And now, a new addition to our Father's Day Friday lineup: What's cooking with local dad bloggers.

It's a happy development that in the two years I've been writing Charm City Moms, enough dads in the area have started blogging about parenthood that we're able to do this from time to time. So here are a few things you should read from local dads this week:

--Over at The B-More Dad Blog, Will Morton writes about the pressure to get a Wii -- not from his kids this time, but from his wife.

"The idea would be that it’s Mommy’s Wii, so we can only play it when she’s home," he writes.

"Wii will see."

--Oren Miller of A Blogger and a Father, whose blog features the best of other dad blogs, profiles Martin of XBox4NappyRash. The unique thing about this blog, Oren writes, is that Martin blogged about fatherhood even though he and his wife were struggling with infertility. Find out what happened.

--Joe Schatz, otherwise known as Joeprah, has a new book out about his life as a stay-at-home dad that I keep meaning to mention. It's called "Daddy, Where's Your Vagina?" and was featured recently on the Tyra Banks Show.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Can it really be time to jostle madly queue up politely for the White House Easter Egg Roll again?

Why, yes. Now through Feb. 28, you can sign up for the lottery to get free tickets for the April 5 event.

 Things look a little different from last year's signup, when tickets were offered for one day online.

 Do you remember what happened on this blog that day? Hundreds of comments poured in from people who were desperately, desperately trying to get Easter Egg Roll tickets. They refreshed the White House site all day, but many came up empty-handed in the end.

This time, you register ahead of time at a different site -- recreation.gov. Here are the rules for 2010 from the official White House site:

"Entries for the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll Online Lottery will be accepted from Thursday, February 25 through Sunday, February 28. One entry per person may be submitted at anytime during the lottery period. All entries will have an equal chance of being selected.

"The lottery will be run on March 1. Lottery results will be available starting Thursday, March 4, 2010 at recreation.gov."

Sounds much more civilized. If you're trying to go this year, I'd love to hear about how your application process goes.

*Tip of the hat to @CharmCityMa on Twitter, whose tweet alerted me to this news.

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

There's lots to do this weekend, including an opportunity to chat with former Olympic figure skater Kimmie Meissner at the Sports Legends Museum on Saturday.

Here's more from intern Shruti Rastogi. If you don't see what you want here, check our events database for more family fun:

Thursday, Feb. 25:

The 34th Annual American Craft Council Retail Show: The craft show begins at 10 a.m. inside the Baltimore Convention Center. The show has a new 4-day format: Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 700 artists will display their one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home décor items in categories like CRAFT4KIDS and the newly-created LAWN & GARDEN. There will also be live demonstrations. Online tickets cost less -- $13 for 1-day entry, $20 for 2-day entry, or $25 for 3-day entry -- and allow patrons to skip the entrance line. Tickets bought at the door cost $15 for 1-day entry, $ 25 for 2-day entry, and $30 for 3-day entry. A special $6 ticket can be bought at the door on Friday starting at 6 p.m. Children 12 or younger are free.

C.S.I. Harford: A detective from Harford County’s Crime Scene Unit will be separating reality from Hollywood glitz at the Jarrettsville Branch of the Harford County Public Library at 6:30 p.m. He will be discussing and answering questions about what a real day in crime scene investigation is like. The program runs about 90 minutes and is intended for middle school aged students and older. Registration is required; call 410-692-7887.

Friday, Feb. 26:

Puppet shows: The Wilde Lake Community Association is hosting a performance of the “Little Red Hen” and “The 3 Pigs” by Kaydee Puppets at their Slayton House Theatre at 10 a.m. The show should run for about 30 minutes and is a part of Rainbow Theatre, a monthly performance geared towards kids in kindergarten or younger. Tickets are required and can be bought in advance at the theatre for $5 or the day of for $6. Group rates are available.

Mondawmin Song and Story Hour: In an effort to promote song and story hours in the Greater Baltimore area, Coppin State University worked with Mondawmin Mall to create the free Mondawmin Song and Story Hour, which is held on the fourth Friday of every month from 4 to 5 p.m. This Friday, the Coppin Male Initiative has chosen six stories to read in honor of Black History Month. Books will be given away, as well as balloons and prizes for games.

Winter Owl Prowl: The Carrie Murray Nature Center is holding a Winter Owl Prowl from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. First patrons will get to go outside and wait to see what happens when the center uses their “owl calling machine.” Afterwards, patrons will get drink hot chocolate, see injured live birds of prey that live at the center permanently, and maybe get to dissect owl pellets. It costs $7 a person and registration is required by Feb. 25 by calling 410-396-0808.

Moon of the Roaming Fox: The Marshy Point Nature Center is leading a free winter night hike from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parents and children can explore the park in the dark together during the red fox’s mating season. Hikers will hopefully get to see one of their bushy-tailed forest friends! This activity requires walking and is recommended for children 6 and older. Hikers are advised to dress for the cold and wear boots. Registration is required; call 410-887-2817.

Saturday, Feb. 27:

Chat with skater Kimmie Meissner: The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards is hosting Olympic Experience with Kimmie Meissner at 1 p.m. Meissner grew up locally in Bel Air and was the youngest American athlete to compete in 2006 Olympic Games, among her other accomplishments. The hour-long program will feature the Olympic athlete discussing what it was like to compete in the 2006 Olympics and what’s she’s doing to prepare for the next Games. The program is free with museum admission.

Beauty Pageant: Sunburst Pageants and International Star Search are holding two preliminaries that will eventually lead to the Sunburst Eastern Tri-State Finals. There will be one at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie at 1 p.m. and another at Harford Mall in Bel Air at 6 p.m. The Baby Contest is made up of 4 categories based on gender and age from 0 to 3 years old. The Pageant is for females and is divided into 5 age divisons from 4 to 27 years old. The mandatory entry fee is $45; the optional photogenic entry (requires photo brought to pageant) is $15; the optional “best attire,” “prettiest smile,” “best personality,” “prettiest hair,” and “prettiest eyes” cost $10 (will be judged during the line-up); or $100 to enter all categories. All participants will win something.

Rhythm and Rhymes for Wise Young Minds: The Woodlawn branch of the Baltimore County Public Library has invited Jali-D, for Rhythm and Rhymes for Wise Young Minds from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Jali-D is a drummer, rapper, and a member of D.C. band, PS24. He has also performed with Maria Broom of "The Wire." Jali-D will drum and work with audience members to perform a call and response chant. Afterwards, kids will be encourages to write up their own raps.

