Now, did you notice anything? Kids? Ok. A big yellow 7 year old bird? Good! Notice anything else? Were the kids outside?! AND they were PLAYING!!!! Keep this in mind as I continue to rant…

Yesterday, Christina Warren of Mashable.com wrote a piece praising Sesame Street and their Elmo iPhone app. Take a look:

Christina begins her article by saying:

Sesame Street is one of my favorite brands, not just because Grover is amazing, but because over the last 40 years, it has never been afraid of innovating and embracing new technologies.

To which I thought, absolutely! A quick search on my blog for ‘Sesame Street’ will reveal my love for all things Sesame Street as well! Calli and I have spent countless hours on the laptop watching and playing with our Sesame Street friends on sesamestreet.org! Even my very first column for Dad-Blogs was about Sesame Workshop‘s panwapa.com. (Feel free to visit the column here: Can You Tell Me How To Get To Panwapa Island?) So yes, I agree that Sesame Street is worth buying in to.

She goes on to talk about the app, and then this statement caught my eye:

On my running route, I see children in their strollers playing on iPhone or iPod touch devices. It’s amazing.

This post brought to you by Dad-Blogs' FatherHood Friday. Be sure to swing by for all the other great Dads and Moms who love to share their lives online!

The squeal of screeching tires sounded in my head and I did a spit-take. WHAT?! ‘Come on kids, let’s go to the park. You can play on my iPhone!’?

When I first saw that, I wanted to rant about the evils of technology and how Sesame Street shouldn’t influence kids to sit around playing with it. But then it hit me. Sesame Street is just taking advantage of how we as parents utilize technology in order to get their brand out in front of as many young eyeballs as possible. And it’s still a good brand. Sesame Workshop does a lot for our kids, and I would never discourage anyone from participating in that.

But iPhones in strollers?! Parents, please. What are you doing to your kids?

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I can’t rail against technology as I type my blog in to my laptop while I listen to Pandora and munch on my freshly microwaved breakfast. I’ve been known to hand my Blackjack II to my kid with a cartoon or game on. But I do that while we’re waiting at the doctor’s office or the DMV. And if we are at the doctor’s office, I look for toys. The dirtier the better. Builds up the immune system with antibodies. But I digress.

When at the park, dear parents, what ever happened to ‘Look, Junior, isn’t that a cute puppy?’ or ‘My, what a tall tree that is!’ If a kid is dexterous enough to navigate an iPhone app, I’m willing to bet that he/she is able to walk and explore the world around them. Why would you hamper that?

What do you think? Am I just flying off the deep end? Has my year plus of Daddy Blogging finally given me a self-righteous need to judge all other parents and find them inferior? How do you utilize technology in your parenting?

So I got my new landline telephone and super-fast internet connection, and I decided to once and for all completely stop using my cell phone for internet. I then decided to spend the evening vegging out with Hulu and free video podcasts. Then it hit me: Crap! I should be writing a FatherHood Friday post! All this vegging out has melted my brain. I didn’t think ahead! What will I write about?

Leave it to the guys over at Dad-Blogs to solve the issue for me. They are now trying to theme the FatherHood Friday posts, and the next two weeks we will be discussing ‘Back to School’.

Well, my two youngest are still too young for school, and the teenager is too old to take the big-toothy-grin-clutching-a-lunchbox-with-the-heaviest-backpack-ever-strapped-to-her-back first day of school picture, so I’ll go at this from a different angle: i.e. my return to school. (The School of living with an infant, that is.) Since the theme runs for two weeks, maybe I’ll have a more traditional Back To School post next Friday.

I have essentially been a father for eleven years. Kat was four when I met her, she is now fifteen. I used to joke that I got to be a father and miss all the dirty diapers.

She's gonna be a star!

Fast forward eight years, and the birth of my daughter, Calli. I didn’t get out of diapers after all. Three years later, she’s still in them. (We just moved and had another kid, so we’re waiting for things to normalize. But when the dust settles, that kid’s using the potty if I have to duct tape her there myself!  ;)

Wait, did I just mention a third kid? Why, yes I did, which brings us to the meat and potatoes of this post.

