Strollerderby : summer

Who's the Little Kid Here?

JeanneSager — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:29:00 GMT

Let me just say I love summer festivals. But I can't stand the people who man booths at said summer festivals.

They need to get a grip on BOUNDARIES.

I took my daughter to a local "pet and animal" festival over the weekend along with one of my best friends and her son. Feeding ponies, petting goats and picking up bunnies was all well and good. Until they met the guy with the fire dog, who clipped two leashes to the dog's collar and let the kids take the Dalmation for a walk. Sounds like a dream come true for two kids, right? Wait, there's more.

The man proceeded to tell my friend and I that he "hated kids and dogs." It should have been a sign, but our kids were in heaven. So we stood there, watching carefully to make sure the dog didn't pull the two pre-schoolers into the road, while the man set up for his "musical presentation." A presentation that we soon realized, was slated to include our kids.

Um, OK? Again, we were stuck weighing out - do we disappoint our kids who are extra eager to take a spoon and a washboard and play "back up" or let them stay? Yes, we were letting the kids rule the day, but that was the point of the trip. We weren't checking out a pets and animal festival for our health.

But when we were done, we were done. A few songs under their belt, we had the kids convinced we should move on to the next event. But the man with the band had other ideas. "Just one more song?" he asked.

"OK, just one more song." So they sang the "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and we watched. OK. Done. "No, just one more song?" the man asked. This time he didn't wait for us to relent. He started singing, and the kids joined in. We were moving in by the time he'd finished, when he gave my friend's son the microphone, handing it direclty the four-year-old like he had the power to make the decisions here. "Want to sing the five little monkeys song?" What four-year-old was going to say no to that?"

While I grabbed my now shrieking daughter, the man argued, "Oh, Mom, just let her stay for one more song."

If my daughter wasn't there, I'd have snapped in his face. But if my daughter wasn't there, I wouldn't have ended up being held hostage to a festival crazy either. Because they love to prey on families, knowing we parents don't want to disappoint our kids. They say everything IN FRONT of our kids, making sure that we look like the heavies when we say no, and they offer up intoxicating fun with which we just can't compete.

Summer's just beginning, and can I say we're in for a long one?

Image: SagerScenes

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

Weird Holiday Alert: My Bucket's Got a Hole in it Day

JeanneSager — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:32:00 GMT

There are certain things every child needs to know. Chief among them: at least one song that will drive their parents absolutely bonkers (or their grandparents if you prefer).

And considering today is "My Bucket's Got a Hole In It Day," we're happy to oblige.

Because if Pete Seeger at 90 can get up onstage and inspire a rendition of There's a Hole in the Bucket (out of Kris Kristofferson and Ani DiFranco, no less), than your kids surely need to know the story of Liza and Henry. Right?

The old German folk song has been a Seeger favorite and recorded by the likes of Burl Ives, about a couple who just can't seem to get things right. Or at least never fix their bucket.

It's annoying as all get out, but hey, you have a whole summer to teach it to your kids then let them loose at the family reunion, right? So we rustled up the lyrics for you, courtesy of a Girl Scouts Song Lyrics Index on About.com:

Liza: Henry! Fetch me some water!
Henry:There's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, dear Liza
There's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, a hole.

L: Well, fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well, fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.

H:With what shall I fix it ...
L: With a straw dear Henry ...
H:The straw is too long ...
L: Well, cut it dear Henry ...
H:With what shall I cut it ...
L: With an axe dear Henry ...
H:The axe is too dull dear Liza ...
L: Well, sharpen it dear Henry ...
H:With what shall I sharpen it ...
L: With a stone dear Henry ...
H:The stone is too dry dear Liza ...
L: Well, wet it dear Henry ...
H:With what shall I wet it ...
L: With water dear Henry ...
H:In what shall I fetch it ...
L: In a bucket dear Henry ...
H:There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza ...

If you take a video of your kids doing it, put it up on YouTube, but really, you don't have to share it with us. The knowledge that we're not the only ones with this song now permanently stuck in our heads is thanks enough!

