As much as I try to avoid turning on the TV in our house, you can be assured that PBS is on for a least a few shows a day. The same held true at my house when I was growing up in the 70s. The amazing thing about Sesame Street is that I think you could say that it has touched almost every American's life in some way since it began on November 10th, 1969. Even Google is giving a shout out to Big Bird and the gang today.

One of the most incredible things about the show for me is how it has adapted to each new generation without losing its identity. Wish I could say the same thing for the Electric Company. Anyone see that show lately? Yikes. Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman wouldn't be caught dead on that piece of garbage. Thanks to my sister, I at least have all the original shows on DVD for my kids to enjoy—and they love 'em.

What has made Sesame Street so magical? Needless to say, the genius of Jim Henson had lots to do with it. I can't imagine that the show would've been half as successful if Oscar and the Count had been marionettes. Add to it the beautiful way that learning was snuck into the show without the kids even realizing that they were watching something educational, and you've got the longest running children's program on US television.

Congrats to creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morisett for giving children something fun and educational to watch, and giving parents 40 years of 30 minute breaks.

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Recently Baby Einstein announced that it is extending refunds to some parents who purchased the company’s DVDs.

According to reports a group had threatened Disney, Baby Einstein’s parent company with a class-action lawsuit over what the group called, implied claims that the videos are educational.

On Baby Einstein’s website it states that the company makes no such claim. It also states that they’ve always had a refund policy in place.

I’m no Einstein, but I can’t fathom how any parent would think sitting their baby in front of a television for any extended period of time would make them a genius.

Yes, children can learn from television. But if any one program or CD could create an Einstein it would be flying off the shelves.

What’s sad to me is that some parents are so determined to have “the smartest,’’ baby that they spend time and money on products they think will get them on the fast track rather than fully enjoying their child’s development.

I have friends who used to listen to all sorts of music but now play nothing but classical at home because they want their baby's mind to be stimulated.

Some have latched on to companies promising to have children reading at two. Others have their toddlers in so many enrichment classes you would think they were a full time student.

Oh Please. There’s nothing wrong with introducing your child to educational tools, but let a child be a child. Let a baby be a baby.
After all, in some way or the other, we all have a Little Einstein.

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The holidays are right around the corner. Of course, that's not breaking news to moms and dads. The kids also are quite aware.

But continuing economic challenges might cause families to re-evaluate the idea of giving and receiving gifts.

Of course every day is a good day to spend money wisely, if you have to spend it on something. And every day is is a good day to remember priorities - what's important in the big picture of life and love and family and friends.

As an aside, my son makes homemade cards for family on special occasions - it's a tradition we've all come to expect - and anticipate! It costs him more in time than anything else. But it comes from a place you can't buy - the heart. So it's also invaluable.

Don't get me wrong, we give and get stuff too.

But families are struggling, many, just to keep a roof over their heads. The idea of spending money on decorations or gifts pale compared to the need to pay a medical bill, the electricity or buy food.

Watching budgets will undoubtedly be a part of everyone's holiday spending plan.

What things will you do to celebrate the holidays, but because of the economy, a lost job and other challenges, your plan is different from past years?

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I have always been fascinated as I've watched my kids and other kids apologize. Because you can tell when it's heartfelt and when they are just mouthing the words to please their parents or teachers.

Those same feelings came up as I've watched the insincere apologies of three public figures in the past few days: Congressman Joe Wilson, for yelling "You lie!" to the President during a session of Congress; Serena Williams, for threatening a lineswoman during the US Open; and Kanye West, for telling singer Taylor Swift during MTV's Video Music Awards that Beyonce was more deserving of the award she had just received.

They all "apologized," but I believe their actions could have been prevented with some self-control. They know they are in the public eye and are being scrutinized. Perhaps they are enjoying this negative publicity?

As this article in USA Today details, many see their actions as part of a collapse of civility. What do you think? Have manners and self-discipline disappeared from our society?

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The Schoolhouse Children's Museum and Learning Center in Boynton Beach opens its doors for its monthly Free Family Night tonight.

Your kids can explore the museum's intereactive exhibits while learning about Florida's past. There's a 15 foot replica of the Jupiter Lighthouse, a Family Farms exhibit to play in, child-sized replicas of neighborhood businesses. They can even deliver mail with the Barefoot Mailman. Also, kids can learn about "How Money Works."

Family hours are 5 to 8 p.m. at the museum, 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. Call 561- 742-6780 or go to schoolhousemuseum.org for more information.

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Yep - the Kid has been traveling for almost two weeks.

He's with relatives. They're traipsing through several states.

Adventures include cabin dwelling, fishing, visiting a farm, visiting small towns, visiting big towns, river floating. There have been deer and bat sightings.

There is more on their agenda, before they get back to their starting point.

Each day The Kid calls to check in. We call him too, but not as often. We don't want to cling.

But I did finally catch a "I'm homesick" tone in the most recent conversation.

I was going to ignore it, but then I just out and out asked if he was feeling a bit homesick.

"Yes," he said.
It was total relief. I could hear that in his voice too!

I said we missed him too and that we were really looking forward to his coming home. I told him that we were also very happy he was having these experiences.

Though I am keeping a positive upbeat conversation, I have to admit, I'm going to smother him in kisses when he gets home.

I'm glad he's there, but I kind of wish he was here.

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There ought to be a law: Every child who grows up in South Florida is required to go to the Everglades at least once. Period.

The importance of the great River of Grass will probably escape most young kids, but it doesn't hurt to plant that seed early and often.

So we headed west to take an airboat ride over the weekend. This is about as easy an introducation to the Everglades as you can get. Including drive time, you can do it in two and a half or three hours. Our 11-year-old daughter really enjoyed the outing, but we left our grumpy teenager behind. ("That's boring." Whatever.)

We went to Everglades Holiday Park, but there are other options.

This campground/tourist attraction is just west of Weston on Griffin Road, past U.S. 27. (Be sure to go to the website to print out a coupon.) There's a snack stand (gator bites!), a kitschy gift shop and, after the hourlong airboat ride, an alligator wrestling show.

The gator handler gives a little history lesson, and explains why the Seminoles no longer have to resort to wrestling (blackjack, anyone?). Then he demonstrates a few different ways of subduing the very big gator. And, for an extra $5, you can hold a baby alligator and snap a picture. Awwww.

The main event, though, is the airboat ride. Boats go out every 20 minutes or so, and carry 20 or 30 people for an hourlong tour. The biggest surprise? No mosquitoes! And it wasn't too hot either, especially when we were moving over the water. Our driver, Deborah, took off with a blast -- "zoom, zoom, zoom." (Bring earplugs if you are very sensitive.) She slowed down to gives us ecological lessons. We saw vultures and gators and plenty of birds.

This is Everglades 101. It doesn't take the energy or time of a canoe ride out of Flamingo or a bike ride through Shark Valley. We've done that, too, but it's been years. In fact, Erika doesn't even remember Shark Valley (we took the very-informative tram ride and saw TONS of alligators), so we really have to put that back on our list of things to do.

PHOTO: Sun Sentinel/Michael Laughlin

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Do you have a teenager that got a job for the summer?

Don't get me wrong - every kid is entitled to his or her summer fun and some down time.

But kids that are 16 years old to 18 years old are probably anxious for some work experience, extra money and independence.

In this tough economy - those traditional teen jobs aren't coming easily. One of my son's friends applied to several places that aren't hiring.

Did your teenager line up volunteer work or extra chores instead?

If not, what is he or she doing?

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Once upon a time there was a board game that families played until the cows came home. Not so much because they enjoyed playing Monopoly, but because that's how long it took to crown a winner.

Now there's a version of the classic Parker Brothers game that can be played in 15 minutes.

My savvy 12-year-old neighbor, Chabella, recently tested out the card game with three other preteen friends (two boys and a girl) here are her impressions on Monopoly Deal card game:

• First impression: "This looks like a confusing game to play."

• What's cool: The game doesn't last as long as other Monopoly games.

• What needs improving: Nothing.

• Would you recommend it: "Yes, it's easy to play and you can play it anywhere." No need to collect teeny board pieces.

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Take a big deep breath - and a bow - you survived another year of school.

You helped the kid with their homework.

You drove them everywhere getting the kids to and from.

You behaved during teacher conferences.

You were the science project cheerleader. You fed the kids, made sure they had clean clothes to wear to school.

Let the fun begin.

We started last night with a huge cookout and sleepover.

It is a great way to say "good job," to the kids and pat ourselves on the back too. (We always like a party!)

How is your family celebrating the end of the school year and the beginning of summer?

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The next birthday party I need to plan is months away, but I'm already starting to think about the theme and I was gravitating toward something grand like a morning at the movies, or a spa day at Le Petite Youth Spa or a tea party at The Breakers. (I jest, sort of.)

