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Caroline Howard
Jon Gosselin - Caught in the Rumor Mill
Except for Jon and Kate Gosselin, and possibly a handful of college coeds, no one knows for sure whether the reality television dad is finally showing off a bad-boy side -- or if it's his doppelganger. What happened? Yesterday Star Magazine reported that the "Jon and Kate Plus 8" star was recently seen partying with some Juniata College coeds. And now it seems that the following night he was caught canoodling with a long-legged blond at a local bar.
Juniata is in Huntingdon, PA, where Gosselin's mom lives. According one gossip Web site, he has been living apart from Kate since February and is staying with his mother.
Gosselin reportedly showed up -- uninvited -- at a bash thrown by seniors Erin Albert and Mariel Little last month, and played beer pong with members of the women's volleyball team.
"He was acting like a drunk, girl-chasing frat boy," Babble quotes one team member as saying. "It really disturbed me. On the show he is so nice, but here, he was acting like an idiot."
What's makes this story even harder to believe is that the next night Gosselin was spotted out again at a local bar. "He was dirty dancing with several girls from the volleyball team, making out, kissing them on their necks and mouths," a witness said. "He was all over one girl, a long-haired blond who's nearly 6-feet-tall. He left with several of the girls, including her."
Was it really him? That's the big question being asked by legions of fans who know the 31-year-old as a loving dad to his 8-year-old twins and 4-year-old sextuplets, a caring and attentive husband and an all-around nice guy.
In a ParentDish poll out yesterday (so far, 40,000 of you have weighed in!), just about 30 percent of readers tell us it really doesn't matter. "Cut him some slack - he deserves a night out!" Fifty percent of you are a little less understanding, saying that he's allowed to get away, "but not with co-eds." And the rest disapprove: "He needs to be home with his kids, not drinking with someone else's."
Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8
Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you had one more child? How about two more? How about SIX more?
Four years ago, Jon and Kate Gosselin went from being parents of two to parents of eight, and their lives have never been the same.
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Today we all have a window into that life on TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. And of course, part of peeking into someone else's life is hypothesizing how we might do things differently or better, because it's always easy to imagine what you would do in someone else's shoes.
What is harder to imagine is what it would really be like to walk in those other shoes -- what's it like to wake up every morning and be Kate Gosselin? ParentDish had a chance to ask her just that recently.
TLC.Discovery.com
In a normal week, the Gosselins have a television crew in their house about half the time, which is a lot, if you think about it. And while they will occasionally opt out of filming specific moments with their kids, the Gosselins have no editorial control over the show -- what you see is what you get, packaged by a team of folks at Discovery and TLC. But, Kate says, this is reality TV, and it accurately reflects life at the Gosselin house; nothing is pre-planned or made up. "We don't have time to memorize scripts," she jokes.
I believe that.
"We set out to show the truth," Kate says, "I couldn't watch it if it weren't true." What you see, in every televised moment, is precisely what is happening -- no stage directions or do-overs. This is life at the Gosselin house.
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Kate Gosselin has gotten quite a bit of flak, both from the media and from viewers, for the way she treats her husband; the two are often shown bickering during the show. Kate says the criticisms don't bother her; she doesn't Google herself or make a practice of reading about herself on or off line. "Everyone has an opinion," she says, "and I'm only paying attention to my own." But she does admit that the way the show is edited affects how people see her family and her marriage. "If Jon and I have three spats over a two day period, they're going to edit it to make it look like those happened in the 22 minute period." The show is just a small slice of her family's life, after all.
TLC.Discovery.com
Kate is clearly focused not on what goes on outside her family but on her children. Her goal, she says, is to treat each child like an only child -- a hard thing to do when you're the mom of eight. "I hold myself to a very high standard," she says. At the same time, though, she's not trying to be perfect, or even to appear perfect to viewers of the show. She's just living her life.
And yes, she's living it with television cameras in her house, but it's still her real life. Kate says that while the experience of being on television has changed her life, it hasn't changed who she is. She says the same about having eight children -- "It's hard to live through what we have lived through and not change. We are the same -- it's how people treat us" that is different.
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One of the hardest things about her family, Kate says, is the noise; there are days when the older girls, Cara and Mady, come home from school and their reports about what they have done are drowned out by the noise of the sextuplets. More than anything, she says, she longs for peace and quiet -- otherwise, she would not change a thing about her life.
