Last week I introduced the “one-hit wonders,” names that made the U.S. top-1000 name charts one year and never again. In the weeks to come I’ll be taking periodic dips into this fascinating pool of names, exploring the outer edges…

The 2007 Name of the Year
Thank you to the readers who submitted hundreds of thought-provoking suggestions for the 2007 baby Name Wizard Name of the Year. (Read about the NOTY requirements here.) Before I unveil the ultimate selection, a quick note on a name that…

Pacific Cycle Recalls Children s Trailer Bicycles
Pacific Cycle Recalls Children’s Trailer Bicycles; Can Detach from Adult Bicycle and Injure Children WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Names …

Oh baby! Those Precious Hands and Feet! Grooming and Upkeep For your Infant
Many new mothers comment that their newborns fingers and toes are one the most amazing and interesting features to study on their precious little baby’s bodies. It has long been a tradition for hospitals to take ink prints of newborns hands and feet soon after birth as a keepsake memento …

Hitting my stride as a single mom
Filed under: DivorceOver the course of my nearly fourteen year union with my ex-husband I dabbled in single motherhood a number of times. The efforts lasted anywhere from three weeks to 18 months. It was as if after a certain amount of time the ails that plagued our relationship seemed to look less toxic than the thought of parenting our children on my own. During our separations I would simply reach a point when the thought of making a go on my own would leave me breathless and feeling as though the walls might close in on me if I were to face a future of evenings and weekends with just the children and me to fill the hours. So for one reason or another my ex and I would reunite and give it another go. Twice these efforts lead to more children that, at times, made the thought of a united family all the more enticing. Our last separation was final, and after nearly 19 months I can look at the future and not start to itch when I envision the years ahead as a single mom. In fact, I believe I am slipping into something comfortable and, quite incredibly, healthy. The afternoons when I pick up the kids from school seem to slip all too quickly into evenings of homework, baths and bedtime routines. The weekends are shared with their father and within the blink of an eye Friday has slipped into Monday and another week begins. I am not sure exactly when this transition occurred, perhaps it is a factor of maturity or just an acceptance that the past is over and a new era has begun. Whatever the case, I must admit that I really like this new place. There is confidence and security here and I can only believe my three children are soaking this in on some level and, hopefully, they will derive the peace from it that I am.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Toddler television programming
Filed under: 2 years, Toddler, Television, DVDs and VideosI know there are lots of parents who have a No TV policy for their young children, and I find that admirable, in the same way I find the concept of scaling Mt. Everest admirable. Like wow, that sounds great, I’d do the same except I’m really into this thing I call “sanity”. Well, “sanity” or “laziness”, whatever. Let’s not SPLIT HAIRS.Riley gets to watch at least one or two episodes of Blue’s Clues in the morning, because that’s when we like to dawdle over the paper and drink coffee and totally ignore our parental duties as long as possible. If the Toddler Witching Hour is in full effect in the evening (that slump from about 5 PM until bedtime, when madness ensues and there are not enough LEGOS in the world to appease the child), Blue’s Clues comes back on, and I say a little prayer of thanks to Noggin gods for providing my child with such quality slack-jawed entertainment.I kind of like Blue’s Clues, particularly the episodes with Steve. Put Joe in there and in my opinion the whole thing takes a big crap, but go figure, Riley totally prefers Joe.The only other show he watches is Maisy, which I think is a charming little cartoon except for the nonstop NOISES Maisy’s friends make. Charlie the crocodile sounds like an escapee from the mental hospital, Eddie is a big fat whiner, and Cyril needs to be punched in the face. However, the overall experience of watching Maisy or being exposed to it while I’m doing housework isn’t face-clawingly unpleasant, unlike almost every other kid’s show out there.Why is Yo Gabba Gabba so frenetic? Why is Boobah so psychedelic? Why does Dora the Explorer involve so many computery arrows that make big mouse-click sounds? Why do the Wonder Pets have to sing so much? I know these shows aren’t created to entertain someone in their thirties, but damn. There is some freaky programming out there for little kids. It’s almost enough to make me ban the TV altogether . . . if, you know, I were interested in climbing Everest.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fluorescent light bulbs: green and toxic
Filed under: Making a Difference, EnvironmentalMaking your world a little ‘greener’ doesn’t always have to involve a major lifestyle change. Little changes can add up to a big difference if everybody makes them. Recycling household waste is a good place to start, but depending on where you live, that isn’t always as easy as it should be. Experts sat that one thing we can all do to conserve energy is switch out our old incandescent light bulbs for the more energy-efficient fluorescent ones. They may cost a bit more initially, but over time will save you money. That sounds so easy that you wonder why everyone isn’t doing it.Maybe it is the mercury inside those fluorescent bulbs that give some of us pause. If you were to break one, you’ve just created some hazardous waste right in the comfort of your own home. A broken fluorescent bulb will immediately release mercury into the air. And the initial discomfort of exposure to that mercury - dizziness and nausea - are the least of your concerns. Breathing in that stuff can cause lifelong damage to the central nervous system and should be avoided.If you are convinced that fluorescent is the way to go, there are some ways to minimize your risk of exposure to mercury from a broken bulb. Toxicology experts say the first thing you should do if you break one is to leave the room immediately. Take the kids and the pets with you and don’t come back for at least fifteen minutes. After the air has cleared, you can begin cleaning up the mess, but don’t break out the vacuum cleaner. Instead, wear rubber gloves and sweep it into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and dispose of it as you would any other hazardous waste. In my area, we have a hazardous waste facility that is open daily as well as mobile collection sites around town. I would assume non-broken fluorescent bulbs should be treated as hazardous waste as well. I mean, you drop it in the trash, it is going to break at some point, right?Having said all that, I have to say that I am not convinced the energy-efficiency is worth the risk. What about you? Have you switched to fluorescent?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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