Then comes a story about how to reduce the cost of hosting a birthday party. And another about parents hosting parties during the week instead of on weekends because the rates at places like Chuck E. Cheese are cheaper.

I'm all for making sure the birthday party is about the KID and not pleasing the adults so the tips make sense:

1. Limit the number of guests.

2. Skip the goodie bags. (Whoa, pump the brakes! No goodie bags, really?)

3. Have a plan. (A good resource is PBS.)

4. Have age-appropriate games.

5. Don't go overboard. No limos or red-carpets.

What do you think? Are this tips on-point, or is the writer off her rocker saying parents should ditch the goodie bags?

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Time to put some faces to our Tweets, blogs and comments.

Let's meet - in person.

We're in the planning stages and are hopeful that our first Moms & Dad's event will be held in June at the Young at Art Children's Museum, in Davie.

For future events, we want to blend the best of networking, seminars and mingling with guest speakers and activities.

Let us know when it would be a good time for you to attend.

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It's raining, it's storming, the kids are going batty.

Here are four fab things to do:

• Go out. Head to Chuck E. Cheese (just don't forget your headache-busting pills). There are games suitable for children as young as 2. Entry is free. Most games require one token at 25 cents a turn. Go bowling, window-shopping at the mall or to an arcade such as Boomers.

• Get baking. Dig the frozen bananas out of the freezer and make banana bread. Or whip up a batch of cookies. Recipes for peanut butter, chocolate chip and sugar cookies.

• Bond. Create a wacky story. One person starts a sentence, the next person finishes fills in a verb or adjective; the next person completes the sentence. Break out the board games, such as Apples to Apples.

• Break the rules. Hand one of the kids a can of whipped cream and send him/her off to start a food fight in the bathroom or on the patio.

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When it's not raining this weekend, the kid will be in a body of water or with her blades of grass between her toes.

Funtastic Fridays in Hollywood is on our to-do list. It's a free party just for kids.

Saturday is looking good for a Florida Marlins game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Salsa great Oscar D'Leon is performing a free concert after the last run.

Another good bet for your budding movie critic, is the Delray Beach Film Festival, which is showing five films for FREE. One of the showings is a collection of puppet shorts by the daughter of master puppeteer Jim Henson.

Here's a round-up of things to do with the kids this weekend:

BROWARD COUNTY

Free Math Trial Class: Weston. This hour-long class for ages 6 to 11 is an opportunity for parents to observe their children in a real classroom setting. Parents will see firsthand how their children perform, think and respond to new ideas. To register, call 954-791-2333 or visit www.imacs.org. 4 p.m. IMACS, 2585 Glades Circle, Weston.

Funtastic Fridays for Kids. Music, magic and more are in store for youngsters and their families. Every Friday from 5-9 p.m. Anniversary Park, 20th Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood. 954-921-3016. Free.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Pre-K Make and Take: World Turtle Day. Did you know that there are 25 types of turtles in Florida? Pre-k kids and their families will learn more about our shelled friends while making a paper turtle craft. Loggerhead Marinelife Center will be joining us with a special presentation. 6-9 p.m. Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. 561-742-6780. $2.50 fee per child in addition to admission; members receive 10 percent off.

Science Club: Airplanes. Make paper airplanes and watch them fly. Age 8 and older. Register. 3 p.m. Wellington Branch Library, 1951 Royal Fern Drive, Wellington. 561-790-6070.

The Commedia Cinderella. May 22-23. The players Arlequin, Columbine, Punchin and Rosetta will infuse new life and energy into the classic tale of Cinderella using the theater art form commedia dell’arte. The troupe’s players will thrill audiences from young to not-so-young with acrobatics, dance, music and quick wit. May 22 at 7 p.m. May 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sol Children Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. 561-447-8829 or www.solchildrentheatretroupe.org.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Greynolds Park: Creatures of the Night Hike. Come learn about the mysteries of the night and what lurks around the park when the lights go out. A naturalist will take you on a night hike through the park in search of its nocturnal residents. A walk through the park will follow a presentation. 7:30-9 p.m. Greynolds Park Boathouse, 17530 W. Dixie Highway, Miami. 305-948-2891. $6 per person.

Read on for Saturday and Sunday happenings.

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In April I wrote about three iPod applications that every parents should have: one for the kids (KidArt); one for the home (AllRecipes.com); one for the couple (FS5 Air Hockey).

And then there was the uproar over the inappropriate iPod app that allowed users to shake babies. (WTHeck, indeed.)

This week blogger Mama Sass at MomsMiami came up with apps that SHOULD be created just for moms, including "an app that provides an answer to some of those killer kid questions like "Mom, did you ever smoke pot?"

What's on your wish list of "must-have" apps for parents?

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Make this weekend all about peace, love and happiness at the Greynolds Park Love-In in North Miami Beach on Sunday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Or take the little ones to see a movie in the park. For a buck per head! Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton will show Finding Nemo Sunday at 11 a.m.

On Saturday, there's the Haitian festival Al Compas in Lauderhill, a robot-building workshop in Fort Lauderdale and an interactive planetarium show in West Palm Beach.

More stuff to do with the kids this weekend:

Saturday, May 16

BROWARD COUNTY

Al Compas Festival. A Haitian festival for all ages. Call the park for more information. Central Broward Regional Park, 3700 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill. 954-321-1170.

Aquarium: Behind the Scenes. Learn about the inhabitants of the aquarium in the exhibit hall and observe them feeding. Every Saturday and Sunday. 2-3 p.m. Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park, 751 Sheridan St., Hollywood. 954-926-2480. $1 per person.

ArtWalk. Visitors to downtown Hollywood’s monthly ArtWalk will be treated to a free concert by Anthology, “South Florida’s Beatles Party Band.” In keeping with the spirit of the event, concertgoers are encouraged to dress in ’60s-style attire. 7-10 p.m. Balcony of Harrison Court, 2028 Harrison St., Hollywood. 954-921-3016. Free.

Build-a-Bot. Bring the youngsters over to the Build-a-Bot activity to construct robots out of paper and recycled products. Kids can design their own robot and take it home after it’s assembled. Also on May 17. The Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. 954-467-6637.

Family Movie Day: Speed Racer. Rated PG. Live-action version of the famed Japanese animated series. Free refreshments will be available, or you may bring your own. Sponsored by the Weston Friends of the Library. 2-4:15 p.m. Weston Branch Library, 4205 Bonaventure Blvd., Weston. 954-389-2098.

Mark Twain’s Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Smiley, the gambler, bets his frog can out-jump the frog in Calaveras County but the mysterious stranger has something up his sleeve! The story is told through Mark Twain’s prose, bluegrass and country music, colorful costumes and high-jumping dance movement. 2 p.m. Nova Southeastern University Library, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-262-4600. Free.

Robo-History. This presentation will give visitors a glimpse at the history of robots. Learn what a robot is, why we need them and what the future has in store for the world of robotics. 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. The Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second Street, Fort Lauderdale. 954-467-6637.

Under the Sea. The underwater world is full of interesting animals. Learn about some these fascinating creatures through displays and crafts. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park, 751 Sheridan St., Hollywood. 954-926-2480. $1 per person.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Auditions: West Side Story. Auditions for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Conservatory of Performing Arts Summer Camp production of “West Side Story.” Students must audition in order to register for production. Ages 13-20. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter. 561-575-2672, ext. 2.

Girls’ Day Out. Bring your mom or grandma along and decorate a keepsake, wooden handle purse and enjoy some girl time. Materials provided. Age 8 and older. Register. 2 p.m. Hagen Ranch Road Branch Library, 14350 Hagen Ranch Road, Delray Beach. 561-894-7500.

Giselle and Art Comes Alive. May 16. First act is the ballet, Giselle and second act is the dance concert, Art Comes Alive where famous works of art are interpreted through jazz, tap and hip-hop. 7 p.m. at the Maltz Jupiter Theater, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter. 561-575-4422. $20.

Spirit of America. Joining the Symphonic Band will be “the world’s oldest musician,” historical artist Scott Shelsta who portrays 1890s Americana. Experience a real old-fashioned Sousa concert -- a simpler time of concerts in the park and toe-tapping, hand-clapping patriotic music. 7:30 p.m. Duncan Theater, 4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth. 561-832-3115. $15.

The Friendly Stars. Meet Sol, the sun, in this all-digital, interactive planetarium show for ages 3 to 6. Get to know the “star” and meet some new ones. Every Saturday at noon. South Florida Science Museum, Planetarium, 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach. 561-832-1988. Adults, $4; Children, $2.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

‘Miss Nelson Is Missing’. Actor’s Playhouse will present a live preview performance. 11 a.m. Kendall Branch, 9101 SW 97th Ave., Miami. 305-279-0520. Free.