Image: Current

Kelly Ripa Beats Obamas for Your Family Vacation

JeanneSager — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:01:00 GMT

I've got a bone to pick with American families.

Or at least those signing up for nitwit surveys. Because apparently you would rather spend your vacation with a talk show host than the leader of the free world.

That's right, Kelly Ripa has topped the vote of who American families want to vacation with this year, outlasting the Obama family by a full seven points.

Sure, she might be able to get you a line on a really nice washer/dryer, but she's still Regis' perky partner (we're assuming she'd be leaving him home, by the way?). Given the choice of her or the president of the United States, the absolutely incredible first lady and those cute little girls, you know where I'd be.

And that's not just because I'm a liberal. If you're a Republican, you can't tell me you REALLY wouldn't like to bend the ear of the guy on top of it all? No? What if he said he'd let you stay at Camp David for free this summer? The Lincoln Bedroom?

You'd still rather make bedroom eyes at Kelly Ripa?

Sheesh, America, let's wake up here. She's cute, but she can't get your out-of-work Uncle Lenny a job.

Ripa had twenty-six percent of the vote in the Ipsos Public Affairs poll, compared to nineteen percent for Barack and co. By the way, kudos to the folks who picked the Obamas over the Jolie-Pitts. Brangelina and their brethren had just sixteen percent of the vote.

Who do you want to barbecue on the beach with this summer?

Image: People.com

Three Ways To Get to Sesame Street This Summer

JeanneSager — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:02:00 GMT

The pressure's on to plan the big family vacation? Two words. Sesame Street.

And Babble's telling you how to get, how to get there. We've checked in with Elmo and Abby Cadabby and come up with our list of the best bets for Sesame-style summering with your tot.

1. Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. It's an old family standby, but the Forest of Fun at the popular theme park is all new and all Sesame. Gates opened in April, adding the country of characters to the park's traditional tour of Europe set-up. We let our pre-school tester loose in the park, and "let's ride it again!" was the phrase of the day. Topping her list were a nice and easy (for mom) Ernie and Bert adventure in the "lochs" of Scotland - it left her soaking wet and squealing with fun; and a mini roller-coaster courtesy of Super Grover that gave her a taste of the belly-dropping fun of the big coasters without the fear factor. Located near the entrance to the park, the Forest of Fun is just right - a great intro to the day, and something for them to look forward to getting back to when they're off with the rest of the family checking out the rest of the "gardens."

Why You Should Go: The price of a ticket affords a family admission to the whole park, making Busch Gardens the go-to for families with kids whose ages range. Sesame characters put on impromptu shows that get the whole family moving (no extra charge), and there's something for even the tiniest toddlers to do.

Good to Know: There are water attractions, but clothes are required on most rides, so throw some shorts on over their suits. Dining with the characters does not require advance reservations - price of food is not included in the ticket - but you need to check for specific meal times when you enter the park. A picture station with the characters is set up on site, and they will allow you to take your own pictures (just ask) or you can buy one of theirs. Take a stroller - even if your kid is busting out of it, it's not for them but for the cameras, bottles of water and stuffed animals won at the games along the way.

2. Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA. Owned by the same company that runs Busch Gardens (yes, the beer company), this is all Sesame, all summer long. Our little tester recommends you stop in for an in-theatre showing of Elmo's World, followed by a chance to climb around on stage where they can play Elmo's song on the piano and say "hello" to Dorothy.

Why You Should Go: This is the place for hard-core Sesame fans, but additions of a few extra roller-coasters also allow the older set to have their fun. The park is all Sesame, which means the crowd is all families and so is the staff's focus.

Good to Know: A two-day ticket costs the same as a one-day fee, so break up the day to make it easier on your kids (and hit the nearby outlets to save on kids clothes). Breakfast with the characters requires an advance reservation, but it gives your family a chance to be the first ones into the park - no lines, and the food isn't bad for theme park fare (even our daddy tester had a hankering for the little French toast sticks). The characters wander throughout the park during the day, so chances are you'll get to meet everyone. Again, you can take your own pictures (just ask) or buy the park's. Bring a swimsuit - there's plenty of water.

