Online Education: Is This the Way of the Future?

I've been reading lately about a number of online education programs for middle school and high school students. I'm wondering if this could be the perfect answer for all kinds of kids who, for whatever reason, need access to education outside the traditional model.

In Wisconsin, iQ Academy is setting up a student center where students of the online school can socialize and study. The online academy offers curriculum to students in grades 6 - 8. Their online high school program has proven successful since its inception in 2004.

And the cool thing is that iQ Academy is tuition free AND once enrolled, students receive a laptop computer, printer and textbooks required for their courses.

"iQ Academy provides a high-quality school option for Wisconsin students in grades 6 - 12 seeking maximum flexibility," added Rick Nettesheim, Principal of iQ Academy. "The online environment caters to a wide range of students, including previously homeschooled students, athletes, performers and others with busy travel or work schedules, students with special needs and students seeking Advanced Placement courses or electives unavailable in their local school district."

Courses at iQ Academy include core courses plus AP courses, and high-tech classes such as digital imaging, Web design, and Java scripting. How cool is that?

I've read about this in other states too, but it's not everywhere yet. If you have experience with this type of schooling, we'd love to hear from you!

The Trouble With Women

I complained about men earlier in the week, so now I'll pick on women.

One of the most interesting things about Facebook is keeping up with your friends' and acquaintances' social lives - lives that you may or may not be a part of. This afternoon I logged onto my Facebook account and was greeted by news of an event several people I know attended.

Thought #1: Well that looks like something I would definitely NOT enjoy.

Immediately followed by:

Thought #2: Why wasn't I invited to that?

So what is wrong with me? And when I say me, I'm thinking us, as women. What is wrong with us?

Exploiting the Male Brain For Fun and Profit

Man: Blah, blah, blah.
Woman: The way I see it [insert original thought here].
Man: [without acknowledging woman] Yada, yada, yada.

*1 hour later*

Woman: Blah, blah, blah.
Man: The way I see it [insert woman's original thought here].
Woman: [speechless]

It is not their fault. This is the way the male brain works. In that one hour (or five minutes or three days or whatever) their little synapses are working out a way to convince the male that he actually came up with the thought on his own. I repeat: he cannot help it. So instead of letting it bother us, let's learn to work with the male brain. Surely there has to be a way to use this knowledge to make them clean up their own crumbs and decide we are far too busy to cook for them.

I have no idea how to actually make this happen. Suggestions?

Does Dick Clark Control Asteroids?

20 years ago today, in 1989, Dick Clark retired from “American Bandstand” and a mountain-sized asteroid passed within 500,000 miles of Earth.

Coincidence? I don't think so. That could have made for a seriously rockin' Eve.

What were you doing twenty years ago today? Do you remember either of these stories? I don't. I blame homework and boys.

Source: Chase's Calendar of Events

Are We Done Living Green Yet?

Is it just me or are the rest of you about over this whole 'green living' thing? I mean really. How natural are we supposed to be? It's just a lot of stress is all.

That said, the one change I've been trying to make (not too successfully I don't mind adding) is in the area of cleaning products. And not even so much to be green, I just think it's sort of ridiculous that we have to buy all this special stuff to clean our homes. Is the dirt today that different than the dirt a hundred years ago when all they had was a jug of vinegar, some baking soda, and a whole lotta elbow grease?

Ranting aside, I have as yet been unable to make all my own cleaning products. (I told you I was over it!) So the next best thing is natural store bought stuff. I swear by Mrs. Meyers.

This week Parent Bloggers is helping SC Johnson get the word out about Nature's Source cleaners, which is another off-the-shelf cleaner with natural ingredients. No matter what you choose, I think it's a wonderful thing that we're getting better ingredients in everything we buy.

Because let's face it, we're going to buy most of it. Unless you're homesteading out on a farm somewhere, life is just too busy to be making your own furniture wax and baking cookies from scratch. Honestly!

Now gardening.... that's something I'd like to try.

Childhood Nostalgia: Mr. Yuk

In honor of national poison control week, I thought I'd introduce Mr. Yuk to those of you who don't know him. I can still see the bottle of Clorox under the sink with the bright green sticker on the top. I remember little sheets of stickers in the 1970s that we used to put on anything toxic. I never expected him to still be around, but apparently he's stronger than ever.

About Mr. Yuk
Mr. Yuk was created in 1971 by grade school student by Wendy (Courtney) Brown. It was designed as part of a contest to come up with a mascot for the poison control center at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. And what was Wendy's prize for this enduring iconic image? Ah... the dream of every 1970s grade schooler: a tape recorder. (Perhaps she used it to create mix tapes with Shaun Cassidy and Peter Frampton?)

The poison control center was looking to replace the old skull and cross bones icon for poison, which studies showed was actually appealing to children and did nothing to dissuade them from playing with poison.

Mr. Yuk appears on small green stickers - the size of bottle caps - that can be affixed to any container of poisonous substance. Usually, stickers carry a national toll-free number (1-800-222-1222 in the United States) to a poison control center where people can get immediate advice if the substance has been ingested.

