New York may soon be fining people $100 for smoking in a car with a child. They are suggesting it as way to educate people on the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, a Democrat from Queens, is sponsoring a bill that would make it illegal for occupants of a car to smoke if there's anyone younger than 14 in the car.

As a Californian this proposal is not super shocking to me. There are whole towns near me that don't allow smoking and yes we actually do kind of like it that way.  I know, we are strange.

How would you feel if this regulation came to a city near you?    Are smokers an oppressed minority?

Link

An Amber Alert has been issued for 4-year old Alisa Maier of Louisiana, Missouri. She was playing in the front yard with her older brother.  According to her brother, a  thin man, with dark hair, driving a black four-door car pulled up to the house and abducted Alisa.

Alisa Maier stands about three feet tall and weighs 40 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jean shorts.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Louisiana(Mo.) Police Department at 573-754-4021, the Pike County Sheriff's Department at 573-324-3202 or the FBI at 314-589-2500.

Link

This little girl is about the same age as my little girl. If I was the Mother I would want everyone out there to post her picture and information in the hopes that someone would recognize her and bring her safely back to me.  Therefore, I have decided that NeatoBambino should have a Missing Children section.  As a parent I feel we should care about the safety and well being of all children not just our own.


Update 7/6/10 by Alex: She was dropped off in a car wash 80 miles away.

YouTube Link

Stand-up comedian Juston McKinney has a hilarious rap song out about fatherhood. You might want to watch it outside of the presence of little ears. There is some adult content that you might not want to have to explain just yet.

William Bunn, an 8-year old from North Carolina, wanted more than anything to become a police officer. On June 11th he was granted that wish and named Raleigh's first honorary police officer.

Sadly, William passed away from cancer a few days ago.  He was buried with full police honors.
Link

Last Sunday, the 4th of July, we took the kids out into the California desert and did something we have never done before. No, we didn't set off fireworks. We went cherry picking.



Yes, that's right.  They grow cherries in the middle of the desert.  Who knew?

Cherries are very sensitive water, wind, and rain.  I have grown several beautiful and lush cherry trees over the years and have never had a single crop of cherries.  Now that I have seen them flourish in the desert I am even more determined to try to figure out what the heck I am doing wrong. Oh, and yes I do own a self-fruiting tree and I still have never gotten a single cherry.



The farm we went to grew mainly Rainier cherries. Rainier cherries are prized for their sweet yellow-orange flesh.  They typically sell for about $5 a pound in the grocery store.  At this farm they sold for $2.50 a pound.  That's a significant savings.  This was great, because telling kids armed with buckets it's time to go isn't very easy. I have a slight suspicion that's why the guy handed the buckets to them and not to the adults.



Summer is considered the peak season for cherries.  In California our season is pretty short and ends at the beginning of July. This is actually the final week for cherries in Southern California.



Fresh picked cherries do taste amazing, but what's truly awesome is the effect it has on the kids. My kids are actually excited about eating fruit.  For the last several days they haven't asked me for chips or cookies.  All they want are the juicy cherries that they picked off the trees.

Next up spinach picking.  I am hoping to get my kids just as excited about spinach. Think it will work?

More information on picking your own fruits and vegetables is available here: Link

Behold my son's blue camo blanket known around my house simply as, "My Blue Blanket!"  It is an item that my otherwise fiercely independent son has a developed a strong attachment to.  We have no idea why he loves this particular blanket.  It's certainly not the blanket that I lovingly crocheted for him when I was pregnant.  No this is a blue blanket that I bought at a large chain baby store.  It was an impulse by that I paid about $19.95 less the 20 percent coupon I always carry in my purse.

I'm not particularly bitter that he chose this blanket over the one I personally made him. Sure, maybe I should have encouraged him to hang out with my blanket more. I could have wrapped him up in that blanket at night, but I didn't and I am going to have to just live with that fact.

OK, I guess I'm a little bitter about his love for the camo blanket, but this is a good lesson for me.  He is after all allowed to make some of his own decisions.  It's not like he's going to let me pick his wife. Is he? Why is is that I suddenly see the appeal of arranged marriages from the groom's Mom's perspective? Seriously, I'm kidding.

The real issue I have with the blanket is that it has been discontinued. What the heck were we going to do if we  lost the thing and couldn't come up with a replacement.  Have you ever tried reasoning with a 2-year old? If you haven't, don't bother trying it isn't going to work.

