Filed under: 6-9 months, Infant / First year, Making a Difference

Does your daycare do a secret santa gift exchange? Mine does. It's actually kind of cute. I probably think this because it's not required.

I went in to pick up my eight-month old son earlier this week and one of the women who works there asked me if I was interested in participating. Basically I just chose a name out of a cup and would then buy that child something under $5 as a gift from my son. I got the name of one of the five-month olds.

I mean, honestly, I could have declined, but that would not be in the spirit of the holidays, Also, since the dollar limit was a mere $5 I couldn't say no. Honestly, had it been $10 I still would have participated. I don't think any of the kids at my son's daycare "need" anything, per se, but it's fun and a little treat.

The exchange will take place the week before the Christmas holiday. I can see it now. Since most of the infants are too young to even know what's going on, the women who run the room will probably do the exchanging and opening of the presents, which will then be placed in the children's cubbies and taken home by the parents.

I think it sounds like a lot of fun--I only wish I could be there to see it all take place!

I also wish that we'd done the secret santa thing at my old job. Rather that pulling a name out of a hat all seven of us bought presents for each other. I enjoyed doing that but it ain't cheap!

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Filed under: Celebrity babies, Birth announcement, Celebrity parents

Back in June, actress Drea de Matteo said that although she didn't know for a fact, she was fairly certain the child she was carrying was a girl. This, she said at the time, was because she was getting so fat. I have never heard weight gain associated with the sex of the child, but it turns out she was right. On Wednesday, she and longtime boyfriend Shooter Jennings welcomed a little girl.

Add another to the list of unusual celebrity names - Alabama Gypsy Rose. But considering dad is named Shooter, it does kind of work. Shooter, by the way, is the son of the late, great Waylon Jennings.

Congratulations to the happy family!

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Filed under: Lifestyle, Emotions, Outings, Outdoor Play

No matter how long you live in a northern climate, it's always a thrill when the first snow falls. That excitement is tripled if there are children in the house waking to what looks like a well-shaken snow globe outside the window.

Snow is one of nature's most amazing gifts for kids. It allows them to build their own shelter, attack others in a (generally) harmless and fun manner, sculpt on a large (and adorable!) scale, permits them to travel down hills at breakneck speeds, and gives them a good workout by simply walking or shoveling.

We got our first snow today. About two inches of the white stuff now covers the last of the brown leaves on the ground, making everything look clean and fresh. The kids were vibrating with excitement over the thought of a snowy playground during recess and the teacher will no doubt have a long day.

But for nearly everyone else, the first snow is a magical day. No one gets in trouble for arriving at school or work late, shoveling is sort of fun, and the whole world sparkles in the sun.

The world could use more days that feel like the first snow of the season.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Celebrity babies, Music, Celebrity parents

Disease happens, even to Spice girls.

Ginger Spice, Gerri Halliwell is having to leave her eighteen month old daughter home while the rest of the gang goes to Vancouver to kick of their world tour.

"Bluebell caught chickenpox from Cruz," Halliwell said this morning on a British TV show. "She's now completely pelted now so I left her at home. Normally they're running around the set."

Luckily, first time mom Halliwell isn't upset over the accidental exposure. She shared daughter Bluebell,"loves hanging with the Beckham boys. Cruz and Bluebell have play dates, and Romeo - well, he is just gorgeous with her. Actually, it was a beautiful moment when we were rehearsing the other day and all of our kids were playing on the stage at the same time. It made me smile."

Between all the Spices,, the girls have seven children: Victoria Beckham (Posh) has three sons: Brooklyn, 8, Romeo, 5, and Cruz; Emma Bunton (Baby) has son Beau, born in August; Melanie Brown (Scary) has two children, Phoenix Chi, 8, and Angel, born in April, while Halliwell (Ginger) has little Bluebell. Melanie Chisholm (Sporty) is the only Spice that doesn't need a nanny or babysitter on staff before heading out on tour.

My first two sons got chicken pox, but the last two were given the vaccine. Since the shots became require around here, I haven't heard of many kids having chicken pox anymore. Are kids still getting it in your area?

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Filed under: Moms, Tantrums, 2 years, 3 years, Toddler

A comment on a post I wrote yesterday was so interesting to me that I wanted to devote a whole post on it today.

My son has been raised in a house where he's never seen violence. I have never hit him, I've never even swatted him -- no one has ever laid a finger on him. He doesn't watch violent TV, or even the news, for that matter - and he's never in an environment where he might witness one human being clobber another. The most anger he's heard on the radio is Doctor Laura, I listen to all my angry thrasher music in private. But still, my toddler hits on occasion, as most kids do (all kids do?)

