For some happy campers, their summers are 'beyond belief'

Arlene Streisand has never heard of such a thing. As the founder of Camp Specialists, a national organization dedicated to knowing everything there is to know about summer camps, the idea of a camp for agnostics and atheists was hard to believe. It was also news to Dawn Swindle, spokesperson for the American Camp Association.

However, Streisand and Swindle can believe in things unseen. There really are summer camps in the United States, Canada and Great Britain for atheist and agnostic children.

Who would send their children to a such a God-forsakin' place? Religious people in Great Britain might be asking themselves that question now that activist Samantha Stein has started England's first "Camp Quest" in Somerset, two hours west of London, according to the London Daily Mail.

But Camp Quests are nothing new in the United States and Canada. They've been around since 1996, with locations in California, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Ontario and the Smoky Mountains.

Until 2002, the controversial camps were operated by Free Inquiry Group of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Kentucky lawyer Edward Kagin and his wife Helen came up with the idea for the camps and were the camp directors for the first 10 years. They were inspired, according to the Daily Mail story, when an atheist child was expelled from a Scout camp.

Now Camp Quest Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization.

Kagin's father was a Presbyterian minister. So was his grandfather. In fact, the line of Presbyterian ministers in the family stretched all the way back to John Knox, the founder of the denomination.

"But I went back to school and read the books my father preached against," Kagin told the Chicago Tribune in 2007.

Camp Quest is not anti-God, Kagin told the paper. "We wanted a camp not to preach, 'There is no God,' but as a place where children could learn it's okay not to believe in God," he said.

Quest stands for Question, Understand, Explore, Search and Test. The motto of the program is "Beyond Belief."

In explaining why the camp has ventured into the UK, Stein said: "I think that possibly people are getting tired of the influence religion has on society, possibly an unearned influence, and trying to come up with alternative things that will instill values that they want to transmit to their children."

Bless her heart.

In honor of his 10th Anniversary, SpongeBob SquarePants will be immortalized at the famed Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City, becoming the first cartoon character to receive a statue made entirely out of wax.



(Well -- sort of. Here's the scoop: You' ill find Superman at the museum. But! That's Brandon Routh from the live action Superman movie. Well, how about the Hulk? Hulk is made from wax and fiberglass, as is Superman -- sorry, Brandon Routh as Superman. Plus, SpongeBob is the first figure to be made entirely out of something called "Elven wax." Madame Tussauds seems to be taking marketing tips from Mr. Krabs.)

Now through July 30, fans of all things Bikini Bottom can visit their square-shaped hero for free, on one condition: They must be 12 years old or younger, and arrive dressed in yellow. Because yellow, as they say, is the new black.

The exhibit (which will remain on display after the free admission promo ends) features SpongeBob seated atop a 3-foot-tall jellyfish as part of an interactive recreation of Jellyfish Fields, one of the little yellow dude's favorite haunts. The museum is located at 234 West 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan.

Of course, SpongeBob isn't the only thing to see at Madame Tussauds. Not all of the exhibits are kid-friendly (tip: avoid the "torture from the Medieval era" display), but many are. Check out the gallery for some of our faves.

Theme parks and water parks are gearing up for summer, and the owners (not to mention your kids) are hoping that your family and others don't cut this summer ritual from your entertainment budget. Some parks are offering massive discounts. According to Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, families can get more for their money in 2009 than ever before. "Universal Orlando is offering free tickets for kids, Disney World is offering free dining for the whole family, and Busch and Sea World parks are offering year-long passes for the price of one-day ticket," says Niles.

Families in other areas can reduce day-at-the-park expenses, as well. For our three boys, a trip to Six Flags or a water park always launched our summers. Though getting a family of five in the gates without draining our bank account was a challenge, planning ahead made it possible. Here's how you can cut costs without cutting out fun.

What if you walked into your local public library and there were no books for kids? Or, worse yet, what if your children simply weren't allowed in the library? I don't know about you, but the public library was an integral part of my childhood. We're lucky enough to live near the library I frequented as a child and it still looks very much the same -- with its mile-high ceilings and shelves of books reaching for the sky. But all that might go away when a new federal law goes into effect next month.