International Museum Day: Family Fun at the Bass Museum. This fun-filled afternoon will focus on the museum as a public space and resource, encouraging children to observe the structure, content and public function of an art museum, and drawing parallels between museums and other public spaces such as parks and libraries. 2-4 p.m. Bass Museum of Art, 2121 Park Ave., Miami Beach. 305-673-7530. Free.

Super Saturday: Florida Marlins. Get your photo taken with Billy the Marlin. First 15,000 fans will receive a Marlin’s pompom. Special guests include Freestyle Flashback with Stevie B and TKA. First pitch against the LA Dodgers is at 6:10 p.m. Dolphin Stadium, 2267 Dan Marino Blvd., Miami. 305-626-7378. $12 and up.

Read on for stuff to do on Sunday, May 17

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Comedian Jeff Dunham posted a series of Mother's Day E-cards on his YouTube page. This isn't my favorite of the six, but it's the one I feel most comfortable posting here.

Oh, and that thing is Peanut. And, well, I don't know what he is.

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I cast my vote for throwing an impromptu Kentucky Derby party for your kids and a few of their friends. The race is 6:04 p.m. Saturday.

You could have the kids make derby hats, the more outlandish the better, and parade around the backyard. Have them race to a finish line to burn off energy.

For things to do beyond your yard, there's the SunTrust Jazz Brunch on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale along the riverwalk from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., and the staging of Sleeping Beauty by Boca Ballet this weekend at FAU.

For more things to do this weekend, keep reading.

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Mother’s Day is around the corner – May 10 – which gives us this weekend to plan and shop.

I’m a simple gal, so I really don’t want anything. Really.

A nice little kiss on the cheek from each kid, a hug – and I’m happy. Seriously, honest.

For my own mom, I’ll roll out the red carpet – it’s her day. It’s whatever she wants, whatever she wants to do. Typically, I make dinner – whatever she’s in the mood for!

Plants, hand-made cards and family time – all top the list of my favorite gifts I've received.
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Come next Sunday, we’ll be with my parents for some good inter-generational fun! Sure it’s Mother’s Day, and I suppose I could sit one meal preparation out. But frankly, I love to cook! That’s what I want to do and anyway, it’s all about us moms that day.

This year, what’s in your gift bag to Mom?

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Check out “Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee” by Chris Van Dusen.

This is a household favorite these days. Our boys, ages 17 months and 3, delight in it. It’s about an adventurous boat ride of Mr. Magee and his “little dog Dee.” As I write, I hear the first lines in my head:

Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee
Loved spending time
In their boat on the sea
So early one morning at 6:32
They made a decision:
That’s just what they’d do!

Our 17-month-old Rowan is a bit young for the book, but he still loves mimicking the whale sounds described in this tale. Alexander can follow along, and has even memorized a couple of lines. This is his first mastery of rhyming – aside from the line of “Rapper’s Delight” detailed in my post last week.

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The city of Fort Lauderdale is holding an open house at the beach aquatic complex, also known as the International Swimming Hall of Fame complex, for city residents.

Address: 501 Seabreeze Blvd.

Date: Saturday, May 2.

They're suggesting you bring a swimsuit. You can sign up for junior lifeguard training, swim or dive team, or just swim laps.

Here's a link for more info.

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Mystery solved: It's a boy for Jill Scott.

The singer and actress in the The No. 1 Ladies' Dectective Agency on HBO welcomed Jett Hamilton Roberts on April 20, People.com reports.

The singer is engaged to drummer Lil John Roberts.

This is the first child for both.

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I know I'm not the only somewhat normal person who enjoyed the new Hannah Montana movie. Am I?!

Here's a link my colleague found where you can legally, and without cost, listen to the soundtrack of the movie. The songs are great.

Of course, my favorite show ever was the live performance of Barbie Fairytopia at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. So that's where I'm coming from.

Click here to listen.

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I put it off as long as I could. My 7-year-old started talking about the Hannah Montana movie long ago. She knew the date it would open in theaters (April 10), and she begged me to take her. It seemed unavoidable so I said yes and started dreading it.

The big day came, and we had other plans. Couldn't take her. She cried. Next day, same story. We don't practice "consensual parenting'' in our house, by the way. So what we say goes, and Lily doesn't control the schedule. Life is full of disappointments, and now she has a fresh example of that.

Anyway, last night I finally took her to the movie. I know the reviews are mixed, but I tend to agree with this one I saw on the Rotten Tomatoes website: "I'm almost embarrassed at how entertained I was.''

Now, I do admit I like cheesy music, like Abba and John Denver. So I really liked that this movie has a lot of music in it. Believe me, I've seen many an episode of her TV show. The movie was definitely better, and worth the money.

Oh, and Lily liked it, too.

My only beef with the movie was that the person Lily identified as "the bad guy'' was a reporter. Sigh.

Click here for movie times.

p.s. If you search online for "Hannah Montana coloring pages'' you can print out some pretty cool looking stuff for your kid to get creative with.

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At what cost was this child acting? Or was he?

The controversy surrounding this anti smoking ad has brought a great deal of attention to the issue of smoking.

But also it has many questioning if this child was truly acting.

Let's say he was. As the commercial director stated, he was coached. The piece was shot in one take. Is this tremendous acting at such a young age?

How many films and shows have we all watched where the child's emotions move us to tears? Why is this so different?

What's your take?

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I'm not into playing tricks on friends and family members on April Fool's Day, but I came across a couple of cute ideas from Whoa, Momma! blog about tricking the kids and Dad if you're into that thing.

Including, making meatloaf cupcakes, "frosting" them with mashed potatoes and serving them to the kids.

Or moving Dad's car while he's a work and watching him search for it. (The cruelty! The laughs you'll share years from now. Like light years from now.)

Here's Whoa, Momma's full list. And if you need more idea, pluck one from this gallery of movie pranks.

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This weather should be brilliant this weekend with highs in the mid-80s and a burst of showers on Sunday.

So lather on the sunblock and pack an umbrella. Here are some things to do with the kids this weekend -- from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach counties:

BROWARD COUNTY
Pony Rides. Enjoy the outdoors with a guided pony ride. Ages 1 to 6. The park’s regular weekend and holiday gate entrance fee of $1.50 per person, children 5 and under, free, will be in effect. Every Saturday and Sunday. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tree Tops Park, 3900 SW 100th Ave., Davie. $1.50 per round or $5 for four rounds. 954-475-8650.
Exercise for the Brain. Kids age 4 to 10 will have fun doing indoor activities that benefit all systems of the body and increase focus and attention span. Please call ahead to reserve a spot. 10 - 11:30 a.m., Broadway Kids Studio, 9042 West State Road 84, Davie. $15 per class. 954-475-2627.
ArtWORKSHOPS. Explore a variety of art forms through hands-on experiences for the whole family. Today’s theme is “Happy Birthday to You, Sensory Cake ‘Baking’.” 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Young at Art Children’s Museum, 11584 W. State Road 84, Davie. Free with paid admission. 954-424-0085.
Disney On Ice. Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. Audiences will enter the wondrous world of Pixie Hollow to meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, speed through Radiator Springs with Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew, and relive classic Disney favorites “The Lion King” and “The Little Mermaid.” From wheels to waves, Pride Lands to pixie dust, Worlds of Fantasy offers excitement for everyone. March 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m.; March 28 at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; March 29 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. BankAtlantic Center, 2555 NW 136th Ave., Sunrise. $16-$48. 954-835-7000.
Reach for the Stars. Story time for children with disabilities. Ages 3 to 10. Call for details. Northwest Regional Library, 3151 University Drive, Coral Springs. Free. 954-341-3900.
Eggstravaganza 2009. Hop into spring with the arrival of Peter Cottontail. More than 12,000 eggs will line the field for an egg hunt. After the egg hunt, take a picture with Peter Cottontail. Please bring your own egg basket and camera. Ages 12 and under. 9:30 a.m., Forzano Field, 2001 Douglas Road, Miramar. Free. 954-704-1631.
Family Trail Hike. This is a leisurely, guided stroll on the Lake Observation Trail. Get an up-close look at some of the unique elements of the Mangrove Swamp. 10 - 11 a.m., Anne Kolb Nature Center, 751 Sheridan St., West Lake Park, Hollywood. $3 per person. 954-926-2480.
Potty Training the Easy Way. Potty train the easy way by using the Baby Signs program. For parents and their children ages 1 to 3 years. Register at the Youth Services desk, 954-341-3900, then press 4. 10 - 10:30 a.m., Northwest Regional Library, 3151 University Drive, Coral Springs. Free. 954-797-7777.

Read on for events in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

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We did what any parent must eventually do – we cut the cord.

Only in this case, we canceled the cable service for television. It’s very liberating - we aren’t tethered to it anymore.

