Strollerderby : parenting

Excerpt: Free-Range Kids

editors — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Today on Babble.com.

"Excerpt: Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry."

by Lenore Skenazy.

What to do when judgmental moms attack.

Read it here.

Parenting Without Fear

editors — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

"Parenting Without Fear"

by Lenore Skenazy.

Our kids are safer than ever. So why are we still afraid?

Read it here.

California School District Approves So-Called Gay Curriculum

Brett Singer — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:30:00 GMT

This was a tricky story to put into a headline. See, it's not a "gay curriculum" per se. That's what the opponents of the program, officially called LGBT Lesson #9, are calling it. A better headline is this one from KCBS news -- Alameda Approves Elementary Curriculum on Tolerance. The "controversial lesson plan aimed at discouraging bullying and teasing based on gay and lesbian stereotypes" was approved by the Alameda school board by a vote of 3-2.

Yes, 3-2. And it's only in Alameda, California. When I first saw the story on Fox News a few days ago (before the vote had occurred), I initially thought that this was state-wide. Because based on the tone of the reporting, one would think that something HUGE was going on.

Watch this fair and balanced (not) report from Fox News:

(If the embed doesn't work, please click here.)

Listen to the way Steve Ducey says "transgendered people" as if he were saying "horrible, evil nazis who would like nothing more than to eat your family dog."

The question the Fox report raises is whether or not it is "age appropriate" to teach K-5 kids about what they refer to as the "gay lifestyle." Also, "Opponents [of the curriculum] say that this is an effort to advance the gay, lesbian and transgendered agenda," according to Fox. Next: those opponents want to recall the board members who voted for it. Then Steve Ducey wraps things up for us by saying "OK. Same sex penguins. Only in California." (Well, also in New York, at the Central Park Zoo. But hey, East Coast, West Coast, we're all heathens in the eyes of the Duce.)

So what is everyone so upset about? One item is the book "And Tango Makes Three," described by FoxNews.com as a book that is "about two gay penguins who raise a baby peguin, is the basis for grade school teachings on gay and lesbian lifestyles."

Right. Because that's what the point of the book is. To showcase the gay lifestyle. Because being gay is just a lifestyle choice, right? A choice made by irresponsible Sodomites who hate America and all of the values on which we stand.

The purpose of the lesson plan is to promote tolerance. And judging by the reaction, some tolerance is needed.

Another take on this is provided by KGO-TV, an ABC News affiliate in San Francisco. That report says that parents are upset that they will be unable to "opt-out" of the lessons if they feel that they go against their religious beliefs. They also say that "race and religion...can also lead to bullying," but those things are not discussed.

Here's the thing. I don't know the full extent of the curriculum being proposed. But tolerance for gay people is not taught the way tolerance for people of different races are taught. Wen I was in school, we learned about racial tolerance. I very clearly recall a film strip (remember film strips?) in which Bill Cosby said, "There's a Black man sitting in your loafers," and pointing out the racism in old movies ("When they got scared -- these dudes turned white!"). We read "Native Son." What we didn't do was discuss anything about gay people.

Fast-forward thirty a few years. My son is in school. He learns about racial tolerance. He has told me more than once that anyone who believes that one race of people is better than another race of people is "insane." He learns about the holidays of religions that he wouldn't otherwise be familiar with. But as far as I know, he hasn't read "And Tango Makes Three." Why not? Maybe because gay stuff still makes people uncomfortable. (The Onion had a headline that reflected this brilliantly. I can't find it but basically it said that the popularity of "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" could attributed to the fact that gay people are so cute without all that gay sex. The Onion said it better than that.)

I admit that this is based on my own experience, but I think there's something to it. Is this particular curriculum the answer? I don't know. Will reading "And Tango Makes 3" in second grade cause the sky to be consumed in hellfire? Nope. Gay parents are out there (no pun intended). Why shouldn't kids know that?

What do you think? Is K-5 too young to learn about gay people? Or should it be treated as another path down the road to tolerance?

Source: Mercury News

Image: Amazon

Mom Arrested for Having 555 Pound Son

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

SNL Mother's Day Skits

Adopted Brother Was Living Across The Street

Brett Singer — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:30:00 GMT

This is nice. And bizarre. But still nice.

