I type in the birth announcements at work and sometimes I can't fathom why parents choose the names they do. And it's not always the names they choose, but the ways they spell them. Madison should not be spelled with two "y" (Madysyn) and what about Jazzmine? It's not unique, it's just plain mean. These kids are going to grow up having to spell and respell their first names for the rest of their lives. And some names are down-right embarrassing.

I just came across this story on Yahoo (click here) and although it is much more extreme than many of the names I run across in the birth announcements in central Wisconsin, it does make a good point.

So before you sign your new baby's birth certificate in the hospital, make sure you at least take a really good look at it one more time and try to put yourself in your child's shoes in 5 years and 10 years and 20 years.

A name is the first gift you give to your baby!!!

It never ceases to amaze me what my 2-year-old daughter comes up with.

Last night we were driving home from work/daycare and Emma asked if we could listen to New Kids on the Block!?! Now that wouldn't be quite so surprising if it wasn't for the fact that she has only ever once heard me mention the group's name and only once ever heard their bubble-gummy new song.

She also picks up everything she hears on the radio. I listen to WIFC (95.5) almost every morning and every night on our 1/2-hour trips between home and Stevens Point. She now thoroughly enjoys reciting Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" chorus ("No, no, no ... Emma no go to rehab") and can sing parts of most of Daughtry's songs (which she requests to hear almost daily) and she has a fondness for T-Pain and Flo Rida's "Low" (but only the chorus; I'm not sure the rest would be appropriate).

But this morning she came up with something so off the wall that I was in stitches (laughing). In addition to having a brain that works like a tape recorder, she also is VERY imaginative. She has a habit of seeing wildlife on our daily road trips and claiming it as her own: "Those are my geese" ... "That's my rabbit" ... "That's my deer" (you get the picture). So this morning I made mention that she must have quite a zoo with all of those animals in addition to our cat and dog.

"Momma, we need a new kitty," she replied.

"Why do we need a new kitty?" I asked. "We already have Kahlua at home, and he loves you."

"Because Kitty's going to get into the garden and run away," she responded.

At this point I started worrying (just a little bit) about the safety of Kitty. But I played along.

"How's Kitty going to get out of the house," I asked. (Kahlua is solely an indoor kitty, who hates the whole concept of "outside.")

"He's going to open the door," she said. "He can open the door all by himself. And then he's going to open the garage door and then he's going to run away."

By this point I'm laughing hysterically in the front seat ... I'm not even sure what to say.

And that was that and she moved on to something new.

It's hard to imagine what I ever did on those 1/2-hour car trips each day before I had my favorite little storyteller in the back seat.

Thanks Emma!!!

I just spent a wonderful evening down at the local park and taking a walk around the neighborhood with my 2-year-old daughter and it got me thinking about how I don't do that enough. I get home from work, whip up something for dinner, try to clean up a little bit and then I just want to kick back and relax.

I must admit, however, that our evening outside tonight was quite relaxing, except for the occasional mosquito that I had to swat away. The weather was perfect and Emma absolutely loves to be outside (it doesn't matter what she's doing).

Tonight we looked for the snapping turtle that's been roaming our neighborhood for the last three years and finally made another appearance late last week (no such luck tonight, but Emma didn't care; the search is half the fun), we waved at the neighborhood dogs, we pointed and squealed at the rabbits and squirrels that ran across the street in front of us, we played on the slides at the local park and even picked a few daisies on the way home. We even took some time to grab a few photos (as you can tell from the attached image, Emma's quite the ham).

It was definitely worth the extra hour I'll be up some night this week catching up on some chore I didn't get to tonight (hopefully on a night when it's colder or raining).

So tomorrow night when you get home, forget about the dishes piling up on the counter, the overflowing laundry baskets and the backyard that looks a little more like a jungle than a lawn and enjoy some fun in the great outdoors. You'll be glad you did!!!

I did something last night that even I thought was a little strange (and that's saying something) ... and the couple who were walking past our house were probably even more confused.

It's amazing what parents will do to bring a smile to their child's face ...

Yesterday was our beagle's fifth birthday and my husband, my 2-year-old daughter and I put on quite a party. There were birthday treats, presents, candles, and Sammy (the beagle) was serenaded with her very own, very heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday" by Emma (the 2-year-old).

Emma was smiles from ear-to-ear when I told her she could sing to the dog ... she was even happier when I lit the birthday candles in Sammy's food bowl, complete with Alpo turkey chunks.

As for presents ... there were Pupperoni snacks, Beggin' Strips and a nice new bone, that is now buried somewhere in her kennel.

It may have been the strangest birthday celebration I've ever participated in, but after seeing the smile on Emma's face, it was worth the confused stares from those who passed by.

So if you are like me and you are looking for a fun way to spend the weekend with your family, there are two activities in Stevens Point that fit the bill.


