Ruh-roh -- the Mommy Wars are about to heat up. This story on our parenting page, from Chicago Tribune columnist Julie Deardorff, reports on a British study that compared a set of children of working women with a set of children whose moms stayed home. The kids of stay-at-home moms ate more fruits and vegetables, watched less TV, and walked more.

Ouch. Could someone please shoot me now?

I try. I do. And I'm told by our doctor that my kids are healthy. Still, this is great food for the mom-guilt monster.

As Deardorff points out, the study didn't look at the impact of working fathers. Even in 2009, we still assume that if a kid isn't practicing healthy habits, it's the mother's fault.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes, Health
        

My daughter has taken a shine to egg noodles, served plain. As I was mulling over how to turn this preference into a dinner we could all eat, kugel occurred to me.

I hadn't seen many savory kugel recipes, but it turns out they're out there. I made this one, which I adapted from a version on krissyinboston.com, to be as bland as possible for the highest chance of success with our family. It was quite bland, but comforting, and better with salt and pepper. It would probably be better still with things like broccoli or chicken or both mixed in, but I haven't tried that. The plain version also might work better as a side dish.

The kugel was a moderate hit, which is to say that my daughter ate it without complaining too much, and my son ate some.

Here's how to make it:

Noodle Kugel
Serves 10-12
24 ounces egg noodles (about a package and a half)
1 3/4 sticks butter (about 14 tablespoons)
8 ounces fat free cotttage cheese
6 eggs
1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, such as Fage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil noodles until done, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter and cool slightly. In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs and yogurt. Stir butter into egg mixture a bit at a time, stirring briskly to keep from cooking the eggs.
Drain noodles and cool. Stir into the egg mixture, coating well. Pour noodles and mixture into a 13-by-9-inch casserole pan. Bake for 50 minutes, until some noodles on top are crispy and kugel is set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Adapted from krissyinboston.com

Per serving (based on 12): 366 calories, 12 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 38 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 183 milligrams cholesterol, 121 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

David Zurawik reports today that as of Nov. 2, Jon Gosselin will no longer be featured on Jon & Kate Plus 8.

If the show continues with just that one change, it won't make much difference to me. Watching the little Gosselin girls have tea with their newly single mother on yet another manufactured outing was like watching paint dry to John & Kate Plus 2. We'll keep watching, though, to see how things turn out.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Liz Atwood is here with Tween Tuesday:

Sometimes I’m astounded at how little my children know me. Oh, they know the basic biography, my name, age, where I was born and where I went to college. But they don’t really know me.

Take the other day when we were riding in the car and the 13-year-old made a comment insinuating I am completely clueless. That led to a debate over how cool I really am. I asserted that as moms go, I’m pretty cool. The kids saw it differently. Then I pulled my trump card—“I’m so cool, I’m on Facebook—and I tweet.”

The younger one didn’t know what I was talking about, but you should have seen the look on the older one’s face. He had no idea that I’ve been on Facebook for nearly a year. (I didn’t tell him that lots of folks my age and older are using the Web site to stay in touch.)

But it got me to thinking what other things my kids would be surprised to know about me. How about you? Do you kids really know you? What would they be surprised to find out?

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

On this episode, Kate G. takes the little girls to a tea room, with a pink teapot.

The older girls stay with Jon, who buys them earrings. And himself some.

John: "Daddy and daughter matching earrings. That's so '80s."

The little girls all choose the pink tea and put a big sugar cube in their cups.

Kate S.: "The poor producer who has to ask them what kind of tea they drank."

John: "He's thinking, 'I was going to do "60 Minutes"!'

Kate G. talks about how nervous she was trusting the girls with all that glass.

John: "Sam would've broken something in the first five minutes."

Now they are making bracelets at a craft store. And John is nudging Kate S. awake because she's falling asleep on the couch...

Meanwhile, Jon and Cara and Mady make a bonfire from tabloids.

Kate S.: "How cute. Is this over yet?"

Ice cream for the little girls. The big girls make Father's Day cards. As the credits roll, Kate G. starts belatedly talking about the importance of individual trips.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: John & Kate Plus 2 watch Jon & Kate Plus 8
        

I like this campaign from our First Lady: In an interview with Prevention magazine, Michelle Obama says being a good mother "isn't all about sacrificing" and that women should put themselves higher on the priority list.

It's a version of that old saying: "When Mama's happy, everybody's happy."

But that's easier said than done, isn't it?

For me, that's exhibited by what happens to my morning exercise hour. If I'm going to get that hour, I have to be up by 5:15 a.m. and ready to work out by 5:30.

But even if I accomplish that, sometimes the computer -- and work emails -- call to me. I remember that somebody needs clean socks taken out of the laundry for school. I find myself writing a note for the teacher or filling out a form, and if I'm not careful, the exercise time is gone before I've even started.

And if I don't do it then, forget it. The rest of the day is scheduled.

(AP Photo/Earl Gibson)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Kara wrote that her boys, 3 and 4, "wrestle and roll around all afternoon. How much wrestling is too much?"

Here's what local parenting coach Molly Brown Koch, who last advised us on temperamental toddlers, had to say:

"We say "boys will be boys," without realizing exactly what it means. Boys wrestle. It's a boy thing. While mothers see it as aggression, others, like pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, see it as an outlet for their natural aggression. (Just think what would happen if they did not have an outlet for it.) Dr. Brazelton advises parents to let them have at it as long as no one gets hurt.

"On the other hand, wrestling all afternoon may be somewhat excessive. If they are wrestling because they are bored, or can't think of anything else to do, parents could be very helpful in finding another physical outlet for them. They'd use up considerable energy by running, jumping on a trampoline, hiking, climbing, riding bikes, hitting a punching bag, skating, swimming, shooting baskets, etc., and any one of these activities would provide the boys with a little variety in their lives."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Joe Burris writes:

A peculiar thing happened recently as I took my 3-year-old daughter Onalenna to school.

I was driving along U.S. Route 1, in an HOV-2 lane, and just when I signaled and turned right a state trooper pulled me over.

The officer told me that he spotted me driving in the lane from quite a distance away and that I was only allowed to use an HOV-2 lane to turn if I had begun my trip from no more than one block from the turn street.

