dinner tonight!" And: "Wow, there's no one to pick up after or make dinner for."

So what did I do? I booked my summer with projects, trips, plans and commitments. After the fact, I think it was my subconcious way of being to busy to miss my kids!!

I've been to LA, Buffalo, South Carolina, Baltimore, and I'm organizing Vacation Bible School and the fall Spelling Bee.

And I still miss my kids!!!

There's nothing like a half-sleepy little person cuddling up for a bedtime story. Or that half-exciting, half-scary shout from downstairs: "Mommy - look what I did!"

I want them BACK!

I'll see them in three weeks. I can't wait.

DO YOUR KIDS WATCH THE NEWS?

According to research by Children Now, almost 4 in 10 kids watch news programs daily or several times a week. As a parent I wonder, how are they processing what they see? Does a 6-year-old understand the California wildfires aren't near her grandad's house in LA? Does a 7-year-old know how to avoid staph infections at school? Does a 10-year-old understand why President Bush said letting Iran's nuclear ambitions go unchecked could lead to World War III?

I've done a 180 on this issue. Being in the news business, I always said I want my kids well informed. I remember telling someone: "My kids will read the newspaper at home starting when they're small and do reports for me on what they learned."

That was BK (before kids). Well, have you seen what's on the front page and on TV lately? I take it back! Now I look at the news, and their innocent faces, and wonder how long I can hold off reality.

Three years ago -- during that infamous child molestation trial in California -- my then 3-year-old came home from daycare and asked: "Mommy, who's Michael Jackson?" I knew she wasn't asking because they'd been listening to "Thriller" in school. Do you go for the easy answer ("He's just an entertainer, honey") or a watered-down version of the real thing ("He's an entertainer accused of doing bad things to kids") --

inviting the inevitable question: "What KINDS of bad things, Mommy?"

Clearly there are things even little kids need to know. If they're in school, they need to know enough about staph infections to prompt good hygiene. And sadly, at very young ages they now need to be aware of molesters, what they do, and how to avoid them.

But do I really need to explain to my grade-schooler about what happens if Iran's making nukes, what's going on in Iraq (or for that matter, Washington)? A lot of it depends on their age, what type of media they're watching, and whether you're watching with them. The group "Children Now" offers some great advice. Take a moment to read it.

THE SILVER LINING

They say every cloud has one, right? I sure was looking for it this morning!

We overslept and missed the school bus. After returning a must-do email from my daughter's teacher, I rushed her to school just in time -- realizing on the way I forgot to put the PTA newsletter in her backpack. A parent was waiting to make 600 copies today.

It wasn't ready anyway -- a rainy-day car accident added an hour to my commute last night, making me late for a meeting. After the meeting, a dear friend from out of town stopped by unexpectedly -- and visiting with her was a lot more fun than finishing that newsletter!

So I woke up behind the eight-ball. I quick-finished the newsletter, emailed it, left a hardcopy at my door for my PTA buddy, and cleaned up the "accident" my long-since potty trained preschooler had on my favorite sofa this morning (why today?!) That couldn't wait till after work -- but I had to run up and down 42 steps on a sprained ankle to get it done!

Finally -- breathless -- I was on my way to begin my day.

I remembered what my pastor once told me: success is 90% attitude. So I started thinking positively. I'm alive, healthy, employed and didn't skid off the rain-slicked roads. What other good things happened this morning?

• My daughter learned to be more self-sufficient (she had to - I couldn't help today)


• I made her education a priority by emailing the teacher back
  
• My PTA colleagues learned they can count on me to meet deadline, even in a pinch
  
• Barring any more accidents, my living room will smell nice and fresh this evening -- and maybe that huge box of Oxyclean I didn't have time to put back will inspire DH or teen daughter to spruce up the house before I get home (okay, now I'm dreaming!)

God must have known I needed a break because when I got to work, the best possible parking spot opened right up for me!

What a great day!

GETTING THE LEAD OUT

For every Mom who's horrified by (or gotten used to) your toddler licking his toys...

the Consumer Product Safety Commission says those home lead testing kits are completely useless. After all the news this summer about lead paint in toys from China, the CPSC did a new round of tests, and guess what? Half the time the tests said there was no lead present, there was! So the agency recommends not using them at all.

Actually, for all their claims the industry never said these quick-check tests were better than getting an inspection by a licensed professional. But when faced with the choice of a $300 inspection or a $6 test that promises its "accurate," "lab-tested and approved" and even used by the government, what are most parents going to choose?

The concern is that too much lead exposure can cause brain damage. Best advice: stay on top of the recalls and make sure you've checked on the real culprit -- lead paint in your house.

DO KIDS' COLD MEDS WORK?

I love doing stories with real impact, and as a parent, this is definitely one of them. Today the FDA may recommend whether to pull kids' cold and cough meds off the market or just relabel them.

Manufacturers recalled cold and cough meds for kids under two last week -- more than a month after the FDA told parents to stop using them. Doctors claim these meds don't work -- they just mask the symptoms.

When I'm up at 2 a.m with a whiny, miserable child and I'm due at work a few hours later, that's good enough for me! I've probably got about four brands in my medicine chest right now -- from doctor's samples to the "emergency" version:

"Honey, can you just run out and get her something now -- she's been up all night and I have to be on air in a few hours!"

As it turns out, many of these meds were never tested in kids -- the industry just estimated based on adult dosages. Now they promise to do more research, but insist even if they don't help, they won't hurt either.

But of more concern: in 2005, Poison Control Centers answered 1,100 calls about these meds and 123 kids have died since 1969. In fairness to the industry -- which sells 100 million packages a year -- that's very few possible deaths over four decades.

The problem is it's easy to overdose because the dosages are supposed to be based on weight, not age. So my 4-year-old -- who's 40 pounds -- wouldn't need as much as my friend's 4-year-old, who's 65 pounds. But that's hard to gauge from the directions.

