Relaxing weekend

These are some photos from a couple of weeks ago which I meant to post earlier, but got a little sidetracked. Spent a lovely weekend laying low and hanging out with the family. Tended the garden, soaked up a little bit of sun, took photos of cooperative children :)

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over! Apples & pears are appearing to replace the berries and cherries. School is starting soon. It's getting chilly with the window open at night.

On an unrelated note, I read an interesting book last week: Parenting, Inc.: How We Are Sold on $800 Strollers, Fetal Education, Baby Sign Language, Sleeping Coaches, Toddler Couture and Diaper Wipe Warmers -- and What It Means for Our Children. It's basically an analysis of the big business that parenting has become and how we, as American parents, all too often are sucked right into it. The author doesn't profess to be immune to it all, but her interviews with the people who own companies that market goods and services to parents and consumers are pretty eye-opening to the ridiculousness of it all. You can't help but think as you read through this: "but I didn't go to 500 different music, language & art classes before I was 3; or have a fraction of the toys (not to mention Baby Einstein, but don't get me started on that one) that are available today and I turned out fine...maybe it's not so bad for my kids to engage in a little unstructured play or - gasp! - to actually help mom and dad around the house for an afternoon instead of attending the how-to-get-your-toddler-into-an-ivy-league-college-class-du-jour.

Anyway, I recommend the book for a quick read. Who knows if the statistics are sound (the only part of the book I know anything about is the chapter on the effects of TV/media on kids because one of the researchers quoted is someone I've worked with...plus I don't think the AAP would recommend no TV under age 3 without some data to back it up...), but it provides some nice food for thought for anyone with kids (or who just shops for kids :)