Posts Tagged ‘boys’

Here I am with Megan Gaiser of HERInteractive. Can you tell I have an entrepreneur's crush on her?

I’d committed the cardinal sin of forgetting to say “soccer” before “balls” while coaching practice. You should never, ever shout, “I need balls!” at a bunch of fifth grade boys. After the giggling subsided I announced, “Balls said the Queen, if I had ‘em I’d be King,” (which, for the record, I’d learned from my mother).

One kid looked up at me, confused, and asked, “Wait. Which is better? King or Queen?” Thereby supporting my theory that today’s generation of boys aren’t as likely to think that female things are lesser things. At least, as long as they aren’t Barbie pink.

So yesterday morning, I told my 13-year-old son, Nicholas, about the lunch I was going to have with Megan Gaiser, CEO of HER Interactive, which produces the Nancy Drew video game series.

“It’s the only company making video games specifically for 10 – 15-year-old girls,” I said. “Maybe you’d like to try out a Nancy Drew game?”

His face scrunched and he looked at me as if I’d just suggested he eat kitty litter for breakfast. “No!” he protested.

“It’s not all lip gloss and clothes,” I said. “It’s not Hannah Montana. It’s a mystery game, that’s all.” (more…)

Not too far back in the day, I wrote a blog for Good Housekeeping.com about parenting tweens. Here’s one of the best-loved entries that made my sister-in-law laugh out loud until she nearly got in trouble at work. Enjoy:

Look, I managed to get the drawings of the attack monkeys and the soccer moms in bullet-proof dresses off the chalkboard before we left. I think… Isn’t that enough? No. No, it’s not. If it was enough, the principal wouldn’t be sending out a letter to some 500 families today. And I wouldn’t feel like hiding. (more…)

My hastily produced rendition of the card in question.

My job, as it always seems to be on Cub Scouts outings, was to protect the children from all things of and having to do with sex. I’m not sure how I keep falling into this role, but I do, and it happened again yesterday at the Cub Scouts tour of the supermarket, of all places.

Sigh. (more…)

Matt Lane giving his speech while I try not to cry.

I couldn’t pay too much attention to their words, or I’d cry. And the mistress of ceremonies shouldn’t cry, right? Not when she has to get up in front of 150 people and persuade them to give money to a good cause, kids with cancer. (more…)