Podcasts about little kids

Welcome to Storytime!In this original story by the team at Little Kids, Big Hearts, we join Quessa, Kalini, and Karva, and their class of Qook-a-leekies on their first overnight field trip. It can be scary to be away from home ... and as the qook-a-leekies practice climbing and cope with a big storm, nervous energy grows and grows. How will Quessa the Qook-a-leekie cope with all the big nervous feelings? The story is voiced by host Todd Loyd and Creative Producer Christy Pusz Decatur. Thanks for joining us for Storytime!Visit us online (https://playsparkler.org/feeling-nervous/) or on our Youtube channel to learn more (https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts). 

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. Title:  We Are All Connected Show Transcripts Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:01:17] Welcome to Apex Express. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. First, we want to start by wishing everyone a happy Juneteenth, Juneteenth commemorates, an end to slavery and the emancipation of Black Americans after the Civil War. In 1865, 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned of their freedom. Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people learned of their freedom. Though outright slavery became illegal, the systematic oppression of African Americans continues to this day. We see that show up in almost every aspect of American culture, from the high rate of infant mortality to the over punishing of Black children in schools, to police brutality, to incarceration. We must continue to recognize the importance of championing Black lives and lifting up Black voices. We are all connected. June 19th is also an important day in Asian American history. In 1982 in Detroit, Vincent Chin was at a bar celebrating his bachelor party prior to his wedding the next day. Ronald Ebens, a white auto worker, and his stepson Michael Nitz taunted Vincent with racial epithets. They thought he was Japanese and were angry about the Japanese rise in the auto industry. When Vincent left the bar later, the two men attacked and killed Vincent with a baseball bat. He was 27 years old. Ronald Ebens never did time for this murder. Ronald Ebens is 85 years old now. Ebens not only skirted prosecution, he has used bankruptcy and homesteading laws in Nevada to avoid a wrongful death civil suit settlement. Ordered by the court in 1987 to pay $1.5 million to Chin's family, the Chin estate has received nothing. Lily Chin, Vincent's mom could have stayed silent about the racist attack on her son. Instead she spoke out. She took a courageous stance to highlight this most painful moment in her life. In doing so, she helped ignite a new generation of Asian American activists working for civil rights and social justice. We find ourselves in a new wave of activism as our communities band together to work against the injustices of the current regime. And what does this have to do with children's books? It is all connected. We highlight children's books by Asian and Asian American authors because we want our next generation of children to know and appreciate their own heritage. We want them to proudly represent who they are so that they can work in solidarity with other peoples. Our struggle is interwoven. As Grace Lee Boggs said, “History is a story not only of the past, but of the future.” Thank you for joining us on apex express. Enjoy the show.   Miko Lee: [00:04:24] First off. Let's take a listen to one of Byron Au Young's compositions called “Know Your Rights” This is part of the trilogy of the Activist Songbook. This multi-lingual rap, give steps to know what to do when ICE officers come to your door.    MUSIC   That was “Know Your Rights” performed by Jason Chu with lyrics by Aaron Jeffries and composed by Byron Au Yong Welcome, Chi Thai to Apex Express.    Chi Thai: [00:07:13] Hello. I'm really happy to be joining you, Miko.  Miko Lee: [00:07:16] I'm really happy to meet you and learn about you as an artist, as a filmmaker, as a children's book author. And I wanna first start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Chi Thai: [00:07:30] Ooh, what a great question. You know what? I love being asked stuff that hasn't been asked kind of before. I mean, there's a kinda really kinda natural answer to that, which is, you know, family are my people. Of course. 100%. And certainly, you know, the reason why I'm talking to you today, you know, in regard to the, to the book, you know, it's about my family's journey. But I found, and I don't know if this is. Somewhat to do with, you know, being a child of two cultures and you know, being a child of the diaspora that you really have to kind of find your own family too. 'cause I suppose I grew up feeling, I didn't quite relate to maybe my parents in a way that, you know, you normally would if you weren't part of the diaspora. And I felt estranged from my birth country and I didn't really feel like British either a lot of the time. So in terms of like, who are my people? I've gathered those people as I've kind of grown up and it's, it's a kind of strange feeling too. I feel like it's taken me a really long to grow up and to figure out who I am. And I suppose that's why, you know, the people that I have a really, a lot of people that have come, kinda later in my life, I actually have no friends in my childhood as an example of that. I've had to kind of find these people as I've grown up, but it's taken me a long time to grow up because growing up in the UK there wasn't any literature to read about what it was like to be Asian. And British, to be a refugee and things like that. So it just took me longer and I then, as a result, it just took me longer to find my tribe. but I have it now, but it's still work in progress. That was a very convoluted answer. I'm very sorry Miko.    Miko Lee: [00:09:15] No, it wasn't. No worries. It's fine. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Chi Thai: [00:09:19] Kind of an extension to that answer, I think when you're an artist, practicing your voice, figuring out your voice, can take a while. And I think I've only really started maybe the last like five to 10 years at the most really figured out what I want my legacy to be. The things I wanna talk about are really about s tories from the diaspora, certainly, and about community and healing. These are the things I think that are really important to me, especially when we talk about maybe coming from struggle. I don't feel it's enough to be an artist today and just talk about struggle. I want to talk about justice as well. And justice really is about healing, you know?    Miko Lee: [00:10:00] Oh, that's beautiful. Can you talk a little bit more about that healing and what that means to you and how that shows up in your work?    Chi Thai: [00:10:07] A couple years ago, no, not even that long ago, I produced a, a feature film. This is probably the best example for it, but I produced a feature film called Raging Grace, which we called it Horror with a small H and it. Basically took the story of what it was like to be, undocumented Filipina in the uk who was also a mother. And I think if that film had been made 10 years ago, it would just shown how hard her life was, and unrelentingly. So, and I think the reason why Raising Grace is so special is it goes beyond the trauma, it takes us to a place of justice, of being able to speak out for someone who has felt invisible, to be visible for someone who's not. Had a voice, to have a voice and to begin that kind of healing process of sticking up for herself, making a change transforming herself from maybe the good immigrant to the bad immigrant and things like that. I think that's a really great example and I think I read a really wonderful thing. It might have been in a Guardian article where we, so a lot of my work is around, inclusion representation of like diasporic stories. And I think when you have, when you exist in the poverty of like representation, I. the solution to that is plentitude. I think that Viet Thanh Nguyen probably said that, so I don't wanna take credit for it. He comes up with so many wonderful things, and that's a wonderful thing to be able to move from poverty, like to plentitude and that be the solution, is kinda really wonderful. So I enjoy being really prolific. I enjoy supporting artists to be able to do their work. So as a community, we can also be prolific and I wanna support, narratives that. Take us beyond a place of struggle and trauma to a place of like healing and justice and so forth.    Miko Lee: [00:11:57] Your work crosses so many genres. You were just mentioning how that film was kind of a horror film and, and then you've done these kind of dreamy animation pieces and then now this children's book. Do you select the genre and the format and the medium, or does it select you?   Chi Thai: [00:12:16] Oh, I think the story chooses it. I like 100% believe that. I just actually was thinking about this 'cause I was doing an interview on something else, people, often ask about the creative process and I, can only speak for my own. But usually when I get an idea for a story, the general shape of it comes almost like really well formed. There's a sense of a lready kinda what genre it'll be. There's a sense of the character, there's a sense of the journey and all these things. I felt the same about, writing The Endless Sea I knew it would be from the voice of a child. This probably sounds like my creative process is terrible, but it was just. This is how it was going to be. That kind of part was writing itself, or at least I feel that it'd been writing itself like that in my subconscious for many, many years before it kind of surfacing and writing. Like the writing bit is just the tip of the iceberg at the end of the day. there wasn't like a kind of decision about that. the story in that sense was quite intact. So I often feel like the story is demanding something about kind genre and for, for Raging Grace 'cause I've talked about this a lot, not just in listen to me, but other things. But we always said like if you are an an undocumented person, every breath you take is taken in a hostile environment. It's so natural for it to be a horror. So there's not a sense that you kinda decide that it's like that is the very reality of someone who's going, you know, that's their lived experience. And if you're going to represent that truthfully, it will be through the prism of horror. And I suppose that's how I think about genre. the story is kind of telling you what it needs to tell its emotional truth. and I felt that way, with The Endless Sea same thing with the Raging Grace, with Lullaby. And I think you talked about The Promise, I suppose I, with The Promise, which is an adaptation I had less choice about that because that was a book and it was a adapted into an animation. I've heard Nicola, who's the author of the book, talk about that and she talks about like the story coming to her in a dream and tiptoeing down her arm coming onto the page, she like describes it really beautifully. so maybe our processes are the same. It feels that way. there's not long deliberations. I mean, that's not to say the writing process isn't difficult. It is. But that, I've never found the, [genre] the difficulty or the bit that's required a lot of, I don't know soul searching with it.    Miko Lee: [00:14:28] So with that being said, how did Endless Sea your latest children's book? How did that tiptoe into your imagination?    Chi Thai: [00:14:36] This is a strange one because this is probably the closest thing to like, almost autobiographical work. What I can say is like, it's the true story o f how I and my family, which would've been at the time my mom and dad, my older sister, me, how we fled Vietnam after the fall of an Saigon. we actually left quite late we left in 1979 w hen things were tr were getting truly, truly, truly, quite terrible. And, this was very much a last resort. I think my parents would try to make things work, but realized that they couldn't. This journey that we took on these, boats that were made badly, made poorly, that many of which sank has become almost like the genesis story of our family. It's like it's a big, it has a long shadow, right? Ever since you know I, it is like the first story that I can remember. It's one of the few stories my mom would tell me again and again when we, when they see their old friends, it's something they talk about. So it's something that has happened to it to us, but it's such a big thing that it's just, echoed In my life growing up, as I've you know, got older and older, and the wonderful thing about having a story kinda live with you eventually it's in your blood and in your bones, but also if it's a thing that's kinda shared with you again and again, you actually build up this, there's something about the repetition of it, and then every time you hear it told from an uncle or a family friend or from your mom, a new little detail is embroidered that someone adds. So I've kinda lived with this story for 40 plus years and I've been collecting all these little things about it all this time and all that time it was, I think, kind of just writing itself, you know? You know, it was doing all that work before I actually put like pen to paper. Um, yeah.    Miko Lee: [00:16:31] Was there a catalyst or something that made you actually put the pen to paper?   