Our Town November 2009 - West Cobb

The West Cobb Area’s Family Lifestyle News MagazineNOVEMBER 2009

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Graphics and DesignTerry Tanner

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Feature PhotographerLori Michelle

Contributing WritersBob Sabin

Marcee McCarthyShelia FreyPam WalkerDr. John KayalShasta Clark

Dara Hosch, MD FAAPKristen ThompsonLeisa Bailey, PhD.Jason GoggansBrooke Merrill

Publishers/Editors Linda Demery & Lori McLinden

The West Cobb Area’s Family Lifestyle News Magazine

OurTownMarietta Kennesaw Acworth PowderSprings

Our Town is published and direct mailed monthly to prestigious

homes in the West Cobb Area. Opinions expressed by the editorial

staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of

the publisher. Our Town reserves the right to edit and or reject any

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Calendar of EventsHow Many Birthday Parties?About the CoverMarch Of Dimes & WellStar Fight for Healthy BabiesNovember CrosswordBusiness Spotlight – Kennesaw Mountain DentalShopping with SheliaTravel – Salzburg GermanyHealth & BeautyMommy MomentsThe Adopted Child’s Story The Smart Mom’s Toy BoxEmbracing Gratitude for Thanksgiving and Year LongFitnessHome & DesignWhat’s Cookin’?Pets of the Month

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calendar of eventsWHITE RABBIT COTTAGE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 3760 Due WestRoad, Marietta, 770-919-1100 Holiday Open House November 4-7th. If you’re lo-oking for something new and unique this holiday season, stop by -you’ll love the ex-perience! Holiday decorations and gifts, home, garden, and cabin furnishings, art,florals, jewelry, rugs, lamps and more !

A CLASSY FLEA HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: 1355 Roswell Road, Marietta ,stop in and see what’s buzzin’ this holiday season 770-579-2555 Holiday OpenHouse November 6th-November 8th. Enjoy gourmet treats while browsing their fa-bulous selection of Vintage and gently used furniture and accessories, gifts, collectiblesand more! www.aclassyflea.com

A LA CARTE MARKET & CAFÉ PRESENTS: Kids Have the Most Fun in ourKitchen! Check out all the holiday activities at A La Carte Market located at the in-tersection of Acworth Due West & Kennesaw Due West in Marietta. On 11/6 from1:30 to 2:30 your preschoolers can make pizza from scratch! Let the kids help youmake a Harvest Corn Casserole on 11/17 from 3:30 to 4:30. On 11/20 from 1:30to 2:30 your preschoolers can make a cornucopia! Children ages 8-15 can learn howto roast the perfect bird on 11/24 from 2 to 4pm. For a complete schedule of eventsand more details, visit www.alacartemarket.com or call 678.354.5221.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS AT LEARNING EXPRESS: Come make a platefor Santa’s cookies! Saturday, November 7th from noon to 2pm. $7 processing fee, 3-4 weeks turnaround time. Meet Santa and his live Reindeer at our Woodstock location.Professional photographs will be available on Sunday November 8th, from 1-4pm. OnSaturday, November 14th, come make a holiday ornament! This is a free event for ages4 and up. Disney silhouette artist, Kathryn Floken returns to our Avenue West Cobblocation on Sunday, November 22nd. Call or stop in to make an appointment. Sil-houettes make a great holiday gift! Call 770.422.2228 for more details.

HOLIDAY MARKET, BAKE SALE & SILENT AUCTION: Saturday, November 7th from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Admission is FREE! More than 40 vendorsselling unique holiday creations, decorative items, embroidery, creative children’s gifts,original jewelry, crafts, hand painted treasures, gift baskets and more! A Silent Auctionwill offer items from local restaurants, get-a-ways, golf packages, sports memorabilia,and many other fabulous gifts! Due West United Methodist Church, Family LifeCenter, 3956 Due West Road, Marietta, GA 30064. For more information, call KarenCoffeen at (770) 590-0982.

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR: Allatoona LAX Boosters are hosting a Craft Fair &Silent Auction on Sunday November 8th from 11:00AM-5:00PM at Allatoona HighSchool, 3300 Dallas Acworth Highway, Acworth GA. This indoor event is expectedto showcase over 40 local crafters offering a wide variety of unique gifts and keepsakesjust in time for your holiday shopping. In addition, there will be a large selection ofgreat gifts available for bidding through a silent auction. As an added feature, musicand choir performances will take place throughout the day, and we will even have aletter writing booth for our cherished troops that can not be home for the holidayseason. There will be plenty of free parking, along with a selection of food and bev-erages for purchase throughout the event. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to geta head start on your holiday shopping!

DISCOVERY SEMINARS AT LEARNING RX: At a Learning RX DiscoverySeminar you will get an inside look at Cognitive Skills Training. Learn how to streng-then cognitive weaknesses such as memory, visualization and logic, and reasoning.Come join us for an hour of information and fun! November 10th at 12pm, andNovember 12th at 6pm. Learning RX is located at 3420 Acworth Due West Rd.,Kennesaw GA 30144. Call for your reservation (770.529.4800) and receive $50 offa Comprehensive Cognitive Skills Assessment. Seating is limited!

CHRISTMAS BELLES: by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten is thehistoric Polk Street Players holiday offering for 2009. Directed by Pete Borden, theplay is set in small-town Fayro, Texas at Christmas-time and tells the hilarious tale ofa church Christmas program gone very awry. A Southern farce, it features the squab-bling Futrelle sisters, family secrets, a surly Santa, a vengeful sheep and a reluctantElvis impersonator. A red-neck hoot! November 6-21: Friday and Saturday 8pm,

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Christmas Luncheon at Historic Oakton on Kennesaw Ave. - Dec 13

Billy Crystal in 700 Sundays - Dec 17 at The Cobb Energy Center

Cancun Jan 7-11

Young Frankenstein at The Fabulous Fox - Jan 26

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EVENTS AT SATORIA: Don’t miss the BEFORE Thanksgiving Sale at SatoriaBoutique and Day Spa. Stock up and save for the special friends and family on yourChristmas list. November 21st. Great discounts all day! Then get ready for the FALL& WINTER FASHION SHOW, November 28th at the new Gem City Bar & Grill.Stop in to enjoy dinner and view the hottest fashion trends of winter while you dine.7:30 pm. 800 Whitlock Avenue., Marietta.

HARRISON BAND’S HOLIDAY FRUIT SALE : Need a gift that says thankyou? Elegant high-quality-fruit Gift Baskets & Boxes on sale 10/20-11/17; Pick up atHarrison High, 12/12. Delivery available - [email protected]. View basketdetails and options at www.harrisonbands.org., Select “Fruit”. Proceeds support Ha-rrison High Marching Band, Georgia’s 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Repre-sentative!

CITY OF KENNESAW HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING: Winter in Kennesaw isa season filled with exciting activities and time-honored traditions and the ChristmasTree Lighting Ceremony is one of them. Join the Mayor and other City officials as they“flip the switch” to light the official Christmas tree of Kennesaw. The program will in-clude free holiday choral music and sing-along, warm beverages, cookies and holidaycheer.

MARIETTA SQUARE HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING: Join Santa and Mrs. Clausfor the kick-off to the holiday season Thursday, December 3. Festivities start at 5 p.m.in Glover Park in the Historic Marietta Square. Local school choruses will performChristmas carols as children visit with Santa in the gazebo until 8 p.m. Santa will lightthe giant Christmas tree, donated by Big John’s Christmas Trees, at 6 p.m.

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Today, birthday parties for kids aren’t so much a novel idea as an annual necessity. My family has sofar celebrated over sixty birthdays for our three kids, and most of them have involved a party. So ifyou need an idea, ask my wife. We’ve had pool parties and ChuckECheese parties,disco parties anddoll parties – just name it and we’ve probably had it.When the kids were little, just about any party was exciting. Bring ‘em over for cake and a Barneyvideo and they were happy. (Is Barney too passé?) The only problem with parties for kids who are be-tween baby and school age is that invariably, kids go home crying. And it’s like getting air sick. Onceone kid starts crying, others start too. We had a party when my oldest was turning four, and at leastfive kids left in hysterics. We never saw most of those rugrats again.

As I mentioned, my wife is a party theme genius. Our middle child once had a “dog” party. We hadyoung’ns dressed like dogs, act like dogs, look for dog toys in a scavenger hunt, had dog bone shapedcookies and ate out of dog bowls. After the other moms found out about the bowls, we never sawmost of them again either.

