Enjoy a dozen stunning images of American Wildflowers with this wall calendar. Each month includes an informative paragraph on the featured wildflower.

My Mum loves Salmon, and so it's thanks to her that I do too. I remember the confusion of a publican/restaurateur when my Mum asked for her Salmon to be prepared sans sauce as she enjoyed the natural flavour and I don't think that other than in a fish pie I have ever had Salmon in a sauce... although I am not opposed to the idea! I am pretty sure that the first time Daddy had salmon was with me and I baked it in tinfoil on the BBQ with just a knob of butter, a splash of Lemon Juice and a sprinkling Tarragon.

These days we have Salmon fairly infrequently because the Salmon is not as inexpensive as it was when I was growing up and when we do there is normally a fight between Daddy and I over who is going to prepare it. The last time we had it I won the fight and decided that I would season it with my mixture of Herbs that I normally use on Italian food; It's a mix of Oregano, Basil, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Parsley and flaked Red Pepper.

As you can see I placed the salmon fillet on some greaseproof paper, drizzled olive oil over the salmon before giving a sprinkle of herbs. I then added all the parcels to a glass dish and put them in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes at gas mark four. The best way to tell is when the salmon is ready I find is when it is starting to flake but still looks pink!


I had decided to serve the Salmon with boiled potatoes and some peas and it was so delicious that everyone ate it all up!

We were sent two boxes of Custard Coated Fruit Flakes to try... even though I am on a diet.

My Gran used to love to try new food products. It didn't matter what it was she had to give it a try to see if she liked it, even if other similar products she had tried in the past had failed her testing! It's with her in mind that whenever I am offered new food products to try that I accept and so when Ambrosia asked if I would like to try a new snack food ideal for lunchboxes or trips out as they will fit in your handbag or backpack!

The new product is custard coated fruit flakes and they currently come in two option banana and apple. Baby Boy and I shared a couple of pieces from each bag but Baby Boy still hasn't acquired my love of custard and so didn't like them, but did correctly identify that the insides were banana and apple. Top Ender tried them after school, but she didn't like them either not because of the taste, but she was expecting to be yogurt not custard.


Daddy and I both loved them, and I was surprised that Daddy polished off the packet of banana flakes when he came in from work as trying to get him to eat bananas in custard as a pudding has not once resulted in success in nearly ten years of marriage!

The packs come in boxes of five and cost £1.89. They will be available in Morrisons and Sainsburys from x and are suitable for celiacs or anyone who doesn't eat Wheat or Gluten!

I started by going to kmart.com for inspiration. I browsed their Outdoor Living section, Outdoor Living catalog, and Patio Finder. The Patio Finder was pretty neat, but I had my heart set on a swing and no additional patio furniture since our patio is of the smaller variety. Using Wishpot, I built three wishlists. One general wishlist of items that I wanted up to $1,500, one wishlist of items I’d like to have if budget was no limit, and a final wishlist of items (featured here) that would be more cost effective with cost of shipping, tax, and unexpected expenses [...]

Post by Heather Chaet

It is the end of a long day, the kids are zoned in front of the TV or Wii or iPad. You still have 101 things to do before you can even entertain the thought of chilling out. You announce, "It's time for bed! PJs on, please!" and no one moves. You ask again, this time the kids beg for "just one more minute, Mom!?" and it has begun: The Bedtime Drama.

Whether yours is getting the kids into bed or getting the kids to stay in bed or avoiding the reading of book 6 and sip of water number 19, bedtime drama is a battle almost every parent fights at least once a week. Case in point, a new study that says that more than one-third of parents say getting the kids to bed -- to turn off the TV or quit the computer game -- is more stressful than commuting to work. 

Anyone else agree ... or should I ask, anyone not agree?

The main tool to end the bedtime battle was the bribe, as 17 percent of parents promise the kids they can go to bed later on the weekend, 28 percent promise more TV and 6 percent bribe the kids with something sweet (dentists everywhere are groaning). The kicker for me:  44 percent say they don't read to their kids before bedtime because they -- the parents -- are too tired. It also reports children under 10 on average watched more than 1 hour of TV before bed. Wow.

I admit I am in that TV watching camp. Before bedtime, we snuggle and chill out with PJs on while watching the TV (usually Tinga Tinga Tales or Olivia). But, even though I am spent at the end of the day, we do the book-reading, even if it is a short one. It often helps Kiddo become a little sleepy. Then there's teeth-brushing, storytelling and singing in bed, monster-shooing and kisses. All told, it is about a 30-minute process.

What's our main battle: those nights where Kiddo calls for me about 17 times during the first 20 minutes she is in there -- she wants more juice, she sees a monster, she can't hear her penguin songs, she can't find Caddy or Biscuit or Meow-Meow, she wants to know what I dreamt about last night, and we go on ... and on ... and on until I have to use my "frustrated voice."

Is it possible to avoid the bedtime drama? Some nights, maybe. Other nights, not so much. There are things we can do to avoid it, but every parent has fought the good bedtime fight at least once. It's why Go the F@#k to Sleep is so popular. We can all relate to it.

Do you have bedtime drama?

 

Image via popofatticus/Flickr

Find out what happened here: http://ow.ly/4P6Ck - Tweeted 2 hours ago Opinion Parents "R" Talking will be answering parenting questions, giving parenting tips and covering other parenting topics in weekly video blogs and articles.