Called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the intent is to protect children from lead in games, toys, and clothing. The problem is that the ink used to print books may have trace amounts of lead. That means books need to be tested and, possibly, taken out of circulation. Testing alone could cost between three and six hundred dollars per book. "We just can't afford to do that, and most of the tests would destroy the books. So, we just think this is crazy," said Emily Sheketoff, of the American Libraries Association.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that it "does not want to take books away from kids. We want to encourage reading but also have kids with safe products." The CPSC is trying to develop specific guidelines for libraries, schools and bookstores to find a balance between the need for strict safety and practicality.

If you ask me, books are too important to worry about trace amounts of lead. There are better ways to spend money keeping kids safe -- testing imported products comes to mind.

One of the most stressful things a parent can do is take their kids to Disneyworld. Even if the outrageous prices don't get to you, having to keep an eye on your kids amidst throngs of identically mouse-eared children, waiting in lines longer than the Amazon River, and dealing tired, cranky, past-their-nap-time kids (and spouses) certainly will.

And so, in an effort to be better prepared for the inevitable cases of heart failure, Walt Disney World is installing an additional thirty automated external defibrillators. These will be in addition to the more than seven hundred devices already in place in the park. A spokeswoman for the park noted that the devices are becoming more common in public areas and that many guests are already trained in their use.

I have, luckily, never had to use one of these devices, but I am very used to seeing them around. While they are no more a part of the Disney experience than are fire extinguishers, first aid kits, or phone booths, they are every bit as much of a necessity.

Once upon a time, I had plans to be a world traveler. I explored the Black Rock Desert in my 1959 Land Rover with other Roverfolk and my wife and I wandered all over the western United States and Canada in it. I had plans to cross Europe and Africa from top to bottom and back someday... and then we had kids. These days, a trip to Costco is an major adventure.

Not everyone lets kids keep them tied to home. How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel And Other Misadventures Traveling with Kids is a collection of stories from moms who braved the notion of traveling with their children and lived to tell about it. The book includes a touching tale of a backpacking trip that didn't quite go exactly as planned by our own Jennifer Graf Groneberg.

If you're in the mood for some inspiration to get moving -- or perhaps a warning not to -- I suggest picking up Hot to Fit a Car Seat. You'll laugh a lot, you might cry a bit, but either way, you'll enjoy it.

If you've got kids who were hoping to meet Captain Jack Sparrow, the swashbuckling pirate of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, on your next trip to Disneyland, I'm afraid they'll be out of luck. According to park officials, Jack Sparrow is no longer one of the characters that wander the park due to declining interest, but other sources say differently.

One former Sparrow says that the character has been eliminated due to young women flashing their breasts at the actors playing him. Kids these days certainly seem to have less of an issue with exposing themselves than prior generations, but it seems odd to me that women would reveal themselves to actors in Disneyland. Aside from the whole family-friendly, kids-everywhere part, it's not like it's the real Johnny Depp.

Still, it seems most of the stuff folks under forty do makes no sense to me, so maybe I'm missing something here. Would you do this?

I'm sorry, but this is hilarious. A judge in Fort Lupton, Colorado recently decided to really get some rowdy teenaged noise makers to change their ways by forcing them to listen to Barry Manilow. No, seriously--it's true.

Municipal Judge Paul Sacco sentenced --- kids to listen the vocal stylings of none other than the man who brought us Copa Cabana (oh, you love it--you know you do) after they were found guilty of violating noise ordinances. The wayward youth had, in the past, merely paid the fines for such offenses and then went right back to making noise. Clearly these teenagers had not learned their lesson.

According to a source, Judge Sacco doesn't mind Manilow so much. According to Sacco, who sentences the kids to listen to Barry for an hour, noise has been reduced in their small town. Would you be deterred?

I, like most parents, have experienced the horror that is Chuck E. Cheese -- the restaurant-slash-playground that features kid-sized Habitrails, video games, and something that could, if one were feeling generous, be likened to pizza. Regardless of what parents might think of the place, kids seem to enjoy it.

