Geek Parenting Geek Parenting Geek Parenting is a blog for pop culture junkies who have spawned, yet refuse to give up their geeky obsessions. Articles
How To Organize Santa's Aftermath
2007-12-28 08:36:00 Every Christmas leaves us with more toys and less room in the house. Don't get me wrong, we love excessive amounts of toys. My husband and I are just a couple of big kids. The more the merrier, we say. Still, I need to be able to walk from the kitchen to the living room without impaling myself on a plastic stegosaurus. This year, I decided to put my obsessive-compulsive nature to good use and organize the children's toys. These are the steps I followed:1. Make a Donation PileWhen was the last time you thoroughly went through that toy box? Your eight-year-old outgrew his Tickle Me Elmo long ago, trust me. It's time to sit down, weed out the unused toys and donate them to charity. My husband likes to take our old clothes/toys to the local women's shelter, despite the fact that he feels there should be shelters for battered men, too. (Don't ask - I guess he saw a Lifetime Movie about it once.)2. Invest in Some Clear ContainersClear is the operative word here, as it will reduce you... More About: Organize , Organ
A Cthulhu Christmas
2007-12-27 05:51:00 A few weeks ago, I recommended an awesome book called Baby's First Mythos. Shortly after I published that entry, several major sites (including Boing Boing and Wired) linked to my site. What can I say? People love this book!I was delighted when the author, CJ Henderson, contacted me with a lovely email. I was quick to respond and check out his official site. After ordering a copy of his new Kolchak novel (which he graciously autographed for me), he and his daughter Erica Henderson (the illustrator of Baby's First Mythos) slipped me a little gift. This arrived on my doorstep on Christmas Eve, making it a Cthulhu Christmas for the Cottrells:How awesome is that?! We're framing this immediately and making all of our friends jealous. Mr. Henderson is an exemplary role model for geek parents everywhere. What a talented family! More About: Pop Culture
How I Spent My Christmas Vacation
2007-12-26 04:56:00 I hope you are all enjoying your Christmas vacation. Sadly, mine is already over, as I have deadlines piling up. We've had an exhausting few days and I'm just about ready to collapse, but I have a few holiday moments I would like to share with everyone. This was a special Christmas for the Cottrells, as it was Lois' first time to celebrate the holiday. This year also marked a new and already retired Christmas tradition: driving out of town with two children and a dog. We will get to that part later, though. Jason to Santa: "Meh."I really hoped that this would be the first Christmas when Jason could get excited about the gifts. I imagined that he would walk into the living room, see Santa's unwrapped toys (particularly Butterscotch), and jump for joy. At the very least, I was hoping to hear him say his cute little, "Oh, wow." As soon as he woke up, I stood at the end of the hall with a camera to capture his surprise: Yeesh, I would expect this kind of apathy from a teenager, but ... More About: Vacation , Christmas Vacation
Lil' Geeks Of The Week
2007-12-24 03:58:00 We have two geeklings to showcase today and they just happen to be cousins. Hmm... this may prove my point about geekiness being hereditary. First, is an adorable young man named Boon. His mother informs me that he was named after Boon from Animal House. Isn't that awesome? One day, he will thank his parents for not going with "Flounder." As if his name wasn't cool enough, Boon is also a Jedi Master. Check out his recent performance at his school talent show: Outstanding work, Boon! If those judges were foolish enough to deny you first prize, then I hope you showed 'em the old Vader choke hold.Next, is little Alison. A beautiful girl, to say the least, though her flaming eyebrows make me a bit nervous. Perhaps her cousin Boon is tainting her with his Sith Lord mojo. I've been trying to think of an appropriate supervillain name for Alison, but my sleep-deprived brain has hit a wall. Help me out here, people! Do you have a pic/video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me at ... More About: Geeks , Week
This Commercial Is Evil
2007-12-23 00:18:00 "I love shopping! You never run out of money!" Such is the message that Mattel is sending to our children about credit cards. Their mouthpiece? A prepubescent, JonBenét Ramsey look-a-like with an addiction to skinny jeans and belly shirts. Charming.Did you hear the subliminal chorus of the song? "Buy it!" Brian and I have seen this commercial so many times this year and we always groan when it comes on. For the rest of the day, we're saying, "Buy it! Pink is perfect! You never run out of money!" Stay away from our daughter, Mattel. She's promised her soul to Hasbro. More About: Commercial , Pop Culture , Evil
