Articles about Parenting
University Park Residents Know How to Party
 And this isn’t a street way off the beaten path, it’s an exit along 75.Â
Dennis Quaid, Family Guy
Dennis Quaid
Actor Dennis Quaid, who’s been through all the usual movie-star craziness, from addiction to tabloid divorce, seems to have turned into a poster boy for family values. The Houston-born Quaid, who turns 57 next weekend, has moved with his wife, Kimberly, and their 3-year-old twins, Thomas and Zoe, to Austin, where Kimberly is an agent in the family real estate business. But, can he make a go of it there? “I sure hope so. Or else, I’ve made a terrible mistake,” the actor laughed at NorthPark Center Saturday, walking the red carpet at the Dallas International Film Festival for his latest flick, called Soul Surfer. Hollywood’s just a phone call away, he said, and in Austin he can be “close to family. Plus, it’s a great place to live.”
Quaid’s also drawing on his family for creative inspiration, he said. In this latest film, which is based on a true story, he plays the father of teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack but overcame the ordeal to surf again. Quaid (pictured in photo by Jeanne Prejean) recalled how just 12 days after his twins were born, they were mistakenly given massive overdoses of a drug called heparin. “It could have been fatal. But through the power of prayer from a lot of people, they survived that, and we had a happy ending,” he said. “So, I could relate to the Hamilton family that way.”
Watch David Feherty Get Hit in the Twig and Berries
Seems I’ve been working pretty blue here lately. Oh, well. You’ll want to watch this video of sometime D Magazine contributor and CBS golf analyst David Feherty. I love his dramatic slo-mo collapse.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Dec. 8
It seems the winter chill has finally reached our fair city, and if a childhood of Looney Tunes-watching has taught me any lasting lessons, it’s that a Saint Bernard with a little barrel around his neck will mix you a martini when you’re lost in the cold. We’ll assume two things: 1) He does this because the martini would warm you up, and 2) any sort of alcohol will do the trick.
Based on those unfounded assumptions, we think you ought to head to the Grape this evening, where they’re hosting the second of their “Get Your Wine on Wednesdays” this month. Here’s the rub: Guest host (and champagne specialist) Loni Heyn is stopping by to pick out five sparkling wines, which will be paired with hors d’oeuvres for your palate’s pleasure. It’s only $25 a pop, and if you stick around for dinner, the Grape will gladly shave 15 percent off your food tab.
That sounds like the perfect, grown-up evening to me, but if you’ll have kids in tow tonight, take the jump for other options.
How Not to Get an Internship at D
My mom (love her dearly!) is a helicopter mom. And, quite frankly, from years 13-18, I thought she was the helicopter mom. I’ve since grown up and realized there are those who are worse. And I feel sorry for their kids because I understand what they’re going through. But, ladies and gentlemen, I do believe I have found the queen of helicopter moms. I’ll give you a sneak peak at a little convo I had with said helicopter mom, and you let me know if I’m correct.
HM: Hi. I’m calling on behalf of my daughter, a student in high school. I was wondering if she could have an internship at D Magazine.
Leading Off (8/30/10)
1. Eddie Bernice Johnson is in a little hot water for awarding scholarship money to her relatives. But wait. It’s all a big misunderstanding. When Johnson awarded scholarship funds from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to her relatives, she didn’t realize that wasn’t the right thing to do. Oh, okay. Sorry Ms. Johnson. We’ll leave you alone now.
2. Now it’s official: Southlake quarterback Daxx Garman, who probably still really lives in Oklahoma, has been rendered ineligible and will not play with the Southlake Dragons. My only question: what do we gain by continuing to pretend that high level high school football isn’t a mini-version the whorish economic engine that NCAA division one sports has become, putting a diploma bow tie on the pork of any given school’s endowment? I mean, who are we protecting? How is this different than the parents of a tennis star, or future race car driver, or a hockey player, or a soccer player who move across the world to let their teenage prodigies play in the most competitive sporting environment available? Let the mofo play. Or let’s start a club football league and be done with these inequitable residency pressures. That’s my HSO. Moving on.
3. I think this story misses the point, if only slightly. Sure it’s bad a woman left her eight month year old in the car alone on the hottest day of the year. But if it was 72 degrees with blue skies and an easy breeze, please, don’t leave your eight month year old in the car.