3. Sesame Street Live, a city near you. For families who are skipping the week-long or even extended weekend's vacation this year, a day trip to see a show can lift your kid's spirits, get you out of the house and save you a bundle. And if that show happens to offer them a chance to see their furry friend? That's just a bonus for mom or dad.

Why You Should Go: The show is always educational, and your tot will be in awe at the size of their favorite friends on-stage. Even kids who aren't ready to be taken to the movie theater yet are OK in a theater when the show is made for kids.

Good to Know: Regardless of where the show is being performed, there will be kiosks with Sesame goodies, so if you've opted for the show to save on the big vacation, you might want to make a deal with your kids BEFORE you go in. Whether it's "no extras today" or "you may pick out one toy," have a game plan because they're unavoidable, and plenty of kids will be brandishing their Sesame binoculars or Elmo balloons. The show does include an intermission for potty breaks, so your kids don't have to miss out Grover galumphing because they've got to go.

Image: Sager Scenes

3 Most Common Mistakes: Sunburns

editors — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Today on Babble.com.

3 Most Common Mistakes: Sunburns.

With expert: Dr. Belilovsky, Medical Director of Belilovsky Pediatrics.

How to keep your kids from turning into lobsters this summer.

Read it here.

Children's Place Giveaway!

editors — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:21:00 GMT

Shopping for new summer gear? The Children’s Place is offering Babble readers TWO chances to get free summer clothes. First, they're having a contest for one of five super-cute summer ensembles. For details on that, go here. Secondly, you can enter here to win a $200 Children’s Place gift certificate. The economy being what it is and those clothes being as adorable as they are, you can't afford NOT to throw your name in the hat...

Get Ready, Get Set, Read With Celebrities!

JeanneSager — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:29:00 GMT

It might be April and frigid in upstate New York (come on sun), but the summer reading campaigns are already going full bore.

This year the big names in books are booking celebrities to convince our kids that all the cool kids are doing it . . . reading I mean.

Scholastic is giving kids a sneak peek at its Summer Challenge, which will kick off on April 30 in classrooms nationwide. Kids can get started by downloading summer reading lists (there are sections for the three to five set on up to young adult) and posting their own question to be answered on a reading game show live webcast on the 30th. Sign your kids up now, and they can be part of the Read for the World Record challenge, which kicks off May 1. Videos with celebrity readers, games and prizes will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has revealed a portion of its line-up, including "honorary book team" members Jerry Seinfeld, Al Roker and Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony and two of our faves: Eric Carle and Sandra Boynton.

RIF has teamed up with U.S. Airways for its summer reading promotion, Fly With US, Read With Kids, which will give readers chances to win Disney vacations, U.S. Airways gift packages and more as they book their way to five million minutes of reading time for parents and kids in the nation by June 30. Get your kids signed up, create your team and add to the minutes on their site.

For the off-times, when you don't have time to sit down with them and a book, check out Speakaboos for celebs reading nursery rhymes, fables and folk tales to your kids. You can get a look-see at Lisa DiSimone, Chazz Palminteri, Christopher Meloni (you know, the guy who does all those "you have to read to your kids" ads on Noggin? oh yeah, and the yummy dad from SVU?) and more on their site, and buy them to download onto your iPod for on the go.

Image: People (we promise, he does a much better job on Speakaboos)

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They Say: Pool Water's Toxic for Baby

JeanneSager — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:21:00 GMT

Nobody wants to think of their kids taking in sips full of toxic water. But a new study says all the disinfectants we've been using to keep our drinking and swimming water clean may be doing just the opposite.

The ten-year study funded by the Environmental Protection Agency found that disinfectants mixing with organic matter in our water to create "disinfectant by-products" (DBP) with some pretty risky consequences.

"Some of these are toxic, some can cause birth defects, some are genotoxic, which damage DNA, and some we know are also carcinogenic," geneticist Michael Plewa said in HSDailyWire.com.

The scary part, as we head into summer, is the significant amount of DBPs found in swimming pools, where Plewa says body hair, urine (we all know kids pee in the pool) and other bits of human mix with the disinfectants in the pool. Because poolwater is generally recycled, Plewa says the concentration of DBPs in a swimming pool is tenfold what it is in drinking water. And babies, whose parents love to take them into the pool to escape the summer heat, are more susceptible than any of us to the damaging affects of DBPs.

