A national political fight, one middle-class Southern California family . . . What the debate about children s health insurance looks like up close.AMERICAN dream scene: a gorgeous Southern California day. A car-free cul-de-sac on a hilltop overlooking a canyon. A boy and his father, shooting hoops.

  When it's annual health insurance enrollment time, Mark and Christine Leon of Pasadena pull out fat Manila folders holding last year's medical records and health expenses. They sit at their plastic tablecloth-covered dining room table with a calculator, pencils and pads of paper making their best guesses at what next year's medical needs will be.

  Crystal Currie, 22, has been straddling the health insurance income divide for years. Sometimes the North Hollywood single mother has fallen on the low-income side that says her daughter, Lily, 6, qualifies for government-sponsored health insurance. And other times, after bootstrapping herself into marginally higher income, she has discovered that more money for the family meant no health insurance for Lily.

  * The rules for the State Children's Health Insurance Program vary by state. To find out who is eligible for California's SCHIP program, called Healthy Families, go to www.healthyfamilies.ca , or call (800) 880-5305.

  The number of children who could be affected by the national political battle over the State Children's Health Insurance Program depends on how close their family's income is to the cutoff level. Overall, however, here are the most recent numbers of uninsured children.

  Alcohol-free wine is one way to help keep calories under control.Take too much fun from the fun bank at Thanksgiving? With more holiday revelry coming up, we have three little words: alcohol-free wine.

  Changes next year to Medicare's drug program mean consumers need to do a little studying.AMERICANS planning to buy their drugs through Medicare's prescription drug program -- Medicare Part D -- have until Dec. 31 to sign up for coverage during 2008. But they shouldn't wait until the last moment.

  Though used for more than a century, the normal body temperature standard of 98.6 degrees is probably too high.This flu season, as always, many people will be reaching for the thermometer to see whether their temperature has surpassed that familiar, call-out-sick, stay-home-from-school benchmark: 98.6 degrees.

  Tempted to take a workout break? Gyms and trainers saw that coming -- and want to save you from yourself.WITH gifts to buy, halls to deck, parties to plan and copious amounts of rich, fatty food to be consumed, even devoted fitness buffs might lop a few workouts off the holiday schedule. Less devoted enthusiasts might just say to heck with gym visits altogether.

  Yoga posture shapes shoulders, biceps and triceps.If your yoga routine doesn't currently emphasize working your upper body, add a few postures that do. This powerful yoga pose will help develop shape and build strength in your shoulders, biceps, triceps and core muscles.