Strollerderby : Jen Chaney

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Spellbound' Kids?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:28:00 GMT

The Scripps National Spelling Bee crowned Kavya Shivashankar its new champion last week. All the media attention on the Kansas girl who clinched a victory by correctly spelling the word "Laodicean" may have reminded some observers of the 2002 documentary "Spellbound," which followed the often intense competition between several smart young wordsmiths during the 1999 bee.

Since 10 years have passed since that sharply captured showdown in Washington, D.C.'s took place, it's only natural to wonder what has happened to some of the key kids who starred in "Spellbound." Allow me to attempt to provide a few answers A-S-A-P. (That spells, um, ASAP.)

While filmmaker Jeffrey Blitz introduced us to several kids in "Spellbound," eight children played more prominent roles. Here's the rundown on what all of them are doing now, based on info I could readily track down via the World Wide Web.

Neil Kadakia went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, enrolling as a freshman at the ripe age of 16. The sparse public information found on his Facebook page indicates that he graduated from Berkeley in 2007, but it's unclear exactly what he's doing now. (Got some intel? Please share it below in the comments.)

Emily Stagg attended Carleton College in Minnesota and, according to her Facebook page, is currently a grad student at Yale. Back in 2006, she wrote this essay for the New York Times, in which she argued that some modifications to the bee's traditional format could benefit its participants.

Ashley White has perhaps the most compelling post-"Spellbound" story. The D.C. native got pregnant and had a child at the age of 18, but managed to work part-time jobs while earning an undergraduate degree at Howard University and raising her daughter. As of last year, according to this Washington Post story, Ashley was planning to get a master's degree in social work and was even looking farther down the road at a Ph.D.

April DeGideo, whose doting, adorable mother was one of my favorite people in "Spellbound," earned a degree in journalism in 2007, according to Wikipedia. If this LinkedIn page is accurate, she currently works at Progressive Business Publications in Philadelphia.

Harry Altman, a kid who possessed an unparalleled talent for making bizarre faces, went on to major in math and computer science at the University of Chicago. He appears to be pursuing graduate studies at the University of Michigan and currently has 419 friends on Facebook.

Angela Arenivar has made her love of the Spanish language a focus of her life. Her Linked In page says she earned a B.A. in Spanish at Texas A&M University, and is following that with a master's in Spanish from the University of New Mexico, where she also acts as a teaching assistant.

Nupur Lala, who won the "Spellbound" bee, went on to attend the University of Michigan, graduating in 2007. Wikipedia says she is now a technical assistant in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT.

And lastly, the saddest of the "Spellbound" stories. Ted Brigham, a Missouri native, died in 2007 while pursuing medical school in Kansas City. It's unclear what the cause of death was, but it's certainly clear that he left this world much too soon.

The 411 on Our Obsession With SPF

Jen Chaney — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:02:00 GMT

Summer is here and that means it's time for all of us to slather sunscreen on our kids, force them to wear unattractive hats with ridiculously wide brims and insist that they conduct all outdoor activities in the safe, UV-ray-resistant shade. Assuming, that is, that we let them outside at all. Because really, isn't the safest thing to just keep them indoors until October arrives?

Honestly, sometimes it seems that way. Like any parent, I want to do whatever I can to protect my child from getting sunburned or -- God forbid -- skin cancer further down the line. There is plenty of good information, including the guidelines in this piece from Huffington Post, about how to do just that. Use plenty of sunscreen, dress your kids in appropriate attire, avoid being outside during peak hours, keep applying sunscreen every 3 or 4 hours, more if they've been swimming, and so on and so on. The best we can do is follow those rules as closely as possible, right?

Right. Yet our overly neurotic sides sometimes take over, prompting us to obsess so much about reapplying SPF 50 every 15 minutes that we barely give our kids the time and space to lay the foundations for their sandcastles, much less build them. We get so concerned about whether their skin is frying that even as our daughters shout from the swimming pool, "Look, mommy! I just did a perfect dive!" all we can hear is, "Melanoma, melanoma, melanoma..."

Of course, we still need to make a firm commitment to keeping our kids' skin -- and ours' -- protected. According to a recent survey in Consumer Reports, we Americans still have a ways to go, especially on that latter point. Among other things, the survey found that 25 percent of parents with children under the age of 12 were no more diligent about slathering lotion on themselves than were adults without children. The good news is that we do a relatively good job with our little ones: 78 percent of the respondents said they put sunscreen on their kids if they know they will be in the sun for four hours or more. Yeah, that percent should probably be 100, but still, not bad.

The bottom line: we need to strike a balance between sunscreen vigilance and sunscreen neuroticism, so our kids can enjoy the sunny days without feeling like they're being hunted down by the SPF police. Perhaps one way to bring a sense of humor to the serious matter of skin protection: start using Will Ferrell's line of sunscreen, something he created to raise money for a cancer charity. Just make it clear to your kids that streaking like Ferrell did in "Old School" is absolutely not a good idea on days when the UV index is high ... unless they manage to do it while staying in the shade.

Image: Popcrunch via Momlogic

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Gummi Bear Girl?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:58:00 GMT

Twenty-three years ago, she offered a "warm and soft" gummi bear to a defeated high school principal while riding an Illinois school bus in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." As a result, she has been dubbed the "gummi bear girl" -- or as IMDB calls her in a slight improvement, "Girl on Bus." But young actress Polly Noonan went on to do more impressive things than merely offering sweet, squishy candy to older men in John Hughes movies.

Noonan, who now lives in New York City, has remained committed to the craft of acting. Her film credits may be few; most notably, she appeared with Johnny Depp in a little-seen film called "Arizona Dream" and, later, in the Steve Martin film "Novocaine." But Noonan has made a real name for herself in the theater.

She has spent many years appearing in plays written by Sara Ruhl, including "Passion Play" and "Dead Man's Cell Phone," both of which earned her Helen Hayes Award nominations when the productions ran in Washington, D.C. This bio from her stint in Steppenwolf Theatre's production of "Dead Man's Cell Phone" in Chicago lists a number of her other extensive theater credits.

