Yep, I spent part of my holiday weekend de-lousing my home and family, and I must say, it was so much work that we may just have to live with the little critters next time.

It all started when another mother at our school emailed me Friday that she had confirmed the presence of lice on her daughter, and that she had it too. Shortly after the message, I started to get that itchy feeling. I am convinced that it wasn't entirely due to the power of suggestion, but that there actually was a science project unfolding on my scalp.

My kids, of course, seemed oblivious. Husband is bald.

SO, I bought the stuff, I did it to my hair, I didn't wear the same clothes after the shampoo with the pesticide. I spent an hour combing out the kids' hair after first plying them with lollipops and morning cartoons and the promise of more candy if they complied.

I did all the right things, in short. But now, a few days later, I still feel a little itchy. Could it be that we actually didn't have lice at all, that I just have an itchy scalp and an overactive imagination, and that I did all that laundry for nothing?

I'll never know for certain, but I have promised myself that I will get a confirmation from an expert (like the school director) next time before going through the whole process. And when I do it, I'll take the suggestion I read on http://www.drgreene.org: "Instead of cleaning every inch of the house, just lock up tight and go on vacation. Get rid of the lice on your heads, and then get out of town. Lice die after 55 hours without a human host. If you can afford to be gone for at least three days, you will return to a lice-free environment.''

Relying on more green beans and carrots to ensure your kid doesn't go through life a shortie? Here's a cool calculator that may take some of the guesswork out of the height question: http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/child-height-predictor

I've been wondering for a while about the safety of letting my daughters drink water directly from the tap, as they do in our home. Even though most L.A. water passes quality reports with flying colors, I had my doubts and had been pondering the idea of calling Sparkletts. Then two things happened that injected a whole new level of confusion into the water question.

First, news broke last month that L.A. Unified School District drinking fountains were flowing with lead from old pipes, and that district employees had lied about flushing the fountains every morning to reduce lead exposure. Then, around the same time, it came out that developing children really shouldn't be exposed to Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in plastic bottles, sippy cups, containers and toys that mimics hormones.

These two revelations taken together pretty much eliminated bottled or tapped water as a safe alternative for kids.

Instead of throwing up my hands in frustration, I decided to get Christopher Gavigan on the phone to help make some sense out of the pipes or plastic conundrum. Gavigan heads a Los Angeles organization called Healthy Child Healthy World, and is the author of a new book, "Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home."

Gavigan has degrees in environmental science and geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has extensive graduate training in child psychology and education. He has

He's also married to Jessica Capshaw, Kate Capshaw's daughter and Steven Spielberg's stepdaughter, which explains how he got so many A-list celebrities to contribute to the book.

Gavigan is also a new parent, so I know he's really on top of this stuff.

With the news about lead in the water and the plastic scare, what is a parent supposed to do about water?
I try to avoid plastic bottles. But it's hard. You're traveling, you need water. Look at the label. You want number 1 or 5 in the label. The five-gallon jugs of water delivered by services are traditionally made of polycarbonate, which is number 7. (That's bad. Polycarbonates contain BPA and other nasty chemicals.)

But there are some that deliver water in glass. And there are those that deliver in containers that are 1 or 5.

So, what if you opt to not use plastic and go with tap water?
In the morning, let your tap run cold to flush the pipes, because lead can leech overnight. (The schools may not be doing it, but you can at home.)

What do you use in your home? I go with tap water and I use a house filter. A carbon filter like the Brita pitcher removes chlorine, course sediment and organic chemicals (according to Brita's Web site, the filters remove some heavy metals, like lead, and the pitchers themselves don't contain BPA.)

What about fluoride? Will these filters remove fluoride from the water that kids need for teeth?

There's a lot of discussion about that. Fluoride has drastically reduced cavities, but there is a debate on how much children need. The filters do filter out some fluoride in the water. But people on that side of the argument say they get enough from their toothpaste.

Does all this even matter? Aren't we living in a toxic stew anyway when it comes to air quality?

It's a balance. Kids have to play outside with their friends and commune with nature. But on smoggier days, you do something inside. You can't live in a bubble.

What are some other simple things we can do to make our homes less toxic?
Think about the cleaning products you're using, the furniture you're bringing in to your home, the things you are eating. Taking off your shoes reduces 80 percent of the pesticides and grime from outside. Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. Baking soda, lemon juice and white vinegar is cheap, and it works better than anything else.

Barbara Correa (818) 713-3662 barbara.correa@dailynews.com

It's a sad day in the Valley when the Build-a-Bear Workshop store in the Northridge mall gets robbed at knifepoint. According to police, the incident occured just before closing time yesterday.

But how long will it be until something like this happens in the middle of a busy Saturday, with children cramming the store?

