{Cue 11 synth voice}
{cue
Halloween MidiMuso}
{cue intro}
Episode 111
Notes
Banter:
Hey all,
welcome to the pumpkin-patch daddycast! I’m surrounded by giant orange things with
stems on ‘em…and they all have this sinister grin on
‘em…more on that in a bit.
Went to our
first “event” at my son’s elementary school…they hosted a ‘book fair’. It was fun, a bit disorganized for my taste,
but I should lower my expectations when dealing with kindergarten thru second
grade. Now I’ve railed against
fund-raisers on this show, but I think this was a good idea to raise
money. They had a big board, and little
pockets on it, and each pocket represented a classroom, had the teacher’s name
on it and little cards with books that the teacher asked for, and parents could
buy the book to donate for the class. My
son’s teacher had 2 cards in the pocket, so we took ‘em
and bought the books for the class. They
were selling pizza and drinks, had ‘story time’, and kids that showed up in
pajamas got a free book. They had kids
books for sale, but they also had books for mommy and daddy, too…I need to get
‘em to partner with amazon.com and make some money
that way…
Headlines:
Teachers not safe from outsourcing, Canadian Child Care Discriminates Against
Parents?, Predict your child’s adult height, Beer Ads hook kids, Shackle-me
Elmo, Longer School Hours tested and more, after this…
{cue
PSA________________________}
I’d like to
introduce the first official sponsor of the daddycast…Jasper
Unlimited, the original and only source
for stylish
earbuds in Pink, Red and Blue.
Remember
when you got your first iPod, and those white earbuds were unique?
Well they aren’t anymore. Be
different again. You don’t have to go
back to the typical black headphones. Besides, since when were white wires
hanging from your head “cool”. Get some
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You customize your mp3 player, why not the earbuds? My wife has a pink iPod
mini, and now she has cool ‘posh pink’ earbuds to go
with it.
Y’know,
the NYC transit authority says the signature white earbuds
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expensive mp3 player. You can add a
little safety – and some style at the same time, with these colorful earbuds.
They come
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They’re
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that match your unique style!
{cue synth news intro}
News:
E-Tutoring
Broadens Bounds of Outsourcing – STORY
#1
By NIRMALA
GEORGE and MARTHA
Associated
Press Writers
It’s
More than
7,000 miles away, in a suburb outside Chicago, it's the evening of the previous
day and a student sits at his computer, barefoot and ready for his hourlong geometry lesson. The high school freshman puts on
a headset with a microphone and clicks on computer software that will link him
through the Internet to his tutor many time zones away.
It's called
e-tutoring _ yet another example of how modern communications, and an abundance
of educated, low-wage Asians, are broadening the boundaries of outsourcing and
working their way into the minutiae of American life, from replacing your lost
credit card through reading your CAT scan to helping you revive your crashed
computer.
There are thousands
of
After an
exchange of “good morning” and “how was your exam”, its down to business. A geometry worksheet pops up on
Growing
Stars, a company based in
Teacher and
pupil speak to one another, type messages and use digital 'pencils' to work on problems,
highlight graphs and erase mistakes. The student can scribble on something that
looks like a hyped-up mouse pad and it shows up on the tutor’s screen. He can
also use a scanner to send copies of assignments or textbook pages that he
needs help understanding.
The student
begins a lesson on such concepts as parallel lines and complementary angles in
the quiet coziness of the family's suburban home.
'
Most
companies are reluctant to talk about earnings. But Shantanu
Prakash, chief executive of India-based Educomp Datamatics, estimates
that Indian online tutoring companies earned about $10 million last year, 80
percent of it from the
That's
small change in the Indian information technology industry _ a business built
largely on the outsourcing that is shifting jobs from the West to cheaper,
foreign locations. Annual export revenue from offshore outsourcing last fiscal
year totaled $17.2 billion.
But about a
dozen Indian software firms are banking that online tutoring will flourish in
The first
e-tutoring businesses started less than three years ago, and already thousands
of Indian teachers coach
The Indian
firms have benefited from the growing
Despite
glitches, computer problems and the fact that not everyone has internet access,
the NEA is generally in favor of the program.