Admittedly, it’s more of an adjustment for us rather than The Kid. We adults had become lay-a-bouts. We’d be the ones to mostly say, “wait, after this show I’ll [fill in the blank: help you with your homework; cook dinner; clean the house; put out the fire, etc.]

The Kid does lots of other things already. His withdrawal symptoms will be much less than ours. He plays video and board games, card games; he reads and practices Tae Kwon Do; hangs out with his friends and does his homework.

But I think us big people will survive too. This week, one of us focused more on graduate course homework and the other did more housecleaning.

Though the true catalyst for disconnecting from pay television and switching to rabbit ears was driven by cutting expenses, we’ll gain so much more than loose change. We already have, we’re re-connecting with each other.

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All children, except fake ones, grow up.

Fake ones, like Charlie Brown and Richie Rich, don't have to. They can be children forever. I think that's what we like about them. Calvin will always be a 6-year-old boy testing the boundaries of imagination with his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. The Family Circus will always comprise two adults and four children (and PJ will never, ever talk).

In real life, you can't trap someone in childhood, no matter what. Time ultimately catches up: the 13-year-old and 11-year-old I met a few years ago, the ones who went with me and their mom to Busch Gardens to brave the 90-degree drop of Shiekra, they remain 13 and 11 only in memories and photographs.

And fictional characters aren't immune to aging. Arnold and Willis Jackson eventually become Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges. It's inescapable. No one cared much what the Beaver did as an adult, or who the Brady Girls married, or where Zack and Slater went to college. And don't even get me started on what happened to the Little Rascals!

Now Mattel and Nickelodeon want to prepare us for a pre-teen Dora the Explorer. Forget the hysteria of the blogosphere on this one: she's not Dora the Tramp or Dora the Streetwalker. She's a 10-year-old girl now, in a new incarnation that will be available in toy stores this fall.

Sometimes the aging of comic or fictional characters can be delightful. I loved the idea of Peter Pan growing up to become Robin Williams. And it was great watching the kids of For Better Or For Worse go from toddlers to spouses.

So is this new Dora a good idea? I don't know. Some marketing guru somewhere thought it was a good idea. And marketing gurus never make mistakes, do they?

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What’s wrong with a few drinks during Spring Break? Plenty if you’re under-age.

And youth ages 14 to 20 have lots to say about it in the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s 2009 “Why Not?” Spring Break Video Contest.

Participants submitted videos on why they choose not to make alcohol a part of spring break plans: It’s unsafe, is the prevalent theme.

Using YouTube.com and SchoolTube.com, the initiative provided peer-to-peer communication through the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco’s education and prevention efforts. The partnership also incorporated the Department of Education that encouraged educators throughout the state to share the contest with students.

The emphasis is a good year-round topic: after all, we have holidays, weekends and summers too!

Make it a family time moment when you check out the 30-second spots at MyFloridaLicense.com.

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Maybe the potty-mouthed kids from South Park could use a visit from the too-wholesome-to-be-true Jonas Brothers.

Or maybe putting the two groups on the same screen takes something away from both of them. Who knows?

I missed last night's season premiere of the raunchy Comedy Central staple, and in truth, South Park hasn't been on my required viewing list for years. Generally, I think it's hysterical. I just don't have time for it.

In any event, it seems they took on the Jonas Brothers in an episode that, according to one reviewer, somehow managed to stand up for religion and sexual freedom at the same time.

The basic plot is that Kenny (the one who's always dying) has a girlfriend he tries to get into bed, so he takes her to a Jonas Brothers concert, where they receive purity rings. The brothers end up standing up to Disney, which (in the show) is using the brothers in an underhanded way to promote adolescent sex.

My younger stepdaughter is a big Jonas Brothers fan, and she doesn't take too kindly to seeing them mocked.

Will she want to see this episode? I don't know. If she does want to see it, should she be allowed to?

Fortunately, the show's not on my stepkids' radar, so my wife and I are spared the responsibility of deciding how to handle it.

But knowing how over-the-top the creators of South Park can be, I just wonder how we would deal with it if they did want to see it.

At what age would you let your kids watch South Park? And if you've seen the Jonas Brothers episode, would you feel comfortable letting a 13-year-old watch it?

(Click on continue reading for a recent Jonas Brothers appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman).

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We all have a Barbie story.

Maybe your story is the same as a co-worker's (we'll call her GiGi): As a young girl she took her middle sister's prized Barbie with her on a trip downtown with her mom.

It was cold and snowy outside, so GiGi burrowed Barbie in her winter coat to keep her warm. Somehow, she slipped away. Tears ensued.

GiGi's mother filed a missing Barbie report with the town's radio station. The doll was never found.

Or maybe Barbie was never allowed to escape your lips, much less enter the home.

I had Barbie, and Ken, and the black Barbie, and the pink remote-control Cadillac, and her townhome with a bubbling spa (add water and press the pump to create bubbles!!).

What's your Barbie story?

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Mickey and Minnie are on road trip.

The Disney characters will be in town for a Playhouse Disney Live! show March 13.

BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise is offering discount tickets for one-day only, with savings of up to $11 per ticket.

Other Playhouse Disney neighbors Handy Manny, Tigger, Pooh, Little Einsteins will also be at the show.

This offer is valid on Club and Upper Level seats for shows March 13 at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The regularly $26 tickets have the most value, but will be the first to go.

Get more details, here.

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The news breaking today is that Chris Brown and Rihanna have reunited. That's according to People magazine.

Once again, the two superstars are, whether they intend to or not, sending messages to teens about what's proper behavior and what's acceptable. That's the price that comes with being a role model.

I think my stepdaughters are pretty sharp about what they would allow, but I also think some pretty sharp people have nonetheless been the victims of domestic violence. So we intend to have another talk with the girls about the boundaries they should set in their lives.

In the meantime, I don't envy Chris Brown or Rihanna. They're private pain is a public discussion, and that is one of the prices of fame.

By taking Chris Brown back, Rihanna has told the world either that he's innocent or that she's forgiven him. If he's innocent, that's great. If she's forgiven him, then she's taken a huge risk. It's a risk that's hers to take, and hers alone. I can't judge her for it.

I'm not an expert on domestic violence. I just interview them from time to time. And they tell me that episodes of violence are often followed by apologies and promises to change, and then by an attempt at reconciliation. After that, it can only go one of two ways: either the violence doesn't happen again, or it does - and worse.

If this was indeed an abuse case, then for Rihanna's sake, I can only pray that Chris Brown proves himself worthy of her trust and forgiveness.

Anyway, that's what I plan to tell my kids. What do you plan to tell yours?

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A coworker sent me this link to a Chicago Tribune article with a disturbing observation. Remember the accusation that entertainer Chris Brown beat his girlfriend Rihanna? Well, it turns out some teens think she had it coming. I’m not kidding. Here’s the beginning of the Tribune article:

Ed Loos, a junior at Lake Forest High School, said a common reaction among students to Chris Brown's alleged attack on Rihanna goes something like this: "Ha! She probably did something to provoke it."

In Chicago, Sullivan High School sophomore Adeola Matanmi has heard the same.

"People said, 'I would have punched her around too,' " Matanmi said. "And these were girls!"

As allegations of battery swirl around the famous couple, experts on domestic violence say the response from teenagers just a few years younger shows the desperate need to educate this age group about dating violence.

Their acceptance, or even approval, of abuse in romantic relationships is not a universal reaction. But it comes at a time when 1 in 10 teenagers has suffered such abuse and females ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates of any age group, research shows.

***

I heard the rumors, too. It didn’t take long for them to pop up. My stepdaughter came home from school the day after the allegations were made public and let my wife and me know exactly why Chris Brown beat Rihanna (a talented entertainer in her own right). And while she didn’t say Rihanna deserved it, she might as well have. After all, so the rumor went, what Rihanna gave Chris Brown was worse than the beating he gave her, wink wink.

First, my wife and I explained that schoolyard rumors are usually best left in the schoolyard. Only two people witnessed whatever happened, and it’s not likely that one of them called up a friend at Cypress Bay High School to spread the word.

But the bigger lesson, the one we hope stuck, was that violence in romantic relationships is unacceptable. I could tell my stepdaughter with near certainty that Rihanna didn’t deserve it because no one deserves to be beaten like that. I don’t care what she did. If you’re a man, you don’t hit her. Maybe you'll yell or scream or get loud in the heat of the moment. But you do not get physical (unless self-defense is an issue, which may happen but is certainly not representative of abuse cases).

I know some men (and some women) can explode if the wrong buttons are pushed, and without a doubt, it’s unwise to intentionally push those buttons. But I want my teenage stepdaughters to know that it is never, ever right to let a man strike them.

