Tag Archives: Reliability

Please Pick the Flowers

A couple of days ago we had our first touch of spring. The sun came out to make it warm enough to leave the heavy coats behind, and the gentle breezes just smelled so good. We decided to drop everything and spend a short bit of time walking around our favorite botanical gardens to greet the new season, or at least chase it a bit. The kids had a great time getting out in the air after being cooped so long. Just a few short weeks ago, we were experiencing heavy storms with record snow accumulation, one after the other. … Continue reading →

The Surprise of Learning

One of the things that I always try to do on the first day of class as a teacher is make the students excited about the possibility of what the class could be and mean for the rest of the semester. I can’t count how many of my first classes with instructors only made me bored and apprehensive at the prospect of being in such a small room with such a boring person for a substantial part of half of my year. Learning really should be fun and enjoyable. As an arts person I was horrified at the prospect of … Continue reading →

Kids’ Birthday Parties—How Much Is Too Much?

Recession? What recession? The economic crisis, which has battered and bruised many Americans, is apparently a non-issue if your name is Diddy. The rapper with 1,000 names–he was born Sean Combs, but later morphed into “Puff Daddy,” then “P. Diddy,” then the artist known as “Diddy,” then “Straight up P,” and now just “Diddy”—-is showing the world that money really can buy love. And that goes double if you are a parent. Daddy Diddy recently made headlines when he threw his son an insanely expensive Sweet 16 party. The ultimate birthday bash took place at one of New York City’s … Continue reading →

Most Controversial Disney Films Pt. 2

On Monday I took a look back at some of Disney’s more controversial movies from the 1940s through the 1960s. Today I’m going to finish my examination of their hot-button films, and try to find some sort of resolution about how we should approach them today. “Aladdin” (1992) – “Aladdin” sparked protests from Arab-American groups for its opening sequence. The original lyrics to the song “Arabian Nights” contained the line “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” when describing the Arabic land/culture. The DVD release of the movie changed the line to “where it’s flat … Continue reading →

Most Controversial Disney Films Pt. 1

As an adult I’ve gone back and re-watched many of my favorite Disney films. They’re as wonderful as ever, but in some cases I am disturbed by the content I find in them. I realize that many of these movies were made in a different era, but part of me wants to believe that Disney was always squeaky-clean and welcoming to people of all backgrounds. In this two-part article I’d like to address how we might approach the controversial material in Disney films, both as adults and as parents. Here’s a rundown of some of the more controversial Disney films: … Continue reading →

Time Outs for Toddlers

To say I am a firm believer in time outs for toddlers is an understatement. I have tried everything to get my son to behave and listen to what I tell him. He is a very strong-willed, hard-headed, stubborn child. He is full of energy and determination. Consequently, he is always getting into trouble. My son’s most recent reaction to getting into trouble is to smile and come over and hug me. I recently told him, “I don’t want a hug. I want you to listen and to do what you are told.” At that point, he leaned in and … Continue reading →

Can Good Parenting Prevent Teen Violence

There is a reason that we talk so much about discipline, and child behavior so much. This is because it is important to do as good a job in parenting as possible in hoped that it will keep our children on the straight and narrow through childhood and into adulthood. But can all the parenting in the world prevent some of the bad teen issues we are seeing in the news right now. News of gang rapes, rapes in middle schools, setting children on fire, and girl on girl beatings are the extreme in bad teenage behavior. Whenever I see … Continue reading →

Families Reunited on ABC

We’re all at this site for a reason: our family. No matter its shape or size, we’re here because of how important family is to us. Unfortunately, thousands of people around the country are not so lucky. Some always feel that sharp ache of loneliness and loss. While others cling to the hope that they may one day be reunited with their family. ABC’s new show “Find My Family,” which premiered on Monday, November 23rd, chronicles these poignant stories of loss and finding. The program aims to reunite individuals with the families they lost many years before, or with the … Continue reading →

Quick Mom Lunches with Tomato, Basil and Cheese

You know how the day seems to get ahead of you faster than you anticipate? Before you know it, it is time to serve the kids lunch, make sure they eat it, clean it all up and then move on to the next adventure. Usually, moms eat whatever the kids are eating, if they eat lunch at all. But if you want something other than the usual chicken nuggets, grilled cheese or pasta for lunch, try one of the following recipes. I call these recipes my go to lunches for a number of reasons. They are quick and easy to … Continue reading →

Free Puppet Playhouse

With the holidays coming up, I admit that I am starting to panic a little bit. There are all of those Christmas gifts to purchase, and frankly, our finances haven’t fully recovered from a series of household expenses that we have had over the spring and summer. So, whenever I can brainstorm for fun but free or thrifty holiday gifts, it is a good thing. Here is an idea that pretty much anyone can use as a gift for young children. While you do have to make it yourself, you will find that you can pretty much get all of … Continue reading →