Today, of course, is Leap Day, which only comes around every 4 years.
I'm curious to see if there are any parents of Leap Day children out there. How are you celebrating this rare actual birthday? And how do you handle celebrations during non-Leap Years? How does your child feel about his/her birthday?
If you haven't already found it, this site can help parents of "leaplings." And this page from scholastic.com offers Leap Day activities for kids.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission yesterday sent out a reminder to parents about crib and play yard safety for babies. The CPSC reported that of the 97 crib deaths it recorded between 2002 and 2004, half occurred in cribs containing pillows, quilts and other bedding.
Thirty percent of the deaths involved problems with old cribs that were in bad condition, and babies becoming trapped in spaces between the sides of a crib and an ill-fitted mattress. The rest of the deaths "were associated with accessories situated in/around the crib (such as window cords or curtain tie backs), falls out of cribs, alterations made to cribs, or entrapment when the child became wedged between the crib and other furniture or a wall."
Here's a link to the full release. Also yesterday, the CPSC announced a recall of Munire Furniture wooden cribs sold at specialty juvenile product stores nationwide from November 2005 through November 2007 for between $400 and $600. They were sold under the names Majestic Curved Top and Flat Top Cribs, Essex Cribs, Brighton/Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs.
Those of you with children probably already know about putting baby to sleep on her back without a pillow, but the information is so important that it bears repeating. If you know somebody who's about to become a mom for the first time, please pass this on to her.
Sunday is the 104th anniversary of the birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. If you're interested in marking the event, here are some ideas:
--The Lakeshore Learning Store in Towson plans a Seuss celebration from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, with face painting, free crafts, and story time every hour. The store is at 1620 E. Joppa Road, 410-296-5888.
--About.com has links to lots of Seuss-themed crafts and activities.
--Play online games at Seussville.com.
--The Roland Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library plans stories, games and activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The library's at 5108 Roland Ave., 410-396-6099.
--Teachers from Anne Arundel County schools will read a different Seuss tale every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library. For more Anne Arundel County library Seuss events next week, check the library's schedule of March/April events, which you can download from the library's home page.
If you know about another local Seuss event -- or have more ideas for activities to do at home -- please let us hear about it below.
(Sun file photo by Larry C. Price)
I asked Dr. Daniel Levy, who helped us with Monday's Consult and is quoted in The Sun's stories on kids and flu today, to weigh in on the issues in my previous post. Here's his e-mailed comment:
Parents often fail to recognize the serious nature of influenza, which hospitalizes 20,000 children annually. More than half of all hospital admissions for flu are in the 0-2 years age group. Flu can often carry complications such as ear infection, sinusitis and pneumonia. School-aged children tend to be the spreaders of influenza in society, and we know immunizing that group tends to reduce the incidence of influenza in communities.
The new recommendations for flu vaccine make a lot of sense, based on what we know. Parents should keep abreast of the latest recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics on all vaccines, and protect their children from the burden of diseases that are preventable with a simple shot.
Dr. Dan
A federal advisory panel yesterday recommended that all children 6 months through 17 years (except those with serious egg allergies) get the flu vaccine. If the Centers for Disease Control acts on this advice, it would be a shift from the current recommendation that only children from 6 months to 5 years old be vaccinated. Here's our story.
But the recommendations wouldn't take effect until 2009 because vaccine orders already have been placed for the next flu season, and there are concerns that there might not be enough to cover all those children.
This, it seems to me, leaves parents and pediatricians with an interesting dilemma in the meantime. Will more parents push for their kids between 5 and 18 to be vaccinated in 2008, knowing that this panel thinks it's a good idea? If you asked them now -- in the thick of a very bad flu season in Maryland, when many parents are nursing their own kids through flu and catching it from them -- the answer might be yes.
And how will pediatricians respond if they are asked this year to vaccinate a child who falls within the future, but not the current, recommendations? After all, one reason this year's flu season is bad is that the vaccine offered didn't exactly match the strains that are out there.
I'd like to hear both parents and pediatricians weigh in on this. Spread the word (but not the flu, please! :)
(Sun file photo by Jed Kirschbaum)
Newly available from eLUXURY.com -- Fendi Baby accessories. "Now, new moms can dress their tots in adorable fashions and accessories from the line fashionistas have loved for years," says a press release.
These are Fendi Baby "Memory" Shoes. (The web site doesn't explain what "memory" means, but for $150 I'd want them to come with a built-in digital recorder to preserve all the memories of the few months my baby would wear them.)
