I'm launching a new effort on my blog in the interest of saving relationships and humanity. Because quite frankly... love jams & sexy songs should NEVER come from the likes of Celine Dion. EVER. That, and I LOVE good music. So from time to time, expect some of my favorites to show up here.

My inaugural pick may seem an odd one- but it showed up when the iPod was in shuffle mode last night. Sure, it sounds like someone may be dying, but Eddie Vedder said in an interview about it that it was the closest Pearl Jam ever got to a love song. And it moves me...

We knew I was a bit of a nerd early on in life. The only thing better than Saturday morning cartoons, was for ME... the educational Schoolhouse Rock series. I was reminded of them last week, when I found myself trying to explain what an interjection was to my 4 year old. I broke into song. My 12 year old rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, but eventually I had them both planted in front of YouTube with me, walking down memory lane and learning something in the process. I was surprised (and my older girl theatrically horrified) to find that I still know these suckers WORD FOR WORD. No surprise too, that they hold up.

I'd forgotten how many there were. Math, grammar, history, science. An impressive collection really! Here are a few of my personal favorites. Share 'em with your kids, or just enjoy the flashback...

File this under the "no good deed goes unpunished... especially when you're a parent" category.

When my pre-schooler was invited to a Super HERO costume party, I decided to step up and be Super MOM. With all girls in my house, I have plenty of princess paraphernalia, but no caped crusader costumes. So I decided to bust out my sewing machine and make her an ORIGINAL. Cool, right? She thought so. She was out of her mind with excitement. I stayed up into the wee morning hours, machine humming, hot glue warming, and turned out (if I do say) the CUTEST blinged-out cape you've ever seen.

I was on early shift the next day and left before I could see what I KNEW would be her ecstatic reaction. What I got instead, was a phone call from my husband Scott telling me she was crying her eyes out. I personalized the cape. With the LETTER "A". She was devastated that people "would know who she was".

Like the college roommate from Hell, thieving milk moochers can be found in the workplace too. They take without asking, sometimes even helping themselves to the very last drop.

Following a series of experimental approaches to stop the pilfering of his pasteurized products, our assignment editor Michael Clarke has struck upon a helpful deterrent. Hemp milk. Sounds just nasty and foreign enough to keep people's paws off his carton.

First he made the switch to soy milk. Someone still siphoned from his supply. Next he tried almond milk... and rice milk...

Hemp has done the trick, but evildoers beware~ if you DO get brave (or desperate enough) to take a little nip outta Clarke's carton... he backwashes.

This beauty has been floating around the web for years, but I believe this is a somewhat revised edition. I'm going to share it with you, and will be printing several copies for handing out as needed in the coming years.

**UPDATE** So terribly sad to report that despite "Herculean" efforts, sweet little Hercules didn't make it. The BHRSC folks sent out a heartfelt thanks to those of you who donated, and said those donations will go to the vet bills that piled up while they tried to save him. I'm lucky to have such awesome friends & listeners... thanks for helping!

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I'm SUCH a sucker for the sad eyes and slobbery jowls of Basset Hounds. I'm hoping you will be too. The amazing people at Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California (BHRSC) have sent out an urgent request that I'm all too happy to share. I've volunteered with this group. They are totally  legit and do amazing things for the SWEETEST, most lovable breed in the world (not that I'm biased).

Hercules (pictured above) is a very sick pup. He's a rescue basset with Parvo. A vet is trying to save him, and has generously offered to cover a portion of his care. But this small non profit is going to need some help scraping up the rest of the money. Here are details, directly from an email sent out to volunteers this weekend.

He is a 1½-year-old guy BHRSC just sprung from the shelter.  He is dehydrated and weak. Volunteers and doctors have been working nonstop to do all they can to help him pull through.

Parvo is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces. It can be especially severe in dogs that are not protected by maternal antibodies or vaccination. It has two distinct presentations, a cardiac and intestinal form. The cardiac form causes respiratory or cardiovascular failure in young dogs. Most dogs, when caught with the virus early, have a 75% chance of recovery.

Hercules is not out of the woods and the next few days will be critical. The doctor gave him a fair prognosis and we are hoping the little guy will pull through.

The vet we are working with has generously offered to cover a portion of the costs of his care. But BHRSC needs assistance raising the rest of the desperately needed funds to help give Hercules a second chance at life.

I don't normally post photos of my kids online but this is an older one (she no longer looks like this) and I'm intentionally witholding her name. Besides... it's just too epic not to share.

This was my attempt at being an AWESOME MOM one St. Patrick's Day. I made green eggs~n~ham. My then 3-year-old was not appreciative. I had the camera ready to capture what I was SURE would be her joyful delight in the celebratory scramble. I got this reaction instead.

EJ Scott is on a mission. 12 marathons in 12 cities over 12 months. He's hoping to raise awareness and 12-thousand dollars cash per race to help fund research for Choroideremia. Listen to my report on EJ's journey here:  ej runs and more importantly... Click HERE to support him!

Sometimes in my reporter duties, I'm assigned stories that leave me at a total loss. My brain wants to make order or sense of what I'm covering... but it can't. This week brought one of those stories. The kind that makes me come home at the end of the day and hug my kids tighter and longer than usual. Only this time, doing that left me feeling MORE empty. Empty for a little girl who had a chance at that kind of mommy-love but was denied it. Empty for the foster parents who gave that kind of love with such authenticity.

The story is about Tori Sandoval.

Arraignment is scheduled next week for a couple arrested in connection with the death of their 2 year old daughter, Tori. A beautiful, bright-eyed, precious toddler.  Tori was taken away from her biological parents, 36 year old Jennifer Dalhover and 21 year old Joseph Sandoval, when she was just an infant. The couple has ELEVEN children. Many of those children have been removed from the home over the years because of the couple's history with domestic violence and sexual abuse.

At one point during Tori's journey through the foster care system, she landed in the home of Terry and Kelli Sedgewick. It was love. And what's not to love? Tori was a sweet & smiley baby. She had the requisite chubby little hands & cheeks, and delighted in playing peek-a-boo. The Sedgewick's biological son fell in love with his new little sister too. The family moved to adopt her.

Despite the pleas and warnings from the Sedgewick's and an independent fostering agency, Tori was returned to her biological parents. Less than a year later, she was dead. The story is an agonizing reminder of just how flawed such systems can be. When reunification and PARENTAL rights seem to take priority over the protection of innocents, common sense and basic humanity. Kelli Sedgewick has started a website, Tori's Torch to help bring attention to their story, and hopefully bring changes to the foster care system.

Take a moment to watch the video at the top of this blog post. It's a compilation of images from Tori's time with the Sedgewick family. What strikes me most about this video is not Tori~ it's Kelli. If you are a mom or dad, I know you will look and see what I saw... a deep, indescribable JOY in the foster mom's eyes. The courts may have never given Tori fully to the Sedgewicks, but Kelli was clearly that child's mommy. Makes you ache for her loss and admire the family's strength.

This story troubles me on another level. How are we to hope that decent, loving, amazing people like the Sedgewicks will continue to open their hearts and homes to children enduring horrific conditions? Knowing those children will likely be sent BACK into such conditions? What will be left with? The segement of "parents" in the foster system who are themselves abusive and simply sign up for the check that comes along with the kid? I hope not. I hope this story serves to change the system, and not the willingness of GOOD people to take that emotional risk.