Chi Thai: [00:16:36] That's really interesting. You know, I probably don't mind it is probably something really banal like. I think I probably wrote it during Covid and I had more time. Um, I think there are probably be some bigger forces in place. And you know what, I can tell you what it is actually if I'm, I'm forcing myself to think and examine a bit closer so when this is totally true. So I remember hearing the news about Viet Thanh Nguyen win winning the Pulitzer for The Sympathizer. And it made such a mark on me and I kind of felt, wow, someone from our community has achieved this incredible thing. And I thought, why? Why now? Like, and I was like, well, you know what? It's probably taken our community certain amount of time to come of age, to develop not just the abilities to write, to create, to make art, but also to have possibly the relationships or networks in place to be able to then make the art and get it out into the world. And I kind of felt when he was able to do that and came of age, I kind of felt there was going to be like other people from the kind of diasporic Vietnamese community that would also start to flourish. And that made me feel really good. About probably being a bit older than the average kind of artist, like making their, kinda like their pieces and everything and saying, you know what? My time can be now. It's okay. And I just find it just really inspiring that, you know our community was kind of growing, growing up, coming of age and being able to do these, these things And I kind of felt like it had given me the permission, I suppose the, the confidence to go, “Oh this story that I've been carrying my whole life, which I don't really see a version of out there I can write that and now I can write it and I'm the right person to write it.” And I had just done The Promise so I had a relationship with Walker. I was like, I have a, you know, a relationship with the publisher. I feel my writing is matured. Like I can do this. And so it was like a culmination and, you know, convergence of those things. And, but I do remember having that thought thinking, “This is a good time to be alive in our community 'cause we're actually able to make our art and get it out there now.” I, I felt it was like a real watershed moment really.   Miko Lee: [00:19:11] What made you decide to do it in this format as a Little Kid's Children's Illustrated book? We were talking earlier about how to, to me, this is the first more realistic version of a boat people experience in a very little kid's voice. What made you decide to do it in this style?    Chi Thai: [00:19:33] So interesting. At the same time, I was writing The Endless Sea. I was writing also the script for a short film, which is called Lullaby, which is takes an incident that happened on my boat but expresses it as a film, as a little kinda horror kinda drama, but a kid cannot watch that. It's like too terrifying. Um, and I wrote, you know, The Endless Sea at the same time. And again, I can't, it's really hard for me to articulate. I just knew it was gonna be a kid's book, like, and I knew it'd be written from the voice of a kid, and I didn't actually, can I say I didn't even ascribe a particular kind of value to that. It wasn't until I had started conversations with the publisher they're like, you know, we see like there's a really high, like this is really great that it's written in the voice of the kid. It somehow gives it something else. Something more is something kind of special. I didn't set out to like, overthink, like what was the most effective way to tell this story? I, I think I just told the story as honestly as I could, you know, with the words that I felt that, you know, I had in me to de, you know, to describe it. In the most authentic way to, to me. And like I say, at the same time, I knew, like I knew that was a kid's book. There was another part of that I wanted to express that was really important to me and that was survivor's guilt. But that I felt was like, that was a horror, so that was really not gonna be suitable for kids. So I was definitely thinking about lots of things to do with the same subject of the same time, but they were definitely being expressed in different ways. And again, Lullaby came to me very kind of quickly, almost fully formed. And I knew, you know, it would be a ghost story. I knew it would be the story of a mother and things like that. And I often maybe, you know, I should, I, I should interrogate more, but I kinda, I take these kinda. These ideas, which are quite well shaped and, and then I just like lean into them more and more and more. But they, the way they arrive it, I've kinda, I, I can see a lot of what is already about to unfold.   Miko Lee: [00:21:43] And do you still dream about that experience of being on the boat as a kid?    Chi Thai: [00:21:52] It's, it's a really difficult thing to explain because you know that that happened now so long ago, and I've probably heard the story thousands of times. I've watched all the terrible Hollywood movies, I've seen all the news clippings, I've watched all the archive. I've listened to, you know, people talk, and I have my own memories and I look at photographs and I have memories of looking at photographs. I feel like, you know, my memory is really unreliable, but what it is instead is it's this, this kind of, kind of tapestry of, you know, of the story of memories, of, you know, images as I grow up of hearing the story, like all coming together. One of the things I did when I wrote, I wrote The Endless Sea, is I then went back to my mom and I did a recorded interview with her 'cause I was really worried about how unreliable my memory might be. And I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions and I said, and I, it was like, you know, in the way I would've just like listened to the story quite passively before this time I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions about details and all sorts of things. 'cause I really wanted to be able to represent things, you know, as factually as I could. And that was kinda one of my kinda kind of fact checking kinda exercises I did 'cause I was, I was much quite worried about how unreliable my memory was about it all. And you know, what is, what is a memory of a memory of memory, like, you know, especially when it comes to thinking about that time on the boat and the feelings I had. Yeah. So, you know,    Miko Lee: [00:23:34] and you were so young also to    Chi Thai: [00:23:37] Totally 100%. And sometimes, I don't know, you know, is it a memory of a memory? Is it a dream of a dream?   Miko Lee: [00:23:44] Mm-hmm.    Chi Thai: [00:23:44] Or just some, yeah.   Miko Lee: [00:23:46] Was there anything that your mom said that surprised you?    Chi Thai: [00:23:50] Yeah. Um, she didn't realize how bad it was gonna be and she was like, “God, if it, I'd known how terrifying it was I dunno if I, we could have done it.” I think there's a certain amount of naivety involved and I suppose that surprised me. You know? 'cause we know already now how bad it was. Um, so things like that surprised me.    Miko Lee: [00:24:15] and your mom, the dedication of the book is to your mom. What does she think when she first read it?    Chi Thai: [00:24:22] I've got a funny story. My parents, you know, they, we left, they were in their early twenties and I think it was, you know, the escape was hard for them, but settling in new country was really hard for them. That's. That's been kind of their struggle. They had to work so hard, so many hours to kind of, you know, give us a great life. And, I think a lot of that meant they weren't people that could go out, enjoy, enjoy movies, look at art, read lots of literature and things like that. They're very, very simple, very working class. Simple life or working class kinda life. Very much all about, uh, the work. Um, and I remember when I had a, the publisher had made like a mockup of the book and I gave it to my mum to read 'cause I wanted her to be happy about it too, and she's probably been my toughest critic. I think everything I've done, she hasn't really liked, to be honest. Um, and when I gave her the mockup to read. She went, “Yeah,” but she said it in such a way I knew what she meant was Yeah, that's right. You know, that's the truth. That's the, you know, the book isn't the testimony, but it felt like she was saying yeah. It was like the simple kind of approval. It wasn't like a lot    Miko Lee: [00:25:50] That is the most Asian mom's approval ever.    Chi Thai: [00:25:54] It's so funny, like people say to me, oh Chi, it's such a beautiful book. Oh, the writing so lit, like lyrical. It's stripped back, it's elegant. Like, you know, Viet Thanh Nguyen , like God bless his like consults, gave me a comment to put in the book, said these wonderful things, and my mom goes, “yeah.”. You know, it made me laugh at the time, but I knew what it meant. And I also was old enough, I was mature enough, you know, God, if she'd given me that, if I'd been 20 written that I might have cried and my heart might have broken. Right. But I, I knew I had, I've so much compassion, you know, for my parents. Mm-hmm. And people like my parents, what they've been through and, you know, but    Miko Lee: [00:26:38] That was incredibly high praise for her.    Chi Thai: [00:26:40] It was, I couldn't have asked more.   Miko Lee: [00:26:47] Oh, I totally get that. I think that's such an Asian thing. That is so funny.    Chi Thai: [00:26:53] It is, it is. I didn't feel bad. I, I remember showing her Lullaby, um, and she didn't like it at all.    Miko Lee: [00:27:02] What did she say? What is her not like voice? What did she say to that?    Chi Thai: [00:27:05] Oh, she. Well, firstly, she, well, the, the film is almost silent because basically it tells a story. It's inspired by a mother that was on our boat who lost her baby on the border crossing, and I was very much ever, for as long as I knew about this woman's story, I was like, I was very much haunted by it, and I was haunted by, you know, the fact that that's how she felt and her guilt. Over losing her baby on this journey. And I knew, I knew I wanted to tell her story. 'cause one of the things I feel very strongly about is when you are on the losing side. So I'm from South Vietnam, like that's not the, you know, that's not the story that's told, the story is told of who triumphs at the end of the day. And I was just like all those people that we lost at sea, this mother, her baby. The stories kind of aren't told. So I kind of felt really strongly that this was somehow a very creative way to put down like a, an historical record like this happened. And actually I found out after making the film that five babies were lost in our boat, not just one.   Miko Lee: [00:28:24] Wow. So what did she say, your mom say?   Chi Thai: [00:28:28] Yes. So I made this film, which was for the most part, a silent film. This is a woman that's shut down. She barely speaks anymore. She is living with the guilt ever. You know, when she was on the boat before her baby died, she sang a lullaby, and ever since then, she hasn't been able to speak again. And then we find out that she has been haunted by the ghost of her child that she lost. And then a bit too, you know, to kind of free herself from that. She, she actually sings, you know, the, the film culminates in her singing the Luby one last time. S saying Goodbye finally being able to move beyond her Gild and I Griffin, saying goodbye and hoping she's able to, you know, progress. So I made a film about that was largely silence except for this lullaby, and my mum watched it. She went, next time you make a film, you know you need more words. I was just like, oh, I think my heart probably did crumple off a bit a bit at that point.    Miko Lee: [00:29:30] Aw.    Chi Thai: [00:29:31] You know? Um, but yeah. But yeah, it's okay. It's okay because you know what? My mom doesn't get to see stuff like that very often. So sometimes she doesn't have the wider, and this is why, I mean, like, the life that she's had, you know, hasn't been one where she's been able to surround herself with, oh, I'm so lucky. You know, my life has been so different, but it's been different. Different because of, you know what she's, what she's done for us, so it's okay. I can take it on the chin when she says my film doesn't have enough dialogue in it.    Miko Lee: [00:30:04] I love that. For you, have you had conversations with your mom about your life as an artist, and what are her thoughts on that?   Chi Thai: [00:30:16] Well say. So I, so my mom, I don't really like, you know, she's probably not that into it. I'll be honest about being an artist. I can understand why she wants you to have a good life. And I would say for the most part, being an artist is, is a, is a tough life because it's hard to make, you know, the, the pennies work, right?   Miko Lee: [00:30:44] She wants stability for you, right?    Chi Thai: [00:30:45] Yeah, exactly. But she's made a peace with it. And basically what happened, I think all the best story is gonna be about my mom, right? Is that she basically, I, I, um, I have a partner, we've been together for 15 years. Um, he's a really nice guy and he has a reliable job and we have two kids together and i,    Miko Lee: [00:31:08] So that makes it okay.   Chi Thai: [00:31:10] So yeah, this is what I was saying. So she said to me like. It doesn't really matter what you do now. 'cause she, you are already peaked. You're somebody's wife. We're not married. But she told everyone in Vietnam we were married 'cause she couldn't cope with this not being like having kids out of wedlock. In her head. She's rewritten that we are married. Right. She's like, you are married, you're somebody's wife and you mother, it doesn't get better than that. So if you are an artist or if you're a filmmaker, whatever, it doesn't matter. 'cause nothing can be better than that. Right. So she's accepted on the basis that I've already fulfilled, kind of my promise.   Miko Lee: [00:31:46] Wow. Interesting.    Chi Thai: [00:31:50] And she means that in the nicest possible way.    Miko Lee: [00:31:52] Yeah.    Chi Thai: [00:31:52] That she feels like you have a home, you have stability, you have someone who loves you, you know, you have a, a purpose in life, but really her value, you know, the way, I think, the way she measures my value is like, that's how she looks at it. The, the art is something else.    Miko Lee: [00:32:10] Well, I really appreciate you sharing your art with us in the world and your various, um, genres and styles. And I'm wondering how our audience can find out more about your work. Clearly we'll put links to where people can buy the book and let's see, but how do they find out more about your films?   Chi Thai: [00:32:28] Um, so that like, because it is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 2025. Actually the very anniversary of that is the tomorrow, the 30th, April, right? Um, you can watch Lullaby on Altar, which is a YouTube channel. Um, and I can give you the link for it. Rating Grace is on Paramount Plus if you want to, if you've got Paramount Plus, but you can also buy it from all the usual kind of places too. Um, and you know, and we'll see us from all great book stockists, I imagine in, in the us.   Miko Lee: [00:33:07] Thank you so much. Um, I'd love to get, I'd love for you to send me the link so I could put 'em in the show notes. I really appreciate chatting with you today. Um, is there anything else you'd like to share?    Chi Thai: [00:33:19] Um, no, I think, I think that's good. Your, your questions are so good. Mika, I'm already like, kinda like processing them all. Uh, yes.    