Most teachers at Growing Stars earn about $230 a month.
…OK
teachers, watch out! Now you’re being
outsourced, or – more precisely – offshored! It’s a phenomenon that affected computer
folk, now its hitting home. The NEA
supports it, and students grades are improving because of it…
Officials
consider extending school day – STORY #2
By Kimberly
Atkins
Who wants
to stay after class? Students may not have a choice soon, thanks to 5,000 in
grants the state is shelling out to help districts plan for a longer school day
or year.
Yesterday the Board of Education granted
funding to 16 districts, including
School officials said the Expanded Learning
Time grants allow educators to consider how the additional time would enhance
the curriculum, giving all students access to programs now relegated to after
school.
``We have made a lot of progress in the
regular school day to improve academic performance, but many students still
can't take advantage of these other excellent opportunities,'' said Michael Sabin, principal of Edwards Middle School, one of seven
Boston middle and K-8 schools that could have longer days starting next fall.
Currently, transportation and other issues
often lead to underenrollment in after-school
enhancement courses, accelerated programs and other alternative courses, Sabin said. A longer day ``offers a way to give our entire
school community access,'' he said.
If approved, schools would receive annual
state funding to implement the programs starting next year.
The Boston Teachers Union submitted a
letter to state officials supporting the grant proposal.
``We believe there are a number of teachers
who would volunteer to serve in an extended-day program, and would welcome the
additional pay that would come with it,'' said BTU spokesman Stephen Crawford.
The state board also approved grants for
some schools in
…Many
districts in the
…oh boy, I
can feel the e-mails coming….
Liberal Govt's Child Care Discriminates Against 85% of Canadian
Parents – STORY #3
Social Development
Minister Ken Dryden implies daycare superior to parents looking after own
children
Local
Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott regrets that Stronach did not use the opportunity to make a commitment
to the priorities and values of all Canadian parents. "The Liberal
government thus continues to discriminate against 85% of Canadian
parents," said Vellacott.
In a Vanier
Institute study this year, daycare centres ranked a
distant 5th when Canadians were asked who they would prefer to care for their
pre-school children. A parent, grandparent, another relative and home daycare
all ranked higher. "Does the Liberal government believe in freedom and
choice or is it trying to coerce Canadians into their discriminatory funding
scheme?" asked Vellacott.
The
Conservative Party's alternative, according to their website is straightforward
and simple. "We will give money
directly to all parents so they can make their own childcare choices," it
says.
The
Saskatchewan MP is even more shocked at the Orwellian nature of comments by
Social Development Minister Ken Dryden. This summer, Dryden tussled with
"As a
Conservative MP, I completely renounce this bigoted smear against the majority
of Canadian parents in my riding and across the country," stressed Vellacott. "Quality childcare is critical to
Vellacott
does not dispute the importance of quality training for childcare workers, but
he notes the recent work of Australian feminist writer Anne Manne
who explains that love and care are different. Caring is reproducible, she
says, but parental love is not. "Severing that bond of love through
excessive taxation policies that force all parents to fund a very narrow
childcare agenda is inexcusable," said Vellacott.
…Listeners
in
Anyway, I
wanted to bring this story to parents’ attention, because things of this sort
have been tried in the
Can a
Child's Final Adult Height Actually Be Predicted? – STORY #4 – John found it
Newswise
- Children pass through growth phases at various points during adolescence
before reaching final adult height. Some children begin their growth phases
early on while others are "late bloomers." Many parents and children
may be curious to know how tall the child will be as an adult. A study in the
October issue of The Journal of Pediatrics describes an inexpensive and
noninvasive method for parents and doctors to predict a child's adult height
based on sex and growth factors.
Lauren Sherar, MSc and colleagues from
the
Because
children can be insecure about their adolescent height, predicting their adult
height can play a role in their physical and social well-being. Ms. Sherar explains that "this technique is a valid,
non-intrusive, inexpensive, and simple method of predicting adult height in
adolescent children, free of growth limiting diseases." Caregivers can try
this technique at home by entering in required information about their child at
http://www.usask.ca/kinesiology/research_index.php .
