Liz Atwood is taking this Tween Tuesday off, so Kate's here to talk about holiday gifts for tweens:
What to get a tween?
It's not an easy question. Their very nature means they're poised between the childish and the grown-up. Some believe in Santa. Some don't. [...] 
Are you out there this Black Friday trying desperately to find the zhu zhu hamster?
If so, join the crowd. Reporter Jill Rosen tells us that every kid wants one.
Except, thankfully, for mine. Even after seeing Jill's story this morning, my son and daughter had [...] It's Sarah K.K., back with a Thanksgiving installment of Toddler Thursday ...
This week, for pretty obvious reasons, I've been reflecting on the things I'm thankful for, and moment by moment, the list has been growing. Here are some of the highlights:
-- I'm thankful for my amazing son,' [...]
This weekend, hopefully you're cocooning with kids and relatives. But once the turkey stupor wears off and you're at each other's throats ready for a change of scenery, here are some fun things to do:
Thursday, Nov. 26:
Are you kidding? Eat. Play board games. Nap. Watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" [...]
This post sort of flies in the face of the fact that there is a shortage of pumpkin. We should be looking for other desserts. And it's true, at the Giant the other day, I saw just one little pumpkin pie in a sea of [...] 
As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces yet another recall of a baby product -- this one targeting more than 2.1 million cribs made by Stork Craft with drop sides -- I'm starting to think it's a miracle my kids made it through their' [...] 
It's Tween Tuesday! Liz Atwood talks Thanksgiving:
Thankgsiving is upon us, and no matter how much we’d like our gatherings to look like something from a Norman Rockwell painting, they rarely do.
Something usually goes wrong with at least one of the dishes on the menu. (For me, [...]
"New Moon," the latest movie in the "Twilight" series, is out. And despite some negative reviews, teenage girls are expected to flock to it this weekend.
This story from the Vancouver Sun says a study of "Twilight" fans shows that girls are actually attracted to the [...] 
Sarah K.K. here, back with another installment of Toddler Thursday:
That's how the old saw goes, right? "You've got to walk before you can run"? Someone forgot to tell toddlers.
When my son first started to walk (right around his 1st birthday), he was understandably pretty' [...]
Susan Reimer's Garden Variety blog has the news of a pumpkin shortage that may affect our Thanksgiving tables. And this just after my daughter declared pumpkin pie a "must-have" at our meal.
Fortunately, I think we have a big can of Libby's squirreled away in [...] 
Santa's coming to Harborplace this Saturday at 4:30 p.m., with musical performances to welcome him. Here are some other family events slated for the weekend.
Thursday, Nov. 19:
Thanksgiving Craft: Make a turkey day craft at 4 p.m. at the Govans branch of the Enoch Pratt' [...] 
Today, Nov. 18, is apparently Mickey Mouse's 81st birthday. He looks pretty good for his age.
Here are ideas on how to give a Mickey birthday party. Here are some Mickey and friends coloring pages. And here are directions on how to make [...] 
Gather round, boys and girls. It's story time!
Once upon a time, in a brick house in a Northeastern city, a family sat down to eat dinner all together. While the boy and the girl of the house did their homework without complaint, sitting side by side [...] 
Liz Atwood is back with Tween Tuesday:
These shorter late-autumn days are a headache when it comes to making sure my energetic sons get the exercise they need. By the time they get home from school, they have only an hour or so to play outside [...]
PMom e-mailed me this question for the Monday Consult:
"I have a 3 yr old daughter who doesn't want to wear clothes with full sleeves in fall or different clothes. We have tried giving her candy, have taken her sleeveless outside. It's (an) everyday struggle'" [...] Sarah K.K. here with the next installment of Toddler Thursday!
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my toddler son, Isaac, was just starting to imitate our intonation now and then. In the past couple of weeks, but especially the past few days, he's taken it to [...]
"Polar Express" opens for the holiday season this weekend at the National Aquarium.
Thursday, Nov. 12:
Who Am I? Where Did I Come From?Learn about family history from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Harford County Public Library in Aberdeen. For grades 1-4. Reservation required.
Skills, [...] 
For Dinner Together day, I thought we'd talk about some Sesame Street food, in honor of the big 40th anniversary this week.
Since there was so much talk here last week about Cookie Monster's eating habits, here's a recipe I printed in the early days of the' [...] Liz Atwood writes about stress this Tween Tuesday:
The economy is still in the doldrums and the holidays are approaching. It’s the perfect formula for stress. And the kids are not immune.
For the first time the American Psychological Association's annual stress survey included kids 8 to 17, and it [...]
