Reviewed by Katy Killilea

Children really crank up the speed of the entropy machine, don’t they? In my former life,  I could make things orderly and they would stay that way very satisfactorily for days on end. It wasn’t that hard to be neat. Because there were no: globs of toothpaste on the toilet paper roll, Puffins squares crunching underfoot, used underpants draped along the banister, nor Pokemon cards, washed, shredded, and distributed evenly among the laundry in the dryer.

I’m not terribly interested in cleaning, but this new anthology, DIRT: The Quirks, Habits, and Passions of Keeping House had me utterly engrossed.  In this book, over thirty writers share their stories of keeping house. Whether they’re slobs, cleanliness overachievers, or something in between, each shares a story we can all relate to. It’s not just disorder–it’s life, and it’s interesting to get some perspective on how we each deal with it in our own ways. Scrubbing and drying the sink before going to sleep each night is not a requirement, and it indicates something more than a fondness for gleaming porcelain. Likewise, there’s more to a crusty sinkful of dishes than merely a relaxed outlook.

In DIRT, Rhode Island’s own Ann Hood addresses how she came from the “uber clean” household of her childhood to a home of her own, where she washes the floor only when it leaves the bottoms of her bare feet black. Rebecca Walker writes about the effect the birth of her son has on her fastidiousness, and Patty Dann describes how her relationship to her son changes, and how each of them uses cleaning to express grief, after her husband dies. It’s moving stuff, collected from the repetitive drudgery of vacuuming and the fresh start of clean sheets.

This book will not help you keep house, but it will take your mind out of…whatever it is your mind turns to as you wipe a son’s spattered urine from the toilet seat. And it is a perfect vacation book–especially if you’re staying somewhere on your vacation that you don’t have to clean.

The details:

DIRT: The Quirks, Habits, and Passions of Keeping House
Edited by Mindy Lewis
2009 Seal Press $15.95

The publisher provided a review copy for this article. Neither the publisher nor Kidoinfo has received any monetary compensation for this review and we have no undisclosed relationship with the publisher.

Don Cowart, Principal of Hope Highlands Elementary School shares helpful tips and reminders for parents, kids and school staff on how to help keep our schools germ-free. especially in response to the increase of reported H1N1 cases. Read more at principalcowart.blogspot.com.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is projecting that as many as 40% of Rhode Islanders will get the H1N1 virus (also known as Swine Flu).  The highest risks are for school age children and adults from 18-45 years old. That means everyone going to school is at high risk. Schools will be on alert for kids and teachers with “Flu Like” symptoms.  Even unconfirmed cases of the H1N1 virus may result in high absences from school.

Here is a list of things parents and students should do recommended by the CDC to minimize spreading germs:

• Remind students about using good health habits at school (sneezing into elbow, washing hands often)

• Give students hand gels for backpack and remind them to use it before eating and after sneezing and coughing

• Report flu like symptoms to the school nurse immediately (fever plus cough or sore throat)

• Purchase cold and flu care products ahead of time

• Have alternate childcare plans arranged ahead of time

Sending sick children into school is the worst thing you can do. Some parents will pump a child up with Motrin or Tylenol and send them to school. By 1:00 they are in the office with 103 degree temp and needing to be picked-up from school. In the meantime they have spread the sickness to all the students and teachers in the classroom. The CDC says that a child must be fever free (without medication) for at least 24 hours before they return to school. The CDC has made some recommendations for schools as well. Below is the list of things schools will need to do:

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Home Work: Lessons from Work-at-Home Parents. This series of Kidoinfo interviews with parents look at how they manage to squeeze in work time at home (whether working for someone else or running their own business) along with juggling kids, home life, and childcare (or lack of it).

Joanne and Matthew are the co-owners of Tortilla Flats Restaurant in Providence since 2006. Mathew is also a freelance illustrator (MattVincent.com) with diverse clients such as The Wall Street Journal, ESPN The Magazine, YM Magazine and Scholastic Publishing.  Today these busy parents share with Kidoinfo how they manage to run a restaurant, illustrate and raise a family at the same time.

Kidoinfo: What inspired you to start your business?

Matthew: I have had a love of drawing my whole life and I also grew up in the restaurant business, my grandfather and then my father having owned a restaurant, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m in this situation.

How did you start your business?

Matthew: I got started sort of late with the illustration business.  At 27 I ended up working at a bicycle shop that was, by chance, full of artists.  I always thought that I would end up in the comic book industry, when my coworkers found out about this they recommend I meet an illustrator that used to work there, and so began my illustration career. I followed all his recommended steps for getting started and with my first self-promotional mailer I got a job with Spin Magazine.