Joellen Cottrell gave birth at the tender of 16. She gave the child up for adoption. Later, Joellen had a daughter, Candace Eloph, and told her that somewhere out there, she had a half-brother.

30 years later, Candace moves to Shreveport, Louisiana. Some guy named Jamie Wheat lives across the street. One day they're chatting, and find out that Jamie was adopted. And that Candace's mother gave someone up for adoption. They compare notes. Lots of coincidences.

Except that they weren't coincidences. Turns out Jamie Wheat was Joellen Cottrell's biological son.

To make sure, Joellen and Jamie took DNA tests, which showed a 99.995% chance that they were related. Bingo. CNN has video of the family opening the envelope:

Embedded video from CNN Video

If the video won't play, click here.

What are the odds? They have to be astronomical, right? It certainly beats the switched at birth story.

Side note: on today's Babble Talk Radio, Shannon gave us a lot to think about regarding adoption. Click here to listen.

Source: CNN

Babble Talk Radio - Friday May 22 - Listen Here

Third Grader Expelled Because He Made A Hit List

Boy Scouts Say Your Kid is Too Fat

More Babies Named After Sports Figure than President

Poolside Breastfeeding Violates No Food Rule

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Classic Mother Songs For Mother's Day

Schools Say No Pain in the Butt Parents

JeanneSager — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:01:00 GMT

The minute your kid starts some social function - be it library group or school - there's one set of parents you can identify by the wide berth between them and every other parent in the pick-up line.

You know the parents I'm talking about. They complain. About EVERYTHING. Nothing is their kid's fault. And there's no more loaded a question than "how are you?"

But the next time your school administrators whine that they need more parent volunteers, you might want to ask them: do you weed out the whiny parents?

A Maryland school district is in hot water with parents after a board of education member let slip that principals "might not pick PIAs" (yes, that would be pains in the tuchas) to stand on committees and other school organizations. According to the Washington Post, the board was discussing School Improvement Teams, when an argument broke out over wether they're open to everyone or just up to the principal's discretion.

Members of the public charged the district with being secretive about who is on the committees and doesn't advertise for members.

As a parent who has steered clear of the contrary parents as much as possible, there's that knee-jerk reaction to the story that prompts me to say: "well, you wants a pain in the ass on your committee?"

But let's face it, parents who complain have a say too. At least, they should. Because their kids are as affected by the governance of a school as anyone else. You may not like them, but they're still a critical part of the school community.

Dig deeper, and you might find the whiny parents bring an extra facet to school governance that you and I won't bring. Because the contrary view might not be popular. It may not even be right. But it's evocative. And when it comes down to choosing someone to represent my views, I'd like to know there was someone who isn't afraid to speak their mind up there on a board or focus group. Who wants a mouse who will "yes" the school administration to death? Because they aren't going to change a thing.

So listen up administrators. I don't not want to sit next to them at the class play, but the pain in the ass parents are still parents. Which means you answer to them too.

Image: Gifts.com

Issues! 'Parenting' Offers Fake Apology

Madeline Holler — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:27:00 GMT

I'm plowing through my stack of unread magazines -- grows much like laundry, only this one I actually pay attention to -- and this non-apology in the May issue of Parenting: Early Years caught my eye.

Apparently, some readers called them out for a LIT-tle too much eye rolling over "natural" (orgasmic and/or epidural-free) childbirth. But in saying they're sorry, the editors wind up ridiculing some childbirth experiences, which they purport to be fully in support of.

The apology:

The truth is, we think any choice a mom makes is great -- we just don't want anybody to feel guilty if having her baby wasn't all flowers and sunshine.

Got it. Guilt, bad. Referencing med-free births via hippy-dippy caricature, good.

Babble Talk Radio: Kids These Days!

Federal Agent* Seizes Oat-Based Contraband

Judge to Deadbeats: Watch 'Maury' or Go to Jail

Mom Gives 9-Year-Old Marijuana

Crocheted Doll Gives Birth

Image: Parenting.com

UPDATE: Dad Who Forced Son To Get Tattoo is Arrested

Brett Singer — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Updating the story from a few weeks ago: Enrique Gonzalez, the Fresno father and gang member who allegedly forcibly tattooed a dog's paw on his 7-year-old son, has been arrested in Madera County, California, according to the Fresno Bee. Gonzalez was found hiding out at a motel with his girlfriend; he tried to escape through a window but police caught him. He is being held on $700,000 bail.

