While America waits on the edge of its seat to see who will win the Presidential election, teenagers everywhere are engaged in a much more "important" vote -- that of homecoming king and queen. Though Election 2008 may be anything but settled, high school homecoming results are usually far more predictable.

Not so at Aledo High School in Texas where teens recently voted Kristin Pass as their queen. What's so special about Kristin? Not only is she "the coolest kid in the whole wide world," according to her aunt, Chari Hust, she also has Down syndrome. "Everyone in the stands burst into tears -- I've never heard anything so loud in my life," said Hust. And Kristin? She mouthed the words "thank you" to the crowd while wearing "a smile as big as the state of Texas."

Hust says there was no campaign to elect Kristin, but that she's just a beloved friend among her peers. Making the story especially poignant is the fact that Kristin's dad passed away suddenly two years ago. Her grandfather stepped in for him to escort Kristin onto stage. "You can't measure how proud I was," he said. "Every fiber in my body was happy for her."

In a month that's been littered with economic crisis and political backbiting, those darn kids in Texas just restored my hope in humanity. Congratulations, Kristin.

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Pacifiers are both a godsend and a major pain in the you-know-what. They magically soothe babies and put them to sleep, but when it comes time for a toddler to say goodbye to their beloved "nukie," it's torture for everyone.

We're going through that right now. Though many experts recommend waiting for kids to give up the pacifier on their own, our pediatric dentist has told us we really can't wait much longer or we'll risk permanent damage to her teeth. And so we've chosen this week to buckle down and do it ... which may explain why I tried to go the grocery store yesterday with two different shoes on. Sleep is definitely at a shortage around here right now.

If it's time for your toddler or preschooler to say goodbye to her beloved pacifier, here are a few things I've learned:

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As my daughter reminded me this morning, there are only 15 days left until Halloween. Halloween falls on a Friday this year, perfect for trick-or-treating that runs past bedtime, but also a great opportunity to throw a Halloween party.

Before you start thinking, A Halloween party? Now I have to entertain in addition to making costumes, baking cupcakes, and buying candy?, consider this. A Halloween party is a great way to enjoy time as a family, spend time with busy friends, or avoid going door-to-door, if trick-or-treating just isn't your thing.

With their children grown, a Cambodian couple who decided to separate had only to divide their possessions between them. Rather than go through the legal process of divorce, which they found too costly, the couple came up with their own unique plan of settling their property dispute -- they cut their house in half. Literally.

The wife will keep the standing half, and the husband -- who went to live with his parents -- will reassemble his half on another part of their property. They also divided their land into four parts, one part for each of them, and one for each of their children.

The cause of their dispute? The husband felt that his wife didn't take good enough care of him when he was ill, while she resented having to pay for his medications. Maybe he's one of those men that catches the dreaded man cold and after 40 years she couldn't take it anymore.

Click the link to see a picture of the actual house. Amazing.

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When San Francisco first graders took a special field trip to surprise their beloved teacher at her wedding, they learned a few things about marriage. "Marriage is people falling in love" said one student, "You stay with someone the rest of your life."

So why, then, are people protesting the field trip? Because the person that the teacher married was another woman.

People who support Proposal 8 -- which would ban same sex marriage in California -- are using the field trip as "an example" of how kids would learn about same sex marriage in school if the measure doesn't pass. But school administrators and most of the classroom parents approved of the field trip, saying it was a "teachable moment" and an opportunity to make memories. Two parents opted out of the trip, and their children stayed behind with another first grade class.



As a teacher who frequently had to justify my field trips to school administrators, I think this is a gray area, but not because of the gender of the people getting married. Is a wedding an appropriate learning experience for a first grader? As a member of a community, yes. As a school child, I'm not so sure, though the kids did get to take a city bus and visit City Hall, so there's that.

But as a parent, I probably would have let my child go. An hour and a half out of their day to share such an important occasion with a beloved teacher is worth the lost class time. What do you think?

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Halloween comes but once a year, so pictures are a must. Here's how to get a great shot of your little goblins.

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Knowing that his recent 20/20 interview discussing his divorce would hurt their kids, Peter Cook and Christie Brinkley did the smart thing and got their kids out of town the night it aired. (Though one could argue that it isn't smart to air your dirty laundry in public in the first place). But before he could leave, his method of transportation caused an even bigger ruckus.

As Peter was planning to put his children on a single engine airplane, his daughter Sailor, 10, reportedly called mom Christie Brinkley in tears, because she was afraid to board the plane. Christie survived a 1994 helicopter crash and now always flies her family in bigger aircraft. Christie allegedly called the police, attempting to stop the plane from taking off with the kids on board, even offering to pay for a flight on a larger plane.

Because Peter wasn't doing anything technically illegal, the family was allowed to continue on with their trip. According to a source from the Cook camp, "They left and had a wonderful flight." Peter is trying to spin the incident as just another opportunity for Christie to interfere with his time with the kids. But sources close to Christie say that this has always been a family rule, and that as sole custodial parent, she has the right to make that decision.

Just another celebrity couple reminding us that divorce is never easy, but that a Hollywood divorce comes with it's own set of problems. What do you think?

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My girls need a haircut, both of them. But we're cutting back, and paying $14 a piece for a trim just doesn't make much sense. And so tomorrow I'll pull out my scissors and try my hand at it. Keep in mind that the last time I did this, the hairstylist who corrected my attempt had to show at least two of her co-workers, because she just couldn't get over what a terrible job I did.

So. Yeah.

Today, I decided to do a little research. WikiHow advised me to gather my materials ahead of time, including a fine-tooth comb, spray bottle with water, sharp scissors, and possibly a DVD to keep wiggly kids busy while I try to avoid ruining their hair forever. But after reading their detailed directions, I'm daunted by the idea of "sectioning." I tried a couple other websites and watched a few videos, and ... well ... I'm feeling a little less confident. How do I get my kindergartner's bob to curl under in that cute way that it does?

So, plan B. I've decided that if I just trim their bangs, they can get by another month without haircuts. In fact, HGTV has some good advice for making bangs look more natural, rather than a straight (or in my case, somewhat uneven) line across the forehead. As for the rest, I'll leave the styling to the stylist.

Are you braver than me when it comes to cutting your own kids' hair? Share your tips with us!

My husband and I share the personal opinion that we're doing our kids a favor by eating their Halloween candy at night. After all, they don't need the sugar, right? Of course, neither do we, but we don't usually acknowledge that fact while fighting over the last mini-Snickers bar.

If our neighbors start handing out treats like those suggested in this gallery from Forbes, there wouldn't be any arguments, because there wouldn't be anything good to fight over. But these treats are healthier for kids, so they're worth taking a look at. For instance, Forbes recommends avoiding:

• sticky candy, like caramels
• snack cakes
• full-sized candy bars

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When your dad is worth $750 million, you might expect to never have to worry about money again. But Andrew Lloyd Webber's kids aren't getting a free pass from their dad. In a recent interview Webber revealed that he doesn't plan on giving his fortune to his kids when he dies.

Instead, the king of musicals will likely be donating the money toward helping kids around the world succeed in the arts. "(A will) is one thing you do start to think about when you get to my age. I don't think it should be about having a whole load of rich children and grandchildren. I think it should be used as a way to encourage the arts."

Webber acknowledges that since his wife Madeleine will likely outlive him, it'll be up to her to decide exactly how the money is spent and the company is run. And while kids Imogen, 31, Nicholas, 29, Alastair, 16, William, 15, and Isabella, 12, won't be inheriting their dad's giant fortune, Webber says they'll be taken care of nonetheless.

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