My husband, and I'm sure this is why they awarded him that PhD, told me to look online and find an emergency replacement blanket. A blanket we could store up in the top of the closet just in case something awful should befall his current love.  With two other kids in the house that blanket could easily become a casualty of war. His older sister has already taken to hiding the blanket when she is angry with him.

I looked online and guess what, Ebay had the exact same blanket for sale.  I didn't do a little happy dance though, because they wanted nearly 100 bucks for the thing. Are you kidding me! The seller clearly knew the blanket had been discontinued too.  I admit I was both disgusted and in awe of their gall to charge so much for the blanket.  Who knew there was this whole underground market for replacement lovies and blankies?  This is clearly the seedy underbelly of parenting where sellers (likely parents themselves) pray on the fears of parents.

We didn't end up buying the blanket from Ebay.  I managed to find the emergency blanket on Amazon for far less, but still way more than what I paid for the original.  It pays to be a bit persistent. It also helped that I wasn't currently in dire need of an emergency blanket. Below is a picture of my emergency blanket.



You may think I am crazy for purchasing an emergency blanket.  I look at it as a small price to pay for his happiness.  I won't be able to fix all the boo-boos or heartache in his life, but at least I have this one beat.  Plus, if he never uses the thing I can sell the sucker on Ebay for a nice profit.

The next time your kid has show and tell and needs something for the letter "E" give them the receipt for your emergency replacement blanket. For goodness sake don't send them with the actually emergency blanket. Those things are far to valuable.

Happy 4th of July!

We hope your day is filled with some amazing grilling, really badly made hamburger cakes, and fabulous fireworks. Stay safe everyone.

Oh, and a great big happy anniversary to my parents.  Yes, they were married on 4th of July. My Mom wanted to make sure my Dad wouldn't forget their anniversary.  She is a smart woman.

A study out of the UK suggests that school gardens actually improve academic skills in children. Children who participated in school gardening projects were found to be better problem solvers.  The projects also encouraged patience, independence, and  healthy eating habits

Teachers who used gardening as part of children’s education said they displayed more independence and were better at solving problems.

Working in school gardens also had an impacts on other subjects, including literacy and numeracy, it was claimed.

"Fundamental to the success of school gardens in stimulating a love of learning was their ability to translate sometimes dry academic subjects into practical, real world experiences,” said the report, commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society.

"Children were encouraged to get their hands dirty - in every sense. Teachers involved in the research said the result was a more active, inquisitive approach to learning."

School gardening projects are also great because they don't require much cash to start or maintain.

Link

Photo: Clipart

Our very own Steven Johnson did a very funny post on his vision of inflatable swimwear for summer.  Turns out his visions have once again become a reality. This time it's for the tot crowd.  Meet the Aqua Leisure Swim School Deluxe Tot Trainer available for sale on Amazon.  It's a bathing suit with a inflatable rubber tube built in.

Aqua Leisure Deluxe Tot Trainer@ Inflatable Rubber Tube Swimaid with Pants Features: -Made of heavy-duty stretch nylon for safety and visiblility -Includes full attached pants to ensure a secure fit to prevent the unit from riding up over the child's shoulders For Ages: 2-4 years.

This isn't the first time Steven has predicted a product.  He also envisioned a world full of little bear and animal shaped backpacks.

http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Leisure-School-Trainer-Inflatable/dp/B00004LCAL/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1278080123&sr=1-2

Natasha Wilson, of New York, just gave birth to triplets.

You could say Natasha is on a roll. This isn't the first time she's given birth.

Her first was Nicholas.

Then came the twins James Jr. and Isaiah.

At that point Natasha's mom, Linda Lawrence, joked that the next time would be triplets.

She was right.

Natasha was hoping for a little girl.  Now she now has 6 little boys.

http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/local/97485414.html?corder=reverse

A new study published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) suggests being born vaginally may be better for babies.   Babies born vaginally were found covered in bacteria common to the mother's vagina (typically good bacteria). C-section babies, however, were covered with bacteria similar to those found on an adult's skin (more dangerous types of bacteria).

The mothers were tested one hour before delivery, and the babies were tested between five minutes and 24 hours after delivery. Samples were collected from the mothers' skin, oral cavities and vaginas; and from the newborns' skin, oral cavities and noses.

