Eli and all the cigarette tar in his lungs

1. I started the movie program with I Walked With a Zombie. I probably should have chosen something more crowd pleasing and a little less high brow. But it went pretty good. I liked it. All the middle school aged children walked out.

2. Eli is terrified by cigarette smoke. He's been learning about it in school. Last Thursday, he walked out of school with his chin on his chest. He sat in the front seat trying not to cry. It took him several seconds to compose himself to tell me what was the problem.

It turns out the other day he'd walked near a smoker and some of the smoke got in his mouth. His lungs were now full of black stuff.

I tenderly explained to him that smoking is not all that bad. That is a message I never thought I'd have to teach my son. But there you go - he's learned it. Cigarette smoke is not that bad for you.