Also, in a fascinating side note, Noonan can be spotted (partially) on the cover of the Lemonheads album "It's a Shame About Ray." Her voice can be heard on the eleventh track of the Lemonheads release that preceded "Ray," "Lovey."

I wasn't able to figure out what exactly she's up to at this moment in time. (She was in a production of "Cell Phone" in Florida earlier this year.) But the fact that she went from wearing ridiculously horrendous Coke bottle specs in "Ferris Bueller" to becoming a serious, working stage actress is enough of a reason to take some time to celebrate what she's accomplished.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Edward Furlong?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Young Tom Hanks' From 'Big'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Staci Keanan?

Images: 80s.com and chicagomag.com

Taking Banned Books Into Her Own Hands ... Er, Locker

Jen Chaney — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:05:00 GMT

One Catholic school student apparently has decided to stick it to the man. Or at least stick it to the people at her Catholic school, which has released a list of books that the students are not allowed to read.

According to a posting on Boing Boing, which points to a question posed by the student on Yahoo! Answers, the young lady has started a banned books lending library in the locker next to hers, a place where her peers can get access to such "offensive" tomes as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Paradise Lost, and Lord of the Flies. Her Yahoo! Question is whether she can legitimately get in trouble for doing what she's doing. The response, for the most part, has been positive, with several people calling her both brave and a hero. But at least one reader questions the truth of what she's saying.

And I can sort of see that person's point. I mean, it's a great story and that makes me want to believe it. But some of the books on the school's "banned" list seem a little ridiculous (Bridge to Terabithia? Really?) I also wonder why the girl would post this question on the World Wide Web if she is genuinely concerned about getting caught.

But, for the sake of argument, let's assume it is true. It's definitely awesome that she's taking matters into her own hands and exposing her fellow students to some really spectacular literature. (Even more awesome? The kid has standards: "Twilight is banned also, but I don't want that polluting my library," she writes.)

As far as the issue about getting into trouble, she might be better off running the lending library off of school grounds. Of course, that's not as delicious as clandestinely keeping the novels in a locker. But it might achieve the same goal and avoid the possibility of her getting suspended.

But that's just my advice, and I was never this rebellious. Again, if the story is true, the school finds out and action is taken against the girl, the ACLU would be on this case faster than you can say, The Canterbury Tales. Which, by the way, is another book on the school's banned list.

Image: Guardian

They Say: Swimming Pools? Yeah, They're Kind Of Gross

Jen Chaney — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:28:00 GMT

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the kick-off of the summer season at most community pools around the country. But after reading this post, you may be a little less enthusiastic about taking the kids for their inaugural dip.

It may not exactly surprise anyone to learn that swimming pools aren't the most sanitary places in the world. But my eyebrows raised a little when I read this CNN.com story that says a recent study conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council revealed that 17 percent of adults sometimes pee in the pool. Let me get this straight: these are adults who (I.P.) freely admitted to a group that studies water quality that they sometimes let a little leak out when they're practicing their butterfly strokes? That leads me to believe that perhaps even more adults who participated in this survey may do the same thing, but simply weren't honest when asked. Translation: every time you think you're just going swimming, you're actually splashing around in a big, festering, germ-filled community toilet.

Honestly, if the over-21-year-olds can't hold it in, what are the odds that all those water-winged four-year-olds can? (Um ... zero.)

Of course, many of us have long suspected this and we still go swimming all the time anyway. Why? Because it's fun, it's refreshing, we've never gotten ill because of it and, most importantly, if we pretend the pee isn't there, it doesn't bother us. (Denial rules.)

Seriously, once we start focusing too obsessively on all the germs and bodily fluids we can pick up at places like this, I think it's only a matter of time before we wind up in Howard Hughes-ville. The best thing we parents can do is make sure our kids are not contributing to the pool grime, and that the pools they swim in are maintained properly. The CNN story points out the importance of showering before going swimming, for example. And it also notes ways to tell if the pool is clean, like listening for signs that the filtration system is functioning, spotting the presence of a working drain and (this one kind of cracks me up) feeling the tiles and sides of the pool to make sure they are neither sticky nor slippery. Okay, sticky would seem a little strange. But slippery? I'm not sure I've ever touched a wet tile surface that wasn't slippery. Then again, I always assumed that most grown-ups know better than to piss in a pool, so what the heck do I know?

Also, it's probably a good idea to train kids as soon as possible that they shouldn't use the pool as a potty. Heck, if need be, remind some adults, too. Because together, America, we can stop unnecessary peeing in the pool, and ensure that we're all swimming in water that contains slightly less bacteria in the future than it does today.

They Say: When It Comes to Baby Names, We Like 'Em Weird

Jen Chaney — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:32:00 GMT

A pair of psychologists recently did a study that confirms something most of us already know: today's parents like unusual baby names.

As USA Today explains, Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell analyzed the names on 325 million applications for Social Security numbers, each one filed between 1880 and 2007. Their findings? Fewer moms and dads these days are opting for common baby names; for example, in 1955, 32 percent of boys had a name that ranked among the top 10 most popular in America. In 2007, only nine percent of males had a "popular" name. The same trend held true for girls -- the 1955 popularity percentage was 22 for females, but 8 percent in 2007.

There are many reasons that could explain this. Twenge and Campbell have focused on the obsession with uniqueness in our culture, coupled with a desire to imitate celebrities (who love a weird baby name) and good old-fashioned Baby Boomer and Generation X narcissism. Perhaps coincidentally, Twenge and Campbell have co-authored a book called "The Narcissism Epidemic," a tome that explores the many ways that the rise of the Narcissist in America has impacted our society. I'd plan to read it, but I'm kinda busy these days, staring at my own reflection in a pool of water.

Seriously, Twenge and Campbell raise some good points, but I think they've neglected to acknowledge a factor that I'll call the Jennifer Syndrome. We Xers grew up in a world where every class, from pre-school to grad school, included at least seven girls named Jennifer. I know this because I was one of them. It's the reason I never took my husband's last name after we get married; I got very attached to Chaney because it was the only way my friends could distinguish me from the 875 other Jens, Jennys and Jennifers in their lives.

