keyboard is...melting

This is not a climate which gets many days like today; we reached a high of 101 degrees this afternoon. The kids were not allowed to open the door to the outside for fear of letting out our perfectly circulated air system; two air conditioners and 10 fans set up to keep the cool air flowing throughout the house. My steering wheel was shedding its vinyl coating as I drove through town with the AC blasting in the van. Tomorrow is only supposed to get hotter. These 30 extra postpartum pounds are making my life miserable. And how on earth am I supposed to get out and go for a walk when every time I step outside, Hades is waiting for me? That's it, I'm moving to Alaska.

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A new (to me) tool for parents

A while back my son called me from a sleepover and asked if he could watch a certain movie at his friends house. "His parents say it's OK". I did not have this site in my toolbar, now I do. It allows me to know more than just the rating of nearly any film, it gives you an overview of the content. For example:

What Parents Need to Know

About Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Parents need to know that this is no PG movie -- in all ways, it's very similar to the previous two movies, which were rated PG-13. This film continues the series' trend toward darker, more intense material. For young children, the death of a major beloved character could be extremely upsetting. Other characters are bloodied, kicked, and cursed in frightening ways, and a very scary scene involving scary, skeletal characters is sure to scare the pants off of little kids. There are also some big emotional upheavals and scary attacks. And there's notably more sexuality -- albeit playfully depicted -- than in the past movies. Because the characters are now teens, much of the interaction between them and their friends centers on getting a boy or girlfriend, and there's plenty of snogging (making out). While Harry and his friends continue as strong positive role models, other characters' motives and plans become more ambiguous. And there are also a few scenes that include alcohol consumption -- including one in which a professor serves his students. Source

Along with an overview, parents can find out more about the messages in the film, positive and negative

• Messages:

  Most of the messages are inspiring, since the protagonists are clearly "heroes" who accept help from others to overcome obstacles, learn the importance of being loyal to friends, and embody the idea that those who stand together for "good" can triumph over "evil," even at great cost.

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  Most of the messages are inspiring, since the p… More
• Role models:

  Professor Dumbledore is an excellent, selfless role model. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are flawed teenagers, but that helps make them some of the most relatable characters in children's literature -- as well as admirable, since they're also loyal, brave, self-sacrificing, generous, and empathetic. On the flip side are the Death Eaters and the unreliable, enigmatic character of Severus Snape. Tom Riddle (Voldemort as a boy) is cruel, calculating, and cold -- but it's clear that most characters recognize these troubling qualities. Draco Malfoy, who has been "promoted" to Death Eater, is still shown as conflicted and scared about the task Voldemort assigns him. Professor Slughorn means well, but his head is turned by fame and fortune. Still, in the end, he manages to be brave.

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  Professor Dumbledore is an excellent, selfle… More

What to watch out for

• Violence :

  As in the book, the sixth movie includes the death of a beloved major character. Voldemort himself isn't shown in this installment (young Tom Riddle appears instead). Aside from the one murder (via killing curse), there are several injuries and close calls: a curse severely bloodies a character, a character is bruised and beaten, two characters are accidentally poisoned, a main character is seen having a life-threatening seizure, and Death Eaters set a house on fire and destroy buildings and structures both in the magical realm and in the Muggle world (as well as kidnap a Diagon Alley denizen). Harry and Dumbledore must also fend off the very frightening, skeleton-like creatures during a dangerous mission.

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  As in the book, the sixth movie includes the de… More
• Sex :

  Lots of flirting and "snogging" (kissing) among the Hogwarts students, both main characters and extras. Several discussions about attraction, romantic relationships, unrequited feelings, love potions, jealousy, and adolescent dating. Several kisses and instances of hand holding and longing gazes. Random couples are shown making out in the halls and at parties. Talk of getting together and/or breaking up threads through the whole movie.

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  Lots of flirting and "snogging" (kissing) among the… More
• Language:

  Mild insults/British slang like "daft," "dimbo" (which means dumb bimbo), "idiot," "bloody," and the like. A couple of uses of phrases like "good God."

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  Mild insults/British slang like "daft," "dimbo"… More
• Consumerism:

  Not an issue.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  Harry and his underage pals (the legal drinking age in England is 18) drink butterbeer, mead, and what looks like wine at the Three Broomsticks pub and a couple of dinner parties (it's unclear to those not versed in the books whether butterbeer is actually alcoholic). In one scene, as a celebration, a professor offers alcohol to Ron and Harry; the same professor serves drinks to several teens at a holiday party. Harry also takes a "luck" potion that alters his behavior in a way that seems slightly high, and Ron is thrown for a loop by a powerful love potion. Professor Slughorn and Hagrid get pretty deep into their cups in one scene.

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  Harry and his underage pals (… More

I also like this feature:

Families Can Talk About

• Families can talk about the best age for kids (and eager parents) to start getting into the Harry Potter series. Is it OK to read all the books (and see all the movies) at the same age?
• What do you think of the way the movie depicts the teens' romantic relationships? Are they believable? Is the story too hormone-filled for younger viewers?
• What do we learn about Voldemort's past in this movie? Does that change the way you feel about him?
• If you've read the book, what parts of the novel were left out? Which were faithfully adapted? How does this movie compare to the earlier ones as an adaptation?

Tools and tips that can help

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

no more little miss sissy blogger

I have decided that I will blog each and every day and it will no longer be driven with simple, contrived notes. I am going to keep this blog for photo journals and maybe some witty notes about my kids. BUT, I am starting another blog that will be specifically about...CHANGE. I was at a meeting this morning giving feedback about family life and what I find helpful on the internet. And with all the brainstorming the night before, I came to realize that what I want to see most is a site that encourages families to make the changes in life they want. So you know the saying...BE the change you want to see in the world. I have asked for feedback on here before and I don't get too much. Mostly because my posts are random and inconsistent. So I obviously have work to do to get more readership. Does anyone have suggestions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I ask because I really WANT to know! What kind of changes would you like to see your family make? What kind of information would you like to see available? I am not starting a revolution here, just a blog. One that will attract readers. So as to allow me to...Sell. Out.
Come on people, you can do it...yes you can!

I'm back!

It's been a while. Haven't had both my hands free for a while. To be honest, I have a secret. I started writing again. Nothing special, just a way to free my mind of daily thoughts. I can't seem to empty my head enough to read book. I need a simple story to read. One that does not interfere with my spattered thought process. So I decided to write a story I could read. I sat down one day and started it. I was thinking that if I posted the first chapter on here I could get some feedback. If you read my blog and you would like to participate in this by reading excerpts and offering feedback, please leave a comment to this post. I will posting the first chapter next weekend. Thank you. I promise to post more soon. After all. today Jack is three months and I have pictures!