just4moms.netExciting News Every Mom Should Know…

While watching Bryce Harper in his major-league debut on Saturday night, it was easy to forget that he’s still a kid—well, except for the whole haircut thing.

He worked counts, took pitches with confidence and still showed his bat speed. he hustled on the base paths, treating every play like it was the final out of the World Series. Oh yeah, and I guess his arm isn’t too shabby.

Now an inhabitant of Washington, D.C., Harper spent his first off day as a major leaguer exploring his new surroundings, which apparently included playing softball with local kids in front of the Washington Monument, according to TheNatsEnquirer.com.

If this were any other player, it would seem weird, or possibly even a Canseco-esque thing to do. But the fact that it’s 19-year-old Bryce Harper doing it—mere days after capturing the nation’s attention, nonetheless—it just seems normal.

Now, I don’t know the story behind this video, so I have no idea whether it is a charity event or some sort of welcome party. Honestly, I’d rather stick to the image of Harper—with a freshly gelled Mohawk, obviously—strolling up to the field with his own aluminum bat.

Suddenly, Harper is launching tape-measure home runs as a crowd that formed around him continually gasps in astonishment. 

Next time, however, I’d like to hear Harper yelling, “Fifty bucks I can hit it over the highway!”

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher hasn’t won the title since 2004, but is still one of the most talked-about drivers.

He came out of retirement in 2010 driving for Mercedes. still, he is one of the most celebrated drivers in the sport.

He has the most race wins—a total of 91 in his Formula 1 career. He holds the record for the most season wins. Schumacher won 13 out of 18 Grand Prix in 2004. That is 72 percent of the races.

He takes the cake the “most consecutive drivers’ championships” category. Schumacher won the championship five times in a row, starting in 2000 and finishing in 2004. all of these were won in a Ferrari.

Schumacher is one of those people who you either love or hate. He wants to win at all costs. over the years of his professional career, he has been a part of several accidents, including the death of F1 legend Ayrton Senna. Schumacher was often accused of dangerous driving, but was rarely punished.

In 2010, he was the 22nd-most-searched person on Google, with nearly 17 million results.

So, what do you think Mike Brown has to say for Bynum’s outstanding performance for the Lakers today against the Denver Nuggets?

His thought was not to bench him during the fourth quarter this time, that’s for sure.

Andrew Bynum, the 7’0″, 285-pound center for the Lakers, put up a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks. His triple double was the first one seen in a Lakers playoff game since the ‘91 finals against the Bulls.

Surprising? No, not at all. With six years of experience, Andrew Bynum should be performing at this level on a regular basis and the fact that he fails to is disappointing. His size is nearly impossible to matchup against as we saw in all three Nuggets’ centers, McGee, Koufos and Mozgov, who all had difficulty scoring and defending. JaVale McGee, who averages 11 points and seven rebounds per game, went 0-6 from the field, scoring only two points from a pair of free throws.

We all know that Andrew Bynum has the potential and ability to have double-doubles in every game. again, he has the experience and the size, but his personality is not quite matching up. We have witnessed all the ups and downs throughout Bynum’s career due to his quick temper.

Recently, Bynum has been at odds with coach Mike Brown because of his decisions to bench him. Because of Bynum’s three-point shot attempt with plenty of time left on the shot clock against the Warriors along with other stunts of immaturity, Brown felt it was best for the Lakers to pull Bynum out of the game. If he’s not going to take the game seriously, then coach Brown will put someone in who will.

Last week, Bynum was also benched against the Oklahoma City Thunder for the fourth quarter and overtime while watching Jordan Hill take his place, scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol put on game-winning performances combining for 46 points, 17 assists and 20 rebounds, resulting in a 114-106 victory.

Today, however, Bynum responded with a triple-double. alongside him were his fellow starters Bryant, Sessions, Ebanks and Gasol, who all combined for 80 points. together, the Lakers displayed teamwork through their overpowering communication and active ball movement. With a team total of 22 assists, it’s safe to say every player got their hands on the ball.

Jordan Hill was another performer who played an exceptional game today after producing a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.