Original post follows below.

*-*-*-*

This is pretty hard core.

Enrique Gonzalez, a Fresno, California father, is a member of a gang called the Bulldogs. He wanted his son, who is 7, to get marked with their symbol, which is a dog's paw. The boy didn't want to, possibly because he's seven and tattoos hurt. (I can barely get my kids to stick a thermometer in their mouths to see if they have a fever.) So, according to a police report, Gonzalez held his son down while Travis Gorman gave him the tattoo.

Gorman has been arrested, Gonzalez is still at large. (Note that these are charges that the two men have been accused of, so everything here is "allegedly.")

Adding to the troubling nature of this story (if that's possible) is that Gorman isn't a licensed tattoo artist. So what, you say? That just seems less safe. Not that it would have been OK to do this in a tattoo parlor, of course.

In California, it is illegal for anyone under 18 to get "inked", although police acknowledge that they have seen gang tattoos on children as young as 14. "But never this young," said Fresno Detective Jesse Ruelas. I hope not.

Other details of interest: the boy lives with his mother, and was visiting his father over the Easter holiday, which I suppose means the parents have shared custody, or maybe just that the father has visitation. I'm guessing that won't happen anymore. The mother found the tattoo when her son came home from visiting with dad and wouldn't let her see him get undressed to take a bath.

Scary stuff. Hope the kid is OK and he can get over this.

Source: Fresno Bee

Update source: Fresno Bee

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Dad Drives Drunk With Kids In Car

American Incest Dad Gets 109 Years In Jail

They Say: Baby Speaks at Birth!

SunnyChanel — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Parents are always looking for signs of genius in their offspring; the two-year-old who can read, the three year old who can do complex equations, but how about the baby who can talk…at birth. Supposedly, a newborn baby in the Russian town of Norilsk said “Papa!” right after being born and then a couple minutes later said “Mama!” The next day, in response to the 17-year-old mother telling the baby they would be getting a visitor, the baby said, “Who? Papa?”

For those who think it’s just a figment of an overly enthusiastic parent, the obstetrician who aided in the birth confirmed the story saying, “I heard with my own ears that the newborn baby spoke!” She stated that she hadn’t seen anything like that in her 23 years of delivering babies. She continued to say that “Newborns just can’t pronounce syllables as complicated as that.” She also stated that, “the fetus can learn while still in the mother’s womb. If a mother talks to the fetus, entertains it as if it has been born already, the baby is usually born gifted.”

Do you believe a baby can say words at birth?

Source

Best of FameCrawler - Week of May 8th

Whit Honea — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Julia Roberts Shows Her Bikini Bod & Tattoo In Honor Of Her Kids (PHOTOS)

Jon & Kate - Jon Is Cheating -It's Been Confirmed - Photos

Elizabeth Edwards Has "No Idea" If John's The Baby Daddy

Jon Gosselin Tells EW Exclusively "I Did NOT Cheat!"

I'm Following You, Nicole Richie

Pregnant Heidi Klum Naked on Ellen - Video

Mary Stuart Masterson Has Reason to Smile!

'Idol' Winner David Cook Announces his Brother's Passing at 5K Race (VIDEO)

Matthew Fox Prepares to get UnLost with Family

Jenny McCarthy To Get Her Own Talk Show?

Ed Burns and Christy Turlington Are Not Selfish

Kate Gosselin To Address Rumors About Jon?

We're Not Judging You, Pinky Swear

JeanneSager — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:32:00 GMT

If there was any parent who might have taken exception with Kate Haas' piece on being TV free right here on Babble, it was one who penned a piece about letting her daughter watch a heckuva lot of TV.

Yes, that would be me.

Honestly? I loved it. Because while Haas shared all the wonderful reasons her family's TV-free (similar, actually, to my own completely TV-free upbringing), she focused in on something that a lot of parents today just don't get. She doesn't make parenting decisions because she wants you to make the same ones. She makes them because that's how SHE wants to parent.

Imagine that. It isn't about you.

