My son is a Teenage Werewolf

By LucyB | Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 12:09 AM

My oldest son turned 13 today! That makes me (gasp!) the mother of a teenager! Help!

His voice is changing like Peter Brady’s. Remember that “Brady Bunch” episode when they’re in the recording studio? I mentioned it to my son during a particularly crackly conversation on the way home from school. He, of course, had no idea what I was talking about. He asked if the show was the “Suite Life of Zack & Cody” of my day. That’s a pretty fair estimation.

But now, through the magic of the Internet, I’ll supply him with this YouTube link, and he can look in the mirror. Well, maybe not so much, because my strapping wrestler wouldn’t be caught dead in that shirt Peter’s wearing.

So his voice is deepening, he passed me in height last month and he’s sprouting tufts of armpit hair. What’s happening to my little boy?

“It’s just puberty, Mom,” he says with an eye roll.

Whew! What a relief! I thought he was turning into a man before my very eyes.

I’m hoping for some good advice from veterans of the “terrible teen” years. Got any parenting tips for this newbie?

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Daughter’s lovely tresses go to Locks of Love

By LucyB | Friday, January 2, 2009, 01:15 AM

Parents have a right to brag, don’t they? Let the boasting begin …

About a year ago, my daughter announced that she was going to grow her hair out and donate it to Locks of Love.

The LOL program is a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss.

I can’t think of a more noble goal, so we put up with a year of rat’s nests and detangler till her chestnut ponytail’s tip measured 10 inches on our tape measure. She decided that New Year’s Eve would be a perfect time to get her brand-new look.

Our friend DeLynne, who owns her own shop — DeLynne’s Family Hair Care at 23 Park Ave. in Oakwood — agreed to do the deed and hack off my daughter’s lovely tresses. Two razors, a pair or scissors and a set of hedge clippers later (just kidding about the clippers), DeLynne had sawed through the thick clump of mane.

How freeing! What a great feeling my daughter had as she pranced out of the salon with her glamorous new bob. Doing something to help another child feel confident was a wonderful boost to her confidence as well. She learned that even 10-year-olds can make a difference.

Oh, and did I happen to mention that she also read nine books over Christmas break? I’d say she deserves all the praise I can heap on her.

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Ways to welcome 2009 with the whole family

By Michelle | Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 06:15 PM

Don’t have a baby-sitter?

Don’t have the desire to head out to a lame party or relive your younger days at a bar?

New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be a big party. It can be a family-friendly celebration of a brand new year.

Here are some ways to welcome in 2009 with the whole family:

• Ice skating, fireworks: Check out an alcohol-free family celebration at RiverScape MetroPark, 111 E. Monument Ave., complete with midnight fireworks over the Great Miami River. The Family New Year’s Eve Celebration starts at 8 p.m. and also features live music, children’s face-painting and art activities, a magician/comedian in a heated tent and ice skating. Free admission; $5 fee to ice rink includes skate rental. Call (937) 278-2607.

• Recreation and more family fun: Enjoy open swim, ice skating, playing basketball or volleyball, corn hole, ping pong and inflatables at the New Year’s Family Bash at the Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Drive, Kettering. The event runs from 5:30 - 9 p.m. Admission is $15 per family. Bring a nonperishable food item and get $1 off admission (maximum $5 discount per family). Food will be donated to the Kettering food bank. Pizza and popcorn are included in admission. The concession stand will be open for other purchases. For more information, call (937) 296-2587 or visit www.ketteringoh.org.

• Miley, Jonas Brothers and more: Got tweens? Spend the evening at home and save some money for 2009 and watch the Times Square countdown on television. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” at 10 p.m. on ABC (Channel 22) will feature the Jonas Brothers. Miley Cyrus (not her alter ego of Hannah Montana) will ring in the new year at 10:30 p.m. on MTV by surprising an unsuspecting fan and performing in her home. Just be glad it’s not your home. Pop some popcorn, bust out some board games, wear silly hats, toss confetti and bang on some pots and pans to welcome in the new year. Then put those kiddies to bed so the adults can celebrate with a nice bubbly beverage.

