YES, I am THAT Dad!

My life changed forever in a half hour time span – that was the time it went from feeding my daughter a snack of peanut butter on banana slices to being in the intensive care unit of the local hospital emergency room.  I posted awhile back about the “scariest moment of my life” when I went from being totally ignorant about food allergies to learning my daughter suffered from a life threatening case of them.  It’s been a few years since that episode when my 18 month daughter went into anaphylactic shock that caused her eyes, nose and throat to swell shut and began shutting down her vital organs.   The struggle continues everyday as we have to monitor our little girl who is now 4 years old making sure she doesn’t eat or have her skin come into contact with peanut or tree nut proteins that cause the reaction.

You would think it would be easy to just check ingredient listings to keep her safe, but unfortunately it’s not that simple because most cases of people with food allergies going into anaphylactic shock occur from contamination of a food item when it is being cooked, prepared or served rather than them eating something that had the allergen as a “ingredient.”  I love ice cream but because of the potential of contamination when making the ice cream (using same machinery to make a batch with peanut butter than another with a different flavor) or serving it (using the same scoop to put nuts on a sundae as to get a scoop of Superman for a cone) going to the local ice cream stand or Dairy Queen has become a no no for our family now.  It doesn’t have to be a noticeable ingredient to cause a reaction, a microscopic contamination could kill my daughter, put her into a coma, or cause her serious organ damage.

Take for example the recent story of 27 year old actress Chantel Giacalone who while on vacation in Las Vegas in February indulged in some ice cream at a local restaurant.  While the ice cream didn’t have any peanuts in its ingredients it somehow was contaminated and she suffered a severe allergic reaction on the spot.  Chantel has been in a coma now since Feb 20, 2013 in a Las Vegas hospital.  With no family in the area and no health insurance this is a tragic story of a young woman letting her guard down to enjoy a treat with some friends and things going horribly wrong.  This though is what people with severe food allergies have to deal with on a daily basis. CLICK HERE to read more about Chantel's story.

I didn’t realize until we had to start monitoring my daughter’s diet and interactions how prevalent food is at school and social functions.  I have become THAT Dad who has to tell people NO when it comes to providing treats at school or family functions.  We just can’t risk food prepared from a bakery or someone’s home where there could be contamination risks.  Yes that even means I have to turn down items baked by grandma because she keeps peanut butter and nuts in her kitchen to bake with when we aren’t over visiting.  I can see people’s body language when I speak up, like last week when a woman brought in cupcakes for my daughter’s preschool class for her daughter’s birthday treat from a bakery that weren’t safe and the teacher said she couldn’t give them out or when I told my aunt that she couldn’t bring cupcakes to Easter dinner for our kids from her favorite bakery, that they see me as an overprotective parent especially when something doesn’t have peanuts or tree nuts listed as an ingredient.  It is OK though, because I am going to continue to be THAT Dad and do what it takes to keep my little girl safe.

Food allergies really are a life or death matter.  Just a few weeks ago, a 19 year old freshman named Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick lost his life after eating a cookie that had been baked using peanut oil.  He decided to take a chance and ate the cookie on a whim when a friend offered it to him when he was back home in the city of Plymouth Massachusetts for Spring Break from his freshman year at Bryant University.  Two hours later he was pronounced dead at a hospital emergency room on March 8, 2013.
CLICK HERE to read more about Cameron's story.

These are examples of a 27 year old woman and a 19 year old woman who knew the precautions they needed to take and still suffered horrible consequences from food allergy accidents.  Now just picture the trials parents with younger children who may not even be able to understand their medical conditions face.  Please if you know of anyone with a severe food allergy, especially children, please understand the significance of their condition, and make an extra effort to be considerate and understanding.  Your kindness will be truly appreciated and you may just save a life!

For more information about peanut/tree nut allergies visit the FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) website:  http://www.foodallergy.org/

A Curtain Call for "Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated"

Whether you have been following “Mystery Incorporated” during its run on Cartoon Network, which is the most recent incarnation of the classic cartoon character Scooby Doo,  or just happen to have grown up watching this wacky dog and his meddling friends who cruise around in their sweet mystery machine on Saturday mornings as a kid, this week is the time to tune in to view some retro themed animation goodness on tv.  Starting March 25, Cartoon Network is wrapping up “Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated” with its last 11 episodes before the series ends.  These brand new episodes will air at 5pm on week days.

