A Central Blood Bank employee accidentally showed 400 high school seniors some rather explicit photos during a school assembly. The pornographic pictures were on a flash drive the employee was using during the presentation. According to students the blood bank employee appeared very embarrassed.
The Central Blood Bank apologized and said the unnamed employee was suspended indefinitely.
School officials apologized and said the police department and prosecutor were notified. A blood-donation presentation for the junior class was canceled.
Did they really need to tell you that they canceled the presentation to the junior class? I kind of think this was a given.
Most schools close down when they undertake a massive remodeling project. That's not true for a Washington, D.C. high school, and a few other schools in the area. They plan to stay open the full 2 years it takes to modernize the facilities.
The school claims instruction won't be hampered. Parents worry about the hidden hazards of having their kids attend a construction site.
I love being a Mom, but the experience has been slightly less glamorous than I expected. No, I didn't imagine it to smell of baby powder and be filled with giggles. OK, maybe I did a little. Regardless, even if I had been more sane in my expectations I still never could have imagined what real Motherhood was like. I knew about first laughs, first steps, and first words. I, however, was completely unprepared for those "other" firsts.
This is my top 20 awful firsts Parents-To-Be should brace themselves for.
Baby's first blood test. They poke them in the foot with something that looks like a thumb tack. Then they squeeze the boo-boo to get blood out. All my children cried during their first blood tests. I'm not a really violent person, but I seriously wanted to punch the lab tech in the face when he did this to my baby. My advice to you, just breathe and remind yourself they are doing their job. If you can't do this then I suggest passing off the job to the other parent.
The first time they projectile vomit on you. I'm not talking a little spit up. I am referring to continual spewing. It's akin to a horror movie minus the spinning head. You will be surprised how much comes out of their little body.
The first time your newborn son pees in your face. Yes, it really does happen. I finally got wise and started covering him up with a wash cloth while changing his diaper.
Their first cold. This will be when you have to break out the bulb syringe and suction like mad. Goo will be coming out of their noses and you will feel miserable because they feel miserable. Remember to suction, suction, suction. If you don't they will puke on you. See # 2 The first time they projectile vomit on you.
The first time they bite you while nursing. Teeth or no teeth this still really hurts.
The first time they spit up on a friend who doesn't have children. I'm convinced this is why some of my friends are still childless. Really, I am so sorry.
The first time they have massive diaper failure. I call these poo-splosions. They typically occur when you are in a hurry, you have placed them in your favorite little outfit, or have somehow forgotten a change of clothes.
The first time they pull your hair so hard you want to cry. Babies have amazingly strong grips and when they finally get a hold of something they don't tend to let it go.
The first time they kill a cell phone. Each of my kids has killed at least one cell phone. The protective case may help you if the baby drops the phone, but it probably won't protect it from baby drool. Oh, and be aware that many insurance programs don't cover drool damage.
The first time your little girl rips that expensive bow out of her hair. I admit it, I am one of those crazy Moms who puts gigantic bows on my kids head. What I have learned from two baby girls: they can rip an expensive hair bow in two in less than 1 second. You won't even see it coming.
The first time they throw food on the floor. Sure, it's funny the first time. After a while, however, you start to feel like you are living with a wild animal.
The first time they empty out a bookcase or toy chest. My babies were all able to do this in about 30 seconds. I have no idea how they could do this so quickly when it took me a good 5 minutes or more to put all the stuff back.
The first time they attack your cat or dog. There you are trying to get your pet to like your baby when out of nowhere the baby reaches over and places a vice grip on a chunk of the animal's fur and skin.
The first time they throw a fit when you take something from them. For a while a baby will allow you to take anything from them without so much as a whimper. Then one day they get fed up with you and decide they aren't going to take it anymore. This is the day we officially lose control over our children.
The First time they poo while bathing in the tub. Only one of my kids has actually done this, but believe me the shock and awe will stay with you forever. It still makes me shudder.
The First time they put something really gross in their mouth. Babies are like ninjas. They have stealth reflexes. They can grab and lick the bottom of a shoe faster than you can scream "NO!"
The first time they gag on solid food and throw up all over. Gag reflexes are strong. My advice, don't be in such a hurry to introduce solid foods.
