High School Musical Miracle

HSM is like a modern day GREASE, but the main characters are average to very successful and gifted students rather than the Grease heads from GREASE. Plus the ethnic diversity of the main characters is great.

OK, They (I), LOVE these videos. They (We) dance around the living room singing the songs. I bought Ve a HSM back pack for school and as you can see I buckled and bought each a HSM t-shirt (on sale for 6.00 OF COURSE, I haven't succumbed completely to the propaganda of a fad). I believe it is helping Ve to learn and talk in English. She repeats so much of the words.

The girls love their shirts and were VERY happy to wear them today.

I will update more on how we are all doing later in the week.

Resale/Thrift Industry

http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=23
The CPSIA and the Resale/Thrift Industry
Friday, 02 January 2009



I have spent most of the last two days answering emails about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). The CPSIA has lots of different requirements - a ban for certain phthalates, a reduced limit for lead in paints and coatings, labeling requirements, and a lead content limit for children's products among some of the provisions. A lot of people are confused and upset.

And, I'm all for safety in consumer products. So it is difficult to be against a legislative effort that was at least touted as making children's products safe. And I'm not against the concept - just the poorly crafted provisions.

From the emails I have received, most people are concerned about the new lead content limit for children's products. Beginning February 10, 2009, all children's products must meet a lead content limit of 600 parts per million (ppm). For those products manufactured after 2/10/09, manufacturers and importers must issue general conformity certificates (GCCs). These GCCs must accompany the products and certify that the products meet the 600 ppm lead limit (and any other applicable provisions). (My plug - keep in mind that XRF analysis can satisfy this requirement for the time being. I offer it at reasonable rates - $5 per test or $100 per hour. Just email me at jennifer@thesmartmama.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you want more info).

But, more worrisome is that the CPSIA has been interpreted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to apply to ALL children's products in commerce, regardless of manufacturer date. This means that the items can't be sold if they don't meet that limit. This is bad enough for retailers. They must now figure out if their inventory satisfies the requirements. How are they going to do this? Some retailers may be able to get information from their suppliers. Others are testing their inventory using XRF or other test methods.

But one industry seems in a very difficult position. How is the resale industry going to comply with this law? The law doesn't just apply to toys, but also clothing. The lead content limits apply to all products intended for children under the age of 12 subject to the CPSC's jurisdiction. That means clothing. That means crib sheets. That even means decorative accessories intended for children's rooms.

The eBayers are concerned. The children's resale industry is concerned. The thrift stores are concerned. If they can't sell children's products without determining whether the products are compliant, then what are they going to do? Some of them are going to close up shop - a loss of jobs and income. It is also disappointing from the green perspective. Re-using and recycling clothing is a good green thing. One thrift shop insider told me that she already has problems recycling clothing (for the fiber) because of the economic downturn - the city laid off the workers. But if her store can't sell children's products without determining lead content compliance, they will send a TON of additional products to the landfill. Filling up our landfills is a definite unintended consequence of the CPSIA.

I've been reading various blogs, forums and discussion groups to see how the resale industry is going to handle the law. And I am absolutely FLOORED by how much misinformation is floating around on the subject for the resale industry. Some of it is a result of a very unfortunate story out of Florida - completely wrong in many respects but widely being circulated.

So, let's review some basics:

(1) This law is not just about toys. This law involves all products subject to any consumer product regulation, ban, standard, etc.

(2) The lead content ban does not just apply to toys. The lead content ban applies to ALL children's products. The term children's product is defined as any product under the CPSC's jurisdiction intended for children under the age of 12. As of February 10, 2009, all children's products must meet the lead content limit of 600 ppm lead. This cannot be averaged across the product - each part (except those that are inaccessible within the CPSC's definition) must meet the limit. This limit goes down to 300 ppm on August 12, 2009.

(3) The lead content limit is different from the limit on lead in paints and coatings. The limit on lead in paints and coatings applies to those products that are painted or coated. In addition, children's products must ALSO meet the lead content limit.

