Filed under: Restaurants

Finally, a restaurant my whole family would agree upon. If only we weren't on the opposite coast!

Chocolate by the Bald Man, the sweet dream of Oded Brenner, is off Union Square in New York City, and another location will open soon in the East Village. The menu includes chocolate pizza, warm double chocolate fondue, hot chocolate, and chocolate popsicles with bowls of melted chocolate, chocolate waffle balls and carmelized pecan bits.

Oh. Wow.

Mr. Brenner says, "People love chocolate. It makes them smile. I believe the happiness it causes does magic things for your health. . . If you do it in moderation it is good for you."

Mmmmmm. I'm off to raid my husband's chocolate stash. The one he only thinks is secret. . .

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Blogs

Last week, as usual, I posted links to a few of my favourite Mom bloggers. Unfortunately, one of the highlighted bloggers received some personally hurtful comments on her blog as a result. So, I asked my own readers for some suggestions for some "thick skinned" Mom Bloggers. And I found a few beauties, although, please feel free to go over there and say all kinds of nice things - I'm sure they'll appreciate that a lot more.

At Dear Leonard, Feith is parenting teens. I find that there's a shortage of Mom blogs pertaining to teens, so if you know of any, let me know. I want to know what I'm in for, and also whether I might be as graceful as Feith in dealing with the problem of teenage drug use.

Over at My Munchkin Musings, Stephanie muses about the connection of her daughter's tantrums and teething. I've just begun to see flickers of meltdowns in Nolan, so I read about Ellie with interest. Every stage has a cuteness and a downside, doesn't it?

And finally, at Where is My Dinner (also: please tell me when you find it, I would like mine too) Vasilisa wonders how to tell a toddler that not everybody likes to be engulfed in random hugs at the playground. Except Mommies. Mommies always like hugs.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Middle school, Public school

A good friend of mine just called to talk about something with me. Her son, who attends a public middle school, came home with his science textbook and a note from the school.

The note said something like this: "I ___________ parent of __________ agree to take very good care of this textbook. If this book gets lost or damaged, I agree to pay $65 to replace it." Then, there is a place for the parent to sign.

Now, I won't mince words here, my friend is poor. She's a hard working single mom, who is going to college and taking care of all three of her kids with no help and no child support. She doesn't have an extra $65 to pay for a book that her son may or may not be able to keep in tip top shape.

So, she wrote a note to the teacher saying that she and her son would do their best to take care of the book, but that if something were to happen to it, she would not be able to replace it. Her son was then told that he could not bring the book home in order to study or do homework.

Public school, remember?

What do you think about this? I've never heard of schools doing such a thing, though I can understand their frustration with destroyed materials. Does your public school have such policies in place? What would you do in her shoes?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Media, Pregnancy and Birth

A new study suggests that women who gain weight between pregnancies have greater risk of complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure during the second pregnancy. The risk holds true even in women with a healthy body mass index.

The new research suggests that women with healthy weights should avoid putting on pounds before pregnancy, and suggests that even small weight gain (7 pounds, for example) can hurt. Gaining 1 or 2 body mass index (BMI) points increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy by up to 40 percent.

Wow. That's staggering, and I guess it's reason number 732 that I should consider giving up my Kozy Shack consumption. But not until future pregnancy plans are in the works, and that's not for a while

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

From Yahoo!News: A 35-year-old British woman gave birth to her son three months early and just before she was to be married. The tiny boy weighed only 1lb 12 oz.

After the birth a doctor asked the couple if they had anything to do that day. Her response? "I've got a wedding to go to -- it's mine."

The bride and groom walked down the aisle to a standing ovation, and shared a dance at their reception before going back to the hospital to be with their son, who is in an incubator. They spent their wedding night at the hospital, and despite having to sleep on the floor, they were very happy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Media

Police are investigating how a convicted murderer and sex offender ended up with a tattoo on his forehead while in prison.