African-American Family Festival: The Walters Art Museum is holding a free African American Family Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is celebrating African heritage with special performances by Ssuuna, Lesole’s Dance Project, Bunjo Butler, and a special grand finale by The Pulse of Africa—dancers and musicians from D.C.-based Baile’s African Drum Works.

Children's concert: Hopkins Symphony Orchestra holds its 18th Annual Concert for Children and Families from 1 p.m.-2:15 p.m at Shriver Hall. The orchestra will perform Stravinsky’s “Fireworks” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.” Symphony No. 5 will be played twice -- the first time as it is traditionally played and the second time with (Beethoven’s fictional son) P.D.Q. Bach’s play-by-play sports commentary, narrated by WBJC-FM’s classical music program director, Jonathan Palevsky, and a WYPR-FM’s sports commentator, Milton Kent. Afterwards, everyone is invited on stage to meet the musicians and see the instruments up close.

Sunday, Feb. 28:

Jungle Book: CityDance Ensemble will be reenacting the Jungle Book at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts at 3 p.m. The program runs for about an hour and features dancers in full costume on a fully decorated set. Tickets cost $15 for kids and $23 for adults. They can be bought online or by calling 410-280-5640.

Camp fair: The County Parents Magazine & Education Fair will be held at the John Carroll High School in Bel Air from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is a free fair that gives parents the opportunity to speak one-on-one with more than 55 different camp and school representatives to decide which summer program will be the best for their children. There will also be performances, demonstrations, activities, and a raffle.

(Photo of Kimmie Meissner by Baltimore Sun photographer Amy Davis)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Since it's food day on the blog, thought you might want to check out the dishes almost-Top-Chef and James Beard Award nominee Bryan Voltaggio was creating with his son the other day.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

For your Dinner Together this week, may we suggest a Supper of Denial. In other words, we've had it with comfort food, chili, slow cookers, hot chocolate, and, yes, snow.

I know what's in the forecast. Denial, I repeat. Denial.

So I say bring on spring with the sprightly flavors of this soft chicken taco with a tangy harissa sauce from our recipe database. At least it can taste a little like summer's around the corner.

Here's how to make it:

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Harissa Mayo
Makes 4 servings

1 to 2 teaspoons bottled or canned harissa sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small jicama, diced (about 1 cup)

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

1 small red onion, diced

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (divided use)

freshly ground pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Stir the harissa into mayonnaise in a small bowl; taste for spiciness. Add more harissa or more mayonnaise according to taste; set aside.

Prepare a grill for medium heat. Meanwhile, combine the jicama, avocado and onion in a bowl; stir in the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.

Season the chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Grill, turning as needed, until done, about 5 minutes per side. Cut chicken into small dice, or shred (cubes will be faster; shredding gives better texture). Warm tortillas on the grill until softened, taking care not to burn.

Divide chicken among tortillas; top with about 2 tablespoons of jicama mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon harissa mayonnaise or to taste; top with cilantro. Fold tortilla around filling.

Note: Look for harissa sauce in larger grocery stores or Middle Eastern markets.

Per serving: 460 calories, 22 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 75 milligrams cholesterol, 38 grams carbohydrate, 26 grams protein, 711 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber

(Photo by Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Moreil recently submitted this comment under a really old post about child care in the city, and I thought it was worth a new post and new discussion:

"Kate, Patrick, & Cynthia, what would consider afforable child care costs for an average 2 income family? I think of a saying, "you get what you pay for: these children are our precious babies. I'm at a loss because I want good service but I dont want to break the bank. Feedback pls......"

Moreil, I hear you. As I said in that old post, there was a time when we paid more for our two kids to be in day care -- more than $2,000 a month -- than we did for our mortgage. Fortunately, that wasn't a long period. Once kids get to be 2 years old, prices can drop by quite a bit. And we paid extra to go to a place that had particularly long hours, which we needed -- we were both journalists at the time.

Unfortunately, a good nanny can cost even more than that.

Obviously, that's still not something everybody can do. Nor should they necessarily have to.

There are good home-based day cares out there. Those can still be pricey -- in my experience, you may have to pay $700 a month per child to use them full-time, depending on the child's age and the neighborhood you live in.

A good way to find care -- and to talk about your options with someone who knows about child care in this area -- is to use LOCATE Child Care. That site allows you to look for state-licensed care online. You can also call the Child Care Resource Center in your area for help.

My day care days have passed, fortunately for my bank account. So I'd like to hear from readers using child care now. What's a reasonable price for high-quality care in Baltimore and its suburbs?

(First Lady Michelle Obama reads to children at the U.S. Department of Labor Day Care Center. TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Child Care
        

This Tween Tuesday, Liz Atwood is wondering how to get her boys moving again after they lapsed into screen addicts during the recent snow.

Is any month longer than February? The calendar says it has only 28 days, but it feels like an eternity. Here’s my problem: I don’t know how to get the boys out of the house. During the blizzards, they turned into video-gaming blobs, but at least their couch time was interrupted by time spent building snow forts, sledding and snowball fights.

Now, the novelty of the snow has evaporated, but not the snow itself. I tried every way I could think of this past weekend to get the boys outside. I tried to interest them in getting out the Ripstiks—after all we can see a little of the pavement now in the court and I thought they could ride around the snowdrifts.

That suggestion went nowhere. I offered to pay them if they shoveled a parking space for the car.

OK, they did do that. They then took their money and bought another video game.

Fortunately, both have been playing a little recreation-league basketball, but the season ends this week. I fear that the snow will not.

Do you have any suggestions that aren’t too expensive for getting the couch potatoes moving again?

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Jed Kirschbaum)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens
        

Well, here's some positive thinking to start off your week! And thanks, by the way, to Denise Albert for giving moms a bad name with this column, which Sarah KK just shared with me.

Be sure to read all the warm and fuzzy comments.

I can't tell how tongue-and-cheek this is meant to be, but I've usually found people to be pretty caring and accommodating when I am out with my kids in public. For example, I would like to thank the customers of Trader Joe's in Pikesville for being so tolerant of my 6-year-old son yesterday, who wanted to steer our heavy cart all by himself through the crowded aisles. (He did a pretty good job, but still.)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Rosalind Wiseman, author of the best-selling "Queen Bees and Wanna-bes" book that told us all about girls' friendships, spoke yesterday at the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt about adolescent body image -- for girls and boys.