So I’ve been changing diapers for three years now. No big deal. Stinky diaper? This looks like a job for Super-Dad. Robin Williams once joked that Super-Dad’s weakness was baby ca-ca. Well, I’m the new and improved version. So bring it!

With Tristin? Whole. New. Experience. (See last week’s post, ‘Boys. Are. Gross.’ … if you dare!)

Calli can't get enough Baby brother!

So life with baby has gone on now for (at the time of this writing) thirteen days. I have a three year old, so the whole baby thing’s still fairly fresh in my mind. No worries, right? I should be an old pro. Not even close. Not only does your brain quickly forget how tiny and helpless these little guys start out as, but in three years a whole heck of a lot can change…

1. You don’t have to swab the gross black umbilical anymore. I remember with Calli it was recommended that we swab her umbilical cord with alcohol in order to ward off bacteria. They now say leave it alone! Turns out the alcohol kills off the good bacteria as well as the bad…
2. Get that kid vitamin D! They didn’t say this when Calli was born, but now they recommend that you give your kid vitamin D drops because breast milk tends to not have enough. You also get vitamin D from the sun, but you wouldn’t want to accidentally give your baby a sunburn, so the drops are much safer.
3. A baby screaming at you at two in the morning is neither cute nor fun. Actually, I’m lying. It would be against Tristin’s nature to not be cute. As for fun, I actually do look forward to baby tantrums because I…
4. Remember the 5 S’s. Coolest thing ever. The pediatrician came in to check on Tristin while we were still in the hospital. He asked us if we knew the 5 S’s. No, we didn’t so he picked up Tristin and went through them:

• Swaddling Make sure your baby is swaddled good and tight, just like his old womb.
• Side/Stomach Hold him so that he’s on his side and stomach. (It’s still best when he sleeps to lay him on his back.)
• Swing them This one you probably have to see in action. Obviously, this doesn’t include shaking the baby (that’s bad), but it does include  a slight swinging/jiggling of the head. This simulates the motion in the womb as Mommy walks around or goes upstairs.
• Shushing This isn’t a quiet shush, this is a loud shush. You want to shush them as loud as they are crying. The baby has lived next to his mother’s aorta for nine months, so the sound of blood rushing by is a lot like this loud shush. You can also use white noise such as a TV or radio tuned to static, a hair dryer, or vacuum cleaner.
• Sucking Let the kid suck on something. A pacifier, your finger, etc., can calm them very quickly.

Before my doctor even got to the last S, Tristin was quiet and looking around like, Wow! This guy really gets me! The doctor laid Tristin down in his little clear bassinet, and said, ‘Yeah, they should have a video of that somewhere…’

As soon as the doctor left, I called a nurse and asked for that video!

The video is called ‘The Happiest Baby on the Block’, and it was created by Harvey Karp, MD. You can see some clips of Dr. Karp in action at thehappiestbaby.com.

Dr. Karp claims that he’s found the cure for colic, and it seems like this is true. It is truly magical to watch the babies in the video, and then your own baby, turn from a screaming little monster back into your sweet angel within minutes.

This time around, Daddy is schooling the infant!

So I guess the bottom line is, no matter how many kids you have, things change. As much as you think you know, there’s always something else you can learn. Keep an open mind, and enjoy your new baby!

Obviously, this is near and dear to me, and I apologize to those who have already read this. I promise a brand new Fatherhood Friday post will be posted next Friday.

Happy Fatherhood Friday! Be sure to stop by dad-blogs and check out all the cool dudes and dudettes that weigh in on fatherhood on Fridays!

I learned my ABC’s in my PJ’s. I would play games with a giant bird, swing by Hooper’s store for a soda, and try to avoid the grouch on the corner, but there was always something charming about him as well. I was watchingSesame Street.

I’m sure you have similar memories. Our kids will too. While I laughed at Ernie tormenting Bert, or watched as Kermit the Frog gave anotherSesame Street News Flashfrom the planet Kuzbain or a familiar fairy tale, I was also learning. Today, my daughter loves Elmo and Abby Cadabby. The cast of colorful characters may change, but the wordly themes of cultural understanding and acceptance (While learning ABC’s and 123’s) never changes. Sesame Street is just as integral to my children’s lives as it was to mine.

