September is National Rice Month

By sarajean on 8/31/10 6:57am
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In honor of my absolute favorite grain, here are some fun things to do with rice.

Cook some. Rice month wouldn’t be rice month without a rice meal. Go with something new and completely different. If you normally make pilaf, try some healthy brown rice. If you make Spanish rice with enchiladas, try an Indian curry with basmati rice instead. Try one of these recipes for risotto, pecan rice, and other flavors.

Throw some. Don’t throw rice outside, since it presents a hazard for birds. Instead, throw it inside for a pretend wedding. (Use a small amount for easy clean-up and the least amount of waste.)

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The Art of Making Lunch

By sarajean on 8/29/10 8:10am
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I love to look at food. I’m now addicted to the Food Network, and am known to grab everyday food items—like frozen pizzas or macaroni and cheese—and spice them up with various fruits, veggies, spices, and whatever I have on hand. I even had some party platters that I made from scratch become “all the rave” at a party I threw for my mother’s 50th birthday—something that I would have never been known for only a year ago. In short, I’m embracing my love of food rather than trying to suppress it, while still making healthy meals. I have Herb from The Next Food Network Star to thank for this new philosophy!

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During Early Childhood, Playing IS Learning

By sarajean on 8/25/10 10:44pm
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Today my family and I witnessed something truly crushing during my four-year-old’s swim class. She was having a great time, as usual; she loves the water, as many children do. Her dad does the class alongside her, and today she asked him to actually let go while she was floating—a big step! Though she remains uncomfortable “going under,” as many people do, we refuse to push her, allowing her to learn at her own pace and maintain her level of interest and comfort with the water itself.

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Sarah Palin Doesn’t Speak for All Mama Grizzlies

By sarajean on 8/17/10 10:53pm
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Recently, Sarah Palin used her common tactic of simple metaphors mixed with animals and third grade vocabulary words to highlight her presence and that of her soccer mom followers, whom she now refers to as “mama grizzlies.” She says that when their cubs are threatened, mama grizzlies attack—which, I think, is a valid point. Unlike many of the other strange things she’s tried to claim as fact, this is true; if you mess with the cub, you mess with the mama.

However, if translating said metaphor toward a more developed species—in this case, humans—it doesn’t work the same way. If a mama bear’s cubs become human boys and girls, bringing out the claws and teeth get trickier.

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Dealing with Early Onset Puberty in Girls, Part II

By sarajean on 8/13/10 2:13pm
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Most guides say that if you wait to talk about menstruation with your child until she has her first period, you are waiting too late. That is a bit of a stretch when menstruation begins at ages 7 or 8. One thing that I’ve done in my home is allow my daughter to see my menstruation products; after all, as I potty trained her and she modeled me, she saw them anyway. Simple explanations like, “Big girls bleed every month and these catch the blood,” and, “Mommy’s body bleeds to help it stay ready for a baby,” have worked for me in this light. My daughter ultimately starts asking if we can have another baby, of course; she’s much more interested in a potential sibling than her mother’s period.

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Dealing with Early Onset Puberty in Girls, Part I

By sarajean on 8/13/10 2:10pm
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As a young girl, I always felt like a freak. Having to wear a B-cup by age 8 and having to bring pads to school for your period by age 9 should not be commonplace events. I remember the morning I woke up with my period. It was during our third grade standardized state test week, and I thought I was bleeding to death. My mother had to give me a quick talk and send me to school with a note about my “condition.”

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Scooby Dooby Doo, You’ve Got Some Kids to Scare Now

By sarajean on 8/9/10 1:02am
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Recalling the Scooby Doo of my childhood, I could only recall vague images of a goofy dog and his fearless (sometimes) foursome of friends riding around in a really hippy dippy van “solving” mysteries—which usually meant pulling masks off of people after they followed really obvious clues. Revisiting the show with my child now, I’m realizing that it’s sort of scary—at least in some ways—and misdirection is a pretty common theme.

What CSI does for criminals, I think Scooby Doo does for kids—it can teach you how to not just get away with something, but also how to blame it on someone else! Kids, of course, rarely have access to the equipment, holographic imagery, or costumes that the Scooby Doo criminals do.

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Tell Congress: Don’t Cut After School Programs

By sarajean on 7/30/10 4:55pm
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Aside from what Ben Stein stupidly thinks, most Americans are working hard to make ends meet these days. Those who are unemployed are working hard to find work, often having to resort to much less pay than the former positions they occupied and altering their lifestyles accordingly. I know this is true, since I, along with many of former my co-workers, and many of my husband’s former co-workers, have floated along in this boat. Many of our friends and family members sadly still are. It’s not a time to make families struggle even more than they already are—that’s for sure.

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How to Keep Kids with Special Needs Safe

By sarajean on 7/29/10 8:44am
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Have you recently discovered that your child has a developmental delay, cognitive disability, or physical impairment? Are you a babysitter, relative, or other caregiver who is new to taking care of children with disabilities and special needs? The MetLife Foundation and Safe Kids have created a series of videos just for you. They are designed to help caregivers meet the needs of children with special requirements, organized by various disabilities, risk factors, and family situations.

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National Merry-Go-Round Day

By sarajean on 7/23/10 9:52am
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July 25 is a perfect day to go out and enjoy the merry-go-round. A Sunday this year, it affords most families the chance to hit the park and, if there’s still one left (as my old favorite park no longer has one), show their children—as well as the parents themselves!—a good old-fashioned time on the merry-go-round. If there is a carousel or carnival near you, that’s a great opportunity as well.

I have a wonderful story about a merry-go-round. In fact, I wrote about it in junior high, much to the delight and disgust of my classmates. Reading it aloud was some of the most fun I’d ever had in school to that point!

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