BlogCadre - kids

Book of Short Stories

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:45:54 -0500

What a fantastic find! "Book of Short Stories" is a collection of short stories written by New York City fifth graders in 1931.

A book of grade schoolers' stories is always worth a gander, a safe bet for "ahhh, kids say the darnedest things". My own memorable fourth grade essay chronicled a day at my father's office, me summing up his duties as "sitting around all day cussing people out". So it's doubly intriguing to stumble upon a collection of fifth graders' stories from 1931! February 18, to be exact. Consider the world into which these kids were born. The first generation born following "the Great War" with its bloody new technologies: trench warfare, air forces, and mustard nerve gas -- these children also entered a world decimated by the Spanish flu pandemic wherein 50-100 million people died worldwide. Now "carefree" grade schoolers, aged ~10 to 11, when -- cue the Great Depression! Liven things up a bit more with that distraction the Dust Bowl and locusts -- you've quite a lively childhood.

Link

Autistic Basketball Manager Plays a Great Game

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:33:02 -0500

John McElwain is a special education student with autism. He is his high school's basketball manager and definitely shows a love for the game and for his team.

For the last game of the season, coach Johnson let John suit up for the game, not necessarily to play, but to give him the feeling of what it feels like to wear a jersey. At four minutes left in the game coach Johnson put John in the game. John's first two shot attempts were airballs, but his next 7 consecutive shots are legendary. John made six three-pointers and one two-point shot. Incredible.

Link

Lizette Greco, kids' drawings brought to life

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:02:39 -0500

Lizette Greco brings their children's drawings to life by creating sewn art based on the drawings. Lizette Greco will also custom make pieces for you if you provide them with your child's drawings.

Lizette Greco's official website - Link
Our Work with Children's Drawings - Link [flickr set]

Boys and the Subway

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:29:22 -0500

Illustrator Christoph Niemann put together a very cute illustrated story of his travels with his boys, Arthur, Gustav and Fritz, through the New York City subway system. Link.

Related:
Christoph Niemann's official website - Link

Previously:
History of Typography in the Toronto Subway, City Hall Station: Photos of a Beautiful Abandoned Subway Station, subway sketches (LwL)

2-year-old skateboarder

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:09:55 -0500

Zach grabbed Jason's skateboard from the garage the other day and has been wanting to learn how to skate. So far he's coasting up and down our sidewalk with ease and seems to be a natural. Before he expressed interest I was thinking it may be at least a couple more years before we start teaching him how to skate, but apparently we are a year behind. Check out this 2-year-old skateboarder. Link.

Heelarious, high heels for your infant

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:36:37 -0500

These baby heels are causing a stir among parent blogs. The owners of Heelarious have created high heels intended for 0 to 6 month old infants. Just pure fun or a little disturbing? You decide.

Heelarious Official Site - Link
An issue to chew on: Stilettos for babies - Link [ParentCentral.ca]

Childhood Fears Come to Life

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:39:41 -0500

I'm going to have nightmares tonight after viewing agentparanoia's "Childhood Fears" photoset. These photos are down-right scary. View the set if you dare. Link.

Parents granted permission to name son 'Lego'

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:00:16 -0500

A couple in Sweden have been given permission to name their son 'Lego'.

Couples in Sweden have previously run into trouble with officials over the names Ikea, Veranda, Metallica and the use of Elvis for a girl.

But the Swedish Administrative Court of Appeals has now overruled an earlier decision to stop a couple naming their child after the brightly coloured plastic building blocks.

In Swedish law, offensive, unsuitable or inappropriate names are all forbidden, as well as names that could embarrass the people they are given to.

Link [via]

Previously:
Couple wanting to name new son "4real", Chicago Bears fan changes name to Peyton Manning, Swedish couple naming newborn "Metallica"

Boy dies from 'dry drowning'

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:16:47 -0500

10-year-old Johnny Jackson had gone swimming for the first time and more than an hour after his swim he died from 'dry drowning'.

On Sunday, Jackson had taken her son, Johnny, to a pool near their home in Goose Creek, S.C. It was the first time he’d ever gone swimming — and, tragically, it would be his last.

At some point during his swim, Johnny got some water in his lungs. He didn’t show any immediate signs of respiratory distress, but the boy had an accident in the pool and soiled himself. Still, Johnny, his sister and their mother walked home together.

“We physically walked home. He walked with me,” Jackson said, still trying to understand how her son could have died. “I bathed him, and he told me that he was sleepy.”

Later, she went into his room to check on him. “I walked over to the bed, and his face was literally covered with this spongy white material,” she said. “And I screamed.”

A family friend, Christine Meekins, was visiting and went to see what was wrong. “I pulled his arm and said, ‘Johnny! Johnny!’ ” Meekins told NBC. “There was no response. I opened one of his eyes and I just knew inside my heart that it was something really bad.”

Johnny was rushed to a local hospital, but it was too late. Johnny had drowned, long after he got out of the swimming pool.

Link.

Update: Sameer Mishra wins 2008 Scripps National Bee

Fri, 30 May 2008 21:54:51 -0500

13-year-old Sameer Mishra of West Lafayette, Indiana, won the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word "guerdon." Sameer beat out first time spelling bee competitor Sidharth Chand.

Sameer was definitely the funny one of the bunch almost mistaking "numnah" for "numbnut." Hopefully someone will have that footage up on YouTube soon.

Update: Break.con posted the "numb nut" incident. Link to video.

Scripps website - official results
'Guerdon' wins spelling bee for Sameer Mishra - CNN article

Previously:
Last year's Scripps Spelling Bee winner (LwL)

Peers vote out 5-year-old classmate from class, teacher's idea

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:04:50 -0500

A kindergarten teacher in Florida allowed students to vote out a fellow classmate, who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism, from the class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.

Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.

Link.

My Pee Pee Bottle

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:58:26 -0500

My Pee Pee Bottle is an on-the-go solution for when your little ones have to go potty and there is no restroom available or the toilets are just plain nasty. I get the concept, but do the bottles have to look like those Nalgene water bottles everybody is carrying around? What a horrible mistake that would be!

(Thanks, Adam!)

Crying Sumo Contest

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:58:08 -0500

Every year in Japan, sumo wrestlers are paired off with infants in a ring. The amateur wrestlers hold up the infants into the air and the infant who cries first is the winner. If the infants cry at the same time then the loudest infant wins.

The purpose of the contest is to pray for children's healthy growth.

Link, Link to photo gallery [via]

13-year-old spikes classmate's lunch with peanuts, classmate severely allergic

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:36:34 -0500

A 13-year-old was arrested on felony wanton endangerment chargers for allegedly putting peanut butter cookie crumbs in the lunch box of a classmate with a severe peanut allergy.

"The contaminated lunch box could have resulted in a significant allergic reaction — potentially life-threatening, depending on the child's history," says Dr. Kathy Sheerin, of the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic, in Atlanta.

Under the Kentucky statue for wanton endangerment, a person is guilty "when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person."

Link

Previously:
Deadly Kiss

My Beautiful Mommy, Kids' book on plastic surgery

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:15:48 -0500

"My Beautiful Mommy" is a children's picture book written by Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a board-certified plastic surgeon, where a mom explains to her daughter why she is having cosmetic surgery done. Link [via]

I definitely foresee this book winning the Caldecott Medal.