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Kate finds the humor in her life -- recently, she partnered with P&G to help promote some of their brands, including Bounty paper towels, which she refers to as "my weapon of choice." She also laughs about the end of nap time at the Gosselin house; the sextuplets are four now and no one, Kate says, naps any more. But it's a rare night that the family gets through dinner without someone dozing off at the table. Recently, Jon said, "I think we can kiss goodbye ever having a family dinner again." A good night, Kate said, is when the kids push their plates out of the way before they fall asleep.
You have to laugh about that, and Kate Gosselin does.
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The Gosselins have a strong faith in God; they are often seen on the show wearing t-shirts with scripture on them and attending church. But despite the fact that the show doesn't highlight their faith, the Gosselins see it as an opportunity to share what they believe. Their website, The Gosselin 10, includes prayers and devotionals, and Jon and Kate travel around speaking to various churches and groups about their life and faith. The show, Kate says, has given them this opportunity to share what they believe.
Amazon.com
And for the Gosselins, being on television is about opportunity, not fame. The show has opened a variety of doors for them; Kate and Jon both work from home, which makes their life as parnents of eight more manageable. But it's not easy by any means -- there are days, Kate says, when she and Jon work until midnight.
Kate has three pieces of advice for other parents. "Every morning, before my feet hit the floor," she says, "I pray for strength, just enough to get through that day." She reminds parents that a sense of humor can get you through nearly everything -- laugh, she says, don't cry. And finally, the most important lesson of all: "Always remember that bedtime comes, every single day."
sixgosselins.com
Julia Roberts Is "Never Bored" Being a Mom to Three
Julia Roberts, AWOL as a leading lady since becoming a mom, has a new movie out next month, "Duplicity," with Clive Owen, and she's making the rounds of all the glossies. While she looks relaxed and lovely on the cover of Allure, we were particularly taken with her interview with the magazine, where she talks about being a SAHM of three -- four-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and Henry, nearly two.
Does the Oscar winner miss her life as a movie star? Eye roll. Who has the time to think about that?
"I will never be bored again," said Roberts. "Danny [Moder, her husband] and I talk about, 'What did we do with all the time we must have had?' Because you don't recognize it as such, until you have all these little...time thieves running around your house."
Time thieves. That's very clever, just like her remedy for owies. "We get a lot of splinters in our house," she shared. "A (trick for a) splinter is just a good light, a pair of tweezers and a lot of singing songs and passing the time: 'La-la-la, now listen, if you eat all of your dinner,' it's distraction and extraction."
Does the Oscar winner miss her life as a movie star? Eye roll. Who has the time to think about that?
Celebrity Parent Quotes
"The key to beauty is always to be looking at someone who loves you. Henry, who can't say all the words...sometimes he'll see me and go, "Ma-ma!" and throw himself on me. Or Finn says he likes my earrings. Or Hazel will say, "You look pretty, Mama," first thing in the morning...They're seeing the things that [my husband] does.
The coolest thing you can do for your children is to love each other in their presence." -
Julia Roberts
WireImage
"I'm like an alcoholic. It's like, I don't care if I cry, I don't care if I'm fat, I'm just gonna do it for one more week, one more month, and then, when I see how much good it is doing her, I can't stop. It's a very powerful thing you know."
Salma Hayek
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"My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mom-in-chief," she said, "making sure that in this transition, which will be even more of a transition for the girls ... that they are settled and that they know they will continue to be the center of our universe."
Michelle Obama
"I think I'm a pretty cool dad."
Barack Obama
"There is no such thing as 'fun for the whole family.'"
Jerry Seinfeld
"Sometimes I end up having to wipe my son's nose on my shirt, so it can't be silk and cost $800."
Keri Russel
"Apparently, I get facials and manicures all the time. I read this and think, 'Oh, I wish I did that!' I don't think I've had a facial since I was 19. When I shave my legs, I use my child's shampoo and a razor -- if I can find one. If I did everything they said I did, I would never see [my daughter] Lily."
Kate Beckinsale
"I think our kids will look back on all that as being really funny when they get older, because they think of us as being really dorky -- in fact, the dorkiest people on the planet! We are very much just parents together, although we have moments of being sexy and fun, and I do find him very sexy, obviously. I believe we are together for all the other reasons."
Angelina Jolie, on being "sex symbol" parents
"Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head."
