Parenting Roundabout

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Now displaying: Search Results for "round 2"

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Join parenting and education writers Terri Mauro, Catherine Holecko, Amanda Morin, and 
Nicole Eredics for a weekly look at the things parents are talking about, 
complaining about, and obsessing about right now.

Find us on iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Player FM | TuneIn

Jan 11, 2016

StopwatchTo kick off a new week of Speed Round episodes, we took a cue from an article on Terri's About.com site and planned out some appropriate New Year's resolutions for people and situations we think could use some improvement. Who do you think could use a few resolutions? Add your picks in the comments here or on our Facebook page, or tweet us @RoundAboutChat. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience. And while you're at it, check out our Round 2 entertainment resolutions.)

Jan 7, 2016

StopwatchThe Speed Rounds you've been listening to all week will be replacing Round 3 and 4 as you've known them -- we're tucking those mini-interviews into our group chats starting January 15. So the end of our anniversary week seemed like a good time to look back on our favorite Round 3s, Round 4s, and even Round 2s (which will still be bringing you entertainment chat every Tuesday-ish.) If you want to listen to the full episodes after hearing us chat about them, here are the links:

+ Nicole's favorites: Round 4s by Amanda and her husband JonRound 2s on Dancing With the Stars
+ Amanda's favorites: Round 3 on school lunches with Lexi Walters Wright; Round 4 on IEP meetings with Robert Rummel-Hudson
+ Catherine's favorites: Round 4 on Inside Out and Special Needs with Robert Rummel-HudsonRound 2 on audiobooks and Dancing With the Stars
+ Terri's favorites: Round 3 on kids and commercialization with Lexi Walters Wright (and that Hulk cologne pull-quote); Round 2s on So You Think You Can Dance

(If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Jan 5, 2016

On the first Round 2 of the new year, Catherine and Terri look back on which entertainment product they consumed on New Year's Eve, how their DVR clearing is going, and what they've read and watched this week, including:

+ In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins
+ Call the Midwife (book version) by Jennifer Worth
+ Water for Elephants, both book and movie
+ About Alex (and yes, come to think of it, as we discussed this movie's similarity to The Big Chill, we did accidentally say Phoebe Cates played the young girlfriend in that film when of course it was Meg Tilly. When you're old enough to remember The Big Chill, you're old enough to forget details, apparently.)

We're also plotting a marathon watch, probably of Parks and Recreation (and not Parenting Roundabout, as Terri initially said, although if you'd like to marathon our podcast, go right ahead!), although maybe of the first two seasons of The West Wing. Do you have a preference? Tell us in the comments here or on Facebook, or tweet at us.

If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Dec 29, 2015

It's almost a new year, and although Terri still has a hundred or so episodes of 2015 TV languishing on her DVR, it seems like a good time to look forward at the new entertainment we'll consume in 2016. Catherine resolved to try some new TV shows she's heard about but hasn't had a chance to watch yet, Terri resolved to read one of Catherine's book-club books (with sufficient notice), and they both resolved to get a Parks and Recreation binge-watch going ASAP. Listen to find out what other big promises we're making in our last ep of 2015, and join us next year to see if we keep 'em.

Dec 22, 2015

It's hard to talk about entertainment this week without addressing the latest Star Wars installment. It's also hard to talk about Star Wars without breaking spoiler protocol. Catherine was one of those first-weekend viewers who now knows the film's secrets, but she tried to keep her review spoiler-free and focused on general enjoyment. After discussing something new, we looked back on older holiday fare that we often revisit this time of year, including Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone, To Grandmother's House We Go, and the "Noel" episode of The West Wing. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, go to parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Dec 15, 2015

With Christmas just a certain number of days away that Terri refuses to acknowledge, it seemed like a good time to take a look at some TV and tunes of the season. Combining both those things is Netflix's A Very Murray Christmas, in which Bill Murray and an appropriately random gathering of celebrities put together exactly the kind of offbeat Christmas special you'd expect to be directed by Sofia Coppola. Thanks to the generosity of her podcast-mates, Netflix newbie Terri was able to watch it instead of just listening to Catherine describe it, and they give it two thumbs up, with particular kudos to performances of "Fairytale of New York," "Alone on Christmas Day," and a George Clooney-enhanced "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'." They then moved on for a chat about holiday music in general, what we're hearing on the radio and TV, and what constitutes a "contemporary" Christmas song. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Dec 8, 2015

Since Catherine was busy all weekend watching her daughter's synchronized skating team compete, we thought we'd step away from our screens and consider the entertainment that energetic youngsters put forth on the ice, and the sometimes puzzling choices their coaches make on their behalf when it comes to costumes and music. Can you guess which popular song popped up the most? What a costume for a Casablanca-themed skate would look like? What late-night show inspired a team's theme? Or what carbonated beverage? Listen in for a mom's-eye view of the competition (and watch the video above to see what kind of skating we're talking about -- come to http://parentingroundabout.com to do that if you're reading this somewhere else). 