The other day, in a speech about his administration's education priorities, President Barack Obama revealed a very personal experience.
His daughter, Malia, had come home with a disappointing grade of 73 percent on a science test.
According to the president, the two had a conversation about what [...] 
Today it's Cookie Monster who's getting all the attention on the Google Doodle as part of the big Sesame Street 40th anniversary celebration.
This had me wondering: With all the focus on the problem of childhood obesity these days, and with Michelle Obama -- a champion [...] 
We're all in something of a Halloween hangover, but there's still fun stuff to do this first weekend in November. To wit: Pumpkin chucking.
Thursday, Nov. 5:
Harry Potter Potions Class: Scientists from the Edgewood Chemical & Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground demonstrated how to make potions' [...] 
Sesame Street is gearing up for its 40th anniversary season in a big way. Not only is Big Bird featured on the Google Doodle today, but the show is saying it will be "updated" for the anniversary season, which starts Nov. 10.
The new season [...] Liz Atwood talks about friends with disabilities this Tween Tuesday:
One of the things that's really neat about my 8-year-old son's circle of friends is the diversity I see; not just racial or ethnic diversity, but children with many different disabilities.
On Saturday, we went trick-or-treating with one of his friends who' [...]
It's time to give away a prize for questions for the Monday Consult. This week, you can win a copy of "Waddle," one of those cool "scanimation" books, by Rufus Butler Seder.
The rules are as usual: Ask a parenting question that an expert [...] 
If you're looking for what to do with all that Halloween candy -- and you're worried your kids will eat too much if it stays around the house -- you might want to stop by a dentist's office in the next few days.
Several local [...] 
This is Sarah K.K., back with Toddler Thursday after a short hiatus for that vacation I mentioned a few weeks ago.
I was concerned about flying cross-country with my son, who had learned to walk since our last cross-country flight. I was also a little worried [...]
A Facebook friend's status this morning got me thinking about the great last-minute Halloween costume changeup that seems to occur every year in our family. Apparently it's an exciting adventure for lots of parents out there.
It goes like this: In late September or early October, Mom [...] 
This Dinner Together is pure fall comfort. And the most comforting thing about it is the ease of making it in a slow cooker, and coming home from a long, hard day to the wonderful smells of apples and spices.
The only bother you'll have is browning' [...] 
Liz Atwood talks Halloween costumes this Tween Tuesday:
I love Halloween, but it seems like every year there’s an issue about the costumes.
My boys have always preferred the gruesome ones, so there’s always been the debate over how much blood and gore is acceptable. In addition, the [...]
I've been waiting and waiting for the movie version of "Where the Wild Things Are" to come out. But I was surprised to learn that the only person interested in seeing it with me was my husband.
My kids have certainly seen the trailer plenty of times.' [...] 
Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday:
Sometimes kids are brutally honest, as the Colorado family that reported their son was caught up in a hot air balloon is finding out. Had not 6-year-old Falcon spilled the beans that he was hiding in the house because [...]
Who knows whether the balloon boy story that captivated the nation yesterday was a cruel hoax. I'm glad there was no boy the age of my son hurtling across the skies of Colorado in a homemade balloon after all, and that he was safe in' [...] 
It's that time, moms and dads, to win a prize just for asking a parenting question for the Monday Consult. This time, I want your Halloween-related questions to use as that holiday approaches.
As always, please include your e-mail address in the appropriate comment field [...] 
In my weekend post, I left out an event you may want to know about, especially since it's on rain or shine.
Irvine Nature Center hosts its 32nd annual Pumpkin Fest, a family harvest festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon [...] 
Hello, all. This is Sarah K.K. from over in Reality Check land. A while ago, Kate and I had talked about me guest posting every so often about my return to work after maternity leave, but I was so overwhelmed by the transition, I couldn't quite' [...]
Check out the Ukrainian Festival Saturday and Sunday in Patterson Park. Admission is free. And there's more to do with the family:
Thursday, Sept. 10:
Hands-on-Holidays Rosh Hashanah CelebrationThe Rosenbloom JCC in Owings Mills hosts a holiday event for 1- to 3-year-olds at 11:30 a.m., featuring [...] 
How could my kids -- or yours, for that matter -- resist chicken coated with potato chips and baked?
Answer: If you tell them there are potato chips on the outside and act like it's going to be the world's biggest treat. Then they are obligated to [...] 
My colleagues Jill Rosen (of Unleashed fame) and Joe Burris (of Charm City Moms fame) are working on a story about folks who are preparing in some interesting way for football season to start up again in Baltimore.