Carol Burnett
"We found a great rhythm. Contractions started kicking in. I sat there with her, right between her legs. We got tribal on it, we danced to it! I was DJ-ing this Brazilian music."
Matthew McConaughey, on the birth of his son Levi.
"I will never be bored again," said Roberts. "Danny [Moder, her husband] and I talk about, 'What did we do with all the time we must have had?' Because you don't recognize it as such, until you have all these little...time thieves running around your house."
Time thieves. That's very clever, just like her remedy for owies. "We get a lot of splinters in our house," she shared. "A (trick for a) splinter is just a good light, a pair of tweezers and a lot of singing songs and passing the time: 'La-la-la, now listen, if you eat all of your dinner,' it's distraction and extraction."
Valentine's Day Messages from Our Kids
On this Valentine's Day, ParentDish wishes all our readers and your families a day of happiness and love. And lots of kisses and candy. You know how we're always asking you questions, for your opinions and comments? (Mmm, doing it again!) It must be some sort of compulsion, 'cause we did the same with our own kids. We asked them: What do you want to say on Valentine's Day? Oh, and the card to the right? That's for Daisy, the family dog, from Ellie, age 8.
I love you mommy because you get me stuff when I can't reach stuff I want to play with. xo xo xo xo xo xo xo love, Sara -- Sara
I love you mommy because you love me. ox ox ox xo xo xo xo xo Love, Jared ps. happy valantines day! -- Jared
I love my sister because she plays with me. I love my mom because she cuddles with me. I love my dad because he dances with me. -- Cassie, 6
Dear Grandma, I love you, please have a safe morning and stay out of the rain. Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Emmie -- Emmie, 4
Share your children's special Valentine's messages with the rest of us. Thanks!
Matt and Madeline - Life, Love and Death on a Blog
Newborns, Just For Dads, Pregnancy & Birth
Mattlogelin.com, like many personal blogs, is an open diary of everyday stories and domestic snapshots meant for a closed circle of family and friends. But here it departs from the ordinary and takes a different and difficult storyline.
On March 24, 2008, Matt Logelin posted on the joyous arrival of his and wife Liz's new baby. Madeline was born small -- 3 lbs. 14 oz. -- but healthy. The blog took a horrific turn when Liz died one day later after a lethal blood clot lodged in her lung. "It's an understatement to say my life has changed," he told ParentDish.com. "I had a birth and a death in 27 hours."
In a way, though, his blog (and the community, mostly women, that's grown around it) saved his life. That public between the parentheses, as many as 40,000 a day strong, has offered this 31-year-old widower and single dad support, solace, advice and, most importantly, an opportunity to give back to other struggling single parents.
The Liz Logelin Foundation is an organization dedicated to financially "assist families who find themselves in the heartbreaking, catastrophic situation of having lost a spouse, life-partner, and parent." Donations are accepted online, and this past September there was a fund-raising walk-run that raised over $4,000 that went to three local Los Angeles families.
"Originally, the money was to go to us," he said. "When she died I lost roughly 60 percent of our income. And it's expensive raising a baby, especially if you can't breastfeed. But when we started to raise money, I thought, 'There are people worse off than us. In a bad economy, what do you do?'"
It's a question Logelin asks himself every day. And we put it out to you.
What would you do in his circumstance? Do you blog, or know of one, with such a unique story? Has has it affected for changed your life? View our slideshow, check out Matt's blog and let us know.
On March 24, 2008, Matt Logelin posted on the joyous arrival of his and wife Liz's new baby. Madeline was born small -- 3 lbs. 14 oz. -- but healthy. The blog took a horrific turn when Liz died one day later after a lethal blood clot lodged in her lung. "It's an understatement to say my life has changed," he told ParentDish.com. "I had a birth and a death in 27 hours."
Matt Logelin and Madeline
Matt and Madeline (and Liz)
life and death. all in a 27-hour period. what you read here is what follows. So begins the blog of Matt Logelin, a single father grieving over his beloved wife's death and treasuring the joys of bringing up baby.
Courtesy of Matt Logelin
Mom Meets Madeline
"[Liz] was a little frightened, but she was also just worried about Madeline. That's the only time she saw Madeline. She never got to touch her. That was it; that was all she got. And I think that's one of the most difficult things for me because the doctors immediately took her back to the NICU." Madeline was born at 3-pounds, 13.5-ounces.
