George Carlin passed away at age 71.  Although he was best known for his adult humor, he was also one of several narrators of the Thomas the Tank DVD’s. (in heavy rotation at our house and I’m sure many of yours).  I had previously joked that I imagined him snapping and saying the “Seven Words That You Can Never Say on the Island of Sodor.” 

(I also did not realize that he also was the voice of the organic fuel selling VW bus, Fillmore, in the “Cars” movie. He only had a few lines).  

Ah, but no one could do the thick fake Scottish brogue for Thomas the Tanks twin engines Donald & Douglas like Mr. Carlin.

Rest in “Peep Peep!”  George.

WCCO TV’s Frank Vascellaro guest blogs for Cribsheet on ideas for getting rid of the pacifier…

Bribes, threats, pleas, even a scheme involving our pediatrician.

We  tried about everything to get our son Joe to give up his pacifier, the nuk ; or as he called it,  the  “bah-bah”. Finally, when Joe was nearly four, and his teeth were actually starting to protrude like a baby chipmunk, we pulled the plug. 

It wasn’t pretty, for Joe or us. However, I am here today to save you the pain, emotional turmoil, and sleepless nights we endured at the Vascellaro home.

I’m a TV reporter and anchor at WCCO. My names is Frank Vascellaro. I  work with wife, Amelia Santaniello. We’re the first married couple in Minnesota to co-anchor a daily news program. More importantly, we are the parents of 5 year old twins and an 8 year old boy.

And as you gathered from our experience with Joe, we’re interested in offering up solutions to parenting problems. We do regular segments on all kinds of real life issues ranging from taking away the pacifier, to paying for college.

Thursday night at 10 on channel 4 we’ll air a story showing tips and strategies for taking away the nuk.The issue gets a little complicated. The American Academy of Pediatrics says you should give your newborn a pacifier to lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. However, the academy of pediatrics doesn’t say how, or when, to take it away.

So, we spoke with a pediatric dentist about how long is too long and the dangers of using a nuk for an extended period of time. I’ll tell you now, there are no hard and fast rules, but there are some decent guidelines. (more…)

My friend Tom is an Angry Asian Guy.

Born and bred in Boston, his Chinese features still beget questioning glances - strangers sometimes slow their speech - and yes, it bothers him (especially since Tom talks faster and more than anyone I know). Since I met Tom four years ago, our conversations have revolved around being Asian in America. He, the American, chafes at being treated like a foreigner while I expect it because I am one.

Once, over dim sum, Tom told us about his friend, Angry Korean American Guy. This friend once kicked in a car containing four white guys at a traffic light after they taunted him by shouting “Ni hao!” as he was walking down the street. “Ni hao,” is of course the Chinese hello.

So I was curious to see what Tom thought of Ni Hao, Kai Lan.

After Dora the Explorer - that cute shouter of Spanish phrases along with English - became a world-wide phenomenon, Nick Jr. set its sights on the next hot language - Mandarin Chinese, creating Kai Lan, a little Chinese American girl.

Kai Lan’s voice, incidentally, is that of Jade Lianna Peters, an 11-year-old from Milwaukee.

When I told him about “Ni Hao, Kai Lan,” Tom looked incredulous, then laughed. I guess it’s hard to be offended by a kids’ show. Even one that, according to the Nick Jr. site, professes to promote such “Chinese American values” as “mind-body connection” and “being a good member of a group” (Aiyaa.)

No such mixed feelings from my girls, 2 and 4. Kai Lan is the first thing Zoe and Maya ask to watch when they roll out of bed on weekend mornings.