Switched at Birth - Man Says He's Lucky to Have Two Mothers
"People teased me when I was younger," says George. "They said: 'You're a Churchman' ... but I didn't want to know."
What was suspicion became truth. At the age of 57, long after George had moved to the U.S., the two men finally had a DNA test and discovered they'd been switched at birth. Born just two hours apart on Christmas Eve in 1946 in Dunedin, New Zealand, they'd been placed in the wrong bassinets at the hospital.
This week George flew back to New Zealand to surprise the mother who never had a chance to raise him, Helen Churchman, on her 82nd birthday. "I feel I've two families," George said. "And I've been so lucky to have had two mothers." There's also a big blow-out planned for the reunion of the two changelings.
Amazing Parent-Child Reunions
Utah Woman Reunites with Son After 32 Years
Terri Fuller of Utah reconnected with the son she gave up 32 years ago, Rustin Hawve, thanks to a typo and an Internet search.
Courtesy KSL
Elizabeth Smart
When Elizabeth Smart disappeared from her Utah home in 2002, her family was devastated -- but they never gave up hope. Smart, who had been abducted by drifter Brian David Mitchell, was held for nine months before being returned to her family. Most amazing, though, is that Smart seems to have emerged from the experience unscathed, recently telling People magazine, "I'm not sorry this happend to me anymore, because it made me grow up."
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Kidnapped boys reunited with parents
In 2002, then-eleven-year-old Shawn Hornbeck was abducted by a man named Michael Devlin. Four years later, Devlin abducted a 13-year-old, Ben Owenby; the ensuing manhunt lead police to Devlin's apartment. Both boys were rescued and reunited with their families.
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Ingrid Betancourt reunited with children after six years in captivity
French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was held captive by Columbian rebels for six years; she was reunited with her children, who were 13 and 16 at the time of her capture, after a daring military raid and rescue.
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2 month old quake survivor reunited with parents
After surviving the earthquake that devastated parts of China, two-month-old Anqui was separated from her parents during an airlift. But the baby and her worried mom and dad were all reunited within days, and all have made a full recovery.
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British mum reunited with son she put up for adoption
When Audrey Gilder became pregnant at 18, she had no choice but the put the baby up for adoption. 62 years later, she was reunited with him, after learning that he lived less than 20 miles from her.
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DNA test reunites tsunami baby with parents
After a tsunami devastated his home in Sri Lanka in December of 2005, "Baby 81" was claimed by dozens of families desperate to find their lost children. Eventually, the tot was reunited with his parents after a DNA test proved conclusively whose baby he was.
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Separated Chinese twins find each other in America
A pair of fraternal twin sisters abandoned a week apart in China and adopted by different families in America were reuinted when their mothers met on an adoption message board. The girls, both named Mia, live 1400 miles apart in the US, but see each other as regularly as possible.
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Kidnapped boy returned to mom after 11 years
In 1996, Walter Mitchell abducted the 9-month-old son of his live-in girlfriend in Phoenix, Arizona. In December of 2007, the FBI found Mitchell at his parent's home in Peoria, AZ with the child. The then-twelve-year-old boy was reunited with his mother shortly after.
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Puppies save boy lost in forest
Three-year-old Jaylynn Thorpe may not have known how to keep himself warm when he was lost in the forest, but he had a couple of buddies with him with some pretty good instincts. Two puppies who wandered away with Jaylynn slept up against the boy all night while searchers were looking. "Momma, I got cold," Jaylynn told his grandmother. "I slept in the woods last night. The puppies kept me warm."