Mystery Incorporated is the 11^th animated series to follow the adventures of Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo character.  The original series, “Scooby Doo: Where are you?” created in 1969 was a fixture of Saturday morning cartoon lineups for two decades.  It aired on CBS from 1969 through 1976 and moved to ABC in 1977 running until 1986.  As a kid, I probably watched Scooby-Doo EVERYSaturday morning from the mid-70s til it was cancelled.  I have to admit that I haven’t watched any of the series that followed the original until Mystery Incorporated.



Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated is a prequel to the original tv show.  It shows Scooby along with his gang of friends Freddy Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Norville “Shaggy” Rogers while they are in their teen years living in the town of Crystal Cove.  Oh by the way, Crystal Cove is the “Most Haunted Place on Earth” which is what steers the group into their future exploits of getting involved in spooky situations.  What is nice about this newest Scooby Doo series is that it has a lot of retro nods to the original one that Generation Xers like myself grew up with.  Hey the show has  Casey Kasim, the original voice of Shaggy, voicing the character of Shaggy’s dad in it. Another example is the kids wear their original outfits from when they were created back in 1969.  Also story arcs end with the villain being caught and declaring a “meddling kids” quote like was done in the original show.  A little different with this version though is that instead of stories being self-contained in one episode this series has had multi-episode story arcs.  Also while Scooby Doo: Where are you? was very tongue & cheek and campy in tone there are some very dark storylines that are treated with quite a bit of seriousness.  Examples of this include parodies of horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw that are included in "Mystery Incorporated". 

“This adaptation of Scooby-Doo allows viewers to delve deeper into the personalities and lives of the series’ five central characters. The overall look and feel of the show is richer and more sophisticated than ever, with gorgeous animation and multifaceted storylines that are sure to draw in both kids and adults,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation and Partner Brands Marketing in a press release promoting Scooby-Doo!Mystery Incorporated Season 2.


Another element I really like about Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated are the guest appearances by other cartoon personalities from the 1970s & 80s.  Captain Caveman, JabberJaw, the Blue Falcon & Dynomutt have made appearances so far in the show’s two seasons.  In the last 11 episodes we’ll also see the return of the Blue Falcon & Dynomutt in a story line that will also feature characters from Johnny Quest.  Guess what you may find out the back story of how Dynomutt: the Dog Wonder was created!



Tune in for the curtain call for Mystery Incorporated and don’t forget your Scooby Snacks! My kids love Scooby Snacks … we get  ours at Meijer.  

If you can't catch these last few episode on air they will also be available on DVD this summer.  Warner Brothers Home Entertainment will be compiling the last 13 episodes onto a DVD presentation titled Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Season 2 Part 2: Spooky Stampede. It will be available for $19.97 (suggested retail price) starting June 18, 2013. You can also preorder on Amazon. For more information about Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated visit www.cartoonnetwork.com. They also have a nice video game based on the show at their website.

Little Passports: Month Deux

Last month I posted about receiving our introductory package from the Little Passports program (Little Passports opens up the world of travel to little ones).  Little Passports is a subscription service that sends your child(ren) a package in the mail each month with fun and informational items focusing on either highlighting a foreign country or spotlighting two of the states in the USA.  We choose the USA package for our 4 year old twins.  Here's the reveal of what came in the mail this month:

This month's Little Passports package featured the states of Arizona & Rhode Island.  It contained a booklet with historical facts, informational tips, and workbook activities like connect the dots, puzzles, and word games about these two states.  Also included were stickers reflecting important things from Arizona & Rhode Island and a post card from each state.

The items that my kids were most excited about and had the most fun with were cardboard a cardboard lighthouse and cactus that we could build together.  There were two sides of the coin when it came to building these projects though.  It was nice that these weren't tab insert constructions - you have to follow instructions and GLUE these creations together - so they are pretty sturdy once you've completed putting them together.  That being said, the other side of the coin when it comes to these projects is that it does take some time, effort, and GLUE to put them together versus being able to quickly and easily snap together tabs.

Unfortunately, this pack was a little too "mature" for my 4 year old preschoolers, but it was a well packaged kit that I believe any elementary school aged child who is studying geography would be excited and thrilled to get as a special little extra something in the mail.  My opinion overall of Little Passports from the first two packages we've received in the mail is that they really do a nice job of making education fun through their monthly mailings that help promote to kids an interest in geography, history, culture, and travel.  The product is probably best suited for children 7 - 10 years old.

