Filed under: Media, Toys, 8-9 years, Pre-teen, Computers, Internet, Games, Video Games, Making a Difference

At nine years old, Ezra Phoenix Chatterton has dealt with a lot of adversity. The biggest challenge is a cancerous brain tumor. As if that weren't enough, however, his father's house burned down as he watched. "But I really liked that house," he commented at the time, adding "At least nobody's hurt. It'll be o.k. because we're all safe."

Like his namesake, however, good things were born of that fire. He and his father decided that instead of replacing the toys he lost in the blaze, they would get a computer and internet connection so that they could play the online game World of Warcraft together. The two have bonded even closer since and spend a lot of time playing and discussing the game.

Blizzard, the company that makes and hosts the game, heard about young Ezra and invited him to their offices for a tour. Ezra got to design a weapon, add a character and develop a new quest for the game. He even got to include his dog Kyle in the game. He was even taken to a recording studio to record voice-overs for the character he developed. After that, Blizzard boosted his character to a very high level and gave him lots of in-game supplies and gold.

It didn't end there, however. The company has added a new character to the game -- a phoenix that, as best I can figure it, players can get hold of to ride around the virtual world. Instead of making it available to just anyone, however, the first Phoenix went straight to young Ezra.

"The phoenix is an image that has recurred in Ezra's life over the years, mostly because it's his middle name, and I think that a person will usually take any chance they can get to more closely connect with their given name," explains his father. "Not to credit the name per se, but I have always been proud of Ezra's ability to cope with difficult times in his own life. He's been able to go through things, before the cancer, that I couldn't imagine dealing with as a child, and still retain his generous spirit and spark of imagination."

This is a pretty cool story. I wish more companies acted like this, taking an interest helping kids dealing with challenges like the ones Ezra has faced.

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Filed under: A Little More

My middle son Avery has been seeing a physical therapist since he was 6-months-old. Her name is Wendy, and like the Wendy of Peter Pan fame, our Wendy is kind, and wise, and supportive, and has shoulder-length brown hair. She's like Avery's second mother, or at the very least, a favorite aunt.

My other two sons pushed themselves through the developmental stages with very little coaxing from me. My main job was to prevent them from hurting themselves, and then cheer at all they'd accomplished. With Avery, it was different. He taught himself to sit, then stopped, perfectly content with this skill level. I wanted him to do more, but I didn't know where to begin. How do you teach a child to want?

Wendy knew what to do, and she showed me. She'd touch the muscles in Avery's legs, cuing them to act, helping him learn to crawl. Later, when crawling was the norm, it was pulling-to-stand. And more recently, it's been movement--putting one foot in front of the other--walking.

In the spring and summer, we usually do physical therapy at the park, on the blue and red playground equipment. The park is next to the lake, and sometimes we'd walk over to the water's edge and Avery would practice standing and throwing rocks into the water, delighted by the splash. Other times, we'd work in the playground sand, which made Avery's muscles strong. Once, we got caught in a terrific spring thunderstorm, and we rushed to the picnic pavilion to wait out the rain. So many memories, tiny steps, and with each one, Wendy was there.

When I wondered if Avery would ever crawl, Wendy patted my hand gently and gave me the answer I needed--yes. When I felt hopeless, and asked, Will he ever stand? She'd pat my hand gently, yes. Will he ever walk? Again, sure and certain, yes. In her, I placed my faith. In return, she gave me hope.

At the park, Avery walks up the steps, across the flexible bridge, down the slide. He walks over to the steps again, up, hand-over-hand down the ramp, to the other, bigger slide. Happy. Proud. Today feels like being with a friend at a play date, rather than therapy. There's very little work for either Wendy or me to do. Instead, I notice the sunshine, watch the seagulls. Smell the water on the air. The lilacs are blooming, the grass has recently been cut. Before long, it's already time to go.

"I don't know how to tell you this," Wendy begins. "So I'll just say it--Avery doesn't need me now. We can still get together socially, but he doesn't need PT. He needs time to practice what he already knows, which he can do on his own."

I stare at her, stunned. As a new mom to Avery, all I wanted was to be finished with therapies--to reach the point where all the early intervention was over. Now that I've gotten my wish, I regret it. I can't imagine a Thursday morning without her.

I consider pointing out all the things we still have left to do--hopping, skipping, running. I think about pleading our case: Look at me! I'm a klutz! I can't teach Avery by myself! And then I remember Avery's monitor. As a newborn, Avery had Apnea of Prematurity, which meant that he sometimes stopped breathing, and then his heartbeat would stop, too. Avery came home from the NICU attached to a little black box that kept track of his breathing and his heartbeat. It looked like a classic black Coach purse, except that once in a while it would get tangled and send off a single, shrill, piercing alarm.