So what can you do? Stay out of public pools - where people are doing all kinds of nasty. Stick your kids in fresh disinfectant-free water in a baby wading pool (and keep a VERY close eye on them), and wait until scientists come up with some new wonder product. . . which they'll find out twenty years down the line also causes cancer, but hey, what we don't know won't kills us. Right?

Image: ScienceDaily

Guitar Hero Camp

Brett Singer — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Ah, summer camp. Log cabins. Bug juice. Video games.

Exsqueeze me?

Power Chord Academy, a company that runs mini-music camps for aspiring rockers, has added summer sessions featuring the popular game where kids pretend to play instruments. Why anyone thinks this is a good thing to have their kids do during the summer is beyond me. To be fair, the sessions are short, as in two or three days. That only adds to the head-scratcher quality of the enterprise for me, however.

Many have hailed Guitar Hero and Rock Band as fantastic gateways for kids to start learning how to play a musical instrument. I am not one of those people. I play guitar, and I've played Guitar Hero. It's different. I actually had some difficulty at first learning to "play" my "guitar" the way the game wanted me to rather than the way I would play an actual guitar. Why? Because it's different.

I do think that the game exposes kids to music that they would otherwise probably dismiss as "lame" or "for old people." Guitar Hero 3 includes music by Mountain, Social Distortion, Heart -- guitar rock. Even a song like "Sabotage" by The Beastie Boys, which shows up in Rock Band, is retro to these kids today. (These kids today. With their hippity-hop music, and that Justin Timberwolf...)

There's nothing wrong with the game. I've played it, it's kind of fun, and I'm sure if I was 10 I would enjoy it more than I do at...the age that I am. But sending kids to camp to play a video game? No way.

Image: Amazon

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Take That, Redshirters: Summer Babies are Taller

KeriF — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:05:00 GMT

I've been cursing my son's late August birthday ever since I found out our district's cutoff for kindergarten is September 1, one day after Declan's birthday. (He's 4 1/2 and I'm still not sure what I'm going to do next year.) But now I finally have a reason to feel good about his seemingly ill-timed birth.

The Daily Mail is reporting that babies born to mums who spent the summer in the sun, lapping up Vitamin D, are taller than those born during the dark winter months when Mum hid inside all day.

How much taller?

On average, about half a centimeter, or 1/5 of an inch.

The study, from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, also found that children born in late summer and autumn (presumably after their mothers frolicked on the beach for 9 months) also went on to have denser, wider bones. The Food Standards Agency in the U.K. advises pregnant women to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day.

My son has long been in the 10th percentile for height. Think of how small he might have been if born in December!

Bored games

Brett Singer — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:30:00 GMT

They're meant for kids, but sometimes I wonder if even they enjoy these dull gaming concoctions.

	Clue Jr.: When I was young, I played regular Clue. (My mother used to torture me with the cards in a way that has scarred me for life, but that's another story.) Clue Jr. is actually more complicated, and also less satisfying.
	The Game of Life: If actual life were as dull as the Game of Life, our nation's suicide rate would quadruple. You spin. You move. You do what the space says. You spin. You move. You do what the space says…Hm. Maybe it is like real life. Only much more boring.
	Candy Land: With little children, this is fine. But once they can string a sentence together – "Candy Land sucks, can we play something else?" for example – it should be time to move on.
	Monopoly Jr.: What, pray tell, is wrong with regular Monopoly? They even make different versions now in order to satisfy even the most media-addled brain: Star Wars Monopoly, Your-Favorite-Sports-Team Monopoly, Marvel Super Heroes Monopoly. In Monopoly Jr., you build lemonade stands, presumably because hotels are too complex a concept for young minds. In our house, my youngest seems to have lost the game board for this one, so he and his older brother were "making rain" with the lemonade stand pieces. That seems like a better use of them. (I skipped an explanation that in the rap world, "making it rain" has a slightly different meaning.)