I never saw this commercial, but it is pure 70s nostalgia gold. I can practically smell the Velveeta melting in the background.

If I Had Twittered My Labor

OMG! Just started timing contractions. Totally on schedule. This is going to be soooo great. Can’t wait to start breathing exercises!

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Contractions are starting to hurt. Husband wants to go to the hospital but I’m calling the doula. Need to labor at home a while.

*

Damn this hurts! Breathing not bringing the relief I thought it would. Cramps are WAY worse than in the pictures.

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Couldn’t wait for doula to show. Threw up en route to the hospital. Husband is totally freaking out.

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Trying to Tweet in the tub w/o *ing up my iPhone. Is it normal to sound like a hurt cow?

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The comfort of water is over-rated. The tub is now freezing but it hurts too bad to move. WTF? Who thought of this?

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Okay – way better now. Taking drugs. Something with ‘cain’ at the end took the edge off. Waiting for my epidural!!!!

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ROTFLMAO – Dr. Feelgood just asked if I was in the middle of a contraction! Ha! I’ll show him a contraction!

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Epidurals=NOT overrated!! Doula is helping me get into soothing positions, just tried to sneak me a granola bar.

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9 1/2? 9 1/2? WTF is 9 1/2? When is this *ing monster going to get the hell out of there? Seriously, suck this thing out NOW!

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Totally should have gotten that one final pedicure.

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Okay, fine. I give up. They’re shaving me now. We’re going to get this kid out one way or another. Okay – the other way…

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Does anyone speak anesthesiologist? What part of ‘Yes, I can feel that’ is so hard to understand?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

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Something just popped. What was that? Gotta go, face mask is coming and they’re making me count. 10, 9, 8, 7, …..

Toss in a Load of Hope

Can you remember the last time you used a laundromat? The last time I was without so much as an apartment laundry room was almost 20 years ago. I have fond memories laundromats. They’re great for people watching after all. And then there was that time the hot Jehovah’s Witness had me all but swooning before he handed me the ‘tract’ that depicted the heathen woman (presumably me) being consumed by the ravaging flames of hell.

But I digress…..

I long ago left public laundry doing behind. But what if a disaster (like last month’s NWA ice storm!) robbed me of the pleasure of my beloved Maytag Neptune? What would I do? What would you?

Enter Proctor & Gamble and their Loads of Hope program. (And we just love P&G here in NWA anyway, don’t we?).

What Is Loads of Hope?

Ever since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tide Loads of Hope trucks have been rolling into communities that have been clobbered with a natural disaster. The free mobile laundry service consists of a truck with 32 high-efficiency washers and dryers stationed that can do 300 wash and dry cycles a day. That’s about a year's worth of laundry for a single family.

In addition to the trucks, Loads of Hope vans partner with local laundromats to provide free laundry service.

According to P&G, Tide Loads of Hope has washed more than 35,000 loads of laundry for over 20,000 families since the program’s inception. How cool is that?

The Program Rolls On

The coolest thing about Loads of Hope – and the silver lining to our country’s most devastating natural disaster – is that the program is ongoing. It is poised and ready to take action whenever and wherever there is a need in our country.

How You Can Help

You can support the Tide Loads of Hope can also be supported through the purchase of a Tide Vintage Tee. They’re pretty cute and all profits go to support families affected by disaster.

Got Bedtime?

Sometimes our kids come up with ways to get out of things that we simple can't argue with. In our house my oldest is a genius at extending the bedtime.

It started happening about six months ago. My little angel just happened to need go to the bathroom every night at precisely eight-o-clock. Numero dos.

Mom! I can't help it. It's not my fault. I'm on a schedule!

You can't fight a finely tuned set of bowels. You wouldn't even want to try.

Oh how I envy those parents who get their kids to go to sleep with a drink of water or a night light.

What about you? What do your kids do to get out of bedtime? Parent Bloggers wants to know and so do I!

Dating Advice For Old Married People

If you're in NWA, you can read my pearly wisdom every month in the Chasing Date Night column in Peekaboo. (In addition to After the Bubbly, of course.) And if you're far away, or if you missed a few, or you just don't leave the house long enough to traipse into your local Starbucks, here's a sample:

Top 5 Ways to Date Yourself - And before you even comment, let me remind you this is a family publication.

The Birthday Date... Mix It Up

Resolve to Court Novelty

Frugal Romance

Taking the Scary Out of Halloween Date Night - Out of season, but one of my favorites anyway.

Top 10 Stupid Date Night Ideas

How Do You Like Your Toast?

My son and I like our English muffins toasted once on 10 - twice.
My daughter and husband like to eat warm bread.
You can imagine the conflict.

And because I found this photo on Flickr, I now know we're not alone.


Image Credit: adamadamjinj, Flickr

Need a Laugh? Jessica Bern is Larry David on Estrogen

When you need a laugh - and when don't you need a laugh - check out Jessica Bern's video series on YouTube, starting here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE3Yl-pLpOw. Watch Jessica tell all to her therapist.