ONSLOW COUNTY, NC A nationally known psychologist and author gave two presentations in Jacksonville Friday to moms wanting advice on parenting.

This is like five kinds of insidery awesomeness, but from Lockhart's twitpic caption, I gather that Curbed account exec @michellecurb whipped up a his&her; pair of Palazzo Chupi Onesies for Joey Arak's coming twins. I look forward to seeing...

Every once in a while I find a toy that is so perfect that I just can't help but covet it for my little ones. This would be a toy that combines clever design, good play value, and high quality parts as well as being fun to play with, which means it is bound to become a favorite of all of us. All of these would be perfect descriptions of Jack Rabbit Creations, a children’s brand that is known for its unique products and extended play value as well as its adorable designs. With a full line of toys that are the things childhood dreams are made of, Jack Rabbit Creations carries some of the most timeless and classic toys for children. Recently, I fell...

Tina Fey 's memoir, Bossy Pants , proved what we've long suspected. Celebrity moms worry about the same things that keep your own mother up at night - tramp stamps, horny drummers, runaway roller coasters and crystal meth.

Boys will be boys ... or will they? Gender-neutral parenting is on the rise Bend Bulletin Averse to pigeonholing children into society's “blue boy boxes” and “pink girl boxes,” they're practicing gender-neutral parenting, a philosophy designed to give kids the freedom to express their own likes, dislikes and interests, and ultimately, ...

Filed under: Holidays, Opinions

When I was little, my mother and I had a nighttime ritual. After my bath, when I was zipped into my pink footie pajamas, she'd sit on the bed and read to me. Mom's voice wrapped me up in fairy tales about princesses beset by trolls, a monkey named George and the adventures of Madeline who resided in an "old house in Paris that was covered in vines."

Later, when I learned how to read, the roles reversed and I reveled in reading aloud to my mother at night. If I was lucky, she'd fall asleep and I could stay up way past my bedtime and find out if Winnie-the-Pooh caught a Heffalump or if Charlotte ever did finish that web.

As I grew older, my attempts to gain more reading time grew more sophisticated. I snuck one of my dad's big flashlights from the garage and would burrow under my blankets and read well into the night. It was quite the thrill knowing that my mother, whom I considered to be the smartest person I knew, had absolutely no clue what I was up to.

We were readers, my mother and I. We still are. Mom was a first-grade teacher, so there was always an ample supply of Dr. Seuss in the house. Plus, I had a personal stash of Little Golden books. However, our main supplier of stories was the public library.

My mother took me every couple of weeks, sometimes more. She'd recommend books that she loved when she was my age, like "Eddie's Pay Dirt," "A Little Princess" and later, "Pride and Prejudice." I can still recall her saying, "Didn't you just despise Mr. Darcy at first?" Then we launched into a discussion of English manners and morality.

The Toy Sun district of Canton, China, was a world away from Jane Austen's genteel English countryside. It was there that my mother's mother grew up in a shack with a dirt floor. Very few people, especially girls, could read or write. Books were for the privileged, not the poor. My grandmother's marriage had been arranged when she was an infant, and Grandma wed when she was a teenager. Later, she followed her new husband to the United States.

One of American's greatest gifts to immigrants is the public library. The library doesn't care if you are rich or poor -- everyone has access to books. My grandmother made sure that her children knew this. The library was heaven to Mom and she devoured every book and magazine in the children's department.

One Christmas, my mother received her most beloved gift. Under the tree, Grandma had placed a brand new book that was hers to keep -- not one that had to be returned after two weeks. Every night, Mom would stay up past her bedtime reading Johanna Spyri's "Heidi" over and over again until the pages grew ragged and the binding fell apart.

"I miss my mother," Mom said the other day. Grandma passed away 18 years ago. "She would have been so proud to know you're an author." A few years ago, my first novel for young people was published. "Millicent Min, Girl Genius" is about a book-smart 11-year old. The dedication reads, "To my mother, the smartest girl I know."

I'm a mom now. When my children were young, I read to them every night before bed. It is one of the fondest memories I have of their childhood. My daughter is away at her first year of college where she is studying writing. When she moved, she was told to only take what was essential. So she filled her suitcases with books.

My son is still at home. He sleeps with a flashlight under the covers and thinks that I'm unaware that he's staying up late to read. But I know his tricks, just as my mother knew that I snuck books under the covers, and just as her mother knew that she did, too.

Every Mother's Day, I give my mom flowers and a book. This year, I think that instead of flowers, I'll give her a flashlight ... and a brand new copy of "Heidi."

Lisa Yee is the author of ten novels for young people, including the recently released "Warp Speed," about a Star Trek geek who gets beat up every day. Read her blog on Red Room.

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Filed under: Nutrition: Health, Mealtime, Diet & Fitness, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Nutrition: Big Kids

"How do I get my child to eat fruits and veggies?" "Is it OK for my child to take a vitamin supplement and then eat anything he wants?" "My child only eats five foods: chicken fingers, fries, applesauce, cereal and milk."

Do any of these questions and comments sound familiar? As a registered dietitian, I hear them on a weekly basis from parents. I am amazed how many "picky eaters" I encounter. I see it from infancy through adolescence. (Actually, I meet plenty of adults, too, who eat the same foods over and over again.) So what are parents to do when their kids are reluctant to try new foods?

Children learn their habits, attitudes and beliefs from their parents and other caregivers, and that includes their willingness to try new and healthy foods. For National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association encourages parents to be good role models and teach their children how to appreciate nutrition and enjoy healthful eating.