I recieved a letter recently that made me a little sad. Sesame Street was asking me for money.

My first knee jerk reaction before reading the letter thoroughly was that I’ve got shelves of Elmo DVDs and toys and books for my child, you’ve gotten enough money from me!

Then I read the opening:

Dear Friend,

I want to share with you a part of a letter written to Sesame Street from a young viewer in South Africa:

“My friend is Nomfundo … I feel sad because she is HIV-positive. Other children, they don’t play with her. My friend is still my friend and I love her.

Every day I watch Takalani Sesame with my friend. Moshe andKami on Takalani Sesame, they care about people who are HIV-positive…”

A few years ago, I had watched a documentary called ‘The World According To Sesame Street‘. The film focused on Sesame Street’s international efforts, and introduced me to the wonderful character of Kami.

Kami is an HIV-positive muppet. She is five years old. HIV/AIDSnow afflicts more than one in nine South Africans. Kami teaches acceptance of those who are afflicted. Just watching her in the documentary made my heart go out to those people. I can’t imagine the effect she has on the people who live there, or the children who get to watch her every day.

Another story in the letter caught my eye:

Galli Galli Sim Sim

One of our newest international co-productions is in India, a country that suffers from widespread poverty. In rural areas especially, educational opportunities are limited … if they exist at all.

One out of every six children in the world lives in India. A staggeringtwo out of three of these Indian children (between the ages of 2 and 6) lack access to early childhood care and education.

These are just two examples of the more than 140 variations of Sesame Street in over 140 countries and territories worldwide.

The reason that Sherrie Rollins Westin of Sesame Workshop sent out the letter, and the reason that I feel compelled to post this blog entry, is that the international operations of Sesame Street need help funding their efforts.

Back to the letter:

Revenue from the sale of Workshop merchandise helps cover some of these costs for our U.S. projects. But there are limited licensing and merchandising opportunities in underserved regions of the world that most need what we can provide.

With corporations and foundations scaling back their funding, and limited government budgets, Sesame Workshop is turning more and more to good people like you to bring our programs to life.

Doing a little research of my own, I discovered that there’s a new Sesame Street in Northern Ireland called ‘Sesame Tree‘, which invites children to send in questions, and then two Muppet characters, Potto and Hilda, set out to find the answers.

In Israel, children watch Rechov Sumsum, which teaches respect and understanding to children in an area of growing conflict and diversity. Palestine has their own version of Sesame Street entitled Shara’a Simsim. By providing a window into other cultures, these programs are helping to quiet the fears that the children may have.

I feel that Sesame Street is such an integral part of our lives because I know that I personally was changed by it. One example of this in my life is that the American Sesame Street features a character named Luis(pronounced Lou-ees). I now work in an environment of very diverse cultures, but one of my co-workers is named Luis! I am careful to pronounce it correctly, largely due to my Sesame Street upbringing. It rankles me when I hear someone else call him ‘Louis’.  This may seem like a minor detail, but it is important to me that I respect other cultures and I go out of my way to make sure that I at least pronounce people’s names right! For me, that’s just a respectful thing to do. I thank Sesame Street for instilling those values in me.

On March 11, Variety reported that the American operation of Sesame Street had to layoff 20% of its workers. If the economic downturn has hit Sesame Street here in America, where we are free to buy whatever they can think to put Sesame Street characters on, imagine how things are going in the more underserved countries that I just mentioned.

If I’ve succeeded in touching your heart or you have your own story of how Sesame Street has touched your life, please, go to the Sesame Street donations page and give what you can. I for one feel that our future as a world community depends on the continuation of the ‘longest street in the world’: Sesame Street.

Would your childhood have been the same without these guys? Will your childrens’?

Calli slides to the future with Abby Cadabby.

I learned my ABC’s in my PJ’s. I would play games with a giant bird, swing by Hooper’s store for a soda, and try to avoid the grouch on the corner, but there was always something charming about him as well. I was watching Sesame Street.