…I tried
this. I got an error message – child
should be at least 7 years of age…blah blah.
Here’s what
you need to know before you visit the site;
Birth date,
today’s date, their height standing, their height sitting, and their
weight. You can use English or metric
units of measure. Now remember: its only
92% accurate! Don’t get all freaked out
if your numbers reveal your kid will be a mutant or something!
Emotional
Impairment Linked to Cognitive Deficits in Bipolar Children – STORY #5
Newswise
- Researchers at the
"This
study is very exciting because it shows that negative emotions affect cognition
differently than positive emotions in these kids," said Dr. Mani Pavuluri, associate
professor of psychiatry at UIC's Institute for
Juvenile Research and the Center for Cognitive Medicine, and lead author of the
study.
Using
functional magnetic resonance imaging, Pavuluri and
her colleagues examined the brain activity of teens while they were performing
certain mental tasks. The researchers scanned the brains of 10 unmedicated bipolar patients with normal mood and compared
them with 10 healthy subjects of the same age and gender.
The
children, aged 12 to 18, were asked to match positive or negative words with
colors to determine how stimuli impact different areas of the brain responsible
for emotion and cognition.
When shown
negative words, compared to neutral words, the bipolar patients showed
increased activation in the part of the brain that regulates emotions. When
shown positive words, they showed activation in the reward centers of the brain
which are often associated with pleasure and addiction.
In healthy
subjects, positive and negative words activated the regions of the brain
associated with cognitive behavior such as thinking, reasoning and learning.
"We
found that the amygdala, the part of the brain that
is supposed to react to emotional stimuli, is over-reactive to negative stimuli
in children with bipolar disorder," said Pavuluri.
"And the part of the brain that controls cognitive behavior is
under-reactive."
Pavuluri
says the findings have direct clinical implications for present and future
medication trials and cognitive behavioral therapy used to treat children with
bipolar disorder.
Pediatric
bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is associated with sexual
promiscuity, failure in school, addiction and suicide. The disorder is
characterized by extreme changes in mood and is often misdiagnosed. Patients
may alternate between depression and euphoria, or mania.
…Bipolar
disorder affects about 10% of the population, and this is the first clinical
test I’ve heard of that gives any sort of objective measurement for
diagnosis. Before, you had to rely on
surveys and interviews, and even then you couldn’t be sure if the kid was bipolar…
{cue
drop______________________________}
{cue
PSA______________________________}
V.Smile, Bratz and Movie
Action Figures Top Retailer's Hot Picks STORY #6
KB Toys HOT Toy List FOR
Aquadoodle Ages
2 & Up Spinmaster
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus Ages 3 & Up Mattel
Batman Ages
4 & Up Mattel
Bratz Rock Angelz Ages
6 & Up MGA Entertainment
CHATNOW Ages
8 & Up Hasbro
Disney Cinderella Ages 3 & Up Various
Fantastic 4 Ages
4 & Up Toy Biz
Furby Ages
6 & Up Hasbro
iZ Ages
8 & Up Zizzle
Plug It In & Play TV Games Ages 5
& Up Jakks
Star Wars Darth Vader Voice Changer Mask Ages 5 & Up Hasbro
Star Wars Lightsaber
Battle Plug N' Play Game Ages 8
& Up Milton Bradley
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Lightsaber Ages 4 & Up Hasbro
Tamagotchi
Connection Ages
6 & Up Bandai
Tumble Time Tigger Ages
1 & Up Fisher-Price
V.Smile Ages
3 & Up VTech
World Wrestling Entertainment Figures Ages 8 & Up Jakks
KB Toys HOT Toy List FOR
Aquadoodle
-- Spinmaster
It's the no
mess magic tabletop draw 'n doodle mat that only requires water! No ink, no
markers and no mess! The Aquadoodle's 1, 2, 3 draw
with me step-by-step feature makes it easy for children to draw over and over
again. Ages 4 & up.