Here is what sometimes happens: A parent introduces applesauce to baby. Baby likes it and eats the entire serving. The next week the parent offers pears. Baby tastes it, spits it out and makes a face. The parent does not force it and thinks, "OK, baby does not like it, so I won't offer it again." So baby is only eating the applesauce.

It is true that it often takes multiple tastes of a new food before a child accepts it -- of course, some foods require more offerings than others, and some foods are never accepted. The most important thing you can do is offer your children as many new foods as possible, as early in life as possible.

It takes much longer to accept new foods when you are older, as you may already know. I meet 10-year-old children who have never tried a fresh pear or red pepper. I am also discouraged by the statistic showing that the number one vegetable consumed by toddlers is the fried potato.

Let's commit to changing that statistic -- these tips will get you started:

• When infants are at the stage of trying new foods, offer new foods every few days to see if there are any reactions or allergies. By the time baby is 1 year old, hopefully, baby has a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein foods, including beans, tofu, soft meats and yogurt.
• When toddlerhood (and independent eating) arrives, stick with meal times and avoid filling the child up on cheese, crackers and milk, or juice, before mealtime.
• Let your child see you try new foods. Children are copycats, so if you model an interest in trying new things, there's a stronger chance that your child will, too.
• The most important tip I can give to help get kids to taste new foods is to make sure they are hungry at mealtime. Halt snacking at least one to two hours beforehand and even longer for older children.
• If children are labeled as "picky eaters," guess what? They will be! Let's stop the labeling and eat with our children the most nutritious meals we can provide.

If you're looking for more fun ways to get your kids excited about trying new (and nutritious) foods, see what's cooking at Fizzy's Lunch Lab on PBS KIDS GO! There are lots of great ideas and activities to inspire kids to give new foods a try.

This article was originally published on PBS Parents by Sarah Krieger, MPH, RD, LD. A national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Sarah Krieger developed and is lead instructor for All Children's Hospital's Fit4AllKids Weight Management and Fitness for Families program in St Petersburg, FL. The program targets families with 8-12 year olds and has a teen program for 13-18 year olds. Krieger and a research team of physicians at the University of South Florida completed a study that determined the outcomes of the program for obese teens. She continues to work per diem for All Children's on the clinical side by working with children at nutritional risk.

More From PBSParents.org:

Child Development Tracker

Expert Q&A

Activity Search

Kitchen Explorers

The Parent Show

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Filed under: Holidays, Celeb Parents, Celeb News & Interviews

My mother loved to sing, she loved to laugh, and she loved to tell jokes - even if the joke was on her. I remember thinking how beautiful she was, and wanting to look just like her. As I look back on it, my mother really gave us her whole life. If I had any wish today, it would be to be able to say "Hey Mommy, it's Mother's Day, I'm thinking about you, and I love you." Happy Mother's Day.



Don't miss, from Marlo Thomas:

Your Turn: Our Mothers: My mom was a real cheerleader for her children. She was always making us feel special - I have so many fond memories of her kind, supportive ways.

My Dad: I spent so much of my childhood watching my father hone his brilliant comic skills before an eager audience - I had some amazing opportunities thanks to him. I talk about Dad all throughout my book "Growing Up Laughing," but I especially wanted to share with you all the chapter devoted just to him.

Marlo's Weekly Newsletter: Sign up to receive my email newsletter each week - It will keep you up-to-date on upcoming articles, Mondays with Marlo guests, videos, and more!

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Get ready, you're totally gonna knit your pants over this one. This pattern is knit ready yet, but it will be soon! I got a million of them, but now I wonder if I should pre-sell my Austin Powers...

When I graduated from high school, my mom bought me a book of poems about a mother’s love for her daughter. She told me that before she gave it to me, she sat in her car, read through it and cried. I loved the book, but I’m not sure I fully appreciated it at the [...]

New York Daily News

With Budget Unveiling, Bloomberg Draws the Battle Lines WNYC "We are forced to do the best we can with what we've got. The state has shifted the burden from them to us." Following the unveiling of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's final budget, the battle lines are now drawn between the mayor and City ... Bloomberg to cut more than 6000 NYC teaching positionsCNN International Bloomberg's $65.7 Billion New York City Budget Proposes 6000 Teacher CutsBloomberg NYC Mayor's Budget Would Cut 1 Out Of 12 TeachersNPR Brooklyn Daily Eagle -Patch.com -The Associated Press all 331 news articles »

  This might come as a huge surprise, but my kids aren’t perfect. They sometimes break our rules. Also, they sometimes don’t listen. And they have been diagnosed with an extreme case of lollygagging. In addition to lollygagging, my kids … Continue reading →

Readers — We’re getting to the point where ANYTHING having to do with children is so fraught with inflated fears that we are going absolutely crazy. Consider this bill just introduced in the New Jersey state assembly: It would outlaw the photographing or videotaping of kids in situations in which “a reasonable parent or guardian [...]

Robert Loggia is the beloved dying patriarch who is surrounded by his children and grandchild in his last summer at his home in a seaside community in Connecticut.

Myth ... the typical unemployed person is a school leaver. RELIANCE on social security payments fell significantly as full-time jobs increased in the decade to 2009, undermining the moral panic about burgeoning welfare rolls.

Gurgle, the baby and parenting website owned by Mothercare, is launching a A 2 bi-monthly magazine this week through the retailer's stores with plans to ultimately put it on the newsstand.