I had a chance to interview her beforehand to get some tips for parents about how they should talk to their kids about the way they look. Here are some of Wiseman's pointers:

--Lots of times parents feel that unless a child actually has an eating disorder, it's not something that affects him, Wiseman said. "Like, we live in this kind of culture but it’s not impacting my child. I think it is very difficult for both boys and girls to live in this culture and not feel the pressure…and the ‘rules’ about what you are supposed to look like."

--Don't forget about boys. "I think it's more complicated for boys because boys don’t have a language for how they feel," Wiseman said. "Girls can say, 'I'm having a fat day.' When you don’t have a language you can't communicate your feelings. Look for signs, like your son is going to a birthday swimming party and doesn’t want to take off a shirt."

--Don't tell a kid "you're not fat," when he says he is. "That’s coming from a good place, but you have to affirm your child’s experience," Wiseman said. "Because if you say No, no, no…. that shuts the kid down." Instead, she advises, ask questions when a child says something negative about his body. "You say, What kind of body do you want? You want to be healthy, you want to be strong? What do you want to do to have that?"

--Start talking about body image when your child brings it up. There's no "perfect time" to start talking about body image, Wiseman says. "These kinds of conversations happen organically. You don't have to wait. Kids at 5 will start talking about that stuff. The important thing to say is people should be treated equally with dignity no matter what they weigh. I think that if you just pay attention to what your kids are saying, these things are going to come up."

--Acknowledge your own body baggage. "You really do need to acknowledge your baggage that you bring, the experiences you had when you were young. You have to own it." And once you've acknowledged that, to yourself at least, recognize what won't work, Wiseman says. Don't bribe a child to lose 10 pounds, or second-guess his food choices by saying "Do you really need that?" Instead, when a child raises the issue, engage him in brainstorming about how to live in a healthy way, what physical activities he most likes to do, and how to give him more opportunities to do those activities.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Health
        

Tiger Woods is making his public apology right now.

He reports that his wife Elin Nordegren "pointed out to me that my real apology will not come in the form of words. It will come in the form of my behavior over time."

Sounds like she's giving him another chance.

But what do you think about how she views the definition of his apology?

He did just say it: "I cheated. I had affairs. I was unfaithful."

UPDATED:
"It's time for me to start living a life of integrity."

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

It's Sarah K.K., back with another installment of Toddler Thursday ...

A funny thing has happened the past couple of weeks. My son, Isaac, at nearly 20 months old, has had an explosion of vocabulary. 

Saturday morning, he slept in (oh, that was so glorious!) and my husband and I went in to say good morning. We scooped him out of his crib, and he gestured toward the changing table and said, "Diaper?" My husband and I eyeballed each other, like, "Did he really just say that?" While he was being changed, he looked up at us and said, "Milk? Juice?" More sidelong glances. Then, after the change, he pointed and declared, "Downstairs!" 

It wasn't that he hadn't used these words before, it's more that he usually said them when prompted, and this was a string of understandable, appropriately-used words, delivered one right after another. We were floored.

In the days since then, it has continued. "Babies!" he says when he wants to read "What Does Baby Say?" "Bears," he says when he would like to read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" And yesterday, "Oli-LEE-Ah!" he said to request "Olivia." (That last was entirely a new one.) Then he sat on the floor reading a book about peekaboo, saying, "Peekaboo, I see you!" again and again. Another new one.

The best side effect of this (besides the total sense of wonderment it's fostered in me and my husband) is that Isaac is so pleased when he tells us something and we understand. I think it's because of that sense of connection that the explosion has continued.

I don't mean to suggest that he hasn't been using words or that he's been unable to get any points across whatsoever. But it's happening more often, all of a sudden. And it's amazing. I've read in "Happiest Toddler on the Block" and elsewhere that between 15 months and 2 years can be one of the hardest times because these little ones have so much going on in their heads, so many opinions that they can't quite express. And of course, it's so frustrating for them.

So it's been a joy to see not only that my little guy is learning, but also his sense almost of relief when he has something to tell us and we get what he's saying. Oh, we're still running into tantrums here and there -- the vocabulary hasn't increased that much yet -- but we've forestalled a couple of them by talking him through and helping him find the words he is looking for. 

It's just such an interesting time! I'd love to hear your stories of when your toddler started making language breakthroughs, too.

(Photo above by me, Isaac requesting "BOOK!")

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

As promised in the weekend activity list, I bring you news of a promotion at the National Aquarium. Through the end of February, you can get $20.10 off the purchase of four or more "Total Experience" tickets purchased online.

To get the discount code, you must register at aqua.org/meltdown or text MELTDOWN to 30644 (you'll still pay message and data charges, if they apply).

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

Presidential trivia, a Percy Jackson pajama party and a free arts workshop are some of the highlights of this weekend's short list of activities. Thanks to intern Shruti Rastogi for the lineup. Find more family events at our new events database.

Also, stay tuned for details a little later this morning on a discount code for the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Thursday, Feb. 17
Manga Mania! Teens can indulge in their love for comics with Manga Mania! from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. at the Riviera Beach branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Quartermania: The Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department is hosting Quartermania, a cross between a raffle and bingo, from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Tickets cost $3, for more information call (410) 761-6633 ext. 8. Bring quarters to bid on candles, jewelry, Tupperware, etc.

Friday, Feb. 18
Presidential Trivia: Learn about the first president of the United States and play George Washington Trivia from 3 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Cherry Hill branch of the ">Enoch Pratt Free Library. This is for kids 6-12.

Percy Jackson Pajama Party: The Elkridge branch of the Howard County Public Library is celebrating the opening of “The Lightning Thief” from 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m. with a Percy Jackson Pajama Party. Teens can come dressed in their pajamas or as their favorite characters to play games, participate in a scavenger hunt, and watch a movie. Pizza and Percy’s favorite type of food, blue-colored, will be served. Permission slips are required (available at the branch) as is registering online or at 410-313-5088.

Saturday, Feb. 20
Celebration of the Arts: Buffalo Bills #58 Aaron Maybin will be hosting Celebration of the Arts, a free art workshop, from 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m at the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center. Kids have to be 7-17 years-old and must arrive by 12:30 p.m. to participate. Parents must register their kids and reserve a ticket by Feb. 18 online.

