Somebody bring me some water . . . in a sippy cup.*

MomLogic (part of the AOL Living network) just published the article “Melissa Etheridge: Superstar Mama.” The lesbian icon talks about having twins, explaining her cancer to her children, celebrating Mother’s Day, celebrity babies, the most important lesson to teach your children, and her new tour. She also offers this advice to other “non-traditional” families:

I would tell them they have all the power. That feeling inside, that desire, follow that, that’s what life is all about it. Just put it out of their mind that there is some sort of normal out there because there’s not. They may portray it on the television like Leave it to Beaver that there’s a perfect thing, but that does not exist, everyone’s doing the best they can to raise families, and find happiness, and find many ways to love, and there are many ways.

Bravo, Melissa! Bravo to MomLogic, too, for not just sticking to “traditional” families during this period of pre-Mother’s Day maternal celebration. Not all mainstream parenting channels are so bold.

*If you’re not an ME fan, that reference will be lost on you.

One of the funniest lesbian comediennes I’ve ever heard is lesbian mom Vickie Shaw. Her Texas drawl and impeccable timing had Helen and me rolling in the aisle during two Olivia cruises (and no, it wasn’t seasickness).

Since another cruise isn’t in the cards for us this year, I was happy to see that Shaw will be premiering an hour-long special, “You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas,” tomorrow night on LOGO (Tuesday Apr. 22 at 9:00 PM ET/PT). The show will be part of LOGO’s weekly Tuesday night comedy block, “Funny Gay Stuff.”

Shaw was married for 18 years and had three children before coming out as both a lesbian and a comic. Her show isn’t entirely about parenting, but as her Web site states, “Vickie’s family is important to her, and as you will see they are just as dysfunctional as your family. She includes them in her act because it is cheaper than therapy.”

We could all use a few therapeutic laughs. Set your Tivo’s or VCR’s.

This week, Helen and I remind viewers of the long-lost parenting storyline on Jackie Warner’s Work Out. We also commemorate tax week with a rant on our own filings, and on a more positive note, discuss various approaches to children’s allowances and why we don’t have any answers.

Plus: What were those weird pipes in our living room that you may have glimpsed in last week’s vlog? (Long-time readers may recognize them as the Musical Pipes we made last year, and which reader Erin reproduced with great success.)

Online Videos by Veoh.com

If the Veoh video above isn’t working (sometimes their server can be flaky), you can try it at Daily Motion.

Brought to you in partnership with After Ellen.

Cynthia Nixon, best known for her role in Sex and the City (less known for her inclusion in Mombian’s “Most Powerful Lesbian Moms” list), has become an ambassador for breast-cancer organization Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Nixon is a breast-cancer survivor herself, and the daughter of a two-time survivor.

She spoke with Good Morning America’s Cynthia McFadden this week about her own battle with cancer, how she explained it to her children, and what she thought of the Sex and the City breast-cancer storyline, which aired before her diagnosis. She also answered the ever-popular question of what the kids call her and her partner.

ABC News has video of the segment. (There’s a 30-second commercial beforehand.)

This week, Helen and I show you why parenting is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, literally. We congratulate a pair of lesbian moms for their prodigious fallopian feats, commend Kenneth Cole for recognizing lesbian moms, and turn a parent’s eye to the last two episodes of The L Word. (Imagine Bette trying to assemble a porta-crib in her tent.)

(Yes, a couple of stories overlap for regular Mombian readers, but we thought we’d entertain the viewers at After Ellen with some of the news. Also, the aforementioned cold plaguing our household sapped our creativity a bit this week. We’ll bring sparkling fresh stuff to next week’s vlog.)

Online Videos by Veoh.com

If the Veoh video above isn’t working (sometimes their server can be flaky), you can try it at Daily Motion.

(Brought to you in partnership with After Ellen.)

Last week, I urged readers to nominate their favorite LGBT moms for the title of “America’s Favorite Mom” in Teleflora’s Mother’s Day contest. I thought it would be a good opportunity for visibility.

Two days after my post, I received an e-mail from a publicist at Edelman, Teleflora’s PR agency. She thanked me for helping them to raise awareness about the program within the LGBT community. She then asked if I’d like to be kept apprised of any LGBT submissions to the contest, so I could urge readers to vote for them. I said yes.

In re-reading the contest rules, however, I noticed that each person can only submit the name of one nominee. Clearly, the organizers didn’t realize this would force children of partnered LGBT moms to choose between them (and could lead to shameless bribery on the part of said parents). I wrote back to inquire whether there might be an exception made here. Read more »

Don’t forget, the producers of Dottie’s Magic Pockets, the first video for young children of LGBT families and their friends, are offering Mombian readers 20% off Dottie videos and t-shirts between now and April 5, 2008. Just use the coupon code “MOMBIAN” when you place the order. (Limit one discounted order per shipping address.) I’m not getting any fee or commission from these sales, although Dottie’s production company has advertised on Mombian. I just want to help get the word out because we need more shows like this.

No, it’s not as smooth a production as what you may be used to from, say, PBS Kids or Nickelodeon. The special effects are a bit rudimentary. Here’s the secret, though: kids don’t care. It is hugely earnest and fun, with catchy songs and an LGBT-inclusive message that’s much needed in children’s media. My own four-year-old loves it. If you want to see more shows like Dottie, it’s important to support them. Makes a great gift!

As anyone who’s been around the LGBT blogosphere in the last 24 hours knows, The L Word will return next year for a sixth and final season.

Let’s take a quick poll:

In case you missed it in our vlog yesterday, here’s the new trailer for Dottie’s Magic Pockets, the first (but not only) video for young children of LGBT families and their friends. Also, be sure to check out their new Web site, which launched today. It has more clips from the show and a list of screenings around the country, as well as printable coloring sheets, the Magic Glitter Gazette (an e-newsletter), and more. Games and e-cards are coming soon.

Also, the kind folks who made Dottie have offered Mombian readers 20% off Dottie videos and t-shirts from their site between now and April 5, 2008. Just use the coupon code “MOMBIAN” when you place the order. (Limit one discounted order per shipping address.) Note that we’re not getting any fee or commission from these sales, although Dottie’s production company has advertised on Mombian.

(OK, no more penguin posts for a while after this. I promise.)

LGBT documentary series In the Life will be airing a segment about children’s book And Tango Makes Three in its April show. They talk with the authors about the making of the book, and with a second-grade teacher about her positive experience using it in the classroom. It’s a nice perspective after all the negative media the book has received.

There’s a brief promo on YouTube, and a list of local air times here.