Tracking Santa's Journey is Part of the Magic of Christmas

NORAD tracks Santa every year, and children can find out where Santa is as he travels the world delivering presents.

While Santa Claus makes his trip around the world, with Rudolph lighting the way, the men and women at NORAD will be tracking his travels and alerting children of his progress. Santa's magic is powerful and much more technologically advanced than that of NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command, said U.S. Army Major Mike Humphreys. Humphreys is stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The command is confident that Santa will be able to handle anything he encounters on his Christmas Eve trip. "We have satellites in space that pick up heat signatures, and those satellites pick up threats," Humphreys said. "Rudolph's nose comes in quite well on those satellite images. We also have 47 radar sites that are able to …

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Hopped On Pop: Mom Talk

Sugar isn't the only ingredient in soda that shakes our kids up.

On a recent vacation, we struggled to find healthy-ish foods for our son to eat. It's hard enough for adults to mind our, ahem, girlish figures, let alone feed our kids. I'm not opposed to the drive thru from time to time. I don't expect Jenny Craig to hand me the bag through the window. However, it surprises me how many places don't serve plain white milk. McDonald's is one place that has stepped up with making meals healthier. Our son loves the apples, certainly more than the fries. He drinks milk almost exclusively. While on this trip, we met another guest at the inn—a body builder. (Did I say body builder? What I meant is that he was by far the largest man I have ever seen, and that includes several pro football players.) We got to …

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The Sentinel

11:37 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012

Loretta, watch the caffiene too. Regular Coke, Pepsi and root beers usually are caffienated and that might make the jitters happen more than sugars. When I do have pop, I'll drink Diet, non-caffienated. Doesn't affect my blood pressure nor my sugar readings. As for taste, I don't get the "aftertaste" that some people do when trying diet pop and I prefer diet Coke (no caffiene) over Pepsi products…   more ›

To Spank Or Not To Spank? Mom Talk

A new study links spanking to mental illness later in life.

Don't underestimate the power of children's desire to please their parents, I read somewhere in a parenting book. For the past two years, that has been my key parenting tool. Now, a study claims to show that spanking children leads to mental illness. That is no surprise to me. I've never been a big fan of spanking. A friend once casually announced that she takes a switch to her daughters if they don't do well in school. The girls shape up right quick, she said. I got the chills. I've never been opposed to a good old fashioned swat on the butt from time to time. It just doesn't seem to be very effective. I also tried slapping Liam's hands. That's a waste, too. Sometimes, I count to three. However, Liam's 2 years old, so he counts right …

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Gossip Hurts At Any Age: Mom Talk

How can we teach our kids a life lesson early?

Gossip, like bullying, is a very painful weapon. As an adult, I’m still getting kicked in the teeth by gossips. As an adult, gossip makes me nauseated. I want to come out swinging, to correct the record. To defend myself. As an adult, gossip hurts my feelings and still makes me cry sometimes — especially when the nastiness and half-truths come from people who claim they are our friends. This a lesson to our children that they are not babies just because they get upset by maliciousness. We all get upset at any age. Words can be very hurtful. There is no wonder why our children suffer so much by hateful words. Kids are still maturing. Their abilities to let things roll off is practically non-existent. How can we teach them to overcome the …

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Kate A.

4:56 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012

I completely agree. I can't believe some people find this 'amusing'. Especially trying to be funny towards a Catholic Church. Great article. I wish some people could actually appreciate it more.   more ›

No Shortage of Easter Activities at 'Egg'straordinary'

MainStreet Plainfield's Saturday event features everything from breakfast and lunch with the Easter Bunny to make-your-own crafts to wine tasting and egg tossing.

Easter will be celebrated morning, noon and night in downtown Plainfield Saturday courtesy of MainStreet Plainfield's daylong Egg'straordinary events. Things kick off at 9 a.m. with Breakfast with Easter Bunny at Larry's Diner and wrap up near midnight with Moe Joe's 7th Annual Bunny Bash and "famous egg throw." Plan your day using this schedule: 9 a.m. to noon: Breakfast with Easter Bunny at Larry's Diner. The kids' special is $4.35 and includes a drink. Call 815-436-3055 to make a reservation. 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Easter crafts and stories at the Plainfield Public Library. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Free spring crafts sponsored by the Plainfield Park District in the Heritage Professional Center foyer. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Follow the downtown "…

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Erin Goes Blagh

Homeschooling: Mom Talk

What's the big deal? Kids can learn as much or more at home.