There are probably more, but I have to get back to a marathon 'Clue Jr.' session. Isn't it time for school to start?

images: theair1morningshow, Amazon.com

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No dinero for Dina

Brett Singer — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

What do you call a couple that spent $1 million on lawyers while getting divorced, and the result was that the wife got $100,000, plus $1,075 a month in child support?

You would call them the McGreeveys. (Well, not anymore, they're divorced.)

Yes, Mr. "I Am A Gay American" and the former first lady of the Garden State are finished with their contentious divorce proceeding. NYMag describes the courtroom drama as, "incredibly public, ugly, and drawn-out," which is kind of true, although it didn't quite have the legs of the Christie Brinkley / Peter "19 is legal, dammit!" Cook case.

What's fascinating to me is that Dina is getting almost nothing. She gets a one-time payment of $109,295 from Jimbo, which is half of their shared investments, so it kind of doesn't count in my book. $1,075 a month in child support is, if I may be so bold, bupkis.

So why no dinero for Dina? Jim don’t have no money. NYMag says, "since McGreevey argued that he only makes $48,000 per year while he is in seminary, the judge ruled him 'underemployed.'" So he's studying to be a priest. I guess his book didn't sell as well as people had hoped. Jim is living with a "super-wealthy financier" but those assets don't factor in. ("Jim's in love with a Jersey boy..." OK, don't go there.)

Judge Karen M. Cassidy said that both Jim and Dina, "clearly had agendas," and "their anger seemed to override any ability to testify credibly or to be reasonable." At least she went after both of them, unlike the judge in the YouTube cuckoo-wife case.

I have to wonder how angry you have to be at your spouse to spend $500,000 on attorney's fees - each - when you must have known that there was no pot of gold at the end of the divorce rainbow. Sure, Dina was married to a guy that was sleeping with, well, another guy, so she's mad. And Jim… well, he's mad at her for something, I guess. According to the New York Post, the couple will do some swapping of 401k plans and other relatively minor assets, like a $1500 checking account. She was only asking for $2500/month. So how do you rack up half a mil worth of legal bills? Fuzzy math, at best. They have a daughter together; hopefully they'll be able to deal with each other somewhat civilly.

image/source: NYMag

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Kitchenista: A Snack and A Craft

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:29:00 GMT

In the interest of keeping things simple in the summer, here's a recipe that also doubles as a craft for the kids. The only real cooking required is the initial boiling of the rice. The rest is just assembly, which can be easily farmed out to the little hands you're trying to occupy.

Make your own "fruishi." Rather than raw fish, the toppings are fruit. The dipping sauce is not soy but yogurt. The rice, however, is still rice.

While I'm certain that the kid-assembled version will be much less cute than the one pictured at right, unless you work for a food stylist, it doesn't really matter. No matter what, rolling your own fruishi will be tasty.

Photo credit: Cooking Light

Jobs you don't want – Camp Parent Liaison

Brett Singer — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

The Times article about parental over-involvement at summer camp mentioned a job that was new to me.

To combat the plethora of parental phone activity, some camps employ a "parent liaison." What does this person do? Field calls from moms and dads who, shall we say, need someone to talk to.

For example: One parent called after seeing a photo of their child that the counselors had posted online, expressing concern that "they saw their child in the background of a picture of other children and he didn’t look happy." Or the parent who "did not like the sound of her child's voice during a recent conversation." Or the one who "needed to know – preferably today – which of her daughter’s four varieties of vitamins had run out."

When I was in summer camp (sometime between the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods) the only way to get in touch with your parents was via the pay phones. Usually you called home, collect, and then mom or dad called you back. This wasn't an every day occurrence; if I recall correctly, it was once a week. Another camp I attended actually did not allow any parental contact at all, but (a) we were only there for one week and (b) the camp was run by Satan (it's a long story, just take my word for it).

What type of salary does one get for this gig? Karin Miller, a liaison mentioned in the Times article, receives a $6,000 stipend for the summer, and also free tuition for her two daughters, which is another $20,000. Not a bad haul for one summer, I guess, but what a crappy job.

source: nytimes.com; image: nytimes.com

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How to be an annoying camp parent

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Inspired by a recent New York Times piece about parents of children who go to sleep-away camp, here are a few tips for those who want to emulate their behavior. Note that all of the incidents described here are mentioned in the Times article.