What first attracted me to Babble's Bad Parent column, back before I started writing for the site, was the fact that parents could tell the stories of alternate ways they've found to parent. Not because they think EVERYONE has to do it that way, but because there are too darn many people out there who think it's their way or the highway. Bad Parent has opened up an avenue for really not so bad parents like me (and the dozens of other Bad Parent writers, including several of my colleagues here on Strollerderby) to very simply offer another option. Haas can keep the TV out of the house. I can leave it on all day.

Do we talk about the benefits of our way? Of course! If we didn't think there were benefits, frankly, why would we be doing it? It's why I've shared the story of how I juggle sending my kid to daycare a few days a week and taking her to work with me other days, the reasons I won't use the "v" word with my kid, the reasons I refuse to make holidays into an extended family hell.

Often writing about these choices draws criticism, offering you all a computer-side seat to the so-called mommy wars, where judgement reigns supreme. It happens. As a writer, that's what happens when you share your words with other people. Sometimes, judging people is OK. We all do it.

But a comment on a recent Bad Parent compelled me to answer back for the first time ever. The reader took issue with the use of the word "park." As in parking my kid in daycare.

"Why can't writers explore these issues without insulting those who have chosen differently," she asked.

My question? Why is expressing an alternate opinion an insult? The true mommy wars come from parents who are unable to simply say "eh, they do it that way, I do it my way."

It's a point Haas makes very clear in her essay this week. She's TV-free by choice. She's not walking into other people's homes and yanking out the cord on their idiot boxes. Sure, she'll tell you all the benefits. But at the end of the day, she's not going home to her husband to say "Oh my Gawd, can you believe those people let their kids watch Dora?"

As Haas says, "Believe me, I'm not sitting in judgment. Isn't raising kids hard enough without that?" So why don't you take a gander at some alternate parenting choices over at our Bad Parent Column? You might find some new ideas about how to parent. Or you might just get annoyed.

TV-Free

editors — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

"TV-Free"

by Kate Haas

One mother asks, "Why does not having a television make me so unpopular?"

Read it here.

Interview with Marlee Matlin

editors — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:25:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

"Marlee Matlin"

by Tammy La Gorce

Oscar winning actress and mother of four Marlee Matlin has been far from typecast into the onscreen role of mom, but, she'd "love to do the story of Octomom!"

Read it here.

Potty-Training Regression

editors — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Today on Babble:

Potty-Training Regression

by Ronda Kaysen

Does starting the process early mean finishing late?

Read it here.

Possible Father of Malawian Orphan Opposes Madonna Adoption

Brett Singer — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

James Kambewa might be the father of Chifundo "Mercy" James, the girl that Madonna wants to adopt. And he's decided that he can take care of her. He feels that his little girl should be "raised as a Malawian", according to BBC News. So Madonna should step off.

I say "might" because it's not clear that the man is, in fact, Mercy's dad. In an interview with 'The Early Show' on CBS, he said that "he wore a necklace bearing his daughter's name around his neck, even though he had never seen her in person." He said that he wants "to take care of her, and I'm capable to take care of my baby." A big question, of course, is why Mercy was in an orphanage if she had a parent "capable" of raising her.

The whole thing is getting somewhat silly. Personally, I think Madonna should be able to adopt Mercy James, because that would mean a much better life for the girl. A court ruled that the adoption wasn't legal (Madonna's appeal will be heard on Monday), but if that's true, how was she able to adopt David Banda?

I'm not going to get into a debate about Malawian legal matters. I just think that it would be too bad if this little girl is forced to live in an orphanage when she could have moved into the lap of luxury. Especially if the only reason her dad came forward is because there were TV cameras around.

Source: BBC

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What's For Dinner Dad Week 2 - Wednesday

Brett Singer — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:20:00 GMT

Well, it happened.

I just couldn't bring myself to cook tonight.

That sounds too dramatic. I was up too late last night and now I'm tired and feel sort of blah. (My new mantra: "You do not have swine flu. You do not have swine flu.") So I decided that it was time to order in.

The cuisine of choice: sushi.

When it comes to Japanese food, Thing 1 eats cucumber rolls, edamame, and tomago (sweet egg on rice, very tasty). Thing 2 is much more fickle but he'll usually eat edamame and teriyaki chicken. I love sushi, sashimi, dumplings, rolls, whatever. I think I could eat Japanese food almost every night. I ordered the cuke rolls, tomago, extra edamame, and a dinner box that included some shrimp gyoza, salmon sashimi and chicken teriyaki for Thing 2.