Babble (blog)

The Rise of US Surrogacy Babble (blog) There's not official tracking of the trend, but one major agency, the Center for Surrogate Parenting, says they estimate that half of the agency's births to US surrogates are for international parents. Surrogacy has been around forever (the more ... and more »

Monsters and Critics.com

Dina Lohan gives parenting advice in time for Mother`s Day Monsters and Critics.com Lohan - who divorced Lindsay's father in 2007 - says: 'The secret to single parenting is to just teach them what you can teach them... 'And you pray that instils in them for the rest of their life. You let them go, and if they fall, you're there to ... and more »

Diverting from parenting plan can be confusing The Seattle Times Q: My son's ex-wife thinks their son should get to stay with whichever parent he chooses to be with regardless of the parenting plan. I believe the plan should be followed to avoid putting the child in a power ... Parenting more about what America, not child, needsColumbia Daily Tribune all 2 news articles »

Did she get plastic surgery or go to the gym? It's hard to tell.

Would you name your child after a girl who is famous solely for getting pregnant before finishing high school? Apparently, for a lot of Americans the answer to that question is yes.

If you’re busy making your summer to-do list, just like I am, then you definitely want to add the Kids Bowl Free program the list. This family oriented activity lasts all summer long & have I mentioned that it’s a FREE program? Kids Bowl Free in Orange County: If I haven’t stressed enough already, Kids [...]

Filed under: In The News

Letters containing white powder were sent to 20 public schools in Washington, D.C., May 5 -- evoking memories of the anthrax scare a decade ago and prompting an immediate response from federal and local investigators.

ABC News reports local firefighters and FBI agents have determined 10 of the 20 schools are safe. The rest of the letters are still being tested, Andrew Ames, a spokesman for the FBI Washington Field office, tells the network.

Five people died from white powder containing the anthrax virus that was sent through the mail in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

No one has reported any illness or injury from this week's letters, Ames tells ABC. The letters were apparently sent from North Dallas, Texas, the network reports.

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Filed under: Celeb Parents, Amazing Parents, Beauty & Style

Maybe it's the extra curves, maybe it's that new mama glow. Whatever it is, these celebs are pictured looking more radiant than ever after they became moms. Check out before and after photos of some of our favorite celebrity moms.

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Filed under: Holidays, Opinions

My daughter sometimes worries about the relationship she will have with her daughter. She doesn't have a daughter, mind you. She's not even pregnant. Or married. But she nevertheless worries because, as she put it recently, "The standard is so high."

She and I have a pretty good -- no, Nancy Friday be damned -- we have a spectacular mother-daughter relationship. It is filled with love and longing. And phone conversations lasting late into the night. We've dreamed the same dreams, right down to identical thoughts within said dreams. Yet, still she worries that her one-day, well-into-the-future mother-daughter relationship might turn out to be a not-so-good relationship.

Is it coincidence that these worries have surfaced at a time when my relationship with my own mother is at an all-time low? After receiving a cancer diagnosis last summer and enduring some pretty major surgery, Mom has refused radiation and chemo. She also refuses to have anything to do with me. Or, as she put it when we were down for a pre-Thanksgiving visit, "I refuse to break bread with you." She received my husband and the kids; I stayed behind.

She blames me for "putting her" in an independent-living apartment. Would it matter if I told you the apartment is beautiful? And affordable? Or that she signed the papers with full cognizance and that my sisters and I made the best of a terrible situation?

Estranged from a mother who forever pulsed between butterfly and raptor, I sometimes forget that just nine months ago she gave me what I now realize was her final gift of mothering. Tucked away at a three-week writing residency, I was in my own world. Every few days, I'd walk down the lane to the main house and there would be a letter waiting for me.

Wherever I wandered, her handwriting's loops, risers and descenders have long woven a safety net against loneliness, editorial rejection and personal uncertainty. A lifetime of those words scrawled in blue ink might as well have been veins connecting us across the miles and years. Preoccupied with the glory of three weeks of solitary writing, I didn't even notice the brevity of her notes, nearly as short as text messages. I tucked them away to save, oblivious that I was seeing my name written in her familiar hand for the last time.

She called the morning after my return, reaching me before I could call and wish her a happy 74th birthday. "It's cancer, Debra," she said. "At least I won't die young."

Gallows humor notwithstanding, I wasn't surprised at the news. She had been long complaining of abdominal discomfort. I had urged her to see a doctor, but didn't press it, having learned long ago not to do or say anything that could be taken as an attempt to run her life.

I called my sisters after. "Finally," said one. "I couldn't call you the whole time you were gone. Mom wouldn't let us breathe a word. 'Leave. Debra. Alone. I absolutely forbid you from disturbing her.' We've been holding on to this for two weeks, already," she continued. "It's time you knew, too."

That's when it hit me. My mother's life had been turned into a Mobius strip of CAT scans and doctors' visits, yet she wouldn't let anything upend my writing time. I wept in gratitude and momentarily, shame.

But that was then and this is now. The butterfly is once again a raptor. The last time she spoke to me her voice was like an eraser, deleting me from the feet up. Our relationship has died so many times, it calls to mind the tubercular heroine of a campy operetta. I have hung on for the butterfly times, hanging on because what I treasure most about myself, she planted and nurtured. Bottom line, I hung on because she is my mother.