Joanne: I had worked at Tortilla Flats for 13 years at the time we bought it. My boss had owned it for 20 years but spent the last 10 living in Vermont. I was responsible for all aspects of the business so when he was ready to “retire”, he gave me first option at buying it. Mat had waited tables there previously (that’s where we met!) so we both knew that buying “the Flats” was a great opportunity.

How do you balance work and family?

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National data has recently shown that approximately 17,000 children are injured each year in school bus accidents. Nearly 1/4th of those injuries occurred when the child was boarding or leaving the bus, slip and falls, or being bumped around when the bus suddenly stops or turns.

If your child is one of the 23.5 million children who ride a school bus, you need to talk with him/her about riding safety. School bus safety is an important issue that you should talk with your kids about before the first day of school.

The following are safety tips to go over with your child:

• Wait at the curb until the bus comes to a complete stop and wait for the driver to open the doors before stepping off the curb.

• Never push or play rough at the bus stop.

• Stay seated at all times while riding the bus, never walk around the bus or play/rough house with other kids.

• Wait for the driver to come to a complete stop before leaving your seat to exit the bus.

• Keep head, hands, arms – everything – inside the bus at all times. Never put any part of your body outside of the bus windows.

• Check for loose drawstrings or other objects that could get caught in the bus doors.

• Only cross the street 10 giant steps in front of the bus and only when the driver signals it is clear to do so.

Tracy Andryc is a mother of three and the executive assistant at Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island. She writes a monthly parenting newsletter called Parenting Rules! that covers a variety of parenting and child safety topics. Prevent Child Abuse RI is a private nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure the safety and well-being of children in Rhode Island through awareness, education, and advocacy.

Photo courtesy of Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island.

In September 2008, a group of seven women came together at The Bureau of Jewish Education in Providence for a singular purpose: to participate in an eight-month educational course offering an introduction to Jewish practices and ethics intended specifically for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children. Mothers Circle participant, Darryle Steinberg of Cranston, says of her experience: “I was so relieved and grateful to have found The Mothers Circle. Although my partner and I had made the decision to raise our son Jewish, I felt that there were few resources available to help me learn how to do that. Here was a group of women grappling with many of the same issues and challenges as I was. Suddenly what had initially seemed like an intimidating process became interesting and engaging. We covered so much ground together and although there is still more to learn I feel like I have a very solid foundation upon which to keep building.”

The Mothers Circle Program is an umbrella of free educational programs and resources for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children. This national program created by The Jewish Outreach Institute was made possible locally by the generous support of the Helene and Bertram Bernhardt Foundation, and this was the initial launch of a Mothers Circle chapter in Rhode Island.

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Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island helps sponsor the Back to School Celebration on Saturday, August 22, 2009

Back to School of RI will kick off the new school year with celebrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10 locations Saturday. The first 10,000 students to attend will receive backpacks filled with school supplies. Music, raffles and food also will be provided at each location. Forty community agencies have worked to prepare the backpacks and provide other services to make the celebrations possible.

For more information, call Doris M. De Los Santos at 401-222-4890.

Back-to-school celebrations will be held at the following sites:

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It’s time for some of us to send the kids back to school. If you’re sending your first child off to kindergarten this can be a very emotional time and if you’re a seasoned school parent you already know the routine but may need some new ideas. For the parents of children not yet in school, this means some of your favorite hot spots like the museums and zoos will be a bit less crowded without the school-age kids around during the day.

Here are some past articles from the Kidoinfo archive to help getting ready for the school year a little easier. If you have your own helpful tips or know any great getting ready for school books, please share!

Books for school
Help your kids adjust to a new school or new grade with some wonderful books that will make the experience seem less daunting.

· Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz Reading (baby-preschool)

· How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague (ages 3-5)

· Ready, Set, School! by Jacquelyn Mitchard and illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos (ages 3-6)
Read more…
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Back to School Checklist
After talking to parents and reading many back-to-school lists in magazines and online, I have put together our own Kidoinfo School Checklist.

• Medical records:
Most schools require an immunization record for every student. Make sure you get a copy from your child’s doctor and bring it on the first day of school (or whatever deadline set by the school). If your child has allergies, you should notify the school principal, nurse, your child’s teacher(s), etc. in writing.

• Backpack/School bag:
Our boys’ preschool preferred the kids to have canvas bags void of zippers or buttons so the kids could easily open and close them without help. We found plain canvas tote bags at Michaels Craft Store. Once kids start grade school, they’ll need a sturdy backpack that is built to last.
Read more…

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Preparing Kids for School
Preparing for the first day of school will make the transition a bit easier. Whether your kids are starting preschool or kindergarten or transitioning to a new grade or new school, these tips may be helpful!