(Midwest and Southern girls: Don't worry, 'therapist' is just our coastie sisters' word for best girlfriend. Or that friend who always fills your glass.)

Just make sure the kids aren't around or you'll have some splainin' to do.

Me: [enjoying video] That was a bad word.
Boy: Yeah, I know.
Me: Don't say that, okay?
Boy: Yeah. Can you help me with my homework?
Me: Can't you see I'm working? [resume enjoying video] There goes another one.
Boy: I know, MOM.
Me: Okay, just so you know.
Boy: How exactly is this part of your writing 'work'?
Me: Do your homework.

Making Babies.... Oh the Glamour!

I had my last baby when I was thirty. And when I say last, I mean that’s it. I won’t be one of those women taking prenatal vitamins and Boniva at the same time. I don’t have the energy. I waited until the ripe old age of twenty-eight to have my first child, then followed up with a second only twenty-two months later. I had to work quickly because way back then we were afraid to get pregnant after thirty-five. A lot has changed in the last ten years. Pregnancy over forty has become accepted and, if you believe the celebrity photos, easy.

As I inch toward forty, the biological clock still ticks. Instead of have-a-baby-have-a-baby, it now says just-one-more-just-one-more. I fanaticize that if I had another baby, I’d do everything right this time. I would coordinate perfect outfits, put on makeup, and shower every day. I indulge this dream for about a minute before I remember the sleepless nights, continuous feeding, and far-flung emotions. Between post-partum, PMS, and peri-menopause I can’t imagine what older moms are going through. I’m pretty sure if you knocked on their doors at nine in the morning, they wouldn’t be red carpet ready.

Despite the reality of baby rearing, glitz and ease is exactly what we see in those magazines we peek at in line at the grocery store. People may complain that Hollywood glamorizes young pregnancy by holding up Jamie Lynn Spears and Ashlee Simpson as role models, but I’m more offended by the forty-is-the-new-twenty-two celebrities that are selling us regular women a bill of goods.

• Gorgeous Naomi Watts recently gave birth to a second son at age forty. She claims to have lost all her baby weight breastfeeding. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the live in personal chefs and trainers.
  
  
• Forty-year-old Australian actress Rachel Griffiths plays an American on Brothers and Sisters. She’s pregnant with her third and like our homegrown celebs, she has a penchant for unique names. She has a son named Banjo. Let’s hope age has wised her up. If not, she may end up with a cute little Fiddle or Harmonica.
  
  
• Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross gave birth to twin daughters at age forty-five. Seriously? At least she’ll be able to use her AARP travel discount to take them on their senior trip.
  
  
• Supermodel Stephanie Seymour recently had another baby at forty. Paparazzi caught her frolicking in the surf. Is it wrong to hate her? There’s not enough Pilates in the world to get me into a bikini post childbirth – and I started ‘young’.
  
  
• Perhaps the wisest is none other than the daughter of the King himself, Lisa Marie Presley. She welcomed twin girls last year. She was forty, but she was prepared. Ms. Presley had two other children 16 and 19 years ago, so now she’s got live-in childcare. That’s what I call planning ahead.

Show me these A-listers at nine o’clock in the morning. Show me these beautiful people frantically chasing down a toddler, trying to get neon poop out of the carpet, and dripping in spit up. Then I’ll be impressed. My advice? If you’re planning to get pregnant over forty, do yourself a favor and cancel your subscription to People magazine.

Responsible Kids in 5 Easy Steps

I came across this information from "highly successful, pioneering educator and child development specialist", Joy Berry. She espouses a philosophy that parents' job is to "help children help themselves so they can become responsible for their own lives." I totally agree. What I'm not too sure about are her Five Musts for Raising Responsible Children. What do you think?

• Parents need to begin transferring control to their children on day two of their lives.
  ~Seriously, Baby, get your own milk.
  
  
• A child's happiness and success belong to the child, not to his or her parents.
  ~Unless they do something really cute - that you taught them.
  
  
• It is essential that parents empower their child with the proper living skills.
  ~Especially those that will enable the child to support his or her parents' golden years.
  
  
• Never use punishment with children; it doesn't work.
  ~True. Bribery often works better.
  
  
• One of the most important goals for a parent is to have their child 100% responsible for making their own decisions by age 12.
  Age 12? If we start on Day 2, I'm thinking this job is done by Day 12.
  

Berry says:

"As children become teenagers, they begin to pull away from their parents and want to begin living their own lives. It is imperative that several years before a child leaves the home, that they are fully responsible and are making good decisions. Following these basic steps can really provide children the
tools they need for making all the right choices."

Really? All the right choices? Dish me up some of that.

Here's my two cents. Making good decisions is a lifelong endeavor. Where is this utopia in which our children are fully capable of making good decisions at 18, or whenever they leave home? I like Ms. Berry's ideas in theory, but let's not set ourselves up for failure. As parents we must accept that this job is forever, that our kids are going to screw up and so are we. It's life. This kind of 'perfect' parenting can make us feel inadequate.

What do you think? What's your parenting philosophy?