I’m sure the inventor of the pizza and game arcade concept is a wealthy person – but that person islikely going to end up in a place where we don’t want to spend eternity. “Why,” you ask? If you’veever HOSTED a party there, you know that the party feels like eternity. You have to arrive early withall the goodies. Then you must carefully count all the munchkins because most moms are leaving theinsane asylum as soon as they drop off their little darlings – many of whom you’ve never met before.After that you must make sure that each youngster has the same number of magic coins for the gamesas all the others – or the crying starts. Then keep eyes on them as they run to the bathroom – try toescape out the front door - or con the prize person out of a better stuffed toy than they earned. Somekids don’t win tickets or they lose them or they get stolen by bigger kids. Then the crying starts.Finally it’s time for pizza and the show. Some kids don’t like toppings on their pizza. Others are afraidof the life size characters that come out to the audience. And still others spill their drink on their ortheir neighbor’s pizza. Then the crying starts.

Our youngest had a combination pool/dance party when he turned thirteen. We decided to have adisc jockey. We searched high and low and priced out about twenty DJ’s. We finally chose one wecould afford….me. I think our son is still embarrassed. Maybe it had something to do with the wayI dance to hip-hop while playing the music. More likely it was when I tried to sing along to LoveShack.

Another one of my wife’s big ideas was to have a magician perform for our daughter. We searchedhigh and low and priced out magicians. We (she) decided we could afford…me (again). It didn’t gettoo cheesy until I pulled my daughter’s rabbit out of a top hat. In the words of Bullwinkle, “Nuttin’up my sleeve.”

The most disturbing birthday experience for our kids was probably when we hired a (yes we paid fora “professional” this time) clown. Well, we thought he was a professional. If he had actually done theclown thing before, he would have known that he was allergicto clown makeup, and his eyes wouldn’t have been bloodshotand he wouldn’t have had tears and blotches creating evillooking streaks down his face that made him look more likeJack Nicholson’s Joker from Batman. Birthdays should bespecial for our kids….not traumatic.

If I haven’t given you some good ideas for your special events– maybe I’ve given you some warnings to heed. Enjoy. Youonly have 21 opportunities per child.

How Many Birthday Parties?

As always, comments are welcome at: [email protected]

We couldn’t have asked for better luck when Lori Michelleagreed to be our feature photographer for Our Town’s Novem-ber issue. She is Marcee McCarthy’s sister and Aunt to BrendanJr. and Amelia. We gathered at the beautiful gardens at WellStarKennestone on a sunny Saturday in October to capture this terrific family. See our cover story on page 10.

Lori Michelle has been a resident of Cobb County for over 25years, where she has raised three sons. She pursues photographyas an artistic passion and part-time avocation, focusing particu-larly on travel and family photography. Her other interests in-clude gardening and antiques. “Lori can be contacted [email protected]

feature photographer

The McCarthy family’s story of faith and triumph started on April 14, 2005. The count-down was on,showing 121 days remaining in our fun journey to the birth of our first child. The pregnancy had beeneasy and normal.

How does one foresee that in a single 24 hours the rest of their life will change drastically and forever?

How could anyone know that a remarkable, dedicated group of professionals in a hospital NeonatalIntensive Care Unit (NICU) would become an extended family before the year was out?

How could one ever imagine that an organization like the March of Dimes with more than 70 yearsof history and success at researching and fighting numerous causes, including infantile paralysis (Polio)and premature birth would be the key to your future family’s survival? That posters of tiny infantsthat never really clicked before, would become your new most intimate images of your own children’sactual lives?

These questions belong in stories you hear about that happen to friends of friends, and other people.Never you, right? Wrong. It can happen to “you” – it happened to us. It happens to 1 in 8 babies thatare born in the United States and around the world. That is over a half million babies born every yearin the United States alone. The circumstances and outcomes vary, and our story is at the far end of thespectrum, but it happens. When “you” are the “others” that it happens to, it is one incredible journey.For each family that faces premature birth, it becomes the unimaginable.

I went to bed not feeling particularly well on April 13th, 2005, feeling like I may be having contractions.During the middle of the night, things were not getting better and I actually started feeling worse. Inthe morning, it was time to start convincing the obstetrician’s office that this 23-weekish, pregnant, first-time mom was more than nervous, and that there really was something not right. After cursory ques-

tioning at the office, followed by an exam,I was told not to move. An ambulancewas being called to take me out of their of-fice by stretcher, and to transport meacross the parking lot to the hospital. Iwas told that my son was going to beborn immediately. I can’t explain thefear I felt in uttering the words, “Will mychild survive?” Or even worse, hearingthe answer.

A few hours later, our beautiful firstchild, Brendan Joseph McCarthy, Jr.,was born weighing 1 pound 7 ounces,at 23 weeks and 5 days gestational age.It was April 14th. His due date wasAugust 6th. How could this be? Hewas born barely half way through thetime that a pregnancy should last. Hewas perfect in every way, yet so tinyand frail. His skin, so thin, wouldbreak down just from human touch.His prognosis for survival wasminiscule, and as typical complica-tions for infants born that drasti-cally premature mounted, hisprognosis worsened in the daysimmediately following his birth.Consistent with his prematurebirth and immature tissues, he en-dured bi-lateral grade 4 intra-ven-tricular and peri-ventricularhemorrhaging. Translation: Hisentire brain was hemorrhagingand swelling. He had receivedsurfactant therapy immediatelyupon birth, but his tender lungtissue was enduring pulmonaryhemorrhaging as well, to theextent of near white out con-ditions on the X-rays. All ofhis life’s vital systems were de-

teriorating. The alarms on the monitors seemingly never stopped beeping. The question we were askedin the moments just before his arrival in this world and then in the days following was, “Did we want tocontinue to provide life support, for a life that would likely hold great disabilities – blindness, deafness,cerebral palsy, and mental retardation?” Our world was turned upside down and inside out instanta-neously as we heard the question and feebly attempted to comprehend it all. The answer was always“yes.” We wanted this child from the moment we knew he was a part of our life, and regardless of thechallenges we would face and live with together; we wanted him to have a chance at life. Our belief wasthat as long as the doctors could provide care for Brendan Jr., and as long as our son was fighting to bewith us, we would always be there for him and fight for him as well. Our priest talked with us andadvised us that God would grant us special grace and strength to take care of our son if he survived.

That decision and blind faith led us down the path of a 123-day extended stay in the Neonatal IntensiveCare Unit (NICU) at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. One hundred and twenty three days of panicthat set in when the telephone rang unexpectedly with the number from the NICU. One hundred andtwenty three days that resulted in the miraculous stamina of our son who faced a less than 1% chance ofsurvival. Brendan Jr. went through two critical surgical transports to the NICU at Children’s HealthCare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite – one to save his life because of the swelling from the brain bleeds, andone to save his vision from Retinopathy of Prematurity Stage 3 with Plus. He was on both an Oscillatorand conventional ventilator for 2 months before he was able to breathe with CPAP assistance. And wenever really knew if this day would ever actually come. There was a possibility that he would live hisentire life on a ventilator. One day, two long full months after his birth, we began to think about thepossibility that our son might actually survive and come home to live with us. A day that we actuallythought of baby showers and joy, albeit for lots of teeny tiny things!

Brendan Jr. was so busy while he was in the NICU. Every night under his pen-names “Handsome Boy”and “Lil B” he would write e-mails to his large following of family, friends, and strangers who werepulling him through with cheers, prayers, and well-wishes of support. He would update them on allhis daily shenanigans, like performing great Houdini style escapes, taking the mittens off that were in-tended to protect him from pulling on tubes and wires. Legend has it that he would sneak out at nightby himself and drive to Krispy Kreme to get donuts for his nurses. His secret operative plan was thateither he or they were going to fatten up! He would leave notes behind and raise the threat levels withvarying delicious treats to force them to plump him up first! He believed that Chick-fil-A created theChick-n-Minis just for preemies, and he could hardly wait till the day he could eat one himself.

In the days that followed our discharge from the NICU, we would go from specialist office to specialistoffice with wires, monitors, and oxygen tanks draped all around us. Two of us in tandem to haul all theequipment, and then carrying Brendan Jr. as well. The prognosis for survival for the entire first year fora child like our son was still uncertain. Day by day Brendan Jr. grew stronger.

The doctors could never determine the cause for Brendan Jr.’s sudden premature birth. I exhibited noneof the known signs for pre-term birth. It was reasonable to expect my next pregnancy would be “normal”.Given that, we wanted to have more children. After our son’s birth, we switched to Dr. Robert Dyar,one of the professionals at WellStar North Cobb Women’s Health for care with our next pregnancy.