The longest We Were Apart Was 3 Months
We got engaged in Kathmandu in Nepal. We've been all over the world. I would like to take [Liz's] ashes to different places with Madeline that I visited with Liz and say, 'Look, your mom was mad at me because it was 105 degrees in Kathmandu and I was making her sit at the foot of a temple when we'd gotten off a plane the night before, and then I got out a diamond ring.' And I could say, 'This is where we made our commitment to each other.'"
In a way, though, his blog (and the community, mostly women, that's grown around it) saved his life. That public between the parentheses, as many as 40,000 a day strong, has offered this 31-year-old widower and single dad support, solace, advice and, most importantly, an opportunity to give back to other struggling single parents.
The Liz Logelin Foundation is an organization dedicated to financially "assist families who find themselves in the heartbreaking, catastrophic situation of having lost a spouse, life-partner, and parent." Donations are accepted online, and this past September there was a fund-raising walk-run that raised over $4,000 that went to three local Los Angeles families.
"Originally, the money was to go to us," he said. "When she died I lost roughly 60 percent of our income. And it's expensive raising a baby, especially if you can't breastfeed. But when we started to raise money, I thought, 'There are people worse off than us. In a bad economy, what do you do?'"
It's a question Logelin asks himself every day. And we put it out to you.
What would you do in his circumstance? Do you blog, or know of one, with such a unique story? Has has it affected for changed your life? View our slideshow, check out Matt's blog and let us know.
Good Science, Bad Parenting
Development, In The News, Education
The experiment took place inside the home of M.I.T. scientist Deb Roy. Eleven video cameras and 14 microphones were placed in ceilings throughout in order to document the first three years of his son's life and language development. It's officially named the Human Speechome Project. Or, call it Spy Kid.
There's a controversy brewing in scientific circles, and it centers on parents using their own children as research subjects. One scientist dad set a camera on his infant's head in order to follow just what the boy was looking at. Harmless enough and obviously fascinating. But how about those parents who have subjected their offspring to numerous M.R.I.s in order to study brain change? Or injecting their kids with a new vaccine? (That was Jonas Salk.)
Important work, all, but potentially dangerous. Is that good science but bad parenting?
There is a clear "conflict of interest" here, as Robert M. Nelson, director of the Center for Research Integrity at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia points out. Testing on any child is fraught: It solves ills, but if it's on your own kid, "...potentially takes the parent-child relationship and distorts it in ways that are unpredictable."
Still, don't all parents use their children as test subjects, albeit not necessarily for the greater good of neuroscience or child psychology? Scientific method showed me that misassociation was the best way to get my son to try a new dish when he was younger. I tricked him. Turkey burgers became Crabby Patties. Asparagus was Jack Bean Stalk. Ever do that? We'll create a "Top 10" list with your best comments.
It all reminds me of a Steve Martin stand-up routine. It's possible, he suggested, to teach your child the wrong words for everything so that when he shows up at the first day of school and raises his hand, he says to the teacher, "May I mambo dogface to the banana patch?" Sounds like something right out of the Human Speechome Project.
There's a controversy brewing in scientific circles, and it centers on parents using their own children as research subjects. One scientist dad set a camera on his infant's head in order to follow just what the boy was looking at. Harmless enough and obviously fascinating. But how about those parents who have subjected their offspring to numerous M.R.I.s in order to study brain change? Or injecting their kids with a new vaccine? (That was Jonas Salk.)
Important work, all, but potentially dangerous. Is that good science but bad parenting?
There is a clear "conflict of interest" here, as Robert M. Nelson, director of the Center for Research Integrity at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia points out. Testing on any child is fraught: It solves ills, but if it's on your own kid, "...potentially takes the parent-child relationship and distorts it in ways that are unpredictable."
Still, don't all parents use their children as test subjects, albeit not necessarily for the greater good of neuroscience or child psychology? Scientific method showed me that misassociation was the best way to get my son to try a new dish when he was younger. I tricked him. Turkey burgers became Crabby Patties. Asparagus was Jack Bean Stalk. Ever do that? We'll create a "Top 10" list with your best comments.
It all reminds me of a Steve Martin stand-up routine. It's possible, he suggested, to teach your child the wrong words for everything so that when he shows up at the first day of school and raises his hand, he says to the teacher, "May I mambo dogface to the banana patch?" Sounds like something right out of the Human Speechome Project.
