Baby Alert

A few weeks ago my friend Val wrote a sad story about baby Everett. The baby died after his dad forgot him in the car. Click here to read the full story. Today I read in the Belgian paper a similar story. Last Thursday a dad also forgot his baby girl in the car in Kessel-Lo, Belgium. When the mom discovered the baby in the car, the baby had already died from heat. Click here to read the full story. When you do a google search and you type in "baby dies in car," you will be surprised at the number of news reports. Each year 27 children age 14 and younger die of heat stroke after being left in cars. Some people believe the actual number is much higher.

I had the luck that I never had to work full-time while being a new mom. I never had to rush and my baby daughter always came first. If I would have had to work full-time, I think I would have lived on the automatic pilot. I remember being exhausted after again a night without much sleep. Luckily I could make up during the daytime. Unfortunately some people have no choice.

I wondered whether there is any device that might help prevent forgetting your baby in a car. I did a quick search and I immediately stumbled upon a device called "Baby Alert":

This device is comprised of the Toddler Smart Pad and a key ring alarm unit. The Toddler Smart Pad is placed under the cushion of the child safety seat. Once the child is seated in the safety seat, the Child ‘Minder® system passively monitors your child in his/her safety seat. Installation takes less than three minutes.
1. Place the Toddler Smart Pad under the seat cushion of the child safety seat and
2. Place the Key Ring alarm unit on your automotive key ring.
The Child ‘Minder® system is activated when a child is seated in the child safety seat. An alarm sounds in six seconds after a parent or caregiver walks more than fifteen (15) feet from a vehicle while the child remains seated in the child safety seat. The Child ‘Minder® system will significantly reduce that one in a hundred thousand chance that your child maybe inadvertently left unattended in a motor vehicle while seated in their child safety seat.

For more information on "Baby Alert," click here.

Digital TV

When my husband and I bought our house in 2004, we decided not to get cable TV. We already had plenty of bills to pay, and on top of that, my husband was leaving for his first tour of duty. I did not watch a lot of TV anyway and back then I could definitely do without all those news channels screaming "terror alert." I would get my information elsewhere: the Internet, newspapers, magazines, etc. However, we are the proud owners of an old-fashion TV and a pair of bunny ears. Occasionally my daughter will watch a kids program on the channel QUBO but that's about it. When I heard about the digital TV transition, I immediately ordered a government issued converter box coupon and bought a converter box for $10.00. Last Friday, June 12, when the television stations started broadcasting exclusively in digital format, I had to rescan for channels. I had heard I would get more channels. That was an understatement. Now we get channels from China, Russia and even one from Belgium and the Netherlands. Now my daughter can watch Sesame street in Dutch! Not a bad deal for $10.00.

GI BILL

It has been a year since we moved to the Metro D.C. area. We love it here. There is so much going on in and around D.C. Never a boring moment. I am happy I decided not to look for a job right away. It gave me a chance to get to know the neighborhood, make friends and explore the many treasures in and around D.C. I am ready though for a new challenge. I would love to go back to work but I am also considering going back to school. I might be eligible for the GI bill. I already visited a few local universities and I had a meeting with an education counsellor and a professor. At first I was a little overwhelmed. I have not written an academic paper in over a decade, let alone research. Luckily my husband is my biggest fan. To be continued... .

If you are a military spouse and you are thinking about going back to school, check out the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. The website covers the new GI Bill including option to transfer benefits to spouse. Click here (general info), here (form 22-1990) and here (transferability) for more information.

It All Started with Speak & Spell

My daughter is crazy about her Leapfrog Leapster Learning Game System. Every night she takes it to bed and plays with it for a while. This reminds me so much of my own childhood. When I was little, my uncle gave me a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell. I could barely write a sentence in Dutch, let alone English. But I was intrigued by that machine. Every night I played with it until I fell asleep. After a while I knew all the words by heart but I had no idea what the meaning of the words was. Anyhow, yesterday I told my mom about my daughter and her Leapfrog and how it reminded me of the Speak & Spell. Today I got a phone call back from my mom telling me she found the Speak & Spell hidden way in a box in the attic. Luckily the old batteries had not ran out. This device must be older than 30 years and it still works. Pretty amazing. Maybe soon the Leapster will have to compete with the Speak & Spell. How much fun to pass things on from one generation to another!

