Profound

By Guest Blogger Tina Kay Hughes I heard a Hewlett-Packard commercial that said, “It’s something you are born with that lives inside of you and inspires the things you choose to do. Things that may not always change the world in a big way, but can change in a million little ways. You do what you do because it matters to you; to dream, to learn, to create, to work. If you are going to do something, make it matter!” This was so profound to me because it actually issues a challenge to each of us to initiate or start doing something small in our lives that will turn into something big over time because we’ve shared our lives with so many along the way. We are all looking for something to do that will allow us to brag about that one big thing in our lives that we’ve conquered. If you think about it, we want to become somebody, to get something, to go some where, and what we call making it on our own terms. However, the sad truth is many of us miss the mark and never accomplish some big feat that makes us shine like new money. What does it mean to make it, if you have not helped others along the way? What does it mean to make it if you’ve made no difference in the lives of the people that pass through your life? How long do we wait to make a big difference, just waiting for that one chance to show and prove your self to the masses? Sometimes we have it all twisted. Stop trying to become this big figure with no substance! I’m sure that we all can seize quite a few moments in our lives but instead of making a small difference many times we sit back and wait to make a big difference to a few people in only one instance so that we can brag to others. This is indeed a selfish act, because you focus on self instead of others. For those of faith, God challenges us daily to become fishers of men/women. How do we change our mind set to believe "If I share my life with people along my journey, I would have shared much with as many people as I could possibly reach." God has set our lives up to be a light house upon a hill sharing our light so that those needing your light do not crash and burn as they try to make it to the shores to rest during this journey called life. People will be able to look at your life not for any perfections or accolades you’ve made, but for the times we were tried and tested, but did not give up. If we would just open up and stop waiting for the most opportune time to make a difference and try making small differences everyday, you will reach the masses in small increments. Just think about it, your life would have touched so many over the years of your life and you will be able to say that you have truly lived. And God will say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Tina Kay Hughes is an inspirational speaker and was the cover model for Birmingham Parent's Sept. 2012 issue. contact her at contact@tinakay.net or visit www.tinakay.net. Photo by Amanda Traywick, www.amandatraywick.com.

McDonald's "The Gift" Coming This Month

It's an opportunity for children ages 9-15 to sing for a chance to compete and win more than $10,000 in cash and prizes.

McDonald's presents "The Gift," a youth inspirational singing competition. Log on to www.myspace.com/mcdonaldsthegift for more details and official rules.

Auditions:
Sat., April 16 - 1731 Montgomery Highway, Hoover at 9 a.m.

Sat., April 30 - 765 Academy Dr., Bessemer at 9 a.m.

Reviving the Blog

Well, I guess it's time we get with the times and revive our blog.

We started this several years ago, and honestly, I still cannot figure out the appeal of blogs. Why does anyone care what I think unless perhaps they know me?

As the editor and publisher of Birmingham Parent, though, perhaps I can share information that comes to me because of my position with the magazine. If that IS of interest to folks, I'm all about it. And of course, I will throw in "my two cents" from time to time, while I hope you will throw in YOURS.

Please follow us and talk to us and other parents here! We want your input, and hopefully, we'll become a better magazine and all of us more informed.

What About Twilight?

My teenage daughter loved the book. I haven't read a word. Adults in our office love it. And now, there's a moving coming out Friday.

Like Harry Potter, Twilight has its controversies. I don't honestly know myself, but I and other parents would like to hear from you, especially once some of you see it.