So for many, it's back to Grandma's recipe: a teaspoon of Father John's (remember that?), cod liver oil (disgusting but effective -- ask my kids) or Castor oil (that was my poison) --

rub some of that thick menthol stuff on your chest and under your nose...

and get plenty of rest and love!

WIERD MOMMY MOMENTS

Some days I love to blog about all the great "extra" info we get in the news business that can't make it on air. And some days I love to talk about being a "newsmom."

This is a "mom" day.

Sometimes we mothers can find ourselves doing the strangest things.

We go to church on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The other night my 4-year-oldson had homework, so I brought it to church. My daughter ended up being ill, so I sat in the church bathroom letting her rest most of the service. Great, I thought - we can do homework while we're in here.

But I didn't realize the homework involved cutting and pasting. I hadn't thought to bring glue sticks so... improvise... improvise... so we used lip gloss from Mommy's purse instead! Then, of course, my son wanted to TRY ON the lip gloss!

Ever have a wierd mommy (or daddy) moment? Do share!

HOT CAR

I covered a heartbreaking story recently about the Ohio mom who left her two-year-old in the car all day. Changed her morning routine, was running to meetings, and simply forgot about her. She's a middle school assistant principal -- someone who clearly has a concern for kids -- yet will now be haunted the rest of her life because of what happened to her own.

I learned there are some devices on the market that will "beep" to remind you if you've left the baby in its car seat. (So as not to advertise, I'll let you Google them.) But there's a pretty strong debate about whether manufacturers should be reminding parents "Oh, don't forget your CHILD!" -- or whether parents just need to slow down their lifestyles and responsibilities and put their most important priorities -- their children -- first.

As a parent of two little ones, I can't say (thankfully) that I've ever forgotten them in the car. But I've certainly had that debate with myself about whether it's safe to leave them locked inside for 30 seconds while I run back into the house to get something I forgot. Or whether they'll be OK sitting in the car while I run in the mini-mart to get a soda ("I can see them through the window.") Strapping them in and out of those car seats is such a hassle that these things DO cross your mind.

Another parent offered this perspective:

"We're concerned what may happen to the kids, but what about what may happen to YOU? What if you're hit by a car running into the mini-mart, and you've left the kids alone?"

I hadn't thought about it that way.

So many choices to make, to keep our most precious possessions... safe.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

You know it's that time of year when kiddies with backpacks crowd the corner every morning...

you can get a pack of pencils for 5 cents at your local office supply store...

and your neighbor's child comes by asking if you want to buy gift wrap (our fundraiser starts the second week of school!)

But I must say, for the last 3 months I've missed morning mayhem, homework, packing lunches and all the wonderful chaos that comes with having kids in school. Tonight's our "Back to School" night, so I'll get to meet my daughter's teacher for the first time.

This year I decided to get involved in the PTA and see what that's all about. What I like so far is that I get a heads up on everything happening at school before it happens.

It's funny - when school starts, my whole schedule changes. All summer I drove to work after dropping the kids at camp. But when school starts, I usually hop back on the Metro.

Evenings are totally different. Instead of grilling on the deck and watching the stars, it's "eat your dinner - do your homework - time for bed."

Maybe we can do homework on the deck under the stars, just as a little reminder that summer's not quite gone yet. :)

BREATHING EASIER

My preschooler has asthma, so this story caught my attention:

The National Institutes of Health announced new guidelines for treating asthma. Instead of just focusing on attacks, NIH wants doctors to spend more time on prevention. They want patients to get written plans on how to manage the disease. And they want doctors to periodically monitor a patient's lung function to determine future risk -- even if they have few symptoms.

Why the focus? For one, kids are going back to school, where they're likely to catch colds. Colds are a major trigger for asthma attacks. I know all about that. We start listening for wheezing at the first sign of a cough.

Also, asthma's becoming a huge and costly problem -- 22 million adults and 6.5 million children have it. The CDC says for kids it's increasing 4 percent a year. And asthma deaths among children have tripled in the last 30 years. Every year, asthma causes 14 million lost school days.

So it's a big problem. But be encouraged -- some kids DO grow out of it. I hope mine is one of them.

INTERNET, OYSTERS AND PLASTIC

Here's some Friday "news you can use":

Symantec -- which makes the popular Norton virus protection for your computer -- commissioned a poll about kids outsmarting their parents online. Here are some highlights:

• Kids spend more than twice as much time online as parents think (7 hours a week)
• almost 1/4 do things online that "their parents wouldn't approve of"
• 1/5 have dealt with inappropriate materials online
• almost 1/5 have been "cyber-bullied" (receiving embarrassing pix, video or messages)
• 7% have met an online stranger in person
• almost half of parents use controls and spy on their kids emails and web sites
• most parents say they know more about the Internet than their kids, but half of the kids say THEY know more

So keep your eyes wide open!

A couple of warnings from the FDA this week:

• Rice sold online to lower cholesterol could cause kidney problems
• Contaminated oysters from Washington State can cause diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fever, and chills for 3 days

Also this week, a panel of scientific experts from the National Institutes of Health said the chemical "Bisphenol A" -- found in baby bottles, hard plastic sports bottles, water fountain containers and children's dental sealants -- likely does NOT cause prostate cancer and reproductive problems as critics claimed. But they are concerned about neural and behavioral effects. Here's more on what the scientists, critics, and plastics industry have to say.

Happy weekend!

Newsmom T

WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE REALLY DOING ONLINE

There's a new survey out. The headline is: they're spending a lot more time than you think doing things you can't imagine.

I'm reading the details and hope to give you the highlights tomorrow.

In the meantime, go get your kids off the computer and eat dinner together. :)

T