1. Don't tell the camp about your child's medications: Hey! Johnny is going to camp! Let's see what happens if he doesn't take his Ritalin all summer! To add to the fun, let's not tell the counselors, so that when he acts out even stronger than he did before he started taking medication, they'll have no idea what's going on!

2. Call constantly: One parent in the Times piece is quoted as saying, "I called the camp at 7 a.m. and Dan [the camp director]…said…'are you going to call me every morning?'" The answer, of course, was yes, to which the harried director replied, "do it at this time of day, it’s when I have some free time." Some camps employ "parent liaisons" to field the barrage of calls.

3. Send two cell phones: campers are not allowed to have cell phones at camp, but why should the rules apply to everyone? Some parents in the article give their kids two phones, so they have another "if they get caught with the first one."

4. Ignore schedules: If visiting day is a Sunday, but that's inconvenient, why not demand to visit on a different day? It's all about you, right?

5. Question everything: Why didn't my child get the top bunk? Why can't she have private guitar lessons at 2pm every day? What exactly is in the bug juice? (OK, I made that last one up.)

I haven't had to deal with sleepaway camp yet, but when I do, I really hope I don't act like this. If I do, you all have my permission to give me a good kick in the tuchas.

image: New York Times

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Kitchenista: Beautiful Blueberries

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Summer food should be all about simplicity. Now is the time when things are fresh and abundant -- so fresh and abundant, in fact, that it can be a trick to get everything eaten or preserved before it becomes blue fuzzy goo in the fridge.

Summer food should also be about not turning on the oven, which is why I lurve this recipe from the almighty Mark Bittman.

Bittman's No-Bake Cheescake Bars would be yummy no matter what fruit (or, um, chocolate chip-type candy) you put on top. But with blueberries so sweet and cheap right now, it's hard to resist.

Bittman offers some extra mods on the bars here. I'll be going with blueberry, tho, if only because I have a bushel that's begging to be used before it turns into a primordial soup in the chill chest.

Photo credit: Evan Sung for The New York Times

Crafty: Some Days Require a Flowered Hat

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT

I have a serious case of the mid-summer blahs. And rather than do something productive about them, I'm inflicting my blahs on my family. Because that is one of the perks of being the mom, that's why.

I suspect a newspaper hat with some flowers on it would help shake my blahs. Even better would be a newspaper hat made out of the Financial Times, if only because it's pink. It'd be especially if I added some glitter, because glitter makes everyone feel happier, unless you've coated your brother in it against his will, which makes everyone kinda cranky. No, you don't want to know how I know this.

If anything can improve my mood, it might just be flowery hats. Now to see if we have any newspaper kicking around.

Photo credit: mayaluna

Crafty: Purty in the Sun

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT

I'm trying to embrace my inner sun-loving, heat-seeking goddess. She has told me in not so many words to just bugger off and turn on the AC already. Oh, summer. I try to love you. But it's not you; it's me.

Still, I think this project from Wisdom of the Moon could help smooth the waters. After all, what good is a purty suncatcher if there is no sun? And these are nothing if not purty.

And when the weather turns and my beloved fall comes again, I think these would look smashing in a bathroom doorway or kid's room. Or both.

Photo credit: Wendy.

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

Brett Singer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:29:00 GMT

Well, it's not really a sequel, but this time I have a photo to back up the story from yesterday. So, to anyone who called me "Liar Liar Pants on Fire" I very maturely say, "NYAH-NYAH! I WAS RIGHT!"

Anyway, here's the story: Anne Casson's son received second and third degree burns on his feet after running into the playground without shoes on. NY Metro quotes the mom as saying, "At first, the hospital thought he got electrocuted…When we said, no, he was on the playground, they immediately went, 'Oh, the mats.'" While three other parents are suing New York City for millions of dollars, Casson went the advocacy route, trying to arrange meetings with Parks Department officials to make them aware of the problem. According to the story, they didn't seem terribly interested.