Thing 1 ate like he hadn't been fed in days. A lot of cucumber rolls, two pieces of tomago, a ton of edamame, and then a couple of cookies for desert. Then he was still hungry, so he added an apple and a small bowl of grapes.

Thing 2 was more of a pain. He ate some edamame and chicken, then demanded cookies. I said no, not until he ate more chicken. Eventually I agreed to feed it to him (I know, not a good idea, but I was tired and I caved), and he had a couple of cookies and an apple. So not a great night, but it could have been worse.

One of the problems with ordering out is that it makes me lazy. Meaning that tomorrow I may once again not feel like cooking. We'll see if I can resist the siren call of the Menu File.

Reminder: I'm tweeting about my cooking all week; follow me at twitter.com/brettsinger. For just the dinner related tweets, search for the hashtag #dinnerdad. Or just click the link. (You don't have to know what a hashtag is in order to read the tweets.)

What's For Dinner Dad Week 2 - Monday

What's For Dinner Dad - Thursday

What's For Dinner Dad Week 2 - Tuesday

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:03:00 GMT

Not sure what the weather is where you are, but in New York today, it was hot. HOT. Fry an egg on the sidewalk hot.

OK, not that hot, but still. Hot. So I really didn't feel like cooking.

Thing is, I defrosted a nice package of lean organic ground beef. Very tasty. Grass-fed, if memory serves. The cows were treated to pedicures. Good stuff.

So I bit the bullet and made some burgers.

That's our George Foreman Grill, purchased during a period in our lives when we had no oven. (Long story, not very interesting.) It doesn't get much use, but for burgers it's great. The removable plates make cleanup a lot easier; I used to have one of the non-removable plate models and cleaning it was very annoying.

Going with my Monday meatloaf success, I mixed in some ketchup, a raw egg and a little matzo meal, along with salt, pepper, a tiny amount of basil and an even smaller amount of onion powder. That last item I thought could make the kids revolt, but to my surprise both ate without complaint. I myself had two burgers; I was hungry and they were good.

For a side, I made ravioli, these little shapes that both kids typically devour with almost frightening gusto. Not sure of the brand; I'll post it next time I cook 'em.

Menu for Tuesday:

- Hamburgers on potato rolls (not the healthiest bread around but, y'know, tastes good).

- Ravioli

- Raw carrots

Funny thing happened with the last item. Thing 2 said "no carrots." He metaphorically dug in his heels. He protested like the Ghandi without a cause that he sometimes is. So I went with the optometrist method of parenting (which is working less and less the older he gets): Do you want one carrot or a half a carrot? After some sleight of hand where I broke a couple of carrots in half, he informed me that he would eat TWO carrots, and then he did. Again, as far I'm concerned, I won that round.

What's For Dinner Dad - Thursday

Peeper Madness - Supeep Court

What's For Dinner Dad Week 2 - Monday

Brett Singer — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:12:00 GMT

Tonight I managed to remember to defrost something -- a package of ground turkey.

Three choices:

- Turkey burgers, which the kids never seem to like and even I have to admit I do a poor job with.

- Meatballs, which I love and the kids tolerate, but they require more attention since I have to keep turning them in the pan, not to mention the time spent rolling the meat into balls.

- Meatloaf. Mix up, throw it in a pan, bake it, eat.

No contest. Meatloaf wins.

One of the things that I've learned since feeding the children at night became my job is that usually it's not a good idea to announce the menu for the evening, unless said menu contains the words "pizza" or "french fries." So this time I just put the plates out and figured I'd see what happened. Both children ate everything. No "this is no good", "take the skin off" (even though there is no skin), "why is the meat blue?" (That last one hasn't actually ever happened -- yet.) Plus, between my mother, my wife, myself and the kids, the meatloaf was almost completely eaten. This is, I believe, a first. I think the reason is that I made a good batch.

I'm not good with recipes, but I do try to learn from past culinary mistakes. This time I put the ground turkey in a bowl and added a generous amount of matzo meal and ketchup. Then basil, oregano, a little pepper and a teensy amount of salt. Then an egg, and finally -- more ketchup. It came out moister (is that a word?) than usual, so I think I found the correct matzo meal-ketchup-meat ratio. We'll see what happens next time.