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Weekend Fun and Games
At the Movies
In Phoebe in Wonderland, a defiant nine-year-old girl suffers from a disorder that manifests itself in compulsive and often destructive behavior. Her strange world is populated by confused adults, aggressive children and a resentful younger sibling. Although this quirky drama centers around a child, its content, theme and language make it too mature for younger viewers. Rated PG-13, OK for Kids 13+
DVD
Class differences, cultural issues and romance feature prominently in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. After being dog-napped and whisked away to Mexico, pampered pooch Chloe gets a first-hand look at how the other half lives. There are threats of violence from a menacing dog and his owner, but in the end nobody gets hurt. Kids will love the cute talking dogs and parents will appreciate the message that money isn't everything. Rated PG, OK for Kids 5+TV
When slipped into the shoes of her grandfather's repair shop customers, Franny's Feet take her on adventures around the world. Walking in the shoes of others, she visits far-flung destinations where she learns about racial and cultural differences. Making friends and solving problems while learning about the world in which she lives, Franny Fantootsie takes kids on a magical journey of learning and fun. Rated TV-Y, OK for Kids 3+
Books
Based on the true story of Greg Mortensen, Three Cups of Tea takes readers on an inspirational journey as the American mountain climber works to build schools in poor areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although intended for children as young as 8, the intricacies of politics and corruption may be a little over their heads. OK for Kids 9+Music
Once again, U2 takes their activist ideals and sets them to music with their latest album, No Line on the Horizon. Though sometimes grim, the songs are a timely "call to action" urging listeners to get involved. These news headlines brought to life with an upbeat sound are sure to appeal to politically-minded teens. OK for Kids 15+
Web
Miss O and Friends offers an online destination for creative tween girls who want to do more than shop and play dress-up. They can do that here, but they are also encouraged to explore their artistic sides with calligraphy, writing and cooking activities. Featuring a group of multicultural friends, Miss O and Friends includes lots of free content as well as a 99-cents-per-month Club Plus membership option. OK for Kids 8+
11-Year-Old $11K Richer After Selling Happy Meals Collection
Luke Underwood from Notts, England, turned his own Happy Meal collection into a tidy sum of cash when he sold it at auction for an astonishing £8,130 (that's over $11,000)! The Mail Online reports his 7,000-piece collection of Mickey D's promotional items -- toys, boxes, posters and more -- was sold in 300 lots to buyers from around the world, proving the Happy Meal slogan true: Do you believe in magic?
Happy Meals, Happy Boy
He's Lovin' It
11-year-old Luke Underwood is over $11,000 richer after his extensive collection of Happy Meal memorabilia was sold at auction.
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
"I didn't really want to sell it but now I'm planning on saving the money so I can buy something else like this and make some more money," Luke said.
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
Bidders from across the globe competed for parts of the 7,000-piece coveted collection -- believed to be one of the largest of its kind.
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
Luke's father, Philip Underwood believes his son is a shrewd businessman. "Luke's got quite a knack," he said. "I can give him £10 and he can turn it into £20 just like that. The other week he bought a pushbike for £20 and sold it for more than £100."
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
"This was one of the most unique collections ever to go on the market and the response was phenomenal," said Terry Woodcock, owner of Unique Auctions, Lincoln, U.K., where the sale took place.
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
"It's quite sad really to see it all split up," said the owner of the auction house where Luke's collection was sold. "I still believe this should be in some form of tourist attraction because young children would have loved to see it."
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
The Underwood family knew it was time to sell Luke's collection when it began to take over their home. "It was all over the house -- the front room, the kitchen and the landing," said his father.
RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY
Not only did Luke keep his collection from gathering dust on a shelf, he did not play with or touch the toys at all. Not once. Many items were in pristine condition inside their original packaging, including the only known complete set of the 101 Dalmatians. "This was one of the most unique collections ever to go on the market and the response was phenomenal," says Terry Woodcock, owner of the auction house where the sale took place.
It is estimated that 10,000 Happy Meals would have to have been eaten in order to amass such a collection. But before you head out to the drive-through, you should know that Luke did not eat those meals himself. At the age of seven, he convinced his father to purchase another Happy Meals collection (dating from 1990 to 1999) for about $350. Four years later, after the collection began taking over the family home, he was persuaded to part with it.
"I didn't really want to sell it but now I'm planning on saving the money so I can buy something else like this and make some more money," Luke counters.
If past performance is any indication, Luke should do quite well with his future investment plans. In fact, maybe he could give some advice to the pros on Wall Street.
Teen "Sexting" Isn't All That Dangerous
Teens & tweens, Media, Gadgets & tech
When I was a teenager, our parents worried that we were having sex, but they didn't think about whether or not we were taking nude photos of ourselves and passing them around at school. These days, though, kids are having cybersex at an alarming rate -- or so the media would have you believe. One recent study found that 20 percent of teens admit to texting racy photos of themselves to friends and classmates. School administrators argue that the numbers are far higher than that.
"Sexting" is a terrible idea, clearly, but is it really dangerous, or just stupid? Concerned parents and teachers say it is incredibly dangerous, putting kids at risk for all kinds of sexual attacks. That photo your daughter takes for her boyfriend could easily find its way onto the Internet, where crafty pedophiles have access to it -- and to your daughter.
At least, that's the claim.