I've dealt with people from the Parks Department a couple of times working on events, and I have to say that they are some of the oddest human beings around. I'm not sure why, and obviously this is an extremely limited sampling. But they aren't elected officials, and with no voters to worry about, they don’t have the selfish motivation to listen to their constituents. I'm not excusing them, just saying that I'm not surprised.

It's worth mentioning that running around on any outdoor surface in Manhattan without shoes seems like a phenomenally bad idea. Then again, if the hospital staff – "oh, the mats" – knew right away what the problem was, how come nobody else did? So it's insane that nobody at the Parks Department gives a crap about the fact that the temperature of the mats used in children's playgrounds are going as high as a cooked chicken. I mean, look at that photo. Horrible. Even if the kids keep their shoes on, what happens if they fall down and slap their hands onto the mat? So I'm on Casson's side here, but I'm not letting my kids take their shoes off anywhere near those mats.

According to the commenters on yesterday's post, this is either a serious problem or another case of parental whining. What would you do if this happened to your kid?

image/source: MetroNY

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When playgrounds attack

Brett Singer — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:07:00 GMT

I heard this story on 1010 WINS this morning, but I can't find it on their site, so you're going to have to take my word for it. (Or call me Liar Liar, Pants on Fire – up to you.)

Apparently a group of parents in New York are up in arms about how insanely hot playground equipment is in public parks this summer. With the thermometer hitting 90+ degrees and humidity at approximately 1000%, the metal climbing apparatuses are quite warm to the touch. In fact, our old pal the jungle gym can reach – ready for this? – 165 degrees.

That's the proper temperature for cooked chicken, so at least your kids will avoid bird flu as they spontaneously combust.

I always thought the metal stuff at the playground seemed hot on summer days, but 165 degrees? That's crazy. If this is true, let's be careful out there, folks.

Image: wikimedia, symphony.lotus.com and Photoshop

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it) (if nothing else, the theater will be air conditioned)

Five things my son taught me about living green (sadly, one of them is "turn off the A/C)

14 Lies Parents Need to Stop Telling Their Kids (Part 2) ("No no, touch the jungle gym, you'll be fine)

20 Disturbing Baby Products

Angelina’s Not the Only One Having Hot Pregnancy Sex

Poor Kids Face Hungry Summers

Amy Kuras — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:30:00 GMT

For too many kids, school is the only place they can be guaranteed a good meal every day – a situation that is sure to get worse as more families get squeezed by skyrocketing prices on food and gas and rising unemployment.

In summer, though, those kids are not in school and so aren’t getting the nutrition they need. During the summer, fewer than one in five get the free or reduced price lunches they are entitled to year round.

School officials in many cities find ways to get kids to come to school during the summer just so they can be fed, and parks and recreation summer programs and church groups also help pick up the slack. Some schools even offer food during the summer to families who qualify, whether or not their kids are in summer school programs.

Some experts believe that lack of nutrition and idleness during the summer months account for the summer slide – the phenomenon by which children lose a great deal of their progress in school over the summer. Over time, low-income kids end up about two grade levels behind higher income children by the end of elementary school.

This Washington Post article details some of things being done in that city's suburbs. This is such a simple solution to one aspect of the cycle of poverty that I hope other cities do similar things. I hate thinking that some of the major victims of this economy are innocent kids.

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

editors — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:45:00 GMT

Note: This week's review is by 9-year-old Alexandra, as told to Babble editor Gwynne Watkins. Take it away, Alex!

I'm glad I didn't get up to go to the bathroom in the middle -- I would rather have peed my pants than miss that! I recommend that movie to people who like action-y science fiction-y movies -- that's me -- I basically read fantasy. I think my friends would like it, or kids older than me. It was scary! I covered my eyes about five times for a half hour at a time. The bird that was extinct was cool, and the Tyrannosaurus Rex. I recognized the names of the rocks from my Rocks and Minerals unit at school -- like feldspar. I thought it was ridiculous when they lit the flare and went up Mount Vesuvius. Also, wouldn't they have run out of oxygen? Trevor (Brendan Fraser) reminded me of Remus Lupin from Harry Potter. And the other guy (Josh Hutcherson) was from Bridge to Terabithia -- I hated that movie! I give Journey to the Center of the Earth: 3D an infinity positive. Unlike Bridge to Terabithia, which I give an infinity negative.