Teamwork was not quite the game plan for the Nuggets considering their starters. Afflalo, Gallinari, Lawson and Faried combined for an embarrassing 45 points due to the Lakers’ 41 defensive rebounds and 15 blocks. as for their fifth starter, Kosta Kousfos, his contributions were limited to ZERO points, five rebounds, one block, one turnover and three personal fouls. Denver took their name, “No-Gets,” to a new level. 

Of course, it was Bynum who rejected any Denver Nugget who tried to drive to the basket. there is no doubt that Bynum is the best center in the NBA right now, but he needs to be more consistent and not take his coach’s decisions too personally. instead of Bynum acting salty about being benched, he should think for a moment and ask himself, “why?”

Props to coach Brown who has done an outstanding job incorporating every player into the game. He has his starters who have chemistry along with his bench who have learned to play well together.

Mike Brown does know what he is doing. say what you want about him and his coaching strategies, but we must not ignore the fact that the Lakers ended their regular season with a 41-25 record with Mike Brown as their coach. We have also seen the Lakers perform at an explosive, more competitive level which was witnessed in today’s 103-88 win against the Denver Nuggets.

As they prepare to take their vows tomorrow, a Marlboro couple has already been through better and worse, as a fire destroyed their home and a community came together to help them find wedded bliss.

“We’re still getting married, that’s No. 1,” said Toby Bourke, 40, who will be marrying his fiance Heather McGuire, 34, today at St. John’s Church in Hopkinton. “It’s definitely brought us closer. We haven’t left each others’ side since Monday. We can’t believe our home is gone.”

The couple’s condo was destroyed when a six-alarm fire tore through their 32-unit building in Marlboro on Monday. the blaze destroyed the couple’s wedding favors, a junior bridesmaid dress to be worn by Bourke’s daughter and the couple’s passports for their Bahama cruise honeymoon, Bourke said.

“We’ve received donations from a bunch of people. a lot of people have asked what can they do to help us,” he said.

The couple were allowed into their ruined home for 10 minutes Thursday and found their wedding bands. a Sudbury jeweler had offered to donate rings earlier in the week.

A radio station sent a limo to take the couple on errands, including to the passport office. Bourke said Sen. Scott Brown’s office is helping expedite the process so they can leave for their honeymoon on Wednesday, but the couple’s checkbook was destroyed in the blaze, making them unable to pay for the passports. Bourke said they now hope to receive the documents on Monday.

McGuire’s dress was safely tucked away at her parent’s home in Hopkinton, while Bourke’s boss bought a new junior bridesmaid dress for Bourke’s 13-year-old daughter. Donated truffles will replace the gift-wrapped turtles the couple originally planned to give as favors at their reception at the Marriott ballroom.

Bourke said the couple parted for the first time since the fire today when McGuire went to a salon appointment in advance of their nuptials.

Bourke said the couple is overwhelmed by the support they have received, especially when so many of their neighbors were also left homeless. the American Red Cross of Central Massachusetts reported that it assisted 31 families displaced by the fire, including 63 adults and 23 children. They also assisted a handful of residents from a neighboring building who were left without power after the fire.

“if you respect the game, you try to break it up,” said Seattle’s John Jaso, who pinch-hit in the ninth inning. “but when it’s over, you tip your cap to him.

“That’s the way baseball should be played.”

A right-hander without an overpowering fastball – he touched 92 mph when he did throw it – Humber retired all 27 Mariners and pitched the first complete game of his career.

It left the Mariners stunned and beaten.

“He kept throwing strikes,” Chone Figgins said. “He got ahead in the count and stayed ahead, and we never got him in many hitting counts. It was hard to watch, hard to be part of.”

From the first inning through the ninth, the Mariners came and went in order – 1-2-3 every time. Humber struck out nine batters, and of the 18 balls put in play, only one came close to being a hit.

That came off the bat of Dustin Ackley, who lined a ball over the head of right-fielder Alex Rios in the fourth inning. Rios made a leaping catch near the warning track.