Scary Cyber Attacks
Teen Commits Suicide Over MySpace Hoax
A cruel prank leads to terrible tragedy, and murder charges for the perpetrators.
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djayo on SXC
Facebook Group Sends Teacher to Therapy
And the kids who created it were suspended.
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Bubbles on SXC
Fake MySpace Page Destroys Teen's Reputation
A malicious, random attack led this 4.0 student all the way to Dr. Phil in an attempt to clear his name.
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YouTube
Attack Recorded on Cellphone, Posted to Facebook
These middle school students shared their violent video with some online buddies, and wound up suspended.
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smitea on SXC
Online Attacks Spur Real-Life Violence
Two girls attempts to retaliate against a cyberbully led to a street fight.
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SXC
Investigators Posing as Teens Propositioned for Sex
Staff members of the New York Attorney General signed up for Facebook pretending to be teens and were repeatedly asked if they had any "nude pics" to share -- and it gets worse.
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forwardcom on SXC
The Real Threat Might Surprise You
According to a new report, your kids are in greater danger from cyberbullying than they are from online sexual predators.
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ArminH on SXC
Predators Aren't Who You Think
Worried about adults with foul intentions posing as teens online? Chances are they're not the ones hitting your kids up for sex -- but the real culprits are even worse.
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bruno-free on SXC
Daily Cutie - True Colors
A big thank you to Project Jer for ending our week with such a unique and colorful photo.
If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll highlight an image every day. Remember: we're on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on our main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.
LookBook - Image of the Day
Think your baby is the cutest of all? Our answer is a 2.0 style cutie-pie contest. Click on for a collection of the most adorable baby pictures we could find. Want to show off your own? Click here to send us your pictures.
Blushing Babe
Rosy-cheeked babies pull our heart strings every single time. Thanks to robax for such a great shot of this adorable wee one. -- 1/9/2009
robax, Flickr
Snoozin' Stripes
All of these colorful patterns sure don't seem to keep this cute baby awake. Thanks to DtotheV for this glimpse at their precious tyke! -- 1/7/2009
DtotheV, Flickr
Double Lean
We've all been there - trying to get our littlest tykes to sit upright for a photo. These cuties seem to be experiencing a domino effect! Thanks to Naasif and Kim for this adorable photo.
-- 1/6/2009
Naasif and Kim
Face Off
It's either you or me, Elmo. Only one of us gets the spotlight today. Looks like PAC 412's little one doesn't mess around! -- 1/5/2009
PAC 412, Flickr
Little Peanut
Apprehension, Anticipation, Glee. Looks like Greg Gladman accurately captured many expressions of the holiday season. --12/31/08
Santa Cutie
Hearts are aflutter over this little Santa! Thanks to Dhanny for this precious portrait. --12/30/08
Un-Merry Christmas
Don't worry little tot, the holidays are almost over. Thanks to ESnod for giving us a little sympathetic giggle this afternoon. --12/29/08
Christmas Reflections
Amidst ornaments and gifts, this little one is learning the art of a quick peek. Thanks to Shayne Marie Casto for this beautiful photo.
Shayne Marie Casto, Flickr
Baby in the Bubble
This tot artfully photographed by BethLo surely won't bust your bubble. -- 12/23/2008
BethLo, Flickr
Jon Gosselin - Caught in the Rumor Mill
Except for Jon and Kate Gosselin, and possibly a handful of college coeds, no one knows for sure whether the reality television dad is finally showing off a bad-boy side -- or if it's his doppelganger. What happened? Yesterday Star Magazine reported that the "Jon and Kate Plus 8" star was recently seen partying with some Juniata College coeds. And now it seems that the following night he was caught canoodling with a long-legged blond at a local bar.
Juniata is in Huntingdon, PA, where Gosselin's mom lives. According one gossip Web site, he has been living apart from Kate since February and is staying with his mother.
Gosselin reportedly showed up -- uninvited -- at a bash thrown by seniors Erin Albert and Mariel Little last month, and played beer pong with members of the women's volleyball team.
"He was acting like a drunk, girl-chasing frat boy," Babble quotes one team member as saying. "It really disturbed me. On the show he is so nice, but here, he was acting like an idiot."
What's makes this story even harder to believe is that the next night Gosselin was spotted out again at a local bar. "He was dirty dancing with several girls from the volleyball team, making out, kissing them on their necks and mouths," a witness said. "He was all over one girl, a long-haired blond who's nearly 6-feet-tall. He left with several of the girls, including her."
