'Rise of the Guardians' is a Holiday Treat

Jack Frost takes a 3D animation adventure to save all that is good in the world.

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman draft Jack Frost to be in their gang to guard against all things evil as they protect the magical state of childhood in "Rise of the Guardians." Stars such as Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Isla Fisher lend their voices to this visually stunning film perfect for the holiday season. I'll be the first one to say that it's easy to be cynical about holiday movies but this one won't let you. This certainly isn't a Judeo-Christian holiday-themed film, as you might imagine. That's what makes it a better than your average Christmastime film. Turning these mythical beings into superheroes is clever. If it does well at the box office I see a franchise in the making…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

Moms Talk: A Thankful Heart

What my kids have taught me about gratitude.

It's that time of year again where I reflect on all the things that I am grateful for. Being a parent has helped me to not take things for granted and to appreciate many simple moments in life. Here is a list of the top 10 things that I've learned to be thankful for since I became a mother. 1. The value of a good night's sleep. Seriously, I had never known true exhaustion until I became a parent. Now that my children sleep soundly through the night, I thank my lucky stars for eight hours of uninterrupted bliss. Without it, I turn into a crazy person. 2. A closed bathroom door. It's rare that I spend time powdering my nose without a child following me in there. Oh, but those moments that I do escape are so beautiful, even if both of my …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Turning the Screen Off

Disconnecting from social media helped me reconnect with my children.

Being a Stay-at-home Mom can feel isolating, especially if you have young children at home with you. There was a time, when my youngest was a baby and my other son was no bigger than a grasshopper's hind leg, that I felt alone in a sea of diapers and burp cloths. The days would drag on between naps and nursing and I needed a network of people that I could reach out to. Enter Facebook. Social media became a lifeline for me at a time when I needed a connection. Between finding friends from my past, new friends, and eventually blogging friends, I felt a sense of community whenever I logged in. At first I only checked in when the kids were napping. Grabbing a handful of minutes to read everyone's updates to get a sense that I was an active …

• Photos (1)

How Hard Should Parents Push Children to be Competitive?

Some parents are criticized for being disinterested in their children’s activities, but is there a point when parents are too involved?

A recent story in High School Pep Rally tells of two young sisters who are competing in high level endurance events. The article is not as much a tribute to their accomplishments as it is a criticism of their parents for pushing them so hard. The two girls, Kaytlynn, 12, and Heather Welch, 10, recently ran a grueling 13-mile cross country race with Kaytlynn winning the women’s division and her younger sister coming in third. Reaching that level of competitive excellence, however, takes intense training. The criticism of the parents that followed has been harsh. The opinion of many appears to be that the parents are pushing them too hard – that it is too intense for such young children and could have a damaging effect on their young, …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Happily Ever After??

I can’t believe that Disney hasn’t yet given us a Princess that doesn’t make us roll our eyes.

I’m about to step on some sacred territory here. I just want you to know that I know that before I begin. Like everyone else’s daughter, mine went through a Princess phase. She had to have on a tiara or crown, she had all the dress-up dresses, and her favorite Wii game was this insipid Disney Princesses game in which you traipsed through the countryside wearing impractical dresses and high heeled shoes and visited Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Ariel. I didn’t discourage it, nor did I encourage it. I just let it run its course and it ended soon enough. Since we all know that our daughters are going to go through this phase, I can’t believe that Disney hasn’t yet given us a Princess that doesn’t make us roll our eyes.  Ariel has …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

I Am Democracy

Participation is needed to keep the country balanced.

Last night, while we were running errands, my wife casually asked me if I would like to go vote early with her. Our daughter has an appointment next Tuesday, and Rachel was worried that she wouldn't have enough time to get to the polls if she waited until then. All I could think about was standing in a four-hour long line in the cold. So I quietly deferred. She brought it up again this morning in a text. "I'm going to vote. Do you want me to wait on you, or are you just going to go on Tuesday?" So much for deferring. I swung by the house and picked her up, and together we drove to the Elections Office on Grayson Highway. Surprisingly, the line didn't seem too long; so we hopped out of the car and took our place on the front-lines of …

• Photos (4)

An Urban Legend Stands the Test of Time

How I accidentally terrified my child.

When I was a little girl, my older brother's favorite hobby was to terrorize me.  One dark night, he cornered me in my parent's bedroom and told me about the Donkey Lady.  There are several versions of this harrowing tale but the version he told was from the 1950's. A woman was in a fire that her husband started in their house. The woman lost two children and was left horribly disfigured. My brother moved in closer and his eyes grew wide as he said that the woman ran screaming from the house, fell to the ground, where her arms and legs were so badly burned that they snapped off, leaving her with blackened stumps for limbs that looked like hooves. Her face was so scorched by the flames that it melted and her skin drooped and became baggy, …

• Photos (1)

Letters To The Editor

The Charter School Amendment: Money and Power

In a letter to the editor, a former charter school founder weighs in on the charter school amendment.

  There has been an awful lot of energy expended by opponents of the charter amendment. The opposition to the amendment claim that the state can “already” act as an appeals body for charter schools. Those supporting the amendment wonder: if the state can already approve charters, why is the Education Establishment fighting THIS hard against affirming that on the ballot on Nov. 6?  Most of the arguments posed against the Amendment are related to the enabling legislation, which establishes a Commission. The ballot question, however, ONLY reaffirms the state’s role in K-12 general education. So why the nasty battle against the amendment? At the heart of the argument employed by the school districts and affiliate associations who earn their …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Cloud Atlas Leaves You in a Fog (Movie Review)

This week's film is a nearly-three-hour mind bender based on David Mitchell's critically-acclaimed novel.

Six major plot lines, taking place over 500 years, featuring the same actors playing multiple roles: That's what you get with 'Cloud Atlas.' All of the stories are crosscut together, jumping back and forth across different time periods and locations ranging from a 19th-century South Pacific sea voyage to the distant post-apocalyptic future where humanity lives on the brink of extinction. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant. They do their best to tell the secrets of the universe and the human heart while leaving you, well, confused. Based on the novel by David Mitchell, 'Cloud Atlas' is simply too long and too scatterbrained. The central message is that we are all connected …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

Good Housekeeping

How do women juggle motherhood and housework?

I'm going to level with you here: my house is rarely spotless. More than likely, if you were to stop by my home unannounced, chances are that dirty dishes were quickly shoved into the oven and unfolded laundry tossed into the bathtub a mere moment before you knocked on the door. I find it almost comical that the role of housekeeping has fallen on my shoulders because the discipline of keeping a tidy home is not in my nature. I'd much rather hide under a clean load of laundry while playing hide and seek with my children than actually take a moment to fold those clothes.  My house may not be spotless, but it's full of activity, that's for sure. Yet, despite my lack of talent in the cleaning department, I know that it's my job to set an …

• Photos (1)