CHATNOW --
Hasbro
Now you can
chat with your friends or send them text messages up to two miles away with no
fees, no bills and no minutes to keep track of! With the CHATNOW communicator
you can talk one-on-one with your best friend or chat with everyone in your
chat zone at the same time. Access screen savers, saved buddy photos and ten
different ring tones with the flip out keypad. Also, take pics
of your pals with the built-in digital camera! Choose from a variety of colors
including pink, green and blue or try out one of the fun carrying cases. Ages 8
& up.
Furby --
Hasbro
One of the
best-selling toys of all time, is back! Driven by EMOTO- TRONICS, the all-new,
evolved Furby features a wide range of emotions and
motions, advanced recognition, and enhanced communication between kids and
other Furby toys and an impressive
"bilingual" vocabulary of "Furbish" and English. In fact,
the new Furby has six times the memory of the
original toy. Ages 6 & up.
iZ -- Zizzle
The
ultimate fusion of music and toy with a personality of its own! Twist and turn iZ's ears to create new rhythm and trick combinations or
press his belly to change-up the beat. iZ's eyes
bounce to the rhythm and his horns glow in rainbow colors to the beat. You can
even watch iZ move to your favorite tunes by plugging
your iPod or any music source into iZ. Ages 8 & up.
Plug It In
& Play Games – Jakks
Here's a
little bit of old school! Plug It In and Play Games bring the magic of arcade
games to your TV without the hassle of a bulky game console. Plug the joystick
directly into your TV and discover games like SpongeBob
Dilly Dabbler, Star Wars, EA 2-Player, World Poker Tour and more. Ages 5 &
up.
Star Wars
Darth Vader Voice Charger Mask -- Hasbro
The
ultimate headgear for any fan of the Star Wars movies! From the moment you put
on this menacing gear, you become the ultimate villain of Star Wars. Strike
fear throughout the galaxy by changing your voice to sound like Darth Vader's.
Easy to adjust straps allow you to fit the helmet comfortably on your head. This
realistic headgear and chestplate will make you the
master of the dark side of the force! Ages 5 & up.
Star Wars Lightsaber Battle Plug 'N Play TV Game -- Hasbro
Put the
power of the force in your own hands! This interactive plug n' play TV game
lets you enter the world of the Jedi in your own living room. With a swing of
the powerful lightsaber, innovative wireless
technology lets your lightsaber interact with the TV
screen and fend off the attackers and defeat opponents. Ages 8 & up.
Star Wars
Revenge of the Sith Lightsaber
-- Hasbro
Role-play
your way into galactic adventure with this lightsaber
replica that extends with a flick of the wrist. Fight with Separatists or
defend the galaxy alongside the Jedi ... whichever it is, this is the most
powerful weapon to have in your hands. Choose from various colors including
blue, green and red. Ages 4 & up.
Tamagotchi
Connection -- Bandai
The virtual
best friends for girls and boys are back, with a brand new, interactive twist! Tamagotchi Connection features infrared communication
abilities and can make friends with other Tamagotchi!
They're perfect pets, without the mess! Choose from many cool colors and
designs. Ages 6 & up.
Tumble
Time(TM) Tigger -- Fisher-Price
Press Tigger's nose and off he goes! Watch as the sound-activated
Tigger dances, cartwheels and stands on his hands
just by clapping or signing for him (your child will never know what the
energetic Tigger will do next). Ages 1 & up.
V.Smile
-- VTech
The V.Smile TV Learning System is a dynamic learning platform
that uses educational video gaming to make learning fun! With a comprehensive
library of "smartridges" adapted to three
age groups, children can learn many important skills including language
development & phonics, basic math, visualization & memory, problem
solving, science, independent play and much more. Ages 3 & up.