The first time they say no. No was actually my son's first word. Not Mamma or Dadda, but "no". Yes, I want my children to be independent thinkers. Sure, the ability to say "no" is important. But, did they have to learn to say no to me so quickly?
The first time you have to leave them with someone else. There will come a time when you have to leave your baby in the care of someone else. I don't care how much you want to get out, or how wonderful the person is that you are leaving them with this simple act will still make you cry. My brother-in-law gave my sister this advice the first time she had to leave my nephew to go back to work, "Get your happy ass in the car and go to work. We need the money."
The first time they cry because you left them with someone else. For a while they won't notice when you leave them. Then one day they will realize you are leaving them and they will cry. They might even scream and cling to you. You will feel awful the whole time you are out without them. They, however, will be fine anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes after you leave.
Is something missing from my top 20 awful firsts? Be sure to add your favorite worst firsts in the comment section.
Krista Garza jumped all the academic hoops required to graduate from high school, but one. According to her expensive prep school her parents failed to pay off her hefty $16,000 in overdue tuition. Now Central Florida Prep is holding the teen's diploma hostage until someone pays. For now Krista is stuck in the middle. She can't move on to college and she has no idea when the tuition will be paid.
Krista's mother told WFTV that very bad financial decisions were made, and now Krista is paying the price.
China may be relaxing their one-child per family policy.
In 2011, China will start pilot projects in five provinces, all of which have low birth rates, to allow a second birth if at least one spouse is an only child, says He Yafu, an independent demographer who is in close contact with policymakers.
Beijing, Shanghai and four other provinces will follow suit in 2012, with nationwide implementation by 2013 or 2014, he says.
The push to change the rule is essentially two-fold. First, more children are needed to care for an aging population. Second, there are now too many men and not enough women to marry them because of the strong cultural preference for boys.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Chelsea's Law.
The bill, authored by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, requires a life sentence without the possibility of parole for forcible sex acts against minors. It also tightens sex offense parole guidelines and requires lifelong tracking of certain sex offenders.
Assembly Bill 1844 is named in honor of Chelsea King. Chelsea was a 17-year old high school student who was raped and murdered by a registered sex offender.
A breastfeeding Mother was asked to cover up while she breastfed her child in a North Carolina coffee shop. It is a coffee shop the Mother has been to with her baby several times. The Mother was not asked to leave, but she was asked to be a bit more discreet. The angry Mother left the coffee shop and took to her Facebook page. Soon the incident hit the local news. Who's right, the angry Mommy or the struggling coffee shop owner? Link
A North Carolina restaurant says keep your screaming and misbehaving kids at home. They don't want your business.
The owner of the Olde Salty restaurant, Brenda Armes, is tired of having her customers complain to her about children misbehaving and screaming when others are trying to enjoy a quiet meal.
Armes says the signs have worked.
"It has been a good thing for us," Armes said. "It has brought us in more customers than it has ever kept away."
If you are going to be in Los Angeles this fall we have a great exhibit for you and the family to check out. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles has a fascinating and creepy exhibit known as the The Spider Pavilion. The Spider Pavilion is a small enclosure where you can walk around with way too many free roaming spiders. Some of them are huge.
The museum also offers special flashlight tours of the Spider Pavilion. Just in time for Halloween you can sneak around in the dark with your favorite creepy crawly friends.
The Spider Pavilion's doors open September 26 and will close again on November 7, 2010.
I have a little girl who is fairy crazy. Since the time she could walk she has loved fairy wings. The only problem is that traditional fairy wings are made out of nylon and wire. Giving a toddler anything with wire in it has always made me a little anxious. Etsy seller 4eva has come up with a great solution. She makes super cute plush fairy wings with no wire in them. What a brilliant idea.
They consist of 2 layers of felt and 1 layer of fill, machine sewn together making them stiff enough to hold their format and soft enough that they will not harm your child or others and very light weight as well. The center is decorated with hand made felt flowers and matching tulle and ribbon. An elastic is securely attached to inner center for easy wear.
If the baby shows any interest in fairies I just might have to invest in a pair of plush fairy wings.
There have been a lot of jokes made lately that we should all start teaching our kids Chinese. Guess what? I have started teaching them Mandarin and you can too.