At all the sampled sites, babies delivered vaginally had microbial communities resembling those of their mothers' vaginas, rich in the bacterial types Lactobacillus, Prevotella or Sneathia. Babies delivered by C-section had bacteria similar to those found on the skin and were not unique to their mothers; the dominant bacteria were Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium.

Jessie Schiewe of the Los Angeles Times has more: Link

Photo: Myung J. Chun/ Los Angeles Times

Sweden may not like the Elvis, but toy makers still do (See: Countries With Strange Baby Naming Laws).

Hasbro Inc. and PPW Toys have licensed the right to make Mr. Potato Head Elvis.  Two versions of the little guy are set to be released. The first version is due out in August for Elvis Tribute Week and the second should be available by Christmas.

Link

Photo: Eric Jamison / Associated Press

YouTube Link
Japan is at it again. They have made yet another creepy robot baby. Baby Noby was designed by scientists at Tokyo University to act like a real 9 month old child.

I think he is kind of cute, in a freaky Chucky doll kind of way.

Pampers and designer Cynthia Rowley have joined forces to bring us more designer baby bottoms. The diapers will be available in 11 different styles and include patterns for both boys and girls.This line of fancy nappies is set to hit Target stores by mid-July.

They look super cute, but I am a diaper cover girl.  I like the added layer of protection. What about you? Are you likely to add these to your next shopping list?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pampers--cynthia-rowley-partner-on-the-first-designed-diaper-97450679.html

Whether you call them roly polys, pill bugs, wood lice,  or armadillidiidae we think they are just awesome.   My kids spend hours digging in the garden looking for roly polys.  These little guys have piqued my kids' interest in nature in amazing ways.

Roly polys have also bravely given their lives in the pursuit of science. They have taught my children valuable lessons.  The most important lesson being how some things can be broken and can never be put back together again. Yes, eww!! Rest in peace, little roly poly friend.  He didn't mean it and he was very sad to see you go. Now here are 20 fun facts about our unique little garden friends:

1. Roly polys aren't bugs at all. They are terrestrial crustaceans. These little isopods are related to shrimp.


2. Their color can vary from gray to brown. Sometimes they are two-toned because they are molting. First the back half molts and then the front half molts. They molt about 4 to 5 times during their life span.


3. On rare occasions you will find a bright blue or purple roly poly. The purple/blue roly poly is a sick roly poly.  The color is caused by the iridovirus which causes crystals to form beneath the roly poly's exoskeleton.  Don't worry, the virus is not dangerous to humans.


4. They have a hard exoskeleton called a cuticle and it's made from chitin.


5. They are usually less than 1 inch in length.


6. Roly polys can live up to 2 years. Sadly, sometimes less when my son comes in contact with them. Let's just say he is learning the meaning of gentle.


7. Roly polys are super common. They are pretty much found all over the world. They can live in grasslands and rain forests.  They just tend to like moist areas so you will find them under rocks, leaves, barks, or logs.


8. They eat decaying plants and animals which is a good thing. They are like nature's little waste management team. Sometimes, however,  they also eat seedlings  and ripe strawberries which can really annoy gardeners. They can't eat thicker plants, however, so they aren't really a danger to most of the plants in your garden.


9. You can catch a whole bunch of roly polys by placing a cantaloupe upside down in the garden. The roly polys are attracted to the rotting fruit and the moist environment.


10. Predators of the roly poly include: frogs, newts, toads, spiders and small mammals. When the roly poly is molting and soft, they sometimes are eaten by other  roly polys.


11. Females have brood pouches that hold eggs and embryos. They tend to have 2 dozen offspring at a time and have two to three broods a year.   Baby roly polys looks just like big roly polys except they are white and very small.


12. No daddy required here. The roly poly can reproduce by parthenogenesis.


13. They aren't related to the pill millipede even though they look a ton like them.


14. They are able to roll into cool little balls. This process is called conglobation. It is a defense against predators.


15. They have a gill-like structure that they use for breathing. Therefore, they require moist environments to live in.


16. A roly poly is a true blue blood. Roly polys have haemocycanin in their blood which makes it blue in color when it is carrying oxygen.


17. They can drink through their anus. They have uropods on their rear ends and are able to suck up moisture through them.


18. They eat their own poo. This is called coprophagy and it allows them to get back some of the copper they lost when they poo'ed.


19. Wolbachia bacteria can turn a male roly poly into a female roly poly.


20. They don't urinate. Instead they release a form of ammonia gas.

After learning all this neat stuff about the roly polys, how can you not love them too!