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Blind Couple Reunited With Baby Taken Away by State

Newborns, Medical Conditions, In The News, Amazing Parents

Erika Johnson and Blake Sinnett's daughter, Mikaela Sinnett,was returned to them after 57 days in foster care. Credit: David Eulitt, Kansas City Star / MCT


Erika Johnson and Blake Sinnett of Missouri had a baby. For two days. Then they had a nightmare. State authorities took their baby away because both Johnson and Sinnett are blind.


Following a public outcry, little Mikaela was returned to her parents this week, and authorities were reminded of an ancient truism: None are so blind than those who will not see.

But Johnson tells the Kansas City Star she's not bitter.

Blake Sinnett is guided to his mother's van with Erika Johnson as the two parents left for their Kansas City, Missouri apartment with their two-month-old daughter. Credit: David Eulitt, Kansas City Star / MCT

"I'm a forgiving person," she says. Nonetheless, she adds, she resents the lingering prejudice people in power have against the handicapped.

"Disability does not equal inability," she tells the newspaper.

Mikaela was born May 21 at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo. The Star reports doctors let Sinnett "see" his daughter's birth by feeling the crowning of her head.

According to the newspaper, Johnson's first attempts at breast-feeding were clumsy. A nurse noticed Mikaela's nostrils were covered by Johnson's breast, and Johnson felt that something was wrong. She switched the baby to her other side, but not before Mikaela turned blue.

A nurse wrote on a chart: "The child is without proper custody, support or care due to both of (the) parents being blind, and they do not have specialized training to assist them."

Ralph Lauren Goes Virtual With Stylish New Book

Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Celeb Parenting, Fashion & Clothing


Read a story -- and shop while you're at it -- with Ralph Lauren's new virtual storybook. Credit: Ralph Lauren


Kids often look to TV, movies and music videos for a little fashion inspiration, and now they can add virtual books to their list of style resources.

On Aug. 18, Ralph Lauren is set to launch its first virtual storybook on Ralph Lauren.com and Bloomingdales.com for readers ages 2 to 8. Narrated by Grammy and Emmy award winner Harry Connick Jr., father to three girls, "The RL Gang" tells the tale of eight uber-stylish kids -- four boys and four girls -- who encounter an adventure on their first day back to school.

Of course, there's a large fashion component at work here, too. The virtual book features 24 new looks from the Ralph Lauren children's wear fall collection that parents can simply click to purchase. See something you like, but aren't quite ready to buy? Tuck it away in a virtual closet to possibly return to later.

Fifteen percent of proceeds from the sales for the month after the launch will benefit Connick's charity, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in The Musician's Village in New Orleans.

Reviews: What's New This Week

Toys & Games, Gadgets & Tech, That's Entertainment, Shopping, Music


Here is a look at what's new this week in family entertainment as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.

In Theaters: Ramona and Beezus
Beverly Cleary's beloved book series comes to the big screen in "Ramona and Beezus," a kid-friendly movie about a mischievous little girl and the family who loves her. The central storyline is taken from "Ramona and Her Father" with secondary elements borrowed from other books in the series. It works beautifully thanks to the casting of Joey King, who perfectly captures the free spirit of Ramona Quimby. Rated G, OK for kids 6+

DVD: The Runaways
While most teens will be familiar with the lead actresses in "The Runaways," this film is intended for older audiences. Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning play rockers Joan Jett and Cherie Currie as young girls making their mark on the male-dominated world of rock and roll. No surprise, there's lots of sex, drugs and violence in the realistic retelling of the rise and fall of The Runaways. Rated R, iffy for kids 16-18

TV: If You Really Knew Me
MTV takes aim at teenagers in "If You Really Knew Me," a reality show that lifts the veil on the secret lives of high school students. Each episode takes viewers to "Challenge Day" workshops at different high schools where students open up about who they really are and what their lives are really like. Although it can be painful to watch, the show presents an eye-opening and often inspiring look at the modern teenager. Rated TV-PG, iffy for kids 13-15

Dosing Kids with Drugs to Shut Them Up is Child Abuse, Study Says

Newborns, Babies, Toddlers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Development, In The News, Home Remedies

Does your kid really need that dose of cough medicine? Credit: Corbis

Many over-the-counter allergy and cold medications may cause drowsiness.

Hmm, really?

Quit bouncing off the walls for a minute, son. Daddy wants to give you something ...

Stop! Don't do it! A lot of parents joke about drugging their rambunctious kids into submission -- preferably with one of those tranquilizer darts from "Wild Kingdom."

Using Benadryl as a baby-sitter, however, is a form of child abuse, according to a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.

Dr. Shan Yin, a toxicology fellow at the University of Colorado, led the study and concluds that there are at least 160 reported cases a year where parents severely and maliciously control their children with drugs.

The key word there is "reported." Countless more cases fly under the radar.

D.I.Y. Shower Curtain Draws Kids to the Tub

Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & Tweens, Kid Decor & Style, Shopping

Draw (on) the (shower) curtain. Credit: Grain


"Draw the curtains" just took on a whole new meaning.


The Ty D.I.Y. Edition shower curtain is a blank canvas that just begs for your kids to transform it into their own masterpiece with the included permanent marker.