Dec 1, 2015

Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to let entertainment flow over you. For this week's post-Thanksgiving episode, Catherine and Terri start with a chat about the gigantic balloon hovering over the holiday, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, discussing live vs. home-viewing options, the fun Broadway show snippets, the possibility of heating the area where Broadway performers in skimpy costumes perform, and the certainty that whatever you are doing and wherever you are going at this point in history, you will surely hear Shawn Mendes singing "Stitches" at least once while you are doing it. Then we left the NYC hoopla behind to talk about houses that would probably fit inside some of those balloons and floats. Catherine watched a lot of Tiny House programming -- who knew there was so much? -- and reports in on how FYI and HGTV are making a big splash with little living. (If you're watching this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Nov 25, 2015

Yesterday Catherine and Terri chatted about the first day of the Dancing With the Stars finals, and today they follow up with a quick review of the second day -- a two-hour show that offered approximately 105 minutes of padding, 10 minutes of competition, and 5 minutes of award-giving. But who's complaining? There were lots of slick pro numbers, video retrospectives, the return of defeated contestants, musical selections, and Victor Espinoza popping up like he was in some sort of giant Whack-a-Mole game. We chatted about the long-predicted winner, the gracious losers, and who they might scrape up ... that is, recruit for the next episode coming in the spring. Did you watch along with us this season? How do you feel about the results? Share in the comments here if they're working, and if not, find us on our Facebook page. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Nov 24, 2015

Dancing With the Stars has finally made it to the end, and we're one show away from someone hoisting the mirror-ball trophy. After watching Night 1 of the finals, Catherine and Terri discussed their favorites and predictions, the freestyles they liked and didn't, what constitutes a gimmick, how hard a lift is, and how enjoyable a show can be when you don't pack it full of unprepared non-professionals trying to learn too many dances. They'll be back tomorrow to discuss the winner, but in the meantime, they took a moment to chat about Netflix's new series Master of None and Terri's new favorite Undateable Live, which she finally got Catherine to watch. The verdict: thumbs up on both, but if you think Undateable's 8 p.m. timeslot means its safe for the kids, be warned that it very much is not, as the above clip will illustrate. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Nov 17, 2015

Word BubbleOn a new Round 2, Terri and Catherine chat as usual about Dancing With the Stars, which this week included three dances for each star, a withdrawal due to illness, a number involving a rope and a nearly invisible bodysuit, another involving a box and another rope with a lightbulb on it, and a fake-out non-elimination that was really kind of mean. We chatted about this year's likely winners and how the show could be improved in the future, if the producers would just listen to us and people who write on Internet forums. Next, after discussing the problems with asking a 17-year-old to dance dirtier, we turned our attention to shows that ask kids to do other unlikely things, including fashion designing and cooking with unusual items. Catherine shared her thoughts on Project Runway Junior, Terri did the same for Chopped Junior, and they joined Catherine's dog in strategizing other possible reality-show permutations. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Nov 10, 2015

This week's Round 2 started as it has for the past many weeks with a chat about last night's Dancing With the Stars, which reveled in its live status by not knowing until the very last minute whether one of its stars would even be able to make it onstage to dance. But Tamar Braxton didn't let a little pneumonia keep her out of the race for the mirror-ball trophy, arriving from the hospital just in time to avoid automatic elimination. Did we mention this show is live? Tom Bergeron did, a lot. Also live: the NBC sitcom Undateable, which Terri is going to be talking about a lot until you watch it (or at least Catherine does), and the unfortunately titled Best Time Ever, also on NBC, which is maybe not the best time but still a good time and full of the kind of completely random entertainment moments you don't see that much of anymore. Catherine ended the episode by reporting on a re-watch of the movie Big with her son. Listen and see if the scene that got the biggest laugh in her house would get the same in yours. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Nov 3, 2015

This week's Dancing With the Stars left us a little underwhelmed, with poorly filmed dance-offs, uncomfortable baby-gender-revealing gimmicks, unnecessary lying on the floor in a fancy dress, and the departure of good-guy Andy. With hopes that perhaps the competition will step up a bit in the weeks to come, we moved on to a reality cooking show Catherine's been enjoying, My Grandmother's Ravioliand then a more general discussion about whether we care as much as Terri's husband does about the lack of reality in reality shows, or whether we just want the food to look pretty, the houses-hunted to look interesting, and the dancers to look like they're having fun. Terri also encouraged everyone to get with a show she's starting to watch faithfully, Undateable live, and follow all the many, many Periscope segments the folks involved are doing. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, go to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Oct 27, 2015