For more information about Little Passports, visit their Web site:  www.littlepassports.com

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary 3 month subscription of Little Passports United States Edition from Little Passports.  The views and opinions in this article are my own.  

Sid the Science Kid: THE MOVIE!

Sid, the inquisitive preschooler who has a popular 1/2 hour television show on PBS where he and his friends engage in scientific and educational themed adventures is getting his own feature length movie.  SID THE SCIENCE KID: THE MOVIE will be airing on Monday, March 25 on PBS stations across the United States and than will be available for purchase on DVD and via iTunes on April 2, 2013.  CLICK HERE to check out when the movie will be broadcast by your local PBS affiliate.  

While most of the Sid the Science Kid tv series episodes are based at Sid's preschool or home, the movie takes the adventure on the road.  Sid wins a contest and gets to go for a VIP tour of the Super Ultimate Science Museum along with his friend Gabriela who he picks to tag along with him on the trip.  When they get to the museum their tour is led by a scientist named Dr. Bonabodon, voiced by the man who set the standard for crazy scientist characters in movies Back to the Future's Christopher Lloyd, and his robotic tour guides.  From their hijinks and adventure ensue!

Check out this preview from the movie:

PBS has a nice web site section for parents that gives an overview of Sid the Science Kid: The Movie and provides some interesting tips and tools to use for interacting with your kids to increase the fun and educational value of watching the movie together.  It shows you how to make a marshmallow catapult and a robot from recycled materials. It also provides a fun coloring sheet for your kids.  Visit www.pbs.org/parents/sid-the-science-kid-the-movie to download the info. I know we'll be trying out this catapult idea and tuning in to the movie at our house next week!

Sid the Science Kid is produced by the JIM HENSON COMPANY ( www.henson.com ) who originally created Sesame Street & the Muppets and are now working on entertaining and educational projects for children like Dinosaur Train and the Pajanimals.

The adventures of Han & Leia's great-great granddaughter

There has been a lot of buzz since Disney purchased the Star Wars rights from George Lucas as to the fate of Dark Horse Comics publishing future with the franchise.  Disney also owns Marvel Comics and prevailing thought is that Mickey Mouse would want to consolidate Star Wars properties into its own family of companies.  It appears though that Dark Horse is heeding the words of the great Jedi Master Yoda "always in motion the future is" and focusing on the here and now producing great content while they have a valid contract to work on Star Wars titles.  In January, Dark Horse launched a brand new comic series simply titled STAR WARS that takes a look back at the events right after Episode IV: A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie for those of us who grew up in the 70's and 80's) that has received good reviews and great fan feedback [Click here to read my post: Dark Horse reboots the Star Wars Universe]  This week, Dark Horse is launching another new series Star Wars: Legacy which takes place 130 years after the events that took place in the original Star Wars movie.  This new comic will feature the adventures of ANIA SOLO, the great-great granddaughter of Han Solo & Princess Leia.

Star Wars: Legacy is written by Corrina Bechko & Gabriel Hardman with Hardman doing the story artwork as well. Covers will be by Dave Wilkins.  New issues will be on sale for $2.99 as print copies at local comic retailers and online in digital format at www.digital.darkhorse.com. Star Wars: Legacy #1 will be available to purchase starting March 20, 2013.

Dark Horse Comics describes the first issues of this series on their web site as follows:

Ania Solo found a lightsaber inside a broken Imperial communications droid. Now she’s being pursued by the local police—and a determined Imperial Knight who is willing to killto get the weapon!

Fortunately, as a black-market salvage dealer, Ania has made some formidable friends of her own . . .

* The Solo family 138 years after Return of the Jedi!

 Here's a preview of the first issue of Star Wars: Legacy

This comic series is actually a new start to a previous Star Wars series of the same name that concluded about two years ago (click here for more info).  The previous Star Wars: Legacy story line revolved around the adventures of CADE SKYWALKER, Luke's great-great grandson / Anakin (Darth Vader's) great-great-great grandson.  The creative team behind this revised comic series have said that the new version take place in the Star Wars continuency about a year after the Cade storyline concluded. For the time being it appears Cade Skywalker will not be in this new series and ANIA will be going solo in her adventures.  Click here to read an interview Bechko & Hardman recently did with a Star Wars fan site that gives some more details about this new character and her upcoming adventures in Dark Horse comics.