I replied that I was unaware of such a law but he insisted there was and I had violated it. I sat there dumbfounded while he returned to his squad car to write up the ticket.

“Daddy, why are you shaking your head?” Onalenna asked.

Just then, the trooper returned to my car and passed me a huge metallic-gray tablet, on which I had to sign the ticket.

“Wow, daddy, what’s that?” Onalenna asked.

The trooper reared back and appeared startled when he saw my daughter. Then he hung his head and tore up the ticket.

“This is the kind of day I’m having,” he said. “I’m sorry. I did not see her back there.”

All along, he assumed that I was driving in the HOV-2 lane alone. And had my daughter not spoken, I would have received a ticket.

I never thought about how difficult it must be for folks to see small children in the back seat -- especially if the car is standing still. I’m now wondering about all those other times when, while riding with my daughter along interstate HOV lanes, I got hard stares from other motorists.

(Associated Press photo)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

 Sarah K.K. is back to take on the ga-ga-goo-goo set for Toddler Thursday:

We're flying cross-country in a few weeks with the little one, and frankly, I'm worried.

This won't be Isaac's first time on a plane, or even his first cross-country journey, but it will be his first time flying since he started walking and discovered the joys of mobility.

His previous flights have posed their own challenges.

When he was nearly 4 months old, Isaac and I flew solo to Oregon to visit my mom, who had been ill and unable to travel to us after his birth. Leg 1 was a packed flight, and he got a little antsy, but the father of a 5-month-old was crammed into the seat by me, and he just kind of rolled with it, thankfully. Leg 2, we had more space, and he slept like a log for most of it, but since it was getting late, the pilot started the descent without making an announcement. In Portland, you go kind of over the mountain and then doowwwwn to the river real quick to land, and even on a grownup head, it can be brutal. I didn't have a chance to get Isaac his pacifier or bottle and he woke up in screaming pain. I was desperately trying to get him to calm down when a flight attendant unbuckled herself, came over, and helpfully told me that although crying would eventually clear his ears, if I could get him "to take a bottle or pacifier or something, that would really help." I looked at her with a crazed expression, three kinds of pacifiers hanging off my fingers, a bottle tucked under my arm, a knuckle near Isaac's screaming mouth being ignored, and tried to clear the white-hot fury from my brain to form a sentence when my seatmate saved me. "She's offered him everything she's got, OK?" Rarely have I felt such gratitude toward my fellow man.

At 6 months or so, we flew solo to Texas, but it was pretty uneventful except that the carseat didn't quite fit between the rows, so even though we each had a seat, I had to share mine with part of his carrier for most of the flight. Eh, whatever, he slept most of the way.

Just shy of a year, Isaac accompanied us to California. The flight out was going really smoothly (we had the row to ourselves!) until he choked a bit on a goldfish cracker after drinking a full bottle of milk. Let's just say I wished I had followed my initial instinct to pack an extra outfit for myself into the carryon. (I have to say, though, the flight attendants were so good after the vomit incident and helped us clean up remarkably quickly and efficiently. I was impressed. And relieved.) On the way home from California, the planes were completely full, but strangely, Isaac slept for about three-quarters of our time in the air. Speaking of relieved.

But now ... I don't know. Every second his feet are on the ground, he is on the move. If we have to hold him still, and he doesn't want to, he kind of freaks out. He's at that stage (15 months old) where he easily gets frustrated because he's just figuring out that he can communicate with us, but we often don't understand. The good thing is, he sometimes spends ages playing with his books, and one of his new favorite things is to plop down in one of our laps. So maybe with a snacks, a few new interesting books and his favorite stuffed animal for naptime, we'll be OK.

But if anyone has suggestions for flying with toddler, hit me in the comments!

(Photo of plane wing by me, taken a while back, and not while flying with child)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

Just when you thought you'd heard it all comes the story of an Arkansas woman who conceived a baby...after she was already pregnant with another. No, they're not twins, but separate pregnancies 2 1/2 weeks apart.

Fortunately, as a Greater Baltimore Medical Center fertility expert tells ABC News here, it's a rare case.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Expecting, Health
        

The 2009 Baltimore Book Festival starts Friday. For young kids, there are craft projects and story times, and a live stageshow with characters from PBS' "Electric Company" will be presented at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Here's more:

Thursday, Sept. 24:

Apples, Apples, Apples:Learn about the varieties of autumn's favorite fruit at the Orleans Street branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. 3:30 p.m. For ages 6-12.

Friday, Sept. 25:

Edgar Allan Poe's Berenice is performed at 7 p.m. at the National Museum of Dentistry. $10.

Saturday, Sept. 26:

Hispanic Heritage at Port Discovery: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month at Port Discovery with Mexican dancing, food and other activities. Free with admission.

Marathon Kids kickoff: Kids can pledge to run or walk 26.2 miles over several months as part of the program Marathon Kids at the program kickoff at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Western High School.

Sunday, Sept. 27:

Teen Zine Launch Party & Workshop The Walters Art Museum Teen Arts Council hosts a free back-to-school event for those 14-18 to celebrate the launch of their new 'zine. Teenagers can vote on what they want to do at the museum this year and take part in a 'zine-making workshop. 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

BWI Run/Walk:A 4 mile run and 2 mile family walk to support the Kennedy Krieger Down Clinic programs kicks off at 8:50 a.m. at the Midfield Cargo Complex of Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Free Family Sundays: The Baltimore Museum of Art features a family tour to learn about ghosts of the museum. 2 p.m.

Baltimore Sun file photo of the Baltimore Book Festival

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

What can I say? Eeeeeuuuuwww.

My Read Street colleague, Dave Rosenthal, points out that the news that Mackenzie Phillips (formerly of "One Day at a Time") now says she had a 10-year affair with her father, John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, is also appropriate fodder for our parenting blog.

I suppose it is, though what we apparently have here is not parenting at all, but its darkest opposite.

I guess the interesting thing for us is that in telling the story, Mackenzie Phillips tells the world not to "hate" her father, who died years ago.

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Books
        

As of today, the Dinner Together concept is changing.

You may have read last week that because of the new dynamics of my job, it's become much more challenging to get home for a family dinner that I actually have time to cook -- much less make look pretty for a picture for you. When I do, we often eat lean protein with some kind of optional sauce, the kind of recipe you've seen here before.