You can also purchase an $80 bib with the Fendi logo (keep the pureed sweet potatoes away from that, mister!) and a four-way convertible baby carrier for $325.
Hey, if you're invited to a shower for the latest addition to the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt brood, you know just what to bring.
I couldn't let the day end without celebrating the week's anniversary of this blog, and the fact that thanks to CKisMom, we've now reached 60 comments.
Thanks to all of you readers out there. I've been heartened by all the early participation -- especially by the dads who chimed in yesterday.
Keep your comments, suggestions and emails coming!
(Photo courtesy 2008 Wilton Industries, Inc.)
If your strategy for getting dinner on the table involves cooking ahead on the weekends, you'll want to check out my cookbook review in today's Taste section, which includes three make-in-advance recipes.
When I heard last-minute about my daughter's Valentine's Day class party, I was mighty glad I had those Lemon-Lavender Butter Cookies ready to bake from the freezer.
Of course, she took one look at them and said: "But they're not heart-shaped!"
So it goes.
Here's our latest list of fun stuff to do with the family, thanks to editorial assistant Jennifer Choi. If there's an event you'd like to let us know about, please post in the comments below, or send Jenni an email at jennifer.choi@baltsun.com.
Today:
“Our Feathered Friends”: The Pennyslvania Avenue branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 1531 W. North Ave., hosts a program that includes stories, games, and other activities related to birds. Event starts at 3:30 p.m. For ages 6-12. Free. Call 410-396-0399 or visit prattlibrary.org.
Friday:
“Jungle Book”: Performances run Friday through April 13 at the Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Days and times vary. $8. Call 301-320-6668 or visit thepuppetco.org.
Story Theatre Series: Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, presents an interactive performance by children’s author Erica Perl 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. $5-$6. Children 2 and younger are free. Call 301-280-1660 or go to imaginationstage.org.
This weekend:
“Alice In Wonderland”: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at St. Timothy’s School, 8400 Greenspring Ave., Stevenson. $12. Call 410-828-1814 or go to pumpkintheatre.com.
Chocolate Festival: Sample chocolate treats and desserts at the Bel Air Chocolate Festival. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the Bel Air Armory, 37 N. Main St., Bel Air. $5. Children younger than 8 free. Call 410-638-1023 or visit downtownbelair.com. (The photo is of chocolates from Bomboy's, one of a dozen chocolate makers to be featured at the festival. Yum.)
“Leap Day Weekend”: The event, held at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, 501 E. Pratt St., includes amphibian presentations, contests, face-painting and more and takes place 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Call 410-576-3800 or visit aqua.org.
Opening Weekend: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore celebrates its reopening weekend 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with a reduced admission fee of $5 and special activities for the animals. Call 410-366-5466 or go to marylandzoo.org.
“Peter Pan”: Children’s Playhouse of Maryland Inc. presents this classic at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at CCBC Essex, 7201 Rossville Blvd., Rosedale. $10. Call 410-780-6369 or go to ccbcmd.edu.
Maple Sugarin’ Festival: The Hashawa Environmental Center, 300 John Owings Road, Westminster, hosts the event, which includes a maple syrup pancake brunch, demonstrations, and items for sale Sunday. Event runs 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $2 per vehicle. Call 410-848-9040. (And don't forget the Oregon Ridge pancake breakfasts, also this weekend.)
(Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)
It's only Wednesday, but it's never too early for me to start thinking about next Monday's Consult (and all the ones after that). I'd like to have some questions in hand soon so I can find the right experts.
What's the top issue causing you Ins-Momnia? It can be a question about discipline, mom-to-mom or dad-to-dad etiquette, teacher relations, home organization, how to get some time for yourself, how to answer a 2-year-old who wants to know how the new baby will get out...
Here are a few things I've been wondering about (not necessarily just on my own behalf, but on yours as custodian of this blog):
--How do you know when your child is participating in the right activities? Or too many activities? Or too few?
--Is it OK to let a child quietly read a book in church to keep from squirming?
--How do I explain the images and stories about the Iraq war in the newspaper to my budding reader when she asks, in an age-appropriate way?
--Is it a mortal sin to surreptitiously throw away some of the 1,000 art projects a child produces in a given year?
--How do you help a child who's afraid of flying during a plane trip?
If you'd like to vote for any of these as the topic you'd like addressed next Monday -- or, better yet, suggest your own -- please post below.
Wow. Our second “Dinner Together” experiment on a weeknight, and I’ve hit on what for my family can be considered a clear winner.