Erica Herman, director of social change at Women in Distress, succinctly shot down the notion that victims of domestic violence provoke the attacks against them. "Domestic violence is about power and control," she said, addressing a different rumor about the Brown-Rihanna altercation. "He didn't hit her because he was angry. He hit her to gain control."

We don’t know what happened. In our family, we hope Chris Brown is innocent, and we hope those pictures of Rihanna that surfaced on the Internet were faked. But if they’re authentic, then someone hurt this woman. And if it was Chris Brown, then he should pay. The shame of this whole thing is that our family is fond of this talented singer, dancer and actor. He’s a heck of an entertainer – I’d bet he could get a standing ovation at a cemetery.

But if this charge sticks, then he’ll have gone from Chris Brown to Bobby Brown, from undeniable talent to disgraced has-been (if only in my eyes). No, I wasn’t expecting perfection out of him. But I was expecting him to refrain from beating his girlfriend. I don’t think that’s much to ask at all.

If you’re a victim of domestic violence or of violence in a romantic relationship, you didn’t have it coming. You didn’t ask for it. It's not normal and it's not your fault. And there are places you can turn to for help. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. If you need counseling in Broward County, call Women in Distress at 954-761-1133. In Palm Beach County, call Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse at 1-800-355-8547.

Elsewhere, call the Florida Domestic Violence Toll-free Hotline at 1-800-500-1119 or the National Domestic Violence Toll-free Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

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The movie is Coraline, which seems to be a horror movie that we're supposed to take little Johnny to because the murderer in the film is animated instead of real.

The animation is beautiful, really, and the movie got great reviews.

It was rated PG, for Parental Guidance. I figured that was OK to take my almost-7-year-old to. No?

Here are some snippets of Lily's review: "Why did you take me to this movie?'' "Cover my eyes!'' "Can I sleep in your room tonight?''

Meanwhile my son was across town watching the latest Friday the 13th movie, which he was also too young to see. Is he going to butcher me in my sleep now?

One cool thing about Coraline is it's the first time I've seen animated characters ignoring their kids by typing on their laptop computers. Poor Coraline is drawn into the world of the "other'' parents by her boredom with her own life and her own parents. They just sit there typing on their computers when she's trying to talk to them. Can you imagine?

The moral of the story, though, is good: No matter how much your own parents suck, it's better than being murdered.

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What’s on your refrigerator?

Those drawings, homemade cards and magnets, yep - it's art. Our refrigerators serve as that hallowed Wall of Fame, the Living Museum for our child's creations. Every one of us has kids - and our kids are naturally gifted artists!

We alone possess their unique, original art - drawings of the family pet, a sunset, monsters and dinosaurs, fantastical worlds and perfect profiles. Masterpieces all.

Yet, we want all the world to see. It's time to share with the rest of us Moms and Dads.

Honor your toddler or teen: From the humorous to the serious; the whimsical to the introspective, bring it on - "hang" it up on our virtual family kitchen refrigerator.

We'll shuffle through those treasured toddler drawings and scribbles and the sophisticated draftings and renderings your teenagers create.

Then we'll post photos of their work each week. Here's how:

Take a photo of your child's art work and upload it to Refrigerator Art.

Once submitted, approval of the art can take up to 12 hours.

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It's going to be nippy weekend, with low temps expected in the mid-50s and highs just over 70. But don't let that keep you and rugrats indoors.

Take the knee-high ones to Miami Children's Museum, which has free admission on the third Friday of each month.

Or check out the Fairy Fun at Tequesta's library, where children 3 and older can locate fairies in books, sing songs and create fairy crafts. The 45-minute program starts at 11 a.m. Feb. 21.

Take the hip-high ones to see what it's like in an aquarium at Hollywood's Anne Kolb Nature Center. It'll set you back $1 per person for the Saturday and Sunday tours from 2 - 3 p.m.

And for the ones who are nearly as tall as you and love to skateboard -- check out Deerfield Beach's skate park. Our reporter Liz Doup did a photo-feature on the skate park.

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If you want to venture off the zoo/park path this weekend, then check out St. Bernadette Family Festival in Hollywood.

This folksy church fair, which started Thursday, has the usual rides and fair food coupled with retro games such as the bean-bag toss.

The fair is open through Feb. 15 at 7450 Stirling Road. Entry will cost you zip, zilch, zero. Rides are $25 for an all-day pass.

The hours: Friday 6 - 11 p.m.; Saturday from 1 p.m. - midnight followed by a midnight Mass; and Sunday noon - 10 p.m.

For more info, call 954-432-5313.

And if this fair isn't your cup of tea, there's the Coconut Grove Art Festival and the Delray Beach Garlic Festival. See our listing of weekend events, here.

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If it's too cold to head to the park this weekend, indulge in these home-made activities:

Dust off the classics

Teach the kids a thing or two about real games. Pull out the Parcheesi, Sorry or Bogle. Replace missing game pieces with buttons or coins.

Knock 'em down

Set up a bowling lane in the hallway. For pins, use empty liter bottles or soda cans and get ready to strike.

Hide in plain view

This game is from FamilyFun.com and is best played with young children. While everyone else is out of the room, one player places the object somewhere unexpected but in plain sight. The other players then return to search. Whenever a player sees the object, he sits down where he is -- being careful not to give away the object's location.

Camp out

Create a forest in the living room with all the container plants brought indoors earlier this week to avoid the cold snap. Plop down sleeping bags, or open the pop-up tent. Have S'mores and Vienna sausages, or get a special delivery from the local pizza joint.

See the big picture

Choose a DVD that's a family favorite, or find something on Comcast's On Demand channel. Designate a person to man the ticket booth, concession stand (aka microwave) and theater entry. Then settle down on the sofa, floor or ottoman for a great flick.

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The sun is out. The temperature is rising.

Frigid mamas, papas and babes can come out of hibneration and get back outside. (I know I can't be the only one who was COLD this week)

Baby and I will be heading to the recently renovated Hardy Park in Fort Lauderdale at 8th St. and Andrews Ave.

It has two playstations -- one for the big kids and one for the tots. But the best part are the big-people swings that look like suspended lounge chairs.

The "grass" is that hybrid of artificial turf and crumbled rubber tires. It's squishy goodness.

Where's your favorite park to hang out with the kids? Let us know and we'll compile a list of the Best Parks Cause Mom/Dad Said So.

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You can re-enact the joys of winter: roasting marshmallows, sipping cocoa; or you could escape the cold at one of these weekend events as compiled by South Florida Parenting:

READ ON FOR THIS WEEKEND'S BEST BETS

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The first time I heard of Amy Juergens, she was speaking directly to me about the need for parents and children to be open when it comes to talking about sex.

Amy is the protagonist of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” an ABC Family series (Monday nights, 8 p.m.) about those crazy, promiscuous kids and all the trouble they get into – including 15-year-old Amy’s unplanned pregnancy. My younger stepdaughter, 13, has started to get into the show.

Tacked onto the end of each episode is a PSA featuring Amy, lead actress Shailene Woodley, telling parents not to assume their kids are having sex just because they ask about it (and telling teens not to assume their parents don’t care if they don’t bring up the subject). Teen pregnancy is preventable, she reminds viewers.

Splendid.

I don’t know yet what to make of this show. Its creator is Brenda Hampton, who was also responsible for the long-running, family-friendly WB series “Seventh Heaven.” I’ve seen two episodes of “Secret Life,” not enough to form an opinion, but enough to form an impression – it’s making teen pregnancy into bad sitcom fodder, and it’s sugar-coating what happens next in a way that can’t be undone with a well-meaning PSA.

In last Monday night’s season premiere, Amy married her boyfriend, who is not the baby’s father. Now, I’m not going to say that such things never happen. I’m sure they do. But it’s not reality for most teen mothers. In fact, according to stayteen.org (the Web site Amy sends kids to at the end of each episode), fewer than 8% of teen mothers end up marrying the baby’s father. I doubt a statistic even exists for the infinitesimal number of teen mothers who marry someone other than the baby’s father before the child is born.

When parents split, Dad doesn’t smugly set up an apartment in the garage. One parent actually leaves the house. Divorce is ugly. Teen pregnancy is agonizing. People get hurt. True friends reveal themselves and, unfortunately, so do false friends. And most of the time, it’s not funny.

And yet, there’s something about this production that keeps me from dismissing it or selling it short.

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In the B.K. years (Before Kids) weekend plans were concocted a couple of hours before said event after chatting with friends about what we could get into THAT night.

Now, those last-minute outings have been replaced by play dates with the children of other moms and dads that must be made weeks in advance.

However, if you're the kind of parent who still relishes making last-minute plans, read on for a look at the best of what's going on for kids this weekend as compiled by South Florida Parenting:

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Do your kids download music from the Internet? Looks like they're not likely to get sued anymore, but trouble still might be brewing for them (and us).