“I thought it was in the gap, but he made a great play,” Ackley said. “At that point, we were just trying to get runners on base, we weren’t thinking perfect game.

“He had a great breaking ball, and he kept it down, worked it in and out. He had command of his change-up, slider, curve, fastball – you couldn’t eliminate any of them.”

From the Seattle dugout, manager Eric Wedge watched his team get no-hit for the first time in his career.

“We mis-hit a lot of balls,” he said. “We did that all day long. We chased some bad pitches, we didn’t hit good pitches. We never got anything going. Humber pitched a great game.

“you go through something like this, you have to learn something from it. you have to figure out what happened and why.”

“We were saying, ‘Let’s go, break this up,’ ” Saunders said.

In the eighth inning, Kyle Seager hit a ball hard the other way, toward the left-field corner.

“off the bat I thought it might get down there and I was thinking ‘slice,’ but it didn’t,” Seager said.

Outfielder Brent Lillibridge, in left field as a defensive replacement, easily ran the ball down.

Come the ninth inning, everyone in Safeco Field was aware of what was on the line when the Mariners came to bat.

The game was likely lost – 4-0 is a lead too large for this club – but the history … there had never been a perfect game thrown against the Seattle Mariners.

With that crowd on its feet, clapping, it came down to three hitters: Saunders, pinch-hitter Jaso and pinch-hitter Brendan Ryan.

Saunders jumped ahead in the count, 3-0.

“I took a pitch and he threw a strike. I was pretty amped up,” Saunders said. “I probably chased ball four swinging at strike two.”

On a 3-2 count, Saunders sat “fastball.” and got a slider.

“I knew what was on the line, and if I had to do it again I’d do the same thing,” Saunders said. “I wasn’t trying to walk my way on base, I wanted to hit.”

Instead, Saunders struck out.

“He threw a slider in that situation? Hats off to him,” he said.

Batting for Miguel Olivo, Jaso came up having watched the first eight innings.

“It was pretty special, even when it’s against you,” Jaso said. “on the third pitch, I got something to hit and just missed it.”

A fly ball to center field and it was down to two men and one out. Humber was clearly feeling the moment. so was infielder Ryan, batting for Munenori Kawasaki.

“I was so fired up to get the chance to wreck it,” Ryan said. “my heart was probably pounding harder than his. all day long, he had A-plus stuff.”

The count went full at 3-2, and Humber threw a fastball Ryan fouled off.

“I’d like to have that one pitch back,” Ryan said. “in that situation, you’re getting the best of both guys out there.”

On his last pitch, Humber threw what would have been ball four, low and away. Ryan started to swing, tried to check it and thought he had.

Plate umpire Brian Runge thought he swung and rang him up for the 27th out of a perfect day for Humber.

“By the end, even our fans wanted to see him get it,” Ryan said. “They’re great baseball fans, they wanted to see history. Hats off to Humber, he did it.”

Blake Beavan gave the Mariners a quality start, which would have played better had the White Sox not gotten the perfect one from Humber.

“my high school coach coached both of us and told me I threw a lot like Humber,” Beavan said. “We both played in Irving, Texas.”

Humber, 29, was out of high school by the time Beavan, 23, got there.

“I was always hearing about how good a pitcher he’d been in high school,” Beavan said.

Beavan wasn’t bad, either, named the 2006-2007 Texas high school player of the year, throwing a perfect game and striking out 18 batters on March 6, 2007.

On Saturday, it was Humber’s turn at perfection.

“even in the ninth, I was thinking, ‘We can win this,’ because no one likes losing,” Beavan said. “I watched him battle all day, make pitches all day. When it was over, yeah, I could be happy for him.

“Not during the game, though. I wasn’t excited about losing.”

For the record, Beavan went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, facing 27 batters – the same number Humber faced in nine innings.

When it was over, Beavan was 1-2 with a 3.26 earned-run average.

