at a concert, and the crowd joins in.  Cute.

She posted it on Twitter.

My favorite part is where he says he, “would never want a book’s autograph.”

A couple of months ago I posted on some terrific apps for parents.  This time around I’m singing the praises of some cool apps for the little people. God bless the iPod Touch.  Not only does it keep me organized and connected, it keeps my kid entertained in situations where he would normally go nuts, like the waiting room at the doctor’s office, or that long long check-out line at the grocery.

Here are my preschooler’s Top Ten Favorite iPod Apps, in no particular order:

Bubble Wrap:  Almost as satisfying as the analog version.

Koi Pond:  Virtual fishies in a pretty pond.  Touch the water to make ripples and scare the fish.

Google Earth:  Not really for kids, but mine likes zooming around and down to earth from space.

MiniPiano:  Songs with more than two notes are so over-rated.

Labyrinth:  He calls this one, “My Balls!  My Balls!”  He never seems to request it until we’re in that long long check-out line at the grocery.

The Wheels On The Bus: It features the song in several languages.  Poke the people on the bus and they do funny things – just like in real life.

Fluid:  A lot like Koi Pond, but without the koi.

Air Hockey:  Smooth movement and satisfying sounds like the real game.   It features a Kiddie level and the option for one or two players.

ABCs Match Game:  He never actually remembers and makes a real match, but when he accidentally turns over the same two letters he hollers, “I did it!”

Spawn:  I don’t even know what to call this app.  It’s like a screen saver doo-jig except you can make the fireworks spread out with your fingers.

Leave your application suggestions in the comments.

I read an interesting article in the latest issue of The New Yorker about The Marshmallow Task.

The Marshmallow Task is an experiment that was conducted on children at a nursery school in the late sixties.  The children were between the ages of four and eight.  The child was asked to sit alone in a room with a marshmallow.  The instructor would tell the child that he or she could wait and have two marshmallows when the instructor returned, or ring a bell on the table and the instructor would return immediately and the child could eat the marshmallow, but the child would not get a second marshmallow.

It’s a fascinating study in self-control and delayed gratification. It resonated with me because we’re entering the realm of teaching patience to our going-on-3-year-old, and I’m not sure he’s old enough to grasp the concept.  Most days it seems futile.

How young were your children when you made an attempt at teaching patience?  What are some of the ways in which you’ve tried to teach your child how to exercise patience?

You know what I always forget? That Jessica Simpson is a singer.

A post I read this morning has me thinking about swearing.  The author of the post doesn’t swear much herself, which I find admirable.  She writes that she doesn’t mind her friends’ swearing in person, however she simply cannot tolerate swear words in the written form.

Really?  My first question to her would be, ‘Then what books do you read?’  I don’t think I’ve read a book — including the young adult fiction I’m so partial toward — in years that didn’t have swearing in it.

I don’t mind swearing unless you’re using an epithet.  Then I mind.  There are several phrases people throw around that I won’t tolerate out loud or written down; they’re much worse than curse words.  Never use the phrase “white trash” in my presence.  Think about what qualifying it with that specific adjective infers.  Do not say “retard or retarded” around me, and don’t use the phrase “ghetto” in front of me, or I might just make you explain it.

Anyone who knows me well will tell you I am good at cursing.  I am colorful and creative.  I also possess the disc jockey’s gift for being able to turn off the cursing the instant the mike is hot.  Every talented disc jockey has this strange gift.  One second you are sitting in the studio having a lively, F-word S-word A-word filled conversation with your fellow deejays or a guest, and the next moment you have clicked on the microphone and are speaking on the same subject without so much as a “friggin’.”  It’s weird.

The gift has come in pretty handy since we’ve had a kid.  When Isaac started talking, my husband and I realized our gutter language had to go.  I find myself using “son-of-a-biscuit” or the occasional “fiddlesticks”, but once in a while I will accidentally hiss the S-word under my breath.  Do you know what to do when you hear the S-word repeated to you in a tiny little hiss from the backseat?   You holler, “No, Mommy said shoesies!”  And if your child is like mine, he or she will gleefully exclaim, “Shoesies!” the rest of the way home.

I’m not perfect, but I’m pretty good about not cursing in front of my kid.  The booty from my swear jar couldn’t buy a pack of gum.  What I really don’t have a handle on is my friends’ potty-mouths.  The friends who do not have kids are so used to having comfortable cuss-laced conversations in my home that they don’t always think about the fact that there is a preschooler sitting on the floor playing and soaking up EVERY word they are saying.  Oh, sure, he appears to be quietly building a ramp for his cars out of foam blocks, but inside that little head there’s a secretary taking down the minutes of this meeting – in great detail.

I can’t seem to bring myself to say something to friends who curse around my kid.  I usually kind of give a big-eyed glance in the direction of the child, hoping the friend will catch on.  Sometimes they do.

Do you swear in front of the kids?  Do you ever correct your friends for swearing?  Do you have a swear jar?