I was paging through Roy Finamore’s great cookbook, Tasty, around 5 p.m. when I found this recipe for Linguine with Tuna. When a recipe is quick and composed almost completely of items that are usually in my pantry, I’m there. By shortly after 6, we were at the table....
I made a few changes based on what I had on hand and to try to improve the nutritional profile. While I’m not sure Roy would approve, I liked the dish.
Best of all, my daughter, who hasn’t eaten pasta in a long time, downed a whole kids-sized bowl before she even complained, mildly, about the sauce (which I’d left tuna-less for her). The more adventurous 4-year-old also offered token complaints while eating a healthy portion, and he finished up the edamame I served on the side to boot.
No backup meals were so much as requested. All four of us ate the same thing. A moment to savor. (Of course with the recent reports of higher-than-expected methylmercury in tuna, we may play with another fish next time, or all go vegetarian.)
Linguine with Tuna
Serves 4
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, preferably from San Marzano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (flat-leaf if possible, but regular works fine)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti
1 (5 ½-ounce) can Italian tuna packed in olive oil and drained, or packed in water, drained and tossed with 2 teaspoons olive oil
Freshly grated Pecorino, parmesan or Gruyere cheese for serving (optional)
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Pour the tomatoes and their juice into a bowl and crushg the tomatoes with your hands.
Spoon the oil into a big skillet, large enough to hold all the pasta once it’s cooked. Add the garlic and red pepper and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the garlic is very lightly colored, then add the parsley and let it sizzle for about 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down so the sauce cooks at a steady, active simmer.
Once the water boils, salt it well and add the linguine. Stir the pasta right away, and give it a stir once in a while as it boils. Stir the tuna into the sauce.
When the linguine is cooked just shy of al dente, ladle out about a cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and add it to the sauce. Turn the heat to high and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, tossing, about a minute. Serve immediately.
—Adapted from Tasty, by Roy Finamore
Per serving: 580 calories, 29 grams protein, 12 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 95 grams carbohydrate, 17 grams fiber, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 683 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.
(Photo by me)
Jane Sundius, director of the education and youth development program of the Open Society Institute in Baltimore (that's the local arm of the international foundation started by billionaire George Soros) has a blog post that I suspect might interest many of you.
It's called "Using Television for Literacy Skills." Sundius argues that since kids are watching an average of four hours of TV a day despite the recommendation of pediatricians that they should watch no more than two, it might help reading skills if parents would turn on the captioning device so children can see words written as well as hear them spoken.
In case you're not familiar with it, the name of the blog is Audacious Ideas.
I suspect television will be a controversial topic on this blog, as it is among parents in general. What are your thoughts about this?
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Robert e-mailed me this suggestion for the Father's Day Tuesday conversation:
I think it would be great to engage your “mom” readers today and get their thoughts on what they would like to see more of from their husbands as “dads.”
Consider it done, Robert. Ladies? This seems like a chance you can't pass up. And the cloak of blog anonymity means you can take your shots make your requests (in a civil fashion, of course) without consequences....
(Sun file photo by Christopher T. Assaf)
You may have noticed that even though it's Father's Day Tuesday, there aren't any dad blogs on the blogroll along the right rail. That's because, believe it or not, I haven't been able to find any blogs about fatherhood in Central Maryland, though I just know they're out there. Soccer Dad has a great name, but he's not really writing much about parenthood that I can see. (Although of course, Soccer Dad, we'd love to have you participate here.)
As I taught my children to say when they were tiny (instead of crying when they wanted something): "Need help!"
So I'm asking you to come to me. If you've got a cool dad blog, or have one to recommend, this is your chance to post it below. I'd really like to have bloggers from Central Maryland, but if you have a favorite national dad blogger, send a link to him, too. If I think it will be of continuing interest to the CCM readership, you might just see it show up in the blogroll.
As promised, today is our first Charm City Moms Father's Day, which unlike the official holiday will happen every week instead of once a year. I'll invite guest dads to post and answer your questions.
Today's G.D. is Andrew Ratner, Today editor of The Sun and a father of three. He also writes a column on blogs you'll want to check out in the Ideas section of the Sunday newspaper. Here's his post:
My wife and I have a daughter (a 17-year-old high school senior) and two sons (a 20-year-old college junior and an eighth-grader, 13.) Probably like many folks with teenagers and young adult children, I am amazed at how fast parenthood can shift from little-kid concerns (that seem like they'll last forever) to big-kid concerns (driving, dating, college, work, freedom).