My point is, you meet enough Jens as a kid, you start to think that maybe you should name your daughter (or son) something that will stand out. Of course, as we parents know, duplication of kid names still exists. The many Jordans, Jacobs, Emmas and Ethans out there attest to that. But if the Twenge/Campbell study -- which will be presented Saturday at the Association for Psychological Science conference -- is valid, then our kids' names are more diverse than ever. Call me a narcissist, but I think that's a good thing.

Related Links:

More Babies Named After Sports Figure than President

Move Over Emily – There’s a New Most Popular Baby Name

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Edward Furlong?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:03:00 GMT

His real name is Edward Furlong, but many people still think of him as John Connor, the kid destined to save mankind in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Furlong made his film debut at the age of 13 in that iconic James Cameron action flick. While those who kept track of the actor -- or just monitor movie news in general -- may know what happened to Furlong after that, others may be fuzzier on the details. So with Christian Bale set to become the adult version of John Connor in "Terminator Salvation," now seems as good a time as any to find out ... whatever happened to Edward Furlong?

This is one Rich or Rehab installment that, unfortunately, actually does involve some rehab. But first things first ... after his life-changing role in "T2," Furlong continued acting, scoring prominent roles in such films as "Little Odessa," "Pecker," "American History X" and "Detroit Rock City." But the kid was troubled.

For starters, he was tugged in multiple directions during ongoing custody battles between his mom and his aunt and uncle, who acted as his guardians for several years in the early '90s. He later was involved in a romantic relationship with his tutor, who sued him for some of his earnings after they split. Along the way, he developed addictions to drugs and alcohol, became a regular on the party circuit and even dated the Party Queen herself, Paris Hilton, for a while. He bounced in and out of rehab, and even managed to get arrested for DUI and, in a separate incident, attempting to free lobsters from a grocery store. (You gotta admit, he was creative.)

These days, Furlong seems to have straightened himself out. He married actress Rachael Bella in 2006 and is now the father of a two-year-old son named Ethan. He's also still working steadily even if his movie projects aren't exactly high-profile. He has recently starred in "Kingshighway" and several horror flicks, including "Night of the Demons" and the reportedly soon-to-shoot "Forever," opposite Dennis Hopper. Hopefully these are all signs that he'll stay on the right track.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Young Tom Hanks' From 'Big'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Staci Keanan?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Banks Children?

Images:Artisan Entertainment, celebrity-moms.blogspot.com

Tracking a Father-Son Surgery Via Twitter

Jen Chaney — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:32:00 GMT

The fact that a Dallas father plans to give his three-year-old son one of his kidneys is pretty remarkable. But the fact that both surgeries can be followed on Twitter is, reportedly, unprecedented.

A story in the Dallas Morning News says that the details of the pair of Monday morning surgeries will be Tweeted by hospital staff members from inside both operating rooms, apparently a first in the country. That instant-information approach will allow Amanda Gilbreath, mother of John Gilbreath and wife of Chris Gilbreath, to know exactly how things are going for both her son and husband as the procedures unfold. Which is a good thing.

But for those people suffering from Twitter Overload -- those of you who are sick of hearing about Ashton Kutcher's awesome Twitter feed and who's following your sister's Tweets and how crucial it is to Tweet every insipid detail of you life, assuming you have not already communicated those details via Facebook status updates -- this modern approach to medicine may seem a little disturbing. A major surgery is a pretty personal thing. To post the details on Twitter means that not only can Mom follow what's happening, but so can anyone else in the world.

That said, I personally think this sort of thing does more good than harm, as long as the hospital staffers are respectful of the patients' privacy when texting their posts. But what do you think?

Oh, and incidentally, if you want to follow what happens to the Gilbreaths tomorrow morning, you can sign-up to follow them at twitter.com/ChildrensTheOne or visit dallasnews.com.

Image: From the Red Balloon blog

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Young Tom Hanks' From 'Big'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:02:00 GMT

Before Tom Hanks ever tried to solve Vatican mysteries in "Angels & Demons," he played a boy trapped in a grown man's body in another summer movie hit, 1988's "Big." But in the scenes prior to Hanks's takeover of the life of young Josh Baskin, the character was portrayed by a genuinely young actor, a kid named David Moscow.

And that leads me to the question you know I'm just waiting to ask: whatever happened to that boy?

The aforementioned pivotal role in "Big" kickstarted the career of the then 13-year-old New York City native, leading Moscow to parts in TV movies like "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and theatrical films like "Newsies." His resume was a bit spotty in the '90s perhaps because, according to Wikipedia, he attended Hampshire College during a portion of that decade.

He eventually resumed his acting career, though, picking up an appearance in an episode of "Seinfeld," a regular part on the sitcom "Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane" and roles in movies like "Riding in Cars with Boys," "Just Married" and the Jessica Alba instant classic, "Honey."

During the past two years, Moscow has been particularly busy, appearing in a string of independent and direct-to-DVD films, including the Corbin Bernsen-directed effort "Dead Air." Based on the information I was able to find, he is not married and does not have kids; he was engaged to actress Kerry Washington for a few years but the relationship ended.

If he ever does have children, I have to assume that Moscow will be the first one to tell them not to rush into growing up. After all, if anyone knows that skipping over childhood isn't a good idea, it's this "Big" star.

Related Links

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Staci Keanan?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Banks Children?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Skippy From 'Family Ties'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Staci Keanan?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:58:00 GMT

Children of the '80s, surely you remember the girl who had "My Two Dads." Her name was Staci Keanan and for three seasons on NBC, she played sitcom daughter to Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. Presumably, many of you have spent many sleepless nights wondering what happened to the young actress. Well, here's the update. Consider your insomnia cured.

After her stint on "My Two Dads," Keanan popped up on a few other series here and there until she landed a more permanent gig on that other sitcom that made her famous, "Step by Step." After that comedy ended its run in 1998, the Pennsylvania native's bio gets a bit ... vague.

According to imdb, she majored in art history at UCLA. But I coudn't dig up any information about when she graduated. What is apparent is that Keanan eventually returned to acting. She appears to have done some theater and, in recent years, a few more movie credits have appeared on her resume. Among them: a pair of recent roles in Christian-themed films slated for release this year: the comedy "Holyman Undercover," scheduled to come to DVD in September, and a film that ChristianCinema.com describes as "pro-life", "Sarah's Choice."