Momma's Boys We Love
Just For Moms, Life & Style, Single parenting
Mommas Boys
Simon Cowell
It seems notoriously harsh American Idol judge Simon Cowell can't complain about his mother, Julie. He lunches with her twice a week while in London, and spent $500,000 on a surprise 80th birthday party for her in 2005. As for the gay question, that's thanks to mama,a former dancer. "It's probably my mother's influence." And no, he says he is not gay.
Vince Bucci, Getty Images
These men share fame and fortune. But more importantly, they attribute their success to the positive influence of their mothers. Here, 15 leaders in medicine, film, politics, music, business and sports whose mother served as a role model, mentor and inspiration.
WireImage / Getty Images
Johnny Depp
The actor may have made a mistake with his "Winona Forever" tattoo, but one he doesn't regret is "Betty Sue," his mother's name on his arm. Depp was "raised primarily by his mother after his parents divorced when he was 15," according to USA Today. Betty Sue Palmer, a single mom, worked as a waitress to support her children and bought "Capt. Jack Sparrow" his first guitar (he stills plays in a band). His was an unstable youth, but Depp remains "very close to his mother."
Koichi Kamoshida, Getty Images
Barack Obama
In "Dreams of My Father," President Obama describes his mother as the "one constant in life...I know that she was the kindest, most generous spirit I have ever known, and that what is best in me I owe to her." Although Ann Dunham passed away at 52 from ovarian cancer, those who were close to her "say they see her influence unmistakably in Obama," according to the New York Times.
Scott Olson, Getty Images
Ben Carson, MD
Dr. Carson, the world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon credits his can-do spirit directly to his mother. Although she was limited to a third-grade education and worked two or three jobs, she forced her sons to read and write reports on two library books a week. "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother," Dr. Carson wrote in his memoir "Gifted Hands." Cuba Gooding, Jr., stars as Dr. Carson in an upcoming TNT biopic based on the book.
Ron Edmonds, AP
Michael Phelps
Even Olympic swimming superstars deal with tough personal lives. Phelps grew up in a broken home, was bullied as a child and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 9. No matter! The Beijing superstar attributes his resilience, goal-setting and drive to his mother, Debbie. Just after winning his eighth medal, Phelps said, "There's so much emotions going through my head, so much excitement. I guess I just want to see my mom."
Adam Pretty, Getty Images
Tom Colicchio
The top judge on Bravo's "Top Chef" grew up chopping and stirring at the knees of his mother and grandmother. "Some of the dishes we ate for the holidays have evolved into the dishes I've put on my restaurants' menus," he told Epicurious.com. "And when I wanted to add a cannelloni dish to Gramercy [Tavern]'s menu, I called my mom." Colicchio secured his reputation at Gramercy in the 1990s.
Neilson Barnard, Getty Images
Kanye West
Before Donda West, an English professor, passed away from a heart attack following cosmetic surgery in 2007, she supported her son's rise to the very top of his profession. "My mom would be there; no matter what," West told the AP after her death. "And you know now when I'm on that stage and I look out and I say, 'What am I going to do with the rest of my life?'"
Kevin Mazur, WireImage
David Beckham
Soccer stud David Beckham may be famous for an Adonis-like physique and masculine moves on the field, he's anything but a tough guy on the inside. Becks blames it on his mum. "My dad's sort of a man's man, but I've got more of my mum's personality. She's a lot softer, a lot more affectionate. We both get really emotional."
Marty Melville, Getty Images
Bill Clinton
One lady former President Bill Clinton has always been faithful to is his mother, widowed before his birth. "She went back to nursing school so that she could earn an income to support me," he told ABC News. During his early years, Clinton lived with his grandparents while his mother attended school. "As we pulled away from the station, Mother knelt by the side of the railroad tracks and cried as she waved good-bye. I can see her there still," he wrote in "My Life."
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
NY Teen Dies After Vodka Party
Teens & tweens, Health & Safety, In The News
Garrett Quedens, a 14-year-old from West Babylon, NY, died in the early hours of January 1 after spending New Year's Eve with a bottle of vodka. Garrett and a friend, also barely old enough to shave, passed out on a street just blocks from their homes in below freezing weather. The friend woke up. Garrett didn't. A memorial service on Sunday drew about 200 mourners, many of them young teens. "He touched all of your lives," said Deacon Michael from St. Martin of Tours Church in nearby Amityville. And ours. This is a dismal cautionary story to break any parent's heart.