It was Halloween theme night on Dancing With the Stars, as well as team-dance night, which provided lots of opportunities for the costume, hair, and makeup folks to show off. (Or not: what WAS that thing on Bindi's head in the group dance? Andy's contacts for his couples dance were indeed fantastically freaky, though.) We then moved on to other unsettling things -- like news of Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes and Chris Rock hosting the Oscars; or doing a sitcom live every week; or watching an actor you like in a show you hate. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlnks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com. And if you're interested in watching Undateable Live, it's on Fridays at 8 p.m. on NBC, as I should have remembered to say on the episode.)

Oct 20, 2015

Famous dances of some sort or another were the focus of this week's Dancing With the Stars, and Catherine and Terri found both the dances and the judging to have no particular rhyme or reason. They chatted about the dances they liked and didn't, the scoring they liked and didn't, the readiness of Paula Deen to go home, and the unfairness of low-scoring anyone who has to dance with a snake. They quickly moved on to something a little more respectable -- the two stage shows Catherine managed to see in one week, Kinky Boots on tour and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeon Broadway. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Oct 13, 2015

It was switch-up night on Dancing With the Stars, and also "Judges say what?" night, because the scoring was all the heck over the place. We talked about the dances we liked, the conspiracies we wondered about, and the partnerships we wish could stay switched. Then, we moved on to our promised discussion of Fox's Grandfathered and The Grinder, although neither of us completely did her homework and watched all eps of both. Still, we liked what we saw or heard enough to try again to watch and chat next week. Other fall TV we've been consuming? Mostly stuff from last season still on the DVR and whatever Terri's husband happens to be watching when she walks through the room, but we're working on it. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Oct 6, 2015

It's the most thematically uncomfortable Dancing With the Stars of the season: the dreaded Most Memorable Year episode, where celebs are asked to honor the death of a loved one with a cha cha. The mix of real-life hardship with sequins and fluff is always tricky, and this year's degree of difficulty was kicked up by contestant Alek Skarlatos's personal connection to the shooting at an Oregon college and host Tom Bergeron's absence to be with his ailing father. We chatted about our favorites, those that impressed us less, the awkwardness of judging someone who's just cried on camera, and the dilemma of having a happy personal story amongst the angst. Leaping on to non-dancing topics, Catherine gave her review of A Lego Brickumentary, and Terri bid a sad goodbye to one of her favorite podcasts, Firewall and Iceberg, RIP. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Sep 29, 2015

Football pre-empting ABC's schedule foiled Catherine's efforts to watch Dancing With the Stars this week, and if you had to pick an episode to be pre-empted in your viewing area, this would be the one. Terri gave a recap of the TV-themed episode -- which labored under the need to 1) pick only TV theme songs they could get rights to and 2) use the TV show as the theme of the dance -- and recommended Alek's, Alexa's, and Nick's as the three to watch if you also missed the ep (and previously.tv forums if you want more commentary). Then Catherine reported on her latest book-club read, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, a Swedish novel that's described on its cover as "a mordantly funny and loopily freewheeling novel about aging disgracefully." (Despite what Terri says, she hasn't read a Swedish novel --Smilla's Sense of Snow was Danish, and not loopily freewheeling at all.) Finally, we looked forward to watching Grandfathered and The Grinder on Fox tonight and discussing it next week, along with hopefully un-pre-empted star dancing. Join us, won't you?

Sep 22, 2015

We started out our Round 2 this week with a look back at Sunday's Emmy Awards, which we live-tweeted with Round 3 contributor Kathy Ceceri. Since neither Catherine nor Terri watches much of the stuff that gets nominated for Emmys-- even though Olive Kitteridge sounds to be right up Catherine's alley -- we mostly talked about how Andy Samberg did, what happened to those interesting little interviews with creative types ad the evening went along, and how the critics we read who do watch this stuff felt about the winners.

Next, we chatted about last night's Dancing With the Stars,and maybe the fact that Terri accidentally called Gary Nick when admiring his unexpectedly decent foxtrot and Catherine called Alek Andy when wondering whether Terri still hates contemporary says something about the lack of memorable-ness in this field so early in the season. We said goodbye to Chaka and "shape up" to Allison and "surely you're gone next" to Victor, and looked forward to a week when the good get better and the bad get out.

