Is It Spring Yet?

My daughter celebrated spring by taking her hamster out for a walk in the backyard.

We finally have shorts and t-shirt weather, which means spending a lot of time outside walking, playing, and, oh yeah, pulling weeds, spraying wasp nests, and dodging dog poop on the sidewalks.

No Babysitter Needed

When we moved into our new house a few years back, one of our neighbors came over to welcome us with a plate of cookies.

She also wanted to let us know that her daughter had recently passed some sort of babysitter test and was "ready and willing to sit for your kids!"

We'd never used a babysitter before, and didn't foresee any need to use one in the near future.

Every time we'd see that neighbor, she'd remind us about her daughter. "She's very caring and attentive!"

Well, I'm sure she is, but I'm not running a welfare service here. I'm not going to create a parents' night out just to put a few bucks in some teenager's pocket.

So, my kids are almost 10 and 7, and they've never had a babysitter. What's the big deal?

Some people have a problem with this. I've actually watched friends become angry when I told them we have no need for a babysitter. "You have to spend time as a couple or your relationship will suffer," they yell at me, as if the health of my marriage depends upon a weekly date night.

The truth of the matter is, my wife and I probably see too much of each other anyway. I'm always around the house, night and day. If anything, I'm surprised she's not sick of me yet.

As for date night, we have one of those practically every night after the kids are asleep - watching DVDs, working on projects, talking, ordering pizza, or just sitting in front of the fire.

It's so much cheaper to just stay home. When we do have extra money for a movie or concert, it's usually one we want to see with the kids. So we go as a family.

No babysitter needed.

Carell on Children

In the latest issue of Wired Magazine, actor Steve Carell (The Office) gives his tongue-in-cheek advice on how to be a super genius.

His thoughts on children:

"Children are very smart, in their own stupid way. A child's brain is like a sponge, and you know how smart sponges are. My children are like little processors. They pick up all kinds of things, then process that into information. And what is knowledge, really, but processed information? We must always strive to be overly processed, like our children."

Go here for the rest of the article.

All This Time

My son had state testing this morning. Three hours of language skills and reading comprehension.

Which means I had three hours as well. To do whatever I wanted.

My question to you non-homeschooling stay-at-home parents is... What in the world do you do with all that time?

I cleaned the kitchen, folded laundry, vacuumed, cleaned the cat litter box, and all the other daily chores that I usually perform at night.

That only took up the first hour.

After that I drove to Best Buy and browsed around, trying to think of something to get my wife for Mother's Day, but only managing to find a dozen or more things that I want someone to get for me for Father's Day.

That took up the second hour.

I was so bored out of my mind, I ended up sitting in the parking lot at the testing center playing Scrabble on my iPod for the third hour.

You moms and dads who have six hours a day, five days a week all to yourself... Man, do I feel sorry for you.

The Hot Latin Giveaway

It's hot!

It's Latin!

Do I have your attention now?

It's a diet!

Wait, come back. It's The Hot Latin Diet, a new weight loss book from Dr. Manny Alvarez (medical correspondent for Fox News).

Penguin Books sent a copy for me to give away to one of my readers. If you'd like to have it, simply leave a comment here.

So, what is The Hot Latin Diet? It revolves around the Seven Latin Powerfoods, which are: tomatillos, garbanzo beans, avocado, garlic, cinnamon, chiles, and cilantro.

In the book, Alvarez incorporates these foods into a diet plan that includes flavorful recipes, fitness advice, shopping lists, and stress busters. The Latin food angle is an interesting approach in a field that is crowded with a dizzying number of diet books.

We all know what it takes to have a healthier diet and lifestyle: Eat better and exercise more. The Hot Latin Diet follows that mantra and just might be the plan to help you lose weight and keep it off.

Again, if you'd like to have this new book, just leave a comment. I'll pick a winner after the weekend.

Soccer Screamers

My kids are playing soccer again through the city parks and rec programs. It's the eighth team for my son and the fourth for my daughter.

They like it because it's fun. Everyone gets to play, and nobody keeps an official score or team standing. The highlight of each game is still the snack at the end.

That's the way the kids like it, even the 4th graders who are becoming a bit more competitive. If they want to take soccer seriously, they can move on to Sting and its long season, strict practices, and parents who dream of college scholarships.

Parks and rec kids just want to have fun.