The Family Fun Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Ben Franklin Junior High School, 2000 Polk St. The event will include a petting zoo, inflatable rides, train rides, live entertainment (with everything from martial arts to a drumming group to science and dance demonstrations) and much, much more. Children also will have a chance to get their picture taken with area mascots as well as check out construction equipment and emergency vehicles.

There also will be a variety of information booths for parents to check out (providing information on everything from dental and health care to school and church groups and everything else in between). Each booth also will feature an activity for the kids.

And the coolest thing ... there will be a giant pinata drop at 2 p.m. A crane will hoist the pinata in the air and drop it, spilling loads of goodies.

Admission to the event is $3 per person and $10 for a family. Children younger than 1 year old are admitted free. And all proceeds benefit Family Connections in Portage County, which oversees the Family Resource Centers in Stevens Point, Amherst, Junction City and Almond; and the Parent to Parent program, which matches volunteer mentors with parents of young children throughout Portage County.


On Sunday, the Rotary Club of Greater Portage County will holds its annual Heart of Wisconsin Kite Festival in the Portage County Business Park, north of Boldt Construction. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Wisconsin Kiters Club will brings kites in all shapes and sizes to fly and those who attend are invited to bring their own kites. Kite-making workshops for children will be held at the beginning of each hour.

Admission to the event is free. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase.


Do you know of any other family-friendly events taking place this weekend? If so, please let me know so I can share them with our readers.

Potty training. Those two words can cause so much anxiety for parents of toddlers.

My husband and I have been working with our 2-year-old daughter since the beginning of the year and we still have a LONG way to go.

Emma is a very smart little girl and a part of me thought in the beginning, "This should be easy. We'll sit her down on the potty, she'll get it right away and we'll be sporting panties in no time."

Not so much.

In addition to being a "very smart little girl," Emma also is a very stubborn little girl and a very independent little girl. (I've been told by my mom a time or two that she may have gotten that from me.)

When it would come time to sit on the potty, she'd refuse. She would kick and scream and stomp her feet and that was pretty much the end of the story. So I decided she may not be ready and we scaled down the mission a bit. We'd put her on in the morning when she woke up and again when she got up from her nap; and I'd ask her if she needed to use the potty throughout the day ... and we left it at that.

But in the last two weeks a miracle has occurred. No, she's not even close to wearing the cute little Elmo panties that we bought, but she will now at least try to use the potty a few times during the day (and several times at day care), and if she has to go, she goes right away.

I picked her up at day care last Friday and she had gone three times (and once in the morning at home and once more before she went to bed). There was clapping and cheering and lots of puppy and kitty stickers being hung on her "potty poster." I think I also may have offered to buy her a house. And, yes, I did a potty dance.

We still have a LONG, LONG way to go, but I'll continue to rejoice with each accomplishment.

I know there are a lot of parents out there who have survived the potty-training battle. Please share with me and other parents who may be facing the same challenge what worked best for you (and what may not have worked so well).

Thank you in advance!!!

When I started this blog one of my goals was to share information on events and activities that families can participate in -- especially those that are inexpensive.

This past weekend my husband and I took our 2-year-old daughter to the Downtown Family Fair, which was held in CenterPoint MarketPlace in Stevens Point. Several organizations and businesses teamed up to make this event possible -- including the Stevens Point Area YMCA and the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum.

I've been trying to find time to take my daughter to see the Let's Play Railway! exhibit at the Children's Museum and Saturday seemed like the perfect time. The exhibit is a giant-sized BRIO train engine, cattle wagon and caboose, and each piece includes a variety of interactive activities for children to play with.

Emma loved the train, especially the whistles and other train sounds, and even found the books interesting (although she didn't want to read them; she wanted to push them around in a little red wheelbarrow).

We spent quite a bit of time playing on the train and then she ventured across the hall to the other side of the museum to check out the grocery store and the other exhibits.

The Downtown Family Fair also had a room set up with slides and cars and tunnels, which she found to be quite entertaining. She also got to check out (and touch) some creepy crawlies (snakes, a turtle and a frog) and saw a snapping turtle in all its glory. I'm fairly certain she'd have taken them all home if we would have let her.

If you missed Saturday's Family Fair, don't fret. The Let's Play Railway! will be at the Children's Museum until May 11. For museum costs and hours, go to the Web site www.cwchildrensmuseum.org.

There also is going to be a Children's Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 19 at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids. The event will include information booths, hands-on children's activities, inflatable rides, live entertainment and the part my daughter is most looking forward to -- the chance to check out a police car, a fire truck and a school bus. And the best part -- it's all free.

So if you know of a family-friendly activity that's coming up or a venue in central Wisconsin that you think other families would enjoy, please let me know so I can spread the word. I know I'm always looking for things to do with my family and I'm sure many readers are too. You can e-mail me at jamie.jung@cwnews.net or call 715-345-2256.