Measles cases in the U.S. are at the highest level in more than a decade, with nearly half those cases resulting from parents who rejected vaccinations.  Wall Street Journal story

The U.S. typically sees only one outbreak of measles every year, affecting 10 to 20 people. In the past seven months, there have been seven outbreaks.

There have been 131 cases in seven months this year, compared to 42 cases in all of 2007.  While those look like small numbers, consider if the measles cases continue to triple every year. 

2009 = 393

2010 = 1179

2011 = 3,537

2012 = 10,611

And that is how an epidemic starts. Please, please vaccinate your children. There is no solid scientific evidence that shows vaccines cause autism.

Those of you who have met Toby in “real life” know that he is very well-mannered. To give you an idea of Toby’s level of patience, our friends’ 18-month-old inadvertently (isn’t everything that 18-months-olds do inadvertent?) stomped on Toby’s foot. Toby just looked at him sweetly as if to say, “Dear child, I know you did not mean to do this. I love you.”

Likewise, Toby gets along with a majority of the dogs in the neighborhood. He wags his tail when he sees them coming down the street. They sniff butts, wag tails, hang out together. When we see joggers, runners, walkers, cars, what have you, Toby and Lucy go to the side of the road and sit. (Before you email me asking me what I’m doing walking in the street to begin with, there no sidewalks in my neighborhood.)

However….

Toby has a beef with three dogs in the neighborhood. One is a Weimeraner (the big grey dogs in the William Wegman photos), and two are the Bouviers (Yes, this is an actual dog breed. You can read about them here. They are the closest approximation to a Muppet of any dog breed, in my opinion.)

His issue with the Bouviers stems from an incident when we were walking past their chain-link fenced yard (which is very wooded) and both Bouviers charged us (seemingly out of nowhere), growling and showing their teeth. Niiice. Since then, Toby hates the Bouviers. Can’t say I blame him.

The only issue I can think of with the Weimeraner is that he occasionally is seen wandering around the neighborhood sans human. My guess is that at some point he stepped upon the yard that is Toby’s Holy Kingdom, and King Toby was not pleased. (Granted, he could just have an irrational hatred of the Weimeraner. But being that I am a biased dog mommy, obviously the Weimeraner did something to deserve Toby’s wrath.)

So when I see said Weimeraner or the Bouviers coming down the street, I usually take a different path, and hope Toby doesn’t see them as we are making the turn.

However, yesterday the Weimeraner (this time the owner was actually walking him on a leash) was coming down the street towards us. I always walk on the right side of the street. The owner decides she is going to walk towards us and crosses to the same side of the street. So she is walking on her left side. I am walking on the (ahem) correct side. I decide to not play a game of dog chicken, so I cross over to the other side of the street. The owner has her Weimeraner sit. He’s just sitting and staring blankly (Weimeraners have never struck me as having a lot going on upstairs. I apologize if you are a Wiemeraner owner. I’m sure they are geniuses.)

So I’m hoping Toby sees this dog’s good behavior and just lets it go. I compliment the owner on her dog’s behavior. That’s when Toby goes insane. The closest approximation to Toby’s behavior would be that of Animal on the Muppet Show. He eminates a sound somewhat similar to this: “BRREAGGGGGH ARRRRRRG REAAAAAAAAAAAR BLEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRG”. The hackles are up, he’s looking like the Hulk.

The Weimeraner? He continues his blank stare ahead. So this adds to the total dog diss Toby receives from the Weimeraner.

Mind you, Toby and Lucy are attached by a yoke on the leash (this allows me to walk both of them on one leash). So whatever one does, the other is along for the ride. Lucy’s expression at this point is, “I’m only inches away from the devil incarnate. Wonderful.”

We continue to walk (or an approximation of walking), and eventually the Weimeraner (I’m getting really tired of spelling that by now) is out of our line of sight. I ask Tobes why he went crazy on the Weimeraner. Toby? “Mom, it’s just one of those things. It had to be done. He was on my turf.” (No, the dog does not actually talk to me. But he is very expressive.) So I let it go.

Toby is a really well behaved dog. Really.

I just watched a great interview with Debbie Phelps about her son Michael’s ADHD. She said that swimming was a perfect sport for him because the lanes are marked and narrow and there is a “T” on the floor of the pool to follow. She said he is able to be in his element. I think having those narrow lanes and lack of visual stimuli helps Phelps focus even more. I notice that when I swim, the busyness in my head stops. I can truly empty out my brain. I equate swimming to meditation.

Since a characteristic of ADHD is hyperfocusing on an enjoyable activity, this could explain Phelps’ drive and ability to practice day after day.

Phelps listens to music on his iPod all the way up until the start of the race. This helps him focus and blocks out distracting stimuli. The interviewer asked Debbie Phelps if Michael’s hectic schedule in Beijing bothers him. No, Debbie said, it helps him. He likes having that structure. I think a lot of us with ADHD would agree that structure is a great benefit to us.

Here’s an interview with Olympian Michael Phelps’ mom in Additude magazine.  She discusses his diagnosis of ADHD and how she used sports to channel his extra energy. Phelps won his tenth gold medal last night.

The interview is on the second page of the article.

