HEART & SOUL: First day of school leads a list of starts

And so it begins! Last week I celebrated my 15th first day of school. Amazing to think my kids and I have done this so many times.

FORCES OF NURTURE: No room for his ex's castoff possessions

One night last year, Hubs was doing the usual flipping-between baseball-games-and-cruising-other-channels thing when we stumbled across a sitcom we'd never seen.

Creature feature

Do dogs and cats have emotions? Scientists believe that animals feel emotions like fear, anger, jealousy and happiness, although there is some debate about whether animals are aware of their emotions.

FORCES OF NURTURE: Pain of having kids transcends delivery

So I knew having a baby would be painful. You know, the actual birthing process. That was well covered territory.

Creature feature

I bought an anti-flea product for my dog and I figured I could use it on the cat too. But my wife said they need different kinds of flea stuff. Why can't you use one thing on both animals? Although both species are furry and cute, they aren't the same.

BOOKSHELF

ABC U Later and 1234 U David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim (Random House Children's Books, $6.99 each, ages 0-4 ) These new board books star the Uglydolls, a zany cast of characters usually incarnated as plush dolls.

Lake Nixon offering choices for crafty campers

Arts and crafts skills, with a few updates, are still a staple at summer camp

The rolling hills, picnic pavilions and sandy beach of the summertime day camp at Lake Nixon once represented the whole of recreational activities for Little Rock youth. Many made that pilgrimage down Colonel Glenn Road to the camp, which hosted dance parties for teenagers twisting their way through the 1960s, before its takeover by Second Baptist Church.

HEART & SOUL: Midlife is a time for renewal, not crisis

Who knew, at this age, that we'd be doing so much? Not me. When I graduated from college, I had this crazy notion that when my kids hit high school and started their college years, I'd be taking a break, I'd be easing up.

FORCES OF NURTURE: This 'just girls!' stage, may it last a long time

Sophie's at an age right now when everything is divided by sex.

Creature feature

I saw an advertisement for a dog called a "chorkie" in the paper. I've never heard of a chorkie. A friend mentioned that she thinks it is a designer dog. So, what is a designer dog? Really, it sounds like something Paris Hilton would own.

BOOKSHELF: Grahame's Willows rides second wind with reissues

The years between 1900 and the outbreak of World War I, it has often been remarked, were a golden age in Britain for the writing of children's books.