I’m still thinking about whether it’s a good idea to buy Boy Wonder (maybe I should just call him BW) a Nerf Longshot, the brightly colored gun that shoots foam bullets I wrote about in my column this weekend. What I’m REALLY wondering about, though, is how an Airsoft gun is good for any kid. Thoughts?

OK, so this morning I actually bought yet another brand new backpack for the Boy Wonder (this one with wheels), because I have felt so bad seeing him stagger into school this week with his huge, heavy school backpack and his soccer practice backpack. TWO separate ones, and both full to the top.

I know this is old news, how much our kids have to carry to school, but this new backpack thing has really pushed all my buttons. And not just because I’m annoyed that I didn’t buy a rolling backpack first. Read the rest of this entry »

Actually, past the last minute — read the story, here. And here’s my favorite picture from the medal ceremony — real soccer moms Christie Rampone (left, with Rylie Cate) and Kate Markgraf (with son Keegan) flank Carli Lloyd. Oh yeah, Carli was the one who scored the game’s only goal. Congrats to the women of the USA Olympic soccer team. I know Mia, Julie, Brandi and the women of the storied 1999 World Cup team are smiling today. This first-generation Title IX athlete is smiling, too. Big.

Remember when former US speedskater Joey Cheek was banned right before the Beijing games started for his Team Darfur activism? Well, the organization that got his original donation, back at the Torino Olympics, Right to Play, is getting some amazing support from some of the US athletes who have won medals in Beijing. As my pal Christine Brennan writes in USAToday, Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes you come across a story that you just can’t believe, and here is my gasp-inducing story for today: From the Today show (hat tip to poynter.org, every journalist’s must-read) comes an amazing story about increasing trend of pre-teen girls getting BIKINI WAXES! OMG, it’s bad enough when you’re a grown-up to have to worry about “unwanted hair,” but how many ways can we come up with to make our daughters feel bad about themselves? There’s even someone quoted in the story about how if you wax “virgin hair” (can’t believe I’m even typing those words), you can get rid of it permanently in 2-6 treatments. That means waxing has to start at 8. Gawd.

I know that the place I get my pedicures has “Little Ms. Diva” manicures, and though I get why they are fun, it still seems like trying to make little girls into big girls too soon. But this? Can you imagine letting your tween daughter get a bikini wax? Maybe I’m just out of the loop … what do you think?