I’m sure you have similar memories. Our kids will too. While I laughed at Ernie tormenting Bert, or watched as Kermit the Frog gave another Sesame Street News Flash from the planet Kuzbain or a familiar fairy tale, I was also learning. Today, my daughter loves Elmo and Abby Cadabby. The cast of colorful characters may change, but the wordly themes of cultural understanding and acceptance (While learning ABC’s and 123′s) never changes. Sesame Street is just as integral to my children’s lives as it was to mine.

I recieved a letter recently that made me a little sad. Sesame Street was asking me for money.

My first knee jerk reaction before reading the letter thoroughly was that I’ve got shelves of Elmo DVDs and toys and books for my child, you’ve gotten enough money from me!

Then I read the opening:

Dear Friend,

I want to share with you a part of a letter written to Sesame Street from a young viewer in South Africa:

“My friend is Nomfundo … I feel sad because she is HIV-positive. Other children, they don’t play with her. My friend is still my friend and I love her.

Every day I watch Takalani Sesame with my friend. Moshe and Kami on Takalani Sesame, they care about people who are HIV-positive…”

A few years ago, I had watched a documentary called ‘The World According To Sesame Street‘. The film focused on Sesame Street’s international efforts, and introduced me to the wonderful character of Kami.

Kami is an HIV-positive muppet. She is five years old. HIV/AIDS now afflicts more than one in nine South Africans. Kami teaches acceptance of those who are afflicted. Just watching her in the documentary made my heart go out to those people. I can’t imagine the effect she has on the people who live there, or the children who get to watch her every day.

Another story in the letter caught my eye:

Galli Galli Sim Sim

One of our newest international co-productions is in India, a country that suffers from widespread poverty. In rural areas especially, educational opportunities are limited … if they exist at all.

One out of every six children in the world lives in India. A staggering two out of three of these Indian children (between the ages of 2 and 6) lack access to early childhood care and education.

These are just two examples of the more than 140 variations of Sesame Street in over 140 countries and territories worldwide.

The reason that Sherrie Rollins Westin of Sesame Workshop sent out the letter, and the reason that I feel compelled to post this blog entry, is that the international operations of Sesame Street need help funding their efforts.

Back to the letter:

Revenue from the sale of Workshop merchandise helps cover some of these costs for our U.S. projects. But there are limited licensing and merchandising opportunities in underserved regions of the world that most need what we can provide.

With corporations and foundations scaling back their funding, and limited government budgets, Sesame Workshop is turning more and more to good people like you to bring our programs to life.

Doing a little research of my own, I discovered that there’s a new Sesame Street in Northern Ireland called ‘Sesame Tree‘, which invites children to send in questions, and then two Muppet characters, Potto and Hilda, set out to find the answers.

In Israel, children watch Rechov Sumsum, which teaches respect and understanding to children in an area of growing conflict and diversity. Palestine has their own version of Sesame Street entitled Shara’a Simsim. By providing a window into other cultures, these programs are helping to quiet the fears that the children may have.

I feel that Sesame Street is such an integral part of our lives because I know that I personally was changed by it. One example of this in my life is that the American Sesame Street features a character named Luis (pronounced Lou-ees). I now work in an environment of very diverse cultures, but one of my co-workers is named Luis! I am careful to pronounce it correctly, largely due to my Sesame Street upbringing. It rankles me when I hear someone else call him ‘Louis’.  This may seem like a minor detail, but it is important to me that I respect other cultures and I go out of my way to make sure that I at least pronounce people’s names right! For me, that’s just a respectful thing to do. I thank Sesame Street for instilling those values in me.

On March 11, Variety reported that the American operation of Sesame Street had to layoff 20% of its workers. If the economic downturn has hit Sesame Street here in America, where we are free to buy whatever they can think to put Sesame Street characters on, imagine how things are going in the more underserved countries that I just mentioned.

If I’ve succeeded in touching your heart or you have your own story of how Sesame Street has touched your life, please, go to the Sesame Street donations page and give what you can. I for one feel that our future as a world community depends on the continuation of the ‘longest street in the world’: Sesame Street.

Would your childhood have been the same without these guys? Will your childrens'?