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9391279

barbara.correa@dailynews.com

SUMMER MOVIE CAMP: This just in from one of my local Moms clubs: AMC theaters are showing $1 movies every Wednesday at 10 am starting June 25, through August 6. Movies will include Shrek the Third, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and Bee Movie, among others. Proceeds go to charity. For movie schedules and locations, check http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/movies.html

CPR EN ESPAÑOL: Northridge Hospital is offering CPR classes in Spanish, for you or your nanny. Taught in Spanish by an American Heart Association (AHA) trained instructor, participants will learn lifesaving CPR techniques for infants, children and adults. Participants will receive one Spanish language AHA textbook per family and everyone receives a certification card. Check for dates at http://www.northridgehospital.org/Medical_Services/073835

POPCORN ADVENTURES: This weekly e-newsletter for cultural types pairs films with activities around L.A., like watching My Fair Lady and then visiting the flower market downtown. For your junior soccer player, watch Bend It Like Beckham, then tour Artesia's Little India. Have a budding Republican? Watch Yankee Doodle Dandy and go see the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. http://www.kidsoffthecouch.com/splash.php

SCHOOL FUNDING: Persistent parents are keeping the pressure on the Governor to preserve school funding at current levels. Here's the latest on what's going on in the effort, with photos from the most recent rallies and events: http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com; http://www.capta.org/

FIND A CO-OP: One way to cut the cost of preschool and get involved is through co-operative schools. This Web site lists co-operatives for preschool and elementary school level. http://www.ccppns.org/index.html

THE VACCINE DEBATE: Dr. Gary S. Goldman, a resident of Pearblossom, a city in the Antelope Valley, is the author of a new book, "The Chickenpox Vaccine: A New Epidemic of Disease and Corruption,'' a 2008 Mom's Choice Awards winner. The book examines the universal varicella vaccination program, arguing that the vaccines actually leave the population more vulnerable to disease.

What makes or breaks a summer vacation? In my experience, it's all about the hotel room layout.

I once spent three sleepless nights in a San Diego hotel with my twins when they were 4 months old. The room was a standard, double-queen studio, with the babies in portable cribs at the foot of each bed. Nobody got much sleep, with all of us in one square room, and it took me several years to pluck up the courage to try again.

Since then, I have learned that a separate alcove, sitting area or adjoining room, where the kids can fall asleep in their own space, makes a huge difference in how well everyone sleeps.

Here are five Southland destination hotels that offer a little something extra for traveling families:

Harbor House Inn
104 Bath St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
888-474-6789
http://www.harborhouseinn.com
This hotel has nontraditional rooms that feel more like small apartments. To boot, they keep a fleet of bikes and beach cruisers for guests to use during their stay.

Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort 3075 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
800-235-3939
www.carlsbadinn.com
Junior Suites have a kitchenette and separate seating area with a sofa bed. Plenty of free entertainment and activities.

Blue Iguana Inn
11794 N. Ventura Avenue
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-5277
www.blueiguanainn.com
I have not actually stayed here, but they seem to have a lot of rooms with separate sitting areas and fold-out futon beds. That makes sense because the owner told me that the building was once an apartment complex.

Best Western Hacienda Hotel Old Town4041 Harney St
San Diego, CA 92110
619-298-4172
http://www.haciendahotel-oldtown.com/
This hotel is perfect for a family of three. Most of the standard rooms have a small sitting area with a twin-size pull out couch. It didn't work well for us - my daughters kept falling into one another all night and kept everyone awake.

Anabella Hotel
1030 W. Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 905-1050
www.anabellahotel.com
Most hotels located near Disneyland have multiple room options to accommodate large families. But the Anabella stands out even among this group of lodgings, with online diagrams of all six of its room configurations.

See my full story from Sunday's paper: http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_9292447?IADID

Just for fun, Monitor on Psychology, the official publication of the American Psychological Association, published a Marital Rating Scale in its current issue that is beyond hilarious. According to the Monitor, it was developed in the late 1930s by a psychologist at Northwestern University, who ran a counseling practice, wrote a syndicated national newspaper column called "The Worry Clinic" and started his own matchmaking service.
Check it out:

L.A. Mama this week:

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? Parents are overworked, and kids are overscheduled. Have we forgotten how to have a good time? Greater Good magazine looks at the impact of shorter recess periods on school, too much time spent with TV and video games and too many adult-led activities. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu.

BEYOND JENNIFER & JASON? Every Mother's Day, the Social Security Administration and Parade magazine release their list of the year's most popular baby names. Emily and Jacob took the top honors for 2007, followed by Isabella and Emma, Michael and Ethan. See the complete list at www.socialsecurity.gov.

YOU'VE GOT THE POWER: Remember Morgan Freeman as the character Easy Reader on "The Electric Company" back in the 1970s? Now, the creators of "Sesame Street" are reviving that show, which targets kids ages 6 to 9, with new episodes set to air early next year on PBS stations. The series will promote the idea that reading is cool in an effort to improve literacy for children of low-income families.

ILL BILL: A new study from the University of California, Berkeley says paid sick leave has a positive effect on public health. On Mother's Day weekend, workers and workers' rights and health leaders in Los Angeles gathered at a downtown community forum to speak out and demonstrate support for a bill that would require employers to offer paid sick days. Last week, the L.A. City Council passed a resolution in support of the bill. More than two in five California workers have no paid sick days, according to the California Work and Family Coalition. For more information, see www.paidsickdaysCA.org.