So to be good to myself while still bringing you fresh content, I've decided to mix up the format. Once or twice a month, I'll have a recipe here, as I've done weekly since this blog began. On the other Wednesdays, I'll do something different, like highlighting another blog I think has great ideas for family meals.

The Spatulatta girls have one of my favorite family food blogs, and the best thing about it is that the girls do most of the cooking (with some adult help, as you'll see in the video above of their Harvest Soup). Show it to your daughters and sons, and they may be inspired to try something new.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

In honor of fall's official arrival, I''m working on putting together a list of 10 ways to enjoy autumn with your children in Central Maryland.

It's my favorite season; I can't wait to go apple picking. What else should be on the list?

Here's how to make that apple cake on the left, which I sampled for a story last year. It's easy to do with kids. Be aware that it doesn't rise much -- it's more like a crunchy breakfast cake.

Flip-Over Apple Cake
Serves 8 to 10

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
4 medium apples
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar (divided use)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
mint sprigs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and set aside.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place the apples in a bowl and toss to coat with cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Place apple slices in overlapping concentric circles on the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a second layer if necessary.

Sift the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the flour in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg and melted butter just until combined (do not overmix). Fold in the walnuts and continue to mix until smooth. Pour batter evenly over fruit, and smooth top with a rubber spatula.

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. When the pan is cool enough to handle, run a knife around the edge and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a favorite topping, such as whipped cream, ice cream or yogurt. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Per slice (based on 10 slices): 284 calories, 7 grams protein, 21 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 9 milligrams sodium

From "Dishing Up Vermont," by Tracey Medeiros

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

It's Tween Tuesday: 

Sometimes I feel like I'm living out a Smothers Brothers comedy routine. Remember in the show how Tommy would always tell Dick, "Mom always liked you best."

My sympathies to Mrs. Smothers.

How do you avoid playing favorites?

The other day, my older son wanted to go clothes shopping, so we piled into the van and drove to the Mall in Columbia to look for shirts and hoodies. We spent hours walking around and ended up with one shirt (and I thought girls were hard to please). But my problem wasn't just in finding clothes the older one liked. It was dealing with the younger one who also wanted to buy clothes.

But the younger one has a closet so crammed full of clothes it would be hard to squeeze another T-shirt in there. Very few of these items were bought for him. Most are hand-me-downs from his brother and a neighbor's older boys. They are perfectly good clothes and my younger son doesn't complain about wearing them, but he wanted something new.

Lately, this has gone beyond the desire for new clothes. He now wants a new house because he has the smallest bedroom. While older brother has a full-size bed in a room with a large closet and two windows, the younger brother has a twin bed in a room half the size.

I try to be fair to my kids, but I can't change their birth order. The older one has the bigger room because the younger one wasn't even born when we moved into the house. He gets new clothes because when he outgrows the old ones there are no hand-me-downs to give him.

What's a Mom to do? As a younger child myself, I try to be sensitive to the needs of the younger boy. At the same time, it seems ridiculous to throw out good clothes and impossible to give him a room that will be the same size as his brother's.

Should I rotate the rooms? Should I give the big room to the younger one when the big brother leaves home for college in a few years? I can't figure out how to be fair.

Photo: Baltimore Sun archives.

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Teens
        

Tonight's Gosselins episode is called "Farm to Table." Kate G. reveals one downside of moving to their nice new house is that they have moved away from "my produce guy, Henry."

Now they are going to visit Henry, a member of the first Amish family "I have known personally." She is happy Henry has agreed to filming because the Amish don't like cameras. (His face won't be shown.)

John (sighs): "Women in shorts."

Kate: "Those crookneck squash were pretty cool."

There are lots of too-much-in-unison-to-be-believed "yays" at the corn and eggplant. Then the kids start bickering, and Kate tells them to "stop your obnoxiousness."

Now they are visiting a playground they used to go to.

John: "Castle park!"

Now they are shucking corn. Kate G. lets us in on what we all know...that it's generally "safer" for babysitters to be constantly around.

Kate: Interesting that she admitted about the babysitters.

John: Can't live without them. Except that she's probably not sleeping with them.

Kate: !!!!

While Kate cooks up her nutritious meal, the kids bicker over a selection of instruments.

John: Wonder what the camerapeople do when one of the kids is hitting the other over the head with a drumstick?

Kate: Film it!

Next: Family game night.

Kate: Oh, and here's a commercial for Monopoly!

John: I bet in the next segment, they'll go to Olive Garden.

But no, they are eating the homemade chicken cacciatore. The kids say: "Jesus made it, Henry grew it, Mommy cooked it, and we ate it!"

Kate reflects on her single status, that it is "starting to feel that the pity party is gone."

Then Cara keeps saying her foot is injured. Finally, Kate up and calls the doctor. The pediatrician says they can take her right now.

Kate: Oh, look at them flossing!

Gator Golf looks fun. But they play Pictureka and Mady has a bit of a meltdown. And then the doctor calls about Cara's foot, which has a bruise and swelling and needs x-rays. At 8:22 p.m. "Anything I can do to stretch the night to make the next day shorter, I do," says Kate.

As it turned out, she was fine. "We don't have time for a cast, do we, Cara?"

Kate: "So what do we think about her doing everything while she has custody?"

John: "Obviously she thinks he can't do anything. No trust. But that's a typical mom reaction."

Kate: "Hey! I trust a lot to you!"

John: "Good!"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: John & Kate Plus 2 watch Jon & Kate Plus 8
        

Terri Peters wrote:

"Our 16-month-old son has recently learned how to pull down his pants, loosen his diaper and put his hands down the front of it. At home, we've joked that this is just 'part of being a boy,' but he has started to do it in public - at parties, in the childcare at our gym, etc."

With him being at such a young age, we're not sure how to correct this behavior, or if we should even be correcting it at this stage. Any advice would be appreciated!"

I consulted Dr. Daniel Levy, an Owings Mills pediatrician who's advised us about swine flu, jogging strollers, and how to help a teething baby. Here's his answer:

"Your child is at the age where children are achieving control over bodily functions and showing intense curiosity about their bodies. Small kids have only a limited sense of right and wrong, and no sense of propriety.