It’s been two years now since Dave and Brian died. I still miss them terribly. A couple of days ago I woke up in the middle of the night and just felt this profound sense of loss.

Whenever I see something about the Red Sox, Patriots, or Bruins I think of them. Whenever I’m in Home Depot or Lowe’s I think of them. Whenever I see or read something about Boston or Gloucester I think of them. Whenever I read a research study I think of them. When I have a good day, I wish I could tell them. When I have a not-so-good day, I wish I could tell them. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about them.

Over time, the pain has decreased somewhat, and I am focusing more on the wonderful memories I have of them. But sometimes it just hits me. Hard. This is one of those days.

I was so privileged to know them.

I just saw you get interviewed by Bob Costas during the Olympics coverage.  While I was pleasantly surprised that you were actually articulate, you need to SIT UP STRAIGHT.  You slouched and leaned in your chair for the whole interview.  Not only that, but when you slouched, your coat was all bunched up in odd places.  You are the President of the United States.    You are not sitting at a bar with your buddies. You are on international television.I don’t care how much time you have left in office.  I don’t care that you aren’t running for re-election.  You represent our country (believe it or not).  And you can’t even sit up straight?  And you were driving the cameraman crazy with your slouching.  They eventually changed camera angles because the original cameraman probably passed out from the stress of trying to keep you in frame. 

Oh, and when Costas asked you if you were going to any other events, you said “I’m going to swimming, if you’d ever let me out of this studio.”  While you got a little chuckle from yourself and some people in the studio, the people in the studio probably chuckled to be polite, and partially out of fear.  They don’t want to get home and find out their house has been bugged because they didn’t laugh at your joke. 

It’s kind of like the bully at school that makes an unfunny joke, but the kids around him still laugh because they don’t want to be beaten to a pulp later on in the day.  The studio may also have been laughing because they couldn’t believe you said that on TV.  You were rude.

You are the President of the United States.  Start acting like it.

ADHD and Caffeine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzH9sNQmclo

ADHD and Languages (Part 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NToErldaeJk

ADHD and Languages (Part 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWB9sa3swI&feature=user

Toby and Lucy have plenty of toys. Lucy has roughly 6 Squirrely Squirrels. (For more info on said Squirrels, go here.) Toby will not admit to liking the S. Squirrels. He pretends they do not exist. Toby and Lucy also have myraid other doggie entertainment toys.

But their favorite game? Hide-and-Seek.

I was reading online or in a book (I’m constantly reading, so all the words and pages run together after a while) that dogs like to play Hide-and-Seek. I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that. I’ve always considered myself to be hip to dog parenting.

So I tried it. I told Toby and Lucy to wait, and I hid behind the study door. I called to them. “Come and find me! Where am I?” Silence.

More silence. I then went back to the family room. I realized that although I taught T & L the “wait” command, I hadn’t taught them how to break the wait command.

So I had an adult-to-dog talk. “See, I hide, and then you come find me. It’s okay to break your wait command. Totally okay with me.” Both dogs looked at me with an expression of “Whoaaaa.”

So I hid again. I called to them again. And they were off. Toby looked behind (and in front of) everything in the house.

A word of caution: If you are hiding behind a halfway-open door, exit your hiding position very carefully . Your dog might be on the other side of the door. I think Lucy jumped about 5 feet in the air.

When Toby found me, he was in complete joy. Both dogs were estatic. And Toby, (in true Toby style), promptly walked over to the Puparoni canister on the kitchen counter. He wanted to get paid for his search-and-rescue efforts.

So sometimes the free stuff is so much more fun than the expensive stuff. It’s like on Christmas morning where the kids are ignoring their new toys and playing in the boxes instead.

Not only do I love my parents, I genuinely like them. I think they are pretty cool people. All 3 of them. (Mom, Dad, & Stepmom).

I even still go on vacations with my parents. And I really enjoy it.

I’ve been battling strep for the last couple of days, and I spent some time with my dad this morning. It’s amazing how I instantly feel better after spending time with him.

I was talking with a friend of mine from high school a couple of months ago, and we were saying how our group of friends were just good kids, and we have all gone on to have happy lives. We talked about how one of the major factors which led to us being that way was that all of our parents knew each other, and they kept tabs on us. My parents not only knew my friends, but knew the parents of my friends. My parents knew where I was going to be, and I knew that I had to be back home by my curfew. And I knew if I deviated from that plan, word would get back to them faster than I could get home.

Granted, I did go through the teenage “I-know-it-all” phase, and I did have quite an attitude. But looking back, I think my parents kept a very good balance between setting limits and letting me make my own decisions.

So thanks, Mom, Dad, and Stepmom.

Yes, I am aware that Princeton Review ranked UF as the #1 party school in the nation.

Yes, this is the school I got four degrees from.

Yes, I did have fun during my extended Gator tour.

Yes, I did (and still do) go to the football and basketball games.

Yes, I did attempt to study during my extended stay.

I just realized something…this might be great marketing for my book…

“This is Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, author of Making the Grade with ADD.  She is also an alumni four times over from the #1 party school in the nation.” 

Yep, that’s the image I’m aiming for.  LOL