Was it really him? That's the big question being asked by legions of fans who know the 31-year-old as a loving dad to his 8-year-old twins and 4-year-old sextuplets, a caring and attentive husband and an all-around nice guy.
In a ParentDish poll out yesterday (so far, 40,000 of you have weighed in!), just about 30 percent of readers tell us it really doesn't matter. "Cut him some slack - he deserves a night out!" Fifty percent of you are a little less understanding, saying that he's allowed to get away, "but not with co-eds." And the rest disapprove: "He needs to be home with his kids, not drinking with someone else's."
Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8
Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you had one more child? How about two more? How about SIX more?
Four years ago, Jon and Kate Gosselin went from being parents of two to parents of eight, and their lives have never been the same.
Getty Images
Today we all have a window into that life on TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. And of course, part of peeking into someone else's life is hypothesizing how we might do things differently or better, because it's always easy to imagine what you would do in someone else's shoes.
What is harder to imagine is what it would really be like to walk in those other shoes -- what's it like to wake up every morning and be Kate Gosselin? ParentDish had a chance to ask her just that recently.
TLC.Discovery.com
In a normal week, the Gosselins have a television crew in their house about half the time, which is a lot, if you think about it. And while they will occasionally opt out of filming specific moments with their kids, the Gosselins have no editorial control over the show -- what you see is what you get, packaged by a team of folks at Discovery and TLC. But, Kate says, this is reality TV, and it accurately reflects life at the Gosselin house; nothing is pre-planned or made up. "We don't have time to memorize scripts," she jokes.
I believe that.
"We set out to show the truth," Kate says, "I couldn't watch it if it weren't true." What you see, in every televised moment, is precisely what is happening -- no stage directions or do-overs. This is life at the Gosselin house.
Getty Images
Kate Gosselin has gotten quite a bit of flak, both from the media and from viewers, for the way she treats her husband; the two are often shown bickering during the show. Kate says the criticisms don't bother her; she doesn't Google herself or make a practice of reading about herself on or off line. "Everyone has an opinion," she says, "and I'm only paying attention to my own." But she does admit that the way the show is edited affects how people see her family and her marriage. "If Jon and I have three spats over a two day period, they're going to edit it to make it look like those happened in the 22 minute period." The show is just a small slice of her family's life, after all.
TLC.Discovery.com
Kate is clearly focused not on what goes on outside her family but on her children. Her goal, she says, is to treat each child like an only child -- a hard thing to do when you're the mom of eight. "I hold myself to a very high standard," she says. At the same time, though, she's not trying to be perfect, or even to appear perfect to viewers of the show. She's just living her life.
And yes, she's living it with television cameras in her house, but it's still her real life. Kate says that while the experience of being on television has changed her life, it hasn't changed who she is. She says the same about having eight children -- "It's hard to live through what we have lived through and not change. We are the same -- it's how people treat us" that is different.
Getty Images
One of the hardest things about her family, Kate says, is the noise; there are days when the older girls, Cara and Mady, come home from school and their reports about what they have done are drowned out by the noise of the sextuplets. More than anything, she says, she longs for peace and quiet -- otherwise, she would not change a thing about her life.
Getty Images
Kate finds the humor in her life -- recently, she partnered with P&G to help promote some of their brands, including Bounty paper towels, which she refers to as "my weapon of choice." She also laughs about the end of nap time at the Gosselin house; the sextuplets are four now and no one, Kate says, naps any more. But it's a rare night that the family gets through dinner without someone dozing off at the table. Recently, Jon said, "I think we can kiss goodbye ever having a family dinner again." A good night, Kate said, is when the kids push their plates out of the way before they fall asleep.
You have to laugh about that, and Kate Gosselin does.
Getty Images
The Gosselins have a strong faith in God; they are often seen on the show wearing t-shirts with scripture on them and attending church. But despite the fact that the show doesn't highlight their faith, the Gosselins see it as an opportunity to share what they believe. Their website, The Gosselin 10, includes prayers and devotionals, and Jon and Kate travel around speaking to various churches and groups about their life and faith. The show, Kate says, has given them this opportunity to share what they believe.
Amazon.com
And for the Gosselins, being on television is about opportunity, not fame. The show has opened a variety of doors for them; Kate and Jon both work from home, which makes their life as parnents of eight more manageable. But it's not easy by any means -- there are days, Kate says, when she and Jon work until midnight.