A fellow publisher of mine, Donna Jefferson, publisher of Chesapeake Family, submits this for our blog:
Twilight: What You Need to Know
By Donna Jefferson
Publisher, Chesapeake Family
Hearing that there is a series of books that moms and daughters have not only been reading together but actually devouring, I was curious. Pairs would pre-order the next book, stand in line at midnight to receive their latest installment and rush home to spend the next few days together totally consumed in the story. I had to learn more about these books. (OK, I know that if you have already read the books you will be rolling your eyes with my choice of words, devouring and consumed. I just couldn’t resist.)
My daughter Janet and I like many of the same books and authors. Barbara Kingsolver has held us spellbound with her detailed stories about life and nature. Marley and Me had us laughing out loud and later sobbing at the end of the story. Three Cups of Tea inspired us to wait hours in line to meet author Greg Mortensen and hear him tell his story in person. Another series of books to share would be a treat. So with great enthusiasm I bought the first installment of the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. I was further encouraged when the sales clerk, with a great forlorn kind of sigh, told me how much I would enjoy the book.
I read all four books of the series over the course of three months and now, here’s the truth: I really dislike these books and I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone much less a teenage or even worse, preteen girl. I shudder when I think of all the hype this book and upcoming movie have received. I’m having a hard time trying to figure out why moms feel compelled to encourage the reading of these stories.
If you haven’t heard the details yet the Twilight series, by author Stephenie Meyer, is based on the story of Isabella “Bella” Swan, her divorced parents; police chief father Charlie and newly re-married mother Renee, and Bella’s boyfriend Edward Cullen. Bella had been living with her mother in Phoenix since she was six months old and her parents separated. Renee remarries and, at seventeen, Bella feels like a fifth wheel so she moves from Phoenix to live with her dad in Forks, Washington — giving the newlyweds their space.
Bella meets Edward in school and it just so happens that he’s a vampire although Bella seems to be the only one in Forks who figures this out. Vampire code forbids vampires from disclosing the fact that they are vampires. Spoiler Alert: If a mortal learns the truth about vampires, the mortal either has to be killed or turned into a vampire. This creates problems in future books.
It’s pretty much love at first sight except for the week or so when Edward tries to avoid Bella since she smells good enough to eat and he’s afraid he will. Of course that’s a problem; not only for the obvious reasons, but especially since Edward and the family of vampires he has been living with for the last century or so have sworn off humans and only eat wild animals.
Bella figures out the truth about the “cold ones,” which include Edward, from her Native American friend Billy when he tells her some of his tribe’s ancient legends. One legend claims that the Quileutes, Billy’s tribe, descended from wolves and there is still another legend about the “cold ones,” natural enemies of the wolf – “well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves…But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather’s time was different. They didn’t hunt the way others of their kind did – they weren’t supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn’t expose them to the pale-faces.”
A large part of the book dwells on Bella learning about Edward and his family and the uniqueness of being a vampire. It’s pretty typical character development if you overlook the vampire thing and their special talents. During a midnight baseball game with Edward’s family, Bella is exposed to a pack of human-eating vampires and for the remainder of the book Edward is kept busy protecting Bella from a renegade vampire who is out to get her.
Now for some of the things that many moms aren’t going to like. This is Bella describing herself, “it wasn’t just physically that I’d never fit in. And if I couldn’t find a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here? I didn’t relate well to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page.”
Despite Bella feeling like an outsider, which probably half of all teens do, Bella had three potential boyfriends the first day she went to school as well as a number of girls to hang out with. If you are a geeky outsider how do you fit in so quickly and land the most handsome mysterious boy at school? How is this going to make the reader feel?
Bella is supposedly very close to her mother. She says of her mom, “She’s more outgoing than I am, and braver. She’s irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she’s a very unpredictable cook. She’s my best friend.” But Bella rarely speaks to her mom on the phone and only occasionally emails her since she has to use a slow dial-up land line. She keeps Edward a secret from her mom for a long time. What mom is going to go without talking to her seventeen-year-old at least on a daily basis? And it is NOT okay to keep secrets from mom.
Then there is Bella’s dad Charlie. He is the chief of police and about the most clueless dad in the state of Washington. Bella takes care of his dinner and washing his clothes like he is the child. She also hides her relationship with Edward from Charlie. She often lies about where she is going saying, “With Charlie, less is always more. I was definite about that.” Both of Bella’s parents are portrayed as complete imbeciles that Bella has no problem deceiving.
Early in their relationship Edward uses the key under the front doormat to break into Bella’s house, “I was curious about you,” he said. Then Bella discovers that Edward had been looking through her bedroom window watching her sleep. Her biggest concern was that Edward overheard her talking in her sleep and that she had said something embarrassing. Most parents would find this very creepy and call the police to have Edward put in jail.
After Bella discovered that Edward had been peeking through the window she decided he should just start spending the nights with her and at one point she “regrets not packing the Victoria’s Secret silk pajamas my mother got me two birthdays ago.” Bella is seventeen and in eleventh grade, deceiving her parents and having her boyfriend spend the night on a routine basis. The only reason they don’t have sex in the first book is because Edward is afraid he might get too excited, lose control and kill Bella by accident.
If this isn’t enough to make a parent cringe, Bella is supposed to be an honor student taking AP classes, but she routinely makes poor decisions and Edward is constantly swooping in to save her. Much of the time she follows Edward’s lead without question.
If your kids want to read the books, then by all means read with them so that you can explain to them that they better not ever behave the way Bella does.

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Who says nothing is free?

Stay-at-Home Dads

I recently received this e-mail and permission to share it on the blog:

Hi Carol,
>
> I love Birmingham Parent magazine! I saw in your most recent issue the
> article about Organized Playgroups. There are so many options out there for
> stay-at-home moms, but what about stay-at-home dads? My husband is a new
> stay-at-home dad to our almost 8-month old daughter. We've been keeping on
> eye out for a dads group - or just a general playgroup open to either
> parent. Have you heard of any such groups? It would be great to see an
> article about stay-at-home dads and how they can get involved in a future
> issue of Birmingham Parent!
>
> Thanks!
> Erika Cagle

We're BACK!

Yes, I bet you thought our blog had died a slow death. It almost did. It's been nearly a year since a post was made. But we're revived, and back!

Still,I need your help! For the blog to be a success, please let me know what YOU want to discuss. I welcome your comments, questions, criticisms, whatever. This blog is for Birmingham-area parents to have an open forum to discuss.

Let us hear from you!!!

Carol Evans
publisher/editor
carol@birminghamparent.com