Tom Lilly concert: The Chesapeake Arts Center is hosting Tom Lilly from 4-5 p.m. as the first of their family concert series. He combines magic, juggling, and “balloonacy” to create a fun family show. Tickets can be bought online or at 410-636-6597and cost $10 for adults and $5 for children (or $30 for adult subscription tickets and $15 for children subscription tickets to see all four family concerts).

Folktales and Fables: Drop in at the Walters Art Museum from 10 a.m.-3 p.m for their free Drop-In Art Activities on Saturdays and Sundays. February's theme is Folktales and Fables; this weekend is to use felt to create collage.

Youth dance: The Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a youth dance from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at the fire hall. The event is for 9-15 year-olds and tickets cost $10 and can be bought at (410) 761-6633 ext. 2. A strict dress code will be enforced and food and drinks will be sold.

Sunday, Feb. 21
Dance performance: The Full Circle Dance Company will be leading Aqueous: Exploring Nature through Dance from 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m. at the Irvine Nature Center. This high-energy movement workshop will use movement as a way to understand aquatic organisms and their ecosystems. Tickets cost $6 for members and $10 for nonmembers.

Rosalind Wiseman on body image: The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt is starting off its observance of National Eating Disorders Week with speaker Rosalind Wiseman, author of "Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence" (the basis for the movie "Mean Girls"). Wiseman will be discussing how to successfully help adolescents through social and body image challenges. The event is from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at the conference center at Sheppard Pratt. It is free, but pre-registration is required and can be done by calling 410-938-3157 or e-mailing rsvp@sheppardpratt.org.

Story time: Greenberries, an environmentally-conscious children’s and maternity consignment boutique in Columbia, is holding a story time from 11 a.m. – noon for kids 3 and up. Kids can pick any book from the shelves to be read while their parents shop and save 20 percent off books and DVDs during the story time sale. Story time happens on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Jewish Music Month concert: Laura Wetzler, an award-winning singer and songwriter, will be performing at the Beth Shalom Congregation in Columbia starting at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate Jewish Music Month. Tickets cost $5 per person or $15 per family; call 410-531-5115 ext. 324. In addition to her own original music, she will be singing worldbeat Jewish music from Uganda, Ethiopia, Poland, India, Italy, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Associated Press photo

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

The epic snow sculpture picture contest results are in!!!

I said I'd give four prizes -- a winner and runner-up in the most viewed and most commented categories. I'm still giving four, but after looking at the specific results, I've slightly reworked the awards to reflect the four clear winners:

--THE GONE-VIRAL, BLIZZARD OF PAGE VIEWS AWARD goes to -- who else -- the fire-breathing snowman of Bel Air. Thanks to Nick and Anna Berte for sharing him with us and, later, the world.

--THE FLAKETASTIC FAN FAVE AWARD goes to the Montgomery brothers of Dayton for their Snow Castle, which captured the most impressive combination of comments and page views.

--THE MOST COMMENTED AWARD goes to the beautiful picture of the Snow Fort of Wilson Point, the post which had the largest number of comments.

--THE SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE, coming in fourth for views and third for comments, is the tribute to Scoobie the Dog.

And what do the winners win, you ask?

Well, since more snow is expected, I have some lovely Baltimore Sun Media Group traveling soup mugs for each winner. I'll be adding some books and DVDs to that, and will get in touch with each winner to determine just what from my collection you'd each like.

I want to thank all of the many people who took time to share the pictures of their incredible snow creations around the region. Looking at them gave me a huge lift during what was a very trying week for all of us, and I know the pictures had the same effect for many other readers, too.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Reminder: you have until noon to get in your comments for the snow picture contest. But as they say on "Top Chef," in this final 45 minutes or so, we have a twist.

And that twist is: If your comment comes from an IP address that's previously been used in the contest, it won't count toward the total.

So get the word out through social media, your friends, etc. But have people comment from another computer.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Snow picture contest
        

We all need a laugh as well as a Dinner Together this snow-challenged week, and this video fills the bill:

Logan and Jasmine show us the unvarnished side of kids cooking. I love when they're mixing the meatloaf and there's the following exchange:

Logan: "Let's put our hands in there and then grab, twist; grab, twist."
Jasmine: "Eeew."
Logan: "Grab and twist."
Jasmine: "Eeew."
Logan: "Grab and twist."
Jasmine: "Eeew."
Logan: "And make sure to make the meatloaf really, really good."
Then, of course, there's the part where they crack up over the sound the immersion blender makes as they are pulverizing the mashed potatoes. And the even smaller child asking for Mom's help in the background.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Liz Atwood wonders about the effect of Amber Alerts on her kids this Tween Tuesday:

Twice over weekend I found myself having to reassure my children who were disturbed when their favorite programs were interrupted on the television by Amber Alerts.

An Amber Alert is posted by broadcasters at the request of law enforcement agencies to help find children who have been abducted. Thankfully, both of the children involved in these two Maryland cases were found safe.

But I have mixed feelings about the way this system works. I don’t know what role the alerts had in locating the missing girls—one who was found in Delaware and the other in Tennessee. I trust that alerts are posted when law enforcement officers think they are needed and will help locate the children.

But these alerts are very upsetting to children watching TV safe in their homes. Yes, I know they present a “teachable moment”—a time to remind children not to talk to strangers, etc. But police say one of these girls was taken by the Mom’s ex-husband, and the other was taken by a family acquaintance.

I want my children to feel safe, but I don’t want them to grow up fearful. My younger son was born in 2001. All his life he has heard about terrorists and just days ago was asking me about why Osama bin Laden wants to destroy America.

There must be some way to raise children to be aware that danger exists, without making them fearful for their lives.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Teens
        

The pictures of snow sculptures and snow creatures are in. Now it's time to vote for the winners.

There will be prizes for the post with the most page views and the post with the most comments between now and Wednesday at noon. A winner and a runner-up will be chosen in each category. If a winning post has pictures from two different contestants, both will win the prize.

So get the word out! Vote for your favorites, by viewing, by leaving a comment, and by encouraging others to do so.

You can see all 24 snow sculpture posts by scrolling down here. Good luck!

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

As followers of our snow picture contest might know, the fire-breathing snowman of Bel Air has become a thing since he was posted here Feb. 9.

For instance, he now has a Twitter account.

And we bring you video uploaded by the creators of the snowman, Nick and Anna Berte:

Here's a previous fire-breathing project from Nick Berte.