Study: Beer
ads appeal to kids – STORY #7
…OK, so let
me see if I got this right…? Advertising
is effective on kids? Is that pretty
much the gist of this story? Of course
those sorts of ads work on kids – they work on grown-ups, too! I get bombarded by ads when watching TV with
my son…ya don’t think cartoon-like ads work on
adults? Who actually buys the
products? Not the 10-year-olds…it’s the
PARENTS! And frankly, if I saw the
“legacy of quality” ads, I doubt it would influence me one bit. Are we gonna start
telling beer companies what they can say and how to say it?
Sex
Offenders Given Halloween Curfew – STORY
#8
Officers
Will Watch For Violators
For the
first time, some
Notices
from the state parole board went out to 2,200 sex offenders who are supervised
under Megan's Law.
Under the
new rules, they have to be inside by
Officers
will be on duty watching for violators.
"Our
officers are going to be doing routine checks of curfews of those
offenders," said Ed Bray, of the New Jersey State Parole Board. "In
addition, we've notified all local police departments."
The ban
does not include another 5,800 sex offenders in
…Thanks to
the Megan’s law database, I know that I have 46 known sex offenders living in
my community! Isn’t that swell…! I have one living right across the
street! You know how I kep my kids safe this Halloween? Take ‘em to the
mall, or to a party – lots of schools host Halloween events. Our town has an event called “Zoo-Boo”. They open the zoo after dusk, and there’s all
kinds of games, the kids win little prize-toy-stuff, you get hot dogs and
cookies, and everybody has a good time…except maybe the animals…no, I mean the
ones at the zoo in the cages…!
Driving a
Stake Into the Heart of the Halloween Cavity Ghoul – STORY #9
Newswise
- Kids disguised as heroes, monsters, fiends and princesses, intent on the
annual hunt for trick or treat candy, will soon haunt neighborhoods all over
the country.
Halloween
itself is haunted by a ghoul that far too many parents meet in the weeks after
all the fun is long over: the cavities that are started by all those treats.
Dr. Joel
Berg, chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the
Build a
good foundation for dental health by brushing for at least two minutes twice a
day, every day, especially at bedtime on Halloween. "Going to bed after
eating handfuls of candy can be especially dangerous," Berg says.
"The dryness of the mouth at night is a playground for decay-causing bacteria."
Avoid
chewy, gooey candies that stick to teeth. Those do the most damage to teeth and
help cavities get started.
Enjoy
treats that are easily brushed or washed away from teeth by saliva or water.
Options include sugarless or low-sugar candies and chocolate.
Keep candy
as a treat, not a part of everyday eating. "Constant snacking on candy
causes tooth enamel to be continuously exposed to acids produced by the
bacteria in the mouth as they interact with sugar," Berg says.
Floss to
loosen plaque and debris that can't be removed by brushing alone. Flossing
before you brush allows plaque to be swept away when you brush. Check with a
dentist to learn when your kids should start flossing every day.
…Yep…happens
every year – a story about rotting teeth at Halloween. But when was the last time you heard a
dentist recommend CHOCOLATE! Yeah! My kind of dentist!
Hector
Duarte Jr. - All Headline News Staff Reporter
The other
two booked were a man dressed as Mr. Incredible and another dressed as the
villain from the horror movie, “Scream.”
Police say
the impersonators allege they were taken into custody at gunpoint, handcuffed
and paraded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of on looking tourists and
other fellow impersonators.
"With
all of the crime in
In the
past, tourists have complained of being harassed by the characters after not
tipping for photos taken in front of Grauman’s
Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater.
Vendors say
some of the masked impersonators are scaring tourists.
Los Angeles
Police Officer Michael Shea, says police warned
impersonators last month that solicitation and harassment laws would begin to
be strictly enforced.
Officers
performed the sting operation posing as French tourists who did not understand
English or the concept of tipping.
"Make
no mistake about it - I wanted the characters to know what we're doing,"
says Shea.
{cue elmo loves you}
OK, have
fun with this one:
New toy
this season – Shackle-me Elmo
Elmo has
learned a new lesson: ’H’ is for handcuffs.
Cops are
now tracking Oscar the Grouch for illegal trash can squatting.
What’s
next? Big Bird in the Big House? Guess he’ll get used to being in a cage
again.
