June 2009 Archives
The news of Michael Jackson's death was to me like Elvis' untimely death was to my mother. I'm shocked and disturbed that a figure from my youth isn't around any longer. A legend, an icon of a generation, has passed. My daughter can't understand why I'm surprised.
"He wore a hospital mask. It took lots of people to help him get places. They even carried an umbrella for him" she reminded me.
I'm just glad the kids know who he is. We undertook a course of instruction in Michael Jackson just last summer when my daughter attended a day camp. The camp counselors had choreographed an end-of-summer talent show that required her group to wear torn clothes and do a neck snatching, foot-dragging, shoulder-twitching march a la "Thriller". As she described the moves, I realized with horror that she apparently thought they were invented by the camp counselors! She had never even seen the Thriller video. Recognizing this huge gap in her cultural education, I insisted she and my son watch the video with me on YouTube, which was a mistake.
First, the video scared them. I had forgotten about how frightening the scenes could be to young kids, even if the villain was a 100-pound falsetto dancing on tiptoes in white crew socks. (I resisted the urge to foreshadow, "Trust me, his surgically altered face will prove much more frightening than his werewolf persona.") Second, it made me feel old to realize her camp counselors hadn't even been born on the day back when I myself had eagerly awaited the world premier of the Thriller video.
After I attended the kids' day camp finale - which included a series of signature Michael Jackson moves - I was determined to show them the majestic King of Pop in the years before he jumped the shark and lost his nose.
A Google search produced a current photo that did not have the desired effect. "Ewwww! What's wrong with his face?! " they asked.
"Is he wearing make-up?"
"Is that a man or a woman?"
So now I found myself trying to justify how I had ever come to be a fan.
We started at the beginning, with the literal ABC's and 1-2-3s of the Jackson 5. "See, he was just a little kid," I pleaded, trying to establish a common ground as we watched him dancing in step with his brothers. "He performed for people when he was only eleven years old," I offered. They seemed skeptical that this kid was the same guy we'd just seen pictured with translucent white skin, lined eyes and red lips.
I knew the moonwalk would surely captivate them. I chose a clip from the American Music Awards, hardly able to contain myself during the build up as the camera closed in on Michael's lone figure pulsing with the bass intro, the derby hat down over his brow.
"This was such a great moment," I whispered breathlessly, eyes glued to the screen. "People talked about it for weeks and weeks - nobody had seen it done before. It was huge!"
The kids watched as Jackson glided backward on stage, the crowd went wild, and I squealed. "My camp counselor can do that," interrupted my son, not fully impressed. Just then Jackson raised his gloved hand and spun on his heels, sending the crowd to its feet again.
I couldn't conceal my annoyance. "No, he cannot DO THAT." I snapped. "What you need to understand is that Michael did it first, and he did it best."
"This was THE moonwalk, one of the most famous Award show memories of all time, a performance that is still just as great over 25 years later!" I went on. Twenty-five years being inconceivable to them, their quizzical looks just increased my irritation. Oh sure, everybody thinks they can moonwalk. Now I was getting frantic. For their part, they were starting to look a little scared of me. Was I about to bust out some fangs?
I went to the next video, "Beat It." More violent than I had remembered. A switchblade fight? "It's all carefully choreographed, all pretend," I assured them. Evidently the red jacket still impresses, because they liked this one. Determined to win them over, I found "Bad," which I recognized as the beginning of his crotch-grabbing phase. How many grabs could there be in one song? This made me decidedly uncomfortable. Maybe we should skip the videos and view some photo galleries online.
We found plenty of pictures of Michael with a menagerie of escorts, including Bubbles the Chimp, Brooke Shields, Liz Taylor, and Webster. That was before we considered the lawyers during the later court trials, which I had purposely avoided.
Did he marry? the kids wanted to know. Yes, briefly - Elvis' daughter, in fact. Did he have kids? Yes. What were their names? I remembered only one name. Blanket.