Finally, we looked forward to a new TV season for which Terri at least is not ready, having so much of the old season still on her DVR. But she figures her family will try out Grandfatheredand The Grinder, Catherine is planning to sample The Muppets and Empire, and by next week they'll already be behind on what everyone else is streaming, but have a few new-show reports. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, go to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Sep 15, 2015

On this week's Round 2, we said goodbye to an enjoyable season of So You Think You Can Dance, congratulations to our mutual favorite Gaby (we love you too, Jaja!), and hooray for Jim finally getting that dance with Alex (though honestly, show, you couldn't have scared up some ballet choreography?). Then, we turn our attention the glittery world of Dancing With the Stars, where many of the contestants we don't think can dance at all. The sooner some of those trainwrecks get hauled off the better, though Catherine's daughter thinks way more of Hayes Grier than Terri does (he shall be hereafter referred to in this blog as "that punk") and DWTS history suggests that a decent dancer or two will be gone before all the wreckage is cleared. Still, there were enough non-cringe-worthy performances to suggest that the second half of the season will be enjoyable, and the least star-ry "star," French-train hero Alek Skarlatos, did respectably well for himself. Join us back here every week for DWTS chat, and if you like reading other people's snarky opinions of the show, may we recommend the previously.tv forums. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Join us for an Emmys live-tweet this Sunday, 9/20, 8 p.m. ET at #EmmyPRP!

Sep 8, 2015

On their next to last chat about the current season of So You Think You Can Dance, Catherine and Terri chat about their favorite routines, their least-favorite choreography styles, their favorites for the win, and their guesses on what in the world the show is going to fill two hours with in its results episode. That episode will go up against the opening ep of the next show we'll be discussing weekly, Dancing With the Stars, a show that once again interprets "star" exceedingly loosely. We typecast the current lineup as Terri clues Catherine in on some of the show's traditions and tropes. Finally, we slip in a little something serious with Catherine's review of Unbroken, which was in theaters a while back and watchable at home in all its traumatic glory now. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Sep 1, 2015

Noooooooooooo! Not Jim! Our mutual favorite for the top spot made his last leggy leap as a contestant this season on So You Think You Can Dance, and while the judges didn't have a vote in that, we'll blame them anyway for swaying America with their relentless dissing of Jim as just technically wondrous and flawless and the best ever. (I guess he should be grateful they didn't make him dance like a sexy fish.) We chatted about the dances, booed (or fast-forwarded past) the "expert" critiques, and picked our faves and best guesses for the big winner. Then we turned our sights to the next dance show on the horizon, Dancing With the Stars, taking a look at the "stars" so far announced (including singer Andy Grammer, whose performance on last season's show and video for the same song you should go watch after listening to the podcast) and the differences between the shows (like the fact that if the choreography stinks, at least the choreographer gets booted along with the dancer). Finally, we peeked in on the VMAs, and decided that the less said about that self-consiously provocative exercise, the better. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, go to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Aug 25, 2015

Our weeks for talking about So You Think You Can Dance are running out, with the cast whittled down to six this time around. We wished they'd stop calling attention to Jim's (alleged) lack of "connection" and Virgil's (undeniable) lack of height; felt sorry for Megz being dumped on by the judges; did not feel particularly sad to lose Derek and Neptune; and wondered how the few remaining episodes will pair or pare away our favorites. We also looked ahead to Dancing With the Stars, which Terri will be making Catherine watch with her this season. Then, turning to more literary topics, Catherine gave a book report on Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's controversial sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. Spoiler warning! She totally ruins the ending. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Aug 18, 2015

This week on So You Think You Can Dance, Terri and Catherine enjoyed the absence of sexy fish and the presence of brief solos from the top 10, as well as some winning routines by our favorite dancers and their All-Star partners. Like the commenters on the Previously.tv forums, we questioned how a professional Broadway dancer ended up on the street team, and we also wondered about the cultural appropriation of Jaja's Bollywood routine and Gaby's geisha-vs.-ninja duel. Then we moved on to other TV talent showcases, like America's Got Talent. We think the Professional Regurgitator would have fit right in on David Letterman’s Stupid Human Tricks segment. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Aug 11, 2015

They are fish. But they're sexy fish. Dancers, if you hear those words, you can be pretty sure that your time on So You Think You Can Dance is over. The most ... notable choreography on this week's show was the one seemingly designed to prevent two dancers from getting a Twitter save (see video), but as Catherine and Terri discuss, the whole episode seemed to be more about the business of getting rid of four dancers than the art of, you know, showcasing good dancing. On to the top 10! In other pop-culture discussion, Catherine's review of Into the Woods (Meryl Streep version) moved into a look at other Meryl Streep singing movies, including the new Ricki and the Flash and the older Mamma Mia, and a list that ranks all of her film performances. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

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