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There She Grows

With some of the characters around for the kids to meet. How cool is that?

LA locals with kids who are as into this show as ours is might not want to miss this.

(click for larger)

We’ve all heard of time-outs as one of those standard issue parenting techniques that have stood the test of time throughout generations. Now that I’m a parent myself I’ve learned that time-outs don’t mean the same thing to all parents or all kids. When, how and why parents resort to time-outs and the ‘ground rules’ that surround them are surely as varied as parents and kids are varied.

Lately I’ve heard some talk from the attachment-parenting set (something I’ve considered myself a part of in many ways, go figure) that time-outs are in fact a detrimental no-no. An article on rootparenting.com was recently brought to my attention. It lists 5 reasons why time-outs are harmful to kids.

The whole write-up evokes the image of a dismissive parent angrily shaming their child off to their room at the first sign of ‘bad’ behavior. Paragraph after paragraph describes how time-outs lead to low self esteem, lack of trust, rebellion in the teen years, a kid’s inability to think for themselves, and just the general deterioration of your relationship. Finally, the author allows himself to admit the following:

Sure, you will need to let them simmer down from a tantrum or tears before discussing the issues they are having.

Um, bingo! Read the rest of this entry »

Almost two years ago, I posted about Nicolas Fransisco, an e-aquaintance who vanished unexpectedly one night. Leaving his two kids, pregnant wife, countless concerned friends and an entire community desperately searching for him to no avail.

Everyone was convinced of foul play. Friends and strangers country-wide took interest in the search; the unprecedented public outcry and internet buzz pushed the investigation far further than a typical missing person case. Even I received a phone call at home from a Sea-Tac detective with questions, and I had never even met the guy! I told them the same thing everyone else did: I felt fairly certain he hadn’t simply left on his own accord, but I didn’t have any helpful info.

Well, weren’t we all a bunch of chumps. After 2 years he has been found, living under an alias right here in LA, with seemingly no regard whatsoever for the three children he left behind. Read the rest of this entry »

Um, I was wondering why I had suddenly ceased receiving any comments at some point, then realized that a setting had been changed at some point.  I don’t know how or when I accidentally did this, but our blog was set to disallow comments.  No wonder! (thanks, SR). I have fixed this error so please feel free to remark wherever you see fit. 

It is estimated that postpartum depression (PPD) affects from 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. In the United States, there may be as many as 800,000 new cases of postpartum conditions each year. The cause of PPD isn’t known but changes in hormone levels, a difficult pregnancy or birth, and a family history of depression are considered possible factors.  I was lucky to have avoided this but I personally know a few moms who experienced it in some form; one of whom was severely affected for over a year.

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is the senate sponsor for the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act: legislation to increase federal efforts to combat Post-Partum Depression. The act has broad support in Congress and was able to pass the House of Representatives earlier this year, but requires public pressure to overcome procedural obstacles.  Read the rest of this entry »

photololz.com is kinda fun.
lilah treating her baby with utmost care and respect.

Snap your instant photo at Photololz.com

It was just brought to my attention that threadless is having another $5 sale.  Go check out tons of unique, fun onesies & tees for kids (and grown-ups).    The people who run threadless are friends, and they are awesome.  Since  Mike and I have accumulated ten thousand of their tees over the years, I’m just getting some stuff for Lilah and some gifts for upcoming baby showers.

Here is Lilah modeling some of their shirts…

interesting article my mother sent me.

at a time when millions of people around the world are beginning to beam themselves across the ether, the Web cam adventures of the nursery school set and their grandparents offer a glimpse at what can be gained — and what may be lost — by almost-being there.

Grandma’s on the Computer Screen – NYtimes.com

Conversation is key, and having a lot of it around a developing little person seems so necessary. ..I expressed my newfound understanding for the expression: “it takes a village to raise a child.” This isolation of women inside the home doesn’t make sense for anyone and certainly isn’t preferable to me. .. Granted, sometimes we all just want to be by ourselves rather than going out and making the effort to meet new people, but when it’s a choice between solitude and a weekend visitor, hand me the vacuum and the welcome mat.

- kristina gibb at lilellie.com

why am i getting so many spam comments on this blog!  they used to show up occasionally but now its a near-daily occurance.  annoying.  is there some way to spam proof this site!

update:  aparently there IS, and it was staring me in the face from the get-go.  all i had to do was activate askimet and voila – spam gone!  how wonderful.  and lol  @ me for taking so long to notice this option already bundled into wordpress.  hooray!

i just noticed my old friend kan touching on the very thing that sar and i have been going back and forth about since voting day.

knowing that I am in the right place for me and for my family feels great. The fact that no one is going to pay me money for being a great mom is unjust but, hopefully, a not-too-major inconvenience. Hey Hillary & Barack – what about sliding scale heating bills, mortgages, health insurance? Just for a few years, so that staying home with kids is truly a choice everyone can make.

yeah. and the ever-observant Stuff White People Like blog has also weighed in on this matter.

the secret reason why all white people love socialized medicine is that they all love the idea of receiving health care without having a full-time job. This would allow them to work as a freelance designer/consultant/copywriter/photographer/blogger, open their own bookstore, stay at home with their kids, or be a part of an Internet start-up without having to worry about a benefits package. Though many of them would never follow this path, they appreciate having the option.

Lilah’s room was featured on apartment therapy.