The Recording Industry Association of America is trying a new tack to get people to stop illegally downloading music they are supposed to pay for. Instead of suing the pirates, the RIAA is working with unnamed Internet service providers to slow down or possibly cut off service to people who illegally download music.

You could get a polite e-mail asking you to stop, or another possibility, according to Ben Patterson, a Yahoo! tech blogger: a charge on your cable bill, similar to an I-tunes bill.

I can see why kids (and adults) can't resist downloading music when there appears to be no penalty. But I sympathize with the music industry too: The Wall Street Journal says record companies sold 500 million CDS and albums in 2007, down from 656 million in 2003.

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Continuing on Rafael's earlier holiday-themed post, I'm thinking it would be nice to do something special with the family for the season.

But what to do that's not terribly expensive, but still fun for the kids?

I'm thinking about going to see a production of Beauty and the Beast, Max & Ruby or something else at a local children's theater.

I would probably end up going with my Ana Isabel alone since Lucas Emilio is only seven months old. She's three. I can't imagine Lucas would enjoy it.

But I'm not sure how Ana would handle it either. When's the first time you took your children to a theatrical production? And how did it go?

I open to suggestions on other family holiday activities.

What's you favorite?

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If you don't want to referee fights over the TV, the PSP2, the dolls while putting the finishing touches on that bird, direct the rugrats to entertain themselves (quietly) with the following:

Have them create a wacky Thanksgiving tale in the style of Mad-Lib

Let them watch tiki huts catch fire and other cooking disasters.

Have them pick which TV marathon the family will watch (after the feast).

Let them figure out how much exercise will need to be done after eating the stuffing and pie with our calorie calculator (Note: If beer is chosen, the recommended exercise is of a mature nature.)

Have them vote on the Worst Holiday Album Covers.

And for an old-school treat: Have them write on index cards what they are most grateful for this year. The thank-ful notes can be read just before dessert.

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Say this for the wholesome teens of Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise: there are worse things they could do.

At first glance, there’s not much difference between the halls of East Side High and those of Rydell High, the school attended by the students of “Grease.” Each school has impossibly bubbly teens who break out into song with little warning. And somehow, everyone knows the words to every song, along with the accompanying dance moves.

But the similarities pretty much end there, especially if you’re a parent. I think if my mom and dad had really listened to the lyrics of the “Grease” soundtrack, they would have banned it from my house. Oh, sure, “Summer Nights” was harmless enough on the surface (although when Danny said “She was good, you know what I mean,” I didn’t). But did you ever listen to the lyrics of “Greased Lightning”? How on earth did we get away with playing that song and dancing to it in the presence of our parents?

Ah, but in the late 1970s, Grease really was the word, wasn’t it? It had groove. It had feeling. It had… well, it had a little bit more than young children should see and hear, no? Because Grease really wasn’t a high school musical. It strikes me that Grease was produced in the 1970s for people in their 30s who were in high school during the 1950s. With a wink and a nod, it mocked truly clueless adults along with the unrealistic expectations of wholesome perfection. We all knew what Troy Donahue wanted to do. And when Rizzo was in trouble, we worried with her.

What was the message of Grease, anyway? Was it that you need to be a floozie (or just look like one) to get your man or to fit in? Or was it that you need not be ashamed of your sexuality?

And what is the message of High School Musical? Looks to me like the message is to be true to yourself and to your friends, and have a little fun in the process. They are a wholesome bunch, aren’t they? Even the villainess of the piece, Sharpay, ends up being so darned nice when all is sung and done.

The world of High School Musical is an innocent one, a world free of cynicism, a world that almost screams, “please, let kids be kids just a little while longer!”

Here’s the big difference: HSM is for people looking forward to high school. Grease is for people looking back on it.

Or maybe I’m just thinking too hard. As a stepparent to two teenage girls, I hope you'll forgive me forgive me for applauding HSM a little more than Grease. At least while my girls are still kids.

Go Wildcats!

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I'm just back from a trip to Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Someone please remind me why it's worth $150 for a parent and child to ride four or five rides
and spend the rest of the time fighting over what souvenirs to purchase.

One of my sisters spent a fortune flying here from Oklahoma to take her three-year-old to Disney World. But he didn't feel well and screamed his head off most of the time. He even threw himself on the ground and kicked his legs while flailing his arms. That's something I thought was made up by TV actors.

He wanted to buy a plastic sword, and then he wanted to buy a gun instead. And then it was something else. He wanted to be carried, he didn't want his cousins to share the stroller with him. Etcetera etcetera.

He's really cute, so I found the whole thing amusing. But I felt sorry for my sis who spent all that money.

You can't really count on kids to actually enjoy the place. That's the problem.

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Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center in Davie is offering a birthday party package for children 6 to 12.

The bad news: it's $450. The good news, if you haven't been to Long Key, it rivals Anne Kolb as a nature center.

It's at 3501 S.W. 130th Ave., Davie, across from Flamingo Gardens Call 954-327-8797.

Parents can choose from four theme options, according to a county press release:

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Today I got a call from the Ganz folks up in Canada who make Webkinz stuffed animals and their accompanying virtual world website.

They were feeling sorry for Lily because she was the victim of a home invasion robbery in Webkinz world. See my post on that by clicking here. They wanted to know if there was something they could do to help.

Awww, isn't that nice?

To bring you up to date, I very stupidly published Lily's logon and password on this blog, (see the post here) and joked about someone stealing the "furniture'' in her bunny's bedroom.

Surprise, surprise! Someone did just that. Yes, it's true, one of you readers is THAT MEAN!

The cyber burglar also cleaned out Lily's Webkinz virtual bank account. Lily was devastated.

But I told the Webkinz spokeswoman that Lily is already rebuilding from this life tragedy. She got a new job, has a fresh infusion of cash to pay her veterinary bills, and has almost gotten over the mental anguish she suffered.

Susan McVeigh, a spokeswoman for the company, advised me that many a child has had the "learning experience'' Lily had.

"We say never share your password. Never,'' she said.

Kids can learn "safe Internet practices'' at a young age on Webkinz.com, she noted. And many a child has given out a password to a friend who is no longer a friend, or to a sibling, and been victimized like Lily was.

However, not many kids are victimized by their own parent publishing the password on the Internet, McVeigh noted. Not very smart.

"Send me the link when you do one with your bank account logon and password,'' McVeigh said and laughed.

Touche!

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Lily is only 6, and already she's been the victim of a major crime. A burglar broke into her home, stole all her furniture and all her money. And, inexplicably, left four new chairs in her bedroom.

All of this occurred in cyberspace, in Lily's beloved Webkinz world.

She came to me crying hysterically, and told me of the invasion. Real tears were streaming down her cheeks. She'd earned $24 doing Webkinz "jobs,'' and it was gone.

"I went to get my pet some medicine,'' she told me, "and $1 came up. And then, sadness,'' she told me.

She wept openly as she told me that making this tragedy even worse was the fact that "my bunny is so SICK!'' And she had no money to take him to the vet.

In Webkinz world, which I told you about in a previous post, you earn "money'' working "jobs,'' and then you can "buy'' special beds and nightstands and such and furnish your pet's room. Lily had carefully done so. I specifically remember a cute little pink love seat. And a pink bed. A pink phone.

All of it, now gone.

"And they left four chairs in my room. Why would I need that many chairs?!'' she cried.

I tell you all of this to warn of the danger of sharing your logon and password with any friends or cousins. Or newspaper readers.

I shouldn't have published Lily's logon information, huh?

Did one of you make Lily cry?

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I love it when obnoxious, virtually unknown, foreign, painfully unfunny music awards show hosts tell me how to vote. Love it even more when they tastelessly mock the Jonas Brothers for the unspeakable crime of being virgins, especially when my stepkids are watching.

So you can imagine my wife and I had a blast watching the MTV Video Music Awards last night. My first thought when I saw the host, British comedian Russell Brand, was, "Who the devil is British comedian Russell Brand?"

Then the nitwit started talking, representing himself as a member of the global community and begging the U.S. to elect Barack Obama president. Now, I'm not going to declare my political leanings here, but I am going to recall something I observed four years ago: U.S. Americans really, really don't like it when foreigners tell them how to vote. If they did, President Kerry would be seeking his second term right now. In urging a vote for Obama, Russell Brand did as much to further the cause of John McCain as 10 Alaskan governors could hope to do.

Not content to have one foot in his mouth, Brand actually did the unthinkable. He kept talking. He targeted VP nominee Sarah Palin and her future son-in-law (in a bit that could have been a lot funnier than it was), then the Jonas Brothers (in a bit that wasn't even mildly amusing). Somehow, he worked a couple of "master of your domain" jokes in there, just to make sure parents were as uncomfortable as possible if they were watching with their younger teens.