1. Practice Going to School
2. Get them used to separation
3. Meet other kids in their class before the first day
4. Give children control over what they can control
Read more…

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Choosing the right backpack
Sending your child off to Kindergarten can be an emotional experience for mom as well as child. Read one mom’s thoughts.
Read more…

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Getting Ready for the First Day of Kindergarten!
by Jill Davidson
Like some of you, I am sending a child off to kindergarten. We are very excited and a little nervous. In our case, this kid is following his older brother to school, so we’ve done the first day of kindergarten scene once before. Whether you are preparing your first child (and yourself!) for kindergarten or you’re getting the next one on deck ready for circle time, try to make sure your family is ready for this transition. 
Read more…
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First Day of School (and the night before)
Here are some ideas to make the first day a little easier and help calm the jitterbugs the night before!

1. Make sure you pack a healthy lunch the night before!
2. Make a To-Do list
Read more…

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Related:

• Shopping for kids’ clothes on a budget

• “So, how was your day?”

• How to Get Involved in Schools

Pregnancy can be a very romantic time. We pick out cute baby clothes; select fashionable baby gear and nursery furniture; and imagine the happy times ahead with our little one. But, for many of us, new motherhood is not what we expected it would be. New motherhood is often comprised of many overwhelming emotional and physical changes for which we are unprepared. Books, movies, and even friends tend to paint a rosy picture of the postpartum period. However, for most women, the early weeks (or months) of parenting are not filled with blissful joy, but rather confusion, doubt, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. There is a lot of shame and guilt felt by women for whom things are not going along perfectly or “as planned.” It is important for new moms to realize that they are not alone in their feelings.

The following  list of assumptions and realities is intended to give voice to many of the unspoken issues faced by new moms and break the silence surrounding what new motherhood is truly like for many of us.

Assumption: “I’ve been taking childbirth classes for weeks and I have a birth plan that details the birth I expect to have.”

Reality: While it’s important to prepare for childbirth, it is also important to realize that things don’t always go as planned. No matter what, the outcome of a healthy baby and a healthy mama are most important.

Assumption: “I’m going to fall instantly in love with my baby . . . I already have!”

Reality: Not everyone feels “maternal” or falls in love immediately. That is okay. New parents are dealing with many changes in their lives and they need to be given space and support as they adjust to their new role.

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By Elyse Major

Does the August calendar page have you wondering “where did summer go?” Well, summer is still here and there is still time for carefree, memory-making fun. If a trip to Cape Cod isn’t in the schedule, consider Seekonk. Just over the Rhode Island border in Massachusetts, Route 6 (Fall River Avenue) in Seekonk offers many of the same kiddie attractions and treats as Route 28 along Cape Cod.

If you choose to do all of the activities listed below in one afternoon, it will feel like a family daytrip minus the “are we there yet?” chant. When planning your own itinerary, please be sure to contact locations for hours of operation.

Go-carts, bumper boats and more
Abutting the Sam’s Club parking lot you will stumble upon Seekonk Grand Prix. Honestly, it can be a little pricey but my boys really enjoy the bumper boats ride. Our game plan is to choose one ride and ride it just once or twice.
Details:
Seekonk Grand Prix
1098 Fall River Avenue
508-226-8307

Miniature golf
Further east on Route 6 is Fantasy Land. The two 18-hole mini golf course grounds are nicely kept and the flower-shaped spotlights look especially festive at sunset.
Details:
Fantasy Land
1300 Fall River Avenue
508-336-6262

Farm fresh and Pick Your Own
4 Town Farm is slightly off Route 6. The farm has a small open-air store where you can pick up fresh from the farm produce, flowers, and a selection of other related goods like syrups, honey straws, and dressings. 4 Town Farm offers Pick Your Own at various seasons. My boys enjoy looking at the small pond filled with koi and waterlillies at the edge of the parking lot.
Details:
4 Town Farm
90 George Street
508-336-5587

Cheap eats
A fun and casual place to eat at is Tito’s. We all enjoy their fresh cilantro-packed salsa, and their children’s menu is tough to beat with its trans fat free meals starting at $1.99.
1379 Fall River Ave
Details:
Tito’s Cantina Mexican Grill
508-336-2400

Clam cakes and chowder
If you’re heart was set on clam cakes and chowder to make your excursion feel a little more Cape-y, there’s always Chelo’s in nearby East Providence. Voted Best Chowder and Clam Cakes by Rhode Island Monthly magazine means you won’t have to settle even if you’re not someplace like Chatham. Chelo’s can generally be counted on as a very kid-friendly place to dine with most wait staff instinctively supplying a stack of napkins to parties with children.
Details:
Chelo’s Hometown Bar & Grill
911 Warren Avenue, East Providence
401-434-1666

Elyse Major lives in northern Rhode Island with her husband and 2 sons. A “mostly” stay-at-home mom, Elyse works as a communications consultant for Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. Elyse’s essay “De-Stressing by Distressing: A Mom Embraces Cottage Style” recently appeared in the June issue of Romantic Homes magazine. Visit Elyse’s etsy shop at http://tinkeredtreasures.etsy.com

By Katy Killilea

Quick: what’s just like getting a surprise care package, but way more mundane? A rumbling truck pulls up to your house and a uniformed person approaches you, arms laden with goods. But it’s not new sheets from Garnet Hill, or books from Amazon, nor a birthday gift from your Grandpa. It is: toilet paper, an avocado, and Cinnamon Life.

