Fran was featured in TIME MAGAZINE's business section

Aidan at the Hard Rock Cafe!!

So Aidan drew this photo of himself singing the U2 song With or Without You and he sang it in The Battle of the Bands a few weeks ago at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood (really Universal Citywalk).

There were 10 little kid bands and 10 big kid bands that played on the stage and OMG was it fun! Imagine being 6 years old and playing there and the week before at the Crash Mansion downtown!!! Imagine being the proud mama!! I haven't become a master of formatting yet, but below the photo is the Hard Rock performance by THE BLUE ROCKERS. Enjoy!


Here's the video from the Hard Rock Cafe. Please leave us a comment and let Aidan know you're a fan!

Here's Aidan playing at the Hard Rock Cafe

Photobucket Album

Aidan takes the stage after making it into the TOP 10!

STAR is the real ROCKSTAR

This is Aidan's homage to himself. It's RockStar guy singing With or Without You!


So this is all very exciting and unexpected. Thank goodness for STAR because it gives Aidan the perfect place to shine. We found a place at Franklin where Aidan can express himself... whether it is ROCKBAND, Hip Hop/Break Dancing, Painting, Comic Book Drawing or what have you. Where the school falls short for a kid like Aidan, STAR was right there filling the gap!! Bravo Paul, Bravo STAR!

That and a certain Mr. KS -- thank you :)-- make it all worthwhile!

When Aidan gets home from school today, we'll add his comments. He's never at a loss for words so please check back for Aidan's latest. Thank you so much!

CRASH MANSION slideshow in last post. HARD ROCK CAFE next Saturday!

So I figured out how to do the slide show (CRASH MANSION), but there are still some kinks -- don't know how to change the title. Next week, there'll be video posted from the Hard Rock Cafe! Please post any comments or questions. Thank you so much.

Aidan's a ROCK STAR -- performing at the HARD ROCK CAFE...

Don't Get Me Started - Part Two -- GIVE THEM A FRICKIN' POPSICLE PARTY!

So about a month and a half ago, my son's kindergarten teacher announced that the class would get a popsicle party when they filled up a jar with popcorn kernels. The kernels would be added to the jar in various arbitrary denominations when the class did something good and kernels would be deducted in various arbitrary denominations when either the whole class or even one child did something that the teacher did not want them to do. (This is the same teacher who gave the ENTIRE class a 5-minute time out because 2 kids didn't sit down on the carpet when she ordered them too -- I WITNESSED THIS SO I KNOW -- they're 5 and 6 years old! and were actually heading to their spots and oh no.... chatting with each other)

So it's over a month and they still have not been deserving of a frickin' popsicle party. Hopefully, the kids don't even care anymore. When I heard about this ridiculous reward system, that afternoon I took my son to buy some organic popsicles and told him he could have a popsicle everyday anytime he wanted one. That there are other more important reasons for doing good things and following instructions --
(read my YELLOW SLIPS SUCK! post to come in the near future)

For example, I don't believe in eating a certain amount of bites of food at dinner in order to get dessert. Eat as much dinner as your body wants. (If we all stopped eating when our body got what it needed, no one would have a weight problem) And so I give my son dessert BEFORE dinner -- most of the time he doesn't even want it. I trust that his body knows what it needs. If I begin to DICTATE how much he should eat, then his body will lose its ability to completely self-regulate. And his body knows what it needs... the secret is staying in touch and being connected with that knowingness. Sorry I digress.

So, Mrs. Kindergarten teacher (name changed) ..... think about these kids. Would you like to build their self-esteem and make them feel good.... even great about themselves? Then let them win once in a while. Give them a popsicle party once a WEEK or for no reason at all. Be a little bit fun for a change. Oooooo, don't get me started.......!!!!!!!!!!!

One more tidbit.... something huge I've learned from being a parent... IT'S JUST AS EASY TO SAY YES AS IT IS TO SAY NO, (I think we're programmed to say no to exert control) SO BEFORE I SAY NO.... I STOP AND ASK MYSELF.. IS THERE A REALLY GOOD REASON NOT TO SAY YES? AND IF I CAN'T THINK OF ONE.... I CHOOSE YES... more and more and more.

Until next time faithful readers. And please please post comments. Thank you so much.

Don't Get Me Started - Part One

So I woke up today just before 6:00am because a special US TENNIS OPEN presale event was happening if you have an American Express card. I need 2 tickets for the Day Session at Arthur Ashe on August 29th (hint.. hint! - if you know anyone with a box?)

And wouldn't you know.. my computer took 45 minutes just to boot up. I hear Mercury may be in retrograde which would explain a lot. So by the time, my computer was able to boot up and get online, all the tickets for that day and session were gone. To scalpers I'm sure, and it was so frustrating. The phone lines were jammed of course and my stupid computer was completely uncooperative. Which seems to be a pattern. It's time to get a new one. This time I want a MAC, probably a ProBook.... any suggestions?

Anyway, now I need to find tickets to that Friday 8/29 Day session. I'm pretty sure I have tickets to the Yankees-Red Sox game on the Thursday and this would just make the week perfect. Last year a friend came through with box seats for no charge to me and that would be just perfect again this year. We'll see.... Mitchell!!

Waking up that morning at 5:45 and not being able to get tickets anyway was one frustrating morning. Is it possible that I asked for it and DIDN'T get it? NOT. I know that something really special will show up for us instead, in an unexpected way!!

Everything Hillary 50% Off -- Memorial Day Weekend Sale!

So I just did my mileage run to JFK and returned via DC, Dulles Airport, where I lunched with Iva -- my business partner at Legal SeaFood! Yum. Didn't sleep on the redeye out, instead caught 2 magnificent films -- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (very disturbing, but brilliant) and AUGUST RUSH (Whoa!). When I got to JFK, all I did was ask some one if I could be his guest in the Red Carpet Club - the United First Class lounge - where it was very quiet and I was able to sleep a couple of hours.



Then it was back on the plane to DC where I dined with Iva, then back to LA. That plane had plenty of room to spread out so I napped on and off and read the entire New York Times from cover to cover!!! Can't remember the last time I did that.



While in the DC airport, there was a store called AMERICA with life-sized cardboard cut-outs of Obama and McCain flanking a table full of Obama and McCain for President stuff and in the center a sign that read "Hillary 50% off!" Sort of caught my eye! I mean they did kinda jump the gun!