"He's making me mad," my 13-year-old stepdaughter said. "He's making fun of the Jonas Brothers."

My wife and I looked at each other with a hint of relief. Turns out a 13-year-old girl, admiring the talent and wholesomeness of a trio of young men, actually proved to be smarter than a self-appointed representative of the global community. Bravo, kid.

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It is with heavy heart that I report, two months after everyone else reported it, that PBS is drastically cutting its offerings of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.''

Goodbye, King Friday. Henrietta Pussycat, we sure did love you. Queen Sara, we admired your community involvement.

Here's what the Associated Press reported in June:

"PBS says it will no longer offer episodes of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to its member stations each weekday, but will instead send stations just one episode per week to air starting in the fall. PBS says it is making the decision because the show is no longer in production, and because its menu of other programming continues to expand.''

That means a station would have to pre-record all the episodes of the show over the summer if they wanted to try showing the tennis-shoe tossing Mr. Rogers every day.

Somehow I missed this news and only heard it on the radio this week, in August.

It's one of those things you feel you have to talk through, so I told a cashier yesterday and she was pretty broken up, also.

One guy is so upset about losing the "special nurturing voice'' of Mr. Rogers that he created this website, SaveMisterRogers.com.

As we try to absorb this devastating news, let's pay tribute to the late Mr. Rogers (he died in 2003 of stomach cancer) by reading the lyrics of one of his special songs. It's good to know that Mr. Rogers even loved our internal organs:

I think you're a special person And I like your ins and outsides. Everybody's fancy. Everybody's fine. Your body's fancy and so is mine.

Goodbye, neighbor.

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Big brother sticks his finger in baby Charlie's mouth and is surprised by the resulting pain.

This YouTube video was posted May 22, 2007 and has gotten nearly 43 million hits. Thanks to the co-worker who alerted me to this funny video.

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Watch Knocked Up this weekend.

Perhaps you’ve already seen it. I had. And, frankly, it didn’t do much for me the first time. Funny, sure, but I found some of the performances uneven -- even flat.

Now it’s on the HBO rotation, and I’ve stumbled upon it a couple of times. How much I missed! There are all these hilarious asides, mostly from Ben Stone (played by Seth Rogen).

Here’s one I caught last night. Ben and Alison (Katherine Heigl) are shopping for a crib with Alison’s sister Debbie. One catches their fancy, but then they note the hefty price tag. Alison suggests they borrow Debbie’s. Then Ben counters that there’s one in an alley behind his house. “We could just grab that. Just rub Purell all over it.”

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You're more likely to squeeze water from a rock than stumble across a money tree. That's why I'm designating Fridays as Freebie Fridays.

Each Friday, in this space, I'll present a list of free stuff to do with the kids -- and without the ankle-bitters/teen-demons.

If you have any good ideas about free events to be enjoyed over a weekend, please share.

Drum roll please . . . Freebie Friday for the weekend of May 30 - June 1:

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I did the unthinkable for the purposes of this blog. I showed my kindergartener the Vanity Fair photo of Miley Cyrus wrapped in a sheet.

"Where is she?'' Lily asked while looking at my computer screen, the only image visible being the photo of Miley Cyrus.

"She's right there. That's Miley Cypress,'' I said.

"It's Cyrus, not Cypress,'' the 6-year-old corrected. I asked her how she knows Miley and she said, "It's Hannah Malltana.''

Hellooo little Miss Correcter!! Her name is Hannah MONTANA!!!

I let her get away with the "Malltana'' error. That was too far from the point.

"What do you think of this picture?'' I quizzed.

"Umm, what do you think of it?'' she asked.

Ahh, I see. She doesn't care and wants to know if she should. Well, I for one was not traumatized by looking at Miley's ribcage from the back. Put some heels on her and this is the kind of dress these Hollyweird people wear to galas.

Granted I didn't think Annie Leibovitz capture the essence of the young lady we know from TV, but she probably did capture a glimpse of the beautiful woman Miley is becoming.

Big deal. I was much more grossed out by the video that Vanity Fair released of the photo shoot, where she snuggled up to her (pretty handsome) dad like they were a couple. (See the video here, on our Watch This Now blog.)

I am also much more disgusted by the fact that teen Jamie Lynn Spears is preggers, and Lily might find out since she's a fan of Zoe 101.

I don't give much of a crap about celebrities' personal lives; I think they're entitled to privacy. I give even less of a crap about a celebrity teen's artistic photo. Miley should use one of those backbones that are showing and tell everyone to shut up.

If by chance you've missed this manufactured controversy and want to taint your brain with senseless mush, click here.

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I took the boys on Saturday to the 6th Annual Our Kids World at the South Florida Fairgrounds Americraft Expo Center, billed as "the perfect place for the entire family!" With that kind of a marketing line, I have high expectations.

When I think perfect, I think of a nice, inexpensive, pleasant afternoon with the kids with no stress. Of course, I'm not sure that's such an easy feat.

We left the house in the early afternoon and headed up to the fairgrounds near West Palm Beach. The boys were excited at the prospect of seeing Diego, Dora and SpongeBob. The parking lot was jam-packed, and the line was not too long to get in. Bonus point goes to the lady at the ticket counter who gave me a free pass for one of my kids (I already had one coupon, so I just paid the $5 for myself).

Once inside the Expo Center, it was loud. Really loud hip-hop music that my little ones did not appreciate. Granted, the event was geared toward anyone under 12, but I'd be willing to bet my kids were not the only ones bothered by the blaring, repetitive, hip-hop music.

The line to get a picture taken with Dora and Diego was miles long. OK, not a mile long, but it definitely snaked around and around and I can say without hesitation that it would have taken at least 45 minutes to get to the front and have an up-close moment with Diego. Needless to say we didn't, although the kids were at least a little excited to get to see Diego and Dora. Why not separate those crazy cousins, put Dora in one line, where mostly girls will want to go, and put Diego in another line, and perhaps minimize the wait?

There were dozens of inflatables -- slides, obstacle courses, bounce houses, etc. It just cost $10 per child for them to play on the inflatables as much as they wanted. I thought that was a bit much, and I know those companies made a bundle, judging from the lines of barefooted kids waiting to jump.

Don't forget the pony rides, which also cost money, and the opportunity to look at the "world's smallest horse" for $1. Whatever it was, it was behind a curtain. I didn't pay.

So, for me, it was a bust. I should have known better. These kinds of things are basically one huge advertisement for other companies that have booths set up, ready for you to sign up for a chance to win this or that. I'm sure hundreds of kids had a great time. Maybe mine are too young. Next weekend we'll just hit a free playground.

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Are your kids doing the Soulja Boy dance?

The hip hop rap has a great danceable beat, and my three kids, ages 9 to 13, are all doing the dance, which has instructions on YouTube.

My 13-year-old asked me if I knew what the lyrics meant, and of course, I had no idea. She told me to go to UrbanDictionary.com.

I did and I got quite an education. It starts off "Soulja boy off in this hoe," and gets much, much worse from there. It's all about sex, masturbation and mistreatment of women.

So now, what to do? My nine- and 11-year-olds have no idea what the song is really about and probably don't care. But I do.

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My son has been driving us nuts looking for Action Replay for Nintendo DS. Action Replay provides the "cheats" for Pokemon games ... i.e., the techniques that help you beat the game, according to my son. Apparently it also helps you crack codes in other games, too.

We hit Target, Game Stop and a couple of specialty stores in malls. We could have ordered it on-line, but we're into immediacy.

Anyway, Best Buy near Sawgrass Mills had SEVENTEEN of them in stock. Now they have 16.

Now I'm debating the ethics of helping my son use workarounds to beat a video game. Sinking into an abyss...

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I hide my iPhone from my son. Sometimes.

Not yet 3, he's already an iPod and iPhone fan. He knows those shiny black and silver gadgets show some of his favorite cartoons, including Handy Manny, Little Einsteins and Go, Diego, Go!

At $3 bucks a pop on iTunes, those cartoon costs add up quickly. That's why I was happily stunned when I realized iTunes offers no less than 6 free Sesame Street TV show videos. Did you catch that? For free! No cost. No check needed.

The selection is great too, including the episodes "Music Works Wonders," "Happy, Healthy, Ready for School," and "A is for Asthma." And we're not talking five-minute clips. Some episodes are 20 to 40 minutes long. (On iTunes, click the TV shows tab, then the Free on iTunes tab.)

Now my son has more reasons to covet my iPhone.

My wife won't let me install DVD players in our family SUV because she doesn't want him to get hooked on watching TV screens everytime we go for a drive. I get that. Then again, sometimes a tiny screen can really calm a tiny kid, especially on long, boring car rides.

So, when I can, I slip my iPhone to my boy in the car. That is, when I'm not hiding it from him.