It's unclear what's on tap next for Keanan, but she seems to be working semi-steadily. Meanwhile, "My Two Dads" made its DVD debut earlier this year. You can catch her reminiscing about the experience on the box set's special features. Who knows? Perhaps a "My Two Dads" renaissance is just around the corner.

Here's a semi-recent picture of Keanan, proof that the 33-year-old has aged pretty well.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Banks Children?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Skippy From 'Family Ties'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Small Wonder'?

Rich or Rehab: What Happened to Millie From 'Freaks and Geeks'?

YouTube Helps Man Deliver Baby

Jen Chaney — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:06:00 GMT

YouTube: It sucks hours away from our lives by allowing us to watch complete episodes of "T.J. Hooker" and annoying videos about a kid named Fred. But evidently it also is (indrectly) responsible for bringing new life into the world.

After watching some how-to videos on YouTube, a British engineer named Marc Stephens delivered his son last month when his wife quickly went into labor. As the BBC reports, Stephens's wife, Jo, reported some discomfort one evening, which prompted her husband to Google "how to deliver a baby." He watched a few videos, just in case. When Jo woke up in the middle of the night already in labor and found that no midwives were available to perform the home birth the couple had planned, Stephens was able to put his recently acquired medical expertise to use. He calmly delivered a healthy 5 lb., 5 oz. baby boy named Gabriel, the fourth addition to the Stephens family.

This is obviously a very happy story (and, possibly, awesome fodder for a future YouTube ad campaign). But a few of the stories that reported this news actually made me laugh out loud, simply because some of the quotes from the Stephens family are so hilarious. Some highlights:

From the BBC: "I Googled how to deliver a baby, watched a few videos and basically swotted up."

Also from the BBC: "This is our fourth child now and while for our first I spent most of the time at my wife's head, now I'm not afraid to go down to the business end."

Then there's this punchline, delivered by Jo Stephens to The Guardian: "I was quite relaxed. I have to say, out of all my four labours, that was the one I enjoyed the most. Marc is one of those people who can put his hand to anything."

Put his hand to anything? You got that right, sister.

Anyway, we here at Strollerderby wish the Stephens family congratulations. And we also offer this link to a YouTube video as a public service to anyone who thinks he or she may have to deliver a baby sometime in the near future. The video delivery takes place in a taxi cab. And (obviously) it involves a fake mommy and a doll baby. But if it worked for Stephens, maybe it can work for you, too.

NYT Asks: Are There Too Many Ways to Conceive?

Jen Chaney — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:29:00 GMT

Lisa Belkin over at the NYT's Motherlode blog wonders if the pursuit-of-parenthood market may be oversaturated.

Citing the recent examples of the Sarah Jessica Parker/Matthew Broderick surrogate twins and the woman attempting to become a surrogate grandmother by using her dead son's sperm, Belkin asks if science -- with its IVF, egg donations, fertility drugs and other advances -- has perhaps given us too many options. She quotes The Washington Post's Liza Mundy, who recently wrote a book about assisted reproduction: "When there is always something else to try ... there is no permission to stop. That’s the hardest part of the process for couples. For most of them, the ‘permission’ to stop comes when they run out of money."

Mundy mentions a key word there: money. I suspect that the only people who may feel overwhelmed by the vast conception options out there are people with either a. unbelievably awesome health insurance, or b. sizeable amounts of wealth.

For the average, fertility-challenged couple, it's more like: try the old-fashioned way, maybe pursue fertility drugs or IVF for a short period of time, then start looking into adoption. (Which, for the record, ain't cheap either.) As Mundy rightly points out, people usually exhaust their options when the funding runs out, and that can make them feel guilty. But I think most parental hopefuls realize their resources are limited. It's a terrible feeling to spend all that time, energy and cash on one conception option or another and still not have a child as a result. I guess I'm not just sure how many people cope with that feeling by, say, turning from in vitro fertilization to intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

I think it's valid to raise the questions Belkin mentions, for sure. I just think most Americans won't ever have to answer them because practical, economic factors will steer their decisions more than any excess of scientific options ever will. As a commenter on Belkin's blog post put it: "I agree that the possibilities can be wonderful for people who very much want to become parents, but those possibilities right now are only available to those with deep pockets. Insurance does not cover most infertility treatments."

Related Links:

Babble Talk: Can You Detach the Womb from the Woman?

Handy Tips for Infertility Awareness Week

Genetic Mom Gets OK to Adopt Baby Carried by Partner

Mom Gets OK to Collect Dead Son's Sperm

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the Banks Children?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:58:00 GMT

They were the children with enough candor to ask for a nanny with "rosy cheeks, no warts!" They were ("sincere-lyyyy") Jane and Michael Banks, the delightful British tots who had the good fortune to be left in the care of the umbrella-wielding, bottomless bag-carrying Mary Poppins. So whatever happened to Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, the two young actors who starred alongside Julie Andrews in that 1964 Disney classic?

Let's start with the story of Garber, since his tale is the more tragic of the two. After "Mary Poppins," Garber appeared in one additional Disney feature, 1967's "The Gnome-Mobile," also with Dotrice. His acting career ended there. Sadly, Garber died a mere decade later, at the age of 21. According to information on the Reel Classics Web site, the circumstances surrounding Garber's death were unknown for many years; no obituary was published and even the people at Disney Studios weren't sure what had caused his untimely death. In 2004, Fergus Garber, Matthew's younger brother, confirmed in an interview that his sibling died of pancreatitis, which he apparently contracted after eating "bad" meat while visiting India.

The story of Garber's "Mary Poppins" sister, Karen Dotrice, is thankfully less upsetting. She continued to pursue an acting career post-"Poppins," landing her highest-profile parts in the British series "Upstairs, Downstairs" and a 1978 remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Thirty Nine Steps." Although she did some voice work and theater and made an occasional TV appearance in the years that followed, Dotrice more or less retired from acting in the early 1980s.

She got married twice, first to Alex Hyde-White (they divorced in 1992), then in 1994 to her current spouse, Ned Nalle, a man who has previously served as an executive for Universal Studios and the Playboy Entertainment Group. According to Wikipedia, she has three children, one from her marriage to Hyde-White and three with Nalle.