I've reached acceptance, the final stage of Kubler-Ross mourning, without garment-rending or shiva-sitting. A single thread connects me to my mother now: A prayer for healing of body and spirit. Each week in synagogue I recite it with fading sorrow and leave the heavy lifting to God. She is never far from my thoughts.

During a January blizzard that blanketed Manhattan, my daughter went to the roof of her building to dance in the snow. "It was so magical, Mom," she said. "I twirled and twirled and caught snowflakes on my tongue. I felt like you." Then she paused. "No, I felt like us."

What makes for a mother-daughter relationship such as ours? Luck? That I worked hard to clean up a stableful of baggage, loathe for it to sully what I so dearly wanted to have with her?

There was a third joyous woman up on the roof with my daughter that morning, there and barely there, like a strand of silk unraveled from a long-spent cocoon.

My daughter recognized her, too. While she danced in the morning's sun-flecked snowfall, this gossamer thread played a game of, "Now you see me, now you don't. Now you see me, now you don't. You don't. You don't. You don't."

Debra Darvick is the author of "This Jewish Life: Stories of Discovery, Connection, and Joy" and "I Love Jewish Faces." Debra has contributed to several anthologies about Jewish life and is at work on a novel, tentatively titled "Denial." Read her blog on Red Room.

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Filed under: In The News, Bullying

More than one year after teen Phoebe Prince committed suicide because of unbearable harassment at school, the teens who bullied her appeared in court this week to receive sentencing.

Five plead guilty and were given one year probation and 100 hours of community service. Charges were dropped completely against the sixth accused bully.

Anne O'Brien, Prince's mother, confronted her daughter's bullies in a speech aired on "Today" this morning. Tears streamed from each teen's eyes as they listened to their victim's mother paint a painstaking outline of the suffering she has endured.

"I will not be spending the summer teaching her how to drive. No. This summer, I will be negotiating with stone cutters who will design and cut the Celtic cross for her head stone," O'Brien said.

Prince's mother complimented one bully who requested a private meeting with her prior to the hearing, saying she appreciated the teen's remorse and felt satisfied that she had taken responsibility for her actions.

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Filed under: Holidays, Fashion

Mother's Day is just days away -- are you still in need of a gift? Or, for you moms out there with forgetful families, are you still looking to drop a few hints?

It's not too late to pick out -- or point out -- a perfect present for Mom, and you just need to cruise over to the nearest Target to do so.

The latest installment in the mass retailer's frequent collaborations with high-end designer labels is Calypso St. Barth -- and, after checking out the goods this week, we are so ready to spend summer in style.

Known for its colorful silk tunics and dresses, linen caftans and cashmere sweaters, the brand's limited-edition Target collection includes beach -- or pool -- ready styles for women, girls and babies, as well as accessories and home goods. Prices range from $1.99 to $79.99.

For Mother's Day, we recommend putting together an ensemble: The outfit pictured includes a three-quarter-sleeve tunic, $29.99, cuffed linen shorts, $24.99, tie-dye flip flops, $12.99, canvas fan-print tote, $19.99, three-layer medallion shell necklace, $29.99 and rope bracelets in turquoise and pink, $14.99. each, clocking in at less than $150.

For the entire outfit.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

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Filed under: In The News

A girl at Clearbrook High School in Friendswood, Texas, just happens to come from a Muslim family.

She's not a terrorist. She's just another freshman trying to adjust to high school and navigate the dark waters of adolescence.

Yet, her algebra teacher thought he could have some fun at her expense following the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden.

"I bet you're grieving," he reportedly said in front of the entire class May 2. When she asked what he meant, he replied, "I heard about your uncle's death."

The Houston Chronicle reports the girl burst into tears. The teacher allegedly just smirked and walked away.

School district officials in Friendswood (some 35 miles south of Houston) aren't releasing the name of the student or the teacher, but they do tell reporters the teacher has been put on administrative leave as a result of the incident.

Meanwhile, school officials want everyone to know they're not bigots.

"We believe diversity strengthens our community and seek opportunities to celebrate the different cultures within our schools and neighborhoods," the district's public information director Elaina Polsen said in an official statement. "The sentiments allegedly shared by this teacher are not reflective of the staff at Clear Brook High School or anyone within the Clear Creek Independent School District.

"In accordance with CCISD policy, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a personnel investigation," the statement continued. "The student did the right thing and immediately notified an adult regarding the teachers' comments. The principal at Clear Brook High School notified the child's parents and has been in communication with the family."

Aziz Siddiqi, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, tells the Chronicle he believes the remark was an isolated incident. However, he adds, he's encouraged by reports that other students helped comfort the girl and reported the incident.

"Her supporters were her classmates," he tells the newspaper. "To them, she's a friend. I would not pay too much attention. It's just one individual. A lot of people suffer because of the actions of one individual. This little girl suffered."

She's not the only one, Siddiqi tells the Chronicle. The teacher is obviously paying for his actions, he says.

"The teacher is going to suffer," Siddiqi tells the newspaper. "I think every society has some people who are a little off. He may be one of those."

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Filed under: Holidays, Opinions, Books for Parents

What happens when a cynical hard-core New Yorker reluctantly moves to the South to care for the mother who always drove her crazy? To her (my) surprise, she falls madly in love with both.

Unfortunately, one was not destined to last.

