I encountered a super fun blog recently, scribbled by a preschool teacher of the male persuasion (he recently wrote about being called a Non-Traditional Figure by a mayor from China). Called Put Me in the Zoo, it's a spectacularly well-designed blog by Daniel Bigler with lots of fun (and funny) commentary, including some reviews (check out his take on Walter the Farting Dog). I take particular delight in the little things, like the piratey overtones, the graphical post titles, and the unique way he words things. Cool stuff.And don't miss his Toddler Property Laws. Classic. …
Archives for July 2005
Sink or Swim
A few months ago, I announced right on this blog that my wife Kim had officially "retired" from teaching in order to work for the company full time. Usually that's a good sign that things are moving in the right direction – and they definitely are – but it's not like I don't question the sanity of our decision. Giving up a steady paycheck you can count on for little more than the hope of something better; trading in the school district's generous benefits package for the prospect of picking out and paying for your own; these are things that most people would shy away from. Me, too. I was …
Idiot’s Guide to Parenting
I find it somewhat perplexing that babies don't come with instruction manuals. I mean, a little digital clock that I got with my subscription to Fast Company even came with a little sheet of directions, printed in many different languages (but not in Pig Latin, unfortunately.) And yet, even though raising a child is probably the most important undertaking a human being could ever be charged with, a microwavable burrito comes with more instructions than a baby. …
Learning From a Giant
Chalkboard Columnist Allan Dash offers up some reflections from the mid-1940s about road trips and swimming lessons in the latest installment of Allan's Alley: If this was the mid-1940s, my excitement level would be growing daily right about now. That’s because in a few days – on August 1st to be exact – Mom, Dad and Little Allan would pack up the shiny black Buick with its white-sidewall tires and head east for our annual dose of surf, sand and sunburn in Ocean City, New Jersey. …
Make Time To Play
Some great quotes on the importance of play..."Some relaxation is necessary to people of every degree; the head that thinks and the hand that labors must have some little time to recruit their diminished powers." - Bernard Gilpin "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment. Go some distance away, because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and lack of harmony and proportion is more readily …
EA #2: Adultitis-Curing Movies
In this podcast, brought to you from Madison, Wisconsin, we discuss 8 Adultitis-Curing Movies. Also, Jason talks about the zoo, and Kim has a few things to share about a recent concert they went to. Plus, we offer you another chance to win yourself an Escape Adulthood book. Listen now by clicking play below. …
Oozing Gooey Grilled Cheese
My book promises that my prescription for Adultitis doesn't require a steady diet of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese (I think that if kids had a hand in re-writing the food pyramid, it would probably have four food groups: chicken, macaroni, cheese, and sugar.) But I didn't say anything about grilled cheese. …
Grown-Up Games
One thing I remember about grown-up parties (from my perspective as a five-year-old) was that they were b-o-r-i-n-g. No tails or donkeys to pin them on anywhere to be found. Now that I'm all "grown-up," I've noticed that most get-togethers still lack that needed bit of childlike "oomph."HGTV.com featured some interesting tips by Lisa Konfruff on "how to get the party going with grownup games that will have your guests meeting and mingling in no time." I especially liked her idea: Play the Two Truths and a Lie game. (This one is for later in the evening.) Have …
Slowing Down
Every morning I listen to the radio station, Life 102.5, WNWC in Madison and featured each day is a two minute segment called, 'Lighten Up,' by Ken Davis. Ken is a speaker, comedian, and inspirational communicator. He always manages to put a smile on my face at 6:20 a.m. and that's saying something. This morning he was speaking my language. He told a story about a six-year-old boy who was somehow taking an hour to walk home from school, a walk that should reasonably take him twenty minutes. Ken shares that for children the shortest distance between two points isn't a straight line. It is is …
Starbucks and the Act of Deciding
When many of us think of our "job," the first word to come to mind is not often "yippee!" But did you know that as an employee, you actually have the choice about whether or not you enjoy your job? Yes, the sheer act of deciding to like your job is the first step in making your nine-to-fives (or ten-to-sixes) more enjoyable. If you're an employer, did you know that creating an atmosphere in which employees love their jobs is not only not as expensive and time consuming and touchy feely as you might think, but can also save you gobs of money in advertising as well? …