I tried to post this yesterday via e-mail but it didn't work :(

Busy Weekend

Saturday we went to a Bar Mitzvah in Princeton. I lost my digital camera for
a bit - one of the bar mitzvah boy's friends found it (and took some photos
with it while he had it) - so I rewarded him :)

Also, there was a Bar Mitzvah party next door at the hotel (next the party we
went to). We didn't see it - but Billy Crystal was one of the guests. Our
friend's nephew (who's party it was) did manage to get a photo with Billy (we
missed him alas).

Alan stayed with his grandma. He did very well and ate well for her. But he
was happy to see us. We brought home a bunch of junk for him - a helium
balloon centerpiece (now deflating) - and some props - hats, glasses, lei's
and some conga things. He'll play with those under supervision as some of
those really aren't baby toys.

Sunday we stayed home. Hopefully we will get the kitchen finished this week
(contractor issues). However I finally put together the ikea bookcase I
bought in July which had been in pieces (had to open the box to get it in the
house). So I emptied the old one, spot cleaned the rug under it, let it dry,
got up the new one and filled it and tossed the old one which was 7 years old
and had a broken shelf - DH and I broke it into pieces to get out the door -
demolishing it was fun. Looks much better. This one is bolted to the wall
incase Alan pulls up on it.

I really need the kitchen finished (floor replaced etc) soon. We have the old
molding saved in case it's needed to use as a guide. It's in a corner, but it
has NAILS in it which makes me VERY nervous.

We need to get one more piece of furniture for the living room - a
hutch/buffet of some kind. We will go to Ikea to look - I need a white one,
Ikea doesn't seem to have one, although I saw a dresser/chest that might work.

I'm glad the Yankees lost. So is DH. Alan has no opinion yet. I'm also glad
the Giants won :)

Grrr

Last night DH told me about a live concert by the band The Thrills on WFUV (www.wfuv.org). So I had to figure out how to set up the boom box in the bedroom to record on CD. I got it set but managed to push the wrong button because I was trying to hold Alan at the same time. And then DH was hanging around while I was trying to figure out what to do. I finally told him to take Alan and leave...The CD didn't seem to come out, but I do know what to do next time (there's a Shelby Lynn concert Thursday night at 8.)

By the way, the comments about the DCMA (digital copyright millenia act) on www.wfuv.org are very interesting - they are very limited in what they can stream now :(

New Layette and Boys Lines @ Gymboree Review :(

Took a look at the new lines.

Layette for boys is kind of cute, but Alan will be out of 12-18 months by the end of the winter and doesn't need more in that size (and I can't buy ahead for next winter in layette.) I prefer cats to dogs but cats are hard to find for boys anyway.

Baby boys is boring. Stripes again! The only cute things are the double sleeve
tops. The bear motif reminds me of Cross Country (vintage). I'd get the tech
pants but in a size for the spring (18-24) months as they are kind of neutral
and Alan's got lots of stuff for winter. Maybe I'll get the tops for next year
since ski's and bears don't go in the early spring :(

If this is the *new* designers for boys, nice try but it STILL looks like
corporate casual or grownup leisurewear.

Leslie Gottlieb

Weird phone # thing (US only, I think)

1.) Key in the first 3 digits of your phone number into a calculator
(do not key in your area code).
2.) Multiply by 80.
3.) Add 1.
4.) Multiply by 250.
5.) Plus last 4 digits of your phone number.
6.) Plus last 4 digits of your phone number again.
7.) Minus 250.
8.) Divide by 2.

Look at the result.... Is this your phone number? :o)

Things I have no idea how to do with Alan

- Teach him NOT to throw his food
- How to get him to understand NO - not to go do it again and not to throw a hissy fit when you tell him no
- How to teach him to eat with a spoon and then a fork
- How to toilet train him
- How to find a safe space when I'm taking a shower in the morning. He's outgrowing the exersaucer, he isn't happy stuck in the crib and the best we can do is gate off a hall and let him play there...parts of the place just aren't childsafe at this point :( Or do I start showering at night?

Sigh.

Study: Kids' TV, computer habits start early (from CNN)

Study: Kids' TV, computer habits start early
Report finds pre-schoolers use media as much as play outside
Tuesday, October 28, 2003 Posted: 12:45 PM EST (1745 GMT)



Nearly two-thirds of children under 2 spend a couple of hours a day in front of the TV, according to a study.

(CNN) -- Pre-schoolers are likely to spend as much time in front of the television or computer as they are playing outside, three times longer than the time spent reading, according to a new study that looks at the media's pervasiveness even among the very young.

Children aged 6 and under spend an average of two hours a day playing video games, using computers, and watching TV and videos, about the same amount spent on outdoor activities, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports in a study released Tuesday. That amount is about three times the average 49 minutes spent reading or being read to.

"We found out that kids today are growing up absolutely immersed in electronic media in this country, starting at the youngest ages," says Kaiser's Vicky Rideout, lead author of the study. "[At] even just a few months old, they're watching TV, watching videos, using computers, playing video games."

The study found that even the youngest of children are no exception. Nearly two-thirds of kids under 2 spend a couple of hours a day in front of the screen. (The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children under 2 not watch TV at all.)

"We know this is an absolutely critical period for children's development -- for their intellectual development, their social development, their physical development," says Rideout. "But we need to make sure the media that they are using are not only not harming that development, but are actually enhancing it."

TV also affects children's reading abilities. Kids with a screen in their bedroom or who live in "heavy" households -- defined as a home where the TV is on "always" or "most of the time" -- are less likely to be able to read by age 6. The study found 34 percent of 4- to 6-year-olds from "heavy" households could read, while 56 percent of other children that age could.

But the study said despite the influx of media, reading is still a part of young children's lives. Nearly 8 in 10 will read or be read to on a typical day, on average for about 49 minutes, compared to the hours in front of TVs and computers.

Kaiser researchers based their study on a telephone survey of more than 1,000 parents of children ages 6 months through 6 years.

Among the other findings of the Kaiser study:

• More than a third of kids under 6 have a TV in their bedroom.

• About one in four have a VCR or DVD where they sleep.

• A computer is present in 7 percent of the bedrooms.

• On an average day, about a quarter of 4- to 6-year-olds spend more than an hour on a computer.

Researchers say that the findings should raise concerns on the importance of the early years on children's development, and that using TV and videos might displace more interactive and constructive time for learning.

Studies in the past have linked prolonged TV viewing to obesity in children, poor sleep patterns, and later adult violence. And as younger watchers become more prevalent, Kaiser's Rideout says that more research is needed to understand the impact of early TV viewing.

To keep any TV watching to a healthy level, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association say parents should set time limits to how much and what children can watch. They also recommend choosing programs carefully and helping kids find other options, such as learning a sport or musical instrument.

"I would suggest that parents want to probably take a look at how much time their kids are spending with media and how much time their kids are spending in other activities," Rideout says.

"[Parents should] consider if they really want to have a TV in their 3-year-old's bedroom or not ... and think about maybe turning off the TV in the home if nobody's watching it."

CNN medical producer Christy Feig contributed to this report.

Which 80's song fits you?

Considering there is a line about Capt. Kirk in this song, it kind of fits.


"99 Red Balloons" (by Nena)
99 Decision Street.
99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.


Which 80's Song Fits You?
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