I have dutifully read my kids’ letters to Santa, at least those of the middle two. The oldest no longer writes letters to Santa and the youngest still can’t spell. I confess that I didn’t know what a lot of the items on their lists were. After 12 years of fatherhood, I don’t know what a Bakugan is, where to adopt a Zhu Zhu Pet or what a “model of Chowder” might be.

I’m sure they wouldn’t understand my list, either, were I to write one. They may understand the words, but not the concept of wanting nothing more than for them to grow and flourish through the next year; to be free of illness, fear or sadness.

I don’t need much else, really. Sure, I’d like an iPhone or some new CDs, but those will come over time. They’re tangible and can be budgeted for. Our kids’ childhoods are fleeting, an unknown quantity.

I recognize some of the items on the lists. I know what a laptop is and that 8-year-old Joshua is not getting one. I also know what root beer is, though it’s unclear why it is on his list. I’m pretty sure he’ll be getting a six-pack, though, if only so I can drink half of them.

Every mother’s child knows what this year brings: Gifts, cheer, gifts, and family and friends who bring gifts. This season may be the most stressful part of this year, when we parents are expected once again to become experts in shopping, decorating, cooking and, maybe most importantly, the delicate balancing act of managing expectations … (read more)

Memphis businessman Charles McVean is well-versed in the art of speculation, and his recognition of the opportunities to invest in young students is paying dividends.

The latest investment is Shelby Middle School and its North Bolivar School district in Shelby, Miss., which has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Education Department.

The grant was awarded to the school to continue its yearlong work with Peer Power Foundation, McVean’s tutoring initiative aimed at students in grades 7-12.

Prompting the Education Department grant was the surge in state math exam scores among seventh-graders at Shelby Middle.

“This kind of financial support will mean that we can touch the lives of so many more students,” said Rives Neblett, the Shelby businessman who funded the program through a nonprofit group … (read more)

Chaos reigned in Midtown Thursday as emergency personnel rushed into an office strewn with desks, cables, computers, insulation and filled with smoke after a suicide bomber attack took out six city blocks.

Paramedics quickly assessed the situation and worked to stabilize and remove the injured — many moaning and bleeding.

As realistic as the scene was, it was actually just the first of six scheduled training sessions being held by the Medical Education and Research Institute at Cleveland and Monroe.

“The training is impressive and invaluable,” said Gary Ludwig, deputy fire chief for the Memphis Fire Department. “On the job is not the time to train, and this is about as close to the reality of a bomb blast as you can get.” … (read more)

The Teen Advisory Board for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital spent a recent evening painting ornaments for the Christmas tree at the Madison Hotel.

The advisory board is a panel of current and past patients, their siblings and some teens who have no connection to Le Bonheur, to help guide the hospital on the wants and needs of the hospital’s patients.

“We want them to have as much ownership in this as possible, we want them to be able to say ‘This is what we think is important,'” said Thomas Hobson, director of Childlife Services.

Childlife Services is a clinical program that uses play to help children adjust to the hospital setting. The Teen Advisory Board is facilitated by Childlife Services … (read more)

There is no debating that the Rhodes College mock trial team is one of the best of its kind in the country.

The team holds the record for most consecutive Final 48 (that’s mock trial’s equivalent to the Final Four) appearances at 23 straight years.

At the helm of this team for exactly that many years is political science professor Dr. Marcus Pohlmann.

Originally from Davenport, Iowa, Pohlmann did his undergraduate work at Cornell College and graduate work at Columbia University. Having spent more than two decades at Rhodes, though, he considers himself a Memphian and, as a political scientist, appreciates the political show here and its accessibility.

“I know Willie Herenton, I know A C Wharton, I run into them at restaurants,” Pohlmann said. “You can’t say that in every city, that you can have that kind of access to the players.” … (read more)

My family has been overcome by sickness lately. Seasonal affective disorder, as any parent 500 miles above the equator knows, is brought on by that time of year when our children are required to wear hats, hoodies, mittens (that match) and coats.

Symptoms include ill temperament, crying, short fuses, screeching, whining and fatigue. It makes the kids crabby, too.

The condition, which we will call SAD for obvious reasons, is exacerbated by morning temperatures in the 30s and afternoon temps in the upper 50s, when outerwear is discarded by kids who are sure their hoods and scarves will never be needed again.

They are simple children. Children with no meteorological background whatsoever … (read more)