The Jackson lesson ended. I was out of explanations. Apparently my kids would never know MJ as anything but a freak. Maybe this was the parallel: My mom thinking of Elvis as a Love-Me-Tender heartthrob while I only knew him as a fat, sweaty man wearing ridiculous white jumpsuits. (Fortunately those Ed Sullivan and Jailhouse Rock performances are captured on tape so it's clear he really was a Hunka Burnin' Love in the day.)
Can I ever make the kids understand the excitement of that first moonwalk? And why a trip to the skating rink is incomplete without an old school moment of "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"? Will they ever sympathize with his plight, a kid who never had a chance at normal, who was surrounded all his life by opportunists, yet was adored all over the world? He obviously had insufficient financial guidance, and judging from the auction catalog for his belongings, he had atrocious taste. But he has left us so much musically and as a performer.
Maybe I'm grieving because he became another cultural sacrifice on the order of the day: Let us watch you unravel so we can be entertained. The same fame that manufactures the Big Life ultimately consumes it. I already dread the inevitable collector's edition coins, T-shirts, and Franklin Mint plates that are sure to come.
Perhaps I've been trying too hard to make the kids into Jackson fans. The music speaks for itself. "Want You Back" is as catchy now as it was 40 years ago. "PYT" is still an instant mood booster. No matter what they do, the kids will always hear his songs and his influence, whether they're listening to the radio or riding in an elevator. His songs will be sampled by new artists for years.
Thanks, Michael. Nobody - camp counselors included - will ever thrill like you did.
Every year July 4th invites the color red with patriotic displays in every retail store. Shortly after this temporary burst of star-spangled color, much of this merchandise will be marked down for clearance, signaling your opportunity to gear up for most of your entertaining and decorating needs during the rest of the year.
Red is the best value for tableware and paper goods, many serving pieces and accessories, and packaging of all sorts. Cups, napkins, tablecloths; you name it, red is the default color choice for most disposable and/or casual home entertaining and celebrations. Allow me to make my case:
Red is appropriate for almost all national holidays. Besides Independence Day, it is expected for Labor Day, Veteran's Day, President's Day and Memorial Day. It would even work for Columbus Day (Columbus being Italian and red/white/green being their counterpart our red/white/blue), but of course the only people who really care are probably the bankers and federal employees who get the day off.
Christmas is obviously a huge event for the color red. You can be sure any red tablecloths you find on sale now will be used again during the holidays, when you'll be pressing every table you own into service. The only holidays red doesn't go along with are Easter, when we're enjoying pastel colors, and Halloween, when we emphasize blacks, oranges and purples.
Thanksgiving can use a shot of red to add some depth to all the oranges, browns and golds of the season. A single red cloth napkin makes a nice liner for a breadbasket at the Thanksgiving table (use a warm shade of red rather than a cool one).
Even "Hallmark Holidays" are suited to red. Valentine's Day is a no-brainer use for red wrapping paper, and you can never go wrong with a red ribbon on a gift. Red gift bags work for most any gift occasion except maybe a wedding (associated with white or a metallic like silver).
Would you expect anything other than a red apron? When the outdoor grilling season winds down, you can be sure red aprons bought on sale will be useful for cookie baking during the holidays or as hostess gifts.
Picnics and barbeques are associated with red. Red gingham is the universal sign of summer chow, from the paper baskets for fries and hot dogs to the picnic blanket itself.
Summer foods like watermelon or berries pop against a red tablecloth, as do summer flowers like zinnias, daisies and sunflowers.
Red bandanas make versatile napkins for barbeques in the summer and chilli in the winter. Cheap and reusable!
Red dish towels make great oversize napkins for crab or lobster boils.
When you are checking out the many options for casual serving pieces like enamel buckets or beverage tubs, red is the most likely color to be used frequently during the rest of the year. Stock up on red paper goods like napkins, cups and paper plates while they're on sale now and you'll be thanking yourself when you're not hunting these down for a class party this fall.
