General discussion
 

Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle --- RIP

Character actor Michael Jeter, dead at 50
http://www.planetout.com/pno/news/ar...e=2003/04/01/3

OH NO, MR. NOODLE!

:(

Daughter From Danang
 

If anyone is interested, PBS is showing the movie Daughter from Danang. It is about a young woman who was adopted from Vietnam during the war and goes back to Vietnam expecting to bond with her birth family. But things turn a bit sour when the culture clash becomes evident. The film won many awards. It's showing 9 pm EST - you can check time in your area.

Viet_Mom

Oops - Daughter from Danang
 

Um, the date the film is showing (Daughter from Danang) is this Monday, April 7 (9 pm EST).

(Mommybrain, sorry).

Let's get this party started
 

Our little board seems to have been overlooked in all the moving. I'll try to get things going with a story and poll.

We had two birthday parties this weekend. One was for an 8yo girl and was a sleepover mystery party. All the kids were characters and had to act out their parts to find out who stole some diamond or something. Apprently it was a big hit. The second was for a 6 yo in a park. The rented a moon jump and had snacks and cake, but no other organized activities. I hung out for that one and it was kind of boring.

So, what are some good kids' birthday party themes?

Let's get this party started
 

We gave a birthday party for our dinosaur-crazed boy at the American Museum of Natural History (a dinosaur party), which was a HUGE hit. He still talks about it (and it was 9 months ago!)

The parties that tend to be the biggest hits for kids of his age (about 5) are the "gymnastics" or other running-around-type parties. There's a place called Circus Gym here where they "rock-climb" and swing across the room on a suspended wire (kind of like James Bond), jump on trampolines, etc. that the kids seem to enjoy.

I have heard that a very popular party is one given at the oldest (?) (if not the oldest, a very old) fire station in NYC.

The mystery party sounds cool.

The Best Birthday Parties
 

Sorry but this thread reminded me of the FUNNIEST birthday party scenes. In Parenthood, Steve Martin promises that Cowboy Gil will attend his 9 year old son's BD party but when he's a no-show, Marin dresses up like the Cowboy, complete with the rubber-bottomed bathroom carpet mat for knee britches.
http://www.homevideos.com/freezefram...nthood705.jpeg http://www.homevideos.com/freezefram...nthood708.jpeg

And then he has to viciously bludgeon the pinata to get the candy out. Oh too funny.

(At least funnier than the BD scene in The Omen].

Let's get this party started
 

You are the coolest parents ever. Would you adopt me?

I think the word you're looking for is "chaps."

I wish I had more to contribute to this thread, but my kids are too young to have a lot of experience with this as a parent, and thinking back to growing up, just about every birthday party I went to was pretty lame. My favorites were the ones at the local water park, FWIW. Especially because it also had go-karts.

Of course, I went to a couple of very interesting birthday parties in college, but those stories are best saved for another board.:eek:

"chaps"

One connotation in Wyoming, quite another in San Francisco. I'm just saying.

Any suggestions for a birthday party for the younger set (e.g., 3)?

Also, the wee one has started talking about his dreams when he wakes up. Anyone know if this is developmentally interesting? (Unfortunately, all I can tell is that there was a green light, and it was scary.)

I've always heard that there should be as many child guests as the kid is old. But maybe this is if parents aren't included? One of our neighbors had a birthday party/barbecue for their kid's second birthday last September and invited families. It was kind of open-house-y, which worked well with small children and short attention spans. They had one of those inflatable fenced trampoline thingies, a train table, a few other toys (mostly balls--lots of boys in our neighborhood), and lots of tables and chairs for the parents to sit, talk and eat while the kids amused themselves. Very low-key and very fun.

Don't know if we'll do anything for Magnus' third this summer.

tm

Stranger Anxiety
 

Vietbabe has it. She's almost 7 months. Granted she didn't have a lot of contact with others due to the weather and family being away. They say it's from 6-9 months. Does it just magically go away? Thoughts? How to improve the situation? Everyone wants to hold her but she gets all upset. Even people she's seen a few times.

Thanks.

