Grasshopper New Media Presents...

Applying sunscreen
Bicycling
Chasing fireflies
Dealing cards
Eating blueberries
Fortifying sand castles
Gathering seashells
Hosting friends
Inventing games
Jumping rope
Killing time
Licking popsicles
Making lemonade
Nursing cuts and scrapes
Ordering ice cream
Playing croquet
Quibbling with siblings
Racing through the sprinkler
Splashing in the pool
Traveling to the beach
Uncovering sand crabs
Viewing the night sky
Wading in lakes
X-tra late bedtimes
Yawning
Zzzzz’s

by Slouching Mom

Photo graciously provided by the author, through […]

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. What fun have you planned for your family? We’ll be doing lots of eating, playing, and watching fireworks. And then eating some more. We all agree that holidays are about the food, right? No? Dang.
If you’re looking for something more than just potato salad (and why, […]

My youngest son turns ten this week.  He made the transition from Toddler to Little Boy to Boy a while ago, but now that he is “hitting double digits”, as he puts it, it’s time for me to admit he’s no longer a little boy anymore.
As the youngest, and also being somewhat small for his […]

Today my husband got this colorful little plaque from the Punks that says: I have a superhero in my life, I call him Dad.
To all of you superheros, (dads, step dads, granddads, uncles): Happy Father’s Day! I hope you all get to eat a lot of chocolate. If you like chocolate […]

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

I am a better mother because I am surrounded by other mothers. These are inspired times when, despite the hour, […]

There’s been a lot of uproar from a lot of parents concerning the release of the video game Grand Theft Auto. And for the folks who are reading this column who object to sexism and violence prima facie, I’m ok with that. I respect taking a blanket stand on anything that displays sexism or racism […]

Both our kids’ birthdays are in March. Having brought the last batch of cupcakes to school, I can now finally shut off the oven and wipe the frosting off the walls. We had a happy month. But we might not always.
For many adopted kids, birthdays are a time of grieving. Even some adopted adults I […]

Of the three or so subjectively "rich" people I know, only one made his money entirely by himself. He’s a distant cousin who started a college business taking teenagers on ski trips, then sold the business for 7 figures a few years later. He and his family are set for life.
Not surprisingly, his two kids […]

A recent MSN-Zogby poll showed that one in four U.S. shoppers plans to spend less on toys for the holidays this year.
Gee I wonder why?
Could it be the recalls for lead? How about the ones for choking hazards? What about the increased awareness of legal toxins like phthalates allowed in children’s toys and accessories?
The poll […]

This year, we started what I hope is a new tradition. We took a brief overnight getaway, with our kids, out of town. We walked around. We went to museums. We swam in the hotel pool and ordered room service. It was amazingly restful and fun. All of this […]