It was Mama Jo's inability to live alone and horrifying hoarding, and a drop in income on my end, that brought us together. Once out of her depressing home and into a new clean one with me, the adventures began. We explored wineries all over North Carolina, spent an evening in the company of a few male strippers and a lot of out-of-control women, and climbed naked into a hot tub in the woods. Then she couldn't get out. It was hilarious after I triumphantly used muscles I didn't know I had.

A bevy of drop-dead gorgeous drag queens hosting a bingo fundraiser serenaded her on her 83rd birthday. Then she joyously danced with one of them. I displayed her entire massive doll collection for the first time in 40 years (and to my shock fell in love with them, as well). A long-fractured family finally came together. The few years we had together were some of the best of my life, and hers.

I always know when the anniversary of Mama Jo's passing is approaching. The bluebirds begin making their first nest of the year in the box outside the kitchen window. This time, it marked five years since I lost her. I still miss her terribly, talk to her, cry over her. It doesn't get easier. Knowing I'm not alone and that this is normal is a consolation. And that "anticipatory grief" is worse.

I was warned by a hospice worker when my mother was deemed "actively dying" that I was going through the most difficult part. In hindsight, it was true. Helplessness and sadness engulfed me as I faced the fact that my mother was never going to leave our house again alive.

What should I say to her now, or not say? Do, or not do? I would cling to the slightest hope that she was getting better. She ate a little more today! She slept less! I'd sit in the driver's seat of the car that had taken us on so many journeys filled with tender and insightful conversations and sob uncontrollably at the thought that there would be no more. It was pure hell for three-and-a-half months.

And then, relief.

I describe it in the memoir I wrote about the experience as feeling like I'd been climbing a mountain with a backpack strapped on and having no idea how heavy it was until I took it off. But what beautiful vistas I saw while hiking.

After Mama Jo's death I was concerned I wouldn't be able to handle Mother's Day. The opposite has happened. It feels as though every day is Mother's Day. I'm forever connected to her in a way I wasn't when she was still here.

If you are facing the loss of Mom or any loved one, here's my advice: Be there. Just sit, hold their hand, and quietly be present. I wish I'd done more of that and less worrying about the loss. And brought more drag queens into the mix.

Jo Maeder wrote "When I Married My Mother," the true story of leaving her life as a New York City radio DJ to move to the Bible Belt to care for her estranged, eccentric mother. What she thought would be some of the worst years of her life were, in fact, some of the best. To find out more about Jo, and to read her book, visit Red Room.

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Filed under: Funny Stuff, Opinions

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd take a look at one of the most important and oft-used tools in any mom's arsenal: the warning phrase.

Don't act like you don't have one, because I know you do.

I have two. I call them my shot-across-the-bow phrases. They are what I say when my kids are getting on my nerves and I want them to know that if they keep it up, there will be trouble. Or, at least I want them to think if they keep it up, there will be trouble, even though sometimes I'm really not all that committed to carrying through, truth be told.

My first shot-across-the-bow phrase is "Don't peeve me." I can't begin to count how many times I've said it. I use this one when I need them to go amuse themselves, or they start doing something they know annoys me. Sometimes I add the word "child" to make it slightly more serious, as in "Don't peeve me, child."

Another one of my favorites is "Don't make me beat you." It's a solid step up from "Don't peeve me." I warn them that if they are bad, I will beat them senseless with my Senseless Beating Stick. The Senseless Beating Stick is famous in my house, and has an aura of mystery as it's never been seen before. The kids are beginning to wonder if it even exists. I've explained to them that, if they're lucky, they'll never have to find out.

I asked a few other moms to share their fave warning phrases with me, and, when they did, I was surprised at how much each saying made me want to chuckle.

"You're on the edge, mister."

"Watch it, young lady."

"Do I need to put you to bed early?"

I can picture the mom screwing up her face, brows knitted, arms akimbo, delivering her message with the utmost in HUMORLESS VOICE. Warning phrases are serious business.

As it turns out, they also seem to fall neatly into categories.

The first type of warning is the Probing Question. These warnings focus on logic, with moms trying to get their children to think through how they are behaving.

"Are you making a good choice right now?"

"Do you want to rethink that?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Next, is the old-school Meaningless Threat of Bodily Harm. "Don't make me beat you" would fall squarely into this category. These also are included:

"I'm gonna take you to Whoopin' Town."

"I will knock you into next week."

Some are slightly more subtle and don't even get to the type of harm that will come about.

"Don't make me come in there."

"If I have to tell you again, this day isn't gonna be fun anymore."

We don't know what will happen when she goes in there, or why the day won't be fun, but it sure sounds ominous.

Then there is the time-tested Name Call. This approach involves simply calling the child's name, usually with the voice starting out low and rising quickly at the end. Some moms call the full name. Some just use the first and middle. Some even do the first name and middle initial. I have yet to come across anyone who uses the first name only, but I did find one who just goes with the generic "Child!"

About as popular as the Name Call is the Mathematical Caution. There are various iterations of this form of warning. Some moms count up:

"1, 2, 3."

Some moms count down.

"3, 2, 1."

Some go to three, some to go five and some even go all the way to 10. (Not sure what moms have against even numbers.) Some moms just warn that they might start counting if things don't improve.

"Don't make me count to three!"

There's the Guilt Inducement. This mom wants the kids to know their behavior is impacting her ability to find any sort of happiness, whatsoever.

"You're going to drive me to drinkin'."

"You're riding my last nerve."

"How much more do I have to do to get you to listen to me?"