Miko Lee: [00:33:30] Well, it was a delight to chat with you and to learn more about your artistic vision, and my wishes are that you continue to grow and feel blessed no matter what your mama says, because deep down, she's still proud of you. Even if she doesn't say it out loud.    Chi Thai: [00:33:47] I believe it. I totally believe it.    Miko Lee: [00:33:50] Yay. Thank you so much for spending time with us on Apex Express.Next up, listen to stay, go from dark heart, a concert narrative by singer and songwriter Golda Sargento.   MUSIC   That was the voice of Golda Sargento from the new Filipino futurism punk rock sci-fi dark heart. Welcome, Livia Blackburne Children's book, author of Nainai's Mountain. Welcome to Apex Express.    Livia Blackburne: [00:38:56] Thank you so much for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:38:58] I wanna start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:05] I am Chinese American, and so I carry the stories of my grandparents who fled China to Taiwan, fled that war. And I also carry the stories of my parents and myself who immigrated. To America, and I am, I grew up in New Mexico, so I have fond memories of green chili and new Mexican food. I went to college, Harvard and MIT on the east coast. So I've got a bit of that kind of ivory tower. And now I'm in LA and, you know, my people are, my family and my community, the writing community here. So I, I'm a big mix. Yes.    Miko Lee: [00:39:44] What legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:47] I mentioned a bit of my grandparents and my parents. What they went through in the war in China, and then my parents and me coming here. the experience of being here in two worlds, coming from Taiwan having that cultural background and also, growing up in the United States. The culture I've been surrounded with here as well.    Miko Lee: [00:40:06] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell us about your new illustrated children's book? Nainai's Mountain. What inspired this work?    Livia Blackburne: [00:40:14] The story of this book actually started with another book that is coming out in a couple years that actually I can't share too much about. My grandparents fled the war in China and then my. Parents grew up in Taiwan and I wanted to preserve that family story. My parents are getting older. So I started doing oral interviews with my parents about their childhood, what it was like, growing up. I wouldn't say they weren't refugees in Taiwan. It's a very complicated political situation, but they were transplants to Taiwan, and what it was like growing up there, their daily life. What kind of things they did when they were a child, their pastimes, I wanted to preserve their stories and I got a lot of great material., A lot of that is going into a novel that I'm currently working on. But also as I worked on it, there were so many great details that I thought would be really good in a picture book as well. Also, I'm a mother now. I have an 8-year-old daughter, and she is half Caucasian, half Asian. She has never gone to Taiwan before and I. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking, it would be really great to, I do want to share Taiwan and, my own childhood, home with her at some point. And so I start imagining what would it be like to bring her back to Taiwan and show her everything. And that became the seed for Nainai's Mountain, which is a. Story of a girl visiting Taiwan for the first time with her grandmother. And her grandmother shows her around and tells her stories about her childhood, and the girl through her grandmother's eyes, sees Taiwan, you know, for the beautiful place that it is.    Miko Lee: [00:41:56] You also wrote the book I Dream of Popo. How are these companions to each other and also for audiences that might not speak Chinese. One is a grandmother on the mother's side, and the other is the grandmother on the father's side. Can you talk about how I dream of Popo is linked to Nainai's Mountain?   Livia Blackburne: [00:42:15] Thank you for pointing that out. Yes. So Popo is maternal grandmother, and Nainai is a paternal grandmother. And that is a fantastic question. So I dream of popo is kind of my story. So it's about a little girl who moves from Taiwan , to the United States and it's about her relationship with her grandmother who stays in Taiwan. And it talks about, how a close relationship, navigating long geographical distances about the language barrier that comes up. And that was very much me, Nainai's Mountain. It's kind of like Popo in reverse, you know, it's now it's someone going back to Taiwan and kind of getting in touch with those roots. That, as I mentioned, that's inspired by my daughter. And you'll see in Nainai's Mountain, I specified that the child should be, half Asian, half Caucasian. Because, I wanted more of that representation in the children's literature.    Miko Lee: [00:43:07] Thank you. I, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the artistic style. So you are the author, but you had different illustrators for both of the books and the style is really different. The in, when I look at Nainai's Mountain, which I'm holding here, it's sort of collage and really vibrant colors. Where I Dream of Popo has a different, more. I'm almost realistic, kind of look to it. And I'm wondering what your process was like in collaborating with illustrators.    Livia Blackburne: [00:43:37] That's one of the best things about being a picture book author, is that you get to collaborate with so many illustrators and they all have such different styles, such different visions. Most of the time it's the publisher who chooses the illustrator, although they. Consult me usually. My editor for I Dream of Popo picked Julia Kuo. And she sent me samples and I loved it. And, it was great. I'm friends with Julia now and that book did really well. It was very well known, especially in kind of Taiwanese American, Asian American circles. And so when I did, Nainai's mountain, that was with a different publishing house and my editor. He very consciously said, you know, because it's also a book about Taiwan and a grandmother. We don't want to get it confused with I dream of Popo. So, we made a conscious decision to pick an artist with a very different style and Joey Chou is fantastic. He's very well known for his Disney art. You can see his art in a lot of the hotels and cruise ships. And, he, very bright, vibrant, and I, he's also from Taiwan. I think he did a fantastic job.   Miko Lee: [00:44:41] And have the artistic work ever surprised you as being really different from your imagination while you were writing?    Livia Blackburne: [00:44:48] That's a great question. I don't think they've ever surprised me. By being different. They surprised me in the specifics that they've chosen. For example, I dream of Popo. Julia, spent a lot of time in Taiwan and she put in these great, Taiwan details that, you know, if you're from Taiwan, you would know for sure. There's like a specific brand of rice cooker called the rice cooker, and she has one there and like the giant bag of rice in the corner, and the calendar on the wall.   Miko Lee: [00:45:16] Even the specificities of the food and the trays and everything is quite lovely.    Livia Blackburne: [00:45:20] Yeah, yeah. You know, every time I read that, I look at that spread, I get hungry. So surprise there. And, with Joey, I, I love how he does the different, there's kind of flashback pictures and there's, pictures now and. The thing about him, his color, I just love the color that he put in from the greens, of Taiwan to kind of the bright fluorescent lights, neon lights of Taipei, and then there's kind of the slight sepia tones of the past and he just, you know, brings it so to life so well.   Miko Lee: [00:45:49] I didn't know he was a Disney animator, but it totally makes sense because it feels very layered. It does feel animated in a way and kind of alive. So I appreciate that.   Livia Blackburne: [00:45:59] I'm not sure. If he's an animator. He does a lot of art for the theme parks and like products and the cruise ships and stuff. I'm not sure.    Miko Lee: [00:46:07] Oh, interesting.   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:07] He does like movies and  stuff.    Miko Lee: [00:46:08] Interesting. It looks like animation though. Your book.    Livia Blackburne: [00:46:13] It does look very, yeah. Lively. Mm-hmm.    Miko Lee: [00:46:16] That I'm looking forward to that series. That would be so cute. The grandmother series as a whole little mini series traveling to different places. can you tell us about your new book, Dreams to Ashes? Has that been released yet?   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:29] Dreams to Ashes? That has been released that, released about a month before Nainai's Mountain. Yeah, that one's quite a bit different. So that one is a nonfiction book and it's a picture book, and it's about the Los Angeles massacre of 1871. Whenever people, I tell people about that, they're like, wait, you wrote a picture book about a massacre? Which is slightly counterintuitive. So I never knew about the Los Angeles massacre growing up. And, and, given that I am a Chinese person in Los Angeles, that is kind of weird. Basically, it was a race massacre that occurred. One of the biggest mass lynchings in history, uh, where there was a between two rival Chinese organizations and a white bystander was killed. And because of that, , a mob formed and they rounded the Chinese population up basically. And. Blame them for that death. In the end, 18 Chinese men were killed and only one of them were involved in the original gunfight. It was a horrible tragedy. And unfortunately, as often happened with these kind of historical tragedies in our country, nobody was really punished for it. A few men were indicted and convicted, but their convictions were overturned and it just kind of disappeared into history. And it really struck me that, you know, nobody knew about this. I wanted to kind of bring this to light and unfortunately when I was writing it, it was also, during the Covid pandemic and, I was seeing a lot of anti-Asian rhetoric, anti-Asian hate crimes were going up. And I saw so many parallels between what happened. Back then, because, you know, Chinese people specifically were being vilified , they were being called immoral, stealing people's jobs. And you can see in the years before the massacre the newspapers were saying horrible things and, you know, the hate was just becoming very strong and all that exploded one night into an unspeakable tragedy. Unfortunately as an author, you want your work to be relevant, but sometimes you don't want your work to be relevant in this way. Right. Nowadays I'm seeing so much rhetoric again against immigrants and not of many ethnicities. And in some ways I'm sad. That, this is happening now. And I also hope that this book will contribute to the conversation and show how the danger of racism and xenophobia and hate and what, what can happen because of that.   Miko Lee: [00:48:55] So this occurred in the late 1800s, right? Was it before the Chinese Exclusion Act?    Livia Blackburne: [00:49:03] Yes, it was before the Chinese Exclusion Act. So you'd hope that people kinda learn from these things. And it was just kind of one of the, one of the horrible things that happened on the way to the Chinese Exclusion Act and Chinese immigrants being excluded basically Chinese laborers at least.   Miko Lee: [00:49:23] Oh wow. Okay. I'm looking this up now. And 1882 we know was the Chinese Exclusion Act and this incident actually happened in 1871. Yes. A decade beforehand, Helen Zia always talks about these moments that are missing. MIH missing in history and this is clearly another one of, another time of just wiping out a population.I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit more about how Children's Books can make a difference in the world that we're currently living in, where our government is banning books and you know that there's a narratives that they want to align with a certain kind of conservative ideology. Can you talk about the power of being a Children's Book author in this time that we're living in right now? . I'm really thinking about dreams to Ashes and even I dream of Popo and even Nainai's Mountain, which you would think, oh, they're, you, they're visiting their grandparent, their grandmothers, that would not be controversial. But now when even words like inclusion and diversity are threatened and books are being banned, I'm just wondering if you could. Share a little bit more about your superpower as a children's book author?    Livia Blackburne: [00:50:31] Yeah, that's a fantastic question. We live in a time right now, there's, a lot of hate, a lot of intolerance, a lot of fear of different people groups. And a lot of that I think is because people are unfamiliar with people unlike themselves. They see. People who are different, look differently, act differently, speak differently, and it scares them. And I think the best way to get around that is to actually get to know people of other backgrounds, to see them as human. And I think that's where children's books come in. ‘Cause we don't, children are not born. With this hate of the other. They learn it. But, if they grow up being familiar with people of different backgrounds seeing their stories seeing them as, normal human beings, which, should be obvious, but sometimes it's hard, for adults to realize. Then, I'm hoping, as a children's book author that it will lead to a more empathetic world. And perhaps that's why the government sometimes in certain groups are wanting to, censor this and control the flow of children's books because, children are the most their minds are still open. They're still able to learn.    Miko Lee: [00:51:48] And Livia, tell us what you're working on next.   Livia Blackburne: [00:51:53] So right now I am. Working on a historical middle grade. We haven't quite announced it yet, so I can't say the title or too many details, but it is based on my family history of my parents and grandparents who moved from China to Taiwan after the civil War.   Miko Lee: [00:52:12] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preti Mangala-Shekar, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tanglao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee.   The post APEX Express – 6.19.25 We Are All Connected appeared first on KPFA.