As SKL asked -- where do they get it from? Is violence an intrinsic part of being a human being, no matter how small? Is the urge to lash out a biological one?

It's an interesting question. Violence begets violence, is the old adage, but I know plenty of pacifists who grew up in a home where spanking and physical discipline was a reality. I'll go ahead and include myself in that group.

So what do you think? Where do our kids get it from?

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Filed under: Moms, Dads, Celebrity kids, Celebrity parents

In an interview with GMTV, Nicole Kidman admits that her children don't call her 'mommy'. Considering the fact that her children are 12 and 14, that isn't all that surprising. Usually kids move on to 'mom' when they get a bit older, right? Except she also says that sometimes they call her 'Nicole'.

I think it is a little odd when kids call their parents by their first names, but it isn't unheard of. I know a family where the children, ages 8 to 17, call their father by his first name. Mom is 'mom', but dad is 'Steve'. When I first became aware of this, I was curious about it and asked how that came to be. Nobody really knew, other than the first child started it and the others followed suit.

Last night I asked Ellie what she thought about kids calling their parents by their first names. She thought it was hysterical and couldn't imagine why a kid would do that. But even if they don't use first names, kids do call their parents all kinds of things other than 'mommy and 'daddy'. My daughter calls me 'mother' and Ellie calls me 'nana'. What do your kids call you?

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Teenager, 13-14 years, In the News, Environmental, Spirituality

Fourteen-year old Jehovah's Witness Dennis Lindberg passed away this past Wednesday after refusing a blood transfusion. His decision to decline the transfusion was based on religious grounds and was supported by a judge.

The judge in the case, John Meyer, said eigth-grader Dennis was mature enough to make the decision to decline the transfusion and did not believe the boy was coerced into making a decision that Mayer states was essentially "....a death sentence."

Dennis' parents, who do not have custody of the young teen, feel differently. They believe Dennis' aunt Dianna Mincin, who is also a Jehovah's Witness and Dennis' legal guardian, may have influenced him into making his decision.

Dennis suffered from leukemia that was diagnosed last November. He did accept chemotherapy as treatment, but felt the blood transfusion would make him "unclean and unworthy." I'm not familiar enough with the Jehovah's Witness religion to know one way or the other, but it seems strange to me that he would decline one type of treatment and accept another.

However, as I said, knowing next to nothing about the religion, it's hard to make a case about it either way. What strikes me is that Dennis was so young. As a parent, I would think that the law would side with the parents over a child. Fourteen seems awfully young to be making a life-changing decision. At that age one can't drive or vote or anything else.

I remember being fourteen years old. Regardless of whether that judge felt Dennis was mature enough to make such a decision I don't know that anyone is at fourteen years of age. not having met the boy, though, I can't really say. Perhaps he was more mature than others. Perhaps he didn't want to suffer anymore, even though doctors said with the treatment his survival rate over the next five years would be 70%.

That said, the parents in this case were not the legal guardians, the aunt was. I guess she supported Dennis' decision. Dennis' parents decided to go along with it after it was determined that Dennis, who'd been unconcious since Tuesday, had probably suffered brain damage.

Pic of safe blood by denn.

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Filed under: Teachers, Public school, Moms, Dads, Going to school, 5 years, Literacy

Today my wife and I attended our son Hudson's school for both our parent/teacher interview as well as to discuss the results of the Occupational Therapist's assessment of our eldest boy's fine motor skills. I wrote about it here a little while ago, with my hesitations about its effect on Hud, particularly about his self image within his class. That turned out to be a non-issue as the transfer in and out of his assessment within his class was seamless.

Well it turns out Hud is at the high end of average for two of three assessment areas and a bit below average in one other. This did not surprise me, or cause me great discomfort. The truth is both Steph and I recognized that Hudson's struggle with writing and cutting and drawing was just that, a struggle. Both of us do the best we can to encourage him, and find new and creative ways to ensure his very valuable practice time is ardently performed.

This assessment was a free service provided through our Provincial education board, and even with the wait time being over 10 months, I was so pleased to get such an accurate and detailed account of how my son was progressing through his first year and a quarter of school. The truth is, I was a horrific writer when I was his age. - my big sausage fingers trying so desperately to stay in-between lines, and not being able to graduate to a pen long before my classmates were giggling and spirographing. I remember my struggle with a strange dose of clarity, meaning it might have been somewhat tragic to me back then.

Back then I was simply slower - but eventually I caught up. Now I use words like ardent. I am so cool. Or not.

We all agreed the therapist should continue working with Hudson for the remainder of the year - once every five weeks or so. She is also giving us some unique worksheets to handle at home - with our job to continue the practicing as well as finding new ways to spell words - with rice, with play dough, shaving cream in a zip lock bag etc... Sounds like fun to me so I can't wait to get started.