The Tub Trug is all the rage in gardening catalogs and home magazines, and it’s worthy of the hype. Imagine a sort of bucket made of a croc (as in footwear) -like material that is flexible yet sturdy. You can lug it around the yard and put almost anything inside it, then rinse it out with a garden hose. Bounce it, drag it, stomp it, and it still comes back to life. This workhorse is too versatile to stay in the garden. It's a British product, but it's gaining ground on this side of the Atlantic, and any BirminghamMom could find a dozen uses for one.
- Stuff it full, then smash it into your wagon or trunk, and when it’s empty it will return to its cylindrical shape. No worries about splitting or breaking it as you would with moulded plastic.
- It's frost and UV proof, so the hot sun on the deck or at the beach won't degrade it. Perfect also for those of us subject to interruption - i.e., moms - who may have to leave it outside "as is" for a few days.
- Already widely used for pet feed, animal care, etc.
- Makes a great toy tub; flexes when little ones stumble up against it.
- Available in a variety of sizes from small to large; they would be cute for regular storage on a shelf, but that would be a waste of all a Tub Trug can do for you. Have we even mentioned picnics or tailgating yet?
- Comes in a rainbow of colors, mostly brights.
- Favorite feature: Pull the handles together and you have a hobo-shaped tote you can carry with just one hand. Need to empty the contents? The flexible sides let you create a precise funnel for pouring or shaking out substances like mulch. This is far easier than emptying the contents scoop-by-scoop or dumping everything all at once as you would with an inflexible tub.
I purchased my Tub Trug while traveling. Only a few places in Birmingham stock these: Let's Get Organized in Homewood (205-851-0616) and Little Hardware in Mountain Brook (205-871-4616). You can also buy them through Gardener's Supply Company, which is a Upromise participating retailer. Note to local garden centers: You've gotta stock these!
City Stages is not for fainthearted BirminghamMoms. Although the atmosphere is festive and there is entertainment for all ages, these kinds of festivals seem to attract the supporters who wouldn't miss it for the world, in contrast to the other folks who stay home saying they wouldn't be caught there under any circumstances.
I like to think I've figured a few things out about City Stages by now. First of all, City Stages becomes a whole different experience with kids in the picture. For example, you're not going to be holding your own cold beverage; rather, you'll be holding your kid's bottle, sippy cup or water. Even if you had the stamina to stand up or sit on the curb for the concerts before, those options are out of the question once you are bringing a stroller or have mobile kids. Now you'll have to tote folding chairs and all your kids' paraphernalia as well. You must become a pack mule.
The people-watching is top notch, only you will see things through new eyes with your four year old. From crunchy granolas to pierced goths, the full public spectrum is represented. How proud I was of my son the year he was learning to read from what educators call "environmental print." He was recognizing logos, traffic signs, and learning to sound out words. Happily exploring, we walked upon a guy at City Stages wearing a T-shirt with four one-syllable words. My son read aloud as far as "Show... me...your..." when I abruptly whipped him around to fuss over his shoes, which I untied and slowly retied until Mr. PG-13 (or is that R?) had passed.
So, along with a recommendation of constant scanning and vigilance, I have a few more suggestions:
Avoid anybody's naptime - including Dad's. This sounds obvious but it will take longer to get there, get parked, wander around and settle down than you think. If the adults are worn out from finding a parking place and slinging chairs, nobody will have fun.
Go early in the morning, when the park and the streets are fresh from the cleaning crews.
Take some cash; the ATM fees are ridiculous unless the machine belongs to your bank (Sentimentalists, take a moment to ponder: there were once four Alabama banks headquartered here within blocks of each other; today there is only one.)
Backpacks are not allowed, but diaper bags are. Bags are inspected at the entrances.
There really is good food among the vendors. Food and beverage products aren't allowed (except for the standard diaper bag fare of sippy cups, goldfish, etc.) so you can't expect to economize by bringing your own picnic or snacks. The food is part of the fun, though. Good kid picks are corn dogs (eat sitting down, of course), lemon icees and Dippin' Dots. Bottled water is plentiful but costs as much as soda (Side note: This always gripes me. I could understand the same price if there were syrups, carbonation, and food coloring in some 100-year-old secret formula, but come on! It's only filtered water!)