This new Ania Solo take on the Star Wars: Legacy looks promising of interesting stories and great artwork. I'd suggest you check it out ... I know I will be! 

There really is a Fix It Felix Jr video game!

Growing up in the 80's one of my biggest thrills was a trip to the local arcade and playing the high-tech 8-bit games of the time, like Donkey Kong, Burger Time, Q-bert, and Pacman, with their neon blinking lights and chirping sound effects that left us kids in awe and amazement.  My favorite video game of the time was Popeye which I spent hours upon hours playing with dollars upon dollars of quarters.  You played the famous comic strip sailerman trying to grab the hearts thrown out by your love Olive Oyl as the bully Bluto chases after you trying to knock your block off.  But if you gained enough points and grabbed a can of spinach you could super punch Bluto off the screen and keep him from kidnapping your beloved Olive Oyl.  Compared to today's three dimensional high definition games that you can play online against dozens of people who can be located anywhere in the world at once Popeye is really "old school" but it is still one of my favorite games of all time and I have really fond memories of those arcade visits of my youth.  I really wish someone would make an adaption for my Ipad or Iphone of Popeye like they've done for Pacman and Frogger. Unfortunately, Popeye is a Nintendo creation which at the moment won't publish their games, like Donkey Kong & Super Mario Brothers, for smartphones and tablets because they see it as competition to their own game counsel business.

I rented the Disney movie Wreck It Ralph and watched it with my kids last night.  The movie brought back a lot of nostalgia for those arcade games of my youth.  In the movie Ralph is the bad guy in an arcade game called "Fix It Felix Jr" which is celebrating its 30th anniversary thus putting it's origination at around the time period games like Popeye and Donkey Kong were popular.  Ralph "wrecks" an apartment building in the game and throws bricks at Felix Jr, the "hero" of the game who fixes the damage caused by "Wreck it Ralph" with a magic hammer. "Wreck it Ralph" becomes tired of being overshadowed by Felix Jr. and being treated poorly by the other characters in the game so he sets out to turn himself from "villain" to "hero" in which the movie's adventures ensue.  For more about the movie visit the official Disney site  http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/  

 While watching Wreck it Ralph my kids were asking me if they could get the "Fix It Felix Jr." video game to play. I smiled and told them I didn't think it existed and was just a part of the movie but curiously typed "Wreck it Ralph" into the Apple app store search feature on my Ipad.  Low and behold what did appear? The "Fix it Felix Jr." video game did exist and it was available for FREE on the app store!  Disney has recreated the "Fix It Felix Jr." game from the movie in all its 8-bit graphics glory.  My kids and I have had a blast playing  it this weekend ... I guess you can go back to the arcade again! I really enjoyed sharing an experience with my children that was similar to my own childhood experiences where we all had fun playing together.  Whether or not you grew up in the Pacman/Donkey Kong generation I think anyone will have a good time trying out this fun retro themed video game.

CLICK HERE to download the "Fix it Felix Jr." video game from the Wreck it Ralph movie.

I'm an ios guy with iphone, ipad & itouch mobile devices so most of my posts about tech stuff will have Apple app store links ... that doesn't mean there aren't similar apps for androids, windows, etc just means I may not have looked for them.

BEDTIME STORY REVIEW: "The Legend of Papa Balloon"

This week, I read “The Legend of Papa Balloon” to my kids for a bedtime story.  The story involves a land where the people are divided into four villages that each makes their buildings from one building material, and of all things would you guess that is balloons .  Each community only builds with one color of balloon. There is a Red Village, Green Village, Blue Village and a Purple Village in the story.  Each balloon village thinks there color is the best and its residents have their own unique trait. Also each village believes its residents are superior to the other villagers and no one really cooperates or communicates with one another. 

One day a mysterious grandfatherly gentleman arrives to the land and visits each of the villages.  He shows the villagers that they may have different ideas and routines but in the overall scheme of life they really are not that unique from one another after all.  Papa Balloon as the mysterious figure is named by the children of the villages shows that when light passes through a clear balloon you can see all of the colors of the villages together in a rainbow that includes red, green, blue, and purple united together.  