OK, I am not technically teaching my kids Mandarin, that would require a little skill I don't actually have. Namely, I don't actually speak Mandarin. My husband speaks Mandarin, but he works a lot of hours and caters to a very harsh mistress named Neatorama. Plus I think he just prefers to speak to the kids in English. So being the overbearing Mommy that I am I went out and found a very nice group that runs a Chinese school in my area and enrolled my daughter in the program. As soon as the other 2 kids are old enough they will be enrolled as well.
Chinese schools have been around forever. For as long as anyone can remember, Chinese transplants have been forcing their kids to attend Chinese school. It's a way to keep a link to the culture through language and study. You don't, however, have to be Chinese to attend. Many schools, mine included, embrace non-Chinese students. The people who run my school have a passion for their culture and language and just like to share.
The Up-side Chinese School:
Your kids will learn to speak Chinese. The students are encouraged to speak Chinese in class. At my school the little students are rewarded with stickers for participation.
Your kids learn to write Chinese. The older classes work on this more than the younger classes.
Your kids will learn Chinese songs. Even if you can't sing along to the songs it is still cute to watch the kids jump around and hop like long-eared rabbits.
Your kids will learn about Chinese culture.
Your kids will learn about Chinese holidays. My daughter's school does a very nice open house with a series of student and adult performances for Chinese New Year. It's a little long, but the kids in costume dancing around on stage make it all worth while.
You will get information on events going on in the Chinese community that you may not have otherwise even known about.
You and your kids will meet interesting people. The majority of parents who sign their kids up for preschool do so because they are Chinese. There are others, however, who do it for other reasons. For example one of the parents might be Chinese, but not the other. Some families have adopted children from China. Other families have lived or worked abroad. Everyone seems to have a story. It's really a great way to broaden your family's circle of friends.
The classes tend not to be super expensive. The entire semester of Chinese school tends to be about what it costs for an 8- to-10- week session of some other extracurricular activity.
They often offer parent groups, lectures, and activities. My daughter's school does an excellent job of trying to create a Chinese school parent community. They encourage parents to stay on campus by offering lectures on Chinese art or holding a special dance class. They also offer some language classes for the non-mandarin speaking crowd.
It will help your kids be well-prepared for the new emerging economy. Like it or not China is a big player in the new world market. The Chinese have been teaching their kids English for a long time, and it couldn't hurt to teach our kids a little Mandarin as well.
It will give you mini-translators at your disposal the next time you are traveling in Asia. The downside, however, is that they will learn Mandarin which won't help you at all when you are lost in Hong Kong with a Cantonese-speaking Taxi driver. You will still be forced to mime your way out of this situation.
The Down-side of Chinese School:
Classes are typically on the weekend. My daughter's classes are right in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. This puts a little crimp in what we can do on Sundays.
The classes are very academically based. This may or may not be a plus in your book. Students will sit in classrooms, with books and traditional based instruction. They will be assigned homework and larger projects.
The classes tend to be long. My school has two 45 minute sessions with a 20 minute break in between. Even the kindergarten class (age 3 to 6 years old) goes for this long.
Your kids may learn to speak Chinese and you may not. After 6 months of classes my 4-year-old learned to count to 10 and I only learned to count to 5.
They will ask you to volunteer. The classes may not be expensive, but you will be asked to pay in other ways. My Chinese school has a mandatory safety patrol. No, I am not really sure what type of invasion they are expecting here in the suburbs. Nor, do I really know how all 4 foot 11 inches of me would protect anyone. It's not like they give you samurai sword. Regardless we must be vigilant and do our required rotation in the safety patrol. This is where we guard the halls, entrance, and exit.
They are not always easy to find. Internet searches don't always tell if there is a Chinese school in your area. There probably is one and you just don't know about it, because they borrow classroom space and hardly ever advertise. The best way to find out about one is the old fashioned way, word of mouth. Seek out members of the Chinese community and just ask.
Once you have found the school and enrolled your child the school will e-mail you weekly if not daily. They may not have a findable website, but they sure do know how to use e-mail.
A 10-month-old baby in China now weighs as much as a 6-year-old. The child has been given the nickname of "Michelin baby." Doctors are currently testing him to see why he has gotten so large. Some speculate it may be due to tainted food.