If your kids are devoted chicken nugget fans, there is a Chic-fil-A on 5th Avenue North, but it is closed on Sundays like all Chic-fil-As.
If you do go in the evening, save yourself a headache and stop at the Dollar Tree for a packet of glow-in-the-dark tubes the kids can make into neclaces. Pop them out when the kids ask for $3 to buy one from a vendor weaving through the crowd. You may consider selling them next year. Surely these gimmicks are the fastest buck you can make if you have $25 in capital and, I assume, a business license. True story: Two years ago a vendor was selling blinking retainer-like thingies that went in your mouth. My husband actually broke down and let the kids buy one each! This was even less forgivable than the Bleeding Scream costume one Halloween, (another story). I spent the whole time watching them to be sure they didn't choke, and they spent the whole time asking each other, "Ith my mouth thtill blinking?".
If you're wanting to see the late evening acts, get a sitter. Most of them are a little too raunchy for young kids or just too late in the evening. I have personally discovered that kids have no appreciation for hearing a song - even if it is one they know - sung by the original artist. Your enthusiasm for Morris Day and the Time or Earth, Wind and Fire just cements your place as a has-been. As a full-fledged parent, you'll sing "Free Bird" with a new sense of irony. Young kids can't possibly appreciate the gravity of the upcoming Lynard Skynard moment. How many cell phone lights will be swaying in the night air?
Pack sunscreen and hand sanitizer - wipes preferred. The vendors can be stingy with their napkins.
Carry a small pack of tissues incase you do have to visit a port-o-let. They should all have TP, but who's willing to take that chance? If you are taking a potty training kid, secure your sunglasses firmly on your head before suspending your child over the toilet. With no free hands, whatever falls is irretrievably gone forever (another lesson learned).
The Children's Festival at Linn Park is always a highlight for the kids. Plan to carry a few craft projects back home as souvenirs. Up-and-coming acts perform here, too; The Imagination Movers played here before they hit the big time.
To cool off and settle down, visit the Music Oasis stage at Church of the Advent. Don't go when the kids are squirming but rather when they're a wee bit tuckered out. The Dance Depot is a favorite for watching tireless Cajun dancers.
A lot of families bring picnic blankets and lounge around the west side of Linn Park, a compromise location between the children's area and the food vendors.
Kids under 12 get in free, so you can expose the kids to some up-and-coming or oldie goldie acts without additional expense. Please be advised that the fountain at Linn Park is not a public swimming pool and no one is testing the water on the hour. If you or the kids have to cool off, show some restraint and stand under the misting machines near the gazebo.
City Stages really is a fun event, and organizers have gone out of their way to make it family-friendly with entertainment and activities kids will enjoy. There is never a dull moment, and there are certainly some vivid memories to be made. Few local events bring out so many conforming suburbanites to mingle with the bohemian crowd.
One final piece of advice. The weather is usually hot, so this is the occasion for the blousy tops and spaghetti straps that are so popular this summer. If you're sporting your barest summer garb, I implore you to please wear an appropriate foundation garment. Regardless of what the above-mentioned T-shirt said, the only show we want to see is the band on stage.
It's the time of year when we give dads the credit they deserve for all they do. It occurred to me that dads may be most appreciated because they do the things that we moms won't (not because we can't, but because we had to draw the line somewhere). Thanks, guys, for all you do:
Dads, we appreciate the time you have spent assembling bicycles, charging the video equipment, and blowing up the floaties and beach balls.
As you know, we clever BirminghamMoms feign ignorance of all gas-powered two-cycle engines. Thanks for mixing the oil, pulling the cranks, and operating all those loud, messy tools for the yard to keep the homeplace looking sharp. We appreciate your prompt attention to the honey-do list as well.
Thanks, dads, for hoisting the kids up on your shoulders for a better view of whatever we're watching. This is the quintessential father/child pose, and if you will just be mindful of the low-hanging branches and door frames ahead, we moms will relax and enjoy the show/parade/walk ourselves.