Homeschooling, like most things, is a personal decision each parent will make. Most families don't have the luxury of the option. Those who do should seriously consider it. Socialization is one of the main excuses I hear from people who are anti-homeschooling. I think that's a bunch of hooey. Children who have brothers and sisters must learn how to be part of a family, to take turns and to be considerate. Those are incredible socialization skills. Also, there are lots of ways kids can learn to be social outside the home. Team sports, group activities, music lessons are all ways to be part of a community. How easily we overlook church activities and volunteerism as social structure. When my nephew started kindergarten, he was adding and …

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andieiam

8:42 pm on Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Correlation does not imply causation. Further, your very unscientific approach has led us to believe that, perhaps, government-led education has left you lacking in the arenas of statistics and research. It does not matter what your opinion of religion is. It does not matter what your opininion is on any topic if the children are not yours. It seems you approve of the nitwittery of the liberal …   more ›

Mom's Videos Teach Kids about Potentially Deadly Food Allergies

Parents already know, Kathy Martini says, so now the goal is to educate children about why they can't eat certain foods.

Editor's Note: Kathy Martini is being featured Thursday as Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day. The series features stories of people across the nation who are making a difference in their community. Congratulations, Kathy! Four years ago during a Christmas party, Kathy Martini’s 2-year-old daughter Caroline snuck a peanut butter cookie at the kids’ table. One bite of the forbidden treat meant trouble. Caroline started coughing and vomiting, and developed hives and a drop in blood pressure. “When I lifted up the napkin and saw a peanut butter cookie I thought, ‘Oh no!’” said Martini, who had heard not to give peanut butter to children until age 3. Luckily, Martini recognized Caroline’s symptoms as an allergic reaction, partly …

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Rain Doesn't Dampen the Holiday Spirit of Candlelight Christmas

Crowds were drawn to the downtown event to build gingerbread houses, make ornaments, watch the church creche be lit and, of course, shop.

The weather outside might have been frightful, but inside patrons embraced the cozy festive spirit as downtown Plainfield kicked-off its holiday season Saturday with the annual Candlelight Christmas. In conjunction with the second annual Small Business Saturday, sponsored by American Express, local shoppers were lured to Lockport Street to write letters to Santa Claus, decorate gingerbread homes, make holiday ornaments, and even pay a visit to the jolly Old St. Nick himself. Despite the steady fall of warm November rain, customers took advantage of the opportunity to spend quality family time while supporting local businesses. “We’re just out here because we like enjoying that we have this little area and supporting the businesses,” said …

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Trick-or-Treat Hours 4 to 7 p.m. Monday

If you live outside the village in an unincorporated area, Halloween hours are 3:30 to 6 p.m., the sheriff's office says.

The village of Plainfield's Halloween trick-or-treat hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Monday. If you live in unincorporated Plainfield or Wheatland townships, the hours are 3:30 to 6 p.m., according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.  Police have also issued these safety tips for trick-or treaters: Safety tips for drivers on Halloween are: The Plainfield Fire Protection District offered these additional Halloween tips:   The Plainfield Fire Protection District has some Halloween fire safety tips to keep your holiday celebration enjoyable.

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More Than 10,000 Books at Library Fundraiser Sale

The Friends of the Plainfield Public Library will also be selling CDs, DVDs and other items at the Friday-Saturday event.

There’s nothing like a good book … except a good book at a really good price. Thousands of titles will be up for grabs this weekend for a buck or less. The Friends of the Plainfield Public Library used book sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the library, 15025 S. Illinois St., Plainfield. The sale also will include titles on this year’s reading lists for middle school and high school students, along with used DVDs, CDs and books on cassette.  “I would love to have $5,000 raised this year,” said Barb Ebeling, president of Friends of the Plainfield Public Library. More than 10,000 books have been collected for this year’s sale, she said. That’s up from last year, when $3,500 was raised and went toward the purchase…

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Sheila Raddatz

8:59 pm on Thursday, August 25, 2011

Can people provide tax deductible donations to the library?   more ›