Punk Rock Christmas

Tony Reflex is yet another pseudonym for O.C. punk rock legend Tony Adolescent, who has graced these pages before. Just saw on Reflex’s personal blog a bitching list of the top-ten not-shitty holiday songs. Or perhaps, yes-shitty, because the songs are mostly about the holidays as they really are: melancholy, fractious, dark, disappointing. It’s a …

Toddlers and Tempers: What’s the Big Deal?

For years now, we’ve talked on this blog about meltdowns and temper tantrums. One of my very first posts, in fact, was about YouTube videos of kids throwing fits. Since then, Sasha has grown into a generally easy 3-year-old—generally easy, that is, except when she’s not. And lately, she’s not more often than ever. These days …

‘Where’s My Christmas?’

Sasha’s “Twinkle Twos” ballet class always starts off the same way: The little girls (and one little) boy gather around the teacher, Miss Marie, who asks them each the Question of the Day. Often, it’s “What’s your favorite color?” (Sasha: “Purple.”) Once, it was “What’s your favorite drink?” (Sasha: “Purple.”) And the other day it …