Gwynne would like to add that Alex totally called a couple of plot twists before they happened, and didn't buy that anyone could make the journey the characters make in the film without dying about eighty times. (Also, Gwynne liked Bridge to Terebithia.) Still, both of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and shrieked every time the 3D giant piranhas leaped at us from the screen.

Brinkley divorce case settles

Brett Singer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:15:00 GMT

"Uptown Girl" Christie Brinkley is officially rid of "Butthead Boy," aka her former husband, Peter Cook. She gets full custody of the kids, and decision-making power for them, which she said was all she wanted. She also gets to keep the 18 Hamptons homes she owns. (Yes, 18. Supermodeling pays pretty good, I guess.)

Cook had wanted some of the homes since he had advised her to buy them, but he didn't get them. He did get a lump sum payment of $2.1 million, which probably isn't that much, but in my opinion is more than he deserved. They'll also sell the family boat, which is named Sweet Freedom, and split the profits. (Rich people have more interesting stuff to split up in a divorce; if I ever split with my wife, we'd be fighting over the couch and TV.) Brinkley will give her share to charity, Cook will use his half to "make it rain" at a Long Island strip club. (OK, I made that last one up. Christie is giving hers to a domestic violence shelter. No idea what Cook will do with his.)

Nobody really came off well in this trial, although Cook's lawyer was more obnoxious by trying to paint Brinkley as a bitter ex-spouse who just wanted to drag Petey through the mud. She is the one who wanted the trial to be public, and was definitely dramatic, but it's hard to be too mad at her considering his behavior. The press at least sided with Christie throughout, which I agree with. A court-appointed psychiatrist said that "both parents were in need of counseling to deal with their personal issues… [Brinkley] needs to examine her taste in men and…Cook is a narcissist with a bottomless ego." Of the two, having bad taste in men is the lesser sin.

If you're wondering why I'm slamming Cook so hard, it's because he cheated on his wife, repeatedly, with an 18-year-old, in houses that she owned. He then paid her $300,000 to keep quiet. During the trial, the media reports (which could be biased but they were consistent) described him as not terribly guilt-ridden about his actions. Maybe that's the "bottomless ego" the court shrink was talking about.

Ah, Christie. You and Billy Joel should've stayed together. At least he wrote nice songs about you.

source/image: 1010 Wins

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5 Ways to Keep the Kids from Growing Fat this Summer

Cole Gamble — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:00:00 GMT

It used to be you could just kick the kids out of the house on a summer day, lock the door and refuse to let them back in until well after dark. But someone had to go have a hissy fit and make that illegal, so now a lot more kids spend their time indoors. Luring your kids away from their PS3’s and IPods and daytime soap “stories” is harder than ever, even when you try to convince them that the outside world is cool ‘cause it’s so totally old school. Here are some gentle ways to nudge them out of the nest and make sure they don’t spend their whole summer eating Hot Pockets.

Water Slides

Going to the water slides may not sound like great exercise--it involves sitting down—but then you’re forgetting the arduous hike to the top of the water slide mountain. Just make sure to slather on the sunscreen like tar.

Check out The Dangerous Book for Boys/Daring Book for Girls

Outside of arcane knowledge about historical events you and your kids don’t care about, these books are full of activities like building soap box racers and how to classify indigenous insects. Sounds corny, but millions of copies sold can’t be wrong.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Give your kids a list of things within the neighborhood, like “the doghouse with the red roof”, and set them loose with a digital camera (preferable a cheap one) to photo gather everything on the list. Promise them a prize if they finish the list.

Buy Some Squirt Guns

Nothing gets your kids out of the house faster than the promise of shooting each other.

Kid Olympics

Set up a course with hula hoops, jump ropes or whatever you have on hand and have the kids race through various events. If you don’t want to get them prizes, you can make ribbons (all say “participant” because we don’t want any losers, right?”)

More by this author: The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever