Barbara Wickel, who heads the Ronald McDonald House in Missoula and who is, incidentally, a member of the Missoulian’s editorial advisory board, sent out an e-mail seeking candidates for her daughter’s research project. Here’s the e-mail and the details, if you want to participate or help spread the word:

From Barbara Wickel: “My daughter is collecting data for her Master’s thesis. She needs lots of people to take a survey to complete her research. Could you please distribute this to everyone on your email list (church lists, work lists, etc.) and take it yourself if you meet the criteria. She needs this information as soon as possible so please try to get this out soonest!

“Coping Mothers – Internet-Based Research Study

“The Coping Mothers project is a research study examining the effects of perceived health, coping methods, and differentiation on relationship satisfaction 6-12 months postpartum mothers. Your participation in the study may help researchers learn how differentiation and coping abilities when dealing with health problems effects relationship satisfaction.

“Researchers are looking for women who meet all the following criteria:

· First time mothers with child(ren) who are 6-12 months of age

· Are currently in a long-term relationship or marriage with the child’s father

· Are fluent in English

“If you are interested in participating in this internet-based research project, please click on the link below (no password needed) or cut and paste the following URL address: http://69.51.190.45/IntWeb.dll?IMODE=2&PROJECT=WICKEL.WICKEL

“If you have questions or concerns before deciding to participate, please call Dr. Anne Edwards at Purdue University Calumet (219) 989-2863, or email her at edwardsa@calumet.purdue.edu. This study was approved by the institutional review board at Purdue University on December 11, 2009, (protocol #0912008704).”

- MM

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Back when I was bottle-feeding my baby (and it was only a few years ago), plastic bottles were the norm and it never occurred to me to question how much BPAs or other chemicals my daughter was ingesting with her formula.

Today, I received an opinion piece from Angela Logomasini, director of risk and environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. In it, Logomasini argues forcefully that plastic bottles have not been proven harmful and that plastic bans are a bad way to go. Here’s her full commentary:

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On the heels of the news that a record number of Montana students have taken advance placement classes comes this announcement that the state has won a $25 grant to expand its advance placement program for low-income students.

Here’s the full news release from the Montana Office of Public Instruction:

(HELENA) – Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau announced today that Montana has been awarded a grant that will help more low-income students pay the fees to earn college credits by taking Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

A record 16.6 percent of Montana high school seniors took college-level AP classes in 2009. The College Board in a report earlier this month says that’s up from 13.1 percent five years ago.

“This grant will help economically-disadvantaged students in Montana to reach their academic potential,” said Juneau. The fee for one test is $86.

The $25,000 AP Test Fee Program from the U.S. Department of Education will help the Office of Public Instruction to pay for advanced placement test fees for low-income students who are enrolled in an Advanced Placement course and plan to take an AP exam. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches are eligible.

The program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who take Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests and receive scores for which college academic credit is awarded. Advanced Placement courses and tests prepare students for college success and help offset college costs. Research shows that AP students are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years than their peers. Participation and success in AP courses also helps students qualify for college scholarships.

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- MM

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Last month, fellow Missoula mom Kim Anderson, a mother of three children and a former development director for Youth Homes, started a personal quest and a blog called The Reluctant Runner.

“I’m going to run a half marathon in July and I’m doing it in honor of a kid at Youth Homes,” Anderson explains on her blog, where she writes eloquently of being inspired by Youth Homes children as well as her own kids.

The Missoula Marathon is approaching quickly – it’s scheduled for July 11, 2010. Until then, Anderson is using her blog to help raise awareness about the Youth Homes Run 4 Kids team, explaining, “We’re trying to get more participants this year to run or walk either the half or whole in honor of a kid at the Youth Homes – each participant gets their registration and training fees paid for in turn for getting pledges for YHI. MT Rail Link sponsors this so they flip the bill for the participants. Its very cool.”

If you can’t run, consider giving a donation instead. Anderson is trying to raise at least $500.

- MM

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The tiny little teeth, smaller even than my pinky fingernail, that first cut through my daughter’s gums four years ago are not going to be around forever. One by one they will fall out and be replaced by her adult teeth. I know that.

And I know how we always say of children that they grow up so fast. Still, that growing up has a way of catching me by surprise.

I wasn’t too torn up on her first day of daycare. That was something I had planned and planned and planned. And I didn’t shed a tear when she took her first steps. She had been practicing for weeks for that moment; I had been watching.