Kids Under 17 Need to Be Home by Midnight
It’s summer. In the words of Kiss, kids “want to rock and roll all night, and party every day.” Okay, I’m old. Anyway, that first thing might prove difficult this weekend. Starting tonight, Dallas police are cracking down on kids under the age of 17 who are out and about after midnight. If your kid gets picked up, expect to make a drive to police headquarters to retrieve her. Oh, and bring your checkbook. The fine can be as much as $500.
Leading Off (6/7/10)
1. One takeaway I had from the Dallas Morning News’ two part story (part 1 and part 2) on “black flight,” the steady decline in the number of African American students attending Dallas Independent School District schools: maybe the concept of geographically based public school is outdated. Is there an argument here for a re-segregation of public schools, with distinctions not drawn up along racial lines of distinction, but on need-based lines? Say we reorganize the district so that some schools specialize in raising math skills, some in reading skills, and some in language skills. There could be some schools that specialize in engaging immigrant families in their children’s educational experience and others that specialize in engaging families in certain social-economic situations. This might end up looking like racial segregation, and it opens up tons of room for abuse (cough, cough, Preston Hollow Elementary), so I’ll leave you to tell me why it’s a dumb idea in the comments.
2. After shooting John F. Kennedy (allegedly, right?), Lee Harvey Oswald hopped a bus to cross the Houston St. viaduct, but when it got caught in traffic, he jumped off the bus and hailed a cab. That cab had been in the collection of the now defunct Pate Museum of Transportation. On Saturday, it was auctioned off and sold to an Illinois museum. It’s not exactly our Elgin Marbles, but I hate to see that one get away.
3. And file this good news story under “Thank goodness there are people like this out there”: a couple in Azle, Texas, used money from their savings to buy a five-bedroom home and take in five special-needs foster children, because some people are just awesome like that, I guess.
Yearbook Scandal!
Some good stuff is going on over at the Park Cities People blog. Merritt Patterson broke the news about the Bradfield Elementary yearbook scandal a couple days ago. (I know. I’m late getting to it.) Apparently, a volunteer says she spent a lot of time designing the book. Then as it was going to print, she was told her design was not allowed. So she got it copyrighted. Then the PTA decided to make its own version of the yearbook to avoid legal fees. The school says the volunteer knew all along her design wouldn’t work, and various people offered to help with a redesign. But the volunteer ignored the offers.
Patterson has the e-mails that went out to parents from both the principal and the volunteer. It’s all very fascinating.
Pam Kripke on the New York Times Magazine Parenting Blog
Readers of the “print product” know Pam Kripke’s name from her contributions thereto. She’s good people. If you have a few minutes, you might want to point your browser to the New York Times Magazine parenting blog called Motherlode, where you’ll find an essay she wrote about her father and raising two girls without one around the house. Good stuff.
Largest Snowman Ever Assembled
I got this note about an hour and a half ago. I assume the attempt is still underway.
Those interested in setting a record for largest snowman ever assembled should visit the now closed Hank Haney driving range in uptown.
Local Hospital Officially Limits Elective Delivery
North Hills Hospital in North Richland Hills is trying to cut back on the number of elective deliveries for pregnant women at fewer than 39 weeks. It’s interesting, but I’m mainly posting this because I want an excuse to quote a mother who described her baby– born at 40 weeks–as “puffy and juicy and nice and ripe.”
University Park Treehouse Gets the Shaft
In July, the good people at Overheard brought our attention to the story of the UP family with a treehouse in their front yard. Apparently, a neighbor complained about said structure because its placement is against UP ordinance.
Last night, the Johnson family got the verdict: the house must come down.
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Wherein I, Zac Crain, Go to an Extremely Crowded NorthPark Center
On Saturday afternoon, my son and I ventured forth to NorthPark to take in Step Up 3D. He loves dance movies (as do I) and really loves 3D movies (as do — actually, I’m not a big fan). Plus, it was roughly the same temperature as lava outside, and I would have gone to see Steve Blow do a stand-up comedy set — of all-new material! — if it meant avoiding playing soccer outside with my kid. So it was the perfect storm. It could have gone better.
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