In July 2006, we were excited to discover I was pregnant again. The second pregnancy was rolling alongperfectly, just like the first pregnancy had. Unfortunately this time, even earlier and at 22 weeks, itbecame suddenly apparent we were facing a possible repeat situation. It was December 1st 2006 andmy due date was April 1st 2007. This is where the caring, tireless dedication of North Cobb Women’sHealth played a significant role for us. I was placed on bed rest to attempt to delay my daughter’s pre-mature arrival in this world. Through the care and commitment given to me by Dr. Dyar and the restof the North Cobb staff, this pregnancy progressed to 28 weeks - a magical time in gestational develop-ment where the chances for improved outcomes really occur for Caucasian females. Our daughter,Amelia McCarthy, was born and we say she was “Huge!” Nearly double her brother’s weight; she was 2pounds 13 ounces. Amelia’s birth was a trip down memory lane for us. Another 72 days in the NICUwith our dear doctor, nurse, therapist, and staff friends at WellStar Kennestone who were starting to feellike family (195 nights spent with them in less than 2 years – we were going to file a change of addresswith the post office soon). While to most people 72 days in the NICU might seem like life’s most chal-lenging lesson, to us we knew we would face far less significant complications and a much easier shorterpath to home this time. Amelia did face serious issues while in the NICU, including countless abnormalcranial ultrasounds and infections, but for seasoned NICU parents, and with her brother cheering heron, we knew we would make it through this again.

Brendan’s survival is triumphant for us. There is no possible way we could ever be more blessed by ormore proud of our son. He teaches us about life by waking each day with a jubilant smile that tugs atthe heart of everyone who looks both above and below the surface. He has a friend everywhere we go.He embraces and works tirelessly to accomplish things that are simple tasks for the rest of us. Much likeother 4-year old boys, he likes to jump on stumps, and distract his friends during circle time in superstar

The McCarthy Family, WellStar and the March of Dimes Making Miracles Happen

by Marcee McCarthy

Continued on page 29Amelia strolling through theWellStar Kennestone gardens.



The fight goes on for more than 500,000 babiesborn too soon each year.

They need your help.

What will you do to give premature babies a fighting chance?

marchofdimes.com/fightforpreemies

for preemies

© March of Dimes Foundation, 2009

THE NICUs at WellStar Neonatal Intensive Care Units

At WellStar’s two level 3 NICU units, pre-term babies are treated with the most advancedclinical care. Level 3 NICUs are designed for babies who make their grand entrance early(premature infants less than 34 weeks) and full-term babies (40 weeks) who develop severeor potentially life-threatening conditions. For the first few days or weeks of life, WellStarCobb and WellStar Kennestone’s Level 3 NICU teams work 24/7 delivering world-classcare with specialized equipment and procedures specifically designed to treat newbornsuntil they are healthy enough to go home.

The success rate at WellStar Cobb and WellStar Kennestone’s NICUs is exceptional. TheNICUs are two of just a few units in the nation offering parents special rooms and familysuites offering the comfort of bond-building privacy with close observation access to highlytrained staff. As you can see by the McCarthy family’s story, the staff and family becomevery close in the quest to send home a healthy baby. Research has shown the develop-mental success rate is higher in infants cared for in such soothing, individualized environ-ments. The infants often gain weight faster, go home sooner and may even perform betterin school than babies who spend their first days in a traditional NICU.

The care doesn’t stop in the NICUS. “The NICU Nests” at WellStar Cobb and WellStarKennestone Hospitals are a cozy resource area for moms to relax, use the phone or com-puter, and read or watch videos pertaining to caring for their premature baby. Once thebaby is discharged, the circle of care continues with education, resources and ongoingsupport for new parents and their baby.

The March of Dimes envisions a day when all babies are born healthy. In 2008, the March of Dimes in-vested $26.8 million in research to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Just as theMarch of Dimes met the challenge of polio with determination and succeeded, they are determined towin the fight against prematurity.

For reasons largely unknown, more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States alone,many so small that their lives hang in the balance. More than 400 babies each week are born too soon,too sick here in Georgia. These premature babies can suffer lifelong consequences such as mental retarda-tion, blindness, chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy. While most survive, some are so tiny that doctorscan’t save them.

Brendan and Amelia McCarthy are what their parents call “million dollar babies” with medical bills thattogether total over 2 million dollars. The McCarthy’s say that without the March of Dimes and the sur-factant lung therapy research funded by the March of Dimes their children would probably not be heretoday. For that reason, the McCarthy’s have become devoted volunteer leaders and supporters of theMarch of Dimes Georgia Chapter. They garnered the top Family Team award in the nation in 2006 forthe March for Babies Walk. In honor of Brendan’s remarkable journey, Marcee and Brendan Sr. recruited1 walker for each day Brendan was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)-123 days. The Mc-Carthy’s were also invited to light the WellStar Kennestone Christmas tree later that year.

The alarming increase in premature birth defects, infant mortality and low birth weight has prompted theMarch of Dimes to launch a new campaign to raise public awareness of the problem of prematurity andultimately to find ways to reduce the occurrence of premature birth. Since 1984 the foundation has fundedat least 200 grants related to low birth weight and prematurity totaling more than $13 million. No oneis working harder than the March of Dimes to fight premature birth. Please visit the March of Dimeswebsite at www.marchofdimes.com for a wealth of information. Join the McCarthy’s and WellStar inhelping the March of Dimes fight for healthy babies.

Marching for BabiesMarch for Babies is America’s favorite walking event! When you walk, you give hope to the families of ba-bies born too soon or sick. The money you raise supports programs in your community. And it funds re-search to find answers to the serious problems that threaten our babies. The March of Dimes has beenwalking since 1970 and has raised an incredible $1.8 billion to benefit all babies.

Family Teams are made up of friends and families walking together to celebrate or honor a baby in theirlives. And many of the family teams walk in memory of a baby who didn’t survive. These special teamsremind everyone of the importance of their mission to help all babies be born healthy. . The March ofDimes spends 77¢ of every dollar raised in March for Babies on their mission. www.marchforbabies.org

March of Dimes Rallies the Nation for November’s Prematurity Awareness MonthThe March of Dimes recently released White Paper, The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth, showsthat in 2005, an estimated 13 million babies worldwide were born preterm - almost 10 percent of totalbirths worldwide. According to the White Paper, the highest preterm birth rates in the world are foundin Africa, followed by North America (United States and Canada combined). On November 17, theMarch of Dimes will release a national report card grading each state on the rate of preterm birth. Seehow Georgia ranks by visiting, www.marchofdimes.com/fightfor preemies on this date. Overall, the reportcards show we are failing our smallest citizens on the day they are born. Join the fight for preemies, visitmarchofdimes.com/fightforpreemies.

Whether you are a parent of a healthy or premature or healthy baby or just a concerned citizen ready totake a stand, the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter suggests several ways you can make a difference:

Give: Make an annual gift in honor of a baby in your life – visit www.marchofdimes.com/GeorgiaPurchase any of the following products during the month of November – a beautiful soy candlewww.lowcountryluxe.com or a very stylish Grateful Mom t-shirt www.promomcouture.comto benefit the March of Dimes

Do: Become a volunteer leaderAttend a special March of Dimes event in your community

Learn: Learn more about the signs of preterm labor and steps for a healthy pregnancySubscribe to the March of Dimes Newsletter and stay up-to-date on current issues affectingbabies in Georgia

Brendan Jr. in the WellStar Kennestone NICU.

The March of Dimes and WellStar Fight for Healthy Babies


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Meet the new Doctor in town! Al-though Dr. Hamir Contractor isnot exactly new to the practice ofdentistry, he has recently set up hisown practice in Kennesaw afterworking with groups in Tennesseeand Georgia. We caught up withhim earlier this month to see whatmakes Kennesaw Mountain Den-tal Associates, PC tick and whyhe chose Kennesaw as the placeto set up his practice.

OTM: Dr. Contractor, can you tell us about your background?

KMD: I was born in India, and at the age of 8 my family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina whereI grew up. I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for my undergraduate degree,majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. When I finished my undergraduate requirements,I stayed on for 4 more years of dental school. I met my lovely wife Heidi at UNC and after I graduated,we married and moved to Tennessee where I practiced dentistry for 3 years as a Public Health Dentistproviding dental care to children and adults. In 2006, we move to Kennesaw where I joined a grouppractice. After two years of experience in a group setting, I felt a strong desire to build a practice basedon my individual philosophy of dentistry. We have invested in the latest dental technology, like digitalx-rays to reduce my patient’s exposure to radiation. My goal is to be knowledgeable and proactive ineach of my patient’s oral health in order to better serve the Kennesaw area.

OTM: What inspired you to study Dentistry?

KMD: As a child, I liked working with my hands and have always been interested in science. Iwanted to do something that would encompass the things I enjoyed with the ability to help people.I began volunteering at a dental office in my third year of college and immediately knew that dentistrywas what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the patient interaction and putting them atease while providing them with quality care.

OTM: Why did you choose Kennesaw?