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Apparently Gretchen (see below) and our house wasn't the only one watching Friday night. A record for basic cable.

I thought the first one was much better, but my son, the one who believes the hype, calls this movie "the best ever." Just so you know, he also liked Norbit.

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Apparently Gretchen (see below) and our house wasn't the only one watching Friday night. A record for basic cable.

I thought the first one was much better, but my son, the one who believes the hype, calls this movie "the best ever." Just so you know, he also liked Norbit.

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Good gosh. Did you see this story about how Walt Disney World has raised its rates for adults to a whopping $70 per day?

That means that for a family of four, just one day at a park will cost you more than $200. Add that to the price of gas it now takes to get from So. Fla to Orlando (two tankfuls in my Honda Pilot is easily $120), and the never cheap hotel rates (last time we stayed at the Swan & Dolphin and got the DISCOUNT Florida resident rate of $150 per night).

Rough grand total for a one day, one night stay puts you in the ballpark of around $500! (And who really only goes for a day; you really need atleast two days to make it worth the time and energy.)

Since I don't care for the Disney experience (I go for the sake of my kids), I can think of many other fun things to do/places to go for $500. (A round-trip ticket to Paris, anyone?)

But Disney fans, what in Mickey's name are you going to do?

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My five-year-old saw Bart Simpson's private parts.
We didn't think twice about bringing Lily along to see The Simpsons Movie. I didn't bother to look at the rating, which advises she needs 8 more years of maturing before she's ready to watch it. It warns about "mature humor,' but it fails to mention the FULL FRONTAL NUDITY!!!!

Lily has watched the television version for years. We watched old home videos this weekend, and you could hear Bart and Homer in the background in a few of them. It's a staple of our household.
But here's a warning for parents of the younger set. The movie includes all the cliche elements of a real action thriller, including a flash of Bart from the front when he's skateboarding naked.
It wasn't very anatomically accurate. It's a cartoon, after all.
Lily didn't even mention it afterwards. But when I got to her daycare after work yesterday, the first mom I saw said that Lily had just told her and her daughter that she saw Bart Simpson naked. When I walked into the classroom, both teachers immediately let me know that Lily had been telling them about the movie all day.
On the way home, I asked her about it. Was that your favorite part, I inquired?
She laughed sheepishly.
"Yes. ... But don't tell Dad!!!''
I guess I could have used it as an entree into a deep discussion about the differences between males and females.
Nah.
...
Unrelated strange Lily comment of the day, yesterday:
"I know if you eat a whole airplane, you can die from that.''

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-- By Reporting Assistant Cindy Kent

Movies are a great way to connect with others.

So, chatting in the office about the release of the Transformers movie led me and another mother to discuss why we would be interested in the tale. Our sons, when they were younger, played with the Transformers toys.

When I heard a Transformer movie was being released, my first thought was: "It's about time." And apparently others think the same, according to Fandango, the movie ticket-seller Web site.

Opening weekend, Fandango reported that Transformer showings were sold out. And their survey of why folks were buying tickets indicated that 75% had watched the cartoons when they were kids; 65% had played with the actual toys; and 24% had read the comic books.

There wasn't a category on how many were parents of those whose kids played with Transformers almost two decades ago. But not to worry, I bought my tickets -- some things never transform, or is that change....

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I pride myself in knowing the lyrics of all the pop songs from the 1970s, the era of my teenage years and to me, the golden age of American music.

Nothing written after 1990 can compete with that era, which I make sure to tell my 13-year-old daughter all the time. So I enjoyed watching NBC's The Singing Bee with her last night and showing off my knowledge of pop lyrics.

The show asks contestants to finish the lyrics of pop songs from the past 40 or so years. These contestants also sing and dance without inhibition. They couldn't care less that their voices cracked or their coordination lacked, which made them even more endearing.

ZZ Top, Bananarama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Three Dog Night: The contestants had to know songs from all these classic groups last night.

To my great surprise, my teenager knew almost as many 30-year-old songs as I did, which reinforced for me the everlasting quality of '70s and '80s music. Lately, she's been singing Living On A Prayer (Bon Jovi) and Hooked On A Feeling (Ouga Chaka Ouga!), songs she learned in camp, reinforcing my greatest-era-of-music philosophy.

Have your kids been discovering music from your childhood, or are they hooked on the feeling that only music post-2000 rocks?

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Or ... How Baby Jaguar Got His Growl Back.

Sunday finally arrived. It was time to go see Diego (otherwise known as Dora the Explorer's cousin), the lovable animal rescuer of Nick Jr. fame.

We packed up the kids and headed to Fort Lauderdale, where we immediately encountered a traffic jam at the parking lot not seen by me since I saw the Dave Matthews Band in West Palm. Jeez, that many parents fell for this? Of course, my husband said. Kids entertainment is scarce around here.

My sons and I were suffering from a cold, but I wasn't about to let a few sniffles and coughs stop us from this. Besides, I'm supposed to just let $130 go to waste?

I must say, the show delivered -- at least for Evan. I don't know that Elias is too young, since there were other kids younger than him clearly enjoying themselves. But it could be a combination of the fact that he wasn't feeling great and he hates loud noises. So hundreds of kids screaming for Diego and growling at the top of their lungs was not a good thing.

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Weekly Reader Research released this finding in its latest survey of 6- to 18-year-olds:

Lindsay Lohan is not a role model, according to 75.7 percent of kids surveyed. Amen, my children. And thank goodness you understand that her behavior is abominable and not to be emulated. 52.3 percent of the kids said they don't even like her.

The Lindsay loathing didn't differ much with age, either, although the youngest group of girls, ages 6-9, were more likely to say they liked her a little. Boys that age, on the other hand, were the largest group of Lindsay-haters: almost 78 percent of them don't like her. I'm a little sad, myself, to see how she turned out. Where oh where is that cute kid who played the twins in The Parent Trap?

The research didn't ask, but I'm willing to bet that Paris Hilton would have even lower numbers.

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If you have a toddler, particularly a boy (or two), you're probably familiar with Diego. You know, Dora's cousin? While Dora's out there exploring, doing her thing crossing bridges and scaling mountains with her buddy Boots, Diego is rescuing animals. A noble mission, people.

Both my sons LOVE Diego. I don't mind Diego either. The music on the show is great, the animals are cute, and who could quibble with a show that teaches kids about being kind to animals? I could live without Diego's grating and nearly monotone delivery, but hey ...

If you've read this blog before, you might know that we took our son Evan to see the Wiggles. Well, now Diego is coming to town.

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Finally!

Not to be Simonesque, but it was long past time for Sanjaya to go. I don’t think I could have stood another week of dissecting the reasons he was not voted off already.

It was sad. How could a 17-year-old kid take being ridiculed week after week in the national media? It’s obvious he doesn’t sing as well as the other contestants, but really, he’s not as miserable as everyone says he is. He’s just a kid. And he definitely sings better than most of us.

I couldn’t help looking at him like a mom. It just made me cringe. If that was my son, I’d be so relieved right now I couldn’t even speak. (And maybe I wouldn’t want to. What mother wants her son voted off American Idol?) Still, listening to him week after week, witnessing the weird hairstyles, reading and hearing the mean things people wrote and said about the poor boy … what mother could take that?

How did Sanjaya survive as long as he did?

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Reading Anne Vasquez’s entry about her son’s love of Cars and what he’s learned from that movie made me think about my own decade of raising daughters on Disney movies.

They have learned much from the revered Disney Princesses, including a few lessons you might not expect.

1. If a short, grumpy guy tells you not to open the door for “nothing or nobody,” do not open the door for a scary, ugly woman selling apples. Especially not if you already know that someone with magical powers is trying to kill you. This is stupid. It is good to be smart and take care of yourself. It is not good to open the door to strangers. My girls don’t want to be like Snow White, because she is not smart.

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My vote for the Academy Award for Best Film of the Year? Disney’s "Cars", the humorously sweet animated film about a race car's journey of self discovery.

OK, it’s not nominated in the overall Best Picture category, but it should be, if only for the surprisingly positive impact it has had on my two-year-old son. The movie has taught him valuable lessons about acts of kindness and just plain greed.

Although the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend television for children ages two and younger, I’ll admit that my husband and I break the rule for certain educational shows and for "Cars." We’ve sat on the couch together countless times and talked about the things we see on the screen. (It helps that the film is laced with a humor that adults can appreciate; otherwise, we’d be bored silly.)

My son has grown particularly fond of the movie’s characters -- Lightning McQueen, “Tow” Mater, Doc, Sally –- and calls them by name. He even adds McQueen’s signature “Ke-pow” “Ke-chow” to practically any car that may pass through his little hands.

What movies does your family credit for teaching your children valuable lessons? Here are just a few my husband and I have McQueen and his friends to thank for:

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