Parenting is such a roller coaster. I was not nervous about this meeting as I can see glimmers of pure brilliance in his comprehension and compassion. But having him assessed was odd - felt like a case study - but we are doing whatever we can to make sure he is getting everything he needs to keep his brain growing.

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Filed under: Family togetherness, Moms, Dads, Emotions, Parental relationships, Making a Difference

What? What does that mean, exactly? Regardless, it's kind of hoaky. But love is kind of hoaky, and in the best possible way. love is so very many different things. And there seem to be so many kinds of love out there it's hard to explain just what love is.

I was thinking about these different kinds of love yesterday when I was out for a walk. I love my parents, my husband and my son all in very different ways, and in ways I couldn't really explain to each of them about the others.

When I think about my son, and about being a mother, that kind of love sets me on fire. It fills me with such a passion it's almost a rapture. At the same time, for some reason that love is the most satisfying of my loves.

I don't mean that my other loves aren't satisfying. Far to the contrary. But there is something about the love I have for my son. It contents me and puts me to rest. It makes me feel whole and like I've finally climbed to the top of the mountain--you know, where the guru sits and tells you the meaning of life once you reach him?

It's kind of like that.

A colleague of mine was recently thinking about the same thing. When she was younger she was trying to explain the different kinds of love to her daughters, who are now both grown. She had a revelation of her own as she was discussing love with them, which was this: most love you bring to you; you wrap your arms around it (or the person) and make it yours. The love of a mother to a child is actually giving that child the ability to make his or her way in the world without you. That love is letting them go.

You know that saying "if you love something set it free; if it's really yours it will come back to you?" I think she was sort of talking about that. But I get what she is saying as a mother, too. You carry these precious babies inside you, you bring them into the world, you hold them and love them and teach them everything you know. Then, one day, they're their own people outside of your world. And you have to let them go do their thing. You have to let them be.

That's a totally different kind of love than you have for, say your husband. Mine is at my side, where he wants to be and where I want him to be, too. As my colleague put it, that kind of love is sort of about doing everything together.

Then there's the love I have for my parents. It's mixed with respect and awe and, at times, a little embarrassment as they turn into my grandparents and I turn into them! I don't love them for bringing me into this world, but I love them for taking care of me, and for always being there for me no matter what.

That same sentiment holds true for my own child. In a way, that love is cyclical--from my parents to me and from me to my children.

I'm not so sure what I'm trying to say here, but these are thoughts I've been ruminating on. Having a baby has given me pause over things I thought I had figured out long ago. Now that I can see things from another perspective, especially love, maybe I can understand what makes it such a many splendored thing.

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Filed under: Lifestyle, ParentDish Laughs, Outings, Alcohol

I have a hangover. I haven't had one for years--literally. This makes perfect sense, however, because I also haven't consumed alcohol the way I did last night in several years. Well before I even thought about getting pregnant I decided to give up drinking to be as healthy as possible for when I tried to conceive. Last night I made up for it in spades.

I won't bother you with the gory details of how much and what I drank. Regardless, it was too much. Way too much. And I knew it would be the moment I took the first shot--actually, before that, when I ordered the shot. But, I'd been super stressed out at work and was meeting up with some of my dearest friends who were former colleagues I don't get to see very often.

One drink lead to another, and another, and some really good stories, and, well, you can imagine the rest.

The worst part of it was not how poorly I felt this morning, when I had to be at work by 8:00 in order to prepare for a presentation I was basically giving by myself, the first one at my new job = it had to be GOOD. The worst part was that I felt like I let my baby down. In the old days I would skip the morning run, sleep in a little longer, take something to help me if I needed to get with it. This morning, I couldn't really do any of that.

Well, I did pop two Excedrin, and even though they probably came back up, those suckers work FAST. I felt better in a flash. I managed to get myself together, do the presentation, be nice to people all day and then tend to my son, who is now feeling a little under the weather himself (not due to a hangover).

This was not the worst hangover I've ever had, but it did teach me a lesson I already knew: don't over do it. I'm responsible for someone else now who needs me more than ever, and I can't afford to be turning my attentions to myself when I suffer at my own hand.

I had a good time though. A darned good time. Next time--for there will be a next time, we've already planned it--I'l stick to my two drink maximum and drink lots of water in between. And eat dinner.

My husband was actually really nice about the whole thing and was like, "Ok, do this, then that followed by that." And he was right.

Now, I'm going to bed. Seriously--I got like four hours of sleep!!!

Pic of a cat who feels worse than I did by cutglassdecanter.

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