KMD: Kennesaw is a great, growing area. My wife and I have a 15 month old son, Carter, and wechose this area because it’s a great place to raise a family. We are lucky to have good public and privateschools. I also like the diversity in the population. Kennesaw has a small town feel with access to alarge city.

OTM: What type of dentistry do you specialize in?

KMD: I am a family and cosmetic dentist. I place a lot of emphasis on prevention. At KennesawMountain Dental Associates we take care of children and adults. Our goal is long lasting relationshipswith our patients.

OTM: What do you think sets your practice apart from others in the area?

KMD: We live in such a busy world. At Kennesaw Mountain Dental Associates we like to take thetime to get to know each patient and what their needs and wants are. I feel that it’s my job to educatemy patients about the choices they have. At the end of the day, it is the patient’s decision on howthey want to proceed with treatment. We never double book patients, so we can spend quality timewith everyone.

OTM: What are some of the advancements that dentistry has seen inthe last several years?

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KMD: This is an exciting time in dentistry. There are a lot of new products on the market. At KennesawMountain Dental we use digital x-rays which greatly reduce radiation exposure. Digital X-rays are a greattool to help educate our patients. We have a television in every room that allows our patients to see theirX-rays. We also have intraoral cameras. With intraoral cameras we can take a picture of the tooth andits problems, and our patients can see what the actual issue is as opposed to explaining it. A picture reallyis worth a thousand words. We also have electric hand pieces that do not have the high pitch noise thatthe old hand pieces did, making it a more comfortable experience.

OTM: We know that one of your big concerns is prevention. What aresome of the most important things that our readers can do to

KMD: Everybody knows that they should brush their teeth twice a day and floss, but one of the biggestissues that we see is the amount of sugar people consume. We often see patients that tell us that theydrink only one can of soda per day. The problem that we see is that they sip on it all day long instead ofdrinking it in one sitting. By sipping all day long, one’s teeth are exposed to sugar constantly thus increasingthe chance of cavities.

OTM: Kennesaw Mountain Dental Associates extends an extremely generous whitening offer. What are the details?

KMD: We offer whitening for life. When a patient comes in for a comprehensive exam, x-rays and thor-ough cleaning, we will take impressions for custom trays. With the custom tray, we will give you a 2weeks supply of whitening solution. With each 6 month cleaning, we will give you one more week supplyof whitening solution to maintain the shade of your teeth.

Kennesaw Mountain Dental Associates has a very informative website. One of Dr. Contractor’s goals isto share his knowledge and be proactive with his patients’ oral health. The following is condensed Dentistry 101 from www.kennesawmoutaindentalal.com to help you understand the many questionsyou may have on dental procedures and the inside scoop on great smiles!

DENTISTRY 101Tooth Decay is caused by plaque in your mouth reacting with sugary and starchy deposits from food.This reaction produces acid which damages the enamel over time and weakens the tooth.

Children should have their first dental visits in between the ages of 18 and 24 months. Some childrenrequire a bit more time to feel comfortable. Baby teeth should be healthily maintained because theyhold a space for the future eruption of permanent teeth. Infected baby teeth can cause the permanentteeth to develop improperly resulting in stains, pits and weaker teeth. If a baby tooth decays or is removedtoo early, the space necessary for the permanent teeth is lost and can only be regained through orthodontictreatment.

Gum Disease is caused by bacteria. If the bacteria are left along the gum line, it will irritate the gumsand cause an inflammation reaction. The gums will begin to bleed and swell allowing the bacteria to godeeper under the gum line. Inflammation can cause damage to the bone if not treated. The bone willbegin to de-mineralize and dissolve unable to support the teeth. Unfortunately, pain does not occur untilthe final stages-if your gums bleed regularly, you should seek treatment as soon as possible.

Teeth Grinding at night can be very damaging to the teeth and also difficult to stop. Vigorous grindingthat occurs at night can wear the teeth down to the gum line because the instinctive reflex to stop doesnot work while one is sleeping. Grinding due to stress can only be cured by removing the stress trigger. Ifgrinding continues, a nightguard may be prescribed to prevent ultimate damage to the teeth.

Bad Breath is primarily caused by poor oral hygiene, but can also be caused by retained food particles,gum disease, drainage from sinus dripping or systemic, respiratory or gastrointestinal problems. Properbrushing includes brushing the tongue, cheeks and the roof of the mouth.

Dental Visits should be scheduled every six months to get your teeth cleaned. Your dentist canmonitor your oral health and help you prevent any problems that may arise before they become uncom-fortable or require more comprehensive or expensive treatment.

Wisdom Teeth, if problematic, should be removed when the roots are 2/3rds formed, usually duringthe adolescent years. Removal at this time allows for an easier procedure and decreases the risk of damageto the nerves in that area.

A Root Canal is a procedure done to save the damaged or dead pulp in the root canal of the toothby cleaning out the diseased pulp and reshaping the canal. The canal is filled with futta percha, a rubberlikematerial, to prevent recontamination of the tooth. The tooth is then permanently sealed with a postor a crown.

For more information on your dental health, visit www.kennesawmoutaindental.com . Toschedule an appointment with Dr. Contractor, please contact Kennesaw Mountain Dental

Associates, PC at 770-425-4100. 1815 Old 41 Highway Ste 310 in Kennesaw.

If you happened to visit the Marietta Square in October, you more than likelynoticed the array of colorful and innovative scarecrows in residence. One thatcaught our attention was the “Survivor-Crow” that was brought to life by a groupof Marietta breast cancer survivors who are mothers, wives, sisters, friends andwarriors. Their pink tribute board was filled after only one week. The In Cele-bration side was a victory for the group and the In Memory side was a reminderto all of us that we still do not have a cure for breast cancer. From left: JanetSeekins, Elizabeth Heath, Marsha Durham, Lisa Gunn, Claire Leming seatedfrom Left: Melinda Heidt, Catherine Sanders, and Karen Neery.


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Cracking the CodeThe holidays are fast approaching and hopefully you will be getting a mail-box full of invitations to parties, galas and open houses. Along withthose invitations may come some confusing instructions on how todress for said functions. Is the event formal, black-tie, cocktail,creative, festive, snappy, the list goes on…. Deciphering theseterms can be a bit challenging. Hopefully, we can crack thedress code this season so you can arrive dressed correctly withnothing to worry about except what to bring the host as atoken of your appreciation.

White Tie/Ultra Formal - The most formal of eveningwear worn to events after six o’clock. Women wear longball gowns. Men wear a dress coat (tails), white vest, andwhite tie.

Black Tie - This is a formal occasion as well. Women wearlong dresses or an elegant cocktail dress. Men wear tuxe-dos.

Formal - Also formal, but maybe a little looser, possibly blackshirt and no tie with the tuxedo for men. Women wear longdresses, or a cocktail dress.

Black Tie optional/Black Tie Invited - Same as Black tie however, a darksuit with a white dress shirt (a dress shirt does not have a button down collar)and tie would be appropriate for men. Women wear cocktail dresses or long dresses.

Creative Black Tie - Similar to Black Tie optional, but men can get a little creative with shirt,tie or cummerbund. Women can wear long or short cocktail dresses.

Semi- formal - After 6 PM, a dark suit and tie for the men and cocktail dress for women.Daytime semi- formal would be a suit for the men and a dress or dressy suit for

women.

Cocktail Attire - Dark suits for men and short but elegant dresses forwomen.

Dressy Casual/ Creative Casual/Smart Casual - Sport coat or nicesweater with trousers for men and bold, sparkly jewelry, beautifulblouse or cashmere sweater paired with a skirt or trousers forwomen. Think sparkle and special. No jeans or shorts. And please,anything but a “Holiday” sweater appliquéd with snowmen, Santaor Rudolph!

Casual/ Informal - Pretty much anything in good taste goes.

Don’t get stressed and overwhelmed about what to wear. Makeholiday and special occasion dressing fun and enjoyable. By follow-ing a few simple guidelines you can lookgreat and feel confident at any social func-

tion you may be invited to attend. Remem-ber the saying,“the only person that is

overdressed is the person wrapped up in himself.”

Shelia Frey is an Image and Fashion Consultant, dedi-cated to encouraging and equipping women to become their

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Fall festivals are everywhere at this time of year. They celebrate the beautiful leaf colors, pumpkinsand all the wonderful things that the end of the summer season brings. Most all are filled withmusic and entertainment along with boiled peanuts and candied apples.

Europe also celebrates this season with festivities. Famed Oktoberfest originated in Germanyand actually begins in the middle of September with the tapping of the first barrel of beer fromthe current harvest. However, it is in August that the first cool weather comes to the Alps of Ger-many, Switzerland and Austria with long days of sun and cool evenings. Also in early August,

the Salzburg Festival, the most wonderful music festival of them allis celebrated in Austria.