"Mix these factors together, and you have instant exhibitionism! Go easy on your child. Tell him "no," when the inappropriate behavior occurs, and offer an explanation of five words or less. Then distract him into doing something else.

"Enjoy that little boy."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Like many parents, Joe Burris is dealing with the mid-life spread. Some say this is the real "baby weight":

The most visible change to my body over the years has been my midsection. During my mid-20s, I had a rock-hard stomach _ the result of doing intense sit ups the way Sylvester Stallone did in “Rocky.” At 46, I might as well put an RIP sign over my belly; for years, my abs have been resting in peace under layers of fat. Ditto my navel, swallowed up by excess baggage.

A while back, my three-year daughter Onalenna noticed. As I lay on the shirtless on the bed, she climbed on my chest and peered down at the hole in my stomach where my belly button should be.

“Helloooooooo down therrrrrrrrre!” she exclaimed.

I have no idea where she got that from. It left me embarrassed. But it was also as a wake-up call: I need to be more conscious about healthy eating and weight gain to be active with my growing little ones.

Therefore, I’ve cut out many foods from my diet, including red meat, fried foods, fast foods, sodas, candy and some snacks. Most I’ve cut out entirely. Chocolate has been the most difficult to let go, but I’ve cut down considerably.

Already I’m seeing dividends, in part because we have incorporated better eating habits as a family. But I’ve also discovered just how much often those foods I’ve given up are tied to time with kids.

Try going to a carnival, sporting event, amusement park or any other kids’ venue that doesn’t serve pizza, candy bars, cheeseburgers or ice cream. The healthy choices are virtually non-existent, and rarely anything that makes for a complete meal.

Nowadays we often pack our meals and snacks for outings. It’s healthier and much less expensive. That’s part of the reason why I’m seeing the pounds steadily disappear. My navel and abs haven’t resurrected yet, but I’m working on it.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Those of you still rocking your children to sleep may want to sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" tonight in honor of Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary, who died Wednesday. Though I've always been fond of the song, I could never remember the lyrics beyond the first line or two. Especially when I was comforting a baby.

Fortunately, the Swamp blog has posted them...

(Associated Press photo)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Music
        

Something I've noticed recently about my almost-15-month-old son, Isaac (whom you met last week): The kid's got opinions.

Unfortunately, he doesn't always have the means to express them, and this means it's meltdown time.

Food or drink -- or rather, the desire for such -- is often at the center of these breaks from reality. I always feel so silly when I realize that the kid just wants some milk and it's taken me so long to figure it out.

We started working on the baby sign for "more," hoping that would give Isaac a way to let us know when he was hungry or thirsty. And we really thought he had it figured out. But the other day, my husband was feeding him dinner, and Isaac was signing "more" -- and saying it -- but every time he offered him more of the food options he had there, Isaac shook his head and cried.

At a loss, my husband handed him his bottle of milk, and voila! Happy again! In Isaac-land, "more" appears to mean "bottle."

So who's teaching whom here?

(Photo by me)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

Here's what's on for families this weekend:

Thursday, Sept. 17:

Nature Storytime - Eden Mill Nature Center presents a children's story and craft starting at 11 a.m. Donations requested for the craft. Reservation required on the day of the event; call 410-836-3050.

Anne Arundel County Fair - The fair at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville runs through Sunday.

Friday, Sept. 18:

Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sale - This large children's consignment sale comes to Perryville Outlet Center Friday through Sunday.

Saturday, Sept. 19:

Hats Off to Dr. Seuss: Chesapeake Arts Center presents a one-hour tribute to Dr. Seuss in songs and poetry at 4 p.m. $5 for children, $10 for adults.

Pleeze and Squeeze:Critter Caravans presents a "see and touch" program with lizards, snakes and tortoises at 2 p.m. at the North Point branch of the Baltimore County Public Library.

International Talk Like A Pirate Day Aye -- you can talk like a pirate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Edgewood branch of the Harford County Public Library. There will be games and activities. Costumes welcome. All ages.

African-American Heritage Festival: Children's activities and more at Towson's Patriot Plaza, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 20:

BMA Free Family Sundays:Horse racing is the theme of this week's 2 p.m. art activity at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Baltimore Sun file photo of the Anne Arundel County Fair

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Instead of a Dinner Together recipe today, I thought we'd do something different -- a poll.

It seems to me that because of the recession, many people are working longer hours to keep the jobs they have, and may not be getting home for dinner. On the other hand, there are others who've probably lost jobs -- or had hours scaled back -- who are able to be regularly home for dinner for the first time.

I won't bore you with the stats on how children who regularly dine with their parents do better in school and are less likely to use drugs. We've all heard them before, and I think most of us try our best to eat together. But it doesn't always happen.

When I first started this, the goal was to get home for dinner most weeknights, which hadn't been happening. The column has been a great impetus, though I must say my children haven't enjoyed it much. But they're both eating things they wouldn't have eaten back then.

I did better for a long while at getting home for dinner most nights, though I would work more from home in the evenings after the kids went to bed. Now, with some switches in my job and responsibilities, it's gotten harder to both get home in time and actually cook. Any tips for me?

(Photos by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday: 

I began wondering about this after hearing a sermon my pastor gave this past Sunday. He mentioned that when he was a child, he left home in the morning and played all day with friends, and the only requirement his parents made was that he be home before dark. My colleague Susan Reimer has written that when she was a child, her mother made the kids go out to play and told them not to come back until dinner time. Mom needed her rest.

Today, however, with all the scary reports of youth gangs, child molestors and kidnappings, we are fearful of letting kids out of our sight. My pastor says he doesn’t let his 9-year-old daughter ride her bike on her short suburban street alone.

I’m always wondering how much freedom to allow my sons. Now that the older one is a teen-ager, I allow him to ride his bike in the neighborhood and only ask that he tell me where he is going and when he’ll be home. But the 8-year-old is tching for more freedom as well. He wants to be allowed to ride his scooter alone around in the neighborhood and ride his bike over to a friend who lives about a half mile away.

 How do you know where to draw the line?

 A parenting Web site out of the United Kingdom has some advice about letting tweens have their freedom:

• Kids should be allowed to go alone to the park, school or friend's house once they know road safety rules and can be trusted to obey them.
• Children should always tell you where they're going and update you if plans change.
•  Let them take short trips to local shops once you're confident they will behave in the store. Start out small--20 minutes--and increase the time as they mature.
• Let tweens visit the local theater to get a taste of handling money and independence. Start with early shows and progress to night-time shows when they're older.

