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| Reading time in the House of Klein |
What I don't credit is educational toys. I doubt either the Leapfrog Tag Reader instrument and books (which we've had since Zoe was 3) or the brand spanking new iPad app Ruckus Reader (which I was given trial access to) will teach any kid to read. But I do believe they support literacy and reinforce verbal skills through entertainment and play. And more importantly, they will read your children books when you're too busy. Or driving. Or not yet awake.
Both Leapfrog Tag and Ruckus Reader offer a wide range of titles, from classics to crappy TV and toy tie-ins. And both companies will monitor your child's interactions with the toy and send you email updates or showcase progress online.
Assuming you already own an iPad, however, the Ruckus Reader is more affordable. At least upfront. For $24.99 you get 6 months of unlimited access to classic narrated books, interactive but lamely written titles from licensed characters like My Little Pony and Cars and some Reading Rainbow-eque animated books. (The app itself is free and you can download select books for free.)
Compare this to the Tag Reader, which is $35 plus the cost of books. Even if you've got younger siblings who might inherit the Tag collection, given the pace of technology and the short attention spans of children, I think Ruckus Reader has the advantage here.
Although nothing's better than a big tote of new library books, my 4 1/2 year old likes both systems and plays with each about once a week. She tends to favor the Tag Reader because she doesn't have to ask for permission. I still monitor and limit access to the iPad as I think it counts as screen time, no matter how "educational" the content. Also? It's expensive as f--- and I don't want her to break it. I will, however, happily bust out the iPad loaded with Ruckus Reader titles on lengthy car and plane trips--it packs a lot of reading material and distraction without taking up any space or weight.
Disposable plates are clean, relatively cheap and convenient, but you wouldn't eat off disposable plates every day, would you? It's just too wasteful.
I dropped off Zoe at her first sleepaway camp on Sunday around 1:30pm, and I've been thinking about her ever since. I spent my 90 minute drive home from Indiana wondering how she was settling in. As we picnicked with friends at the Sunday night concert in Scoville Park, my thoughts turned to her dinner. Was my woefully picky eater eating? Did she pass her swim test? Did she manage to rinse the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair, reapply bug repellent and hang up her towel to dry?
Thanks to skating 4 hours a week and generally staying active, I'm in about the fittest shape of my adult life--certainly post childbearing. But I hadn't been able to lose the dreaded "mummy tummy," a stomach that protruded slightly and was a very unsightly distraction from a figure I'm otherwise quite happy with.
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular bands, performances, and a variety of booths. It has provided a platform for non-profit and political groups, and has helped to expose and popularize many artists. This summer Lollapalooza will be celebrating its 20th anniversary festival, and featuring headliners such as Coldplay, Eminem, Muse, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5, Arctic Monkeys, A Perfect Circle, and Kid Cudi.
The Art Institute of Chicago is a fine art museum located at 111 South Michigan Avenue in Grant Park. Consisting of one million square feet and housing over 300,000 pieces, it is the second largest art museum in the United States behind only the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