We don't mind when you sneak the kids out to Waffle House for breakfast on Saturday so that we can sleep in. We know that you're feeding them too much sugar and letting them drink colas, and we are so exhausted we don't even care. So continue with your ritual, just shut the door quietly on the way out and be sure to wash the syrup out of the baby's hair.
Thanks for spending hours throwing and catching, setting up the swingset, and demonstrating the proper cannonball technique.
Thanks for cutting the boys' hair that time. We know it was well intentioned. However, if you ever butcher our little buddies' hair again with that runaway #2 clipper, there will be consequences. A kid can only live down so many photos, and we already exceeded that quota with last years' Christmas pajama pics.
Continue to gently notice when we moms are wound too tight and stressing over little things that really don't matter. In the heat of the moment, it seems very important to us that everything be Just So. Sometimes your calm reassurance can help us examine our expectations and realize that we can lighten up a little.
Just the same, we appreciate it when you dress exactly as we dictate for the coordinated but not-too-matchy family portrait. Thanks for holding the unnatural pose for a few extra moments along with your best trick - making us all smile.
The first time I saw a Soil Scoop I recognized the advantages of its design but held off on buying one, thinking I should use the many tools I already had. But when Smith & Hawken marked Soil Scoops down during an end-of-season sale, I had the excuse I needed to buy one. Now, three years into ownership, I can say that the Soil Scoop was well worth the money and has become my go-to garden tool.
The Soil Scoop is to the gardener what the chef's knife is to the cook. This indespensible tool takes the place of an apron full of small trowels, scoops and hand shovels.
- The point is perfect for piercing bags of topsoil and mulch, allowing you to save that manicure and the blades on your pruning shears.
- Sawtooth edges chop through weeds and tear into roots with a vengeance, so you can claw around the base of plants and get to hard-to reach spaces.
- As you would expect, the scooped shape allows you to transport soil from the bag to the pot easily, holding almost as much material as a typical blunt scoop would hold.
- The curve allows you to tuck plants into the deepest edges of containers (such as beneath the lip or within the curve of an urn) and then tamp down the soil.
I love to have beautiful blooms around but hate pulling out and putting away all the implements that go with planting. With the Soil Scoop, it's less of a production to fill a container or tend the beds a for a few minutes in the evenings. And honestly, it's just plain cool. The Soil Scoop will make you feel like a powerful, machete-weilding bushman as you slice through invasive honeysuckle. Consider it a tool for working off aggression.
When I bought mine, Soil Scoops were a relatively new product. Now they are widely available at area garden centers and online for around $20.
* The $29 Captain D's Fish and Fry meal ($3.99 meal + $25 NSF fee, an indiscretion from the broke and fiscally irresponsible college days)
* The $187 home highlight ($6 home kit + $12 extra toner + $9 frantic purchase at Sally's Beauty Supply + $160 trip to salon to remedy). Nowadays I would never skimp with hair; it makes all the difference and besides, what mom doesn't cherish her short time sitting under a cape with a juicy magazine and no interruptions from the little people of the household?
* The $502 sunscreen ($3 off-brand sunscreen + $6 Solarcane + $8 Aloe Vera + $3 Ibuprofen + $241 beach condo we were obligated to stay in two more nights)
* The $7 per slice homemade birthday cake ($5 basic ingredients + $3.99 carton of whipping cream for 1/3 cup required by recipe + $4 fresh fruit for filling + $5 candy for topping + $30 second trip to store for obscure ingredient and unnecessary other purchases)
* The $66 average workouts of 2008 ($82 per month membership for 12 months divided by one to two workouts per week over a dilligent 6 week period during a briefly accommodating family schedule). I am determined to bring my workouts down to less than $30 each this year!
Williams started gardening because of his love of the fresh food but acknowledges an addiction to working the soil and the observing the miracle of seeds sprouting. Although he and his wife work full time, they make their own pasta from scratch, enjoy pies from apples in their own orchard, and preserve much of the garden's bounty for winter months. His website offers a peek at his 2,000 square foot Hudson Valley garden, which is indeed glorious. What was he thinking, taking all that on in the first place?