Humber was 1-0 with a 0.63 ERA – and a game that will be forever part of the Hall of Fame.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.comblog.thenewstribune.com/marinersTwitter: @LarryLaRue

The idea of a solar village is one that’s breathed imagination and innovation into countless communities around the world. Whether it’s state-of-the-art solar design or powering a tribal village in Africa, solar technology is demonstrating that we can replace unsustainable energy systems with viable solar alternatives and be more successful because of it. To illustrate, we’ve highlighted five solar village projects showing how solar technology is uniquely transforming communities around the world. 

PlusEnergy Solar Village in Freiberg, Germany 

The birth of Freiberg’s solar village began in the 1970’s when residents of the area protested new nuclear power facility and won. The community in this rural area of Germany wanted a better energy alternative, and if we need to look to an example of grassroots energy change, this is it. The city of Freiberg itself became home to Europe’s first solar research institute, and home to solar architect Rolf Disch’s vision — the Schlierber Solar Settlement, which was completed between 2004-2006. this solar village, which is also a car-fee zone, is comprised of 59 solar-roofed PlusEnergy (they create more energy than they use) homes and one large solar roofed commercial building called the SunShip. Together they generate approximately 420,000 kWh of solar energy per year. this was the first PlusEnergy project in the world and it runs successfully today as it was envisioned — an alternative energy, environmentally friendly community. Based on the outstanding success of this original PlusEnergy Solar Village, this core solar idea continues to be implemented in community planning today. Image copyright Rolf Disch.

Ota City, Japan 

Ota City is the site of a residential solar experiment that was conducted by the government of Japan. Standard crystalline PV solar panels were provided to 553 homes at no cost in a section of Ota City dubbed Pal Town Josai-no-Mori. The homes’ combined electrical capacity is 2,310 kW. this grid-connected solar study started in 2004 and was completed in March 2010. this project has provided insight on overall energy generation capabilities of such a community in terms of how to avoid blackouts, addressing grid connection issues and self-sufficiency. Net-metering was also installed, which allows residents to trade electricity back to TEPCO (Japan’s major utility company) for a set tariff. it was a somewhat revolutionary idea in Japan at the time, but today the concept of renewable energy is welcomed by Japan in response to the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power station, which was caused by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Japan, heavily reliant on nuclear energy, is now looking to safer and more sustainable power solutions like solar energy. it seems Ota City may have given them a head start.

Mphaphati Solar Village Project in Swaziland

With close to 2 billion people on the planet without access to electricity, UNESCO’s Solar Village Program is one of many such programs that is working to meet this need, often in the poorest regions of the world. In the African country of Swaziland in a community called Mphaphati, solar technology was introduced by the Solar Village Programme in cooperation with the government of Swaziland in 1998. The community is located about 6 km away from the nearest power grid, and there were no plans to extend the power grid to reach their area. with the help of the UNESCO, Mphaphati is now powered by electricity created from solar panels which brings power to their elementary school, a grocery store, homes and a community vegetable garden. Power provided by solar panels has allowed this village to enjoy indoor lighting and outdoor night lighting, radio and TV for educational purposes, and a solar PV water pump for the garden. Mphaphati also has its first community payphone thanks to solar energy. The introduction of solar technology in Mphaphati has improved quality of life for residents, with little infringement on the lifestyle of their tribal culture.

Dubai Vertical Solar Village 

Brad Pitt considers architecture his passion and it may surprise you to learn that he teamed up with California-based architect company Graft to develop an imaginative and bold solar project based in Dubai, UAE, being called the Vertical Solar Village. Now under construction this LEED project will include residential homes, a hotel and entertainment facilities, all mounted with solar panels. Located in a hot and dry desert, the buildings are being positioned to reduce the heat from sun exposure, and solar collectors will be on the south side of buildings to maximize sunlight capture. Solar energy will service electrical power, hot water production and air conditioning. Judging by this artist’s rendering, solar power’s full capacity has been considered carefully in the overall Vertical Village design within its’ desert environment. When will it be finished — that’s under wraps it seems. Image copyright Graft via arctracker.com