Useful links:

Blog: Objects Plastic - Texas Instruments Speak & Spell.
Website: Play Texas Instruments Speak & Spell online.

Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide

During the past few years my husband and I rarely ate out. Our daughter did not really enjoy restaurant visits. She always wanted to wander around right when our order arrived. We decided to wait until she got a little older. Recently we started going out again. My husband and I love ethnic food - especially authentic Korean food. But it would be nice to try out something different.

Yesterday my friend Val told me about Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University and at the Center for the Study of Public Choice and apparently he also loves to dine. Tyler Cowen's Ethic Dining Guide includes more than 650 restaurants in the Washington, DC area. We will start with the section "Some Places You Must Try." And guess what? A Korean restaurant makes the top of the list!

Pennsylvania Adventures: Albright Mansion Restaurant

Last month we spent a few days at Jim Thorpe, PA. It is a lovely town with a European feel. Some people call it "Little Switzerland." The famous "Stone Row" and the narrow streets definitely remind me of Europe. We also tried out several restaurants. That was a more typical American experience. You know burger, steak, etc. The food was OK but nothing special. There had to be something better.

During our many walks in and around town, we had passed by the Albright Mansion Restaurant. The restaurant caught our attention. It did not really match with the other eateries around. They served breakfast, lunch, dinner and even real English Tea. We decided to give it a try.

I am very European when it comes to breakfast. I love to start my day with bread, yogurt and fresh fruit. I am not really into eggs, pancakes and biscuits with gravy. Breakfast at IHOP is torture for me.

At the Albright Mansion Restaurant my husband and daughter opted for pancakes and I had the breakfast parfait. The owners are originally from England. I thought "this could be good or bad." Belgians do not really rave about the English cuisine. This turned out to be good, no no better, no no, best! While I savored my breakfast parfait, I had a true taste of Europe. This was my best breakfast ever in the U.S.

It was a pity we had to leave for Gettysburg that morning otherwise I would have tried out the English Tea. Maybe next time. If we are ever passing by the town of Jim Thorpe again, we will stop at the Albright Mansion Restaurant. Simply delightful!

Picture: My daughter at the Albright Mansion Restaurant (May 2009)

Useful links:

Website: http://www.albrightmansion.com/

Website: Charles Albright (Wikipedia)

The Stroller of the Future?

I have a regular stroller, a running stroller and a bike with a baby seat. All those items take up a lot of space. I would love to have three in one. The stroller of the future? We are already there! A few days ago I read an article about the multifunctional urban vehicle - TAGA - in a Belgian newspaper.


www.taga.nl
Taga is a multifunctional urban vehicle, uniquely designed to suit the needs of today's parents and children. Taga combines the benefits of a premium stroller and a carrier bicycle to create a new transportation modality.

Safe, Reliable and Fun
Taga lets parents and kids move about the city easily, transforming a typical daily journey into an exciting adventure. When reaching the desired destination, whether a shop, cafe, indoor playground or a friend's house, Taga is converted within seconds into a stroller, allowing parent and child to conveniently enter the premises, ride an elevator or ascend steps. There is no need to lock Taga outside and no parts are left behind. Taga can also be taken on the underground, train, bus or any other means of public transportation, offering continuous riding to and from any destination.

The Taga Difference
* Taga is able to carry you to longer distances than a stroller - and offers much more fun for the parent and child
* Taga is more modular, maneuverable and convenient than a bicycle - and much safer for riding with kids
* Taga is more cost effective than a car - and much better for the environment and your well-being

Source Text: http://www.taga.nl/
Source Picture: Google