Salzburg is perhaps the most celebrated city in Europe for music.In 1997 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for itswonderful collection of baroque buildings and historic center(Alstadt). It was the birthplace of Mozart and also the home ofthe Von Trapp family about which the famed movie “TheSound of Music” was written.

You might say that music is the life blood of this wonderfulAlpine city. Therefore it is no surprise that most of the fes-tivals that take place in Salzburg have to do with music.The festivals begin in January with the Christmas Festival,to Mozart Week in February (celebrating the birth of thefamous composer), to the Whitsun Festival in May cele-

brating Baroque Music, to the Goldegger Festival of Blues and FolkMusic in June, to the Jazz Festival in July. Then the grand daddy of them all-the famed

Salzburg Festpiele or Salzburg Festival begins in August.

I was lucky enough to be there this year and have a glimpse of how wonderful this festival is. Ifirst took a trip on the big Sound of Music Bus to see the sights that originated the movie. Aus-trians in general don’t think much of this movie, as it is mostly fictional, however with busloadsof tourists circulating throughout the city and singing its well known songs, the locals are happyto celebrate their heritage and their music with or without the Von Trapp family. It is fun to seethe serious festival attendees and the crowds of general tourists, choruses and orchestras; all whowant to take the Sound of Music tour. And all singing the “Do-Re-Mi” song or one of the hitsfrom the famous show.

Music is everywhere! It drifts through the streets and echoes off the nearby mountains. The cityof Salzburg comes alive in August with endless concerts, and exhibitions. Literally thousands ofvisitors flock to the city to enjoy the annual festivities. Held for five weeks every year, the festivalfeatures concerts, drama, chamber orchestras, performances by both local and international cho-ruses and boasts of world famed musical guests from all parts of the world.

Salzburg is a wonderful city full of history and fun pastimes. But what a great place to visit duringthe great Salzburg Music Festival!. So much to enjoy in such a beautiful place in the middle ofthe great Alps of Europe!

Pam Walker is a Virtuoso travel consultant and can be reached at [email protected]. Youcan follow her travels by visiting Pam’s blog at http://www.pamwalkers.blogspot.com orwww.walkeradventuresltd.com

trave

l MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINSTHE SALZBURG MUSIC FESTIVAL


One of the most common skin disorders seen in infants and chil-dren is atopic dermatitis, a very frustrating disease for the childrenit affects, as well as parents. Atopic dermatitis effects 10- 15% ofthe pediatric population. Children with atopic dermatitis are alsomore susceptible to asthma, and allergic rhinitis. There is noknown cause of atopic dermatitis. It begins as dry skin that be-comes very itchy and inflamed. The skin can then start to weep,crack and peel. This condition is most commonly seen in infantsand children. As children age, the disorder usually improves,however some patients continue to have problems into adulthood.

Most children go through periods of “flares” and “remission”.During flares the skin inflames, gets worse, then calms down andclears up. Triggers for the flares include changes in weather, stress,changes in laundry detergent or body lotions/soaps, and upperrespiratory infections. Sixty-five percent of patients developsymptoms of atopic dermatitis in their first year of life, with 90%developing symptoms by age five.

Infants experience atopic dermatitis mainly on the face, arms andlegs. In older children, the neck and folds of the elbows and kneesare the most common areas. The itch-scratch cycle is the hardestto control in atopic dermatitis patients. This cycle starts with anitching sensation, causing the child to scratch. Once the scratch-ing starts, the child has a more aggressive sensation of itching.This continues until the cycle is broken. Secondary bacterial in-fections from scratching are a common complication seen in chil-dren with atopic dermatitis.

What are the treatment options for atopic dermatitis?The treatment of atopic dermatitis is dependent on the manage-ment of dry and itching skin. The rash is usually worse duringthe winter with a combination of cooler weather, low humidity,and heat in the house. All patients should avoid prolonged bathtime and use luke warm water. Directly after bathing, the patientshould immediately apply a moisturizer from head to toe whilethe skin is still a little moist. This helps lock in the moisture. Inmore extensive disease or in times of flares a topical steroid oint-ment may be needed to calm the exacerbated area. Topicalsteroids should be used under the direction of a physician sincethere are side effects that can be associated with them.

Prescription strength moisturizers, which are safe to use on a dailybasis and on any part of the body aid in healing. They are usedto prolong the time in which steroid topical are used. Oral anti-histamines are also a great treatment option to decrease the itchingthat is associated with the rash. The more control one has overthe scratching decreases the chances of secondary bacterial infec-tion as well as making the child more comfortable. Oral steroidsare also a treatment option in very severe situations; however theyshould be avoided because of potential side effects and complica-tions.

If your child has a problem with scratching and needs relief, callDr. John Kayal a board certified dermatologist who specializes inskin care for all ages. 770-426-7177

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ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE?J.F. (Acworth, GA) - - I had really bad stomach pain, would get pale and have the shakes - missingall but two days of school at the age of 14. Now, since Upper Cervical Care with Dr. Lukas I’mall BETTER!

HEADACHES /MIGRAINESD.H (Acworth, Ga) - Before I came here, my head felt like it was being hit by a jack hammer. I wasin sixth grade and had already missed ten full days of school, and had to leave earlyfifteen times with headaches. With the first time to Dr. Lukas, I already feltbetter. Now, I rarely get a headache and don’t have to miss school thanksto Dr. Lukas.

NECK & BACK PAINJoyce B. (Acworth, GA) Three years ago extreme neck and back painleft me physically and mentally disabled, depressed and hopeless. Afterthousands of dollars, many doctors, painful surgeries, trigger point in-jections, epidurals and prescriptive drugs - NOTHING HELPED. A friendfrom church told me about Dr. Lukas. Thank God! As of today, I have made acomplete turn around. Dr. Lukas is a life saver - and No Drugs!!!

Kristine L. (Acworth, GA) - I used to have severe neck pain and very tense shoulders that I linkedto the stress of high school. After coming to Dr. Lukas, the neck pain is gone. Even when I getstressed out, I still feel great.

TMJ & DIZZINESSB. H. (Dallas, GA) I have had TMJ and dizziness since 2005. The tension and pressure was so badit led to daily headaches and pressure and ringing in the ears. The dizziness affected my balance,feeling like my head was floating and I couldn’t focus. Since being under Upper Cervical Care withDr. Lukas I have no more headaches, no TMJ, no jaw pain, no headaches and no pain in myshoulders and upper back. Thank you!

FOOT SWELLING/NEUROPATHYJames P. (Dallas, GA) - (Diabetic for over 2 years - on medication and insulin) Since being underUpper Cervical Care with Dr. Lukas the blood sugar readings have dropped by 30 points and A1Creading has decreased from 9.0 to 6.1. The swelling in my feet is nearly gone and the numbness ismuch better.

MULTIPLE AILMENTS: INSOMNIA AND FIBROMYALGIAD.N. (Kennesaw, GA) - Upper Cervical Care with Dr. Lukas has done wonders. I feel

I have my life back. I can’t wait to retire at night because I know I will get

a good night sleep. I get up in the morning feeling refreshed, with no dizziness,headaches or body aches. If I had not found out about this care, what wouldI feel like today? I laugh more and enjoy life more because I feel so good. Idid not think I’d ever see this day again. Thank God for the care Dr. Lukasgive to me, and so many others.

PATIENTS RESPOND WELLDr. Lukas is adamant to say he does not cure anything. The list of conditions that

has responded well is so diverse because this procedure allows the body’s own ability toovercome a number of issues. “Most people bring their children in as a last resort when nothing elsehas worked. In fact, had many adult patients been able to get under this type of care as children,many of the problems they are dealing with now may have been completely avoided. It is great tosee a child get their life back - get back to school, dancing, playing sports, and well....Just being a kid.”

FOR MORE INFORMATIONIf you, or someone you know, suffers with pain or a health concern and are searching for answers please call Dr. Lukas’ office at (770) 975-0585. We will be hosting a freecommunity event on this type of healthcare on Saturday, December 5th call for details.

At the office of Dr. Lukas , we are constantly hearing about how many different health concerns are being resolved with Upper Cervical Care. This month, we are sharing success stories from local families... Adults and Children.

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Tis the season to send out the “Look how cute my kids are!” Christmas card.

Every year I start planning weeks in advance. I shop for coordinating red and green outfits, cutmy boys’ hair, and get my camera ready to snap the most gosh-darned cutest picture of my kids.Then, I mail it to 100 of my closest friends and relatives hoping that, when they open it, they“ooo” and “aaahh.”

