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Crib notes: Who spends $32,000 on a birthday party for a 6-year-old?!

If your husband thinks renting out the local bouncy house for your kid's party is extravagant, you might want to get him to tune in to the latest reality show, Outrageous Kid Parties. After one episode, you're going to look downright frugal. The show profiles parents who spend a fortune on over-the-top parties for young kids. One mom spent $32,000 on a princess party for her six-year-old daughter

If your husband thinks renting out the local bouncy house for your kid's party is extravagant, you might want to get him to tune in to the latest reality show, Outrageous Kid Parties. After one episode, you're going to look downright frugal. The show profiles parents who spend a fortune on over-the-top parties for young kids. One mom spent $32,000 on a princess party for her six-year-old daughter! Wonder if any of these people will hire a real donkey for the kids to pin a tail on....

It's a good thing teachers make sooooo much money, because they're increasingly paying for their students' breakfasts out of their own pockets. A new survey reveals that 65 percent of teachers regularly have students who come to school hungry and not prepared to learn. This is as good of a time as any to mark your calendar for Teacher Appreciation Week: May 2-6, 2011.

When you take your kids for their next round of vaccinations, you might want to get one for yourself  (and ask your childcare providers, grandparents and others who spend a lot of time with your little ones to do the same). Cases of whooping cough were on the rise last year. The CDC says 21,000 people in the U.S. were infected, making 2010 one of the worst years out of the past half century. While 95 percent of kids are vaccinated against it, it is estimated that only 6 percent of adults are protected and it is recommended that any adult who spends time around an infant be vaccinated.

The Mighty Oprah has spoken and ye shall follow. A woman with the modern day Midas Touch, everything she endorses makes a fortune -- from her book club selections to personal trainers and other experts. One childhood education expert who appeared on her show several times (and who died last week) is now accused of being a pedophile. Much has been made of his connection to the Oprah show, which leads one man to ask. "Why are we so dependent on Oprah?" Maybe the real question is who's going to tell us how to live our lives next year when her show is off the air?