Breathable #2 PVC-free plastic means there's no toxic vinyl smell, and less of a chance that gross mold and mildew will sprout up. The shower curtain is machine washable, and can be recycled when you're done with it.

Warning: Be prepared to have your kids escort visiting friends and family to the bathroom for a private viewing.

Available at Grain for $33.

Related: Baby Books: DIY Project for Older Siblings

iPad, Read Me a Story

Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Fun & Activities, Media, Gadgets & Tech, That's Entertainment, Books

Reading by iPad app-light. Illustration by Christopher Healy.


Whatever you want to do, there's an app for that: It's already a stale joke.

But, as they say, there's truth in jest. And when it comes to bedtime stories, yes, there's an app for that. Many, actually. And a lot of them are (ahem) not very good. But there are a few picture book apps out there that are mind-blowingly great. Here's a look at just how cool virtual storytime can be.


The Little Mermaid and other stories by Hans Christian Andersen (Game Collage, $8.99)
With the look of a well-worn tome, pulled off the shelf of a long-forgotten library in Grandma's house, the cover of this e-book alone is enough to entice book lovers to dive in. And once you start flicking pages, you'll come across Andersen's original text, augmented by beautifully lifelike three-dimensional illustrations, nearly all of which you can interact with on your iPad. Light and unlight swaying lanterns, swat mosquitoes, pop bubbles, swish the tendrils of sea anemones -- even set off fireworks. These are truly interactive illustrations. There are even neat Easter eggs in the text (tap the word "bells" and you'll hear them tolling). The app also includes equally interactive versions of "The Emperor's New Clothes" and the garden snail fable, "The Happy Family." If you're squeamish, you should love the unbelievably real-looking bugs and slugs that crawl across your iPad screen in that last one.

The New BYOB: Nursing Parties Help New Moms Breast-Feed

Newborns, Pregnancy & Birth, Eating & Nutrition, Development, In The News, Baby Essentials, Breast-Feeding

This party is about boobs, not booze. Credit: Getty Images

It's not the BYOB party you're used to. In fact, there's no alcohol at all. BYOBoobz parties are designed to give nursing moms the support they need when navigating the often frustrating and difficult world of breast-feeding.

The nonprofit group "Best for Babes," the parties launching this fall, AOL News reports. After that, home party kits, which are being developed with input from Facebook fans, will be available for new moms, lactation consultants and others.

Forbes says that her group wants to dispel the notion that breast-feeding is always easy.

"The truth is, it can be difficult and it's messy, and you're dealing with things like leaky boobs," Best for Babes co-founder Bettina Forbes tells AOL News. "But that's part of life, the way anything is. We want to make it real, not a Hallmark card. But not impossible either."

Check out the story on AOL News.

Related:
Breast-Feeding Moms Protest Restaurant

'I See You Have a Family Decal on Your Car. Now I Will Kidnap Your Kids!'

Safety, In The News, Opinions



OK, folks: Quiz time! What are the glaring problems with this letter to Annie's Mailbox -- and Annie's response?

"Dear Annie" (wrote a lady): Years ago people put little placards in their kids' windows so that firefighters could find them in the event of a fire. But then, she continued, these "proved dangerous because pedophiles also knew which bedrooms the children were in."

Americans oh-so-wisely scraped these pervert attractors (and potential child-savers) off their homes, the writer says. But now she sees a very similar problem with the little stick-figure decals that people put on the back of their cars. You know, the ones that show how many kids they've got, and which gender? "Yesterday, I saw a car with two soccer ball emblems in the back window, each with the name of one of two girls. I assume those two girls were their daughters. To me, this is as dangerous as the window placards because any pedophile could follow the car home and target the children in the future. Should I be concerned for these children?"

And she signed herself (perhaps anonymously, so the members of Pedophiles R Us could immediately track her down for ruining their fun): "New York."

Teenage Hoods Knock Off Little Girls' Lemonade Stand

Kids 8-11, In The News, Weird But True, Bullying



Michigan has seen its share of desperate criminals and vicious thugs. Notorious banker robber John Dillinger once hid out in the state.

But even Public Enemy No. 1 would be embarrassed by the current class of criminals.

Police in Pontiac have busted a couple of hoods for knocking over ... wait for it ... a lemonade stand run by three little girls.

In what was almost literally like taking candy from a baby, the Detroit News reports the crooks made off with $40 in cash.

The girls -- a 9-year-old and two 8-year-olds -- were going about their business July 18, when one of the suspects allegedly came up and grabbed the Mickey Mouse jewelry box where they kept their profits.

How to Play: Beach Ball Bumper Pool

Fun & Activities, Kids' Games

Push your way to winning. Credit: Thomas Hawk, Flickr

What you need: You need a swimming pool, ropes, and a beach ball for every player.

How to play: Rope off one section of the swimming pool, and tell the players to get in that section of the pool. Give each player a beach ball. Players will balance themselves on the beach ball by holding on with their arms.

The rules: At the starting signal, players will swim around, balancing on their beach balls, and try to push other players against the rope or wall of the pool. If a player touches the rope or the wall, she is out of the game. If a player loses her balance and falls off her ball, she is out of the game.

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