HOT MOMS: Self-pampering and beauty treatments are frequent topics of discussion on most online groups and sites devoted to mothers. As more of us give birth at an older age, we can't pull off the makeup-less, pony-tailed look too well. Which is why I love this entry from The Huffington Post last week. It's about inexpensive ways to improve your looks - tasks as easy as getting enough sleep. See www.huffingtonpost.com/lesley-m-m-blume.

barbara.correa@dailynews.com

Boys: Girls:
1) Jacob 1) Emily
2) Michael 2) Isabella
3) Ethan 3) Emma
4) Joshua 4) Ava
5) Daniel 5) Madison
6) Christopher 6) Sophia
7) Anthony 7) Olivia
8) William 8) Abigail
9) Matthew 9) Hannah
10) Andrew 10) Elizabeth

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/baby-names2007-pr.htm

Self-pampering and beauty treatments are frequent topics of discussion on most online groups and sites devoted to mothers. As more of us give birth at an older age, we can't pull off the makeupless, pony tailed look too well. Which is why I love this entry from Huffington Post last week. It's about cheap ways to improve your looks. See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lesley-m-m-blume/10-time-hallowed-recessio_b_100853.html

1. Soften your face's default expression.
2. The easiest-fix: stand tall.
3. Cross your legs at the ankle instead of the knee.
4. And on that note, nude shoes elongate your legs
5. Throw away the drinking straw.
6. Slumber on a silk pillowcase
7. It's called Beauty Sleep for a reason
8. Defy gravity.
9. The smartest accessory: a hat.
10. Chin up.

Two different schools in different districts on opposite sides of town are grappling with charges that teachers or staff abused students, both on campus and off. In one case, the allegations involve a well-liked, respected veteran instructor at Santa Monica Middle School; in the other, an assistant principal was shipped from campus to campus by other staff who knew about the charges!

Shellshocked parents are looking at incompetent administrators in their schools, and a character history that seems to mean absolutely nothing. How many more children have been hurt that we don't even know about? Personally, I'd say homeschooling is looking better and better.

L.A. Mama This Week:
http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_9186341

BYE-BYE BPA: California came one step closer to banning the chemical Bisphenol A from toys and child-care products. The Toxin-Free Toddlers and Babies Act, which was approved by the Assembly and now goes to the Senate, would prohibit BPA from being used in baby bottles, formula cans and the lining of other canned products. It would also tighten restrictions on phthalates - plasticizers that have been linked to hormonal abnormalities and allergies.

Activist mom: Tanya Anton, author of the "Westside Guide to Public Elementary Schools," joined a parents' march in Sacramento this week, protesting the plans to cut $5 billion from public education funding. At http://go-mama.blogspot.com, she writes about her experience there and impressions of the budget impasse between Republicans and Democrats over the issue.

Taking it to the street: And for those who couldn't make it to the state capital, another rally to protest the education funding cuts is slated for 9 to 11 a.m. Friday outside the office of Assemblywoman Karen Bass, 5750 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. "The only thing mothers really want for Mother's Day is a decent education for their kids," organizers say. "We need your support to make our voices heard and stop the budget cuts."

Prepping for the big one: No one wants to think about it, but we Californians are at risk of natural disasters and should be prepared. California Volunteers, a new effort launched by first lady Maria Shriver, makes it easy to complete and print out a family plan in case of fire or earthquake. It also includes local volunteering resources. Visit www.california volunteers.org.

Discounts galore: GoCityKids has some nice new discounts this week: 10 percent off private swimming lessons at Happy Swimmers; 25 percent off at One Good Bumblebee. Got to the site http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/deals/?area=195

Mom's day treat: Just in time for Mother's Day, Mothercraft is holding a half-day retreat on Saturday at the Malibu Beach Inn. It includes yoga on Carbon Beach, along with lunch and a life-coaching session. The cost is $105. See mothercraftcoaching.com.

barbara.correa@dailynews.com

Sure, gas prices dipped a penny this week. But you know it's not going to last, with oil prices continuing to gush higher and higher. So, not surprisingly, drivers are desperate to downsize from gas guzzlers to smaller cars. See the full story: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_9164539

College students are staring down the pike at one of the worst job markets in recent memory. Some are already defaulting to plan B: graduate school. Read the full story from

Sunday's paper: http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_9142289?IADID

Check out my story today about new fathers putting on weight and how to take it back off: http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_9153688?IADID

Here's the nuts and bolts that don't appear in the online version:

TOP BUFF DAD TIPS:
• You don't need to work out for two hours a day.
• Work out first thing in the morning. Exercising before breakfast will stimulate your metabolism for the whole day.
• Breakfast is a must. Again, it's that metabolism jumpstart.
• Try to eat the same thing every day.
• Eat six times a day, or every three hours.
• Control portions.
• Stop eating two hours before bed.

Mike's sample menu:
Levinson said he eats this diet Monday through Friday:
Breakfast: egg white company cup - low fat cheese, pita and salsa
Snack: fruit or yogurt or a handful of nuts
Lunch: A sandwich
Snack: Fruit and peanut butter or a protein shake
Dinner: Stir-fried vegetables, sometimes with chicken, and a small dessert.