Delivery services can make grocery shopping less stressful, even if you enjoy buying food. Imagine if you never had to go in the laundry soap section again, and could just concentrate on the cherries and cheeses. Many of us hit a number of  purveyors in a week–farmer’s market for produce, Shaw’s for Wheat Thins, Whole Foods for agave nectar, Target for toilet paper. Delivery services allow you to cut out the parts of shopping that wear away at your soul.

But what about the cost? Well, you could pay as much as $10 in delivery fees for deliveries from Peapod, but most customers pay less than that, thanks to various discounts. And if you factor in the value of your time and the money you’ll avoid spending on impulse purchases and the psychic cost of the dinks that will mar your sanity if you have to strap three children into the car to fetch some freaking lasagna noodles…(and the cost of the Harry Potter pencils they’ll convince you to buy), it can be a bargain. Here’s information on some of Rhode Island’s grocery delivery services.

MUNROE DAIRY

The cow trucks bring glass bottles of local milk, sure. But a slew of other stuff, including: Venda ravioli, Stonyfield Farm yogurt, local eggs, and driveway salt for snowstorms. You do not need to be home to meet the driver–if no one’s in at the time of delivery, your provisions will be packed in ice and remain cold, even if you don’t get to them for hours, even on a summer day. Munroe Dairy covers all of Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts. The cows live in Connecticut, but in the section of Connecticut that is connected to Rhode Island and cut off from Yale and Ikea.

Cost: $1.50 delivery fee. Gently suggested minimum order of $10. Deliveries made weekly.

Price examples: Half gallon of hormone/antibiotic-free milk: $3. One dozen local eggs: $3.

Placing an order: the deadline is midnight the night before your delivery. Orders are accepted online, on paper left in milk box, or by phone.

Good for a family that: drinks a lot of cow milk.

Special offer: Contact Munroe Dairy for a special offer for new customers and up to $25 in free products!

In the Providence area, for milk delivery there’s also CHRISTIANSEN’S DAIRY.

PEAPOD

Peapod has thousands of products and could spare you from having to visit a Stop & Shop or Shaw’s ever again. If you have enough of a food strategy to place an order a little bit in advance, Peapod can save you a trip. This service partners with Stop & Shop, and if you have one of that store’s cards, you can enter the barcode numbers into Peapod’s site to access a list of the things you buy most often. This makes finding your precise size, color, and brand of raisins much faster. Peapod delivers to almost every nook of Rhode Island.

Cost: $7 delivery fee for orders over $100. $10 delivery fee for orders under $100. (Delivery fee is even less expensive if you request delivery at an off-peak time or you’re fine with a longer delivery time block.)  Minimum order: $60.

Price examples: $3.50 half-gallon of organic milk. $3 pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. (Prices and specials are nearly identical to those in Stop &Shop stores.)

Placing an order: order online by midnight for delivery the next day.

Good for a family that: doesn’t cherish trips to a mainstream grocery store.

Special offer: Enter coupon code “FREEDELIVERY” when you check out. This will give you free delivery on orders of over $100 for your first 60 days using the service.

WHOLE FOODS

Customers can telephone the University Heights Whole Foods to place orders for same-day delivery. And if you like to be served but don’t want to give up the fun of food shopping, try this: you can go into the store to shop, and then have your purchases delivered later in the day. No limit on staircase ascensions is indicated.

Cost: FREE delivery to those within a tight radius of the University Heights store. For those who live two miles or more away, charges from $5 and up (way up) apply. $50 minimum order.

Placing an order: place your order by calling 401-621-5990. Timing varies.

Prices: prices are the same as in the store.

Good for a family that: can neither leave home nor bear another day without fresh sardines and GT’s kombucha.

EASTSIDE MARKETPLACE

Not to be outdone, Eastside Marketplace also offers delivery. Call 401-831-7771 with your order and for information on the market’s fees, timing, and restrictions.

Have you tried a delivery service? Share your tips, caveats, and thoughts with us by posting comments.

Peapod provided a sample for consideration in this article. Neither the author nor Kidoinfo has received any monetary compensation for this review and we have no undisclosed relationship with Peapod.