But I bawled like a baby yesterday when it became undeniably clear that one of Willow’s little teeth – the one that that looked a little crooked the other day but no, I thought, 5 years old is too young to start losing teeth – is loose. And not just a little loose. We’re talking hanging-by-a-thread here.

There’s no denying it: that tooth will come out soon.

Willow is very excited about it. She feels very grown-up all of a sudden, and last night began doing all the things she thinks big kids do – getting dressed, brushing her hair, brushing her teeth. By herself. She was smiling when she told me that she does not need my help anymore.

This is the way it is supposed to be, I know, but even as I congratulate my daughter, even as she wiggles that tooth, even as she declares that she is really growing up now, I find myself willing that tooth to hang in there for just one more moment.

It’s just all happening so fast.

- MM

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Photo by LINDA THOMPSON/Missoulian

As Missoulian reporter Michael Moore’s story in today’s paper explains, Delilah Leusch has a rare disorder called Diamond Blackfan anemia. It means that Delilah, just 17 months old, has to spend hours receiving blood transfusions every few months.

And that’s why tomorrow, Wednesday, is “Delilah’s Day.” The Red Cross in Missoula is organizing a blood drive to ensure that people and children like Delilah have an adequate supply of blood for their transfusions.

In the story, Delilah’s mother, Dana Green, says, “Anything people can do to help the Red Cross helps kids like Delilah.”

So let’s show the Red Cross what Missoula is made of, and turn out in force for “Delilah’s Day.” You can give blood between the hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Missoula American Red Cross Center, located at 401 W. Railroad St.

If Wednesday doesn’t work for you, come on down on Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – or show up at Southgate Mall’s JC Penney Courtyard from 2-5 p.m.

Saturday, you can give blood from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the JC Penney Courtyard in Southgate Mall.

More opportunities to give blood abound. For more dates, times and locations, check out the Missoulian story.

To take part in the American Red Cross blood drive this Wednesday, call Julie Brehm at 327-2038 or go online to redcrossblood.org, click on the tab that says “enter a sponsor code,” then type in “delilah.”

- MM

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March will begin in one week, and March is Women’s History Month, with International Women’s Day falling on March 8.

So here, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau, are some facts and figures about women and motherhood.

- There are 155.8 million females in the United States, compared to 151.8 million males.

- An estimated 82.8 million of these females are mothers.

- About 64.5 million women age 18 and older are married.

- Nearly 60 percent of females age 16 and older have a paying job. That’s some 72 million women.

- The number of stay-at-home mothers in the U.S. is about 5.3 million.

-MM

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This picture was taken at the Big Dipper when my little girl was not even a year old. I was sharing my cone with her and she was getting lots of attention from the ice cream crowd. A nice older woman asked if she could take a picture, and a few days later she sent it to my e-mail inbox.

Ever since the Dairy Queen on Higgins re-opened last Sunday I’ve had ice cream on the brain. Even though it looks rather gray and wet outside right now, I think there’s just enough blue sky peeking through to justify a trip to the ice cream parlour.

Hope you all have a great ice cream – er, weekend.

- MM

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Whatever it is, we might want to ask if we can have some, too. Yesterday, the state Office of Public Instruction sent out a news release noting that a record number of students in Montana have taken advance placement tests, and that the school districts in Darby and Stevensville rank in the top 13 for their high percentage of students in advanced placement classes.

Here’s the rest of the release:

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Last night my family got dressed up, went out to a “fancy” dinner and then attended the musical “Annie,” all part of a Christmas present from my mom.

The play didn’t wrap up until after 10, so I’m dragging a little today. It’s one of those days when I wish I could wear pajamas to work.

And speaking of pajamas, you’re not going to believe this news article from the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail.

It reports that a school has taken the unprecedented step of “banning” mothers from wearing their sleepwear to drop their kids off at school. Apparently, up to 50 moms a day were coming in wearing slippers and bathrobes.

So what? It’s not like they are in nothing but negligees. So long as they’re not committing indecent exposure, give those tired moms a break.

For the record, I actually did come to work in my pajamas once. It was Halloween, and my costume was “Exhausted Mom.” I teased my hair all crazy and rubbed blue eyeshadow under my eyes. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone noticed I was wearing a costume.

- MM

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