Butterscotch Pony -- 10% Evil Robot, 90% Faithful Steed
2007-12-21 03:49:00 Like all geeks, I'm fascinated by robots. However, I've watched enough "Outer Limits" episodes in my life to reserve a healthy fear of them. Yes, when the day comes for us to bow at the feet of our robot masters, I may regret my choice to buy a 3-foot-tall mechanical horse for my children. What can I say? I had a free shipping coupon. This brings us to Butterscotch. Ah, yes, Hasbro's Butterscotch Pony . This was the overpriced and understocked sensation of the 2006 holiday season; a Tickle-Me Elmo for the 21st century. This year, you can find them on sale for a (somewhat) reasonable price.This thing is amazing. It isn't just a hobby horse for children to sit on. It has sensors all over its body and responds to the child. Butterscotch turns its head to sound, air comes out of its nostrils when it neighs and almost every part of the body moves when touched. Okay, I admit it. I bought the damn horse for myself. I get the feeling that the creators of Butterscotch are also geeks with ... More About: Robot , Evil , Faithful
The Island Of Misfit Hair
2007-12-20 08:00:00 Lois Lane received her first haircut last night. As you can see above, she was trying to grow a devilock like Jerry Only from The Misfits. Disillusioned by the band's commercialized image in recent years (Ex: Misfits teddy bears in Jerry's hands), she finally made us cut her hair. Little Lois also insisted that we donate the hair to Devilocks Of Love, a charitable organization for aging punk rockers. You know, so they don't have to slap their band's logo onto air fresheners and shoelaces at Hot Topic. More About: Pop Culture , Hair , Island
DIY Wizard Wand For Your Lil' Harry Potter Geek
2007-12-19 07:31:00 Believe it or not, the beautiful wizard wand you see to the right was made out of paper and glue. Just follow these simple instructions and you will be casting spells by early afternoon! I just found this tutorial last night and can't wait to make some wizard wands for Brian and me the kids!This could be an excellent last-minute Christmas gift for your geeklings and, best of all, it costs very little money. To make the gift even more special, you should print the following, short guide to Harry Potter spells:Words of Magic Accio ? Brings an item to a person. Alohomora - Opens locks. Aparecium ? Makes invisible things reappear again. Avis - Releases birds from your wand.Confundus -- Confuses a person. Densaugeo - Enlarges teeth. Expecto Patronum ? Counteracts the effects of Dementors. Finite Incantatum - Stops any spell. Homorphus - Cures a werewolf. Incendio ? Starts a fire. Locomotor Mortis - Locks an opponent's legs. Lumos - Makes the end up your w... More About: Geek , Wand
Kate Bosworth As Lois Lane
2007-12-18 09:36:00 I had another autograph success today and received a signed picture of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane in the mail. As you may recall, I have been busy collecting autographs of the various actresses who have played the character. These will all eventually go to my little Lois. While I prefer the autographs to be personalized, I'm still very happy to add this to my growing collection. This shot is great, too. Jimmy Olsen is looking over at her, as if to say, "Girl, eat a Big Mac" or "Stop pouting! You have Superman and Cyclops fighting over you!" I kid, I kid. She was an okay Lois Lane. Here's a scan of the photograph:Let's see... I now have signed pictures of Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Teri Hatcher and Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. However, I'm still waiting on my favorite - Margot Kidder! She's the Lois Lane I grew up with. I ordered an autographed picture through her official site, so I hope to receive it shortly. Wish me luck! More About: Wort
Lil' Geek Of The Week
2007-12-17 22:23:00 To prove that I show no favoritism to either of my children, our latest Lil' Geek of the Week is my son Jason. My little Lois Lane was our first featured geekling. As you can see, Lois isn't the only one who falls victim to my Superman obsession.These pictures are of a younger Jason. He's still just as adorable, though he is now a rambunctious two-year-old. In other words, I have a better chance of capturing a clear shot of Bigfoot than my hyper son. Below, you will see Jason at his first Superman birthday party, Jason as baby Kal-El and Jason flying over Metropolis. Like all new mothers, I spent the better part of my post-partum recovery Photoshopping him into various Superman poses. Er, you ladies did that too, right? Do you have a pic/video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me at and we'll put him/her on the site!