Back in 2004, she was named a Disney Legend by the studio. It was an honor she shared with her co-star, Garber, who received the designation posthumously.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Skippy From 'Family Ties'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Small Wonder'?

Rich or Rehab: What Happened to Millie From 'Freaks and Geeks'?

Images: Wikipedia and superiorpics.com

A President With Major Daddy Issues

Jen Chaney — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:58:00 GMT

If a child in Paraguay brags that his Daddy is the president, it seems there is a better than average chance he is telling the truth.

In the past two weeks, three women have publicly declared that Fernando Lugo, the president of that Latin American country, fathered children with them out of wedlock. So far Lugo, a former Catholic bishop, has admitted that he is the father of a two-year-old boy with Viviana Carrillo, one of his former parishioners. But he has not admitted to conceiving children with the two other women who have come forward, including a woman the BBC identifies as Hortensia Moran, who has a 16-month-old she says is Lugo's son.

According to the New York Daily News, Moran also said that six more women may soon announce that their children are Lugo's. Uh, wow. So which part of all this is most shocking: that the president of Paraguay may have sired many children and didn't admit it? That he may have fathered at least one of these children while still holding the title of Catholic bishop? That one of the women says she was 16 when their relationship began? Or how about all of the above?

With a scandal this meaty, the media is naturally focusing a lot of their attention on Lugo and the women who have made these claims. But I have to wonder how this will affect the children who resulted from these unions. The oldest one -- at least based on the mothers who have stepped forward and made allegations -- is 6. So most of them are too young to have a firm handle on exactly what's going on here.

But as they grow older -- assuming Lugo really is their father -- I have to assume these kids will want to know who their dad is. And once they know, they may want to establish some type of relationship with him. How does President Lugo plan to handle that? If he ignores them, what kind of impact will that have on these children?

And more importantly, doesn't anyone in Paraguay use birth control??

Image: BBC

Could We Be Turning Our Kids Into Anti-Environmentalists?

Jen Chaney — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:25:00 GMT

On Earth Day -- a 24-hour period dedicated to celebrating our planet, encouraging environmentalism and insisting that it's super-easy to be green -- Slate's Emily Bazelon asks whether we might be laying it on a little thick.

She notes that the daughter of one of her colleagues is already, at the ripe age of six, really tired of hearing about how important it is to be environmentally friendly. Sure, she does all the right things, like recycling. But at the same time, part of her yearns to rebel and do something totally anti-establishment, like maybe use a styrofoam cup or throw something plastic into a regular trash can.

Bazelon's essay makes me wonder whether other children feel the same way. Is it possible we are raising a generation of individuals who -- after hearing everyone from their parents to their teachers to the hosts of their favorite TV shows constantly spouting inconvenient truths -- wishes they could be anti-environmentalists? Or, to put it more bluntly, have we Al Gore-d our kids to death?

Personally, I don't see our children doing a 180 and starting to send us back as far as environmental consciousness is concerned. Too many green practices have already become such a part of their daily lives and attitudes that it would be impossible to make them stop using recycling bins or trying to conserve water when they brush their teeth. And that's a good thing. But when any young person starts to drown in a barrage of messages on the same subject -- no matter what it is -- there is a tendency to either tune out or get fed up.

Bazelon suggests that one way to overcome this is to make sure the environmental lessons we teach our kids are age-appropriate and administered in reasonable doses. She also thinks that the best way to start encouraging kids to love the Earth is by simply letting them breathe it in. Take them to a park, but don't talk to them about the litter you spot on the ground. Watch a documentary about animals without preaching about how global warming could be threatening said creatures' extinction. Enjoy a sunny day without thinking about anything but the beauty of all that warmth and light.

Do that, she suggests, and when it's time for the Earth-Day-style lessons, maybe they'll mean a lot more. I think she's absolutely right.

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Skippy From 'Family Ties'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:02:00 GMT

He was the nerdy kid next-door who worshipped at the altar of Mallory and tagged along after Alex like an adorable, bespectacled puppy. He was Skippy Handleman, the resident dork on TV's "Family Ties," and he was portrayed by actor Marc Price.

Of course, after seven years of playing second fiddle to various members of the beloved Keaton family, Price grew up and eventually moved on to other things. Not sure what those other things were? Then read on and find out exactly where Price is now.

For starters, let's just say Price did not have the world's most sizzling acting career outside of "Family Ties." His resume -- courtesy of imdb -- features such highlights as the ridiculous rock 'n' roll horror flick "Trick or Treat"(co-starring Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osbourne and "Desperate Housewives" star Doug Savant!), an afterschool special and "Killer Tomatoes Eat France!," which apparently was released on video solely in Japan.

Fortunately, Price -- who is now 41 -- hasn't relied exclusively on acting credits to pay his bills. For several years, he hosted "Teen Win, Lose or Draw" on the Disney Channel. He has produced shows such as E!'s "Star Dates" and the game show "National Lampoon's Funny Money." These days, according to this recent profile in the Calgary Herald, he still lives in the L.A. area and co-runs a production company called Say Something. But above all else, he continues to work as a stand-up comedia n, a profession he inherited from his funnyman father, Al Bernie.

Just last week, in fact, he did a series of dates in Calgary. And this weekend, he brings the funny to the Washington D.C. region. Price acknowledges that some people may view him as washed-up, but he isn't so sure that he needs to be a celebrity. "There is this obsession that people have, " he told the Herald. "They want you to want to be famous. You ask yourself if 15 more minutes is that important. I grapple with that, but people don't. They are sure of it. They're sure I should want to be really famous and upset that I'm not."

Regardless of how you perceive him, Price certainly seems to be doing what he loves. I suspect even Mallory, in her aloof way, would be impressed by that.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Small Wonder'?

Rich or Rehab: What Happened to Millie From 'Freaks and Geeks'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Harold From 'Harold and Maude'?

Images: sitcomsonline.com and superiorpics.com

Babble Talk: When Your Kid is Always the Loser

Jen Chaney — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Alyssa Giacobbe doesn't want her boyfriend's four-year-old son to be a winner. Well, at least not all of the time. And definitely if he hasn't earned it.