New Keringa Solar Village in India

India as a country has expanded the idea of solar energy in rural areas with great success. Literally 100s of villages across India are powered or lit by solar energy, thanks largely to the concept of micro-financing. To provide a succinct example of how solar is transformation rural India, we can look to a small village in southern Orissa province called New Keringa. Through joint efforts of D.light, a US Solar Non-profit, and an Orissa NGO called SOVA, solar technology means New Keringa can claim being a 100 percent solar village. Introducing solar to this community meant workers earnings increased dramatically because they could work at night. Prior to solar energy, New Keringa residents were using Kerosene for light, which for them was costly and required they commute to acquire it. D.light created a series of low cost solar powered LED lights expressly for communities like New Keringa that rely on kerosene, which is known to cause respiratory problems. Today all of New Keringa is lit by D.lights LEDs that provide up to 40 hours of light on a single charge. New Keringa is home to around 50 families, so it’s a village in the truest sense, and one that has come to value what solar energy means in their lives. For many parts of India and Africa solar energy is a social-enterprise, one that not only brings light and electricity but that helps families increase their livelihoods.

the experts in the article suggest that you talk to your children about what is happening, being honest but not alarming them.  Stress that although things may be hard, you are confident that you can handle tough times together as a family.  Encourage your children to talk about their concerns with you or another close adult.  Look for free and inexpensive activities you can do, and emphasize that lack of money doesn’t have to mean lack of fun.  keep up a regular routine, eat healthy, and get enough sleep and exercise.  Find ways to help yourself keep calm such as listening to music or walking.  Avoid isolating yourself by reaching out to family and friends. you may also take advantage of some of the free evidenced based programs and services Project ASSIST offers to parents during these stressful times. These programs offer parents more tools they can use to take care of their children. “Parenting Wisely” is a computer based program that parents can work on individually at their own pace with the support of staff. the “incredible Years” program is a group for parents of 3-6 year-old children.  our next group will be on Friday mornings from 9-11 AM starting, April 13.  please call Jade or Katie at 508-837-6957 if you are interested in either of these programs or in any of the free services we have to help unemployed residents of Fall River (including the Project ASSIST Job Club, case management and job mentoring).

Link to article from National Child Traumatic Stress Network: http://www.nctsnet.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/coping_for_parents_final.pdf

Another co-worker decided to post an open invitation in the break room for a baby shower for the woman who is having her first child. the other pregnant woman has said that it hurts her feelings to be ignored every time she goes into the break room.

Management says this is a personal choice. Someone said that etiquette permits this because it is this co-worker’s first child. Is this really true?

There is no law against being rude, but is it right for our management to allow a person to be excluded from this celebration? Please clarify. — Unsure

DEAR UNSURE: Generally, women having fourth babies simply don’t need or want the amount of baby gear, etc., that first-time parents do. this is why gift showers usually are only given for women having their first baby.

Surely the woman having her fourth child has been to showers for other first-time pregnant women in her circle without the expectation that she will also receive gifts. Women who have other children often receive gifts for their babies after, not before, the baby is born.

This experienced mother is not being excluded from this celebration; presumably she is invited to the baby shower. she is simply not the guest of honor.

No rule of etiquette would sanction rudeness or overt exclusion, and I agree that it would be gracious and generous of your department to recognize that both women are about to have babies.

The guest of honor of the shower could easily fix this by asking the hostesses to make this shower a shared event, but it is not your department manager’s job to police politeness — certainly when an invitation is “open.”

DEAR AMY: I’m a 53-year-old woman. My boyfriend of more than four years recently broke up with me. we lived together, first in his home and then in mine.

I respect his decision to leave; what bothers me is the way he went about it. First, he purchased a home without my knowledge. He knew he was going to leave for at least two months before he told me (including over the Christmas holidays). I feel very betrayed and foolish. I’m pretty sure his whole family knew before I did.

I think he should have told me that he wanted out. He says he was afraid that I would throw him and his dogs out and he would have had nowhere to go. Of course, I never would have done this.

I think it was wrong for him to lie to me. He led me to believe that everything was fine and he even told me that he loved me. am I wrong to feel betrayed? — let Down

DEAR DOWN: you are not necessarily wrong to feel betrayed. you feel the way you feel — and your guy was sneaky in his approach to this breakup.