Tale Of Suspense: I Married A Wargamer
2007-12-17 19:58:00 Before I met my husband, I had never heard of historical wargaming. I mean, I had been in and out of comic shops my entire life and had seen different miniatures on the wall. Not interested, I assumed that it was all ?Dungeons & Dragons stuff?. (My husband hates when I say that!) I had certainly never ventured into the back of a comic book store to witness any kind of games being played. It was brave enough to be in there at all. Being a lone girl in a comic shop is akin to going into a seedy convenient store in the middle of the night. Make no eye contact, get what you need, and get the hell out before you?re surrounded. ?You mean like RISK?? I asked him, as he tried to explain it on our first date. ?Hmm, kind of,? he said, ?but no. It?s much more complicated. You see, we have very detailed miniature?? ?Oh! Like Dungeons & Dragons!? (groan) ?No.?I was later led to his workbench where he showed me dozens of tiny trees, tiny cars, tiny cottages and tiny people. It looked... More About: Nostalgia , Suspense , Tale , Married
The Reason For The Season
2007-12-17 14:31:00 Sweet fancy Moses, someone just leaked the trailer for The Dark Knight. (It wasn't me, Warner Brothers, so don't come knocking down my door!) Beware, this was filmed with a camcorder in a theater, but it still gave me chills. I'm pleasantly surprised by Heath Ledger's Joker.Update: I have it in HD quality now and it is even better! w00t! Check it out:I'm not a Maggie Gyllenhaal fan, but she will be a huge improvement over Katie Holmes. In Batman Begins, Holmes looked like a 5-year-old kid playing dress-up in her mom's business suit. But, enough about what I think. What do you think about this trailer? More About: Pop Culture , Season , Reason
Et Tu, Photobucket?
2007-12-16 13:26:00 It appears that my Photobucket album has either been destroyed by Darkseid's Omega Beam or is experiencing a temporary malfunction. Hopefully, it is the latter. If all of my images have been lost, I may fall on my sword. Since most of my entries are currently awry without the silly pictures, please enjoy this quick video. I found it last night and I think these two will make excellent geek parents. Update: The problem has rectified itself. As usual, I panicked for no reason.
DC Comics Does It Again
2007-12-14 13:15:00 Last week, I spotted a host of errors in a recent copy of Green Arrow/Black Canary. This week, it was more of the same. Did all the editors take an early Christmas vacation or something? Maybe they assume that everyone is too busy reading Countdown to notice. Well, I noticed, DC Comics . Look at this mess:I'm pretty sure there is supposed to be an "OF" there. Lose the extra "A" and it might not be so murky, Speedy. As if Judd Winick's hackneyed dialogue isn't painful enough, now I have to overlook typos? I can't help myself, though. I'm at the comic shop every Wednesday. Collecting is a disease and there is no cure. I can't be the only one with this affliction. What do you collect? More About: Pop Culture , DC Comics
Baby's First Mythos
2007-12-14 11:38:00 If there's one thing that kids love, it's forbidden knowledge about the Elder Gods. Forget about Dr. Seuss, the most whimsical storyteller this side of the Hellmouth is H.P. Lovecraft. I can't recommend Baby's First Mythos enough. Written by C.J. Henderson and illustrated by Erica Henderson, this book teaches children their ABCs and 123s using Lovecraftian characters and imagery. Though it isn't bound in flesh or inked with human blood, Baby's First Mythos does come in a nice hardback that reminds me of Golden Books. You know, if Golden Books pushed you to the brink of madness.This perennial classic is published by Z-Man Games, the twisted minds behind the B-Movie Card Game series. Brian and I absolutely love the B-Movie Card Games! When our son was a newborn, he would curl up in my lap while Brian and I played "Grave Robbers From Outer Space" all night. Though, I suspect that's what all new parents do, right?
