Baby it's cold outside

Leaves gently floating to the ground, birds rapidly flying overhead, sweaters, pumpkins and apple cider. School buses, marching bands and football games. Ah, Autumn...

I miss summer already

My mourning period for the end of summer lasts about 8 months. My feet miss the grass, my skin misses the sun, my kid misses the pool, and I miss the camping (reading outdoors). 

Thankfully, I have found a hobby to ward off the post summer sadness. Scoping out all the great fall book releases! Yay! (C'mon, humor me. Keep reading)

I am really excited for 

 The third book in the Divergent Trilogy. If you are a fan of dystopian books (After the end of the world kind of stuff) you will love these books. The first two were staying-up-late, can't-put-them-down reads and I expect nothing less from the third. Release date: October 22nd

 I Am Malala sounds like an amazing story of a young girl from Pakistan who insisted on an education and was shot in the head for it. "Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize." Released on October 8th

 The long awaited 5th book of the much loved Game Of Thrones series! Yay! Release date: October 29th

 And finally, Some crazy chick that likes to make everything fro scratch shares her holiday recipes and tips. No, of course I'm not going to cook! My goodness! I am excited about this book because it will make a great Christmas present for the amazing from-scratch cooking people that I know. Release date: October 29th

Anything look especially good to you??

Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover... But Maybe Judge a Reader by Her Bookshelf?

I had a moment of shock earlier this year that all of you should know about.

I am a NOOK patron. NOOK is Barnes and Noble's e reader. Once you are NOOK friends with someone you can see all of the Barnes and Noble books that they own which are lend-able. This was good news for me at the time because I was saving up for a big trip. Saving up for a big trip means that I am struggling to adhere to a strict budget... adhering to a budget means using the library more then the bookstore.

Not that I don't LOVE the library... it's just that I really enjoy being able to walk up to one of my bookshelves and see a good book and remember what I loved about it and possibly reread it at any time. Other people borrow library books, which means they are not always there when I want them. Also, the library is not open 24 hours a day like my bookshelves are and Gwen would probably get pretty annoyed with me if I threw her in the car at 2 am because I couldn't sleep and I wanted to read that particular book that I borrowed from the library 8 months ago and was really awesome...

Anyway...

This past spring I was checking out what my friends with NOOKs had to offer and I was blown away. Now I realize that these were only the 'lend me' books (not all ebooks are able to be borrowed, which is stupid, but that is a soapbox you don't want to get me started on!) and people always keep all of their ebooks because they are a lot easier to store then actual books and why delete something you paid for? An ebook collector is not nearly as committed as a physical book collector. Take it from the chick that has 7 overflowing bookshelves AND books piled up all over the house. Still though, you really can tell a lot about a person by what they read and even more by what is physically on their bookshelves.

For example, two of my friends are closet romance readers. Who knew?!?! I have never heard them talk about them or seen them lend them out or buy them. I don't think they kept it from me, specifically, because they know how I feel about romance books. I try to keep my distaste for that entire section of the bookstore a secret (So shhhh!) because really, I read crappy science fiction/fantasy so who am I to judge.

Anyway...

I took a look around my books with new eyes and discovered a couple things about myself by my own bookshelves.

First: My joy in owning and lending out books actually exceeds my literary appetite. I own roughly 40 books that I haven't read yet. About 10 of them I never honestly plan on reading (free or 50 cent yard sale buys) and another 10 or 15 of them I will probably never get around to reading because they don't strike me as books I will love.

Second: My love of certain books exceeds my love of lending out books. I have a 'top shelf' of books. They are organized by author and series and double stacked so that only half of them are visible. Many of them have been read so many times that the covers have completely fallen off. I have never offered to lend these to anyone. Ever. I don't plan to either. They are mine. My only. My prreeeccciiousss.

Third: It's all about the escape (but I knew that already). Historical fiction, Science fiction, Fantasy, etc.. are my favorites. I want impossible or in the past. I get enough of reality when I am not reading.