We're joined by @thedisneyworlddad Justin who has mastered the art of traveling to WDW with his 3 kids aged 5 and under! He chats with us to share a jam-packed list of tips to help you plan your trip. Also, Greg catches up on his recent park adventures. Weekly Exclusive Bonus Episodes of our Podcast are available at  our Patreon page. Visit our Amazon Storefront to see what our must-haves are for the parks (Affiliate Link)   Follow Along! Podcast Account: @ThatParkLifePodcast Beth: @TheRealBethMcDonald and @SimplisticThrills Greg: @Gregintheparks Greg's Other Podcast: The Quick Escape Podcast

This month, the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast is focused on nervousness. The kids chatted about what makes them nervous and practiced some strategies to help them cope with nervousness, including a game called What If? ... But Then. In this month's "Mission," Todd and Christy challenge our listeners to play a version of the What If? ... But Then game at home: 1. Think of something that makes you nervous2. Draw a picture of your "But Then" — a positive resolution that turns the nerves to bravery! They also share a song from the the LAST mission by a 5-year-old listener inspired to share HER special song: "Hello, hello, hello WORLD!" You're going to love it!  Please share your "BUT THEN" inspirations! You can share by emailing us at podcast@playsparkler.org. Learn more about the podcast on our website: playsparkler.orgOr you can listen to episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts

On Friday the 13th we got into and issue with the Best Man being in love with the Bride-to-be, we played Little Kid or Drunk Adult, and we guessed who... was the father! Enjoy!

VISIT ➡️ https://raisingheights.com In this episode of Raising Heights with Zach and Tori, they talk about juggling family dynamics, summer activities, and managing expectations for their upcoming trip. Tune in to find out if Zach and Tori can survive and thrive during their summer escapade! 00:00 Introduction 00:36 Late Night Podcasting 01:11 Summer Vacation Begins 01:39 Camping Preparations 03:47 Embarrassing Moments 05:11 Skims Sponsorship 06:57 Jackson's Baseball Award 07:19 10K Race Experience 12:49 Packing Woes 16:27 Ollipop Sponsorship 18:35 Special Offer and Favorite Flavors 18:53 Shoutout to New Members 19:19 Comments and Joe Rogan Discussion 19:49 Blue Angels Documentary 20:29 The Outdoor Boys Quitting 21:06 Challenges of Self-Filming 22:35 Camping with Kids 30:00 Memories of Past Camping Trips 33:51 Wrapping Up and Upcoming Plans BECOME A MEMBER! https://raisingheights.com SPONSORS: https://skims.com/heights https://drinkolipop.com/heights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strap in Dad-fans cause 2BD are serving you up your tri-weekly steaming hot pile of dadly-knowledge! That's right pull your pants down, get comfortable with a little lotion and listen up to the biggest tri-weekly pod in the tri-state area!This week in the tri-week cycle we have a hot topic ep, and what a hot topic it is, like lava it is! This week we're tackling the big curly questions that our kids ask us that we're definitely not experienced to answer (note: one of us has a bachelor's degree so technically can answer) Like, review and subscribe! Get in touch at 2balddads_pod on Insta or twobalddads69@hotmail.com