By Your Command
2007-12-13 17:14:00 Behold, my geeky husband Brian. This picture was taken in 1978, back when Cylons were robots and not sexy, blonde supermodels. Isn't he adorable?I wonder how much a 30-year-old Battlestar Galactica ringer tee would fetch on eBay today? I guess we'll never know. By the way, I wasn't even alive when this picture was taken. Cradle robber! More About: Pop Culture , Nostalgia , Command
Top 10 Gadgets And Gizmos To Help Keep Your Little Geek Safe
2007-12-12 15:17:00 As a parent and admitted neurotic, I find myself very dependent on safety products that promise to protect my children. Whether it's electric shock, choking, SIDS, ninja assassins... I'm afraid of it all. Being a geek parent in the 21st century means having access to numerous gadgets and gizmos to help combat the dangers that constantly surround your toddling spawn. I heartily recommend the following 10:1. Angelcare Movement Sensor - Granted, a paralyzing fear of SIDS isn't healthy, but the Angelcare Movement Sensor helps to calm even the most nervous first-time parent. This device fits under a baby's crib mattress and, should he/she ever stop moving (i.e., breathing) for longer than 20 seconds, an alarm will sound so you can rush to your child's aid. 2. Coast Innovations Itzbeen Baby Care Timer - Too sleep-deprived to remember when you changed or fed baby last? With the press of a few buttons, this gadget keeps a schedule when you are too busy to watch the clock. The Baby Care... More About: Gadgets , Top 10 , Gizmos , Geek , Gadgets and Gizmos
Fisher-Price Recalls Dangerous Toy... Only In Illinois?
2007-12-12 14:20:00 My friend Linda just brought this story to my attention. Apparently, both Consumer Reports and the Attorney General of Illinois have found that the Fisher-Price blood pressure cuff toy (pictured right) has 7 to 9 times the legal limit of lead in it. Upon receiving this information, Fisher-Price recalled the toy cuff... but only in Illinois. If you have this Fisher-Price toy in your house, please get it away from your children as soon as possible. I would also recommend that you send an email to Fisher-Price, expressing your disgust with them. I can't believe they only recalled this toy in Illinois. Still on the fence about this issue? You don't have to be a parent to be concerned - every American should be outraged. According to the EPA, here are some possible side effects of lead exposure in children:HeadachesHearing problemsSlowed growth Behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity) Damage to the brain and nervous system DEATHRemember, pregnant women should also av... More About: Fisher Price , Dangerous
Lil' Geek Of The Week
2007-12-10 13:54:00 It's time again to showcase our Lil' Geek of the Week . This week's cutie is my cousin Alex. Hmm... he's a sports enthusiast, so I doubt he's ever been called a geek before. Still, it's good to see that his parents are instilling a healthy love of Star Wars in him. If you ask me, it's as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. ; Do you have a pic/video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me at and we'll put him/her on the site!
Welcome To The World, Baby S!