So here's Monday's menu:

- Meatloaf

- Tri-color Rotini (a fancy way of saying "pasta")

- Carrots (never let it be said that I don't read the comments)

More tomorrow, because one of the other things I've learned is that these kids want to eat EVERY FRICKIN' DAY. I mean, sheesh.

Peeper Madness - Supeep Court

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What's For Dinner Dad - Monday - UPDATED With Photos And Tweets

Best of FameCrawler - Week of April 24th

Whit Honea — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

David Beckham's Victoria Tattoo Is Misspelled

David Kellerman -CFO Of Freddie Mac Commits Suicide

Photos Don't Lie: Angelina & Brad Did THIS

In Which Tom Cruise and John Travolta Will Ruin Movies for Our Children and Our Children's Children

Geri Halliwell Reveals Her Dark Past

Guess the Baby Bump!

Celebrity Guess Who: Name the Mom Edition

CBS' Julie Chen Pregnant!

Octomom Nadya Suleman is Ready to Add to The Family, AAACK!

Madonna's Ex-Chef: She's A Self-Centered Mother

What's For Dinner Dad - Thursday

Brett Singer — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:45:00 GMT

Tonight I presented Thing 1 with a choice.

- Lamb chops (different kind this time, a sirloin chop)

- Chicken drumstick

He chose chicken drumstick. So that's what they're having.

I had already defrosted the lamb, so I broiled it with some olive oil, salt and pepper and a splash of Worcestshire sauce. It came out OK, but I overcooked it, which is something I do often. I have an irrational fear of undercooking meat. I've never done it, hence the "irrational" part. We have a meat thermometer that I've started to use, but I didn't this time.

One of the things I need to realize about cooking is that sometimes it's better to pay attention. Today I was talking to a friend on the phone while broiling the lamb and also making ravioli for the kids. That's not the craziest amount of multitasking I've ever done, but it did lead to overcooked meat. (Well, that and my irrational fear of undercooking.)

So! Tonight's menu for the kids is:

- Chicken: Thing 1 loves drumsticks (he became animated at the mention of having one for dinner), Thing 2 I cut up some chicken breast and put it on a plate. Sometimes he even eats it.

- Cucumber: They really prefer this to carrots, and I'm too tired today to argue.

- Raviloli: there's this brand of ravioli that comes in shapes and both kids could eat a pound of it at a time. I'm lactose-intolerant and avoid most dairy, so, you know, more for them. The smell of cheese makes me nauseous, but for them I'll make the sacrifice.

For me, I'm going to eat the lamb in a bowl with some pasta and marinara sauce. (From a jar -- I'm not ready to start making "Sunday gravy.") Later I'll eat a salad, because I need to do more of that. I've realized that I prefer eating small meals here and there rather than three big ones. Not sure if that will last, but I think that's healthier so I'm going to stick with it as long as possible.

Tomorrow I'm thinking take out, but we'll see. Maybe I'll get inspired.

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What's For Dinner Dad - Wednesday

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:30:00 GMT

After two nights of cooking, it's time for.. leftovers!

I try to cook with a high leftover yield. Why? Because there are plenty of nights when I either don't have time to cook, or just don't want to. When it's just me, I can piece together a meal out of variants food remnants found around the house. (A comedian used to do a bit about a single guy at home who had corn and bacon for dinner. Because that's what he had. His reasoning was "I like corn. I like bacon. Why not put them together?" It was funnier when he said it.) For the kids I feel like I need to be a little bit more concerned about what they eat. Most of the time.

So tonight's meal will be the following:

- Last night's chicken: Batch #2 (see above), which was fried, went over much better than the baked version. I didn't exactly get a standing ovation, but I also didn't get any complaints, which I consider to be a victory. It's called low standards, people.

- Pasta: I'll make a fresh batch of whole wheat penne. My kids don't seem to care anymore what shape pasta they are served, which makes life easier. I always preferred shells as a young'un, but only in medium size - no large, no small. Neither child seems to notice that they are eating whole wheat rather than white noodles, which makes me feel better. It's also healthier for them. But it also makes me feel better.

