Recently, I’ve been wondering if I’m the only mother who despises the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series of children’s books?  The first book achieved NY Times Best Seller status.   Several other books swiftly followed and now the movie is scheduled to be released this month.  The book has proven to be amazingly popular among kids.  Like most things, the older kids start reading it and then it trickles down to the younger kids who want to emulate the older kids.

In case you aren’t familiar with the story, it’s about Greg, a young boy in middle school who writes about his life in a “journal” because real men don’t write diaries.  The book is illustrated like a comic book and written in the first person.  My oldest daughter devoured all the books and thought that they were “SO FUNNY.”  In fact, she gave me the first book to read so that I could see how funny it was.  Imagine my surprise when I started reading the book and discovered that the main character is quite mean-spirited, narcissistic and not someone that I would want my daughter to emulate.

As a parent, I want to encourage my children to read and foster a love of books.  I probably wouldn’t have made a big fuss about this book series except that my daughter started imitating some of the antics that the main character tries to pull off.  That’s when I knew that I needed to talk about this book and discuss the behavior of the main character.

I don’t believe in censorship but I do believe in making sure that the reader has the maturity to handle the subject matter.  My 8 year old daughter (who is in the 3rd grade) clearly didn’t.  I guess we’ll be skipping the movie…

Even if you can’t catch a leprechaun this March 17, you can still make one (along with many other crafts and treats) to celebrate the greenest holiday of all – St. Patrick’s Day! Celebrate at home – or in the classroom – with Disney FamilyFun magazine’s mischievous ideas – and you’re sure to ‘strike gold!’

CRAFTS AND GAMES

Wee Leprechaun: Make-your-own leprechaun!

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt: Follow fun all the way to a faux pot of gold.

To Catch A Leprechaun: Three clever traps for taking a stand against St. Patrick’s Day mischief: Leprechaun Hat Pit Trap, Rainbow Cage Drop, Tricky Trapdoor

Green Stamp: Spread the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day with a homemade shamrock stamp. Use it to decorate paper place mats, coasters, tablecloths, or anything else your little leprechauns wish to dress in green.

RECIPES

Clover Cookies: For St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), or any day you feel like you need a little extra luck, bake up a batch of these cheerful green shamrock cookies. Give some to your friends and classmates, so they will be lucky, too.

Taste a Rainbow Cupcakes: Here’s what little leprechauns look forward to on St. Patrick’s Day: a magical snack that can add color to the grayest March afternoon. Pot of gold not included.

Luck of the Irish Cupcakes: It’s not far to the gold at the end of this rainbow-topped Emerald Isle cupcake, just the thing for your lads and lasses on St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrock Cupcakes: It doesn’t take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty’s Day treats look so sweet — just a clever baking technique.

St. Patrick’s Pot of Gold: Surprise your favorite little people on March 17th with these wee emerald pots filled with sweet, edible gold.

This St. Patrick’s Day get into the fun with your Classy Girl and make something special for the day!  My kids are always talking about wanting to catch a leprechaun so I think we will be making one of those nifty traps, or maybe all three!

Visit Disney Family Fun for more St. Patrick’s Day fun and recipes!

Does your little one have to hold themselves up on the potty, when you’re in a public restroom? Does your Classy Girl seem like a magnet for germs? Here what this young Classy Girl has to say about Glovies (protective hand covers intended for public restroom excursions) and let us know…

Would YOU use these Glovies?

Find Glovies at MyMomKnowsBest.com

Contributed By Chic Mom

Yesterday my classy girl and I were walking through Central Park on our way home from her piano lesson. We have had so much snow, she is actually tired of sledding. Thank goodness because I’m exhausted! But as we walked she focused in on the many varieties of snow people decorating the park’s paths. In addition to the classic snowmen in various, colorful attire, there were snow bears (above) pigs, fairies, snow cats and dogs, and then we saw it.  “Mom, look, that snowman has boobies!”

Ah, yes she did.  Now as an urban parent, I- like most of you- am usually prepared for the many “interesting” sights and sounds we encounter on our journeys. But I admit this snow woman took me back. Perhaps it was because of her amazon-like features. She was at least 7 feet tall–and she was kneeling. She was also naked and, as my daughter said, she had a rather large butt. But her head, face, and hair were absolutely amazing. Someone had put an incredible amount of work into this sculpture. The face was almost Botticelli-like and the hair that cascaded down her ice shoulders was made of hundreds of tiny snowballs so that she appeared to have ringlets.  She was actually quite beautiful–out of place in the park–but beautiful.

We didn’t stop to admire the details.  But we did talk about her.  Fortunately, my daughter has seen some of the naked Botero sculptures so the conversation was easy.  I continued our pace so as to allow for the art conversation without greater scrutiny of the snow sculpture.  I also didn’t want to get too close just in case there were other surprises around or under the ice maiden.   Sorry, I did not take a photo to share.

As the day wore on, the weather warmed which inevitably brought more people out of their apartments. I am sure this particular snow sculpture caused a bit of consternation for a number of families in the park.  Some chuckles, too.  So if you happen to be near Central Park near the basketball courts, close to the Met, or anywhere there are ice sculptures, be ready.  Out there among the snow bears, snow pigs, and snowmen with corn cob pipes, there could be a Fellini-like sculpture that reminds us as parents to always be ready.

Healthful Mom, Deborah Hernan

Founder, Ottilie & Lulu

A dad of three is the brains behind an innovative website that lets babies and toddlers play internet video games – with no mouse! Jim Robinson was frustrated when his older kids enjoyed exploring internet games, only to have their little sister left out. So, he created KneeBouncers. This one-of-a-kind website is loaded with 18 games – so little kids can make magic happen on the screen… with any tap on the keyboard. Already, a million parents around the country are logging on. It’s a free program!

The characters, like Sly Cat, are colorful and fun. The sounds the games make are a joy to little ears. The games are interactive and educational. Really, the whole package is so brilliantly put together, I can’t imagine a toddler not enjoying time playing on KneeBouncers! They just use the keyboard in a carefree sort of way by pressing any key to play! Both my kids loved the site when they were younger!

KneeBouncers.com