Fourth: Stronger is better. My favorite characters that I like to revisit over and over in the pages of their books are strong. They make mistakes... a lot, but they are not indecisive sissies (speaking of indecisive sissy characters, those twilight books are collecting a lot of dust on their shelf. Hehehehe!). 

So I love to share the literary 'bug', but am possessive of my 'top shelf' and I am drawn to strong characters, but only when they are facing impossible settings and situations.

What can I learn about you by your bookshelf? More importantly, what can YOU learn about you from your bookshelf??

Disappointment

This is important.

Read it again.

It drives me absolutely nutty when a great book gets massacred in the theaters. I just want to yell at the screen: It was good the way it was!! If you didn't have any improvements you should have left it alone!! Of course, the first time I did that, mini-me was so worried that I would be arrested that I save it for the car ride home now. I have also had plenty of opportunities since then to show her that my kind of crazy is not against the law... just funny and occasionally embarrassing.

Movies that have been a horrible disappointment to me are:

• The Great Gatsby (2013)- I actually walked out in the middle of this in the theater, and my movie buddy was more then happy to leave too!
• Prince Caspian- *sigh* It was such an amazing book
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)- One word- Creepy!
• The Cat In The Hat (2003)- Theodor Seuss Geisel would be sooooo unhappy. This was so upsetting, I couldn't even read the book for weeks afterward
• A Wrinkle In Time (2003)- I have tried to stay awake through this movie on three separate occasions and have failed horribly.
• The Golden Compass- My favorite parts of the book were slaughtered. It was sad.

Did I miss any?

Picky Eaters?? Get Creative!

For the past five years that I have been feeding the children I watch I have struggled to find a happy medium between what they will eat and what is healthiest for them. Here are some things I have learned:

1. Names have power. If I say Egg Salad Sandwich to a kid who thinks negatively of salad, he or she is not going to like it. They won't even give it a chance. If I say Smooshy Egg Sandwich to that same child, he or she will taste it with an open mind. A child may not like celery, but might eat 'ants on a log' (celery with peanut butter and raisins for the ants). It's all in the name.

2. Children want control. If I put a salad in front of a child for lunch and it had one thing in it that they don't know if they like (or definitely don't like) they may not eat any of it. If I put 10 diverse salad fixings out with serving spoons and an empty bowl in front of each child the bowls will empty faster then I can refill them and the kids will be full at the end of the meal. This also works for getting them to put veggies on 'Make Your Own Pizzas', eat veggie pita sandwiches, and devour fruits & granola toppings on their plain yogurt. There are so many things they have no control over in their lives, give them a little power and they will revel in it!

3. Appearance matters! Adults know that something may look gross but taste amazing. Children have not always had the experiences that make that believable yet. If at all possible, make it look good. I only buy whole wheat pancake and waffle mix and many of 'my kids' are used to the "regular stuff". Not a problem though. I make snake, sun and flower shapes out of the pancake batter and... drum roll please... my awesome Aunt Joy once gave us a Mickey Mouse waffle maker for Christmas. Problem solved. Supply them with plastic knives and Apple butter or strawberry jam and I can avoid syrup too (see the control factor above). 

4. The two bite rule (at least two bites of everything before they can have seconds of anything, but not mandatory, only if they want seconds) Combined with repetition- WORKS! The tricky part is outlasting them and not overdoing it. Make sure you don't serve that one food they don't like every day. Once or twice a week at the most if at all possible and pair it with food they LOVE so they will want seconds!

5. Shake things up. Kids like routine, but they also like craziness. Get a good book and find some good websites for food ideas. Turn them into kids that like to try new things and they will turn into open minded teens! My favorite book is Healthy Lunchboxes For Kids by Amanda Grant.

Some good websites are:

http://weelicious.com/

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/lunch-box-recipes-kids-00412000072333/

http://www.freshforkids.com.au/index.html

And of course Pinterest has an unlimited supply of great ideas!