Here's Gizmodo's take on the snowman.

By the way, tomorrow morning we will begin voting on our favorite snow pictures. Watch this space for details! New submissions are no longer being accepted. But if you'll never, ever, get enough pictures of crazy snowmen, this blog has more.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Snow picture contest
        

Kathleen Pryor sent these pictures for our snow sculpture contest from Relay:

The first is the porthole of a fort "w/ my neighbor's daughter and snow fort builder, Brandy peeking thru!!"

The second is described as "SweatySocksSnowman whose "feet" are melting away in the hot tub at the bottom of the photo!!!"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

These pictures are from Daniel Schwartz-Narbonne, who built the structures with fellow electrical engineering students at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

The latest photo from our snow sculpture contest (yeah, we're still going, though new entries are no longer being accepted) toasts our survival of this whiteout week.

It's a bottle of Grand Marnier, which I understand was constructed near One-Eyed Mike's in Fells Point. It was sent by a couple of submitters, including Debbie Jones of Black Ankle Vineyards.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Laura Tomaschefsky writes:

"I am sending this photo on behalf of my co-worker, Sherry Wrightson. Her grandson, Todd Wheeler and his sister Skylar Keys made a fort and Todd created this photo. They are from Wilson Point. What an awesome picture!"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (147)
        

Tiffany Dunnigan of Dundalk sends us the touching tale behind this snow dog:

"This is a snow sculpture built by my husband, Sean, in tribute to our beloved dog, Scoobie, who passed away last Friday. Pictures do it no justice."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
        

Jennifer Weaver of Parkville, who describes herself as "a teacher with some extra time on her hands," sends us her cute snow creature offering.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

At my urging, Dennis O'Shea sent these pictures of an impressive igloo and tunnel complex in Rodgers Forge:

Check out the rest of our snow sculpture contest pictures here. We are soon to vote...

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Beth Hochwarth of Towson said she didn't have to do anything to get this snow creature:

"A cute picture of the snow on my bird feeder--the snow naturally formed to look like a bird."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

This multi-ethnic snow person from Columbia comes with a story:

Philipp Kastner writes:

I sent you some pictures of the snowman my friend Ji Yoon and I built on Sunday afternoon.
Maybe he doesn't look that special at the first glance but I think the story behind him is kind of unique.

Juni Schneeman (which is his name) was built in Columbia, MD where both of us (Ji Yoon is from Korea
and I'm from Austria) are currently doing an internship. Even while we were building a snowman we where
discovering some cultural differences between Austria, Korea and the US.
As you might see he has a Korean face but did you know that in Korea snowmen only consist of two
spheres instead of three? I didn't :)

Even though these cultural differences are small you'll finds similar kind of differences everywhere
for me discovering these differences is what it makes it so special to live here in the USA for 10 months.
The wide variety of different cultures and people int this country where every single one has his own unique story to tell
is just amazing!

Best greetings and a lot of fun with the snow!
Philipp Kastner

P.S.: Juni = a Korean first name
Schneemann = German word for snowman

And this beautiful snow creature hails from Woodbridge, Va.:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

This snow mariachi was attributed to John Scally of Pasadena, who is said to have created it on Sunday after the first round of snow.

The email goes on: "After being hit with another 12 inches on Wednesday, he dusted off the snowman and this is what he found!..."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Here's a snow cat from Naomi & Jamie Karmel, with help from Delaney Jennings, of Bel Air:

and here's an amazing snow sculpture photo I received that was also sent to Unleashed:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Eric Fooksman writes that he and his classmate Chelsea Marcuard are second-year students at the University of Maryland's dental school, "and having been off all week, I assume we were starting to miss school a little bit, so we made a snow-tooth. Cabin fever makes you do some crazy things."

Well, yes.

I'll be posting more pictures from our snow sculpture contest all day. Stay tuned.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I got an interesting e-mail yesterday from the new marketing director at Center Stage. He was asking me, and some other local parenting bloggers, for advice. I asked him if I could throw out his question to the readers of this blog, so please help him with some answers:

I am the new marketing director at Center Stage Theater. We have thousands of regular theatergoers over 50, and a great pool of college students/twenty-somethings, but we are sorely lacking in folks in their 30s and 40s, many of whom must be parents with children. Most of our shows are not appropriate for children, so we decided to do something a lot of other theaters have been doing around the country to get parents to come to the shows and offer, for lack of a better word, babysitting.

Thanks!
David

Since I'm someone who thinks businesses could go a lot further in attracting parents with programs for their children, I thought it was curious that Center Stage was having this problem. Is it because parents want to have date night at night, and not during matinee time? Or that they think they can't afford theater tickets and this $15 fee?

Or is it something else I'm not thinking of?

Photo of Kevin Douglas, Philip R. Smith, Ravi Batista, Usman Ally, and Ericka Ratcliff in the Lookingglass Theatre’s production of "Around the World in 80 Days" at Center Stage, written and directed by Laura Eason. Photo © Richard Anderson.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Child Care
        

Amanda Nance of Dundalk introduces our latest snow creature:

"This is my Snowoman that I made earlier this week. I am a local bellydancer and my class was canceled Sunday due to the snow, so I brought class to my yard! I suppose her name should be Holly, since I used holly branches for her hair and arms, holly leaves for her eyes, and holly berries for her mouth."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Jennifer Groman sends this entry in the snow creature photo contest on behalf of Keenan and Michaela Murphy of Abingdon. She writes: "For aficionados of the TV program for kids Max and Ruby...and Ruby's brother Max!"

I'll take new photo submissions until tomorrow morning here. Look for voting instructions soon, after I have a chance to post what I have gotten!

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

It's Sarah K.K., back with another installment of Toddler Thursday ...

Sorry I missed posting for TT last Thursday. We were having a sick day at my house, and it really wasn't that exciting.

Isaac was home sick Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, so we were all already experiencing some cabin fever with round one of the snowstorm this past weekend. 

This round two hasn't been too bad, actually. Now that last week's weirdness (I think he is starting to get the two-year molars, and he was not happy about it) is past, Isaac's been in a great mood, so these days home have been pretty fun. I won't lie. We're watching too much television (I might have nightmares about Brobee and Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba tonight). We're probably all snacking too much and not eating regular meals enough. (That said, even though in this picture it looks like he's been munching Cheetos all day, it was really just a couple of baked Doritos.) 