Happy New Year, everyone!

What are you doing for New Year’s? Share your ideas here.

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How I saved my son from choking

By LucyB | Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 03:44 AM

Unfunny Parenting Moment No. 492: During a recent visit with the in-laws, my 3-year-old, sucking on his third strawberry disc of the day, was walking through the room, did a stutter step and gasped for air. Or more like struggled for air, since he couldn’t even gasp at that point.

I leapt toward him, asked “Are you choking?” and gave him three hard raps on the back before anyone else in the room knew what was happening. Thank the good Lord above, out popped the red glistening candy, and my son started breathing again.

Funny Parenting Moment No. 7,846: As the rest of the family stared at us agog, amazed at how quickly the emergency was resolved, but awed by what could have transpired, I turned to our first-time pregnant niece and deadpanned the semi-joking warning: “Watch and learn.”

Choking hazards abound, especially during the holidays. Hard candies, pretty ornaments, popcorn balls: They all look pretty dang irresistible to a toddler. Add to that bouncy balls, shiny quarters, hot dogs, grapes, marbles and beads. Believe me, kids want to shove it all in their mouths.

Regardless of our high level of vigilance, our family has had its share of near-chokings:

— A friend once recommended a frozen bagel for our teething infant. A finger sweep is all that saved him.

— My nephew once saved my son — who choked while laughing hysterically at “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and chewing on a large wad of gum at the same time (not recommended). He used the Heimlich Maneuver he had seen in a video during health class.

— A chick-a-dee Pez from an Easter basket nearly killed my eldest son when he was about 5 years old. (There was blood and panic involved. Don’t ask.)

All I can say is, never let your guard down. Take a CPR course from your local Red Cross chapter, preferably when you find out you’re pregnant. And always be prepared to act fast.

Here are a few links on how to handle the situation:

— Learn how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver and other CPR methods.

— YouTube has many videos on the topic, natch. This one is from the British Red Cross.

— Lifesaving tips from the University of Oklahoma police can be found here.

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It’s not too late to send holiday photo cards!

By LucyB | Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 01:30 AM

A little behind the eight ball this season? Haven’t gotten around to sending out those Christmas cards? If you’re like me, you feel guiltier with each one that lands in your mailbox.

Don’t despair: It’s not too late for New Year’s greetings.

Our dear friends in Vermont — who also have three children and are therefore also perpetually overcommitted — have eased their holiday stress by putting off their annual greetings till after Christmas. And it’s worth the wait. ‘Round about Jan. 10, we receive an honest-to-goodness, pages-long handwritten letter fat with news and views, plus an updated photo of the kiddies.

But if the prospect of composing umpteen personalized letters makes your eyes bug out, take the easy route: Go online and order a batch of holiday photo cards in 5 minutes or less.

This is the first year I’ve ordered photo cards online, and frankly I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Between the four cities we’ve lived in and hometown and college friends, we’ve amassed a Christmas card list of more than 100 names.

Now, instead of writing a (cheesy) year-end letter or trying to jot personal notes in all of those cards, I’ll simply download a photo of the kids (that’s all anyone wants to see, anyway) and send it on its merry way to the magic online photomat.

I shopped around on the Internet at CVS, Walgreens, TinyPrints.com, etc., but the best price I found was at Walmart.com. At just 33 cents per card with free shipping to the store of your choice, their prices cannot be beat.

I ordered the photos the night of Dec. 10 — it took all of 5 minutes — and they were shipped free to my local Walmart, arriving with unbelievable speed on the afternoon of Dec. 13. Yeah, less than three days later. You read that right.

I chose the script signature, so I didn’t even have to sign them! I just popped them into the hand-addressed envelopes (being somewhat of a Luddite, I haven’t figured out how to make labels on our computer yet) and dropped them into the mailbox.