(4) Items manufactured after the lead content limit is effective must be accompanied by a general conformity certificate from the manufacturer - for domestically made products - or the importer - for foreign made products.

(5) The ban on certain phthalates applies to children's toys and child care articles - a smaller subset of children's products. Child care articles are those products intended for children under the age of 3 that facilitate sleeping and eating.

(6) The lead content ban is retroactive. The CPSC has declared that products that don't meet the 600 ppm standard are "banned hazardous substances" and cannot be distributed in commerce. So, the lead content standard applies to existing inventory - items on store shelves now. These items do NOT need general conformity certificates like items manufactured/imported. But they do need to be compliant.

(7) XRF technology can be used to issue the general conformity certificates up until 8/12/09. After that date, products must be tested by a 3rd party accredited laboratory. What satisfies this requirement has not yet been established - the CPSC is not scheduled to issue these regulations until May 16, 2009.

(8) The phthalate ban is NOT retroactive. It only applies to products manufactured after February 10, 2009. Products can be sold through - so existing inventory does NOT need to meet the standard.

(9) There is no exemption for resale. The CPSC has interpreted the legislation to mean that children's products that don't meet the 600 ppm lead limit effective 2/10/09 are "banned hazardous substances" under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and cannot be distributed in commerce. By any person.

(10) The CPSC has proposed some exemptions from the lead content limit. These exemptions are based upon a provision for minimal hazards (paraphrasing). The exemption applies to untreated, undyed, uninked, etc. natural fibers, certain gemstones, certain precious metals, and certain other natural items such as untreated leather, fur, and coral. That's it. As of yet, there isn't an exemption proposed for the resale industry.

(11) The textile exemption in the durable nursery goods provision DOES NOT exempt textiles from the lead content limits. They are two separate provisions of the law.

(12) The exemptions from flammability testing for certain fibers DO NOT exempt those same fibers from the lead content limits if used in children's products.

The resale industry must figure out how to determine if existing inventory is compliant come 2/10/09. The resale industry doesn't have the option of contacting suppliers to determine compliance. Testing with XRF may be an option - I and others offer the services or you can rent or lease one. At least one company is sending XRF analyzers (less powerful than the one I have) from Texas at a cost of $400 per day.

I can tell you I have found lots of items that don't meet the limits. In general, vinyl or polyvinyl chloride plastic usually has lead to stabilize it, so I find elevated levels of lead in everything from fake leather coats and purses to raingear to diaper changing pads - anything that is vinyl. I also find lead in fake pearls - the inexpensive ones. Also fake shell or pearl buttons on clothing. Pot metal jewelry and charms are usually lead. Some crystals attached to clothing.

I do think we will see some changes and fixes to the CPSIA over the next couple of months. But the CPSC has indicated it is limited with respect to the lead content ban because of the legislative language.

On a lighter note

A conversation between Tuks and Ve in the back seat while driving to get my tires changed.

Tuks: Mama, see the squirrel!!

Me: Yes, Look at that squirrel..COOL!!

Tuks: Ve, see the squirrel?

Ve: Wi

Tuks: Can you say squirrel? S Q U I R R E L (said nice and slow and pronounced well)

Ve: Squirrel!

Tuks: There you go Ve, good job!!

As you may have surmised, we are constantly feeding Ve new English words, thus Tuki helping out as well.

Parenting ain't easy!!!

Parenting is hard and difficult, and the older the child is/becomes, the more difficult it is. I know I am preaching to the choir in blogland, but I have been pondering this thought of late as to why it is so hard. So this post is written for me so that I won't ever forget it. So are you ready for a story and another analogy of sorts..

First let me tell you a little story. It involves my first year teaching and my new puppy Isaac, whom had passed away last February. One of the reasons I felt/feel so bad about Isaac's death is that I had always felt like I had let him down due to the various circumstances I had found myself in when he was a puppy and was in need and want of my guidance and training.