Lots of blocks, lots of books, lots of coloring, lots of mini dance parties, a fair amount of chasing the cats, far too much staring out the window at the snow ... that's what we've been doing.

There have also been some fits pitched (no, we cannot go "ousite" in the whiteout), some boundaries stretched (no, you may not climb on the vacuum cleaner), some naps skipped. But it has been so much better than the feverish, cranky sick days last week that I ought not complain. Among other things, it's a bit easier to get work done from home when the toddler doesn't demand to sit in your lap for hours on end, then crying because he doesn't know what he wants. (What he wanted was to feel better. So glad it happened.)

How have you been dealing with your toddler and cabin fever? I'm thinking the blocks, books, coloring and even the mini dance parties might get old here pretty soon.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Toddler Thursday
        

This snowman, sent by Renee Main, facility manager of the Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood Youth Center, seems to be taking a well-deserved break from all that shoveling.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Patrick Luck writes: "I personally had nothing to do with this but was quite impressed by this quite large (and colored!) snow dragon in Charles Village on Charles Street near Wyman Park Dell."

So are we! Send photos of your favorite local snow creations here. Extra credit for video, especially with embed codes!

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Our latest snow creature is this cool dolphin. Eva Kerchner writes:

"I am sending this in for my sister in law, Janet Kerchner who lives in Arnold, MD."

Janet had written to her: "This is what you do with all that snow! Beats sitting on the couch all day. 8 hours to complete!"

Now that the flakes have actually stopped for a little while, I expect more creatures to spring up. Send your pictures here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

The Maryland snow creature gallery continues:

PEEBIE3@aol.com writes: "My son was visiting from Florida and had never made a snow man, so that's what we did here in Bauernschmidt Manor in Essex...The Groton Fisherman complete with fish....."

And here's "Hugh" of Eldersburg, submitted by Donna Benson, who writes: "One of our sons and several of his friends built this snowman Friday night. Jeremy (in the MD sweatshirt) is 6 ft, 3 in. tall. We measure Hugh at 8 feet tall. He has become a tourist attraction in the neighborhood: families out walking stop to take each others picture next to Hugh."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Our weekly family activities list feels pretty theoretical this week, doesn't it? Intrepid intern Shruti Rastogi tried her best to find events that were going on despite the alien-planet state we all seem to be living in. Too bad, since it's Valentine's Day weekend.

And even those she did find may not be going on once people wake up today, the next day and the next and find that the landscape hasn't changed much. So please, call to make sure these things are still happening before you go anywhere. Particularly Thursday and Friday, events are likely to be cancelled.

Thursday, Feb. 11:

Valentine Fairy Ball: The Catonsville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library is hosting a Valentine Fairy Ball at 10:30 a.m. for kids 2-5. Kids and adults can come in costume to enjoy stories, music, and a craft about fairies and Valentine’s Day.

Friday, Feb. 12:

Be Mine Valentine: The Severna Park branch of the Anne Arundel Public Library will have a Be Mine Valentine event at 10 a.m. for kids 2-5.

Saturday, Feb. 13:

Valentine's Day Bounce: Have a jumping good time at Pump It Up of Glen Burnie’s Happy Valentine's Day Bounce from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. It costs $10 per child and $5 per adult. Price includes two slices of pizza and a beverage per person.

Sunday, Feb. 14:

Boogie @ the BMA: Design Leaping Little Dancers – Families can use armature wire and self-hardening clay to make Parisian ballerinas at 2 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Art for free. It’s for kids 6-14.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

More snow structures for our picture contest. Have you sent yours yet?

This fort has been dubbed "The SnowBeast 5000" by its creator, Matthew Cain of Anneslie. He writes that the beast "has about 12 hours worth of work invested into it so far.
I based the structure around a plastic kiddy play fort then decided to
build an accompanying dome, or lounge area if you prefer."

See a video Cain put together of the fort's construction on the Charm City Moms Facebook page:

And here's an Ellicott City igloo from Anne Willis:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

OK, if the fire-breathing snowman of Bel Air wasn't enough for you, now we have the snow-castle-building Montgomery brothers of Dayton, Md. (Howard County):

Eric Montgomery writes:
"This is Eric, Ryan, and Kevin Montgomery from Dayton, MD (ages 26, 19,
and 17 respectively), and we are three brothers who have spent the
past three days building the snow castle shown in these photos. The
towers of the gatehouse are 10 feet from street level to the top of
the crenellations, and there are six towers in total with a perimeter
wall that stretches over 140 feet. Two tunnels and a kid-friendly sled
run out of one of the towers complete the castle complex. But with
more snow on the way, who's to say it's really complete?"

In this photo, "Ryan clones himself":

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (113)
        

You thought the snow could keep us from recipe day? Au contraire -- the more we're stuck at home, the more we eat.

Perhaps too much, but we won't worry about that now.

These cookies, which I found on allrecipes.com and altered according to a commenter's suggestion, are perfect for the snoverkill conditions we are experiencing. If you have peanut butter and eggs, you're pretty much set. These don't require flour or butter, and you can use natural peanut butter, which was all we had around.

My daughter, a serious fan of peanut butter cookies, pronounces them "great."

Here's how to make them:

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups peanut butter (I used natural)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets, preferably with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

This morning we continue the snow sculpture and snow creature awesomeness contest with a panoramic view of what submitter Andras Frenyo describes as: "A wintertime living room addition to a home in the Joseph Lee Park Area. Furnished with chairs, coffee table and a log in the fireplace . . . ."

Click on the picture to open the panoramic version on Frenyo's cool Panoramic Photo Blog, where you can find more 360-degree Baltimore scenes, such as one of a snowy Mount Vernon. (That one takes a little longer to download, so be patient):

Watch for many more snow pics on the blog today. What, you haven't submitted your creation? Send it here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

A Ravens-themed snow fort, from Thomas Keller in Towson.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here's an adorable snow penguin from Sue Slade of Catonsville. Keep sending me your pictures of creative snow contraptions and creatures for our snowmaggedon contest.

Don't forget to include your name and neighborhood with your photo, please.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Latest in our snow creature and snow contraption contest: a merry snowman from Hollins Market.

