Search Results for: blog the power of grandma

The Big One

When it comes to young kids and Christmas presents, bigger is ALWAYS better. Just ask my 6-year-old daughter. The girl begged, whined and wished upon about three dozen stars (from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve) in an effort to get Santa, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, ANYONE! to gift her with KOTA My Triceratops Dinosaur last Christmas. The garganteous interactive riding toy was only dwarfed by his colossal price tag. At $400 there was no way KOTA was going to take up space in our home unless he planned to pay rent or help with laundry. Needless to say Christmas 2009 came … Continue reading →

Funny Halloween Costumes

NBC’s “Today” show, “Live with Regis and Kelly,” as well as a number of other televised talk shows traditionally host costume contests on Halloween. If you live in the New York area or are willing to drive to the show’s studios (typically located in major metropolitan areas), then you can show off your craziest Halloween costume in front of millions of people. I don’t live any where near New York or Los Angeles and I am not very creative when it comes to holiday getups, but I love to watch others strut their stuff in their homemade Halloween creations. I … Continue reading →

Teaching Kids About Cancer

I’m not one of the lucky ones. Or maybe I am. I was forced to teach my daughter about cancer well before she could even spell the word… but with knowledge comes power. In 2004, I gave birth to my first child; a healthy baby girl with a mound of electrocuted jet-black hair. She was the first grandchild on my side of the family and instantly became the end-all, be-all of my parents’ existence. My mom especially doted on her first grandchild, spending every waking moment rocking, singing, hugging, kissing and cuddling the newest member of our family. My daughter … Continue reading →

National Geographic Photographs

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I remember as a child going to my grandma’s house on a regular basis. There are some things about your grandparents’ houses that you’ll always remember. For me, I remember that she always had something baking, a project going on, and a National Geographic video or magazine on or out to look at. As I leafed through the magazines month after month, I remember experiencing new places through the stunning photographs displayed in each magazine. And let’s not forget the videos. I remember especially the one about lions and hyenas. There was something eerie, something terrifying, and something intriguing about … Continue reading →

How Much Did You Spend on Your Child’s Last Birthday Party?

I know it wasn’t more than $360,000. We can’t all roll like Daddy Diddy, but as parents we do want to make our children happy, and celebrating a milestone like a birthday with a big party, often means digging deep. But how deep do you dig? My five-year-old is dreaming of a huge bash to commemorate her sixth year of life (which thankfully doesn’t happen for a few more months). She has been begging for a safari-themed party at our local children’s museum. For three hours, up to 20 kids can dine on lion-shaped cake, make toilet paper roll binoculars, … Continue reading →

Three Generation Families do Better Financially… at what cost?

Findings from the November 2009 Journal of Families issues states that three generation households are better than two generation homes headed by a single parent. The reasoning behind this is that having the grandparents and parents share the financial burden of the home will keep children out of poverty. “Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation from 2001, the researchers found that the presence of just one grandparent makes the odds of living below the poverty line 80% lower than for children living without a grandparent, and children living with two grandparents are at an even greater … Continue reading →

Parents in Denial: Pool Pregnancy

You know you are a parent in denial when… You insist that your 13-year-old daughter got pregnant from swimming in a hotel pool—-ALONE! No parent wants to think that his or her child is anything less than perfect, but Magdalena Kwiatkowska may want to consider taking off the blinders for a split second before proceeding with her recently filed bizarre lawsuit. Kwiatkowska says she was forced to hire a lawyer upon returning with her daughter from a lavish holiday at an upscale hotel in Egypt. Apparently, the family returned home with more than a few shiny trinkets from the souvenir … Continue reading →

Tips For a Toddler Road Trip

It’s summer, so let the good times roll. And by roll, I mean on four wheels along the nation’s highways to grandma’s house, the beach, the amusement park or wherever your summer road trip takes you. If you are rolling with a toddler this summer, then you know the importance of being prepared. If this is your first long journey with your little one, then consider the following road trip survival tips that have served me well over the years: DISTRACTIONS When traveling with toddlers, never underestimate the power of distractions. Plan on packing plenty of toys and introduce them … Continue reading →

Learning about Coping Gracefully from My Pets

Over in Marriage I wrote about how this year has been one blow after the other and I feel like I’m living under a black cloud. A string of them to be exact. No sooner does one pass than another one moves in and pours on me some more. I don’t even get a chance to fully dry off. I’ve been trying to cope as well as I can, but I have to be honest. My defenses are wearing down. Yesterday I got another blow. My dad’s girlfriend called to say she was at St. Anthony’s with my dad. He … Continue reading →

Is It Appropriate for an Ex to Attend Their Ex’s Funeral?

Yesterday I wrote about how my dad planned to attend my mom’s funeral. (Or, rather, I think the more appropriate term is memorial service since she wasn’t buried or otherwise interred anywhere after.) I had mentioned it to a neighbor and they expressed surprise. “Is that appropriate? I mean, they had divorced. Does he really have any right to go?” Same Reaction When Wayne’s mom showed up to his dad’s viewing I felt the same way. “Wow. She’s got some cojones.” I remember feeling both appalled and furious that she had the nerve to show her face. I mean, not … Continue reading →