Bring in new ideas, come up with crazy/fun names, give the kids control (either helping with the cooking or assembly or choices), make it look good, and let them try it & not like it as many times as they need to.

This is what I have found to work well. What tips/tricks/hints do you have??

Spiritual Sunday- With Patsy Cline

The old rugged cross      (Listen to midi)

              D           D7                G            

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

            A               A7                    D

    the emblem of suffering and shame,

                                    D7                      G               Em

    and I love that old cross where the dearest and best

               A               A7                  D

    for a world of lost sinners was slain.

             A                                  D

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,

            G                              D

till my trophies at last I lay down.

                           D7                G

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

               D                     A             D

and exchange it some day for a crown.

                     D            D7                G                 

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

                A                 A7             D

    has a wondrous attraction for me,

                                       D7                 G      Em

    for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,

           A           A7            D

    to bear it to dark Calvary. 

             A                                  D

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,

            G                              D

till my trophies at last I lay down.

                           D7                G

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

               D                     A             G - D

and exchange it some day for a cro…wn.

(capo 3rd)          (Patsy Cline)

Mother Goose Summer

This summer I was given the opportunity to use the Mother Goose Time Art and Artists curriculum with my daycare kids and Gwen.

When I tell you MGT (Mother Goose Time) is awesome, I really mean it! The summer curriculum had more involved then the preschool lesson plans that I am used to getting. There was more money counting and management, more vocabulary and more advanced activities/crafts. Along with great things for the 11-5 year olds, there was still plenty to do with the 2 and 3 year olds. 

I will definitely be getting a box for next summer too.

Here are some things we did:

 











We had a great time with it!

Just Another Day In Paradise- With Swords

Banned Books Week!!

I have returned from my long absence to remind you about Banned Books Week! Yay!

While I am in complete agreement that parents should be able to decide what is appropriate (or not appropriate) for their children... I am totally against removing books from library and/or store shelves simply because they are controversial. 

I have recently been exploring the ALA (American Library Association) web site and discovered a list of frequently challenged books! Imagine my delight, rebel that I am, when I discovered that I have many controversial books on my shelves here at home. 

I will highlight in red the ones I have:

Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
7. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
8. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
9. ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
11. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
12. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
13. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
15. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
16. Forever, by Judy Blume
17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
20. King and King, by Linda de Haan
21. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
22. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
23. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
24. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
25. Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
26. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
27. My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
28. Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
29. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney
30. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
31. What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
32. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
33. Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
34. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
35. Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
37. It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
38. Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
39. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
40. Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
41. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
42. The Fighting Ground, by Avi
43. Blubber, by Judy Blume
44. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
45. Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
47. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: The First Graphic Novel by George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the creators of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
48. Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
50. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
51. Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
52. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
53. You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
54. The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
55. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
56. When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
57. Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
58. Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
59. Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
60. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
61. Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
62. The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
63. The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney
64. Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
65. The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
66. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
67. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
68. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
70. Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
71. Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
72. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
73. What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
74. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
75. Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry
76. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
77. Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
78. The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
79. The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
80. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
81. Black Boy, by Richard Wright
82. Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
83. Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
84. So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
85. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
86. Cut, by Patricia McCormick
87. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
88. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
89. Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
91. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
92. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
93. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
94. Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
95. Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
96. Grendel, by John Gardner
97. The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
98. I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
99. Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
100. America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

In addition, I plan to read a few of them again in honor of this week and my freedom to do so. 

What will you read this week?

Party Trick!

We went to a campfire last night and had a marvelous time! But as it got darker we all realized that the dog run wire was hanging low enough to be dangerous if we forgot it was there.

It was nearing on impossible to get it down, so we threw around some ideas.
Fluorescent spray paint it
Christmas lights wrapped around it
Tube party lights along it

We ended up thinking maybe glow sticks would be easiest, and less clean up before the dog could come back out! Even though we only had 4 glow bracelets, it worked pretty well!

