polka dot suitcase » Fooling Around
Parenting blogs
So, the blogathon is wrapping up — about a week left. Doing a post every day has been both a challenge and a frustration, but I’m glad I’ve almost made it. After this, hoping to go back to regularly scheduled 5-a-week. Wanted to share some of the other parenting bloggers in the group. Be sure to check out posts from yesterday — the haiku day. Trust me, pretty much everyone on the list was more successful … Read entire article »
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Blogathon haiku
As part of the May Blogathon our leader, Michelle Rafter over at WordCount, challenged us to do a haiku post today. You know, haiku — that three-line poem encapsulating one thought in 17 syllables broken down thusly: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. Hmm. Okay, I’m game: Polka dot suitcase Carries fun for everyone It’s blue with white dots ROFL! Oh, gosh, that hurts my eyes to look at. I think Shirley Temple first sang that. Don’t say … Read entire article »
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Three blogs for Thursday
Of all the blogs in all the world, and you stumbled across mine. Thanks for being here! Now here’s a gift — as if you have all the time in the world to just poke around online and read blogs, right? — hand-picked blogs for curious and creative parents like you: For the parents of boys: Blogging ‘Bout Boys. This one’s been a favorite of mine for a while now. It could be because I’m, you … Read entire article »
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Happy Birthday, Big Fish!
Today, the crew at Chez Polka Dot is sending out great big ichthyological birthday wishes to the king of our kingdom, Big Fish! Happy birthday to our illustrious leader! What’s on tap? Fishing, naturally. May the waters send nothing but the biggest and the best your way, BF. Here’s a little secret: BF never reads Polka Dot Suitcase. In fact, I’m not sure he’s even aware he lives in a wonderful place called Chez Polka Dot. … Read entire article »
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Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere! Having kiddos has been The Best Adventure of my life, and I can’t imagine what things would have been like without them. And here’s a toast to my mom, too — who put so much time, effort, and love into raising my sibs and me. From teaching me how to blow bubbles (mostly because I caught her trying to swipe some of my Chicklets), teaching me (without realizing it) … Read entire article »
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Are dumb kids happier than smart kids?
When the kids were little — around 3 and 4 — we went to visit friends. One morning, I went for a walk with my guys and my friends’ children, who were about the same age as mine. As we walked, the kids were all picking up interesting stones and handing them to me to carry. After a while, I began to stagger when they’d hand me one. “Oh! Getting…too…heavy!” I said, pretending to struggle … Read entire article »
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Tadpoles!
So along with strawberries, another sure sign of spring are the arrival of tadpoles, the little punctuation marks of the aquatic world. A friend just emailed, asking if it’s too late to find them, because she and her kids trooped all over with jars in hand, seeking a few for observation. Is it too late? Dunno. I think it depends on the species of frog. I’m going to troop down to our pond later today to … Read entire article »
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Blogathon 2010
Last year’s blogathon, created by the amazing Michelle Rafter of WordCount, inspired me to write a post every single day for the merry, merry month of May. She threw down the challenge again for this May. I accepted the challenge. (Those who know me know I’m a challenge junkie.) So consider this my first of 31. This month, my goal is to beef up the old Suitcase and share with parents some creative ways to spark … Read entire article »
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Hot dogs choking hazard? Build a better hot dog
The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested a redesign on the 300-year old street vendor special, the lowly hot dog. According to this article on the subject, experts say, “If you were to take the best engineers in the world and try to design the perfect plug for a child’s airway, it would be a hot dog.” Now, in all seriousness, I’ve dealt with a small child choking (on the hot dog’s distant cousin, a chunk … Read entire article »
Filed under: Food, Fooling Around