We were sure there's probably a young [...] I'll be going to Back to School Night events for my 3rd grader and 8th grader during these next couple weeks. I always look forward to the chance to introduce myself to the teachers, hear about the curriculum and see my children's rooms. While the schools are usually crowded' [...]
The Monday Consult is taking a Labor Day break. Since we're all on holiday, it's the perfect time to sit back, ask a parenting question, and win a prize.
Today's offering is the Play-Doh Burger Builder, which looks like fun. (Just don't let your kids eat the [...] 
Our InsideEd blog has details on the president's planned back-to-school speech to schoolchildren, to be aired in classrooms next Tuesday. Some school districts are saying they won't air the speech; others are allowing kids to be excused from the speech if their families' [...] 
In my years as a foodie and then a food editor, I'd never made crepes. There were at least two reasons: 1) one of my best friends makes a fabulous version, and 2) they scared me a little.
This recipe looked enough like Dinner Together that' [...] 
Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday:
School’s back in session, but there isn’t much excitement at my house. The eigth-grader waited until 9 Sunday night to put his paper in his binder and write his name on his notebooks. The third-grader moaned and sighed all the [...]
New parents are often shocked at how often complete strangers feel free to come right up and touch a tiny baby, without asking if it's OK to do so.
Even the common cold can turn dangerous for a new baby, much less swine flu. That means all [...] 
Like many of you, I packed my two kids off to their first day of the 2009-2010 school year today. They were sound asleep last night at a wonderfully decent hour, and up and dressed with great cooperation this morning.
I, on the other hand, tossed [...] 
We wouldn't want to wake up Sun reporter Jonathan Pitts's 9-month-old daughter.
I’m typing this (as quietly as possible) as my 9-month-old daughter sleeps in her crib upstairs.
The baby monitor’s going, emitting the static-like hiss that tells me it’s up and running.
I ‘ve turned off the' [...]
The Maryland State Fair starts Friday and runs through Sept. 7. And there's more:
Thursday, Aug. 27:
Hot Dog, There's Mustard: Kids 6 to 12 can hear stories about summer foods such as hot dogs, pretzels and mustard from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the [...] 
Six companies have recalled millions of window blinds and shades after three children died from being entangled in their cords, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.
The recall includes about 4.2 million roll-up blinds and 600,000 Roman shades imported by Lewis Hyman Inc., [...]
Hey Charm City Moms readers: We’d like to know what concerns you most about the back-to-school season.
You're invited to take part in the Monday Consult by submitting a question that we will pose to an area educator.
If your question is chosen, you will win a prize courtesy of' [...]
As the first day of school looms for us Monday, I'm thinking about how Dinner Together will fit into the extra-hectic weeknights that are to come. One solution: Make it ahead.
The hardest thing about these carnitas is cubing the meat from a pork shoulder, which' [...] This week's consult, which usually falls on Monday, comes on Tuesday. The question is courtesy of Julia McCready: What is the best way to lobby for more recess and multisensory education at my child's school?
For the answer, I contacted Kara E. B. Calder, spokesperson for Baltimore County public schools. [...]
Here's Liz Atwood's Tween Tuesday:
School is about to begin, and I am both excited that the kids will embark on new adventures and dreading the frenetic schedule of getting the kids to school, sports events and club meetings. Worst of all, a new school year brings the resumption of [...]
There I was, in a car dealership lot recently shopping for a new vehicle, when I came across a sporty Jeep Wrangler: black interior and exterior, thick tires, canvas top, chrome trimmings.
This, I thought, is the car I wish I could have afforded in my early [...]
A free outdoor movie is a great way to entertain yourself as summer winds down. And there's more below. Thanks to intern Kate McNaboe for the compilation:
Friday, Aug. 21:
Bolt: Bring comfy chairs and yummy snacks and enjoy a free outdoor showing of new children's favorite, [...] The New Handel Children’s Choir of Baltimore is now auditioning singers aged 7 to 17 for its 2009-2010 season.
Operated by the nonprofit Baltimore Children’s Choir, Inc., the New Handel Children’s Choir shares choral music from a variety of traditions and performs up to six times a year in [...]
What would you do if your child came home from school with an exam grade worst than “F”? That might be the case someday.
Already, some college students in Canada face the prospect of such a grade -- and getting it would be their own fault.
The [...]
Kate Shatzkin, Sarah Kickler Kelber, Liz Atwood
The Halloween fun has begun, with trick-or-treating food drives and events at the Zoo, Whole Foods, and the Walters (where you can dress up as a hero, like these kids).
Thursday, Oct. 22:
Halloween fun at Whole Foods:The 
Here's 