However, it is the very nature of breakups that they tend not to go over well with the aggrieved party. That’s pretty much built into the whole breaking-up scenario.

You may think that you would prefer a sophisticated and sensitive sharing of feelings, but your guy gave you a gift: Thinking he’s a lowdown dirty dog may help you to recover quicker.

DEAR AMY: In your response to “Unsure” you said: “I have news for you. No one is as sexually attractive after 10 years of marriage as in those first hot and heady days of a relationship.”

Well, I have news for you. after 38 years of marriage my wife is more sexually attractive, to me, than ever. How can this be? we have a very strong emotional bond that continues to grow. I am happier than ever and thoroughly enjoy every moment that I have with her. — really Sure

DEAR SURE: I am happy to report that several husbands have taken issue with my statement. I stand corrected.

Write to Amy Dickinson at askamy@tribune.com or ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.

2012 by the Chicago Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Media Services

Brandon Jacobs says he isn’t willing to sell his soul to return to the New York Giants.

Then, what is he willing to part with?

because the guess here is Jacobs will not be back with big Blue unless he agrees to a dramatic reduction in pay for the 2012 season.

“I want to stay in New York a whole lot, man, because this is where I started,” Jacobs told WNBC-TV, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “It’s a great organization. I got wonderful, great teammates. I won a second Super Bowl here with this organization. But I’m not willing to sell my soul, you know? It’s a great organization and I want to be a part of it, but if not, if they’re not feeling the same way, then so be it.”

The numbers are pretty simple. Jacobs is due a $500,000 roster bonus this month and his base pay for 2012 is set to be $4.4 million. That’s the kind of money a team would pay a top back or a clear No. 1. Jacobs split time last season when he carried 152 times for 571 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s not worthy of nearly $5 million.

Jacobs is 29 and he adds value to the offense. there is no question about that. But his idea of that value and the club’s idea could be quite different.

“I have no idea,” Jacobs said when asked what he expected will happen. “I don’t know what they’re thinking. I want to be here. If not, there are 31 other teams out there.  

“As far as I’m concerned I got another year left on my contract. I don’t know why I’m sitting here saying all this stuff. If they want it to work out it’s going to work out. If they don’t want it to work out, it’s not going to work out. That’s all I can say.”

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—

When Megan Brooks looks into the eyes of her 4 month old son Jacob she sees nothing but love–mixed in with a few sleepless nights.

“It’s just exhausting,” Megan said. “Especially being a new mom and working mom.”

Megan likes her morning cup of Joe–but resists the urge to drink too much.

“I limit my coffee intake to two cups per day,” Megan said. “I didn’t drink coffee when I was pregnant and now that I am breast feeding I have introduced it to get me through the day, get through those tired mornings.”

And so that Jacob can sleep more at night. Babies can become irritable and wide awake when too much caffeine is consumed through mother’s milk.

Becky Law is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Texas Health Fort Worth.

In general mothers are advised not to consume more than 300mg of caffeine–which is about 3 cups of coffee a day.

But Law said the amount can vary depending on the mom, baby and the strength of the coffee.

“We really don’t put it on a checklist of things to eat or not eat just because there can be so many different foods and drinks that affect babies,” Law said. “We really just don’t say don’t have it because too many moms just can’t get by without a cup of coffee or a soda or whatever they are used to.”

Law said caffeine is used in the neo-natal intensive care unit to stimulate breathing in pre-mature babies and mothers of pre-mature babies are advised not to drink coffee when they go home with their child.

If you’ve ever had too much caffeine–you know how the jolt feels.

“Caffeine in infants is going to be the same thing you’re going to see in mom,” Law warned. “ It’s going to have an increased heart rate it’s going to be wide awake, alert, maybe fussy. it just kind of depends on the child but the exact same thing you see in moms.”

Megan worries that drinking a third cup during the day may create a vicious cycle–the caffeine keeping her awake during the day and Jacob up all night.

She’s struck a perfect balance that’s safe as mother’s milk.

“I was very happy to drink it once I had the baby because I missed it a lot.”