Friday, May 11, 2012
Curious children Giving George a run for his monkey
Ever since Muffin was about a year and a half old, her favorite word has been "why." She wants to know why things are the way they are. This desire to know extends to almost everything in her universe. Questions she has asked include, "Why does rain fall?" (prompting a brief explanation of the water cycle from Michael); "Why does Mommy have to go to work?" (prompting a short explanation of what parents do during the day); and "Why is it breakfast time?" (prompting a terse response regarding scheduling and having to get to playgroup on time). Squeaker, on the other hand, wants to know how things work. She intently watches everything I do, whether it is folding laundry, hammering nails, or making dinner. She wants to know how her clothing …
Friday, April 27, 2012
Getting Stubborn Kids to Brush Their Teeth
With the girls approaching their third birthday, we thought we were done with teething, but apparently we were wrong. Two of Squeaker’s back molars have just began erupting, causing her great pain. Nomi and I have been easing her through the teething process with children’s ibuprofen, chocolate pudding, and two small plastic icepack teething toys shaped like a cat and a dog that we got during their original round of teething. Squeaker’s recent teething pain got me thinking about the troubles we’ve had getting the kids to care for their teeth properly. Dental hygiene is something of an interest of mine; I had perfect teeth for all of my childhood, and I even wanted to become a dentist when I was in elementary school. So from the moment …
Friday, April 20, 2012
Today is the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park. The Red Sox will play the New York Yankees, the team they played on this day in 1912.
If you live in Brookline, the oldest ball field in the country is practically in your backyard. Yesterday, after work, of course, I went to the open house at Fenway Park and toured the stadium with thousands of my friends, walked on the track and took this photo from one of the private suites that was open to the public. A once in a lifetime opportunity for me! Share your fondest memory of Fenway Park in the comments section below. Maybe we will see you on TV at today's game!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
For the upcoming week's poll, we're looking at the town's liquor selection, and we want to know who we definitely can't miss in the poll. Tell us in the comments.
Where do you go when you're looking for a drink? Every week, we have been running the Patch Best Of Readers' Choice poll. This coming week, the topic is places to pick up a port or a porter, depending on your taste. We want to know who needs to be on the poll. So, as in past weeks, help us by brainstorming. Whether you head to Trader Joe's for their three buck chuck, or go for something classier from the Wine Gallery, or something greener from TerraVino, we still want to know. If it's a favorite beer you can only pick up at Coolidge Corner Wine & Spirits, tell us! We don't want to leave anyone out. Leave your suggestions in the poll, and come back to vote after the poll opens on Monday.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Changing approaches to Passover as the girls mature.
Last year, Muffin and Squeaker were mostly oblivious to the changes that occurred in the house as Passover approached. This year, however, they were completely aware that things were different from the moment I stopped letting them snack in their room or in the living room. This was my attempt to limit the amount of chametz, or food items that are forbidden on Passover, that I would have to clean out of random crevices. It is not random that I have, in the weeks leading up to Passover, referred to Muffin and Squeaker more than once as "chametz with feet." Cheerios, Kix, and other random breakfast cereals seem to appear randomly in odd places in our home. So limiting the locations where I was most likely to find these remnants was an …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Two Boston City Councilors and two Boston/Brookline state representatives testified about why they feel the high school dropout age should be raised from 16 to 18. What do you think?
Today At-Large Boston City Councilor John Connolly and District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson, state Rep. Ed Coppinger, D-Brookline, and state Rep. Carlos Henriquez, D-Dorchester, testified before the Joint Committee on Education at the State House. The Councilors and Representatives supported a home-rule petition sponsored by Councilors Connolly and Jackson that would raise the drop-out age in Boston from 16 to 18.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A day after Brookline native Mike Wallace passed on at the age of 93, an Iowa editor remembers his time with Wallace: a tough guy for "60 Minutes," and so much more.
I met Mike Wallace only once, many years ago, but I’d like to think I actually got to know him in the two hours we spoke. I met him on Martha's Vineyard in July of 1999, one day after John F. Kennedy Jr. was buried at sea off that same island. I had met Mike there with his son, Chris Wallace, to interview them for a book I was writing, a collection of my essays and Jim Graham’s photographs about famous and not-so-famous father-son relationships. They are smiling on the cover of that book, Father's & Sons, looking forever young, even though Mike was 80 at the time. He died Saturday. He was 93. I saw Chris Wallace in August at the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames, and I asked him how his father was doing. “Not good,” he told me and then gave that non…
Friday, March 30, 2012
Fears, Real and Imagined
Like many kids their age, Muffin and Squeaker frequently resist being put to bed when it’s time to go to sleep. They’ve built up a whole library of delaying tactics they use to get one more precious moment outside of their cribs, tactics that usually appeal to our sensibilities. After all, who could object to reading one “last” book to their kids, even if you’re already up to their third “last” book? But a few weeks ago, Squeaker initiated a new tactic to put off going to sleep, one that she used after she had been placed into her crib already. She started to tell us that there were snakes in her crib and that she had to be taken out. Nomi compromised with her by reaching into her crib and removing the imaginary snakes. That seemed to work…
Friday, March 23, 2012
Savory summer muffins take on a new character in winter's last days.
I recently had the pleasure of hosting a dear childhood friend for Sunday brunch. True to style, I spent the night before ignoring toys and books scattered around the living room (and dust bunnies gathered under the couch), choosing instead to fuss over the menu: a frittata infused with saffron dotted with scallion; good olive oil and za’atar drizzled over a mound of labne; garlicky wilted greens brightened with a splash of lemon juice. And freshly squeezed orange juice—for mimosas. With all those flavors, I could have just set out some good bread and called it done. But fresh pita would be too much of a fuss for a relaxed Sunday morning, and I have yet to perfect my technique for a crusty baguette. Clearly the meal called for some sort of…
Friday, March 16, 2012
Taking Already-Book-Obsessed Toddlers on their First Bookstore Outing
This past Sunday was like a beautiful spring day, with temperatures in the low- to mid-50s, a rarity for early March. Michael and I decided relatively early in the day that it would be a shame for Muffin and Squeaker to spend the day inside. We had a couple of options: we could take them to the New England Aquarium again or to the Boston Museum of Science, but neither girl seemed particularly interested in either outing. We considered setting up a play date with some of their Brookline-based friends, but we didn't get organized quickly enough to be sure not to disrupt another family's schedule. But it would have been a shame to let the day go by without going out. And then we hit on an idea: let's take the girls out on their first foray …
Grahame Turner
12:57 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Apparently getting kids' characters to encourage toothbrushing is a successful tactic. If anyone finds that Howdy Doody video floating around YouTube or somewhere, it could be make for a pretty interesting addition. Let us know! more ›