Welcome to the new design. I’ve tried to make it clearer and more attractive than the old one. I may be doing a few more small tweaks over the next few days (assuming my son naps well . . . you know how it is). If you’re reading this on a feedreader, stop by and take a look.

I’ve tested the site on several of the newer browsers, and everything seems to be working. If you happen to have any major problems, though, please send me a (kind) note letting me know your browser type and version and your operating system, as well as the specific problem. Thanks!

The Family Pride Coalition is encouraging all LGBT families to attend the annual White House Egg Roll on April 17, 2006. Hundreds of families attend every year, and Family Pride wants ours to be among them. They will provide non-political t-shirts to identify participants as LGBT families.

If you think you might attend, it’s worth reading the details on the Family Pride Web site, and signing up so Family Pride can better organize their resources. Family Pride asserts that their activities are a celebration of our families, and not a political protest, but say there’s a small chance the White House might try to stop LGBT families from participating. As reported by 365Gay today, conservative reporters are already asking the president’s press secretary about it. Scott McClellan was noncommital.

I’ve been doing a bit of redesign on this site lately, as you may notice if you’re not using a feedreader. At this point, I’m just cleaning up a few odds and ends. I’d hoped to do a more extensive overhaul, but have run into some of the dreaded browser-compatibility problems that plague all Web designers. Simply put, not all brands of browsers will display the exact same page of HTML in exactly the same way, despite supposed “Web standards.”

I prefer the Firefox browser for reasons I won’t discuss fully here. Briefly, its many extensions make routine tasks easier and Web development simpler, and its tabs make daily browsing more efficient. (All the other major browsers except IE have tabs, too, though.) I also like the fact that it’s open-source software, drawing on the collective knowledge and innovation of programmers not necessarily bound to a single corporate vision. I use a lot of open-source software, including Wordpress to write this blog, the Joomla content-management system for some other projects, and FileZilla to FTP my files. Part of this, too, is my desire to reduce the number of Microsoft products I use. I don’t think Microsoft is completely evil, the way some do, but I’ve never been a big believer in monopolies. I diversify my investments; I got bored when Houston dominated the WNBA for too many years.

It’s tempting, therefore, to optimize this site for Firefox. Not only is this bad Web design, though, but it flies in the face of recent news that makes me actually want to support Microsoft. The corporation is under pressure this week from a Redmond, WA evangelist to withdraw its support for a state LGBT-rights bill. After some flip-flopping last year, when the bill was narrowly defeated, Microsoft says it will support it this time around. Microsoft is also one of 101 companies that received a perfect 100 score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index in 2005 (along with Apple, I hasten to add).

So, it’s back to the drawing boards for me as I work to ensure the revamp of this site is cross-browser compatible, supporting the software companies that support us. Will this actually make a difference to the corporations involved, or advance the cause of LGBT rights? Probably not. But karma’s a bitch. I’m not taking any chances.

For more on the pending Washington legislation, visit Equal Rights Washington.

Last night at the Golden Globe awards, Brokeback Mountain won four prizes, including best drama. Star Heath Ledger didn’t win best actor, however, despite a nomination; that honor went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his portrayal of gay writer Truman Capote. In the best dramatic actress category, Felicity Huffman won for her role as a MTF transsexual.

Quite the sweep for GLBT films. Unfortunately, there were no lesbian films or actors nominated this year. (The closest we got was Geena Davis, who won the dramatic actress TV award for playing the first female president. Not a lesbian role or actor, but a strong female character, which I appreciate regardless.) Anyone up to the challenge for next season?

May his dream of equal rights and acceptance continue to spread among us. I encourage all of you to read or reread his “I Have a Dream” speech today. Read it to your kids, if they’re old enough to start understanding it. How far have we come? How far do we have yet to go? If the road at times seems arduous, let us all be mindful of his words, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.”

I’ve been having an e-mail conversation with Mel, another blogger, about various children’s books. She has a great blog, “Life’s a Butter Dream,” on children’s “literary world,” with useful book and music recommendations, and information about children’s literacy and development.

I thought I’d offer a couple of book recommendations of my own, based on books my son likes. I’ll skip the old standards (Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, etc.) much as we love them, just to be different. I’m also going to skip LGBT-focused books, since I already feature a bunch of them rotating in my sidebar.

Where’s the Cat? is a colorful, simple, rhyming board book that’s great for even the youngest. The cat hides on each righthand page, with just a bit sticking out (nose, tail, paw). The book asks “Where’s the cat?” and the next page has the rhyming answer. The words are simple but rhythmic. What really stands out here, though, is the artwork, which conveys a clearly individual style. If you’re looking for something visually different, try this.