One of the toughest things for a kid who reaches 15-16-17 is that the world asks them "what they want to be." It's an unfathomable question for many. We're at least a generation removed from teenagers knowing they could always work at, and retire from, the big local employer - the carmaker, the steel plant, the textile factory - and make good money. For today's teens, with more opportunities for college, the work world seems to offer greater potential for some adventure, but also greater risk, fewer guarantees.
My favorite speech at the Oscar ceremony Sunday night was by the animator Brad Bird, who won for Ratatouille, his second golden statue in three years. In a backhanded way, he thanked his junior-high guidance counselor who tried mightily to caution Bird about his desire to "make movies."
"I only realized just recently that he gave me the perfect training for the movie business," Bird joked.
I assume many listeners reacted to Bird's speech by thinking the educator was in the wrong: Never dampen a young person's dream. But I think the counselor gave voice to a tension parents feel as their kids approach college and beyond: Should you always be thankful that your children have a dream to follow, any dream, and encourage them unflinchingly to do so?
Or should you provide the often-sobering wisdom and realism that you think is your obligation as a parent?
You could be well-intentioned in either case - but only one carries the risk of creating a lifelong resentment that may be revealed during your child's award acceptance speech someday.
(Photo of Brad Bird at the Oscars by Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press)
Tomorrow is Father's Day in the world of Charm City Moms. We'll have our first post from a rotating roster of guest dads. I'm excited about our first dad because he's the father of children much older than mine -- 13, 17 and 20 -- so he'll add a valuable perspective.
I think G.D. (guest dad, of course) has a plan for his post, so I won't spoil the anticipation...but I would like some ideas for what dads out there (and moms) would like to see discussed on Father's Days. Men, this is the time to step up and make yourselves heard. Please post your ideas and questions below.
I'll be around tomorrow as well, posting on some other topics. (And the rest of today of course, too.)
(Sun file photo by Karl Merton Ferron)
The folks at MomLogic recently sent me a link to their post on naming babies, which quotes the CEO of babynames.com, Jennifer Moss. (Who knew this was so complicated?)
Here are Moss's tips, straight from the MomLogic press release:
* "Use the 'introduction test': Look at the name from the perspective of the child. Pretend that you're introducing yourself with each possibility on your list. How does it sound?
* "No expectations: A lot of people choose names like 'Chastity', 'Peace' or 'ESPN' (for boys), says Moss. What if the daughter you name 'Chastity' turns out to be, um, not so much?
* "Short and sweet: if you have a long and difficult-to-spell last name you might want to stay simple with the first. Walk in the footsteps of your child with that name--don't make it impossible for a 5-year-old to write her name.
* "Common, Weird and Transgender: If your daughter is one of 20 Avas, she may get confused, says Moss. (From KS -- I assume she means confused with other Avas.) Avoid oddball names, which might cause interesting reactions from those that hear it. And if you're looking to bend the rules, it's more accepted for a male name to be applied to a female baby than the other way around."
According to babynames.com, the most popular name for boys born in 2007 was Aidan, and it was Ava for girls.
I always liked my sister-in-law Nancy's naming rule: Pick a name your baby will feel great having his best friend call him, and that will still sound appropriate when he's running for president.
No pressure or anything.
How do you pick a baby's name?
(Photo courtesy of the Chicago Tribune)
Welcome to our first Monday Consult. Each week I'll look for an expert to answer your most pressing questions about parenting. Because he was this blog's very first commenter -- and had an interesting question -- this week's answer goes out to Hugh, whose 4-year-old daughter has been begging for Children's Motrin when she's clearly not sick.
For this question, I turned to Dr. Daniel Levy, a pediatrician in Owings Mills and president of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here's his e-mailed reply:
"With respect to your little 4 year old who loves Motrin, the most important issue here is safety. All medications should be stored in locked cabinets away from prying little hands and eyes. Kids should also know that any medication should only be given by a parent or caretaker.
"The second issue your reader raises is one of tantrums and feigned illness. The key to both items is this: Children are very process-oriented with their parents. That is, they pay most attention to facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures. If a parent maintains composure, speaks in an even voice, and reacts to what is being experienced instead of the content of the child's words, the child will soon learn to regulate her mood and behavior. In this instance, one might say, 'it looks like you are very upset, but I know you are not sick, and we give this medicine only when you have fever.' End of discussion. It is not necessary to have a whole repartee with a 4 year old.
"While the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend any of the cough and cold medications, medication to relieve pain or fever is still useful to ameliorate a child's discomfort. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are both wonderful, safe products when given in doses recommended by the child's health care provider."