On this episode, four kids — Miel, Kelly, Leo, and Sammy — join LKBH host Todd Loyd to discuss nervousness: What causes nervous? What can we do with nervous feelings? The kids and Todd then float on fluffy clouds and to the Land of Qook-a-lackas … arriving JUST in time to help a Qook-a-lacka friend, Quillabee, get ready for the Big Feelings Fest! At first, Quillabee is feeling super nervous about sharing a story in front of a crowd — but the kids help Quillabee practice strategies to get past the nerves before the Fest. ☁️ They shake the nerves out of their arms, legs, elbows, etc.☁️ They play "What If...But Then!" to imagine alternative (positive) ends of nervous moments.☁️ They practice taking deep, calming breaths. Together, they learn that EVERYONE feels nervous sometimes — and they learn some strategies to deal with nerves!❤️❤️❤️Quillabee is played by JUDGE REINHOLD, the movie and TV actor. JUDGE REINHOLD has been in over seventy-five motion picture and television roles and enjoys a 35-year relationship with an international audience of all ages.  His films include STRIPES, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, RUTHLESS PEOPLE, and Christmas franchise, THE SANTA CLAUSE 1,2,3. BEVERLY HILLS COP 1, 2, 3 play continually internationally, making Judge a familiar presence worldwide.  FAST TIMES and BEVERLY HILLS COP were recently voted by the American Film Institute as two of the “Top 100 American Comedies.”   Judge received an Emmy nomination for his performance as “The Close Talker” on Seinfeld, and his guest-star appearances in Seinfeld and Arrested Development received two of the highest ratings on both series. Judge has been an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1987.Judge most recently co-starred with Eddie Murphy in the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, which was Netflix's most successful summer movie of 2024, released globally in 250 million homes.❤️❤️❤️Sound design and mixing is by Ryan Marth, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English. Please learn more about the episode online at https://playsparkler.org/feeling-nervous/Also...Little Kids, Big Hearts now has a YouTube channel. Please join our growing community on YouTube! Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts

We all do dumb things. Sometimes when we do we are little kids; for everything else, we are usually drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

We all do dumb things; sometime we're little kids and other times we're drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

Despite a consistent conversation about the dangers of online media and screen time for kids, seventy-five percent of parents do nothing to limit their children's screen time.

We all do dumb things; sometime we're little kids and other times we're drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

We all do dumb things; sometime we're little kids and other times we're drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

We all do dumb things; sometime we're little kids and other times we're drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

This month, Little Kids, Big Hearts has focused on the power of music ... and we're excited to wrap up the month with a special interview with the person BEHIND the music on our podcast: Our audio engineer and sound designer, Ryan Marth. Host Todd Loyd joins Ryan and one of his kids (Clover, 8) for an interview about the power of music and sound design to help people understand how someone is feeling, even without words. You'll discover... 

Welcome to Storytime!In this original story by the team at Little Kids, Big Hearts, we learn the origin of the Qook-a-lacka song healer, Quasnick, who we first met in our episode "Moving Time" when Quasnick helped kids create a song to help a Qook-a-lacka family cope with their big feelings around moving. In this story, Quasnick has practiced and practiced for the Great Qooka Sing, but loses the all-important songbook the day of the performance! Quasnick is poised to apologize and call it a night, but a young friend gives an important reminder: "You don't need the sheet music. I've heard you hum by the shoreline and in the store. I've seen you tap your feet in time with the sounds of the forest. Your songs are part of YOU!"Quasnick gets up on stage and creates an original song inspired by the words and feelings of the Qook-a-lackas in the crowd. The song becomes "Power of a Song," which we released earlier this week on our podcast ... AND the moment transformed Quasnick into the Song Healer of the Land of Qook-a-lackas. The Song Healer doesn't “fix” feelings but rather makes space for them, so all Qook-a-lackas and little Qook-a-leekies know that their hearts have a voice.The story is voiced by host Todd Loyd, Creative Producer Christy Pusz Decatur, and the original Song Healer, Benjamin Weiner!Thanks for joining us for Storytime!Visit us online (https://playsparkler.org/power-of-music/) or on our Youtube channel to learn more (https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts). 

Crazy things happen in life - sometimes it's because you're a little kid and other times it's because you're a drunk adult! Can you tell the difference?

Crazy things happen in life - sometimes it's because you're a little kid and other times it's because you're a drunk adult! Can you tell the difference?

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the bizarre press conference by Donald Trump's Press Secretary where a group of 10-Year-Olds exposed Trump and his regime. Tecovas: Get 10% off at https://tecovas.com/meidas when you sign up for email and texts. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, Little Kids, Big Hearts is focused on the power of music, and today we are thrilled to release an original song by the amazing educator/composer Benjamin Weiner called POWER OF A SONG. What does music mean to you? How does music make YOU feel? Here are the lyrics! Sing along with us!POWER OF A SONGWhen you're filled up with a feelinglike happy angry, or sad,you might feel some music coming too. And before too long, your feeling is a song, a song that belongs to you.And you can sing loud,And you can sing quiet,And you might feel better, So why don't you try it, causeYou've got a song in your heart,(I bet you can feel it,)You've got a song in your heart,(And no one can steal it)When you sing it you can feel,Happy safe and strong,That's the power of a song.When you've got a story,About a king or a magic spell,You might feel a tune start to appear, (la la la…)And before too long, Your story is a song,And people gather round ‘cuz they want to hear…And you can sing fast fast fast fastAnd you can sing slowwww,And people might sing along,And your song will grow… 'cause you've got a song in your heart,(I bet you can feel it,)You've got a song in your heart,(no one can steal it)When you sing it you can feel,Happy, safe, and strong,That's the power of a song.A song can move your hands! (Everybody, move your hands!)A song can tap your feet! (Everybody, tap your feet)Oh song can make you dance (Come on: everybody dance) While you're walking down the street 'cause You've got a song in your heart,(I bet you can feel it,)You've got a song in your heart,(And no one can steal it)When you sing it you can feel,Happy, safe, and strong,That's the power of a song.Oh! The power of a song!Oh! The power of a song!Sing it with me now!Oh! The power of a song!One more time now!Oh! The power of a song!

Crazy things happen in life - sometimes it's because you're a little kid and other times it's because you're a drunk adult! Can you tell the difference?

We got TWO updates from "Jason" about the girl's trip picture of his wife with another guy's arms wrapped around her and TEA WAS SPILLED. Then in Group Therapy, "Kenny" and a co-worker crafted a list of annoying and hot co-workers and it somehow ended up AT WORK. Allegedly. Maybe. And Ben derails Little Kid or Drunk Adult with his dog's penis. #lipstick

Crazy things happen in life! Sometimes it's because you're a little kid and other times it's because you're a drunk adult! Can you tell the difference?