That's the subject of her Bad Parent essay, entitled "Tough Luck, Kid," in which she confesses that she never lets young Noah win at Candyland, Mario Kart, Memory or any other competitive diversion in which she and the boy may engage. What Giacobbe describes as her "firm stance on winning and losing" has ignited some heated comments on the Babble Web site, many from people who are fired up for reasons that have nothing to do with board games.

"The 'bad parent' isn't a parent at all but a live-in girlfriend who dislikes her boyfriend's child and sees their relationship as a competition," writes one commenter. "Yes, she's in a competition with a FOUR YEAR OLD, and she's going to show that kid who's the bigger, smarter, more awesome person. How impressive."

Another blames Babble for publishing the piece in the first place: "I also agree with the assessment that this woman is NOT a parent. In fact, I am deeply offended as an ACTUAL MOTHER that Babble would publish this. This woman has no idea how actual mothers feel (and hopefully never will because she is clearly too immature and cold to be a mother) and to publish this is just reckless."

Okay, all due respect: reckless is pushing it. Driving drunk is reckless. Playing Keep Away with a loaded gun is reckless. Posting an essay by a woman who frequently acts as a caregiver to a child even though she is technically not the child's mother may be questionable to some, but no one is going to die or have his or her life ruined as a result. (For the record, I think the issues Giacobbe describes relate directly to parenting, so I think it's totally valid to run this. But that's me.)

All that said, the fact that Giacobbe is not Noah's mother does raise some valid questions, namely whether she should be enforcing this "the kid stays on the losing side" policy when even she notes that his father doesn't necessarily agree with it. "Bob hasn't yet bought in, skeptical of what he calls my shameless competitive nature and minimal innate parental wisdom," she writes.

Obviously moms and dads -- or dads and live-in-girlfriend-caregivers, since everyone wants to get technical about this -- don't always agree about how best to teach their children a lesson. But the most important thing, in my mind, is to show a united front. If Dad (and perhaps his mom) often let little Noah win under false pretenses but Giacobbe doesn't, Giacobbe's effort to teach him about the importance of losing gracefully may be, well, lost. Consistency is important. Without it, she just seems like the bad guy. Or, possibly from Noah's perspective, the best Mario Kart player in the history of Wii.

Now, back to the larger point, which is really what this essay is about in the first place: Is the author right or wrong? I say yes, and no. Actually, I think I'm on Bob's side on this one. According to Giacobbe, her partner "practices a moderate halfsies approach to game-playing: Noah is guaranteed a win at least half the time." I think that at least while the child is only four, that's the right way to go.

I completely agree with Giacobbe that it's wrong to always let our kids win, or to lie to them about their failures just so they won't feel bad. It's one of the hazards of something Amy Kuras wrote about here in Strollerderby just last week: self-esteem focused parentings. Many moms and dads focus so intensely on convincing their kids that they can achieve great things that they never bother to teach them the importance of accepting disappointment with dignity. And that's just as crucial to being a success as actual success itself.

The truth is that over the course of a life, most of us win sometimes and lose sometimes. We get a sprinkling of both. And that's why I agree with Noah's dad in this case. At the age of 4, Noah deserves to know the truth: that sometimes luck isn't on your side. So you lay your head on your Thomas the Tank Engine pillowcase at the end of the day with the sobering knowledge that, yes, your father is better at Connect Four than you are. But then there are other, magical days when you reach your maximum potential, the world smiles and all those red, circular chips line up exactly right.

Mom Arrested for Biting Slow-eating Son

Jen Chaney — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:58:00 GMT

Trying to get two kids ready for school in the morning can make any mother frustrated. Apparently one in Florida got so annoyed last week that, as the St. Pete Times reports, she bit her 5-year-old son on the cheek. Now she faces a charge of child abuse.

The mom, identified as Zhifang Chen, allegedly was angry with her son for eating his breakfast too slowly. She told police she "was just playing around" when she bit the boy, but his teacher reported the incident because the child had visible teeth marks on his cheek when he came to school. Chen is being held in jail without bond; the story doesn't say where the children currently are.

Clearly, most of us probably wouldn't characterize a bite that severe as "playing around." But I dare say that many of us have occasionally gotten mad enough at our kids to find ourselves teetering on the line that separates in-control parents from ones who totally lose their cool and do something regrettable.

In those situations, what do you do to stay calm (besides, you know, opting not to sink your teeth into your child)? I'm a big proponent of something I'll call inside-voice cursing: pausing for a moment, closing your eyes and screaming curse words in your head where, unless your son or daughter is one of those weird, telepathic kids from some lousy horror movie, the little one can't hear them. Yeah, it's kind of lame. But as an anger management technique, it sure as hell beats biting.

They Say: Kids Who Smile Big Will Marry Well

Jen Chaney — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:02:00 GMT

You may want to look at some of your family pictures after this post. Or, for that matter, dig out some childhood photos of your own.

According to a recent study conducted at Indiana's DePauw University, children who smile brightly in photographs are less likely to get divorced later in life. No, I'm not kidding. The researchers looked at the high school photos of several subjects, ages 21 to 87, and found that those with dimmer grins tended to have at least one broken marriage under their belts. They also found similar results using photographs of kids as young as five.

So let's break this down. In essence, this confirms something that, as this piece in the Telegraph points out, is basic, common sense: happy people tend to have happy marriages. That may be because they are more positive and willing to work at their relationships, or (and this is my hypothesis here) because upbeat individuals attract, and are attracted to, other upbeat individuals.

But what this study doesn't address is the issue of faking. Plenty of people can plaster dazzling smiles across their faces when a photo is being snapped. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are happy people. I guess children are less likely to put on a front, especially when they're very young. But I do wonder how clear-cut the relationship is between a smile and reality.

In any event, if this study really is accurate, it tells us something pretty important about appearances: perhaps you can not only judge a book by its cover, but predict its marital satisfaction, too.