(Photo by me)
Though they're young, my kids are already clamoring to use the computer. In our house, we allow a little bit of adult-supervised computer exploration every day, but it counts toward a set limit of "screen time" (including TV).
That said, there is a lot of cool stuff on the Web that can help kids of all ages explore the world. Periodically, I'll highlight some educational and experiential sites I think your families would enjoy.
If you have either a bug-lover or a bug-phobe of elementary school age that you'd like educate, you might want to check out PestWorld For Kids. It has facts on all sorts of "amazing pests" and some entertaining learning games.
What are your favorite sites for kids? Please give us an age range when you post.
I was struck by this: Thursday night, I last checked my email at 11:15 p.m. and went to bed. When I got up at 5:15 a.m. to work out, I checked again. And during that too-narrow window of sleep, I got a comment and an email from two blog readers.
This leaves me with two thoughts:
1) I should tell you that I'm the person responsible for approving your very welcome comments. So if you don't see yours appear right away (especially if it's at 2 a.m.), it's because I'm sleeping, driving someone to art class, cooking, reading and writing stories for the newspaper, giving baths, trying to locate someone's missing socks, telling a story about opossum detectives, explaining what "hypnosis" is, dancing to polkas in the living room, checking homework, looking for a misplaced permission slip, or bandaging a boo boo. Please be patient, and do check back.
2) Moms and dads definitely need more sleep, but it's hard to come by. How many hours a night are you getting?
Each Friday, I'll try to highlight a weekend pick for families. This weekend, everything's likely up in the air because of the weather.
But if things turn out to be not so bad, you might want to head over to Oregon Ridge Nature Center in Cockeysville for demonstrations of how maple syrup is made tomorrow and Sunday. There's info here. When I called just now, the center's message line indicated the demos were still on, but you may want to call ahead (410-887-1815) before you go. And next weekend, pancake breakfasts are scheduled from 8 a.m. - noon, March 1 and 2.
If you're out in western Maryland (or inclined to make a day trip), there will be syrup demonstrations in Herrington Manor State Park March 8, and an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast the next day.
Please don't miss Holly's list of things to do with your children (or to suggest that they do) in her comment under Time to Play.
It's a great list, and I love having lists like that. Even though I like to think our family gets fairly creative with play, there are times when I draw a blank.
Sometimes I make my own list and stick it on the fridge. My favorite quick go-to activity for the kids is called (in our house) "Whole Body." We have each child lie down on one of those large rolls of paper from Ikea, and we trace their outlines. They have great fun decorating themselves.
My husband is home with the kids today (his office closed; the newspaper never does). Here was his noontime report:
"They were playing like they were on a ship in the basement. Sounded like Titanic to me...Here's pix of lunch in the stateroom."
I'll spare you those, but I couldn't resist a last great snow pic from a reader. That's Maili McClafferty above, courtesy of her mom Siiri McClafferty.
To thank those who have visited this blog in its first week, I'm throwing in an extra recipe you might like to try this weekend, from the hotly-debated -- and hot-selling -- cookbook by the wife of Jerry Seinfeld.
There are two reasons this cookbook, called "Deceptively Delicious," is controversial. The first is that Seinfeld has been accused of plagiarizing from the lesser-known book "The Sneaky Chef," by a former publisher of Eating Well magazine.
The second is that lots of parents think it's wrong to hide vegetables and fruits from kids. They say deception just exacerbates the problem of children not getting enough exposure to the foods that are best for them.
As you might have gleaned from my Dinner Together experiment, I can see both sides of this. So I thought if I was going to be tricky, I'd try it out at breakfast, when the kids would be least likely to suspect hidden veggies.
Beet pancakes -- yum!
Actually, they weren't bad at all...
(Photo by me)
and my inquisitive daughter let me off easy. When she asked what made these pancakes red (I added a little more beet than Seinfeld, figuring I should get it in where I could), I just said I had added some different ingredients. Miraculously and uncharacteristically, I wasn't pressed further. I slipped in some whole-wheat flour for good measure.
Leah didn't really care for them, but Sam wolfed down several.
Please post below to let us know how my adaptation works out for you. And tell us how you feel about vegetable deception.
Pink Pancakes (With Beet)
Makes 16 to 18 small pancakes¶
2 beets
¾ cup water
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
¼ cup grated apple
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil, plus more as necessary for pan¶
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove greens from beets and trim roots to 1 inch. Wrap beets in foil and roast for 1 hour, until tender when pierced with a knife. Scrape peels off beets with a spoon and place in a food processor. Process about 2 minutes until beets are pureed, adding a little water if necessary. (Puree can be made ahead and refrigerated, or frozen and thawed.)