My only complaint was that they shorted me about 30 envelopes. When I called the store, they offered to give me the extras, but the cards fit in standard business envelopes, so in the interest of time I just used what I had.

Lazy? Maybe. But also Easy and Fast. Cross another giant job off my never-ending to-do list. Another small victory for this busy mom.

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Quick and easy teacher gifts

By LucyB | Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 12:11 AM

Step away from that cutesy apple mug! And don’t even think about those cheesy ABC earrings!

Even though there are just a few days left till Christmas break, there’s no need to panic about the Teacher Gift Dilemma. Here are a few quick and easy ideas on how to show your love and appreciation:

— If the teacher is a gardener, head to the dollar store for a ceramic or terra cotta flower pot (which the child could paint, then shellac) and fill it with a pack of seeds, gloves, a spade, etc.

— Create a movie night package with an unpopped tub of popcorn and a coupon for a free rental from the local video store (Sno-Caps optional).

— Buy a book for the school library or classroom and dedicate it to the teacher. (Our elementary makes this super-convenient by providing teacher requests and gift labels at the December book fair.)

— Gift cards are always an option, either from an individual family or as a group gift. Instead of a card from the teacher store, make sure the teacher personally enjoys the present by choosing Boston Stoker or Starbucks (for the caffeine addict, natch), Books & Co., or maybe Michael’s Craft Store. (Shh! Our beloved preschool teacher is getting a gift card for The Greene!)

— Got 30 minutes? You or your child can make a beautiful beaded bookmark. Click here for instructions.

— The folks at The Dollar Stretcher Web site asked teachers about their favorite gifts.

One teacher said she most appreciates homemade cookies because she doesn’t have the time to make them herself.

Another teacher, Christine, said she loves to get beautiful ornaments — not of the “World’s Greatest Teacher” variety, but something attractive that she can enjoy hanging on the tree year after year. “Each year, I pull out all of my ornaments and remember each student that gave one to me.” She had these recommendations: “Find an inconspicuous place to write your child’s name and the date in permanent marker. For multiple teachers, buy a boxed set of ornaments and divide them up for everyone. After Christmas this year, stock up on half-price ornaments for next year!”

Christine had another great suggestion for the teacher with a class pet. That teacher most likely spends his/her own money to provide for it. Put together a gift basket of hamster (or bird, or whatever) food, treats, shavings, etc.

— The Living a Better Life ezine posted this idea from a reader: “Last year, for my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher at Christmas, we purchased a whisk, and then inside it put red and green chocolate kisses. On the gift tag we wrote, ‘We whisk you a Merry Christmas!’”

— And finally, CafeMom.com listed several gifts under $5, including handwritten notes or cards; a picture of the class; an iTunes card; fresh fruit bought by the pound such as apples, oranges or pears; a basket of muffins or bagels and a small bag of morning coffee; or even a homemade lunch.

Whatever you chose to give, make sure to acknowledge the hard work and caring your teachers put into every day with your kids. They deserve the love!

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Boys in ties? It’s easier with this new product

By LucyB | Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 01:03 AM

Have a holiday happening on your schedule but nothing dressy enough in your son’s closet? The people at Fat Tie say they have just the thing.

They’re selling organic, long-sleeved T-shirts with a striped tie sewn on the front for $38 each. Fat Tie shirts combine the dressed-up look of a button down and tie with the durability and comfort of a cotton tee. No pinching collars or flapping shirttails!

Simply add a jacket and your boy is ready to step out in style — for school pictures, a wedding or any fancy family function.

The shirts come in gray, white or chocolate and are available in sizes from 2T to 7.

The Fat Tie Web site says the clever design “takes the pain out of getting boys dressed up and makes it fun.” I’m all for that, if it’s possible. I usually resort to a sweater vest and button down for my 3-year-old, but this new product lends a cute alternative.

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