I repeat myself a million times a day. Or so it seems — like all kids, mine have selective hearing. They always hear “Candy” but never “Can you please …” However, in some cases, it may not be the child’s fault — one in 20 kids ages 6 to 12 has hearing loss in one ear, according to a 2010 study from the Washington University School of Medicine.

Often these hearing deficits go undetected — parents may be worried about a child’s ability to pay attention, for example, when in fact the child isn’t hearing directions well.

Earlier this week we braved the frosty weather to explore some fun outdoor festivities taking place in January. Let’s warm up our bones and head inside for some indoor winter merriment. On deck is an event for the birds. Redbirds, that is.

Just because the holidays are winding down doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Celebrate the cold, snowy weather at local winter festivals. (Or, if you've had enough of cold, snowy weather, there's always the nice, warm OmniMax theater!)

At the Loop Ice Carnival your family can enjoy over 56 ice sculptures, take a slippery trip down an ice slide and cheer on your favorite human dog sled team.

Fast forward to Sunday, December 26. Living rooms will be filled with new toys, trash cans will be overflowing with wrapping paper and fridges will be stocked with leftovers from Christmas dinner. And if you’re like me, you’ll be wishing you majored in engineering after assembling all those new gifts.

I have a friend who says there are two kinds of people in the world: cooks and bakers. And while my daughter is more of a cook (she prefers her more imaginative concoctions), she loves to help with the baking - cracking the eggs, using the electric mixer, spooning batter into muffin cups. Her interest is beginning to range beyond muffins and brownies these days. In an effort to encourage this, I sought out a good children’s baking cookbook for her - a task that proved more difficult than I expected.

Remember when New Year’s Eve meant partying until the sun came up? Things may have changed, but just because you have kids doesn’t meant you can’t have a rocking New Year’s Eve. Ring in 2011 with your family at First Night St. Louis.

Want to take a holiday road trip to a picturesque rural town of glittering lights, vibrant plants and oversized snowflakes? Set your GPS to the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Gardenland Express. The miniature landscape of this annual flower and train show is decorated with small towns, rural dwellings, twinkling lights, holiday trees and colorful poinsettias. Gardenland Express is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for Christmas day. Adult Garden members are $5, members 12 and under are free. Non-member adults are $13 and children are $9.