Shaina Wahl writes: "Here is our Snowman at Hollins Market- buttons of beer cans, a cucumber mouth. Photoed with: Peter, Brian, Trevor, Sebastian."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Nick and Anna Berte of Bel Air sent me these pictures of the giant snowman they made with their children in front of their home. "My husband is an engineer and decided later on to make the snowman breathe fire," Anna Berte writes. "Hope everyone enjoys this snowman as much as the rest of our neighborhood does."

We like! Now if you could just get him to work on melting all the snow before the next storm comes...

Can you top this? We're running a contest for pictures of the most creative snow forts and snow creatures. Send your photos my way.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Liz Atwood muses on the possible end of Valentine's Day for her tweens this Tween Tuesday:

If you're the parent of a tween, beware. Valentine's Day might come early this year--or not at all.

My third-grader is supposed to have a Valentine party in school this Friday (provided schools are back in session by then). I only know this because I got an e-mail from the teacher asking what I would like to contribute to the party. I think if I had not received the e-mail, I would have never known about it. Valentine's Day for tween boys is no big deal, it seems.

Concerned that my son would be frantically addressing his cards Thursday night, I dragged him to the store Monday to pick out cards for his classmates. He spent barely 15 seconds glancing at the display before he picked up a tattered box of 3-D Transformer cards and declared they were less stupid than the others.

The cards are still on the kitchen table where he left them and I guess I'll be nagging him on Thursday night to address them and sign them. At least the third-grader is having a party. My 13-year-old looked like I had lost my mind when I asked if he intended to hand out any Valentine cards.

I remember when I was in school the fun of getting Valentine's cards, especially the cool ones with candy or puzzles. My friends and I worried over just which cards to give the cool guys and which to give the nerdy boys and which were appropriate for just friends.

Do boys care at all? Perhaps one day a special someone will reawaken my boys' interest in Valentine's Day. But for now, it seems the fun has passed and it has become one more chore on the to-do list.

Is your tween celebrating Valentine's Day this year?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Holidays
        

Who needs the Winter Olympics when you've got this awesome toboggan run David Hewes built for his kids (and, as he says, "anyone passing by") in Bowley's Quarters.

In case you haven't heard, we're running a contest all week for pictures of the most creative snow forts and snow creatures from Snowmaggedon Snowpocalypse SNOMG 2010.

Send them my way with your name and neighborhood.

UPDATED: Here's another view of the toboggan run:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

I'm starting to get a few entries for our creative snow creature and snow fort picture contest. Please send your pictures early and often, and include your name and neighborhood. Looks like we'll be doing this all week.

Pictured: The White Rabbit in Halethorpe, courtesy of Qian Deng.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Now that we're finally starting to dig out -- and learning that many local schools will be closed tomorrow -- it's time for the kids to really have some fun. And for you to get them some fame for their best snow people and snow forts.

Send your pictures of creative snow buildings, snow families, snow pets, and the like to me and I will post them here, and probably elsewhere on our site. We will vote on the best ones for a fabulous prize.

By the way, there's still time to vote in our snow day screen time poll. From the results so far, it looks like kids are going to get away with a lot of TV viewing today and tomorrow.

(Snowman photo, 2002, by Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Our morning went something like this:

6:30 a.m.: "Good morning, mom. May I go on Webkinz?"

7:00 a.m.: "May we watch a show?"

8:30 a.m.: Husband: "OK, kids, what are we going to do now that does NOT involve TV?"

Soon after that they went out for about an hour to play in the snow. But then they were back asking to watch another show.

We said no, then served lunch. But as the snow piles up outside, I know the clamoring for mindless entertainment will only grow louder. And typically, we limit the kids to a couple of hours of screen time on the weekends.

Considering all of the people in the area who don't have power, I'm thankful for this problem. Still, I wonder what the rest of you are doing about it as this snow event threatens to mean many days of kids stuck at home:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Screen Time
        

Guest Dad Joe Burris is thinking about 13-year-old quarterback David Sills, who has given a verbal commitment to play football for the University of Southern California -- while still in middle school:

The latest news dominating sports circles involves a 13-year-old quarterback from Delaware who has been offered a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, one of college football’s premier programs.

Seventh grader David Sills has verbally committed to USC (though he can back out of the commitment at any time) after reportedly being offered a scholarship by USC head coach Lane Kiffin, a 34-year-old mentor.

Now, I don’t know how talented Sills is (as an 11-year-old he was hailed as being one of the best prospects ever in a Sports Illustrated piece) or whether that talent or his body will ever blossom into anything worthy of major-college football potential .

And keep in mind, until he signs a letter of intent (which comes much later), he is not legally bound to attend USC.

But at an age when it means so much to be popular among one’s peer groups, this kid must be having the time of his life right now. Even the most modest youngster would struggle keeping his ego in check.

It makes you wonder what frame of mind he’ll be in a couple of years from now -- particularly if he’s a good, even great, quarterback, but not the phenom that would warrant a scholarship offer at 13.

I don’t know who this kid has in his corner advising him against the dark side of major college sports -- be it his parents, guardians, coaches or whomever.

But here’s what I do know: In the 18 years I spent as a sportswriter, I witnessed some of the greatest NFL quarterbacks in history _ including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Steve McNair. And I don’t recall any of them receiving this much attention as seventh graders. That’s because at that age, none worthy of it. It’s just way too early to know.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Sports
        

What will we have to do with the kids this snowmaggedon weekend but watch movies?

I asked Baltimore Sun critic Michael Sragow for his favorite picks for family movies that could be watched at home. Here they are, in a handy photo gallery, with some blurbs from his reviews.

Now just make sure your favorite DVD source has them in stock...

If you have recommendations to add to the list, we'd love to hear them!

Photo: "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Movies
        

So snow may ruin everything. So we're not in the Super Bowl. This is still going to be a fun weekend. Isn't it?

Your best luck with this list of events may be on Thursday and Friday, before the flakes are supposed to start falling in earnest. After that, please check with the venues below before you head out.

If all else fails, make hot chocolate.

Thanks to intern Shruti Rastogi for compiling the list:

Thursday, Feb. 4:

Nature storytime: Come to the Eden Mill Nature Center from 11 a.m. – noon to read "Mine, All Mine!" and make a popsicle stick snowflake. Families can bring picnic lunches to eat after the program and should bring a $1-$2 donation to cover the price of the craft. Reservation required; please call (410) 836-3050.

A Place at the Front of the Bus The Central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library is hosting this Jeopardy-style game tribute to Rosa Parks. It will start at 10 a.m. and is meant for kids 6-12. Groups of five or more must call (410) 396-5402 to register.