Stranger Anxiety
 

Well, Magnus never really had it, at least the panicked screaming clutching of parent variety; he does still get shy when asked direct questions by strangers. From my extensive experience with nephews/nieces/friends' children, I think it does almost always go away within a couple of months. My recommendation is not to push it--your stress about her anxiety, or negative feedback to her, or tough-love "see-that's-not-so-bad" will only intensify her feelings. Just stay calm and try to pass that sense along to her ("It's okay, Mommy's got you," etc.), and take things at her pace. Also, try to avoid stranger-danger situations when she's hungry or tired or already on the verge.

tm

Stranger Anxiety
 

Like tmdiva, this is not a problem I recall having in spades, but L'il Ty gets shy whenever some new pays attention to him. He basically puts his head down or looks away and waits for them to do something else. Based on dog training, which is more applicable to raising kids than one might think, make sure that experiences with strangers end well. Better to break off early with a positive experience than to go too far and make things negative. And it's harder with a baby than with a dog to tell where that line is.

Morning Sickness
 

Anyone have any remedies for morning sickness? - actually All-Day-Sickness. Crackers are disgusting - the only thing that tastes OK is Nature Valley Peanut Butter granola bars which have been my saving grace.

-TL and the parasite

Morning Sickness
 

Ugh. My sympathies - it's a tough period. Some people wear the seasickness bracelets and find that helps (supposed to be some pressure point on the wrist and at least is non-pharmacologic).

Other than that - I liked cold macaroni and cheese; and fruit smoothies. Cold rice with stir fried veggies, too. But YMMV.

Morning Sickness
 

Nothing worked for me except Zofran twice a day. If you get dehydrated, B12 shots and IV fluids.

Morning Sickness
 

Not that bad yet, but there's still time - it's still early yet. The unrelenting fatigue is just as bad - I almost didn't make it in today and I got 10hrs sleep!

I think I may try one of those seasick bands and see if it helps. Drinking isn't a problem - I can down water and milk with no ill effects. (OJ is a whole different story...).

-T(It's all worth it)L and the parasite

Morning Sickness
 

My sympathies. :( Even Zofran didn't work for me. Luckily, the sickness went away around 16 weeks. People who haven't had it just cannot comprehend how miserable it is to feel sick 24 hours a day. It's just unrelentingly awful.

The only good thing, is that nausea is a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

Some people swear by candied ginger or even pickled ginger. But really, there's almost nothing you can do (unless you're seriously losing fluids, nutrients, etc. because you're vomiting all the time, then you need hospital treatment.)

Morning sickness
 

Ginger helped me some--I kept ginger snaps (Archway!) to snack on, and took ginger capsules. Crystallized ginger is also a great idea (though when I was pregnant I hadn't yet discovered it in the bulk section at the supermarket).

Most important thing is to stay hydrated (I was never without my 32oz ice water) and make sure you eat enough protein. Maybe fruit smoothies with a protein booster? I know I craved fruit smoothies in my first trimester--sipping through a straw was easier than chewing and swallowing for sure.

Good luck!

tm

Morning Sickness
 

A weird thing about the nausea for me was that it was closely related to air quality. The first trimester, my only real break from nausea was a camping trip in the high country - that clear air worked wonders.

Conversely, a visit to the cologne-wearing attorney in the next office was enough to set off a severe attack of nausea.

So - a week in Banff - for medical purposes, of course?

Finding Pre-K in NYC
 

Can anyone recommend resources (books, websites, etc.) designed to assist parents find nursery and kindergarten schools in NYC? I've only heard the legendary tales of the pain and misery that is finding the right schooling a child in NYC.

Extra credit: especially interested in schools and organizations that would be supportive of a child with hearing loss. Lil' Remand was born without hearing in one ear. While that shouldn't impede speach and language development, it requires some sensitivity on the part of those working with him.

Thanks for the help.

Morning Sickness
 

That's an interesting bit of evidence favoring the (yet unproven) hypothesis that morning sickness is connected with a heightened sense of smell that the body uses to deter the mother from ingesting spoiled foods that would be harmless to the adult body but dangerous for the fetus.

Morning Sickness
 

Adoption worked for me. (:

Seriously, be careful b/c my sister had HORRENDOUS mornning sickness but it turned out during her pregnancy that she had an intolerance to wheat (gluten). Which is what she was eating to ward off the sickness and kept getting worse.

I would talk to the doctor and beg for any remedy that might work. Good luck, you poor thing. I've seen the debilitating effects of morning sickness that can really reak havoc emotionally. Do you have other children? If not, try to sleep ALOT!!

Finding Pre-K in NYC
 

There is a book (which I used to have in my office, but can't seem to find now...), that lists all the nursery schools in Manhattan. The horror stories you have heard are, unfortunately, true.

I would get the book (it's called something like "Guide to Nursery Schools in Manhattan" or some such utilitarian title) and is in the New York section of your local Barnes & Noble. The schools are separated by area (Upper East, Upper West, Uptown - above 110th Street -- and Downtown) and has a description of the schools.