But do you think this advice is valid on this side of the ocean? Where do you draw the lines in letting your tween roam?

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Kate S. here. I'm alone to watch Jon & Kate Plus 8. All alone, like Kate G. must be. My John is at a meeting. Yeah, right, you say.

Well, I am hoping not to learn otherwise from US magazine soon....

Kate G. is grilling for the first time. "It's summer, we have to grill, and I've got to figure it out." She's overwhelmed. She has to "run the world," and admits she's lonely at night.

I actually feel for her. I can't imagine taking care of two kids by myself, much less eight.

But I think she's putting too much pressure on herself. "I've gotta do everything big and make memories," she said. (A good way to drive yourself permanently cranky and make bad memories, I'd think.)

And my John is home! From the "meeting"!

John: "That chicken would not pass muster on Top Chef."

Now the "audio guy," Alex, is setting up a movie on the lawn for the kids. But Alex has no DVD.

Now here comes a popcorn machine.

John: "Popcorn machine. Good God. More excess for the Gosselin family. How can these kids ever be genuinely surprised at anything? It's all there."

Kate S.: "What is that on Kate's head?"

The kids fall asleep and Kate has to lug the boys up to bed. When she has trouble lifting Colin, she says she realizes she's a single mom. Then she's shown packing up and leaving for Jon's turn.

"I don't like wondering what they're doing. I don't like wondering if they're happy."

John: "We miss the kids when we're at work, and we know we're going to see them every day. Can you imagine this? I come out of work with a spring in my step because I'm going to pick them up."

Kate: "Awww!!!"

Jon is taking the kids fishing with all the kids except Mady, who has gone shopping with her grandmother. The kids are scared, crying, cranky. Jon says he's taking his kids fishing no matter what, and that they have to face their fears. One of the kids says she wants to watch TV.

Kate: "Sounds familiar."

Now they're making pizzas.

Kate: "Oooh, grilled pizza. That looks good."

Kate: "Jon actually seems smarter this week."

John: "He's talking, for once."

Now they're fishing again?

John: "Fishing abuse! Fish, and you vil like eet!"

Kate: "But I think they do like it..."

Leah catches a fish. Jon says the second location "rocked."

John: "They're having fish sticks tonight!"

Then one of the boys gets hit in the head with a fish and is traumatized.

Jon says being alone is really stressful and bittersweet. He says they're calling him and he says "I'm on Park Avenue, I'm on Broadway..."

John: "Or in a bar."

Kate: "Or in a 'meeting'!"

John: "At church and soccer. Let's make that clear."

Kate: "Watch out. The paparazzi will soon be there."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: John & Kate Plus 2 watch Jon & Kate Plus 8
        

Have you ever angsted over how much to pay your babysitter? I always find myself wondering if I've hit the right mark. Turns out I may be paying a little too much.

Sittercity, the online service that helps babysitters and parents find each other, has a rate calculator that I just stumbled upon over at Kid Baltimore. It's pretty neat. You put in your zip code, the age of the sitter, and the number of kids you have. Then the calculator spits out a per-hour rate.

For my zip code, with 2 kids and a sitter 18-21 with less than a year of experience, it said I should be paying $12 an hour.

The only downside is that it didn't appear to have a field for a younger babysitter. Would you pay less for a high-schooler?

(Baltimore Sun file photo)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Child Care
        

Last week, Kayris described watching a child (not her own) have a meltdown in public, and how she wondered what to do. In light of the man who slapped a child to "shut her up" in a Georgia store recently, I thought it was a pretty timely question.

Here's what our expert, clinical psychologist Amy Keefer of Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism & Related Disorders, had to say:

"Your reader asks two important questions. First, how does one respond if a child with a developmental disability is demonstrating difficult behaviors and second, how does one respond to the reactions of others in a situation like the one she experienced.

Here are some strategies to best support and help the parents:

--It is fine to ask the parents if there is anything you can do to help, but do not be offended if the answer is no. Sometimes parents simply need to wait out their child’s difficult behaviors.

--Remember that the parents are the experts regarding their child’s needs. Sometimes people attempt to directly intervene in the situation, assuming they possess more effective behavioral management strategies or could “talk the child out of” their negative behaviors. Direct intervention by someone who does not understand the child’s needs or situation often causes behavioral escalation.

--Do not stare. Not only could staring increase the parents’ embarrassment, it could fuel the child’s behavioral outburst. If the situation has resolved, and it seems appropriate, offering a kind smile could be a means of offering silent support to the family.

Families of children with developmental disabilities often withdraw from social events and public places due to embarrassment and others’ misunderstanding when their children engage in negative behaviors. The families often report feeling isolated, which increases their stress. Here is a way that someone could address comments from those who might be less sensitive or understanding than your reader, and help families of children with development disabilities feel more comfortable:

--Serve as an advocate and educator. Some simple statements such as, “I think that family is doing a great job with a difficult situation. They need our support.” can be an effective and quick strategy to quiet judgmental comments. Your empathy and advocacy are likely your greatest means of offering help and support.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Kim Clijsters just won a victory for moms everywhere -- with her win in the US Open, she's unbelievably the first mother to win a Grand Slam championship since Evonne Goolagong's Wimbledon victory in 1980.

Yes, Virginia, moms can come back to the workplace and succeed.

"The fairy tale goes on - some how, I'm in the US Open final on Sunday beating both Venus and Serena along the way... am i dreaming???" the Belgian tennis star wrote on her Twitter page -- where the picture is not of Clijsters playing tennis, but of her holding her toddler daughter.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Sports
        

Joe Burris is thinking about how quickly the places where childhood memories are made can disappear:

One of my all-time favorite songs is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, mostly because of the verse, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Having moved several times over the years, I’ve often returned to old stomping grounds to discover they’ve been transformed in the name of urban development.

Few have bothered me so as when I saw that a once popular wooded area, near an office park where we live in Alexandria, Va., has been leveled, apparently for another building. The area, with a couple of gravel paved paths and two adjacent hillsides, was where my wife Mpho and I helped teach our daughter Nyaniso to ride a bike.

