Archive for April, 2009
Apr
24
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
When my wife cried out and called me into our baby’s room a couple of Saturday mornings ago, I pretty much knew what I’d be seeing.
For several weeks Owen had been flexing his little muscles, trying to pull his chin up past the long low rail of his antique nursing crib. So it came as no surprise when I walked in to find him propped up inside it on his knees, gleefully pulling a cloth blind aside so he could peek out the window.
Indeed, Miriam had padded the floor with an old crib mattress just the night before — and when I heard her voice, I was in the next room assembling a much larger and more secure hand-me-down as a replacement. But that timely demonstration of parental foresight didn’t stop either of us from...
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Apr
23
Posted by
Shaun Bennett
My daughter Stephanie finally got her dream vacation this month. No, not Disney World. We do that every two years. No, not historical venues like Philadelphia and Washington D.C. She’s been to them all. Not even a geographical wonder like Niagara Falls – she’s been there three times – was a top priority for Stephanie when it came to her getaway wish list. No, my daughter wanted to pack up the car and travel the whole 40 minutes to the Kalahari resort in Sandusky.
It started four years ago – Stephanie is now 7 – when we received a Kalahari vacation-planning DVD in the mail. Whether I sent away for it or the resort somehow knew a demographic sucker when it saw one is still up for debate, but my daughter wore the silver off that disc. She watched...
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Apr
23
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
From CampusCompare.com
Dear Babs,
My son is starting his college search. We plan to visit schools, but only have a week to visit several campuses. Problem is, his short list isn’t so short, and the schools are located all over the country — he’s applying to Macalester College in Minnesota and Chapman University in California. What can we do to make the most of our week, and the most of our money?
— Cross-Country Dad
———
Dear Cross-Country Dad,
The best thing that you and your son can do to make the most of your week looking at colleges is...
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Apr
23
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Parents who think putting the computer in the family room will keep their child safe online are in for a rude awakening, said Jaemi Levine of Coral Springs, Fla.
It’s a lesson she learned the hard way.
In 2004, Levine’s then 12-year-old daughter was lured to a face-to-face meeting with an Internet predator and sexually assaulted. Since then, Levine has created Mothers Against Predators to educate parents about keeping their kids safe online.
“Back then, we didn’t know anything about computers or about monitoring,” Levine said.
Experts say parents need to be diligent about monitoring children’s online activities, but they also need to make kids understand the...
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Apr
22
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
nameberry.com
Love a name but fear it’s overused? Think one name is stylish, yet want something even more stylish?
You’re not alone. Many parents are looking for names that are like those that have been popular and fashionable in recent years … but different. Something with a similar look and feel, but in an updated model.
For example:
ADELAIDE or ADELINE are the new ADDISON
BYRON is the new BRIAN
CHLOE is the new ZOE
CHRISTIAN is the new CHRISTOPHER
CLARA is the new CLAIRE
CORA, DORA and FLORA are the new LAURA and...
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Apr
22
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Big Guy went to sleep one night — at 8:30, no less — a fussy eater who griped about everything. He woke up next morning and started devouring the house with termite-like ferocity.
Three bowls of Cheerios for breakfast — that always seems to be the food that starts the pig out. Salami — it’s really roasted turkey but please don’t tell him — cheese and strawberries for lunch. Turkey noodle soup for dinner — he picked out the carrots, but that’s OK because plenty of the evil vitamins had cooked into the broth.
About an hour later, he had graham crackers and apples before going to bed and drifting off as soon as his head hit the pillow — again at 8:30.
The next morning he forgot to...
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Apr
22
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
It’s true! It’s alive! And coming to a school near you.
That’s right. It’s time for the dreaded science project to emerge like the undead from its grave. Once a year, I have a panic attack at my kids’ school, also known as the science project.
I realize there are parents who like helping their kids with the science fair. But they are either scientists themselves or certifiably insane. You need more help than I can provide. Other parents in the known galaxy look on this season with fear and loathing. Because, as we all know, the project’s success has little to do with the child and almost everything to do with how much effort and money the parent is willing to pour into it, while the kids are in the next room playing video games.
Why can’t the kids...
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Apr
21
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Pregnancy comes with a lot of to-dos and to-buys, with doctor’s appointments and car seats, Lamaze classes and bottles.
Talk about overwhelming.
And yet, in this constant battle against the checklist, nothing can seem more daunting than figuring out how to turn what had been a guest bedroom or office into a baby’s room. Much less doing so in a way that does not require dipping into what might have been college savings.
Double overwhelming.
So in an effort to help, at least a little, we talked to baby-stuff experts to find out what the hot trends in nurseries are and how to bring them to your room without spending all your diaper money. Here are half a dozen we...
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Apr
21
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Growing up as a military kid, I never lived more than two or three years in the same place.
It was constant change, constant adjustment.
Just when I would start to feel settled, it would be time to move on. But lately, I find myself with the opposite predicament. I have the itch … Not THE itch, the one you need a cream for or the one that comes from being married for seven years (I have been married for almost 10!! — wow!). No, my seven-year itch is all about location.
As Hubby and I sat in the parking lot of our old college dorm recently with our third son sleeping quietly in the backseat, we reminisced about those good ol’ college days and how life has changed so much since then. Life was so simple then. Although if you’d have asked me during those...
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Apr
21
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Most moms are reluctant members of a club: The sleep-deprived club. We don’t have a special handshake, but we do have a password of sorts. It goes like this:
Mom to a colleague (also a mom): How are you?
Colleague: Tired.
I’m one of the perpetually tired. Even if I get to sleep at a reasonable hour, I wake up two, three or sometimes four times a night. I joke that the last time I got any real REM sleep was in 1997.
But being sleep-deprived isn’t a laughing matter. It makes us moms cranky, as our families can attest. A story in today’s newspaper talks about how the use of sleeping pills is on the rise. I don’t think I would ever go down that road. But when I have a...
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