But here’s what you don’t see on the card. It takes me at least 50 pictures before I find the rightone where both my kids are smiling at the camera. In between those failed attempts, I’m bribingmy 4-year-old and 18-month-old sons with cookies to “just sit still and smile at Mommy.”

My youngest, a.k.a. “the spir-ited one,” is nothing but ablur in the pictures be-cause he’s running awayfrom me, laughing the

whole way. My oldest, a.k.a.“the conscientious one,” yells,

“Mom, chase my brother. He’s escap-ing!”

Every mom who’s tried to createone of these photo Christmascards knows what I’m talkingabout. Now ladies, I ask you,how did this tradition of “I

have to send a picture of my kidsthat makes them look like perfectlydressed, well-behaved cherubs” start?

Our mothers were perfectly happy to send gold-foiled cards with a picture of baby Jesus lyingin swaddling clothes in a manger, bought - the year before - at a blue light special at Kmart noless. But that’s not good enough for our generation. Perhaps digital cameras are to blamewhereby, if we don’t like that first shot, we can always take another, and another, and another,and another...

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love to get the photo cards of my friends’ kids. I hang them on myfridge and put them in picture albums after Christmas. But this year, I decided I’m trying some-thing different.

I’m sending a fun card. No special coordinating outfits. No fresh haircuts. No 50 pictures.No chasing after children. No stress.

So a few days ago, I told my sons they could be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in this year’sChristmas card. I instructed my youngest to stand against the white wall in our garage (Snowybackground. Get it?) holding tree branches on his head. (That’s right. Antlers.) I asked myoldest to wear a red nose, which was a cute idea borrowed from a creative friend.

It worked for one picture, until they saw my husband’s tractor.They climbed on it and began throwing off the red nose. Overand over I chased them with the nose and bribed them to wear itagain. This was a reindeer game I could do without.

Fifty pictures, two pretend rides on the tractor, and one stressed-out mom later, here’s what I got. Let the “ooo-ing” and “aahh-ing” begin.

If you create your own family memories with Christmascards, please send or email us an image by November 10th.

We will be featuring West Cobb holiday family photos in ourDecember issue. Our Town Magazine, 101 Church St., Ste

175, Marietta, Ga 30060 [email protected]

Mommy Moments - A Blooper Christmas by Shasta Clark


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Every child deserves a forever family butsome will never get that experience.Adoption is a wonderful way to com-plete a family and to make a differencein the life of a child. Any parent whohas adopted a child will have a uniquestory to tell about how their family cametogether. It might have involved theadoption of an infant, a teenager or asibling set. It may have been an “openadoption” in which the birth parentsparticipated. Perhaps the adopted childcame from an international orphanage.Whatever the scenario was, all adoptiveparents eventually need to talk to theirchildren about their adoption story.

All adopted children deserve to knowthey were adopted. The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics recommends thatparents talk to their children about theadoption as soon as they are old enoughto understand. Open and early com-munication makes it easier for the childto ask questions as they arise. Keepingthe information secret may make thechild feel that adoption is somethingshameful or negative.

If possible, keep a scrapbook for the

child. It can include photos and mementos from the time of the adoption and the child’s life beforeadoption. Emphasis should be placed upon the joy and excitement that the parents felt when the childentered the family. All children love to hear stories about how much they were wanted and cherished bytheir parents. For the internationally adopted child, it may be nice for the family to participate in languageclasses, international festivals and other customs that celebrate the child’s cultural origin.

As adopted children grow older, they may feel a need to know more details about their birth history andbiological family. While these questions may be hurtful to some adoptive parents, they need to make itcomfortable for the children to ask questions and talk about their feelings. Parents need to understandthat this curiosity does not mean that the child does not love them. It is a normal part of self discoveryto question why one exists. Most adopted children desire to understand why their birth parents gavethem up. It is usually better to give them honest answers even if the truth is unpleasant. They may needreassurance that their adoptive family will always love them and be there for them.

Sometimes very little information is available. If a child is wrestling with unanswered questions, it may behelpful to join a support group for adopted people. Counseling can be helpful if this subject is emotionallychallenging for the parent or child. If the child chooses to locate their birth parents, they should knowthat the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC) provides advice on how and when tosearch. This is a service of the Children’s Bureau, part of the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices.

While parents should make every child in the family feels special and valuable, adopted children havesome unique issues. Parents need to understand that it is natural for these children to wonder about theirpast. Pediatricians recommend that parents help their children deal with questions about their adoption.This is especially important if there are genetic or health reasons to know more about the family medicalhistory.

Whatever the circumstance that brings an adopted child into a family, the most common experience is agenuine love felt by the parent and child. Cobb Pediatrics congratulates the wonderful families in ourcommunity who have chosen to adopt a child. We know that this child brings immeasurable joy andlove into their lives.

THE ADOPTED CHILD’S STORY by Dara Hosch, MD FAAP


Who says you have to refinanceyour house to buy those

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brain skills without blowing your budget, take the

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Bicycles, baby dolls, Nintendo – oh my! As parents, we’re often tempted to spoil our kids at Christmas –even if it means maxing out our credit cards in the process. We’re also conflicted about what to buy them;video games and DVDs keep their interest, but we worry we’re not doing enough to stimulate their minds.

There are compromises – for our wallets AND our guilty consciences – if we know what we’re doing.

“Simple toys, when used properly, can help develop complex learning skills,” says Tanya Mitchell, a brain-training expert and author of “Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up theSmart in your Child.” “Cognitive skills, like attention, auditory and visual processing, memory and pro-cessing speed, are essential tools that help kids become better learners. Research now shows that learningskills can be taught – and therefore improved. Brain training – like in these games that parents can playwith their kids - does for the mind what exercise does for the body.”

Here are a few simple games and materials that Mitchell recommends:

ALPHABET BLOCKS OR SCRABBLE TILES ($6- $12) Help develop analysis skills by usingalphabet blocks to make up nonsense words starting with two to three blocks (or tiles). Pick a vowel anda consonant and create a nonsense word, then have the child remove one of the blocks and add a newone while verbally trying to figure out what the new nonsense word sounds like. Great consonant soundsto start with are /b/ as in cab, /m/ as in ram, /t/ as in cat, /k/ as in duck, /p/ as in cup. Start with four basicvowel sounds, /e/ as in Ed, /i/ as in it, /o/ as in on and /u/ as in up.

“If they can’t read, just say the sounds for them,” advises Mitchell. ”And ask them to try to figure outfrom hearing the sounds what the new word would sound like when they switch the blocks.”

This builds phonemic awareness through sound blending and segmenting. And because this exercise isabout sounds, not letter knowledge, parents should work with basic sounds and not use letter names,which can be confusing.

WEDGITS ($19 - $45) Use these building tools along with the accompanying pictures of com-pleted projects to increase attention, logic and reasoning, and visual processing. “Parents can use a stop-watch to encourage a fast completion,” says Mitchell, “which increases processing speed.”

HOW-TO-DRAW BOOKS ($3 - $7) These simple books are great for visual processing,attention to detail, and planning.

SPEED STACK CUPS ($10 - $40) This fun, simple game is good to build speed, planningand eye-hand coordination.

OLD MAID ($3) Spread cards out face down and have children draw two at a time looking formatches. Cards that don’t match are put back in the same location. This builds memory and attention.

PLAYING CARDS ($2) Time children while they sort cards into red and black piles, then challengethem to do it in a shorter time. Then make it harder by having them sort into three piles: red, black andface cards. Keep raising the level of intensity by asking them do it faster and by adding challenges, suchas having them count by 2s or 3s while they’re sorting. An excellent way to build divided attention andprocessing speed.

PUZZLES ($2 - $15) “Math, science, test taking and, most importantly, reading comprehension,all require visualization skills,” says Mitchell. “Puzzles are great tools to develop visual discrimination, aswell as logic and reasoning.”

SIMON ($13 - $35) Children can increase their sequential processing, short-term memory, at-tention and visual processing with this sound and light mimicking game.

SODUKO ($2 - $5) Available for children and teens of all ages, this numbers puzzle can strengthendeductive and intuitive reasoning, numerical fluency, planning, problem solving, working memory andsequential processing.

Chess ($5 - $30) A classic brain game, chess helps with divided attention, executive processing,logic and reasoning, planning and problem solving.

Mitchell encourages parents to look for games that are appropriate for their child’s age, as well as any cog-nitive weaknesses of which they’re aware.

“A parent whose child has Attention Deficit Disorder, for example, would want to shop for toys that im-prove attention,” explains Mitchell. “Likewise, a child who struggles with reading would benefit fromgames that practice sound blending and segmenting.”

For a free list of more than 30 games and the skills they strengthen, visit www.learningrx.com/kennesaw.

Kristen Thompson is the Executive Director and Owner of the LearningRx center in Kennesaw.She can be reached through the LearningRx website at www.learningrx.com

or by calling (770) 529-4800.