I remember one time she told me how she wanted to tackle the hilly road but was afraid she’d lose control of the bike coming down.

“Sweetie, we must face our fears,” I told her. Then we went to tackle the hill. I could see her trepidation as we reached the top, but on she went. She firmly gripped her bike and managed to keep control all the way down.

“I did it!” she exclaimed when we reached the bottom. Then we climbed the hill about five more times.

Later, she saw an array of water sprinklers in the distance and suggested riding through them.

“I don’t know, Sweetie,” I said. “I’m afraid you might get all wet and catch a cold.”

“Daddy,” she replied, “we must face our fears!”

Now, the spot of many of her childhood memories is gone. I drove her by the site the other day, and she almost cried.

“How can they do that?” she asked.

I really had no answer _ after all, Alexandria’s full of vacant office spaces _ and I wondered how many other children’s memories had been bulldozed. Perhaps from now on, when we’re out on family outings, I’ll bring a camera along. Eventually, snapshots might be all that’s left of what once was.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Hello, all. This is Sarah K.K. from over in Reality Check land. A while ago, Kate and I had talked about me guest posting every so often about my return to work after maternity leave, but I was so overwhelmed by the transition, I couldn't quite manage it. But now that my little guy and I are in a little more of a groove, I volunteered to write about toddler-dom.

Let me back up a bit: My toddler in question is Isaac, and he's closing on 15 months old. (When do you stop with doing the ages in months and just start round off, anyway? I think that's a post for another day.) He started walking right around his first birthday, while his dad (my husband, Judah) was out of town for two weeks, unfortunately. Lately, he's upgraded to running, even though his balance isn't quite ready for that yet. And, hence the headline on this post, his favorite word in his limited vocabulary is "hi," which he likes to say a lot. (True to his mom's Southern roots, he manages to turn it multisyllabic.)

After that none-too-brief introduction, here's what I want to talk about today: In an attempt to distract your toddler, have you ever given them something to play with that you later regretted? ...

Isaac is obsessed with buttons -- the remote-control kind, not the clothing kind. He loves his toys with buttons, especially if music is involved, he tries to grab the phone away from us, and yes, of course, he wants to be in control of that remote. I can't count the number of times he's accidentally turned the television on or off or set the DVR to record some random program on channel 111.

Over the weekend, my husband thought he would be entertained by the remote for the fan and light fixture in our bedroom, and oh boy, was he right. Isaac thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever encountered, eyes going wide and face breaking into a grin every time the lights went out and cracking up when they came back on.

Then he started wandering around the house trying to accomplish the same thing in other rooms, and he was not amused when it didn't work. Whoops.

After the fact, too, I remembered that we've occasionally had the lights come on in the middle of the night or discovered the fan off when it had been on for days. We're thinking a neighbor might have some fixture running on a similar frequency.

I can only hope Isaac wasn't turning their lights on and off incessantly. If so, I bet they didn't find it nearly as amusing as he did.

(Pictured: Isaac gets his hands -- and mouth -- on Mom's iPhone. Thank goodness for that cover. Photo by Sarah Kelber.)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

Check out the Ukrainian Festival Saturday and Sunday in Patterson Park. Admission is free. And there's more to do with the family:

Thursday, Sept. 10:

Hands-on-Holidays Rosh Hashanah CelebrationThe Rosenbloom JCC in Owings Mills hosts a holiday event for 1- to 3-year-olds at 11:30 a.m., featuring circle time, crafts and snack.

Kids' Game Night: Kids 3-12 are invited to play board games at the Govans branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library starting at 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11:

Carol Stream Amusements Carnival: Arundel Mills Mall hosts this carnival evenings from Friday through Sunday in the parking lot near Jared. Call 410-974-1990 for information.

Babies Love Books: Tots 6 months to 24 months can hear stories at 10:30 a.m. at the Edgewood branch of the Harford County Public Library. Registration required; call 410-612-1600.

Busy Beavers: Visit Bear Branch Nature Center, 300 John Owings Road, Westminster, for a program on beavers from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. $5. Reservation required. Call 410-848-2517.

Saturday, Sept. 12:

Back-to-School Rally for Health - Franklin Square Hospital Center's Crawford Conference Center hosts a back to school health rally from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with health information and activities for kids, such as story time, face painting and caricatures. Call 443-777-7900.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum's Kidsfest - The B&O Railroad Museum offers train rides and entertainment 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Live performances by the kids' band Milkshake each day at noon. Call 410-752-2462.

Amazing Mayans and More! - The Walters Art Museum holds Mayan-themed drop-in art activities from from 10 a.m- 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free.

Reisterstown Festival - The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with a children's area, fireworks, and other attractions at Hannah Moore School.

Fifteen Stars, Fifteen Stripes, Fifteen and Under Free! - Kids under 15 get in free to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House from 10 a.m.- 3:15 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13:

Children's Day at Ladew Gardens takes place from noon to 5 p.m. at the Ladew Gardens in Monkton. There will be crafts, learning activities, and children's performances. Adults $10, seniors and students $8, children $2, members free.

Grandparents Day at William Paca House:Grandparents get in free when accompanied by a grandchild at the William Paca House and Garden in Annapolis. 8 for adults; $5 for children ages 6-17; children under 6 free. The house and garden are open from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, with the last tour starting at 3:30 p.m.

Second Sundays in Leakin Park - Ride the miniature trains at Leakin Park.

(Baltimore Sun file photo of the 2006 Ukrainian Festival)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Things to Do
        

How could my kids -- or yours, for that matter -- resist chicken coated with potato chips and baked?

Answer: If you tell them there are potato chips on the outside and act like it's going to be the world's biggest treat. Then they are obligated to pick at their dinner out of spite.

Lesson learned!

I think the kids would have liked these little chicken poppers, adapted from the book "The $7 a Meal Healthy Cookbook," fine without their mother's buildup. Although I did wish the potato-chip exterior had gotten crispier. I didn't want to bake these a lot longer than the allotted 25 minutes, for fear of drying them out....

Maybe a higher temperature would help next time?

Still, the meat was wonderfully moist, and the potato-chip coating added a little pizazz. And they were better than store-bought chicken nuggets, for sure.