- Carrots: they've only been eating cucumber lately, so its time to change it up. I also have this idea in my head that cucumbers aren't all that healthy. Not that they're UNhealthy. Just not particularly packed with nutrients. Like iceberg lettuce. I could be wrong about this of course.

That's it for tonight. Depending on time, tomorrow could be meatloaf, or turkey burgers. Or delivery. You never know.

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What's For Dinner Dad - Tuesday - UPDATE: Photos added

It's National Poetry Month: Read a poem with your kid!

editors — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Maybe it's because I learned to read by sounding out the words green eggs or ham. Or maybe it's because my Dad referred to my sister and I as 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2,' a nod to the twin mischief-makers in 'The Cat and the Hat.' Either way, I give poetry a big thumbs-up. The rhythm, the flow, the way the each word sort of eloquently rolls off your tongue: What's not to love? So in honor of National Poetry Month, we asked writer & poet Gregory K to share three of his favorite kid-approved poems. Start a tradition and read them tonight with your little one! Hey, they're a lot shorter than fairytales. --Andrea Zimmerman

Rebecca Kai Dotlich's heartwarming Midnight Stray' makes me want to rescue every homeless feline wandering the street, fleas or not:

MIDNIGHT STRAY
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

She stared at me from where she sat,
one matted lump of fragile cat
who wore a grayish tattered ear --

she heard me whisper cat, come here.

A squint, a lick, a paw so small,
she did not move or purr at all --
just skin and bones and stars above her.

And that is how I came to love her.

©2009 Rebecca Kai Dotlich. All rights reserved.
Used by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

And check these out, too:

Remember history museum field trips as a kid? And how freaking big the dinosaurs seemed? Marilyn Singer's 'In The Museum,' recalls every overwhelming emotion.

Charles Ghigna's 'A Poem Is,' is about...a poem. But it's three poems in one, and his descriptions are vivid, real, and well, poetic.

You can check out all 30 days of kid poems by beloved children's book authors at the Gottabook website!

Photo: Nassau Library

What's For Dinner Dad - Tuesday - UPDATE: Photos added

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:00:00 GMT

I went one for two with yesterday's lamb chops. Thing 1 ate them with no problems, although he was uninterested in the japanese apple pear I cut up as an appetizer. Thing 2 pitched a fit when I had the nerve to suggest that he eat lamb; after he calmed down, I told him he had to try it, which he did, and informed me that he didn't like it. Fine. He did eat the fruit, however. I ate two of the chops for lunch today, so that was a good thing.

Tonight: chicken breasts. Lots of them.

On Sunday we went shopping to an actual supermarket (we've been spoiled by order a lot of FreshDirect because it's, well, easier). We stocked up a bit, so I used that as motivation to clean out the freezer. Finding lots of things that weren't exactly purchased recently, I vowed to cook the old stuff first.

I broke that vow almost immediately by makng the lamb chops. Oh well.

I did make two packages of frozen dumplings for myself, since the kids don't like them. (For what it's worth, Stew Leonard's vegetable dumplings are significantly tastier than the ones from Trader Joe's, which seems odd.) Today I decided to tackle two packages of thinly sliced chicken breasts.

I find cooking chicken to be a more difficult task than cooking other meats such as lamb. Why? Unless you're making a whole roasted bird, you need some sort of prepartion and seasonings. (Actually, even a whole roasted bird should probably be seasoned.) Lamb chops I can, and often do, just throw into a greased pan lined with tinfoil and broil away. When I've tried that with chicken breasts the results are sligtly tastier than cardboard. Slightly.

Using a tip I learned from my mother, I put some water and an egg in a bowl. Then I filled a larger bowl (I used a pasta serving dish because it was nearby) with matzo meal, adding oregano, basil and pepper as spices. (We have a lot of extra matzo meal leftover from Passover. MUST. USE. LEFTOVERS.) Then I dipped the chicken in the egg/water mixture, smooshed it into the matzo meal and spices, and put it in a pan lined with cooking-sprayed tin foil. Oven at 375 degrees. Cook for ten minutes (while watching ESPN), turn chicken over. Cook for another ten minutes (also while watching ESPN -- NFL draft is coming up, need to be prepared). Decide that chicken needs another five minutes, so I do that. Ignore ESPN this time so I can prepare the NEXT batch of chicken. Since only one package fit in the oven pan, I thought I'd try cutting the other pack into smaller pieces and frying them in Mazola.