Image: Getty Via The Telegraph

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to the 'Small Wonder'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:02:00 GMT

Here at Strollerderby, we've been bringing you Rich or Rehab for more than a year. But clearly we have been remiss since it's taken more than 365 days for us to pose the following question: exa ctly what is up with Tiffany Brissette, the '80s child star who played Vicki (or V.I.C.I.) the robot on the sitcom we all knew and loved (okay, at least knew), "Small Wonder"? With absolutely no assistance from any robots, here is the info we managed to dig up.

After perfecting her signature staccato line delivery during four seasons of "Small Wonder," Brissette snagged a handful of small TV parts after the show folded in 1989, including one appearance opposite previous Rich or Rehab subject, Corin Nemec, on "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." But by the early 1990s, the acting prospects dried up.

At that point, and here I quote from the Tiffany Brissette Fan Club Web site, "In 1990 Tiffany appeared in a Christmas videotape, Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect. In autumn 1991 she was a co-hostess on The 700 Club where she sang 'Say Yes (to Jesus).'"

A follow-up question on my part: After "Say Yes (to Jesus)," shouldn't Tiffany have sung another song, "Jesus, Why Aren't Christmas Trees Perfect?" I mean, it kind of seems like the obvious question to ask under the circumstances. Just wonderin'.

Anyhoo, that fan club Web site also reports that sometime around the year 2000, Brissette was working as a missionary and youth counselor in the San Diego. More recently, though, she's been living in Boulder, Colo., and pursuing another noble calling: nursing.

Earlier this year she appeared on The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet where, during a somewhat rushed interview and a few awkward reunions with her "Small Wonder" co-stars, she shared a few more details about what she's been up to. Feel free to watch the embedded clip below. As far as I am concerned, anyone who can be a good sport about starring in "Small Wonder" -- and who went from playing a non-human on TV to someone who potentially saves human lives -- must be doing something right.

Related Links:

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The Holiday Dilemma: When Parental Gift-Giving Goes Too Far

Jen Chaney — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:28:00 GMT

It's Easter Sunday. Have your kids opened their Easter presents yet?

Easter presents? Yes, some parents really do treat the spring holiday as a time to give gifts that go beyond the standard Easter baskets -- including pet rabbits or chicks, which, by the way, typically aren't a good idea.But the live animal issue aside, this raises a question: which holidays really do merit the giving of gifts and how do we, as parents, know when we're going too far?

I am chagrined to admit that I was raised in a present-focused family. Easter Sunday, for example, was treated like Christmas: Part Deux. Which kinda makes sense from a biblical perspective, but doesn't, really, as far as gifts go. Every year, I got up on that spring Sunday to find an Easter basket overflowing with chocolate bunnies and Reese's peanut butter eggs, but also other stuff -- trinkets, dolls and tiny toys. Then on top of that there were wrapped gifts, which contained more books and toys and albums (remember those?), the sorts of items one typically expects to receive on a birthday or during the holidays.

And it didn't stop with Easter. My parents gave gifts on Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, even the last day of school. To them, it was an expression of generosity. I had a stay-at-home mom who lived for her children and giving gifts, to her, was just one way to bring joy to our lives. In fairness, I don't think receiving all that stuff warped me in any way. That scenario was certainly better than the alternative: having a parent who forgets birthdays or doesn't share any tokens of affection. But I do think those traditions may have spoiled me a bit. At the least, all those gifts definitely resulted in a house that was filled-to-bursting with unnecessary objects, things that, in the end, my brother and I didn't really need and my mom and dad didn't have to give us to remind us we were loved.

With a two-year-old son, I'm still semi-new at all of this parenting stuff. But I'm trying to take a more tempered approach to present-giving. My childhood experience compels me -- wrongly or rightly -- to feel like I have to do something special on holidays, which is why I found myself at a Hallmark store on Saturday throwing together a small-scale Easter basket at the last minute.

I kept it very simple -- I purchased three objects total -- but I know that as my child gets older, the temptation to inflate that Easter basket or Christmas stocking or, um, celebratory Fourth of July receptacle will only get greater. Still, I'm determined to find some kind of middle ground between the extreme parent-with-presents model and the cheapstake Mom role. But given the precedent my parents set -- not to mention corporate America's insistence that every holiday is a reason to spend hundreds of dollars -- that's something that will require serious dedication on my part.

What about you? Did you give Easter presents this year? And do you ever find yourself fighting the urge to overgift?

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Turns Out Men Can Get Postpartum Depression, Too

Jen Chaney — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Women obviously suffer from the more severe hormonal changes after their children are born. But that doesn't mean dads are immune to postpartum depression.

According to this story from Newsweek, plenty of men experience the baby blues even if we don't always recognize it as such. Dr. Will Courtenay, a psychotherapist quoted extensively in the article, says that some studies indicate that as many as one in four new fathers wind up with PPD.

Honestly, this probably isn't a huge surprise to anyone. Having a child causes tectonic shifts in the ground beneath anyone's feet, regardless of their gender. The sleeplessness, the additional demands on our time, the sense that we're not living up to our spouse's or partner's expectations -- it can cause anyone to break, as father and one-time PPD sufferer Joel Schwartzberg writes in this essay, also in Newsweek.

The symptons he describes -- sadness, lack of communication with his spouse, a desire to flee from the situation -- are emotions I am sure many of us have felt at one point or another. In case there was any doubt, I think it's perfectly legitimate for guys to feel this way and to call it PPD.

What strikes me as a little strange, though, is this comment from Dr. Courtenay, in response to a reporter's question about whether postpartum depression manifests itself differently in men than in women. "When we think of a depressed person, we usually picture someone who's sad and crying," he says. "But if we picture instead a guy who's working 60 hours a week, is a little short-tempered, drinks a couple of beers at lunch, slips out of the office to have an affair, then speeds home to his wife, that's not what we picture when we think of depression, but those are some of the signs of men's depression, which can often look different."

Drinking on the job? Leaving the office to have an affair? That sounds a little extreme and perhaps like evidence of even more complex problems, doesn't it? I realize men and women are different -- I learned this primarily from years of hilarious stand-up comedy routines --and that the issues they confront as new parents vary in many ways, but I suspect that the feelings they struggle with have more in common than that statement suggests. Based on Schwartzberg's essay, which really resonated with me even though my chromosomes are definitely of the XX variety, that certainly seems true.