To the beet puree in the food processor, add the ¾ cup water, ricotta cheese, vanilla and cinnamon and blend. Dump the mixture into a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and apple, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix – the batter will be a little lumpy.
Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil. Spoon the batter on to the griddle or skillet, using about ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with syrup or fruit.¶
—Adapted from "Deceptively Delicious," by Jessica Seinfeld
Per pancake: 47 calories, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fat, trace saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 76 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.
Lynn had a good point a little while ago when she wrote (in part):
I just wanted to comment on your request for emergency ideas to keep the kids busy. At the most this is the third snow day all winter....don't kids know how to occupy themselves anymore...how about just letting them figure out what to do...why does every second of a child's day have to be organized, prearranged or deluged with activities?
Another big and important topic we'll be talking much more about.
"Emergency" might be a strong word for what I was thinking of -- some quick crafts, say, to do with pasta and food coloring and glue, or some indoor games to play when you've run out of ideas.
But it's true that being bored isn't an emergency, and we should probably not forget to tell our kids to just go and find something to do. They come up with the most fantastic imaginary adventures that way.
As long as it's not too icy, you can always take them outside. Looks like young Jack is having a great time in the snow in this picture of another snowy day from Kris. Today, though, sledding might be hazardous.
What are the best games your kids have come up with when left to their own devices?
It's official: Schools are pretty well closed down today. (For an updated list, see our school closings database, which can always be found on the right rail.)
For the parents who are supposed to be in the office: Are you going to work with the kids anyway? How do you think that will go?
If not, whose turn is it to stay home? And how do you decide? Will you be able to bring in a sitter?
And if you were supposed to be home, what are your plans now that you probably won't be driving anywhere?
If you're getting cranky about all this, remember to keep looking at those snow scenes of your cute kids. Thanks to Sharon Pula for sending the adorable picture of her daughters Isabelle (left) and Grace above. And here's a link to another cute pic Jackie sent of her daughter Sophie.
I'm still accepting photo submissions by e-mail if you'd like to share.
And I'm sure we could all use emergency ideas for indoor activities appropriate for different ages.
In case you missed it, Debra posted this very relevant query yesterday: Where are the best resources for finding quality daycare in the area? I've used the Baltimore's Child website, but I have a hard time believing that it is comprehensive. Also, it is just a long list and does not have any interactive tools for sorting, filtering, etc. Is there a better resource out there? I'd love it if I could read reviews on daycare centers somewhere... Maybe I'm dreaming of something that just hasn't been created yet.
This is a huge topic, and I know we'll be discussing it often here. But I wanted to at least begin by pointing her to the web site of the Maryland Committee for Children, which has a searchable database of child-care providers. You can customize your search by proximity to your home, age of the children served, and drop-off and pick-up times.
There's also a call-in service, if you'd like an actual person to help with your search. (The phone numbers for your area can be found on the site.) But the site makes clear that its referrals are not recommendations about the quality of the care, and that it's the parent's responsibility to check references and to interview any prospective provider.
I love Debra's "dream" of a site where you could read reviews of day care centers, but I've never come across such a resource locally. If any of you knows of one (or has other ideas for parents on the hunt), please post it here.
I know lots of folks who have children at Tide Point Day Care in Locust Point must be scrambling right now. Does anyone have leads for them? Here's our story about the center's closing, which is scheduled for this summer.
(By the way, this isn't Tide Point or anyplace local in the picture, which was an Associated Press file photo. But it seems to illustrate what we all hope for: engaged teachers, bright lighting, lots of stuff for kids to do.)
If you're the parent of a teenager, you'll want to check out the Sun's "Ask the Expert" feature today on mononucleosis, the dreaded "kissing disease."
When I was a teenager, it seemed that kids were coming down with mono left and right, and that they were out of school for long stretches at a time. That's how I remember it, anyway. I'm wondering if that's so true today.
Has your teenager had an experience with mono? How did you take care of him or her? And how did it affect the family?
I was pretty intrigued when I heard that Baby Loves Disco, a traveling dance party for families, would hit Baltimore this month and next.
Then I went to the Feb. 9 event at the Rams Head downtown with my 4-year-old son, who's normally a dancing fool. Gotta say that I've had more fun dancing with the kids in my living room -- for free.
For one thing, the music was playing so softly that you could barely hear Gloria Gaynor trying to survive. I'm sure that was for the benefit of tender baby ears, which I appreciate, but it was kind of hard to get a groove on.