This is partly an experiment. I generally cook with olive oil, partly out of habit, and partly out of a notion that it's healthier (I don't know if it is and I don't feel like checking right now). The thing is, I think my children don't like the taste. So I'm going to see if using vegetable or corn oil makes a difference. Note that I'm not deep frying the chicken, just lightly simmering it.

This also gives me the opportunity to adjust the spices. The oven batch was a bit too peppery. I didn't mind that much, but Thing 1 currently balks at anything remotely spicy. I'll try adding more matzo meal and a little salt to balance things out.

So tonight's menu at Casa De Singer will be the following:

- Matzo meal encrusted chicken breasts, baked or fried

- Pasta with butter

- Cucumber

- Sliced apple (it makes the meal look more meal-like)

I'll let you know how it goes over.

Remember: I'm tweeting (grrr) about my cooking all week; follow me at twitter.com/brettsinger. For just the dinner related tweets, search for the hashtag #dinnerdad. Or just click the link. (You don't have to know what a hashtag is in order to read the tweets.)

UPDATE: at the moment, Twitpic seems to be down. I'll post the pics when and if it comes back to life.

UPDATE 2: Twitpic is back so here are some snaps of tonight's meal.

Good, but too much pepper. Kids won't like it. Since I was making another batch anyway I added more matzo meal and a little salt. It worked, both kids cleaned their plates without complaint. Whoo-hoo.

Batch #2, fryin' away. My mother reminded me of something that I'll try next time: add a little margarine to the oil to give it more flavor.

The second batch of chicken was greasier, but also tastier, than the first. Isn't that always the way? Not too greasy, however.

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What's For Dinner Dad - Monday - UPDATED With Photos And Tweets

Brett Singer — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:00:00 GMT

UPDATE: I'm going to tweet (I don't like the phrase but I'll use it) and also post pics via Twitpic from time to time.

You can follow my tweetering at twitter.com/brettsinger. For just the dinner related tweets, search for the hashtag #dinnerdad. Or just click the link. (You don't have to know what a hashtag is in order to read the tweets.)

Here are today's cooking pics:

The kids' plate of fruit...

vs. my plate of fruit:

The lamb chops, not quite done. They were tasty. Thing 1 ate it, Thing 2 pitched a fit but eventually tried one bite and decided he didn't like it. I declared victory. Small victory, but a victory all the same.

Original post follows:

*-*-*-*-*

Since this is Food Week here on Babble, I thought I would share what I'll be serving my children each day.

First up: Monday.

A little background: I'm not a great cook but I do my best. My kids have evolved from being fairly open-minded munchers into a pair of picky people when it comes to noshing. Thing 1 doesn't like anything with sauce or skin (he's actually asked me to remove the "skin" from a piece of steak, and while I admit to being only a so-so chef, my steak does not have "skin" on it), and Thing 2 will go through stages where he only eats yogurt, apple sauce and Oatmeal Squares. Oh, and mini-bagels. Very nutritious.

Because of pick-up schedules, I typically have more time on Monday than I do on other days. Today, however, something came up that took away some of that time. How does this relate to dinner? Because dinner requires cooking, and cooking takes time.

Tonight we're going back to an old favorite -- lamb chops. By "old favorite" I mean that both kids ate them a couple of years ago. Then they stopped. Note that I didn't change how I prepared the chops, they just decided that they didn't like eating them anymore. But we need more variety, so it's back. Here's Monday's menu:

- Lamb Rib Chops: I splurged; normally I go with the basic shoulder chops but these are tastier and hopefully the kids will, you know, eat them.
- Whole wheat pasta with butter: the only way my children will eat pasta.
- Raw carrots and/or cucumber: this is one thing that my wife and I have managed to achieve in terms of their food intake. Every dinner they eat some carrots or cucumber or both. That way at least some vegetable gets into their bodies every day.

More tomorrow, because these kids want to eat dinner every day. Sheesh. When I was young, we were lucky to have dinner once a month! And we had to walk uphill while we ate! In a snowstorm! Without shoes! (None of that is true.)

Image: SXC (my chops will proably not look this good but that's OK)

UPDATE: removed the stock photo with actual pics of the dinner I made.

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