Over time, I got used to it--I even came to rely on it. In fact, I remember being of the opinion that the monitor was so useful that I wished Avery's twin brother Bennett could have one, too. When our doc told us we didn't need it anymore, I panicked. How would we ever manage without a monitor? I even tried to convince him to let us keep it just a bit longer.

I feel that way again now. How will I ever know what to do?

But, I trust Wendy. If she says it's right, I know it's time. And I trust the work we've done these many months. Avery is strong, and ready. And most of all, I trust Avery. I may not know what lies ahead, but I know that together, we'll find our way.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Moms, 6-9 months, 9-12 months

I've been reading lots of stories lately about bad things happening to children who have been left alone by their parents. Madeline Mcann is making headlines, but there are others. In two separate incidents in Houston, a three year old and a five year old both died after being left alone by their mothers. In both cases, the oldest child in the house was six years old. Obviously, 6 years old is way too young for that responsibility and I have a hard time understanding why a parent would do it.

I believe most parents wouldn't leave their young children home alone, but yesterday I saw something that made me wonder. Ellie and I went to our neighborhood pool for a swim before dinner. As usual, the pool was packed with little kids swimming and mothers supervising. One of the mothers has 5 children all under the age of 8, but only four were at the pool. The baby wasn't with her and I assumed he was home with dad. But then I noticed she was carrying around a baby monitor -- clearly the baby was home sleeping while she was at the pool.

Her house is directly behind the pool area and you can see her back yard clearly through the wrought iron fence. She was getting up every 15 minutes or so and walking closer to her house with the monitor to her ear, obviously listening for the baby. Eventually, the baby woke up and she gathered up her kids and went home.

Having five young children is a tough job and I understand why she would want to leave the baby sleeping at home while she took the older kids to the pool. But I don't understand why she would actually do it. Even though her house was in sight, she couldn't see her front door and because of the fence, getting back home would take her a few minutes even if she ran. The fact that we have had a rash of break-ins in our neighborhood lately makes it even more risky. Am I paranoid or was she being irresponsible?

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Family togetherness, Emotions, Likes and dislikes

We're moving this weekend, from our lovely little starter house to what we assume will be our lovely house the kids will grow up in (it had better be because I am NEVER packing all this stuff again). Right now our house is a disaster; there are boxes piled everywhere and we can't find anything. Good times.

The boys are excited about their new house; we took them with us to the final walk through and they picked out their rooms and marveled at their new playroom. They are thrilled that we found a TWO STORY house (which is apparently the best thing ever when you're seven and five) and they are excited about the "secret tunnel" between their rooms (they have a Jack and Jill bathroom).

But they are also clearly a little nervous. This morning, when I made Charlie's bed, I noticed that his quilt has a hole in it. "After we move," I told him, "we can go look for a new quilt for your room."

"No, Mama," he said, "I don't want ANYTHING new in my room. I just want ALL my old things in the new house."

We're going to do exactly that for now; the kids will keep their existing furniture and linens. But it got me thinking about what I can do to make the move easier for them, to make their new rooms feel a little less scary at bedtime on Saturday night.

And I thought, I'll bet the Internet knows! So tell me: how can I make the transition to the new house less scary and more welcoming for my kids? And tell me quickly, because the movers are coming at 8:00 am Saturday morning.

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Filed under: Siblings, Image of the Day

May is "Big, Little" month here at ParentDish! I am looking for photos of older kids helping their little brothers or sisters. As an only child, I am puzzled at times, yet always amazed by the wonderful friendship and loving bond between my sons. I'm sure there are moments in your every day life when you watch your older kids helping out their young siblings (soccer or baseball practice, eating, washing, etc.) and you just smile with a contented, grateful heart. Grab your camera and share those moments with us! Today's photo is from illaheebaby.

Today marks the last day of "Big, Little" month, but also my last day here at ParentDish. It was absolutely wonderful to look at your photos every day and share questions and insights with you all. Thank you so much for your advice, tips and ideas. I wish you all the best and hope that you'll keep supporting and enjoying ParentDish!

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. Remember: I'm on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on the main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Siblings, 4 years, 5 years, 6-7 years

We spent Memorial Day weekend inside; it rained every day and my husband has bronchitis and we're trying to get ready to move this coming weekend. My kids were a little disappointed that we didn't get to go swimming, but for them, that's not really the Official Start of Summer.

