Harry Potter Dreams

Well, the summer is more than half over, but it's been great so far. We've hung out at the coast, worked in our garden, hiked through the gorge and appreciated all the sunshine that took its time arriving in Portland.

And yet, we haven't done what I wanted to do the most this summer. We haven't been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I really want to go, especially after hearing from a friend who was just there with her two teenagers. Her kids are true Harry Potter fans, the kind who have read the books so many times they could teach a college-level course on the series. Naturally, when they told me that they think the park has brought to life the best parts of the books and movies combined, I believed them.

I remember years and years ago telling my husband and son that an entire Harry Potter amusement park could be created based on the books. I even began brainstorming possible rides. Then when I heard that someone else (big surprise) had the same idea and that plans were already underway to build the place, it was all I could do not to leave Portland and beg to be put on the Wizarding World creative team. Now I guess I'll just have to settle for visiting the place instead, and I can hardly wait!

Cheers!

Ellen

A Timely Topic

Wow, I'm finally posting another blog, and it's about television, believe it or not!

The truth is that I haven't been in the mood to write much about television lately. I've come to the conclusion that in order to make changes, we need to concentrate most on all the positive things we're doing as parents and as human beings. From a place of appreciation and acceptance of others and ourselves, we are better able to improve the world around us.

That said, I wish to offer up-to-date information about television in order to support parents in continuing to do the best they can each day. I speak primarily to new parents, because I believe that our youngest children (babies, toddlers and preschoolers) are the ones who benefit the most from not being exposed to television. An article this month in Science Daily based on a new study out of Canada reinforces previous studies on the topic and is well worth reading. I hope you'll want to pass it on.

Happy Mother's Day!

Ellen

Photo by Casey Currey-Wilson

Mother by Day, Comedian by Night

Friday night I went out with a friend for some laughs, lots of laughs in fact. We went to the Curious Comedy Theater in Portland for a show called Time Out: The Mother of All Comedy Shows. The stand-up comics who took to the stage were all moms and the theme for the night was "Honey, I Shrunk My Libido." It could not have been funnier.

I think I would have been hooked on stand-up comedy a long time ago, if I had been exposed to these fabulous women sooner. It would have made those early days of mothering a lot easier, too. Sleep deprivation and sex really don't go together, but a sense of humor about it would have been helpful (along with a Time Out! night at the Curious Comedy Theater).

I'm always recommending alternatives to television, and watching live comedy is one of the best. You never know what will happen when someone has the courage to step onto the stage, and Friday night the result proved to be amazing! Check it out.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ellen

In Praise of Pictures

Happy New Year! I've only made one New Year's resolution, which is to look for the good in every situation and know that all is well, one way or another. Someone just sent me a video that embodies this philosophy as well. It features a former photographer for National Geographic.

Although I'm not an avid photographer myself, I appreciate good photographers, particularly the one who is sitting right here beside me looking at a book about (what else?) photography. Like the National Geographic photographer, my son also loves being out in nature with his camera. On his website he's created a photo gallery. I invite you to take a look at it.

I hope 2010 is a great year for all of us. I am thankful for the love in my life and for all the beauty that is a part of this world. May the coming year bring you to places you enjoy and give you great photos to help you remember them!

Best wishes,

Ellen

TV-Free Dinner

I just read a compelling article in The Oregonian, a newspaper that still arrives in my driveway each day. The article is about television (a big surprise), and it doesn’t pull any punches. Here’s the first paragraph:

“A potentially dangerous substance found in nearly every Oregon home—and many day care centers—threatens thousands of Oregon kids with a life plagued by heart disease, cancer or diabetes.”

The article goes on to mention the research about the effects of television on children, which include an increased chance of becoming overweight, performing poorly in school, having sleep problems, bullying other kids and developing attention deficit disorder.

Apparently, even alcohol use and smoking are correlated with watching too much television. According to the article, kids who watch at least four hours of TV a day are 524 percent as likely to smoke as kids who watch less than two hours.

As Thanksgiving draws near, I hope the message in this Oregonian article will motivate more parents to turn off the television during the holidays, especially if they have small children. Without hours and hours of televised sports in the background, families might even have more fun on Thanksgiving. They might decide to watch less television next year, too. That would indeed be a blessing (even for die-hard sports fanatics, who could throw the ball around outside for a change).

Best wishes,

Ellen