The times we've had to go (for birthday parties and the like), I've kept a close eye on my kids to make sure that they aren't bothering anyone else, that no one bothers them, and that they don't get lost or hurt. Still, when they disappear into those big, generally opaque tubes, it can be difficult to keep track of them. That's why I've been glad they have their kid check system in place. Everyone in a group gets stamped with a number and kids are not allowed to leave unless they're with an adult with the same number. At least, that's the way it works in theory.

A television station in San Antonio, Texas, acting on a tip from a viewer, tested the system at the five Chuck E. Cheese locations in the area. Of those, four allowed a child to leave with someone other than the adult that brought them. I'm sure that the restaurants in question will tighten up their security and that there will likely be a memo sent to all the stores, but the lesson here is don't count on the kid check program. Keep your eyes on your kids.

Will you be taking the kids to see Santa Claus this year? I know I will. My son will be about twenty months old this Christmas, which I think is about the right time to start in on an ages-old tradition. That tradition includes a lot of magic, mystery, some elves, some reindeer and a list of Christmas desires, mainly toys and treats. It also includes long lines, grumpy toddlers and therefore grumpy parents! This is not to mention those select kids who decide, after hours of waiting, that they are terrified of Jolly Old Saint Nick and freak out once they finally get to sit on his lap.

I live in New York City, so the ultimate Santa encounter is to head over to Macy's on 34th Street to see the jolly old elf--er, one of his representatives. My son is and will be way too young to get rational about Santa Claus. Older kids will inevitably start asking how it's possible for Santa to be in so many places around the world at the same time to hear what each and every kid wants for Christmas. Even older--and therefore decidedly more sarcastic--kids will ask why Santa would bother to set shop up on something as, uhm, pedestrian, as a mall of all places.

Still, standing in endless lines and answering endless questions about Santa--really, that's a road of lies built on one big lie, no? (But, it's a fun lie.)--is part of the tradition, and part of what makes Christmas the holiday it is. I still look at the pictures my parents have of me as a little kid sitting on Santa's lap. My mom puts it out every year as part of the holiday decorations and it always brings a sense of not only nostalgia but also that seemingly lost magic of childhood wonder back to my heart. So, yeah, I'll be waiting in what should be the longest line EVER to see Santa, and put my kid on his lap, and hope that my son gets whatever his little toddler heart desires for Christmas. I'll be getting what I want--a new set of Christmas memories and a little more of that childhood wonder.

Kids' Night on Broadway used to be a once-a-year deal where kids aged 6 to 18 could see a Broadway show in New York City for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. That is a pretty sweet deal, but now it is even better. Beginning in 2009, Kids' Night on Broadway will be offered year round! That means that on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, kids will have the opportunity to experience a Broadway show as well as take advantage of a whole bunch of other special perks like free food at Times Square restaurants, free pre-theater parties and more.

Some of the shows currently included in the freebie offer are The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, The Lion King and Shrek the Musical. Tickets for the February shows went on sale yesterday and tickets for future shows go on sale two months prior to the show date. Visit the Kids Night on Broadway website for details and a link to purchase tickets.

And if you can't make it to the Big Apple for a show, don't worry. Broadway shows on tour around the country will also be participating, so check the Website regularly for one coming to a theater near you.

File this one away in the 'scary but true' annals. Recently, a nine-year-old boy drove to his grandma's house unattended (not that attended would be much better!). The boy, of Gifu in Japan, claimed he learned how to drive from watching his father and from playing video games. The child was caught after local police received reports of an unmanned car moving through the streets. Apparently, the lad wasn't tall enough to see above the steering wheel. No reports on whether or not he was weaving like the blue-haired old lady I imagined when I first read this story.

The parents' biggest mistake, other than making it look easy to drive, was leaving the keys in the ignition of their car. Seizing on that opportunity, the boy thought he'd take a visit to grandma's. How sweet is that--a boy who wants to visit his grandmother. Of course, the child is lucky he didn't hurt himself or anyone else. After getting lost and ending up in a parking lot, the boy was 'apprehended' and delivered unscathed back to his parents, who were given a stern warning by police to keep a better handle on the whereabouts of their vehicle.