I don't know why, but I find myself very fond of the Exhortation! The moms who use this warning phrase method are all so unique and so adept at using exclamation points.

"For the love of God!"

"For the love of Pete!"

"That's enough!"

"Knock it off!"

"Listen, Bucko!"

And finally, my last category of mom warning phrases is the Exasperation. I totally get where these mothers are coming from. Sometimes you just have nothing left. No names, exclamation points or numbers. No reasonable discussion about the merits of behaving. Just complete vexation.

"Really? Really, dude?"

"I'm done with you people."

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by Sara McGinnis posted in Celebrities Word on the street is that Cameron Diaz is being offered the lead role in the upcoming What to Expect When You're Expecting film. Yes, they're making a movie based on the pregnancy manual it seems all of us either bought or were gifted. Confused as to how they're... Read more »

Want to get the full story? Click on the headline above. And thanks for reading Momformation.

by Betsy Shaw posted in Mom Stories The first day back at school, I was the picture of a loving, patient, steady Mama. My kids and I were a team. They were up early, eager to start their new, old school. They took showers, washed their hair. Isla let me brush and braid her hair... Read more »

Want to get the full story? Click on the headline above. And thanks for reading Momformation.

by Whit Honea posted in Mom Stories I've written before about the wonders of the online parenting community. You're part of it, you know how it is. There is a lot of kindness, drama, assistance, empathy and silliness. Whether we seek help or laughter, we find it here. This post is about a man that... Read more »

Want to get the full story? Click on the headline above. And thanks for reading Momformation.

by Amy Graff posted in Mom Stories I forgot the name of my daughter's first grade teacher--rather embarrassing when I was trying to introduce her to my Mother. My mind was fuzzy on the day of my daughter's parent-teacher conference and I never showed up. The teacher called me that night: "Did you forget?" I... Read more »

Want to get the full story? Click on the headline above. And thanks for reading Momformation.

by Denise Cortes posted in Mom Stories I know that Mother's Day is this weekend and we are celebrating everything mother. I like to think that my lovely children inherited many of their fun and interesting traits from me. But what I have discovered is that many of their kind, outgoing and compassionate traits come... Read more »

Want to get the full story? Click on the headline above. And thanks for reading Momformation.

I was such a lazy Instagrammer this week that I can’t even put together a decent phone photo collage. I finished teaching my first year of Challenge II at Classical Conversations on Tuesday, and we’re still knee deep in end-of-semester/season chorus and baseball. We stood in line yesterday at 11 a.m. at Moe’s on Cinco [...]

Phone Photo Friday: Weekly Camera Phone Collage #10 is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2011 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day, May 8th, a day when we are already focusing on the important women in our lives. Help celebrate your mom, your step-mom, your daughters and friends by helping them stay healthy. The theme for 2011 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make [...]

If you were disappointed by my lack of gadgets in my last minute Mother's Day Gift Guide, never fear!  I've shared my top 5 pics over on My Life Scoop!  

If you were disappointed by my lack of gadgets in my last minute Mother's Day Gift Guide, never fear!  I've shared my top 5 pics over on My Life Scoop!  

Post by Christie Haskell

When you spend hundreds of dollars on a car seat, you definitely want it to last. Fortunately, if you do some research and talk to technicians or car seat advocates before making a purchase, and get a car seat that will last, whether your child is small or tall, heavy or feather-light, and still fit your car and your budget.

With the right combo, you can realistically only buy two to three seats, for your child's entire life, without sacrificing safety. Three-in-1 seats can't do this because of harness heights and weights, but also because of one other factor not everyone knows, and some don't believe: Car seats expire.

Now, I know there are some conspiracy theories out there about how seats "don't actually expire" and that's it all just a ploy to get you to buy a new seat. I'm all about questioning the motives of companies, but in this situation, it's true. Your seat really DOES expire.

Materials deteriorate over time, especially plastic. Ever left a plastic toy shovel in the sun and see how it gets bleached, becomes brittle, or even cracked? The plastic that makes up your seat will do the same and weaken over time, especially if left in hot or very cold cars. Even in the best conditions, plastic just doesn't have a great lifespan. The harness can also develop elasticity that could allow more movement of your child's body than is safe, even when they're buckled in right. So car seat manufacturers take into account the average use and put that to the test to see approximately how much deterioration a seat can handle before it might have flaws that could risk your child's life.

This video is an expired seat malfunctioning in a crash test:

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

It's also important to remember that you can't always see damage or weak spots in plastic, so don't count on just a visual exam being safe. Expiration dates are given to car seats to protect the safety of your child.

In addition, every decade or so, there are major redesigns of car seats as we create better technology and learn flaws of past designs and find better solutions. A seat that was amazing 15 years ago could actually be considered dangerous now. For example, overhead shield seats once considered safe and protective are now known to cause trauma to the chest, head, and organs all on their own.

This is one of the many reasons never to purchase a used seat -- often, they're already close to expiration. Every car seat is different as well, but currently most are only rated for around 6-7 years, spare a few special ones. Read your manual. All the details are there.

When you buy a seat, check the Date of Manufacture (DOM). THAT is when the expiration clock starts, not when you actually purchase the seat. Buying from discount stores can sometimes get you seats that are over a year old, meaning you've lost a lot of usable time on the seat. It's important to check the DOM on a new seat to make sure it's worth the purchase.

If you have an expired (or damaged) seat, you have a couple of choices: Donate it to a fire department or car seat technician for training, take it to a recycling center, or cut the straps, break the shell with something like a sledgehammer, and trash it. DO NOT give it to consignment stores or sell it.