2007-12-10 06:19:00 I just had the great pleasure of meeting the world's youngest geekling. Say hello to our good friends' firstborn daughter. She has two devoted sci-fi geeks for parents, so I'm sure she'll be speaking Klingon in no time! Isn't she gorgeous? Maybe she's a little too perfect. Could be a cyborg - I'll keep an eye on her... More About: Baby , World , The World
Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day
2007-12-08 12:56:00 According to Geekdad and Laughing Squid, December 8 is Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day. I think this would be something fun for the whole family. This will be my first year to honor the holiday and I thought I'd share some ideas with you on how to spend your day. Remember, the goal is for people to think you are a time traveler without you actually telling people you are a time traveler. You must stay in character for the entire day. Use old-school slang. I'm particularly fond of "Hardboiled Slang," the kind used in old detective novels. ... More About: Pop Culture
Hobby Horse Memories
2007-12-07 08:02:00 By Linda GoinThe photo on the right was taken during Christmas morning in 1957 - exactly fifty years ago. I didn't know it then, but I was pure geek. Note the hobby horse - when I saw that horse that morning, nothing else mattered.I went to Amazon to search for a hobby horse just out of curiosity, and I discovered one for $89 (Radio Flyer Liberty Spring Horse with Sound). While that seemed a somewhat reasonable price, my eyeballs almost flew out of my head when I realized that price was discounted by $106. Then I looked even closer and realized that this horse had sound. Wow. I had to make my own sounds back in 1957...There's nothing like a hobby horse to wear a kid out. I rode that thing until I was forced to hold a baby doll (pictured right). Once that photo was taken, I dropped the doll and got back on the horse. A few Christmases later, I would ignore my Barbie dolls to play with my brothers' Electroset.Unfortunately, I don't believe they make the latter toy anymore, a... More About: Hobby , Memories
Roswell Is For Lovers (And Other Geek Vacations)
2007-12-07 07:28:00 Looking to get away for a geeky vacation? I was just going through some old boxes and found souvenirs from the first road trip I took with my husband. We were only dating then and yet to be saddled with our two little geeklings. Naturally, we let our hair down and spent a wild weekend in Vegas Roswell , New Mexico.I can't think of a better hotspot for nerds than Roswell. We spent an afternoon at the International UFO Museum, followed by trips to surrounding souvenir shops. We're both X-Files fanatics and kept yelling, "Mulder!" and "Scully!" back at each other, much to the delight of everyone around us. (Okay, not so much.)Roswell is also very close to Carlsbad Caverns, which we visited. Yep, nothing ignites romantic chemistry like the smell of bat guano. Much to our delight, Superman II was on television when we returned to our motel room that night. It was a dream geek vacation!For our next big road trip, we plan on taking the kids to Metropolis, Illinois. It has been dubbed the ... More About: Geek , Vacations , Lovers , Swell
The Favorite Of Girls And Boys
2007-12-05 07:15:00 No, it's not slinky. This holiday season, it's uranium ore in a can! This is no joke. Amazon.com offers uranium ore to the public for purchase. Sadly, it is currently out of stock, but I'm sure you can get your hands on some after the new year. That is, if you think you can survive the nuclear winter without it! Luckily, I went "green" with my flux capacitor last year and it now runs on recycled garbage. Still, my son Jason is gonna be super bummed when all he finds in his stocking this Christmas is candy, toys and a jar of Polonium-210. As such, I have left appropriate feedback for the folks at Amazon.com:Thanks Alex More About: Girls , Favorite , Boys
More Geeky Goodness For The Holidays
2007-12-04 14:43:00 Last week, I recommended some holiday gifts for the little geek in your life. If you are still in need of procuring oddities, don't stop with my list. Visit the following sites and find goodies for the whole family:GeekDad is updating regularly with crazy gift ideas, from ornaments made out of recycled computer parts (pictured right) to illuminated ant farms. Don't let the name of this blog fool you, either. Both geek dads and geek moms should have it bookmarked. Gifts.com has an amazingly accurate list of suggestions for geeks. Here, you will find an assortment of USB gadgets, wacky office toys and even a shirt that reads, "Talk Nerdy To Me". Insanely Great Tees specializes in shirt designs for Mac enthusiasts. I can't think of a geekier gift for dad than a "Steve Jobs for President" shirt. Well, except for that life-size Captain America shield replica I bought for my husband. (Best. Wife. Ever.)Buy some gifts soon, as there are only 22 days left until Robot Santa tries to ki... More About: Holidays , Geeky , Goodness , The Holidays