Go through the book, pick the ones you like, and then try to find an "in" at the school. Not that you can't get in without one, but your chances greatly improve.

It is a horror story getting a child into nursery school (unless you have a spare $1M to donate...or maybe the CEO of your company can do it...). I'm hoping that kindergarten won't be nearly as painful, but I'm not holding my breath.

Morning Sickness
 

Hehe. Too late for that! I'm not puking - I feel so bad I wish I could, you know? I'm hungry, but I go to eat and can't stand it. The Dr. says I can lose a few lbs and I'll be fine, so I'm not too worried. I've been drinking lots and I might go out for soup at lunch - that sounds like it might be OK. I've been sleeping 10+ hrs/night and napping in the afternoons. Wow - that all sounds pathetic. I just keep thinking the kid must be healthy to pump out all those hormones so I should be thankful - and I am.

-T(ugh)L and the Lexling

Finding Pre-K in NYC
 

"The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools"
by Linda Faulhaber

The book lists all of the pre-schools in Manhattan with vital info including admissions procedures, along with special programs if they have any.

The Parents League has resources on pre-schools as well.

Good Luck!

Finding Pre-K in NYC
 

Thanks dtb and Flatlander!

Reader's Digest Moment
 

Signs that the politeness training is paying off:

Teaching kid to use Google - he needs to find the average weight of a human heart.

I tell him "find three words that are important in describing what you need to find, and type them in with a space in between them."

He types "heart human."

I say, good - but you need one more word.

He thinks for a minute, and then types in "heart human please."

Reader's Digest Moment
 

That's just precious. Were his feelings hurt when you laughed your ass off?

Reader's Digest Moment
 

It was more of an "awwww" reaction.

Reader's Digest Moment
 

Are you sure you're the same bilmore from the old boards? You're slipping.

Reader's Digest Moment
 

I've made a conscious decision to be nicer to children.

Oh, and, nice post.

;)

A Proud Dad Moment
 

On Saturday I was looking through a Sesame Street magazine with Sidd Jr., and we came to a picture with the characters playing various instruments. He recognizes a trumpet (I have one from days gone by), but he didn't know what the others were called. So I told him, then asked if he wanted to hear a saxophone (since that was one of the instrument).

Put on John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." And he immediately broke into a huge smile, lifted his arms, and started dancing. And said "I like this!"

Sigh. Nothing could make this old jazz fan happier.

A Not So Proud Parent Moment
 

At least you guys are having positive moments. After weeks of singing the praises of the Easter Bunny (as in be good or the Easter Bunny won't bring you any candy), we arrived at the mall for our picture with the Easter Bunny just as the Bunny was exclaming that it was "so f***ing hot in his costume." His handlers apologized and claimed that he didn't realize that anyone was behind him. Anon Junior who is at the repeat-everything-just-like-a-little-tape-recorder-even-if-you-don't-know-what-it-means stage immediately repeated this. We cannot get him to stop saying it - he told Grandma that the Easter Bunny was so f****ing hot. I think that we are going to have to resort to telling him that the Bunny isn't real that was just some foul-mouthed person in a bunny suit.

Ps. I'm not posting this under my usual user name because, of course, I've told the story at work - as in "stay away from the Easter Bunny at x mall."

A Proud Dad Moment
 

In light of L'il Ty's near-complete disinterest in music, these stories from you folks have been making me feel like a parenting failure, although I'm trying to convince myself that he's just wired differently (i.e., it's my genes, not my parenting skills).

Not So Proud Moment
 

We had a similar experience with Santa Clause. Fortunately Little Ritz was too little to understand or repeat what Santa said. You just have to keep in mind that these are generally seasonal, low paid workers who spend the day in a sweaty costume. We now try to go early in the day when they are in a better mood.

Music
 

I can't tell which is worse, piano practice with the little thread, or recorder with the bigger thread (string?). Recorder is painful to listen to, but then it's over.

Piano lingers on in the stupid scales and practice songs going through my head in the middle of the afternoon.

Not So Proud Moment
 

I think your kids should be known as the "Ritz Bitz".

A Proud Dad Moment
 

Ah yes. I had so many similar moments with both the Wonk Monster and Princess Wonk. Enjoy these days, Sidd. They will all to soon be replaced with obssessions with Linkin Park, Christina A., and other derivative crap and worse.

On the plus side, they will remember that there is good music, giving you hope that they will one day return from the Dark Side.

Greedy Greedy Greedy wrote "I think your kids should be known as the Ritz bitz."
 

I kind of like that.