Do you know the expiration date on your car seats? Did you know car seats expire?

 

Image via o5com/Flickr

I’m a blog ambassador for NOOK Color from Barnes & Noble, but to tell the truth, I would tell everyone I know how much I love my NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet even if I weren’t an ambassador. I am SO impressed with this product. It’s easy to use, has a color touch screen, brings you books within seconds… I could go on and on about the wonderful benefits and features of NOOK Color. But what I really want to focus on today is that NOOK Color keeps getting better and better. My newest free upgrade from Barnes & Noble includes more Android apps, Email, Read and Play books for kids, new newsstand offerings, an enhanced web experience, and a new NOOK Friends feature!

The Read and Play feature is very cool. It brings children’s picture books to life! For example, in the book, Go Dog Go, kids can tap on ferris wheel cars and watch them spin around. This is great for younger children who can’t read a lot or are just getting interested in books. For the “older” set, like my 7-year-old boys, there are more than 12,000 children’s chapter books available! I downloaded a Junie B. Jones book for my sons, and they were so excited to read it together on my NOOK at bedtime.


They’re also excited about trying out all the new Android apps on my NOOK, like Angry Birds, Bubble Popper, Uno, and Drawing Pad. As for me, I love Match 3 games, so I downloaded the Aces Jewel Hunt app. It’s so much fun when I want to take a little break from reading my favorite books. But NOOK’s apps aren’t just for game-playing. Check out the video at the end of this post to learn more about the wide variety of apps that have been carefully selected to appeal to NOOK Color readers!

I can also check my email on the NOOK Color. It took seconds to link up my Hotmail account, and now I can read my email and respond to it via the onscreen keyboard. (NOOK’s email feature supports all the top webmail services, such as Yahoo, GMail, AOL, Hotmail, and more.) Through NOOK Friends, I can share all my favorite books with my friends. And great magazines and newspapers are also available for the NOOK Color, such as National Geographic in gorgeous color! I love that you get a 14-day free trial on magazines and newspapers, and then you can decide whether to become a subscriber or just purchase single issues.

At just $249, the NOOK Color is definitely the best value in the Tablet market. Consider getting one for a special mom for Mother’s Day or even as a gift for yourself! Not only are they available at Barnes & Noble, but you can also purchase a NOOK Color at Best Buy, Walmart, Books-a-Million, and Staples.


One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gift Card from Barnes & Noble! You can put it toward a NOOK Color or any other item at a B&N store or BN.com. To enter, watch the following video about NOOK Color’s terrific selection of apps. And then leave a comment on this post with the answer to this question: “Which app would you download first?” This is mandatory to enter the giveaway.



[Email subscribers, please click on the title of this post to access the video online. You can also see a full list of NOOK apps at http://bit.ly/jKuUt2.]

After fulfilling the mandatory entry above, you can earn optional, additional entries if you... (leave a separate comment for each)

- Follow Barnes and Noble (@nookBN) and Susan Heim on Parenting (@ParentingAuthor) on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Use the hashtag #nookcolormoms in your tweet. You may tweet up to 3x a day. (Please space them at least an hour apart.) Leave a separate comment with the URL of each tweet. (1 entry per tweet) You can use this tweet if you wish:

RT @ParentingAuthor Mother’s Day #Giveaway for a Barnes & Noble $50 Gift Card! http://t.co/mEabGr9 Ends 5/19 @nookBN #nookcolormoms

- Like Barnes and Noble on Facebook. (1 entry)

- Like Susan Heim on Parenting on Facebook and/or follow on Networked Blogs. (1 entry for each)

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS and/or Kindle (see sign-up options on left sidebar). Leave a comment for each subscription method. (1 entry for each subscription method for up to 3 entries)

- Follow Susan Heim on Parenting through Google Friend Connect. Click on the “Follow” button on the left sidebar. Leave a comment with your GFC name. (1 entry)

- Place a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog (the code is in the upper right-hand column of this site) and/or a text link on your blog roll. Post a comment with your blog’s URL. (1 entry for button; 1 entry for text link)

- Enter another current giveaway on Susan Heim on Parenting. (1 entry per giveaway entered)

- Post this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a direct link to the post. (3 entries; leave a separate comment for each)

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received by Thursday, May 19, 2011, at 11:59 PM ET. Please leave an email address on one of your comments if it’s not available on your Blogger profile. Winner must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn. Contest is open to US residents only.



DISCLOSURE: I will receive a B&N gift card as a thank-you for sharing this information.

CHICAGO (MedPage Today) -- Screening children as young as 2 years for obesity may be more successful in weight control and preventing metabolic abnormalities than waiting until they are older, a researcher said here.

Teen Moms Look for Support, But Find Only Shame ColorLines magazine Teen pregnancy prevention initiatives are often based on the premise that teen parenting is an indisputably bad thing and should be avoided at all costs. And as a consequence, teen moms are constantly presented as failures and victims. “I love my life. ... MN Teens Making Wise Choices About Sexual HealthPublic News Service all 4 news articles »

Motherlode: Lessons From a Sleeping Baby New York Times (blog) So much for sleep as a measure of my parenting skills. Amy Julia Becker has learned the same lesson over the years. In a guest post today she explores sleep and love and the meaning of parenting. Written with the warmth and wisdom Amy Julia has brought ... and more »