The book has a nice message for young children that you should treat other people’s cultures, traditions, opinions and religions with tolerance and respect.  It also cultivates the positive concept of being inclusive of your neighbors even if they may be different from you.  It presents these weighty subjects though in a fun and lighthearted manner that makes it easy for little ones to grasp the topics presented in the book.

While I did not  have a problem with this, a point some parents may want to be cautious of is that the author treats the differences between the villages from a spiritual or religious perspective.  The villages all worship “the Light” and believe that “the Light” is best observed through only the colored balloon their village utilizes.  I unfortunately have witnesses some despicable behavior by residents in my community acting out in bigoted and rude behavior against those who have differing religious views so I was pleased to share this viewpoint of tolerance and understanding with my children.  Also some people may be concerned that the villagers worship “the Light” instead of referencing God, Yahweh, or Allah.  I understand that the author most likely took this approach to avoid any bias of  specific religious affiliation and present the topic in a more spiritual approach which I respect. If you have concerns about religion being included as an aspect of a children’s book storyline or the spiritual nature of the villagers worshiping “the Light” you should read the book yourself before sharing it with your children to make sure it meets your approval.

I found the book to be a well drawn colorful story with some nice teachable moments in it.  Most importantly my kids enjoyed me reading it to them.  If you are looking for some nice short stories that are nicely illustrated to share with your kids at bedtime check out “The Legend of Papa Balloon”. 

“The Legend of Papa Balloon” published by Schiffer Publishing is written by C.R. McClure and illustrated by Steven Kernen.  It is a 40 page hardcover book with 30 vibrant illustrations.  It will be available for purchase March 28, 2013 from Amazon.com and other retailers.

I received a complimentary advance e-book reviewer’s copy of “The Legend of Papa Balloon” from the publisher. The opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.

Happy 109th Birthday Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel ( aka Dr. Seuss ) was born on March 2, 1904  and he would have turned 109 years old TODAY! Theodor Geisel passed away in 1991 but still lives in the hearts of everyone who has ever read, or had read to them, childhood classics like the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, and If I Ran the Zoo.  During his career as a writer, poet, and cartoonist his use of imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of trisyllabic meter was highlighted in 46 books that were published under the well-known pseudonym Dr. Seuss.  These books have both educated and entertained generations of children.  I know they are prominently included in my children’s library. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss and thank you for being you!

This month KOHL’S is selling in its stores and online through its Kohl’s Cares foundation Dr. Seuss  books and toys for $5 each.  Kohl’s  department stores sell designated Kohl’s Careskid-friendly merchandise with 100% of net profit from these sales donated to children’s health and education initiatives within the United States.  Since 2000, more than $208 million has been donated to charitable causes through the Kohl’s Cares program.  The Dr. Seuss items on sale are books (The Cat in the Hat, ABCs, Horton Hears a Who, Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, Happy Birthday to You, and the Dr. Seuss All Occasions Note Card Set) and stuffed animals (The Cat in the Hat, Horton, the Alligator and Red Rhino from ABCs, and Snoozapalofrom the Sleep Book) are $5 each. Click here for more information.

 

I read to my 4 year old twins Dr. Seuss's "ABCs" book every day to help them with learning their letters and numbers.  As they have gotten older though, we've begun letting them use our PC and iPad to play with and learn from educational apps. Oceanhouse Mediahas done a nice job of publishing Dr. Seuss' works as interactive storybook apps for mobile IOS, Android, and Nook devices. We have several of these that we enjoy loaded on both my iPad and iPhone. In recognition of Dr. Seuss birthday they are giving away this weekend FREEtwo of their Dr. Seuss apps,Dr. Seuss Camera & Cat in the Hat Camera. CLICK HERE for more information.

 

The Dr. Seuss Camera apps let you use the camera on your iPhone or iPad to create images  personalized with your own photographs and incorporating Dr. Seuss’s artwork and characters. The apps feature:
 

• 16 cards based on original artwork by Dr. Seuss
• Take a picture with your face in the cutout or alongside the characters
• Load images from your Photo Library
• Add crazy borders and stamps to your cards
• Move, rotate, scale and delete stamps to further customize your cards
• Save cards to your Photo Library or e-mail them to family & friends

 

 

Dr. Seuss book publisher Random House also has an official website dedicated to the author www.seussville.comwhich is full of interactive features plus fun and educational activities, crafts, and learning tools for your kids.