I voted today -- yay! I may have just moved and had a baby less than a month ago, but I actually left the house and voted -- wouldn't have missed it for the world. Even better than proudly taking part in the Democratic process, my family went with me. Living in New York City, which is hectic and crowded to begin with, getting my family to the right district and voting was no small feat. That said, with a little patience and perseverance, it was well worth it to include my children in what is sure to be the most historic election of the modern era. But, should I have taken my kids to the polls? And, if so, how did I prepare?

I knew my district's voting location and decided what was appropriate from there. Actually, I say voting anywhere is appropriate for a child of any age because it's never too early to expose them to their right as a citizen of this country and their right to choose. Our voting location was in a school, the ultimate kid-friendly place, so it was pretty easy. I brought snacks and milk and a book to entertain my nineteen-month-old son, and whipped out the sling for my nearly-four-week-old daughter. Yes, she went too, along with my husband; it was a real family affair. We took pictures and chit-chatted with the other folks in line, many of whom had also brought their children. In fact, it was not at all out of place to see kids of all ages roaming about while their parents waited, in good humor, to cast their ballots. Many kids entered the voting booths with a parent. Many wore t-shirts proclaiming their choice of candidate. Interestingly enough, no one was crying (parents or children).

Sure, the lines were long -- we waited for more than an hour -- and it was pretty crowded, but both adults and kids alike seemed to be a-OK with the sensory overload. The chaos was rather organized and the volunteers ran things more smoothly than in the past. And, for the first time ever, a police officer was in attendance. That probably had something to do with the order. Perhaps it was the importance of this particular election, or perhaps it was that school was canceled and the kids had a day off -- one of those beautiful Fall days in New York you hear about but rarely see. It was also first thing in the morning, when everyone was well-rested, recently fed breakfast and still in a good mood. Should you take your child to the polls this evening, after a day of life -- probably not. Oh, heck -- yes, do it then anyway -- let your kid be a part of something huge right along with you!

Babysitters aren't cheap these days and on top of the actual cost you have to figure in the hassle of finding one, instructing them, and, possibly driving them home afterwards. But suppose you've done all that and now you and your significant other are free (Wheee!) for the evening -- what do you do to make the most of the night? How about a movie? Oh, sure, so you can pay seven bucks to listen to someone else's kids just because they couldn't get a babysitter?

There's an alternative, now, if you live near Chicago. Gold Class Cinemas is opening a new theatre that features reclining arm chairs and full waiter service. The theatre will offer wine -- including a $295 bottle of Dom Perignon champagne -- and comestibles such as duck tacos and Wagyu beef burgers. It's unlikely you'll encounter any screaming kids or audience members talking on their cell phones -- tickets are $35, about five times the going rate.

While that might seem like a lot just to see a movie, bear in mind that you're probably already going to be paying nearly that much for the babysitter. It seems to me that it's worthwhile for parents to make their rare nights out something to remember.

Don't worry, I'm not referring to getting coffee. What I mean is, when you go in for a visit, say your annual exam or for a specific reason--like you're pregnant--how much time does your OBGYN spend talking with you? Is it enough? I've read countless articles over the years about how doctors in general are not spending enough time with their patients. Due to the pressures of insurance companies to ever-expand their businesses, for example, doctors are seeing more and more patients and able to give them less and less time. The really good doctors seem to have endless waiting rooms full of eager patients as well, which could mean that you get only a few minutes of his/her time once you actually secure an appointment.

The reason you're seeing an OBGYN might determine how long he or she spends with you. When I visit my OBGYNs, for example, I'm there for pregnancy check-ups. These don't normally take very long at all, and they're very by-the-numbers: Weight taken (fat!), blood pressure checked (low, good), belly measured (sure due date is good, why not), that kind of thing. Then comes the time for questions. How am I feeling, are there any problems, and I resting enough and drinking enough water? Then we check the baby's heartbeat and off I go.

The whole thing takes probably less than ten minutes. It's a whirlwind, but I'm not really designed to be sitting there gabbing all day. Were it an annual exam, it would take longer. There are more tests and questions and most likely the doc wouldn't have seen me a week ago, and then be seeing me next week, and so on. But, do you think you're getting the attention you deserve when you visit the OB or are you just another in a line of vajayjays?