But you tell me. Are you a dad who has suffered from PPD, or do you suspect your husband/partner may have? What were the symptoms that reared their heads? And what advice can you offer to other parents in the same challenging situation?

Image: guardian.co.uk

Rich or Rehab: What Happened to Millie From 'Freaks and Geeks'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:28:00 GMT

In this week's attempt to track down child stars of yore, we turn to "Freaks and Geeks," one of the finest, truest shows about high school life to ever air on television. So, naturally, NBC canceled it in 2000, in the middle of its first season. But the freaks and the geeks have managed to get the last laugh; virtually every kid who played a student at Michigan's McKinley High has gone on to greater stardom.

James Franco. Seth Rogen. Linda Cardellini. Jason Segel. All of them have built notable TV and movie careers since the final "Freaks" flag flew back in 2000. Even "geeks" like Martin Starr ("Adventureland") and Samm Levine (soon to be seen in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds") have done pretty well.

Still, a few of the show's supporting players have maintained lower profiles. Which brings us to a question every "Freaks and Geeks" fan may be asking, when they're not inquiring as to the whereabouts of Mr. Rosso: Whatever happened to Millie, the perpetually ethical Mathlete who had the guts to bust out this little number in the middle of a beer bash?

That actress was Sarah Hagan, who scored a part on the Judd Apatow-produced series at the age of 15 and has stayed in the acting business ever since. Her roles have mostly remained in television, sometimes been memorable and usually qualified as small. She had a recurring gig as Amanda on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; she also scored guest appearances on "Judging Amy," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Medium."

Now Hagan is 24 and still sticking with that acting career. She recently starred opposite Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Parker Posey in the comedy "Spring Breakdown," which screened earlier this year at Sundance and will release on DVD in June. It's unclear what's next on her agenda. Personally, I think she should hook up with Jason Segel and take that "Jesus Is Just Alright" routine on the road. That's pure, musical gold.

Related Links:

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Harold From 'Harold and Maude'?

Rich or Rehab: What Happened to the Kid From 'Close Encounters'?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Tia From 'Witch Mountain'?

Image: Weblo.com

The Five Peanuts TV Specials That Never Should Have Been

Jen Chaney — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:58:00 GMT

"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" airs tonight on ABC, allowing us Americans to mark yet another holiday by laughing at Linus's refusal to accept reality. (If you want to hang on to your security blanket, fine. But believing in the Easter Beagle given your high IQ? That's pretty borderline, kid.)

As Peanuts cartoons go, "Easter Beagle" is a relatively decent one. I mean, Marcie's perpetual confusion about how to dye Easter eggs is a pure delight by itself. But as connoisseurs of all things Charlie Brown well know, those animated specials started to dip swiftly in quality not long after this one first aired in 1974.

So in order to help you and your little ones appreciate the finer nuances of "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" -- and to make "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" look even more genius than they already do -- I present the Five Peanuts TV Specials That Never Should Have Been.

5. "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown" (First aired: 1976)

By this time, CB and the gang had already covered Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Election Day, Easter and Valentine's Day. I love trees as much as the next person, but when the Peanuts gang sinks to Arbor Day, you know Charles Schulz and co. are scraping the bottom of the holiday special barrel. To their credit, though, they never played the most desperate card in the holiday deck, thereby saving us all from "It's Flag Day, Charlie Brown."

4. "What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!" (First aired: 1978)

Right out of the gate, the title is pretty terrible. But that aside, there's something a little odd about basing a Peanuts special on Jack London's "Call of the Wild." (And no, I'm not joking.) The fact that Snoopy gets into some vicious dog fights (see video) makes this cartoon potentially frightening for very young kids, but potentially entertaining to anyone who ever insisted that all "A Charlie Brown Christmas" needed was "more dog sled action."

3. "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" (First aired: 2002)

This one was invented solely to juice ratings for "A Charlie Brown Christmas," allowing the annual holiday classic to extend into an hour-long TV extravaganza. But "Christmas Tales" is clearly nothing but yuletide filler. To borrow from a question Lucy asks her blockheaded pageant director in "A Charlie Brown Christmas": "Can't you tell the difference between a good holiday special and a poor holiday special?" Yes, Lucy, we can.

2. "Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown" (First aired: 1985)

A wedding episode is always a blatant grab for ratings. But I think for everyone when I say that Charlie Brown should never, ever utter the following words: "Wake up, Snoopy ... it's time for the bachelor party."

1. "It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown" (First aired: 1984)

Wow, where to even begin with this one? How about with Peppermint Patty's attempt to imitate Jane Fonda's aerobics moves and sing her own version of Toni Basil's "Mickey," which, honestly, has to be seen to be believed? (And P.S.: What are Lucy and Schroeder doing to that pommel horse in the middle of this clip?)

Or does the utter ridiculousness that is "Flashbeagle" really start and finish with Snoopy busting out some hardcore '80s-era dance moves? It's hard to say. But I do know this much: the world is a better place when Snoopy stays perched on his doghouse and lays off the legwarmers.

Babble Talk: When the Kids Take Charge

Jen Chaney — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Sure, kids often say cute things. But occasionally, they say wise, caring things, too.

Like this little gem, recently added to the Kids Say the Cutest Things database of adorable comments. Young Max and Sam had this to say to their mother:

"Why don't you take a time out, Mom. We think you need it."

Now, it's highly possible that the 6- and 4-year-old boys were being smart alecks. After previously being told to take time outs for their bad behavior, perhaps they thought Mom did something that also merited a little solo time in the corner.

But I prefer to read that suggestion this way: The boys could sense that their mother was tired and genuinely wanted to give her a break. Has this ever happened to you? Has one of your children looked at you and said, "Mom, take a day off" or "Dad, I think you could really use a nap"?

Personally, it hasn't happened to me yet. But I look forward to the day when it does so I can jump at the opportunity. "Yes, my son! I do need a time out. Why don't I go take one and you can make dinner, respond to some e-mails and entertain yourself for ... oh, say, the next seven hours?"

If your child has ever recognized that you needed to relax, and told you in particularly pithy fashion, let us know with a Kids Say the Cutest Things contribution of your own. But please, only post it after you' ve taken a lengthy time out. I can sense that you need one.

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