The Girls also made a mini campfire!

It was a great night!

Just Another Day In Paradise- With Pretty Toes

Spiritual Sunday- With Pi

1. 
   
2. Adult Pi Patel: Faith is a house with many rooms.
3. 
   
4. Writer: But no room for doubt?
5. 
   
6. Adult Pi Patel: Oh plenty, on every floor. Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strength of your faith until it is tested.

Unplugged Part 2

So after reading Unplugged Part 1 you’re probably thinking: OK, so it's more serious then I knew and I want my child to be healthy and socially appropriate and do well in school and sleep well at night etc... How am I supposed to do this when our culture is telling us to watch watch watch and buy buy buy??

(Or maybe you’re not and you think the AAP and I are full of crap, in which case you might just want to stop reading now. Don’t waste your time. Just so you know, I plan to continue spouting this ‘crap’ for the next couple of posts as well. Come back in a couple weeks.)

Well, for those of you still reading, I will be my usual blunt self and ask you the same question I had to ask myself: Do you want to let the big money-making companies decide what is best for your child(ren) and make your parenting decisions for you?

Not consciously, but is that what you're doing? We need to keep in mind what is best for our kids as we look at some of the products and commercials out there.

There are so many products aimed towards our young children that look awesome and are durable to resist accidents and are advertised as being educational. I am not saying that they’re not awesome, durable and educational, but I am falling back on one of my favorite sayings

Everything in moderation.

Just because it is designed for your 3 year old does not mean it is good for them to use all the time. Just because your 8 year old is the target audience for that product does not mean they checked with parents, pediatricians, teachers or other specialists to see if it is something that will be detrimental to them or not.

Example: Fruit snacks. They are really neither a fruit nor a snack. They contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, food coloring (See my post about that here) and dextrose. All of those ingredients have been proven to have negative effects on children and yet the fruit snack boxes have popular cartoon characters on them.  I am certain I am not the only parent to buy them for my child without even thinking about how they will effect her behavior and academic performance.

Did I stop buying fruit snacks completely when I realized what they were doing to her mind and body? Of course not, but I do not buy them regularly or even semi-regularly anymore. They are classified as candy and treated as such. 

Everything in moderation.

So, how? How do we make this work? Peer pressure from kid to kid and parent to parent is not encouraging this moderation. I have realized this week though, that I cannot let other parents decisions for their children pressure me into making those same choices. As parents we each must make the best choices for our family and child(ren) that we can.

Of course, I have more opinions and ideas on this topic. Stay tuned

A Line In The Sand

Have you ever been in the room with me when there is a discussion going on and suddenly realize that I have not said a word for 20 minutes or more? Ever wonder what I was thinking? I’ll tell you. I was thinking this:

Don’t say a word, Don’t Say A Word, Don’t SAY A Word, Don’t SAY A WORD, DON’T SAY A WORD, DON’TSAYAWORDDON’TSAYAWORDDON’TSAYAWORDDON’TSAYAWORD!!!!

I’m not a debater. I don’t enjoy a good argument. My opinions are almost always a little ‘out there’. Perhaps I was born in the wrong decade, because I would've made a great hippie.

I digress.

My point is that the ‘Don’t say a word’ mantra is playing in my head as I type and I am determinedly ignoring it. Don’t worry, I don’t ignore it often.

My silence has been disturbed by the recent equal marriage unrest. Seems like everyone has a strong opinion and it has led to some ugliness between friends and families. Well, I am not here to start a fight. I am here to express my opinion. If you have a different opinion; get your own blog and share it.

As a follower of the example Jesus set for me I refuse to throw stones. I am not going to beat anyone up for their opinions, actions, or lifestyle.

As a follower of the example Jesus set for me I will try to be an example of what I know to be right.