Diary of a Wombat is aimed at a slightly older group (it’s only available with paper pages), but has been a hit with my son since he was about two. The protagonist, an adorable wombat living in Australia, is easily bored but learns the delight of having human “pets.” The narrative is hysterically funny in a deadpan way, an approach that is thoroughly refreshing for a children’s book. The painted illustrations fully capture the wombat’s character, and add to the book’s overall charm.

On the Day You Were Born is another story with a distinct visual style. It would probably appeal to all ages, although it doesn’t come in a board book for the youngest. It’s a paean both to the arrival of a child and to the natural world, and is suitable for adopted as well as biological children. My partner and I have both been known to get misty-eyed when we reach the last line, “We are so glad you’ve come.”

You know the whole mom thing is affecting you when you read “Ten Tips for Easy Motherboard Upgrades” as “Ten Tips for Easy Motherhood Upgrades.” I gotta get more sleep.

The CDC released a report yesterday stating that children under four are more likely to be hospitalized for unintentionally swallowing medications than for other causes of unintentional injury. Almost three-fourths of the children studied for the report were between one and two years old. Seventy-five percent of the incidents occurred in the home, and about 40 percent involved common over-the-counter drugs, with the rest mostly from prescription medications.

The CDC offers several prevention recommendations:

• Store all medications in secured cabinets and out of reach of children. When possible, keep the medicines in their original containers. If medicines are transferred to other containers, be extra vigilant to ensure children do not have access to them. If you store medicines in your purse or a pill box, make sure that children do not have access.
• Discard all unused medicines by flushing down the toilet.
• Avoid taking medicines in front of children, because they tend to imitate adults. Do not call any medicine "candy."
• Make sure your visitors do not leave their medicines where children can easily find them.
• Post the poison control number 1-800-222-1222 on or near every phone at home. Put it in your speed dial on your mobile phone.

It’s about this time of year when I start hoping for spring. The excitement of the holidays (and new toys) has worn off, we haven’t gotten any really good snow in a few weeks, and we’re all getting a bit of cabin fever. I decided, therefore, to see if I could put together a list of ten low-cost, indoor activities that would get us through the winter. I wanted some for when the weather was too bad to go out, and others that would at least get us out of the house. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Go to the library. Most local libraries offer a toddler story time. Even if they don’t, you can make your own, by yourself or with a friend who has a toddler.
2. Go to a bookstore. Many Barnes & Noble and Borders stores (among others) have a story hour at least once a week. (Find times through the links above.) Even at other times, most have a colorful reading area for kids. Most Barnes & Noble stores also have a Thomas the Tank Engine play table. This seems to be of great interest, even if one’s child has a plethora of Thomas trains at home.
3. Go to the firehouse. Most are more than willing to give kids a tour, especially if you call first to ask about an appropriate time.
4. Draw “thinking of you” cards for friends and family, then go to the Post Office, buy stamps, and mail them. (You can use stamps you already have, but the whole Post Office experience can be fun, too, especially if you go when it’s not crowded, and your toddler can pick the stamps she/he likes.)
5. Go to a supermarket that has the small “Shopper in Training” shopping carts for kids. You know, the ones you usually try to avoid because they make buying a quart of milk take half an hour. Well, it’s a dreary winter day. Think of herding Junior and cart as an activity in itself, and have fun.
6. Bake bread. It’s not that hard, low in sugar, and keeps the house warm. Kids can pour ingredients into the bowl, then help knead. (Roll up those sleeves!) Use the recipe on the back of the flour bag, or try the King Arthur Flour site for ideas.
7. Throw a sheet over the kitchen table. A classic activity, but still a winner. Now you have a camping tent, a train, a doctor’s office, or anything else you can imagine. This was a favorite during my childhood.
8. Dry pasta. Glue. Cardboard.
9. Throw a birthday party for a stuffed animal. Use leftover themed plates, napkins, and streamers from your child’s last real birthday party. I’ve even made a fake cake from a wide, overturned plastic canister, which my son “slices” with gusto using a plastic spatula.
10. Have a spontaneous playdate. Chances are, some other parent is sitting at home wondering what to do, too.

Have a toddler whose head is rapidly approaching the height of your tables and counters? You can spend $20-30 buying corner guards and bumpers at your local babyplex, or simply get some foam pipe insulation at the hardware store for only a few bucks. (Amazon also sells it, for $1.49 per six-foot length.) These foam tubes are pre-slit to fit easily over a table or counter edge. We’ve been using them at our house for a while now, and our son remains concussion-free.