Anthony Ray Stockelmen is serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of 10-year-old Katie Collman. The tattoo is scrawled across Stockelman's forehead and reads "Katie's Revenge." Katie's father says he suspects that other inmates, notoriously resentful of child molesters, are making a statement.

A spokesman for the correctional facility says they do not know how the photo of the tattoo got taken and distributed outside the facility, including on the Internet.

In general I'm a pacifist, but in this case I would have been in approval had the inmates chosen to do more than just tattoo Stockelman's forehead.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Image of the Day

Sean and Will may be 4 years old now, I still remember the gentle touch of their soft baby skin on mine. There's no word to describe the calmness, the love and dedication that cuddling with my boys bring into my life.

Thank you KinkimcG for sharing!

September is Small & Tiny month at Image of the Day. I came up with this idea after looking at hilarious pictures of babies and dogs. If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll select an image every day to highlight. Be sure to read the intro on the main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day. Thanks!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Moms, Adventures in Parenting, Emotions, Likes and dislikes

Since he was weeks old, Nolan has been soothed by the outdoors. I remember bundling him in toques, woollies, and multiple blankets and looping around the neighbourhood with him in his stroller, fighting the pain of minus twenty in my nose. Nolan, however, was happy. He is always happy as long as he's outdoors.

Lately, though, I've been hesitant to play outside with him because it's always such a dramatic undertaking to get him back in the house. This morning I took him to the park down the road, where he bellowed with sheer joy and stomped around in the falling yellow leaves. He ran in circles and pushed the baby carriage and - I swear - pumped his baby hands in the air in pure triumph. All is beautiful and inspiring until it's time to put him back in his stroller, back to the house. He has a meltdown every time: squirming and crying and trying to open the door to get back outside.

I don't know if this is a normal thing or a genetic thing. My dad and my brother are both outdoor fanatics - if they could sit in a boat on the ocean and fish forever, equipped with only coffee and rain gear, they would do it in a heartbeat. Does your baby resist the indoors?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Books

Chances are you know Margaret Wise Brown's books. She did write Goodnight Moon, after all. But, maybe you aren't familiar with my favorite of all her books, Little Fur Family, first published 60 years ago.

The photo at right is of the fur edition, which is the edition to read. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the book comes in a little box and when you open it up you'll see that the front and back cover are covered in fur, just like the little fur child the story is about.

My children love this book; the fur cover is quite fun, but they adore the story inside as well. It's a very simple tale, about a little fur child who spends a day exploring in the woods. The artwork is beautiful, and the story is just right for going to sleep after a long day. There's even a little bit at the end where the fur mother and fur father sing their child to sleep.

Sleep, sleep, our little fur child,
Out of the windiness,
Out of the wild.
Sleep warm in your fur
All night long,
In your little fur family,
This is a song.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here

Filed under: Lifestyle, Toys, Celebrity babies, Celebrity gear, Celebrity style

Just what every kid needs -- a solid gold rocking horse. Our friends over at Luxist reported on this the other day. Japanese jewelry designer Ginza Tanaka fashioned a child's rocking horse out of 24-karat gold in honor of Prince Hisahito's birthday. At eighty pounds, it's noticeably heavier than the traditional wooden rocking horse after which it is modeled. Still, it is supposed to be very comfortable. According to the manufacturer, "its seat is very smooth and easy to sit on. The child can sit on it for long hours without getting tired."

The only downside that I can see is constantly having to polish it -- like every time the kid rides it. Oh, and, of course, there's also the minor issue of the price -- 150 million yen (about 1.28 million dollars). Only one has been made, and it has yet to be sold, although the company says they have received inquiries. If, however, you have twins, they are ready to make more. Who knows, you might even be able to get a quantity discount, maybe two for 2.5m even? I don't think either of my kids will be getting one of these any time soon, I'm afraid. Certainly not before I get my yacht, anyway.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read the Full Story Here