Is it even a family trip if someone doesn't melt down in the middle of a red-eye? In this episode of Transform With Travel, Kelly shares her top 7 tried-and-true hacks for surviving overnight flights and battling jet lag when you're traveling with kids. Whether you're flying across the world for a soul-shaking adventure or just trying to make it through the night in a cramped row 27, this episode is packed with tips that'll help you arrive with your sanity intact (and maybe even a little mascara left).From pre-flight prep and strategic seat selections to her secret weapon for helping kids adjust to new time zones, Kelly spills the tea on what actually works when you're globetrotting with little humans in tow.In this episode, you'll learn:How to prep your kids (and yourself!) for a smoother overnight flightGenius packing tips you didn't know you neededHow to provide positive environments to sleep (even on planes)The one thing most parents forget when it comes to jet lag recoveryAnd more!You don't have to forgo big adventures in far-flung places because you're afraid of the flight. Kelly is here as your trusted travel friend & advisor to help you and your family create memories that will last a lifetime. Resources & Links:Sign Up for our Newsletter & Get a Free Guided Meditation: https://transform-with-travel.captivate.fm/community Ready for your next adventure? Fill out our Trip Request Form and we will reach out to set up a Free Consultation Call: https://transform-with-travel.captivate.fm/trip-request Episode 20 with Michelle Hansley: https://transform-with-travel.captivate.fm/episode/020-create-sleep-routines-for-kids-while-traveling-with-michelle-hansley Thanks To Our Sponsors:AndBeyond: Check out their collection of sustainable & luxurious lodges, camps and itineraries at here: https://transform-with-travel.captivate.fm/andbeyond Leave a Review: Loving the show? Please leave a 5-star review and share this episode with your favorite travel buddy (or stressed-out parent friend

We got an update from the listener who wanted to possibly prevent her boyfriend from proposing the way she heard he might. And she did...then in Group Therapy, his wife was seen in a pic with another dude's arms wrapped around her. Does he confront her about it? Magic paper towels appear in Little Kid or Drunk Adult and there's a new way for men to stop losing their hair that may not be super practical...for anyone.

Can you guess whether these crazy things happened because they were a little kid or a drunk adult??

This month, the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast is focused on the power of music! We shared some of our favorite songs from the LKBH podcast, and today, we're excited to share a brand new challenge for our listeners and their families: The Song of YOU Mission! Todd and Christy challenge our listeners to make up their own song  that tells the story of their feelings, their experiences, their hopes and dreams ...We'd love to hear your song: Share it with us at podcast@playsparkler.org. Learn more about the podcast on our website: playsparkler.orgOr you can listen to episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts

We just survived—and thrived— 5 whirlwind days at Disneyland California ... with FOUR little kids in tow!

Feeling torn between your big dreams and the tiny humans in your care?Do you ever wonder if you'll ever have the time, energy, or space to pursue the big dreams in your heart — while you're still night nursing, co-sleeping, and managing tantrums between business tasks?You're not alone.In this episode, Rachel gets real about what it takes to be an ambitious mom in the baby and toddler years — and why the real secret isn't doing it all right now... but doing what matters most and learning to trust the process.You'll hear:- Why it's okay (and wise) to pause or rearrange your dreams — not abandon them- The long-term power of building a secure foundation for your child first- Gentle strategies for night weaning and moving beyond co-sleeping- What Rachel would go back and say to herself as a young mom with a business and babies- Small ways to nurture your goals in this season without burning outThis is your permission slip to stop striving, lean into the season you're in, and trust that your dreams are safe — even if they're on the shelf for now.

Sixtysomething_S2_Ep17_Surviving the Little Kid GermsIn this episode of Sixtysometing, your host, Grace Taylor Segal, returns after a long absence due to illness and its aftermath, and reflects on the challenges of boosting immunity and staying healthy as a grandparent in her 60s. She shares personal experiences with illness, practical tips for boosting the immune system, and strategies to remain connected with grandchildren without compromising health. The episode emphasizes the importance of quality sleep, a nutritious diet, proper hydration, exercise, and hygiene. Additionally, there are reflections on motherhood, the impact of her own mother, and a heartfelt message for Mother's Day.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hey Friends! It's me, Grace! I just want to thank you for listening. I hope you'll let me know what you think about the podcast and if any particular episodes resonate with you. Listed just below here is my contact information and all of the social channels where you can find me, as well as the link to our Facebook Group. Contact InfoGrace Taylor SegalEmail: grace@gracetaylorsegal.comFacebook: 60something Page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553062496332)Instagram: @60somethingpodFacebook Group: 60Something Podhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/1665326354000332RESOURCES6LINKSSixtysomething Podcast - Episode - - NOTESCreditsSixtysomething Theme SongMusic & lyrics by Lizzy SanfordVocals by Lizzy SanfordGuitar: Lizzy & Coco SanfordTo Leave a Review: On Apple Podcasts (no link is available--here are the steps)Open the Apple Podcasts app. Search for the podcast you want to review. Select the podcast show page (not an individual episode). Scroll to the bottom of the page. Click "Write a Review". On the Sixtysomething Podcast Websitehttps://www.sixtysomething.net/reviews/new/Thank you so much for taking the time to review the show!Timestamps:00:00 Welcome Back!00:25 The Unexpected Hiatus02:11 Reflecting on Age and Resilience03:05 Boosting Our Immune Systems03:39 Why We're More Susceptible to Illness05:24 Strategies for a Stronger Immune System05:43 Prioritize Sleep for Better Health07:40 Immune-Boosting Foods and Hydration09:51 Supplements and Hygiene Tips11:39 Staying Safe Around Grandkids13:19 Personal Strategies and Success Stories15:40 Conclusion and Upcoming Topics17:14 Mother's Day Reflections

Little kid contemporaries- h1 full 2187 Mon, 12 May 2025 19:48:41 +0000 69chRi8lJkCiXYasEGfEel62dKJM4hU3 comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government The Dave Glover Show comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government Little kid contemporaries- h1 The Dave Glover Show has been driving St. Louis home for over 20 years. Unafraid to discuss virtually any topic, you'll hear Dave and crew's unique perspective on current events, news and politics, and anything and everything in between. © 2025 Audacy, Inc. Comedy Religion & Spirituality Society & Culture News Government False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F%2F

We're SO excited to share some of our favorite songs from the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast on this special episode about the power of music to help people express our feelings and become braver, kinder, and stronger!

This week on The Mile High Podcast, you're going to hear a truly heart-centered and science-backed episode with Dr. John “Doc” Edwards. Doc Edwards is an ICPA instructor, award-winning researcher, snappy dresser, and mustache artisan. More importantly, he's a passionate voice for pediatric and perinatal chiropractic. You'll love this conversation. It's real, it's personal, and it's loaded with value.

Ali Stroker is a trailblazing actor and advocate who joined the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast as a guest Qook-a-lacka on our episode focused on inclusion. Today, Ali is back — out of character, as her amazing self — to talk with LKBH Host Todd Loyd about her own experiences with disability and inclusion. ❤️ She reflects on what Scarlett and Zach said on the episode: "When I hear Scarlett talking about horseback riding: It felt like she was explaining something that was so normal. And that, to me, is progress."❤️ She shares her own personal motto — Turning Limitations into Opportunities: "It can apply to somebody with a disability or not because as human beings, we have limitations. It's part of existing in the world."  ❤️ She talks about being a mom with a disability — and how being a mom in a wheelchair affects her parenting and her son's independence. ❤️ She talks about the power of "inclusive playgrounds." "I never had one inclusive playground growing up, and to this day, I still go to the playground and I have this like funny feeling in my stomach because it was a place of confusion and shame and frustration for me as a child ... Every kid deserves that freedom and that ability to play in an outdoor space with their friends."❤️ She talks about a moment when she was in 1st grade and her PE teachers included her in a lesson on "how to skip," which changed her life. "Thirty-one years later, I still remember it because it felt like I was included and someone had taken a little bit of time to get creative and make me feel like I was learning a new school too, and that I could be a part of the group in moving...And that meant everything to me, everything!" ❤️ She talked about her children's book "Ali and the Sea Stars," which was based on her own experience as a six year old being introduced to musical theater by her neighbor on the Jersey Shore. "It basically set my entire life journey of  becoming a musical theater and actress and everything that I do now." ❤️ She shares advice for kids with disabilities who want to try something new that hasn't been done before. Ali Stroker is a Tony Award winner for her role as ‘Ado Annie' in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West's acclaimed revival of Spring Awakening and the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony. She was a series regular on the Netflix series, Echoes, and starred in the Lifetime holiday film, Christmas Ever After. Ali recurred in the final season of Netflix's Ozark and in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. She co-wrote the novel, The Chance to Fly and its sequel, Cut Loose!; and she wrote the children's book, Ali and the Sea Stars. She was recently seen opposite Matthew Broderick in Babbitt at Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC and played 'Lady Anne' in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III. She's performed her one woman show all over the country. Her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts is captured in her motto: “Turning Your Limitations Into Your Opportunities.”Learn more on our episode webpage: https://playsparkler.org/inclusion/Watch on our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts

If you have kids under the age of 7, you're going to love this episode! I've invited Kelsey Cook, founder of Learning with Kelsey, to share easy ways to entertain little kids. You'll Learn:Why you don't have to be involved in everything your kid doesHow to feel more playful and fun as a mom 4 ways to encourage play (and make it easy)My hide-and-seek hack for when you need a quiet moment

Meri is a housecleaner in North Florida. She didn’t know Jeremy. She just listened to Bone Valley. And she wrote him a letter. Their friendship becomes a lifeline—something neither of them expected, and both of them needed. Through Meri, we see Jeremy as someone craving connection, terrified of being unloved, and trying to become a man his son might one day want to know. When Jeremy finds out Justin wants to talk, it’s as if something inside him shifts. For the first time, there’s hope. A chance to become the version of himself he never thought possible. For photos and images from each episode, visit: https://lavaforgood.com/bone-valley/ New episodes of Bone Valley Season 2 will be available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to Lava for Good + on Apple Podcasts to binge the whole season, ad-free now. Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nothing wrong with taking your younger brother or sister for a drive… but this is a Setting the Bar story, so you know something is wrong with this…

On this special episode, Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd chats with award-winning composer, lyricist & performer Lance Horne

During the most recent "KidVenture" of Little Kids, Big Hearts, "Inclusion Matters with Ali Stroker," two kids — Zach and Scarlett — help to devise a brand new sport in the Land of Qook-a-lackas that EVERYONE can play TOGETHER called Quibble Launch.Today, we're back with to challenge our listeners to participate in the You, Me, We Mission — which is all about figuring out new ways to play together!

Stupid News 4-17-2025 8am …Now it is even easy to leave a tip …Smoke Weed with Police …Little Kid On Plane Stabs Random Man with a Fork

We all do dumb things. Sometimes when we do we are little kids; and other times we are drunk adults. Can you tell the difference?

On this kidventure episode, two kids — Scarlett and Zach — talk about their disabilities and share their experiences with inclusion (on inclusive playgrounds and in other contexts). As Scarlett explains, inclusion "means that everybody can play, no matter your disability or how you walk or how you roll or anything like that."After a chat on Earth, the kids and Todd travel on the colors of the rainbow to the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where they meet a Qook-a-lacka friend, Quinnly, who is trying to figure out how the Qook-a-lackas and their new neighbors, the Link-a-doos, can play TOGETHER. The Qook-a-lacka's favorite sport, Quibble, is played on the ground with a big ball — while the Link-a-doos' favorite sport, Loop-a-launch, is played in the sky with a little bouncy ball. The kids and Todd help Quinnly to brainstorm a whole new game (Quibble Launch!), which has special rules and a two tier playing field that is perfect for the new neighbors to play together!Little Kids, Big Hearts was THRILLED to be joined on this episode by guest star Ali Stroker, who plays the role of Quinnly. Ali Stroker is a Tony Award winner for her role as ‘Ado Annie' in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West's acclaimed revival of Spring Awakening and the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony. She was a series regular on the Netflix series, Echoes, and starred in the Lifetime holiday film, Christmas Ever After. Ali recurred in the final season of Netflix's Ozark and in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. She co-wrote the novel, The Chance to Fly and its sequel, Cut Loose!; and she wrote the children's book, Ali and the Sea Stars. She was recently seen opposite Matthew Broderick in Babbitt at Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC and played 'Lady Anne' in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III. She's performed her one woman show all over the country. Her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts is captured in her motto: “Turning Your Limitations Into Your Opportunities.”Sound design and mixing is by Ryan Marth, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.The Little Kids, Big Hearts team wants to say a big, public "THANK YOU" to Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration, the amazing organization that helped us find the brilliant, insightful kids who appear on this episode, Scarlett and Zach. Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration is an international non-profit organization that creates play, dignity and social equity for children with disabilities through inclusive playgrounds and education programs that unite children of all abilities. Scarlett and Zach played — and met "buddies" — on inclusive playgrounds created by this organization, which has built these sensory- and literacy-rich playgrounds in the US, as well as Mexico, Israel, Canada, Ecuador, Russia, Argentina, South Africa, Armenia, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. THANK YOU!!! Learn more about Inclusion Matters on its website: https://inclusionmatters.org/Please learn more about the episode online at https://playsparkler.org/inclusion/Also...Little Kids, Big Hearts now has a YouTube channel. Please join our growing community on YouTube! Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleKidsBigHearts

We Play Little Kid Or Drunk Adult For Prizes! full 291 Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:42:13 +0000 ZheioiGbKS579tA881Z2FThWbcMkZ4Gq latest,wwbx,society & culture Karson & Kennedy latest,wwbx,society & culture We Play Little Kid Or Drunk Adult For Prizes! Karson & Kennedy are honest and open about the most intimate details of their personal lives. The show is fast paced and will have you laughing until it hurts one minute and then wiping tears away from your eyes the next. Some of K&K’s most popular features are Can’t Beat Kennedy, What Did Barrett Say, and The Dirty on the 30! 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-lin

Are these the tales of a child or the tales of a drunk person? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are these the tales of a child or the tales of a drunk person? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Were they a Little Kid or A Drunk Adult when these stories went down? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Were they a Little Kid or A Drunk Adult when these stories went down? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Support our sponsors this week by using the links below for the exclusive Solomonster offers!EXPRESSVPN - Get an extra FOUR MONTHS FREE of the #1 trusted VPN at http://www.expressvpn.com/solomonsterFACTOR MEALS - Use code "FACTORPODCAST" at http://www.factormeals.com/factorpodcast to get 50 PERCENT OFF your first box plus free shipping!We got more details this week about how the WWE ID program works, or did we?  Dave Meltzer reported something in this week's Observer that he later scrubbed, and I've got an update on the whole situation.  Plus, Jeff Cobb possibly coming to WWE... JD McDonagh speaks for the first time on his injuries from Raw two months ago... Tommy Dreamer challenges fans to find a better steel cage match than CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, so CHALLENGE ACCEPTED... NXT Roadblock thoughts for what was the best wrestling show on TV all week... AEW Revolution fallout and the latest on Dynamite for this week... and a HULK HOGAN segment that will brighten your week, including comments from Scott Steiner, The Undertaker, the Survivor Series 1991 story and why Hogan made LITTLE KIDS CRY recently, with some very irate fans who felt betrayed at a recent meet-and-greet for Hogan's new Real American Beer (this is a segment not to be missed!)... the BEST pull-apart brawls in wrestling history... why is Ivan Koloff NOT in the Hall of Fame?***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join