I modified the spices a bit. Here's how to make my version:

Potato-Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders
Serves 4

6 ounces potato chips
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into cubes
2/3 cup sour cream

In a food processor, chop potato chips until you have 1 cup crumbs. Mix crumbs together with pepper, chives and thyme.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking dish with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lay chicken in dish and coat with sour cream, then sprinkle with potatos chip mixture. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Adapted from "The $7 a Meal Healthy Cookbook" by Chef Susan Irby

Per serving: 648 calories, 22 grams protein, 45 grams fat, 14 grams saturated fat, 43 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 67 milligrams cholesterol, 762 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

Photo by me

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Kayris, who wrote in asking whether to intervene -- and how -- when you see another parent's child having an outburst in public. In light of last week's story about a toddler being slapped by a stranger in Wal-Mart and the comments that followed, it's a timely question.

Congratulations, and thanks to the other commenters for their questions. Look for answers in our weekly Monday Consult.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

My colleagues Jill Rosen (of Unleashed fame) and Joe Burris (of Charm City Moms fame) are working on a story about folks who are preparing in some interesting way for football season to start up again in Baltimore.

We were sure there's probably a young fan -- or two -- out there who's going to the game for the first time, or who has dyed his hair purple in honor of the Ravens, or done something else to express his or her great excitement.

If so, Jill and Joe would love to hear about it and possibly interview this fan and his proud parents. You can e-mail them at jill.rosen@baltsun.com or joseph.burris@baltsun.com.

Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Sports
        

I'll be going to Back to School Night events for my 3rd grader and 8th grader during these next couple weeks. I always look forward to the chance to introduce myself to the teachers, hear about the curriculum and see my children's rooms. While the schools are usually crowded and the time with the teachers short, I think the events give both the teachers and parents the chance to size each other up a bit. While first impressions aren't everything, they do count.

And while it's always tempting to corner the teacher to talk about my child in particular, I know that's not fair and I try to avoid doing it. I know the teacher doesn't have time to talk with me in detail and after just a week in school, she or he might not have much to tell.

The Web site greatschools.com has these suggestions for questions parents should ask at the Back to School Night events:

• What is the policy on late work and make-up work?
• How does it affect the student's grade?
•  How do absences affect the grade?
• How do I teach my son or daughter to gain independence in middle school?
•  How can I check on my son's or daughter's progress in school?
•  Do you give weekly progress reports?
•  How do I know what the homework is?
•  Is there an online homework calendar?
•  Should I call or email the teacher?
•  Are there field trips?
•  How can I check on detentions or behavior issues?
•  Is there anything you'd like me to do?
• May I volunteer in the classroom?

Do you have any other questions you think are good to ask? Any other suggestions for how to help make a successful back-to-school night?

Posted by Liz Atwood at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

apparently not on tonight. So sad. See you next time for our recap.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: John & Kate Plus 2 watch Jon & Kate Plus 8
        

The Monday Consult is taking a Labor Day break. Since we're all on holiday, it's the perfect time to sit back, ask a parenting question, and win a prize.

Today's offering is the Play-Doh Burger Builder, which looks like fun. (Just don't let your kids eat the "burgers" they make if you win.)

Just leave a question about parenting that an expert can answer in the comments, and be sure to include your e-mail address (which won't be published) so I can get in touch with you. I'll choose a winner at random on Tuesday.

Even if your question doesn't win the prize, it may very well be answered in a future Monday Consult.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Our InsideEd blog has details on the president's planned back-to-school speech to schoolchildren, to be aired in classrooms next Tuesday. Some school districts are saying they won't air the speech; others are allowing kids to be excused from the speech if their families want that.

Here's your chance to vote on the issue:

(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
Categories: Guilty-Mom polls
        

Here's Joe Burris's take on the man who slapped a toddler at a Georgia Wal Mart to "shut her up":

My mother once told me that when she was growing up in rural South Carolina, she and any other child in the community caught misbehaving could be punished by any adult in that community. What’s more, she said that if the child’s misdeed was particularly harmful, often an adult would spank the child, then tell the child’s parents about it -- which usually led to another spanking.

Needless to say, in my family such an approach to child rearing ended with my mom’s generation. But I’m often troubled to find out that remnants of it still exist.

I thought about it the recently when I read a story about a man in suburban Atlanta who police say slapped a crying 2-year-old girl at a Wal Mart several times after warning the child’s mom to keep her quiet.

One of the many things that disturbs me about the man’s behavior is that I honestly believe he wouldn’t have resorted to it had the toddler been with her father (I can also think of a few mothers who would have made him think twice before rearing his hand).

However, despite the fact that there are many societies working tirelessly to understand children’s emotional development before resorting to knee-jerk reactions, the man’s behavior is not wholly uncommon.

When I’m overseas, I see it quite often.

While living in South Africa in 2001, I saw children physically punished by adults they knew and by some they didn’t know.

And I remember that my daughter had a friend who told my wife and me that she was nervous about beginning the school year because she heard that her new homeroom teacher “hits hard.”

I mentioned that to teachers from a few other countries back then, and many of them said they had no problem with it. In fact, I was told that in some places, a teacher can strike a child for simply answering a question incorrectly.

Somehow I don’t think this is what the sages envisioned when they said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That goes double for a Wal Mart (for all we know the toddler could have had an ailment, and was not misbehaving).

And even though I often still see parents spank their children in public when I go home to South Carolina, I’m glad that ours is a society where, generally, adults have learned the benefits of resolving issues with kids without getting physical.

Still, I’m surprised that the Wal Mart controversy has yielded a range of responses. I read online comments from folks who say that though they disagree with the man’s actions they often felt like doing the same thing to a child acting out in public.

It reminded me of when I returned here from South Africa and told my daughter’s elementary school teacher how awful it was to know that teachers overseas are permitted to whack children.

“Well, it might be wrong,” she replied, “but I bet they get respected.”

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

The Maryland State Fair continues through Monday, and the Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place through the weekend (and the weekends for the rest of the month).

Thursday, Sept. 3:

First Thursdays: WTMD's monthly concerts in the park series returns with reggae artist Trevor Hall and Baltimore's Eureka Birds at West Mount Vernon Park at the Washington Monument at 5:30 p.m. The event is free. Go to wtmd.org.