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It’s the time of year when the holiday season approaches. Coming this month is Thanksgiving- - - - which is a special holiday! Susan Kirby, a mother of two stated it well: “Thanksgivinghas always been a favorite: It’s a time of gratitude and a holiday we haven’t messed up!” This is aholiday to spend time with family and friends and focus on the things in our lives for whichwe feel thankful. This time is special and encourages thoughts about what is truly importantin life. However, once the turkey is carved and life gears up for the next event, it is importantto focus on ways to keep the warm feelings of gratitude alive in the heart year round.

Gratitude is conscious awareness of all the joys and blessings in daily life. Developing a senseof gratitude allows you to see the good aspects of life, which encourages more contentment.This, in turn, helps you to get along with people more easily. Being aware of being thankfulcan be enormously helpful when life is stressful. Many spiritual and religious beliefs emphasizethe value of cultivating gratitude as a way to connect with God and one’s own spirituality.Religions and philosophies have long embraced gratitude as an indispensable manifestationof virtue, and an integral component of health, wholeness, and wellbeing.

In general, psychologists have traditionally been more interested in studying humanvice than virtue. Only recently has the importance of gratitude been examined.

Psychological research has found significant benefits to people who culti-vate gratitude on a regular basis. In general these individuals tend to

feel happier and have fewer physical complaints. Research hasalso shown that those practicing living with gratitude are

more optimistic, make better progress toward importantpersonal goals, and report higher levels of alertness,

determination, and energy. Gratitude is statisti-cally linked to happiness and hope. Grateful

people report higher levels of positiveemotions, life satisfaction, optimism

and lower levels of depression and

stress. Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely tojudge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less enviousof others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others.

Keeping a gratitude journal is extremely beneficial in encouraging an attitude of gratitude.While spending a few moments each day in quiet reflection on the things in life that you arethankful for can facilitate better feelings about life, the action of putting the words down onpaper seems to make the gratitude more meaningful. The act of recalling and documentingeach day the blessings in that day is a powerful exercise.

Some mistakenly believe living with gratitude is being Pollyannaish or naive. However, grate-ful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life; they just tend not to maintaintoo much focus on them. Difficulties are addressed and then set aside so that the primaryfocus returns to the positive. By making deliberate and conscious decisions to look for thepositive, one can see the little things in every day to be thankful for that are often overlooked– - the taste of a good cup of coffee, a smile of a child, the playfulness of a puppy, a smallkindness of a stranger, a compliment, or a beautiful sunset.

In parenting, teaching gratitude to children takes extra effort but can go a long way in teachingchildren the importance of being thankful and of expressing thanks in a sincere and meaningfulway. Research has shown that children who practice grateful thinking have more positive at-titudes toward school and their families.

During this Thanksgiving season, renew the significance of deliberately and consciously livingwith gratitude throughout the year - - the benefits are spectacular!

Dr. Bailey is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a private practice in Marietta. You can learnmore about her by visiting: www.marietta-psychologist.com and can be reached @[email protected].

Embracing Gratitude for Thanksgiving and Year Long by Leisa A. Bailey, Ph.D.


fitne

ssArticles like this come out every year… “Lose Weight Over the Holi-days” or “10 Can’t Miss Tips to Avoid Weight Gain This Thanksgiv-ing”. I really wish I could put a new fancy spin on this played outarticle. I wish I could say that over the last 12 months I have come upwith a BRAND new way to drop weight over the holidays…but Ihaven’t. In fact, no one has. That’s because the same advice that wasgiven 10 years ago still applies today. Losing weight is no magic orvoodoo. What worked yesterday, works today. The difference is, youactually have to follow the advice and therein lies the disconnect. Weread these articles every year but once Thanksgiving Day comes aroundwe throw caution to the wind and attack our dinner plates like a rabiddog.

So here are some can’t miss tips to controlling weigh gain this Thanks-giving. This year, let’s actually do them!

1. Workout the day before, the day of, and the day after Thanks-giving - We have all heard that weight gain/loss is all aboutcalories in and calories out. While that is not entirely true, itdoes have some merit. If you burn an extra 300-400 caloriesthe day before, the day of, and the day after Thanksgiving itwill go a long way in offsetting the enormous caloric intakethat that day brings. On Thanksgiving Day be sure to work-out first thing in the morning. There is NO WAY you willdo it after you eat!

2. Skip Seconds - A 1,000 calorie Thanksgiving meal can easilyturn into a 2,000 or even 3,000 calorie meal when you returnfor seconds. One plateful should be plenty. Especially if youfollow the tips below.

3. Eat a well balanced, high fiber, healthy meal about 2 hoursbefore you sit down for the big dinner - This will ensure thatyou are not starving when it’s dinner time. If you are raven-ous when it’s time to eat…good luck being smart and making

good choices!

4. Drink a large glass of water right before Thanksgiving dinner- This, combined with eating the healthy meal two hoursprior to dinner, will keep you satiated and a lot less inclinedto gorge. Remember, Thanksgiving is not about going with-out and skipping your favorite foods. It’s about being smartand sensible and not over doing it. This will really help!

5. Be sensible with leftovers - One of the best things aboutThanksgiving is the leftovers. I am all for that but, there arerules if you truly want to avoid Holiday weight gain. First,save the leftovers for the next couple of days; not laterThanksgiving night. Like I said above, that will double yourcaloric intake for the day. Second, try not to indulge in thefattiest leftovers. Skip the macaroni and cheese (I know, itwas hard for me to even write that, but it’s the right thing todo), skip the gravy, skip the dessert. Instead, have a turkeysandwich and maybe some sweet potato casserole. These arelower calorie foods that contain good lean protein and com-plex carbs.

If you truly follow these tips you will be surprised how good you feeland how little the scale moves. Thanksgiving is not a day to depriveyourself. You should absolutely eat the foods you love. Just do it sen-sibly. If you prepare and pre-plan you should have no problem keepingthe calories in check!

Jason Goggans, B.A., ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, graduate of theUniversity of Florida and fitness professional located in Kennesaw andMarietta, GA. Goggans is the owner of BodyBack! Women’s FitnessBoot Camps and has posted more information on his website,www.BodyBackBootCamps.com. Log on to receive a copy of Jason’ slatest report, “10 Quick Ways to Weight Loss…How to Look and FeelBetter FAST!” or call Jason @ (404) 452-5208.

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by Brooke Merrill

It is almost unbelievable that it has been a decade since we were ringing in the new millennium.Dancing to Prince’s “1999”, we were filled with the promise of a prosperous century full of adventureand advancement. Little did we know that terror would scare us out of our complacency and yearslater an economic crisis would force us to take stock and re-think our priorities.

In my home, we have found comfort in the little things like taking the time to make a pot of rich,home-brewed coffee instead of heading to Starbuck’s. Instead of going out to dinner and a movie,we finally made time to go through the boxes of home goods my grandmother left behind (shepassed in the 90’s). I can’t describe the feelings we had when we found my grandparents’ gold-leafed high balls and coordinating bar set from the 1960’s. I can only imagine how much fun theyhad using those high balls while mixing up the latest cocktail during a holiday gathering.

With our growing concerns about unemployment and losses in our portfolios, we find ourselveswondering how we can keep traditions alive during the holiday season without putting a huge dentin the pocket book. We were raised by parents and grandparents who lived through some of thetoughest economic times in our country’s history, and we need to remember that there is always away to make a beautiful home for our families, even if our budgets are not what they were a fewyears ago. In that spirit, I decided to do some research for decorating ideas that would take us backto our roots and bring a little Yule tide to the season.

Colors:In the past, I have covered the trendy colors in holiday décor (such as deep purple, lime green, andnavy blue) in my articles. This year, a sense of nostalgia has come over me, and I am in the moodfor a good old fashioned red and green holiday. The reason red and green are traditionally used forthe holidays is because those were the colors of the only living things our ancestors could find outof doors to use for decorating in winter. Pine and holly berries stay green year round and add afestive touch to the gloom of a sleeping winter landscape.

I also want to stress the importance of gold and/or silver as an accent for your holiday décor. Goldand silver give an illusion of luxury to a table setting or a mantle garland, and the sheens reflect thelight with a soft, warm glow. It is so easy and inexpensive to find décor with gold or silver accentsto add to your decorating, and using gold or silver also allows you to incorporate your cherishedholiday keepsakes passed on from a favorite aunt or grandparent.

Table Settings:If you have time, start going to garage and estate sales to find some accent pieces for your china.For a more natural or cottage holiday, milk glass it the perfect complement to a table. If your décoris formal and traditional, you may be able to find old candelabras or vintage china with gold filigreeto spice up the table. For decorating a table for Thanksgiving, collect some large maple leaves thathave already turned color, punch a hole at the base and string it with velvet ribbon. You can use theribbon to tie around cloth napkins on the table. Do the same for Christmas and Hanukah tablesettings, but use a pinch of pine or holly instead of the maple leaf.