Thankfully, we have farmer's markets all around Birmingham with vegetables from local vendors willing to produce the vegetables and fruits we can't coax from a corner of our own yards. After enjoying this cautionary tale, I'll gratefully head to the Pepper Place Saturday Market with a basket in my hand.
BirminghamMom note: Alexander spent time in the south, having attended two years at Duke University. He mentions having witnessed firsthand the southern penchant for associating football with Christianity. His fellow farmer and hero, Thomas Jefferson, championed keeping church and state separate. I am sure Alexander and Jefferson would agree that football is not inherently related to religion, but as a southerner, I'm still figuring out how to draw that line...
This time last year, you were excitedly trolling the internet looking for ideas as you planned camp for the kids, the must-see list for your annual family vacation, and the feasibility of a short getaway with your spouse. This year your pocketbook has snapped shut and you are you are pondering how to generate excitement for a Slip 'n Slide in the back yard.
Be thankful you're a BirminghamMom, because your hometown has some fabulous options that you and your family may have dismissed during headier times. There's no need to feel like a pauper when you can OWN THIS TOWN all summer (indeed, all year) for less than the cost of one overnight getaway. Here's how I reckon you can live like a queen and still have money left over:
Alabama Adventure - $60 per person for season passes; $240 for a family of four (parking extra)
Personally, my days of stomping along asphalt trails in huge amusement parks are over. At Alabama Adventure, we have all the expected thrill rides and I can find my way from point A to point B without referring to a map. With a young family, all you really need are the basics: Roller coaster ("Rampage"), Ferris wheel ("Big Wheel"), a ride to soak everyone ("Wild River Gorge"), and a few options with vague threats of nausea ("Mindspinner", "Tidal Wave", and "Vertigo", to name a few). There is always a bench convenient to most of the rides, so there is room to sit one out while the kids ride the coaster for the 14th straight time.
The children's section has all the necessary rides like bumper cars and a miniature coaster (adults can also fit the ride, and it's not as wimpy as you might expect - sort of like riding a mechanical bull on rails). Here again there are benches for you to dig through the stroller basket and administer refreshments as needed. You can keep an eye on the kids and not lose sight of them from the beginning of the ride to the end, especailly when they charge out the exit gate ready for the next thing. (What mom hasn't felt panicked when she couldn't figure out whether her kid was still riding, about to disembark, or already out and scaling a hazardous fence?)
The carousel near the entrance is as good as a front porch swing, only automated. A grand carousel really is a must for every amusement park, and Alabama Adventure's is a swell one for warming up before the thrill rides or settling down before you leave. If the kids beg for one more round, you'll probably be much obliged yourself.
Besides the Magic City (ride) area, there is Splash Beach, a mom's best escape from the doldrums of her own deck. Here you can churn the waters along with the kids or (if they're older, of course) lounge poolside like a lizard and read a book. The wading pool is the swim diaper hangout, and there are shady sections so you can stake out a chair for your camp. The bucket pool is great fun, just beware that the brave child that starts down the sliding tube may come out the other end terrified and wondering what just happened.
I love riding a tube in the Lazy River, because strangely like my mother (who never wants to ruin her hair set), I don't like getting my head wet unless I'm actually swimming in a pool. I realize now that this aversion is taken as a challenge by my kids, who find every way possible to sucker me into situations where I will get "slimed" by a water jet, adding immensely to their own enjoyment.
BirminghamMom tip: If you are a good sport who likes getting drenched, my advice is to pretend to mind so your kids can find ways to get you soaked. If you do mind getting wet, never let on, or else you will spend your time staying a step ahead of your scheming kids. And bring a ball cap anyway for after you inevitably lose the battle.
(see below for BirminghamMom discount!)
I've extolled the virtues of McWane Science Center previously, as it always entertaining and especially good on hot or raining days (see above about wet hair aversion). They have several exciting new exhibits features on tap this summer, including a shark and ray touch tank. I always find something new when we go and I particularly like the Itty Bitty Magic City, which now has mini golf for the kids and is one of the city's best hangouts for play dates and mom meet-ups.