Kate has three pieces of advice for other parents. "Every morning, before my feet hit the floor," she says, "I pray for strength, just enough to get through that day." She reminds parents that a sense of humor can get you through nearly everything -- laugh, she says, don't cry. And finally, the most important lesson of all: "Always remember that bedtime comes, every single day."
sixgosselins.com
Rick Springfield - 7 Questions on "His Precious Little One"
Babies, Celeb parenting, That's entertainment
Rick Springfield has an appeal that spans generations. My mother, my wife and my babysitter all were, like, totally excited that Dr. Noah Drake, the dude who sang "Jesse's Girl," is releasing a new album of a very different sort -- lullabies. ParentDish spoke to Springfield about his new CD, his kids and his years on General Hospital.What can people expect from a Rick Springfield lullaby?
They're like baby pop songs. I wrote them when my kids were first born in the mid-80's.[Liam and Joshua are now 23 and 20, respectively.] I found them recently and was surprised at how charming they were. They brought back a lot of great memories, so I decided to launch it and see what would happen.
Was it difficult to sing lullabies after a rock career?
No, it's stuff that I've written and it came from my heart. I'm a little nervous, because it's so open. I didn't edit them or anything, because I wasn't intending to release them when I first wrote them in 1985. I just did them for my kids, and we gave them to a couple of friends, and that was pretty much it. I'm a little nervous about it.
Is Your Kid a Sore Loser?
Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11
Recently, a mom at her wit's end wrote a letter to Dear Abby: What should I do, the mother worried, with a sore loser? It seems that her 10-year-old son, "Harry," ends up in tears if he doesn't always win -- and has no problem with cheating, if it'll help. "We have told Harry repeatedly that games are supposed to be fun," writes the mom, "but he seems unable to grasp the concept."
As a general rule, of course, no kid likes to lose. A certain amount of sulking and crying is perfectly normal, say the experts. Especially for little ones, who lack the vocabulary to express their emotions with words.
But by age 10? Come on, Harry. Keep it together. Unless, perhaps, mom is leaving out a key part of the story. Maybe, just maybe, mom and dad have problem with losing, too.
Neil Gaiman, TV Time, and Nature-Inspired Baby Names - Links We Love
You want to create a family budget, but aren't sure how to get started. Here's a good place to start: Keep track of your receipts for one month. -- Alpha MomSame-sex birthday parties are a common way to manage the headcount at birthday parties, especially if you can't afford to or don't want to invite the whole class. But what if your child's best friend is the opposite sex? -- Babble
Pregnant moms need their rest ... so why don't pregnancy and sleep go together? Here are five tips for pregnant moms to get more sleep, even with the kicking and the back pain and the endless trips to the bathroom. -- LilSugar
Couldn't get enough of Coraline? Then get that library card ready: Neil Gaiman and Dave McKeen team up in The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. -- Cool Mom Picks
The latest word on using TV as a babysitter: Educational videos won't make your kids smarter, but TV won't lower their IQ either. But it might turn them into tiny couch potatoes. -- Motherlode
April showers bring May flowers ... and springtime babies. Get inspiration from the natural world with these nature-inspired baby names. -- CafeMom
It's hard for moms to make "me" time, but the end result is usually worth the effort: It makes us better mothers. How do you spend the time you carve out for yourself? -- Work It, Mom!
Niki Taylor passes on her perfect genes once again: Daughter Ciel Taylor Lamar was born Wednesday morning in Nashville. -- Celebrity Baby Blog
Naked in front of the kids -- when does it become an issue? The short answer: When it starts to be one. -- MomLogic
We all want our kids to learn to eat healthy foods, but when food obsession goes too far, it can lead to food anxiety and eating disorders. Do you worry too much about what your kids eat? -- The Mommy Files
Sasha And Malia Get Surprise Swing Set
Fun & activities, Celeb parenting
The adorable first daughters had a nice surprise when they got home from school yesterday. Not the puppy (not yet, anyway), but something almost as good -- a brand new wooden swing set.They squealed with delight upon seeing it, said a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama. "They ran right for it. They were really, really excited. All four of them."
Not just any swing set. This one is made from 100 percent cedar and North American Redwood and has "four swings, a slide, a fort and a climbing wall."
The only feature that probably will not make it into the lawns of American families nationwide is "a picnic table with brass plates etched with the names of all 44 presidents." Nice touch, as is the location: within sight of the oval office. I imagine the Prez will be able to peek out at the girls getting some fresh air.