Sometimes the parents forget that. Last week I had my first experience with a screamer at my son's game, a dad who was berating his kid for some improper footwork.

All I ever say to my son is, "Have fun."

He's not the fastest kid on the field, and he's never scored a goal in eight seasons, but he enjoys being a part of the team and honing his defensive skills.

I hope the screamers and their kids move on to something more challenging. Parks and rec soccer is not the place for them. My son only has three years left to play it, and I just want to see him out there having a good time and getting some exercise.

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

Good news for those of you who are looking forward to taking your kids to see Speed Racer when it opens this weekend. Over at Ain't It Cool News, Quint has posted his review of the new movie. Sounds like it's a cool kid-friendly family flick. Here are a few quotes from the review:

"I'm amazed at what the Wachowskis have done with this film. It's a kid's film through and through, make no mistake. But it's a kid's film that succeeded in making me a kid again while watching it."

"The real surprise for me was the incredible heart the film has. The racing is incredible, of course, but the quiet moments were literally a love letter to the family unit."

"The film isn’t just a love letter to family, but a valuable lesson on how to treat those that love and support you as well as letting the kids know to look out for those who put on a friendly face when all they want is to use you."

Read the rest of the review here.

Summer Blockbusters

I was looking at a list of the big summer movies being released this year, and I marveled at the number of potentially exciting blockbusters. I do this every year, but never seem to learn that most of them will end up being duds. When it comes to Hollywood, hope springs eternal.

The big question, though, is which of these movies do I get to see on the big-screen, and which ones do I just wait to see on DVD in the fall? Since we only go to the movie theater with one or both of the kids in tow, I have to seriously consider the content of these films from a child's perspective.

Basically, can my 6-year-old and/or 9-year-old handle it? Both of them can differentiate between real and make-believe. I always show them the "behind the scenes" clips on DVD, so they can see how the special effects are made and that the characters are played by actors. It's more a matter of how intense the storyline and subject matter might be.

My son has already watched all three Indiana Jones films, so the new one is a given for him. Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, and Space Chimps all look like sure things. Prince Caspian and Speed Racer show some promise, although the extreme action and effects of both films might be too much for my daughter. The Dark Knight is definitely out. The others, I'll just have to read the reviews.

How do you decide whether to let your kids see a popular movie?

Here are the movies that I'm looking forward to seeing this summer. Click on the title to watch the trailer. We won't see all of them, partly because of the content and partly because it would cost a small fortune to take a family of four to every single one.

Speed Racer
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Wall-E
Get Smart
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
Space Chimps
The Incredible Hulk

Wounded Knee

Two days ago, my wife strained the ACL in both knees and has been unable to walk without pain ever since. She's spending most of her time in bed, but has hobbled downstairs a couple of times and then wondered why she put herself through the ordeal. She'll spend a third day in bed and hope that's enough time for the ligaments to heal.

I'm running up and down the stairs to make sure she has what she needs. Instead of ringing a little bell, she just calls me on her cellphone.

I wonder what life is like without stress?

Weekend Whatnot

29 more days... That's what my son said to me at bedtime tonight. You see, homeschoolers may have a lot more fun, but they still count the days 'til summer vacation just like all the other kids. Truth be told, I'm counting the days too. I have an unbelievably long to-do list.

Normally, I don't play computer or video games. There's just not enough time in the day. But lately I've become addicted to Scrabble on my iPod. It's a powerful little game that gives my mind a good workout. And, it's only $5 at iTunes!

Overheard in the kitchen: "You are a beep-beep-beeeeeeep-beep!" "Oh yeah, well you're a beep-beep-bebeep-beep!" Sigh. No more episodes of Ice Road Truckers for my kids!

Vlasic Pickles is launching an interesting contest this month. All families giving birth to a baby in May 2008 can submit their baby’s name, height, weight, etc. with a photo and an entry about why their baby should be the Vlasic Stork Baby. The winning baby receives a $20,000 savings bond. But what makes it really interesting is that if you give your baby the middle name of "Crunch," then you get an extra $5000.

Speaking of contests, I had a couple of them this week. First, The BummKinn Band CD goes to... Oda Daddy. Enjoy the music!

My other contest was for the photo caption below. You all made me smile, but in a very close finish it was ImPerceptibility taking home a first place prize of $10 to spend at iTunes.