{cue elmo wants a hug}
Elmo wants
a hug – and a bail-bondsman
That wipes
out the news……..
{cue
drop__________________________}
{Cue song
#1__________________________}
{cue Mailtime}
Mailtime:
From Laura
in VA: Got 2 Laura’s from VA e-mails, one from the blog
and one direct – not sure if they’re the same person.
Yours is
one of only three podcasts I've subscribed to since
my husband gave me my new sleek black iPod Nano for my birthday. You had me from the beginning, when
you mentioned that your son started Kindergarten and how you were annoyed the
school was pushing him to be a salesman. My eldest of two kids, Nathan, has
also started Kindergarten this fall. I am not kidding you when I tell you he
has been sent home with no less than six fundraising kits since school started
(nearly one a week)! The first couple were easy to convince grandparents and
co-workers to help out, but it was getting ridiculous after that. (People run
away when they see us coming!) It's incredibly frustrating to think that money
is so desperately needed at school that our kids are sent to beg on their
behalf. Hubby and I just wish if the school needed the money for one thing or
another, they'd just ask for it outright! It'd cut the hassle of selling coupon
books, overpriced summer sausage, and ordering magazines.
From Laura
in VA
I listen to
your podcast on the walk up to school every afternoon
with my youngest in her stroller. You were right to point out that walking to
school isn't as big in the
Incidentally,
I know it's just a metaphor, I wanted to pass on my own use for baby wipes: last
minute shoe shine. I've done it myself on my black dress shoes and it works
great.
You
mentioned old shows watched when we were younger - do you remember Romper Room?
I always waited for my name to be called.
Keep up the
great job, I look forward to listening to new daddycasts
on my walks. Can I suggest a song? How about "Dad's Car" by Silly
Joe, my 5 year old's favorite tune at the moment.
PS: I
consistently get 2 out of 3 in the toon tests! Pretty
sad, considering I watch all the shows the kids do.
From
anonymous:
good
show... but too large a file to download. Could you look at compressing it
more? It seems to take a long time to dowload. :-(
From Kelly
in
Brace
yourself for another long message (I wrote before about "women in
CS")....
I think you
went way overboard trying to express your opinion on general paternal rights.
:(
You stated
that men have no other choice than to work, but that women have many choices
and always have. You sound un-educated and sexist. Men can quit and stay home
with the kids just as easily as women. Women who decide to work full-time after
having kids suffer from the interuption of their
career during maternity leave, something men do not have to deal with. It is
somewhat less socially accepted for men to stay at home, but it's really not
that accepted for women to stay at home either (just google
"mommy wars" and you'll get the picture).
You said
you were mad because the only person (the dad) with dna
involved in this case was given "no consideration to his parental
rights". The fact that the case was in the Tenn. Supreme Court IS
consideration, AND he was awarded joint custody of the children!!
I can
understand your frustration that courts generally give
custody to
the women - that's valid and I agree with you. But to imply it should be the
opposite would be just as stupid. The decision should be based soley on the specific details of the case and the people
involved.
I got the
impression you feel that dna should be the deciding
factor -that's stupid, too. Under that theory - the egg donor has the right to
come back and ask for the children back from the couple. A parent has very
little to do with dna and a whole lot to do with
their presence in the child's life. You obviously didn't have any trouble conceiving
your child, or you would have thought through some of these issues.
From
Kenneth in
Hi, Agree Windows sucks - but Linux !?! You want
Mac - can't you just feel it...I have had Mac's now for over four years and I
have yet to see one crash yet (we got four and they are particular being abused
by my 13 year old son and 16 old daughter)!!!
From
#1: I found
you from your DSC promo. Sounds pretty good, I'll give it a try.
I have an
issue with the "Role Model" quiz. One question on it invalidates the
entire quiz. The question about religion basically states that I can't be a
good dad as an atheist.
While I am
not dad of the year, I don't think religion is a requirement in order to be a
good father.
#2: I agree
with you on the cell phone issue. I have seen plenty of adults who can't drive
with one, why only ban kids. And why ban only cell phones? How about just
rolling it all into a distracted driving law and then start enforcing it?
