Life hasn’t turned out well for Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman: Rise of the Guardians). After stealing bread to feed his nephew and sister, he’s arrested and given 20 years hard labor. Branded a dangerous man, Valjean must wander the countryside looking for work and finding nothing but cruelty.     Hardened by the injustices of his life, Valjean is about to give up hope when a kindly priest offers him a second chance. Now a fugitive with a new identity, Valjean has...

Serene, peaceful, harmonious — three words that do not describe Christmas in the life of a child of divorced parents. It’s more like hectic, crazy, running like a headless chicken.     I remember the day my parents sat me down on the couch to tell me the news. “Ashley, sweetie, Mommy and Daddy are going to live in two separate houses …” My six-year-old translation: Yes! Now I will have two houses like Elaine, the childhood friend whose vacation...

Christmas, like most holidays, has a lot to do with eating. We have our traditions, family recipes and occasional experiments. For as long as I can remember, my mother’s Christmas morning menu included a delicious egg casserole, sticky buns and fruit salad. The mimosas were reserved for the adults.     Now I’m the mother of two, and Christmas morning is at my house (Christmas Eve at my in-laws, Christmas dinner at my parents), where the tradition continues. These are...

While we are getting last-minute gifts, hanging garlands and hitting every holiday party in the neighborhood, Tim Decker will be teaching kids in Costa Rica about environmental and community stewardship.     Decker teaches science at Eagle Cove School, a small, independent school for three-years-olds to fifth graders in Pasadena. Environmental education is the mission throughout the curriculum, and the Bay is a classroom. Eagle Cove is located on the Bay, and bags of oyster...