The McWane Science Center has generously offered BirminghamMoms a $10 discount on a family membership. Just mention BirminghamMom when purchasing an annual pass at the ticketing window or on your mail-in membership application.
Birmingham Zoo - $99 for 2 named adults and up to 4 children in household
A Zoo is such a wonderful asset to a community, and ours is large enough to be fascinating, small enough to be manageable.
The best summer feature, especially for young kids, is the play fountain. Kids can cool off in the shooting water and you can watch them from the shade of a vine-covered arbor within a short leap's distance. Beside the fountain is a playground and a carousel (separate charge) that features exotic animals rather than the usual horses. This portion of the facility is still new and the restrooms are spacious and convenient. Spend the morning viewing the animals before coming here to change the kids into swim wear. They can burn off energy before a nap or the ride home.
Hours are extended to 7 p.m. in the summer on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This means you can check things out after the heat of the day has passed and in time for Davenport's Pizza for dinner.
So there you have it: For less than $450, the cost of one brief overnight vacation, you can have have all the wild animals, coaster rides, splashes and science experiments you could possibly want each and every day of the summer. As a bonus, you'll enjoy discounts and member news that will help you make the most of your visits. Plus, you can continue visiting McWane and the Zoo through next year.
Things will pick up again and you'll get back to your big week-long destination vacation one day. But you'll never regret the summer you got to know your own hometown and its vacation that lasted all summer long.
A few weeks ago this masked super hero showed up at the ball park ready to scale the press box, spin webs behind the dugout, and leap from the bleachers (the final display of prowess, unfortunately, required a few small stitches at Children's Hospital).
When he arrived to watch his bigger brothers play ball, there was a collective sigh from all the moms who remembered when they used to have a little Spiderman running around. He typically started with the Underoos version of Spiderman's outfit, then graduated to the full costume with magical mask and gloves.
To his astonishment, he discovered that he did indeed have the desired superpowers. Encouraged by his perfect landings off the sofa, he insisted on wearing the costume all day, even to bed. His indulgent mom finally let him wear the costume out in public, where he was recognized by perfect strangers and given the instant respect and adoration accorded to those who fight bad guys.
"Why, hello Spiderman!" he was greeted. Crowds parted to let him run and jump; webs were slung and exchanged. Clearly, he had forgotten the costume altogether and was simply conquering the world without a hint of self-consciousness. Best of all was the moment (repeated a few times each day) when he couldn't take the suspense of it any longer and would choose to reveal his true identity to the family, peeling off his mask to astonish them anew every time. "Is it really you?" they would say in amazement, always animiated and surprised. He really did have them fooled.
If you have a Spiderman at home - or any other super hero/princess - embrace the costume and the persona that goes along with it. As tired as you may get of tugging at it to help with potty breaks or making sure all the pieces come through the wash, it is worth your effort. Let your super hero ride in the buggy proudly, and never miss a chance to be astounded by his antics (your astonishment will be sincere if you find yourself headed with Spidey to the ER, but we'll hope for better landings). If not for you, do it for the rest of the BirminghamMoms whose kids have outgrown - literally and figuratively - their costumes.
Barnes & Noble stores nationwide are giving kids in grades 1 through 6 a chance to earn a free book. Kids need to read eight books and turn in a completed journal sheet provided by the store (which you sign and approve). The free book is from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
We participated in this last year and it was a thrill for the kids to earn their new book. The reading requirements amount to about one book a week during the summer, with a couple of weeks off for vacation. They have until Monday, September 7 to complete their journal and submit it for a book.
Birmingham's own Milestone Books (in the Vestavia City Centre) is sponsoring a children's reading program through July 15th. By partnering with other Birmingham stores, Milestone has a system of incentives that no kid could resist:
BirminghamMoms, between the public library and these bookstore reading programs, you won't find better partners in getting your kids to take time to read over the summer. Instead of nagging and cajoling, set them up for success by letting them enroll and take ownership of their reading and their ability to be rewarded for their efforts. Don't miss such an easy chance to encourage the kids to read, earn prizes, and add to their personal libraries.