#3: I found
your news bits about ADHD and Ritalin interesting. It prompts me to share my
story.
My son is a
bright and curious child. As your son has probably taught you this means he is
a handful. He began having trouble in school and becoming disruptive in the
second half of 2nd grade. He would fight horribly to not do his homework and it
was a daily battle to get him to complete it. Then we started getting word from
his teacher, whom we talk with regularly, that he was not "staying on
task" in class and was disrupting the class.
We had the
school psychologist evaluate him and she found he was an ADHD candidate and
recommended having our doctor evaluate him. So, we got a package from our HMO
with surveys for each of us, our son's teacher, and the school psychologist.
When these
were evaluated with my son it was determined that he did have ADHD. We were
very hesitant to just put him on meds because it is so often a knee-jerk
reaction to just dope up the kids. However, after talking to the doctor we felt
much better because he wanted to start at a very low level and work up to the
minimum effective dosage. He is also on short duration ritalin,
not the all day time-release type.
The results
have been fantastic. He is much happier and able to learn in school and
complete his work at home. He has not become a zombie or disconnected at all.
Instead he as become a happy well adjusted child who likes to play outside,
read, and play games with us.
From Fat
Jeff in
Mahalo!
(That's "thank you" in Hawaiian) for the plug for our humble little
business. I'll let you know when someone mentions it.
One theater
here is doing a Monday morning "Baby Movie"...
Here's
another Baby Wipe use. Four years ago when I was a happy go lucky single guy, I
went on a 5 day backcountry mountain biking & camping trip in
Still Fat,
Fat Jeff
P.S. Fat
Jeff, besides being self desciptive is also my member
name on MTBR.com, a mountian biking site. It's also a
riff on "Fat Mike", singer and bassist for punk band NOFX.
{cue
drop________________________________}
{cue song
#2_____________________________}
Here comes
the ToonTest!
{Cue ToonTest 9+10}
Answers:
Evan-Danny Phantom, Jojo’s Circus, and Family Guy
{Cue Baby
Wipes Use}
Baby Wipes
Use #24: Pumpkin Patch Partner
I reported
last week on the daddycast that my son had a new
experience – a field trip to the pumpkin patch.
Well, we tried to re-live a happy memory by returning to the pumpkin
patch. Bad mistake! The place is a booming center for commerce,
and swamped on the weekends by masses buying up everything orange with a stem
on it.
It’s a nice
place, though. There’s a store with all
sorts of baked goodies, fresh apple cider, and of course – pumpkins. People were buying gourds the size of
minivans! It was an amazing vignette of
capitalism at work…who could buy the biggest pumpkin and get it in the
car!?! It was some sort of whacked-out
keep-up-with-the-joneses competition…and my wife was not to be left out of the
contest! Which was to the hayride???
I am now
surrounded by rotting orange ghouls with toothy grins. I like Halloween, really…but carving up a
perfectly good pumpkin and putting a light in it just never worked for me. We have synthetic ones – they look real – and
we can use ‘em year after year after year…without the
mess, or the smell. But my wife loves
slicing these things up and creating facial masterpieces.
My wife is
a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to carving a pumpkin. She intends to pass on that trait to my son,
who is NOT impressed with pumpkin guts in the least. So, we told him his arm would not melt if he
stuck it in the pumpkin, and we kept a box of – what else – baby wipes ready to
decontaminate him if some of that veiny pumpkin gunk
stuck to his armpit. Baby wipes also do
a good job prepping the pumpkin surface for a good drawing…just wipe and when
its dry, go Michelangelo, go! And, while
my wife was drawing faces on a pumpkin, my son decided to do the same – all
over the prize minivan-sized pumpkin
that she was going to carve for a contest.
No problem! Baby wipes to the
rescue again, this time, wiping off the ink from the skin of the gourd. He had drawn wheels and door handles…
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Thanks
to___________________________________________________________________________,
Have a
Happy and Safe Halloween, Everybody!
C-YA!