Fun with T-shirts: The Catonsville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library is holding a T-shirt transforming event for teens at 7 p.m. They can bring one or more tees and a pair of scissors to revamp them into new accessories without sewing skills.

Friday, Feb. 5:

Preschool Story Time takes place at 10:30 a.m. at the Woodlawn branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and supports pre-school concepts of letters, numbers, and colors using music and stories.

"Rapunzel":The Puppet Co. Playhouse Presents will be doing a 45-minute puppet reenactment of "Rapunzel" on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until Feb. 21. Friday shows are at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday shows are at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will be a special American Sign Language performance this Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets can be bought online or at (301) 634-5380 and cost $10 for ages 2 and up and are free for kids under 2.

Saturday, Feb. 6:

The Great Scale Model Train Show: The train show comes to the Maryland State Fairgrounds this Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and this Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. It is the largest model train show in the Mid-Atlantic and promises to have 3 acres of model trains. Tickets can be bought with cash or check at the door and are for both Saturday and Sunday. It costs $18 for a family of any size, or $9 per person over 15. Kids 15 and under are free.

"Peter and the Wolf" and "Green Eggs and Ham":The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is performing "Peter and the Wolf" and "Green Eggs and Ham," two different stories in one 50-minute concert, on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It’s aimed at kids 4 and up, and they can meet the musicians either at 1:15 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 per person and can be bought online or at (410) 269-1132.

Seneca Village Program: The Banneker-Douglass Museum is holding a Seneca Village Family Program in honor of its Seneca Village Collaboration exhibit. It’s for kids 7 and up and they can make miniature praise houses that will be displayed inside the exhibit.The event runs from at 10:30 a.m.- noon and is free. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (410) 216-6180.

Sensory-friendly movie: A sensory-friendly showing of "The Tooth Fairy," appropriate for autistic viewers and their families, will take place at the AMC Theaters in White Marsh and Columbia Mall at 10 a.m. for $6.

Sunday, Feb. 7:

Wetlands science: Kids in grades 1-6 can learn about why wetlands are special and how to protect them by working in the science labs and using a Runoff Model to investigate. This activity is free at the Masonville Cove Education Center from noon-1 p.m.

Boogie @ the BMA: Families can learn about the Harlem Renaissance by making crafts, listening to spoken word, and jiving to live music for free at the Baltimore Museum of Art. It’s from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Photo of the Great Scale Model Train Show by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

For today's Dinner Together, I decided to use a new web site I'd heard about -- and let the kids choose their own dinners. Virtually.

The new site Zisboombah lets kids choose from a pretty broad menu of categorized foods -- i.e., meat, fruit, dairy, dessert -- and drag pictures of their choices onto a plate. They can then get a nutritional score for the meal, and email it to their parents...sort of like a virtual order for takeout.

One catch is, you can't put dessert on your plate until you've selected a "non-starchy vegetable."

My kids loved this idea, and I was curious what they would come up with. Here are their orders:

Sam (6):

--Chicken wings
--White bread
--A slice of American cheese
--Apple juice
--Asparagus (chosen so he could have dessert)
--Carrots
--French fries
--Chocolate ice cream

Nutritional score: 1 star. (It was 3 until he added the ice cream.)

Leah, 8:

--Hamburger with ketchup
--Kaiser roll
--French fries
--Green beans
--1-percent milk
--Chocolate ice cream

Nutritional score: 1 star.

Obviously, we have some work to do.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together
        

Boo. My kids, my husband and I had a great time watching Punxsutawney Phil's annual weather report live this morning from Pennsylvania. We weren't as thrilled with his prediction of six more weeks of winter.

In a drawing he made at school yesterday, my son had depicted a hopeful groundhog. That groundhog looked like an optimist. The real one, not so much.

Anyway, you can extend the fun of Groundhog Day with some activities:

--Here are craft ideas and printouts.

--Groundhog Day songs, to the tune of Christmas carols?

--And here's National Geographic's explanation of the history and facts behind Phil's forecast.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Liz Atwood has her own take on Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign this Tween Tuesday:

While I haven’t seen Sasha and Malia in a while, I was surprised when Michelle Obama said last week that her daughters’ pediatrician had advised her to keep an eye on the girls’ body mass index because “something was getting off balance.” Certainly neither girl looks fat and you would think that with the White House swimming pool, the bowling alley and the new swing set the girls would be getting plenty of exercise.

I think we parents of tweens walk a fine line when it comes to watching our kids’ weight. Our children are just becoming conscious of body image. I fear if we’re too critical, we could undermine their self-esteem. At the same time, we want them to eat healthfully and get sufficient exercise.

When our children are infants, we agonize over everything we feed them, starting with pressure to breastfeed for the first year. Then there are the debates over when to introduce solid foods and we ever so carefully start with the rice cereal and then the orange vegetables and the green. We never could imagine that in 10 years, the only orange vegetable they’ll eat is a Doritos chip.

That’s how it has turned out in my house at least. Although I imagine boys tend to be less worried about their bodies than girls, the boys, too, think about their appearance. My 13-year-old has just joined a gym and he wants to build his muscles and trim his waist. But it’s still a struggle to get him to eat properly. He’ll skip dinner and then eat a bag of chips.

It’s very hard to regulate everything a tween eats. I try to buy healthful foods and set a good example, but of course the boys eat foods outside the home, and I’m not so adamant that I never buy chips and soda. The key is keeping a proper balance.

What are your thoughts on helping your children manage their weight without giving them a complex?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Teens
        

We're trying something new today -- crowdsourcing the Monday Consult.

Instead of asking an expert to answer a parenting question, I'm making you the experts once a month. (I mean, when it comes to parenting, doesn't everybody -- parent or not -- think they're an expert in how to raise kids?)

Weigh in on the question in the poll below. I may even run the crowd's answer by an expert later to see how well the advice matches up.

Here's this week's parenting dilemma:

You've signed your child up for swimming lessons. Swimming is something he always liked to do. But the new class is a bit hard for him. He hates going and wants to quit before most of the lessons have been taken.

As a parent, you strongly feel the lessons will be good for his health, and that in the end he'll appreciate having had them. You also don't want to waste the money you spent. And yet, you hate seeing your kid so unhappy. You don't want to turn him off to the sport.

What do you do?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: The Monday Consult