The year I had brought Isaac home at 7 1/2 weeks was also the same year that I had been hired at my first teaching job in a smaller school district about 30 miles from my home. I was hired to work with At-Risk students. At-risk students are considered At-risk of not graduating or being successful students for a great variety of reasons. I LOVE working with these students, still do today, but they are physically and emotionally draining. You can take one step forward, but then 3 steps backward, simply due to the fact that they tend not to be use to success so they set out to sabotage their own accomplishments. Like I said, from a teacher's viewpoint, exciting to help them succeed, yet frustrating in seeing them "shoot themselves in the foot" time and again because that just may be the example they see from home on a daily basis.

So to continue, I worked hard with these kids, loved them, taught them, parented them, and at the end of the day I came home exhausted, with NOTHING left to guide Isaac through his puppy hood. He needed it badly too. He was a doberman pincher, which are VERY intelligent dogs, and he was, he was also a very hyper dog and lastly I think he knew I was too tired so he was a teenager dog making up his own rules. He grew up to be a very wonderful dog, still smart, still hyper, but also the sweetest ox on earth. He wouldn't hurt a soul, but I never could, even after several obedience classes and agility classes train him into a more responsive dog to my requests. He improved a great deal, but not like if I had been more aggressive about it in the beginning. It was always a battle. The classes came too late in his life, like about when he was about 3 - 6 (21 - 42 in dog years) years old. His personality was formed, and he liked being a free spirit. Who could blame him, I do too. I was a passive dog trainer, hoping he'd get it by osmosis.

So how is this like parenting, especially children when they are older. Well a person can't passively train up a child. (babies really don't require this training until at least about 12 months old, at least in my experience, which I admit consists of only ONE baby. LOL) You need to be involved and involved in guidance on a minute by minute at first, and then daily as they grew older and on their own and know the expectations of your family, of society, of the human population as a whole. It doesn't matter how many times something has been shown, stated, it doesn't matter how tired, mad, scared, sick you are. You(me) are the parent that is there to guide your (my) children into becoming successful and responsible adults. It comes with hard work. You don't stop guiding and modeling behaviors until you see that they have arrived...if that really ever happens.

And I am currently learning that it is double when there is more children in the home, OF COURSE!!!

So I say, once again, parenting is hard work!!

Now here is the analogy, for me anyway...It's like training Isaac, only doing it with purpose and hopefully with WAY BETTER strategies on my part!!!

Ever have one of those days??

Tuks had a VERY bad day today.

Maybe overly tired, but I'm not sure why that would be the case since we didn't have any late nights this week.

She wanted so much of my time, yet neighbor A (an elderly man, who was an only child, who lost his wife 13 years ago to cancer, and they never had children, see the picture) came down to help fix a table and he wanted my time (see my dilemma). I felt drained of all that was within me. Ve seemed to be fine in the whole chaotic mess, but as always, hungry, so I fed her.

I feel like a very bad mommy tonight because not only did I not meet Tuks needs, but I also handled her tantrums with not as much patience as I'd have liked.

I hope I don't permanently damage her while she transitions to her sisters. One day she is all sunshine, the next all darkness.

She is also only 1 month into being 3, will I survive the next 11 months???

HUGE SIGH...........................I am going to go an have me a good cry and then talk to half asleep Tuks and tell I love her and that tomorrow will be a new day.

FFF for 2009-Sisters together at Last

Sisters!!. I just washed Ve's hair so it is not done in a style yet, BUT I must also admit I do like the natural look. I'm sure you realize that already. LOL. Ve seems to like it au natural for a few fays as well.

Happy New Year----2009

Already some exciting news:

Please wish Congratulations to the following families for advancement in their adoption processes:

Sarah's family

L's family

Small town girl's family

Blessed's life family

Places you will go family

If I missed someone, please let me know.

and Mim is currently waiting for passports to be printed, and the O director made a prediction that she will be home late January/early February. According to Ve's process I am going to be a little more conservative and predict March/April for Mim's homecoming...


So it is starting out to be a busy year and it is only the first day, hopefully since 2009 is coming in strong, it will quiet down later in the year!!!