Jill

In response to your article "Roland Park parents say it's all work, no play for kids" (Sept. 24), we applaud the efforts of these parents and support their commitment to provide recess for students in grades 6-8. Recess and free play are as important to the learning process as being in the classroom and doing homework. The latest research shows that the brain, like a muscle, needs time to relax, absorb and process in order for information to register in long-term memory. All students, regardless of age, require breaks in instruction to maximize learning.

When Jill Smokler - more widely known as Scary Mommy - starts talking about motherhood, you'll hear a lot about sleepless nights, green snot and having kids walk into the master bedroom at the most inopportune times. Does she think her children are amazing and love them to death? Definitely. But mothering them didn't come naturally. As she says in her new book, "Motherhood Comes Naturally (and Other Vicious Lies)," what does come naturally is "Food. Sleep. Comfort. Privacy.

Goalie Jill Baran has the same plan for every Perry Hall field hockey practice -- no one puts the ball in the cage, especially not her sisters, Lori and Kathy.As forwards, however, Lori and Kathy constantly try to develop new ways to beat Jill, turning Gators' shooting drills into sibling rivalry. Although the Barans share a strong sisterly bond, their rivalry on the practice field can be intense."They tend to get on each other," said Gators assistant coach Linda Fisher. "They're either best buddies or they're yelling at each other.

I met Jill Smokler for coffee this morning for a Q&A that's scheduled to run in our Scene section on Mother's Day. She's the Scary Mommy blogger and author of the bestseller " Confessions of a Scary Mommy " and the new book " Motherhood Comes Naturally (and Other Vicious Lies) . " I won't steal my own thunder here but will say two things: She is not so scary that I wanted to call child protective services, and that she probably had the pleasure of looking up my nose way too many times as I threw my head back in laughter.

Mount Hebron twins Katie and Jill Rekart have always been in tune with each other, and that is especially true on the basketball court. The senior guards instinctively know how the other one moves and thinks, possessing a sense for where the other will be before the defense has a chance to figure it out. There have been numerous instances over their careers when Katie, a point guard, has threaded a seemingly ill-advised pass. But an instant before the ball sails out of bounds or into the hands of a defender, it winds up in the hands of Jill, appearing out of nowhere as she converts the basket.

Nancy is getting a promotion at work, so she is offered a better car and more New England territory. She also manages to pick up Adderall to sell. Silas is happy about getting to grow everyday at work, while Shane is having trouble dealing with tapeworm-infested homeless people at the police impound. Luckily his girlfriend Angela saves him. Jill is going through menopause and decides to drown her sorrows in foie gras and wine. This means she is not pregnant with Andy's baby, and that she has been withholding this information from him. Jill fears losing Andy, the only cork plugging the hole that is her life.

I think he likes swimming," Jill Attia says of her husband, Peter, whom she married one year ago, "because he doesn't have to wear his wedding band."

"I'm afraid I've lost Trevor for good," says Jill, 33, a petite brunette. "I need him terribly, but he is too ashamed of what he did to come near me," she adds.The other night, she explains, they were arguing over whether Trevor had been too chummy with a female graduate student at a party for the school's provost. "He started to walk away from me, but as usual I followed him into the other room," Jill recalls. Then, for the first time since they met, he turned around and gave her a shove and a smack across the face that knocked her over.

Name: Jill and Ryan BaerHonored by The Carroll County Sun for: Placing in the Maryland State Juniors Racquetball Championships earlier this month at the Merritt Athletic Club in Baltimore CountyAge: Jill is 13 and brother Ryan is 9Residence; hometown: WestminsterEducation: Jill is an eighth-grader at East Middle School inWestminster; Ryan is a third-grader at William Winchester Elementary School in WestminsterFamily: Father: Tony, employed at Giant Food...

1:30 p.m. [TBS] In an episode called "Trouble a-Bruin," Brad wants to play in a soccer game to impress a college recruiter, though he still has a bad knee. Jill and Tim don't want him to play. Wilson offers advice while speaking with his voice hidden by a fence. Al wears plaid. Tim says something incredibly stupid or insensitive and Jill rolls her eyes. OK, you can tell I haven't seen this particular episode, but I have watched the show a few times.

On Feb. 8, 2013, Laurel lost Jill Mooty to cancer. Jill had been president of the Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, was on the board of the Revere Bank, and was the owner of Jill Mooty and Associates, P.A., a local accounting business of decades that previously had an office on Compton Avenue and, up until the beginning of January, had an office near the hospital. She did the taxes for my business for the past 25 years and she is...