Besides dancing, there wasn't much for the kids to do. Temporary tattoos took up a few seconds; a juice box, another few. Young Sam took a disinterested look at the hula hoops scattered around the upper floor, then asked to go home...
After we paid $30 (including ticket service charge) plus parking? I don't think so, young man. (OK, we finally did after about an hour.)
Obviously some folks, such as those in the photo above, had a little more fun. And there was this attraction:
Grownup drinks for sale, and room to prop up the baby basket on the bar.
There's another Baby Loves Disco scheduled in Baltimore March 30. According to the web site, it's already sold out.
I'd love to hear from other people who attended the first event. How did you and yours like it? Did I miss something?
(Photos by me)
That's what I, and many a parent out there, said as the flakes began to fall today.
Soon we were all tied to our cell phones and computers, waiting for the equivalent of those dreaded three little words: School is closed.
If it happens, those of us who work have to figure out how and when to leave. Those of us at home still have to figure out how to get to school quickly in the snow, and then what to do with the kids during those unexpected hours at home.
But as much of a nightmare as snow can be for us, I like to look at this old picture of my kids to remind myself what fun it can be for them...
and how great it can be to be home on a snowy day in your pajamas, looking out at a beautiful scene, maybe frolicking in it later.
I tried to conjure up this picture in my head a few weeks ago, when schools closed right as I was, of all things, pitching this blog to the top editors of the paper. (My husband ended up leaving work and getting stuck in awful traffic.)
Are you sweating what things will be like tomorrow? What are your strategies for handling snow days?
And if you have any really cute snowy-day pictures of your kids that will help us grin and bear it, please email them to me. (Click on my name in the bio box.) I'll post a sampling tomorrow.
Ask and you shall receive. Kate (not me!) wanted some ideas for things to do with her kids.
Here are some local events you might want to check out with your kids over the next few days (depending, of course, on the weather). If you know of something fun to do that isn't listed here, please post below. You'll be able to find a regularly updated schedule of family events here soon.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Chinese New Year: The Patterson Park Branch Library, 158 N. Linwood Ave. celebrates the Lunar New Year with stories and crafts from 3:30 p.m to 4:30 p.m. today. Free. Call 410-396-9068 or go to prattlibrary.org.
Friday, Feb. 22:
Nature Story Hour: We Love Winter: The program includes stories, finger plays, songs and a nature walk. The event begins at 10 a.m. Friday at Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave. Free. Please register for groups of five or more. For ages 3-6 with adult. Call 410-261-5056.
This weekend (Feb. 23-24):
African American History Day: Saturday’s event at The Flag House, 844 E. Pratt St., includes special tours, an actor dressed in early 19th-century garb, and two-for-one pricing. The event runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5-$7. Children younger than 5 free. Call 410-837-1793 or go to flaghouse.org.
Winter Fun: Pam Kindersinger brings her interactive show, featuring singing, dancing and birds, to Reisterstown Library, 21 Cockeys Mill Road, Reisterstown, on Saturday. The show starts at 10:30 a.m. Free. For ages 2-6 with adult. Call 410-887-1165 or go to bcplonline.org.
Teen/Parent Team-Building Workshop: Parents and their children build a full-size 1909 Wright B Aeroplane wing rib using the same techniques as the Wright Brothers at 1 p.m Saturday at College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive. $7. Event open for ages 13 and older. Reservations required. 301-864-6029 or collegeparkaviationmuseum.com.
Coppelia: Ballet Theatre of Maryland presents this original fairy tale, involving a mysterious toymaker and mischievous characters, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St., Annapolis. The performance runs 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. $18-$43. 410-280-5640 or marylandhall.org.
Candlelight Concert Series: Charlotte Blake Alston, Storyteller: Let My Stories Tell You Who I Am, features stories accompanied by music from traditional instruments, including djembe and the 21-stringed kora. Performances begin at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia. Tickets are $9. 443-367-3122 or candlelightconcerts.org.
Free Family Sundays: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive, presents Art Workshop: Make Your Own Kaleidoscope with Artist Mary Evans 2 p.m. Sunday. Free. Call 443-573-1818 or go to artbma.org.
I thought I'd start our Dinner Together experiment with a recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors -- my mother.
Some years ago, she "published" some of her favorite recipes in a little bound book she titled "What Are You Doing at 5 o'clock?" She rated each dish E, M, etc., for degree of difficulty, and in a preamble (which has unfortunately fallen off my dog-eared copy), she talked about the 5 o'clock scramble to feed everybody.