Let's talk for a moment about the alcohol. It was all-too-easy to get, thanks to two adults who were willing to purchase a liter of Georgi vodka for the boys for $10 plus another $10 for gas. "Give 'em life," Garrett's father Thomas Quedens raged. "Because I lost something that was most important to me."
But there is much more to this sad affair than just the reflexive denunciation of two local idiots, both charged with a Class A misdemeanor. This tragedy also highlights a more personal, troubling issue that sends off alarms in my head as a mother to a 14-year-old boy: The dangers of letting my child go out on his own in a world with plenty of dangerous attractions. Alcohol yes, but consider also the cyberbully and other online predators.
PRESS CONTINUE FOR MORE
Obama Girls Start School
Siblings, Celeb Kids, In The News
After much ado about public vs. private and tony vs. progressive, the First Kids are set to start classes at Sidwell Friends School this Monday. (FYI: It's all of the above save the public part.)
Changing schools in the middle of the year is tough, changing schools without the benefit of your big (or little) sister in the same building is even tougher.
With campuses in two locations -- the lower school is in the suburbs of Bethesda and the upper grades in northwest DC -- it doesn't look like second-grader Sasha will be with fifth-grader Malia.
The hardest part, we fear, is that these two sweet and poised girls will live the next four, eight or more years under the microscope of a collective mind with a seemingly unquenchable jones for schadenfreude. Though presidential kids generally escape the curse of the childhood spotlight, let's not overlook the public service of remembering that Malia and Sasha are just kids and allow them to grow up "normal."
Just how would you advise the Obamas do that?
Changing schools in the middle of the year is tough, changing schools without the benefit of your big (or little) sister in the same building is even tougher.
Sasha and Malia Obama
Malia and Sasha's Excellent Adventure
Malia, 10 (right) and Natasha "Sasha," 7, wave to the crowd at the 2008 election night rally in Chicago. Politics are child's play to these sweethearts, and we can't wait to see them come into their own.
Jae C. Hong, AP
Sasha and Malia, kissing her mother Michelle, get ready for the first day of school in Washington, DC, as President-elect looks on. The Obama family are staying at the Hay Adams Hotel prior to their move into the White House.
Callie Shell, HO / Change.gov
US President-elect Barack Obama orders shave ice treats with his daughter Malia and Sasha during an afternoon outing in December 2008 in Hawai'i Kai, HI.
Tim Sloan, AFP / Getty Images
The girls kept it casual on their Hawaiian vacation, enjoying days at the beach with friends and shaved ice treats and a dolphin show with their dad.
Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images
Malia gives Barack Obama a big hug -- followed by one from Sasha -- at the Honolulu Zoo on December 30, 2008.
Tim Sloan, AFP / Getty Images
Sasha (left) and Malia Obama stayed in Chicago for Thanksgiving 2008, squeezing in some volunteer work with their dad at a food bank at St. Columbanus Parish and School. The President-elect said he wants the girls "to learn the importance of how fortunate they are, and to make sure they're giving back."
Jim Watson, AFP / Getty Images
Sasha and Malia walk to school in Chicago after their father dropped them off in November 2008. Sasha takes gymnastics and tap classes while it's soccer, dance, drama and (by the looks of the case) flute for Malia.
Charles Dharapak, AP
The Obama family wave during a rally at the Ohio State House in Columbus, OH, two days prior to Barack's historic election to the White House.
Getty Images
The Obama clan leave a restaurant in Chicago in August 2008. We know where the President-elect stands on taxes and bailouts, but about comfort food vs cuisine?
Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images
Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, take the stage during a May 2008 rally near the Iowa state capitol building in Des Moines.
Getty Images
With campuses in two locations -- the lower school is in the suburbs of Bethesda and the upper grades in northwest DC -- it doesn't look like second-grader Sasha will be with fifth-grader Malia.
The hardest part, we fear, is that these two sweet and poised girls will live the next four, eight or more years under the microscope of a collective mind with a seemingly unquenchable jones for schadenfreude. Though presidential kids generally escape the curse of the childhood spotlight, let's not overlook the public service of remembering that Malia and Sasha are just kids and allow them to grow up "normal."
Just how would you advise the Obamas do that?