Alpine skiing coach Diane Mikulis watched as the body language of her Special Olympic athletes - including Marylander Jake Reynolds - transformed one day last month from mildly interested to awe-struck. They had just entered Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., where international flags hung majestically from the rafters and where banners and murals honored historic athletic events. The skiers listened to a brief history of the venue and now were being told they were going to be allowed on the ice. They grinned widely, and a smile slowly crept onto Mikulis' face, too, as her skiers restlessly and excitedly waited to descend the stairs.

Nancy is getting a promotion at work, so she is offered a better car and more New England territory. She also manages to pick up Adderall to sell. Silas is happy about getting to grow everyday at work, while Shane is having trouble dealing with tapeworm-infested homeless people at the police impound. Luckily his girlfriend Angela saves him. Jill is going through menopause and decides to drown her sorrows in foie gras and wine. This means she is not pregnant with Andy's baby, and that she has been withholding this information from him. Jill fears losing Andy, the only cork plugging the hole that is her life.

Wedding Date: September 15, 2012 Her story: Jill Carr, 31, grew up in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Her family moved to Ellicott City in 1993. She is an independent financial planner and now lives in Ellicott City. Her father, William "Bill" D. Carr is a producer at CBIZ, Inc. Her mother, Cynthia J. Carr, is a recruiter for The Rogan Group. His story: Albert "Bert" H. Dudley IV, 36, grew up in Towson. He is a sales representative for DeVere Insulation, an energy efficiency consultant and personal trainer and lives in Ellicott City.

If you felt like little happened on this episode of "Weeds," you're not alone. But there was some action in episode three. Nancy is back at the Botwin/Pryce/Grey etc. compound complete with her latest accessory, the pimp cane. Following the bathroom quickie, Jill and Andy are happier than ever. Jill is organizing the cabinets and buying Nancy slip-proof socks -- uncharacteristically productive and thoughtful acts. Meanwhile high in the CFO chair, Doug, typically not the brains of the bunch, is forced to take the fall for the company because of their financial indiscretions.

A Massachusetts physician was formally nominated to be the Green Party's contender for the U.S. presidency Saturday afternoon at the downtown Baltimore Holiday Inn hotel. Jill Stein, who was the expected nominee, beat out actress Roseanne Barr handily. Stein amassed a majority of delegates' votes just before 4 p.m. at the Greens' annual national meeting, which opened Thursday at the University of Baltimore before moving near the Inner Harbor for Saturday's presidential nominating convention.

On Impact on Thursday, Kurt Angle cut a promo in which he again brought up Jeff Jarrett's three young daughters. He said that after he gets through with Jarrett, the girls will be orphans. Jarrett's wife, Jill, succumbed to breast cancer last year. By my count, this is the third instance in which Jill Jarrett's death has been used for story-line fodder. I just don't see the entertainment value in any of this. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringposts)

Q: Two recent letters in your column are very revealing when taken together. The first letter was from Gayle, who wrote you regarding her newly found self-imposed standards for men she will date. In short, looks, status and wealth are not the criteria to be used; but this is difficult and leads to conflict and ridicule from her friends.The very next letter is from Jill, who wants to know what men look for in a woman. Perhaps instead of worrying about what men are looking for, Jill should think about what she wants.

Season 5 "Top Chef" contestant Jill Snyder has a new gig. Snyder has left her chef de cuisine position at Woodberry Kitchen for Clementine . This is Snyder's first executive chef position since leaving Red Maple , shortly after her fleeting November 2008 appearance on "Top Chef. " Snyder's entrance into Clementine coincides with the promotion of sous chef Jeremy Price, who will be overseeing a new Clementine project at the Creative Alliance, a yet-to-be named cafe that will operate Thursday through Saturday evenings and Sunday brunch at the Highlandtown arts and cultural center.

We're five days into Baltimore Beer Week, how have the events been so far? Did you meet any brewers at the keg tapping or Timonium Fairgrounds? If you haven't, there are still six more days to go. Our guide to the ten must-attend events of the BBW is here . One of the events on the list is happening tonight: Stillwater Ales is hosting a beer dinner at Mount Airy Inn at 6 p.m. Elsewhere this week: Future Islands, Jill Scott, Loretta Lynn and Duran Duran. On Monday , Future Islands release new album " On the Water " with a show at the Depot, 1728 N. Charles St. Tickets, starting at $5, are only sold at the door, and it's expected to sell out. Extreme Animals open; Mark Brown & Schwarz and Dan Deacon DJ. 10 p.m. Also: starting a little earlier, the Wham City comedy night at the Zodiac welcomes some of the actors from Second City.