Phyllis Coates As Lois Lane
2007-12-04 03:58:00 I'm so excited today, as I just received two autographed pictures of Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane . Ms. Coates played the character in Superman and the Mole-Men (1951) and the first season of Adventures of Superman. She was technically Hollywood's second Lois Lane, as Noel Neill portrayed the character before and after her. I wrote Ms. Coates a few weeks ago, requesting an autographed picture for my little Lois. To my surprise, she sent two - one for me and one for my daughter! What a classy lady. I am definitely putting her on our Christmas card list this year! Here are scans of the photographs:In case you can't tell, the second one reads, "Much love to Little 'Lois Lane'." Isn't that awesome?! What a great collector's item. I'm so grateful, as is my Lois: More About: Pop Culture
Lil' Geeks Of The Week
2007-12-03 07:40:00 This week, we are showcasing two adorable geeklings from the UK. They are, in fact, brothers. First, we have a tiny Lord Vader: Swearing allegiance to the Dark Side has never been so endearing! Looks like his Daddy's a Superman fan, too. I approve! Up next is Baby Vader's big brother - a Monty Python fan! Check out his little Camelot dance:Amazing! If you are curious about who spawned these two beauties, visit their mother's fascinating blog, Musings of a Modified Mummy. Thanks for sharing, Mummy!Do you have a pic or video of your kid(s) geeking out? Send it to me and we'll put him/her on the site! More About: Geeks , Week
I'm Here If You Need Me, DC Comics
2007-12-02 14:25:00 If I could have anyone over for Festivus dinner this year, it would be DC Comics editor Mike Carlin. He is definitely on my list of grievances. I'm sure Mike's a swell guy and all, but this month's issue of Green Arrow/Black Canary displayed some very messy copy editing. How are my children supposed to learn proper grammar and punctuation with sloppy work like this? Am I to resort to real textbooks now?Here are the two glaring mistakes that annoyed me in Green Arrow/Black Canary #2:D'oh! Remember, "it's" is a contraction of "it is." The apostrophe jumped off the page and assaulted my eyes! While this isn't necessarily a grammatical error, it exhibits a poor phrasing of words and the editor should have caught that. I would suggest changing the sentence to "Find out what's been happening on Paradise Island..." The repetition of "on" is a bad choice.This issue's only saving grace? Gratuitous amounts of shirtless Green Arrow.I catch problems like these in comics all the time. Y... More About: DC Comics
Teri Hatcher As Lois Lane
2007-12-01 02:49:00 Ever since we introduced our little Lois to Noel Neill (Hollywood's original Lois Lane ), I've started a letter-writing campaign to procure more autographs from actresses who played the character. Today, I received an autographed picture of Teri Hatcher in the mail. Success! Hatcher played Lois for years on television's "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," a show that I could never get into. To me, she will always be Stallone's trampy sister from Tango & Cash. Classic. More About: Pop Culture
How To Celebrate Festivus (For The Rest Of Us)
More articles from this author:2007-11-30 16:45:00 Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.Cosmo Kramer:What happened to the doll?Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born... a Festivus for the rest of us!Cosmo Kramer: That must have been some doll. Frank Costanza: She was.Looking for an alternative to stressful, mainstream winter holidays? Tired of the Hallmark-sponsored worship of Santa? If so, then I would suggest Festivus as your new family tradition. Believe it or not, some people really do celebrate this Seinfeldian feast. I can't think of a geekier way to ring in the season, either. Read on for a comprehensive guide to celebrating Festivus with your family. What Is Festivus?Festivus could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but it's primarily a made-up holiday by borderline psy... More About: Pop Culture , Celebrate , Rest 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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