As a follower of the example Jesus set for me I will Love, cherish, hang out, walk, talk, and eat with you whether you are doing what I think you should or not.

As a follower or the example Jesus set for me I look into the past and around at the present and weep for Christians who are persecuted, those who were not and/or are not free to worship God.

As a follower of the example Jesus set for me I can therefore sympathize with people being mistreated for their beliefs and lifestyle.

Many people came to America  for religious freedom.

Wikipedia says: Freedom of religion or Freedom of belief is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion.[1] The freedom to leave or discontinue membership in a religion or religious group.

I am afraid. I fear that by beginning to be hardhearted and to mistreat a group of people as a government we take the first step towards becoming a nation of persecution and fear, because these things don’t happen overnight. They are gradual. It's a slope that can get steeper with every decision. Many people don't see what they are becoming until it is out of control.

Will we become just as bad as the countries our ancestors fled from? Will we become what we try so hard to prevent in other countries where my fellow Christians are being mistreated?

I fervently pray that we don’t. I believe now is the time to prevent it.

Just Another Day In Paradise- At The Outdoor Theater

Now I just need a cute little sign that says 'Kids Theater' or something cute like that!

Unplugged Part 1

Unplugged is a term that is becoming more and more common these days. You hear it from teachers, child specialists, TV (ironically!!), American Academy of Pediatrics, and in books. We all smile and nod when we hear it, ‘oh yes’ we say ‘that’s very important for our children’.

However, no matter how good our intentions are, once reality sets in the electronics get plugged back in… along with our children. When Gwen was younger, I really didn’t know why it was so important. I love TV. I want to share the things I love with my kid. What’s the big deal?

I have found, over the years, that it actually is a big deal and I have discovered that ‘screen time’ covers more than just TV.

Screen time includes computer, wii/play station/DS/etc.. video games, apps on a phone, ipad or ipod. The hard truth I have had to accept is that even if it’s ‘educational’ it’s still screen time.

According to Nemours.org in an article for health professionals and parentingtodayskids.com;

-Children who have more than 2 hours each day of screen time are more likely to suffer from obesity.

-Research has shown that increased screen time is linked to emotional and behavioral problems in children, including difficulties focusing and paying attention to strings of tasks.

-Children who have televisions in their bedrooms are more likely to have poor academic scores.

-Sleep patterns are affected by too much screen time, resulting in kids who resist going to sleep and those who are unable to sleep soundly through the night.

-Each hour spent in front of a screen is an hour lost on active play time. Imagination, exploration, and creativity are reduced when television viewing and video games are increased.

So how much is the ‘right’ amount for children? Well The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends that children under 2 watch no television at all!

 Media — both foreground and background — have potentially negative effects and no known positive effects for children younger than 2 years. Thus, the AAP reaffirms its recommendation to discourage media use in this age group. This statement also discourages the use of background television intended for adults when a young child is in the room

That’s an extremely strong and potentially unpopular stance for them to take and I applaud their boldness.

Even past age 2 the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends only 1-2 hours a day and says parents should continue to avoid “background media” that is intended for someone else, even if the child seems to be not paying attention.

So, as parents, grandparents and caregivers how do we apply this to the reality of our lives and family schedule?

Honestly, I have so much to say on this topic that I will have to continue another day, but rest in the knowledge that I have an abundance of opinions and ideas to share with you!

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Incredible Literary Art

While I have never been very artistic or art savvy, all different kinds of art have always fascinated me at museums and art shows. I have often thought that art and literature go hand-in-hand. For what are books but documented creativity.

To support my hand-in-hand theory, I give you this:

There is an artist in California, Cheryl Sorg, who will take your thumbprint and about 50 book titles of your choice and create you an amazing, three foot high work of art that is completely specific to you! 

Such an amazing piece is not without a just as amazing price,  of course. Found it on Etsy for $400.

Some of her other incredible work:
    

Thanks to Vintage Books & Anchor Books for tipping me off about this!