Thing is, she was a stay-at-home mom, raising kids in the 1960s and '70s. It just goes to show you that getting dinner on the table has always been a struggle for families, even when times seemed, well, more leisurely.
I know I didn't always make dinnertime easy for my mom. I remember rejecting her cheese souffle for a long time. I didn't remember this "Fast and Delicious Broccoli Soup" at all....
until I tasted it the other night. Then I was back at our dinner table in Kansas City, wearing my school uniform and doing imitations of my teachers over a bowl of that soup.
It didn't taste like a broccoli soup I'd make today, with its roux of butter and flour, its dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco, and a lot of cheddar cheese. But I thought it might bridge the family into broccoli, and to the grandmother who died when my daughter was just 2.
My son Sam was spotted snacking on the raw broccoli florets as I cooked -- a good sign. When it came to the soup, though, he ate just a few spoonfuls before declaring it "yucky." Ditto for his sister Leah, but she deserved props for trying something new.
Oh, well. I liked it. And my husband ate two big bowls.
Yes, broccoli can be a hard sell, even wrapped in melted cheese. But kids do grow up and come around.
Wish I could tell Mom that. Maybe, if there's Web access in heaven, I just did.
Fast and Delicious Broccoli Soup
Serves 4
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Few drops hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt to taste
Cook broccoli in chicken broth until it is just tender. In a separate pan, cook onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, add milk and cook until mixture thickens. Combine sauce with broccoli and broth; add remaining ingredients. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Add cheese and parsley; simmer, stirring, until cheese is melted and soup is smooth.
--Pat Shatzkin
Per serving: 240 calories, 14 grams protein, 17 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 713 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.
(Photo by me)
If there's anything close to a magic bullet that gives a kid a leg up on life, the experts seem to agree it's sitting down, regularly, to dinner with his family. And in our house, we haven't been doing that.
Night meetings, late work, activities and dietary differences have led us to the course of least resistance: Dinner for the kids is around 6, consisting often of grilled-cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, or make-your-own pizzas. Dinner for the grown-ups often doesn't happen until around 9 p.m., after kids are in bed. That usually involves more varied fare -- and a well-deserved glass of wine.
Now, for the health of our family and the edification of those who read this blog, we're going to change that at least once a week. We're going to eat Dinner Together, and we're going to at least try to eat the same thing. In the spirit of your favorite reality show, I'm going to mercilessly report on the results. And if it doesn't work out so well for us, at least you have a new recipe.
First let me introduce the dramatis personae:
The would-be-vegetarian daughter: Leah, 6, is a lovely girl who's very concerned about the way animals are treated to make our food. I'd be happy to provide her with a vegetarian diet, but there's one problem: She won't eat vegetables. And she eats only one fruit happily: applesauce. At least they're adding Vitamin C to it. (Thank God she's not allergic to peanut butter.)
The sometimes adventurous son: Sam, 4, loves almost any kind of fruit, and in the right mood has been known to eat steamed shrimp, seaweed salad and spinach nuggets. But he often adopts a stance of mealtime solidarity with his sister.
The foodie parents: Given free time -- which we don't have -- we'd cook constantly in pursuit of the perfect meal. Dinnertime is a rare moment of respite in our hectic days. We wish for it to be delicious and peaceful.
So how did our first Dinner Together experiment work out? Look for a post and recipe later today. And if you have any bright ideas for how to do this, or fast-enough-for-a-weeknight recipes that you'd like me to test, please post below (or e-mail them to me.)
Wish us luck.
(Sun file photo)
Greetings working moms, stay-at-home moms, work-at-home moms, and making-it-work moms. This blog is for you.
And even though the name of this blog is Charm City Moms, dads in all of the above categories are very welcome, too. In fact, we'll have a dad guest-blog periodically, and we'll be talking about subjects of interest to all kinds of parents.
We'll share news and advice about kids of all ages, cook together, commiserate, and revel in the wild ride that parenthood is. I'll get information for you that I hope will help guide your daily balancing act here in Maryland.
So in honor of our first day together, here's an opportunity to ask the most pressing parenting question you have...
(Photo by Doug Kapustin)
No, I probably won't be able to answer it. But I'll try to find someone who can.
I'll be starting a feature soon in which we get an expert to weigh in on the questions that keep us up at night. (Are those growing pains in her legs, or something serious? Should I let my kid eat lemon peels? Can hardwood floors recover from Hot Wheels?)
So post your questions below, and look for discussion of at least one of them over the next few days. If your question isn't chosen this time, don't worry. I'm keeping a list. And in the meantime, maybe another parent has the answer you're looking for.