Most importantly, food will decorate the table better than anything else, especially desserts. I loveto see a plate full of date loaf, chocolate fudge, and pecan sandies. What could be more inviting forguests than a table overflowing with beautiful holiday dishes and fruit pies?

Mantles:If you are striving for a more contemporary look this holiday season, use silver or gold stars in abun-dance on your mantle and table. By mixing large and small stars with your holiday candles, youcan add drama to the atmosphere while keeping it simple and inexpensive. On the other hand, ifyou want to create a traditional ambiance, use garland laced with wire ribbon and sugared fruitpicks. This look gained notoriety during the Victorian era, and has remained a staple for a traditionalholiday setting.

Another trick for contemporary and traditional homes is to find artwork at estate sales that havewintry landscapes. You can create a wall of wonder over a mantle or just about anywhere in thehouse by replacing your existing artwork with snow-filled scenes for the holidays. If that is not fea-sible, just add a little ribbon infused garland to the corner of a wall mirror or piece of artwork.

If you are still struggling with how to pull it all together, I strongly recommend the Better Homesand Gardens website for holiday decorating ideas. This is not my favorite magazine for interior de-sign ideas, but I give them kudos for helping us cook and decorate for the holidays. Their homemadedecorating tips are always unique and fun to try, and the pictures of holiday decorating show youhow a “finished” holiday room should look.

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TENDERLOIN1 (7-pound) tenderloin, trimmed offat1 Tablespoon soy sauce1 Tablespoon brown sugar½ cup Italian dressing ¼ cup lemon juice

Place tenderloin in a 9x13-inch bak-ing pan or bottom of broiler pan.(Line pan with aluminum foil forquicker clean up.) Combine remain-der of ingredients and pour over ten-derloin. Marinade in refrigerator, forseveral hours, turning once. Whenready to cook, turn oven to broil.Place pan with tenderloin and mari-nade in oven on bottom shelf. Broil20 minutes on each side. Cover andbake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 min-utes. To serve, cut into 12 thick filets.Yield: 12 servings.

CORN SOUFFLÉ1 Green bell pepper, chopped½ cup chopped onion½ cup margarine1 (16-ounce) can whole kernel corn,drained1 (17-ounce) can cream-style corn1 (6-ounce) package corn bread mix3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sauté the green pepper and onion inthe margarine in a skillet until theonion is tender. Remove from heat.

Stir in the whole kernel corn and

cream-style corn. Add the corn breadmix and eggs and mix well. Spooninto a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.Let stand for 5 minutes before serv-ing. Yield: 12 servings.

And to complete the meal in 4th quar-ter:

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CHIPCOOKIES2 cups packed brown sugar1 cup butter, softened2 eggs4 cups baking mix2 cups milk chocolate chips

Beat the brown sugar and butter in abowl until blended. Add the eggs, stir-ring until blended. Mix in the bakingmix and chocolate chips. Drop by tea-spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookiesheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min-utes or until light brown.

All recipes mentioned above can befound in the Junior League of CobbMarietta’s national award winningcookbook, Southern …On Occasionand GEORGIA on my menu. Youmay purchase this on line atwww.jlcm.org.

Chill is in the air and football season is in full swing. This is theperfect time to bring friends and rivals over for food, fun and football. Hope this easy but delicious menu will save you time inthe kitchen so you can also enjoy the game. GO TEAM!!


The McCarthy Family… Continued from page 10

754 Cherokee Street Suite A, Marietta

(Across Kennestone Hospital, next to Rite Aid)

770.428.8118

DR. M.A. KHANFamily Healthcare

• Preventative Medicine, Geriatrics• High Blood Pressure Treatment• Diabetes Management• Annual Gynecological Examinations• Workers Comp Exams, Industrial Phys-ical Exams, DOT Physicals $35, Sports Physicals, Camp Physicals

• Sleep Disorders• Asthma• Obesity Treatment• Walk-Ins Welcome• Habla Espanol

MEDICARE, MEDICAID & MOST PRIVATE INSURANCE ACCEPTED

For the Best of YourFamily’s Health Needs

Ms. Machen’s class at Kennesaw Elementary. He loves Chick-fil-A waffle fries with his ketchup, and in hisspare time he loves high-fiving his best friends at the Wade Green Home Depot. And boy-o-boy does hehate red lights! He has opportunities to participate in the community in extraordinary ways with importantimpacts. He was honored to light the first annual Christmas tree atop WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Heled the #1 Family Team in the entire country for WalkAmerica in 2006 for the March of Dimes, raisingnearly $40,000. His life is a testimony of faith, hope, and love. He has thrived and surpassed our dreamswith the support and love of family, friends, caring doctors, and this community.

Amelia has the fierce independence and tenacity that preemies are famous for. She lights up a roomwith her smile and infectious laughter. She is filled with vigor for life and spunk. She loves babies, Dora,animals, and talking, talking, talking! She has a kind caring streak for her brother, and loves to be ahelper with chores and errands.

Amelia’s survival is filled with bitter sweet reflections of what 5 extra weeks offers for outcomes of pre-mature infants. It offers insight to what intensive timely prenatal care means in the world of prematuritybetween the 23rd and 28th weeks of life. It represented the still many unknown factors that contribute topreterm birth. Our family longs for the day that the March of Dimes, the leading organization in thiseffort, has reached its mission to prevent premature birth, infant mortality, and birth defects.

Decades before our children were born, everyday people walked in honor of babies, in memory of babieswho lost the fight, and for the promise of healthier futures for babies. They wrote checks to the Marchof Dimes. Those people and the March of Dimes funded a large portion of the research that went intothe development of the life saving Surfactant lung therapy treatment that saved both of our children’slives. The March of Dimes advocated for centralized care to put resources together to save lives and treatpremature infants in Level-3 NICUs. 45,250 babies will be born prematurely in the United States inNovember alone. Our family, as Ambassadors for Atlanta for the March of Dimes, will work continu-ously to pay forward all that they have given to us and made possible for us, so that number can shrink,not grow.

Thanks and praise goes to God, the March of Dimes, the WellStar Kennestone NICU, and WellStarNorth Cobb Women’s Health. Instead of having planned two funerals, we plan birthday parties andwalks in the park. We are blessed. We are forever indebted with deep gratitude to these organizationsand people. Three cheers for them, Brendan Jr., and Amelia!

About the McCarthy’s: Marcee McCarthy is an honor graduate of the school of Industrial Engineeringat the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Master’s program business school at Kennesaw StateUniversity. Marcee is employed with AT&T in Atlanta. Brendan McCarthy is a graduate of the Collegeof William and Mary. He is a partner in the Law firm of Andre & Blaustein, LLP., in Atlanta.

3703 LARGENT WAYMARIETTA, GA 30064

Office Hours: Weekdays 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - Noon

Suzanne Newsom, D.V.M.and Shadow

• Medicine • General Sur-gery

• Vaccinations • Dentistry • OrthopedicSurgery

• Laser• Ultrasound • Dermatology• BehavioralCounseling

• Boarding • Grooming770•590•1234770•590•1234

• Medicine • General Sur-gery

• Vaccinations • Dentistry • OrthopedicSurgery

• Laser• Ultrasound • Dermatology• BehavioralCounseling

• Boarding • Grooming

Suzanne Newsom, D.V.M.and Shadow

If you would like your pet to be Our Town’s Pet of the Month, pleasesend a photo with a short bio to: OurTown Magazine, 101 Church StreetSuite 175, Marietta, GA 30060

or email it [email protected]


My name is Zak I am a Shitzu, I turned15 yrs old in Feb 09. I live in Kennesaw withmy human parents, my favorite things todo is traval especially the beach!

My name is Chloe, Iam a two and

half year oldfemale

Iguana. Iam about

four feet inlength and my

girly weight is 5pounds. I love to bask in

the sun and under my sun lamp in mytank. My diet is mostly raw collards, mustard greens, red bell peppers,

green beans, and squash, but I will do anything for a Blueberry!!!

Jenne Lynn is a Bichon Frise.She is a white furry bundle oflove that fills the hearts ofher owners with happieness.

Nevada is 2 1/2 years old,a mix of Golden Retrieverand Chow. She is a rescuepuppy, adopted when shewas just over a year old. Ittook a lot of love and pa-tients to bring her aroundto the loving puppy she

now is. She is a great hiking partnerthat loves the outdoors, but she loves her snuggling at night as well.

november crossword solution

Our Town November 2009 - West Cobb

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