Friday, Sept. 4:

Cole Bros. Circus of the Starts: This circus is a throwback to circuses of a bygone era, with camels, elephants, a wheel of destiny, a globe of death and a human cannonball. Taking place at Arundel Mills mall, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, this is the oldest American circus still performing under a big top. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $12-$15. It runs through Sept. 7. Go to colebroscircus.com.

"Happy Feet": The movie about penguins is a "free family flick" at 2 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Central branch.

Saturday, Sept. 5:

Amazing Mayans and More: The Walters Art Museum has free drop-in art activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, focusing on the ancient artworks of Central and South America.

Free concert: Pirates for Sail plays at the Inner Harbor's West Shore Park at 4 p.m. in a free Waterfront Wiggle kids' concert.

Sunday, Sept. 6:

1814 Battle of North Point Defenders' Day: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy battle re-enactments, living history and family-friendly activities at Fort Howard Park, 7400 North Point Road. Go to battlenorthpoint.org.

Board Game Design is the topic of the Baltimore Museum of Art's Free Family Sundays, with activities starting at 2 p.m. Design your own board game.

Note: An earlier version of this post gave an incorrect date for the conclusion of the Maryland State Fair.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Lord knows that on this blog, we're familiar with how people can't stand to have noisy kids in public places like restaurants. Sometimes parents are at fault, but other times, noisy kids are just a fact of life. And there's a right way and a wrong way to deal with them.

Witness, first, this woman dragging a child on a leash through a Verizon store in Georgia last month. Now comes word that a shopper at a Georgia Wal Mart (what is going on there?) slapped a 2-year-old after telling her mother: "If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."

Some moms around the country are pretty exercised about that, as I would be.

In both cases, criminal charges have been filed against the adults.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers
        

In my years as a foodie and then a food editor, I'd never made crepes. There were at least two reasons: 1) one of my best friends makes a fabulous version, and 2) they scared me a little.

This recipe looked enough like Dinner Together that I was inspired to try them. And I'm happy to report that these crepes, from the book "One Pot French," are very easy.

They were also delicious, stuffed with a savory blend of goat cheese, herbs and shallots. My husband and I enjoyed them with salad and a glass of white wine. The kids took a few bites, but the sharpness of the goat cheese put them off. I may try farmer's cheese next time.

Or, failing that, Nutella....

Savory Goat-Cheese Crepes
Serves 4

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt, plus more to taste
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 1/2 ounces goat cheese, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
black pepper to taste

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the pinch of salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and break the eggs into it. Whisking in the center of the mixture, slowly draw the flour in until it is fully mixed. Gradually add the milk and then the melted butter, whisking to a smooth consistency. The batter should be runny enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon; add a little more milk if it is too stiff. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes, wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Coat a small nonstick skillet or crepe pan with a small amount of nonstick cooking spray or butter over medium heat. Test that the pan is hot enough by putting a drop of butter in it -- it should spatter briskly. Add a ladle of batter to the pan. Use about 1/3 cup for a large crepe. Tilt the pan so the batter coats the bottom evenly. Cook until set, about 1 minute. Loosen the crepe with a spatula; flip over with the spatula or a flick of the wrist. Cook the second side for about another minute. Stack the crepes to keep moist and warm.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In an uncovered skillet over low heat, cook the shallots and garlic gently in 1 tablespoon butter until soft and translucent; do not allow to color. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, shallots and garlic. Add the olive oil, stirring until creamy. Stir in the chives and parsley. (Note: if you have picky eaters, you might reserve a little goat cheese without the shallot-garlic-herbs for stuffing some of the crepes.) Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a spoonful of filling on a quarter of a crepe. Fold in half and then in half again to form a triangle. Fill remaining crepes. Bake for 2 minutes to reheat the crepes and warm the cheese. Serve at once.

--From "One Pot French," by Jean-Pierre Challet with Jennifer DeCorte

Per serving: 339 calories, 13 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat, 23 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 146 milligrams cholesterol, 191 milligrams sodium

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The day after the most boring Jon & Kate show yet comes the news that Michelle Duggar, of the TLC show "18 Kids and Counting," is pregnant with her 19th.

It made all the moms around here cringe -- how could anyone possibly take care of all those children?

But then I thought about a family of 10 I interviewed several years ago for a story on motherhood. The parents were very organized, so that the older kids did lots of helping, and often watched the younger ones. Things ran much more smoothly than they did in my household of four.

The mom told me her craziest times were when she was alone with just the youngest two or three kids. So maybe there's something to having a really big family.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Television
        

Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday: 

School’s back in session, but there isn’t much excitement at my house. The eigth-grader waited until 9 Sunday night to put his paper in his binder and write his name on his notebooks. The third-grader moaned and sighed all the way to school Monday morning.

I did my best to generate excitement. There were new clothes and new school supplies, even some they didn’t need, but wanted anyway like the pencil sharpener shaped like a globe, the mechanical pencils, and multi-colored pen sets. I reminded the boys that they would be seeing their friends again and pointed out the exciting things they would learn.

Somehow they didn’t believe me, although the older one at least is looking forward to his last year of middle school because he knows it’s soon on to high school and a driver’s permit. Third grade doesn’t seem to have the same lure. Cursive writing and multiplication tables don’t sound like they'll be as much fun, I guess.

How are your kids adjusting to the new school year? Any tips for getting them excited about being back in the classroom?

Photo: A 3rd grade student at William Paca Elementary School clings to his mother as they wait for the opening bell in 1983.  Baltimore Sun Staff File Photo by George Cook.

Posted by Liz Atwood at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

New parents are often shocked at how often complete strangers feel free to come right up and touch a tiny baby, without asking if it's OK to do so.

Even the common cold can turn dangerous for a new baby, much less swine flu. That means all the touching can drive a germ-phobic parent right up the wall.

One, a mom named Tara Williamson, decided to make the sign you see on the right, which you can hook right on to a stroller. And now she's selling them, for $7.95 apiece. (There's even one in Spanish.)

Of course, you could make one yourself for free. Or just summon your courage and tell the stranger (or, let's be honest, overly touchy acquaintance/relative/friend) to wash up first.

But something about the official-looking nature of this sign may be the ticket. It's passive-aggressive messaging at its finest, isn't it? Because after reading it, even with clean hands, who would dare to approach the baby?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)