What is? Well, at our house it's the First Buzz Cut of the Season.

Yesterday I took the kids and had their hair cut--buzzed down for the summer heat. Halfway through his turn, Charlie looked in the mirror and yelled "I LOVE MY HAIR!" Then he spent the entire afternoon rubbing his head and saying, "Next time, can I just be bald instead?"

I love the short summer buzz; my kids are outside all the time, and having their hair short keeps them cooler. It's also easier to wash and easier to apply sunscreen (I rub in right into their hair--yes, really!). And honestly, I think they're both so cute with their little velveteen hair.

Today when we woke up, the sun was shining, for the first time in a week. At breakfast, Henry said, "I think it's finally summer." I think he's right.

Do you do anything special to mark the start of summer?

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Middle school, Monitoring your kids

A Korean company is planning to begin the first real life test of a guard robot for schools next week. The robot will be patrolling a middle school in Southern Seoul on a trial basis. Called OFRO, the robot moves at a maximum speed of 5kph and is expected to guard the school around the clock. According to the manufacturer, this will be the first time a robot has been tasked with protecting an educational institution.

I'm all in favor of technology in general and robots in particular, but protecting a school doesn't seem to me to be all that practical a use of one. Still, that's why they're doing the test, I guess. What do you think -- is a robot guardian a good idea to prevent violence and such? Or would the money be better spent elsewhere?

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Moms, Internet, Blogs

We all have needs. Even mommies, with paper lunch sacks and homework rules, have needs and, yes, I mean those needs. Dressed in baggy sweatpants and juice-stained, dried-cereal-encrusted t-shirts, mothers still want to feel attractive, desirable, even -- dare I say it? -- sexy. It can be hard, though, what with night visitors (who aren't dashing, brawny men) and field trips and driving around in a minivan instead of a custom van.

Have no fear, the internet is here. No, I'm not talking about internet porn. There's plenty of that and if that's what you're looking for, you're on the wrong website. What I'm talking about is sensitive, sensual writing from moms for moms. If you're in the mood, take a look at ErotiMama. According to their FAQ's, "The site was created for mamas to have a safe, fun, creative place to unleash their sexier, yet sophisticated, sides."

While this is not a site where you're likely to encounter vulgar words, it does publish stories dealing with and about sex and sex-related topics, so if that's not your cup of tea, don't bother clicking. If, however, you do want a little spice without subjecting yourself to the raw, uncensored misogyny that is the majority of the adult internet, this might be a site worth checking out.

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Filed under: Gear, Health and Safety, Infant / First year

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price have announced a recall of Rainforest Open Top Take-Along Swings due to an entrapment hazard. Infants can shift in the swing and become caught between the frame and the seat. Fisher-Price has received 60 reports of this happening where the infants received cuts, bumps, bruises and red marks.

About 112,000 of these swings have been sold in the U.S. and an additional 15,000 worldwide.

The swings have a palm tree mobile and two hanging plush toys. They are approximately 23 inches tall and have a carry handles on both the left and right sides. The recall includes model numbers K7203, K7192 and K7195. You can find the model number under the right handle of the swing.

If you own this swing, you should stop using it immediately and contact Fisher Price for instructions on returning it and receiving a voucher for a replacement product. For more information, contact Fisher-Price at (888) 303-5631 anytime, or visit the Fisher-Price Web site.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Toys

Lead paint is the reason for yet another toy recall. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and The Boyds Collection Ltd. have announced the recall of Eli's Small Drums and Liberty's Large Drums.

No injuries have been reported, but the red paint on the drums contains high levels of lead and can be harmful if ingested by young children. The recall includes about 4,500 drums sold at gift and collectible stores across the country from June, 2005 through April 2007 for about $15 each.

The toy drums are made of wood and come with two wooden sticks. On the sides of the drums are blue painted stripes and white stars. The tops and the bottoms of the drums are decorated with an antique U.S. flag. This recall involves two different drums that were sold separately.

Eli's Small Drum is 4 3/4 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 tall. Item number 654933 is printed on the hangtag and packaging.

Liberty's Large Drum measures 6 1/2 inches in diameter and is 4 inches tall. Item number 654934 is printed on the hangtag and packaging.

If you own either of the toy drums, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund. Questions about this recall should be directed to The Boyds Collection at (877) 772-3277 ext.2179. You may also reach them by email at safety@boydsstuff.com or by visiting their website.

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