Education » Four Against Two

Books For Black History Month

Books I Have Read, Education, Entertainment, Reviews, Stuff No Responses »

Feb 122013

Our world is colorful and we need to embrace the colors, learn from the past,improve our future. How boring would a color-blind world be? I feel that Celebrating Black History Month does not belittle, undermine or replace other cultures or heritages. It simple lets us learn and in turn see our world as amazing.

Scholastic has once again provided me with some great books for Black History Month! I will review them for you, share with the girls’ classrooms and keep at least one of them for my home library. While I believe you can never have to many books, my bookshelves are bursting a bit :)

My favorite is a beautiful hard-back by Henry Cole, UNSPOKEN: A Story From the Underground Railroad. The illustrations are amazingly simple sketchings that make a huge impact. My favorite thing about this book though is that there are no words! It is wonderful to let kids come up with their own words from the pictures. This book is staying in my family library! The story is one of a young girl finding a hidden runaway slave in her barn, showing her kindness and then have kindness returned to her. Perfect for younger kids learning that what they do matters and that kindness begets kindness.

I Am Martin Luther King, Jr illustrated by Elisabeth Alba and I Am Harriet Tubman illustrated by Ute Simon were both written by Grace Norwich are amazing new biographies aimed for third and fourth graders. I know that there are other biographies on these people, but I really like this new format. The pictures/illustrations have a current feel to them, there is a pictorial index of the different people the reader will meet in the story and at the end a feature called “10 More Things That Are Pretty Cool To Know”. My fifth grader grabbed these immediately to see if they are AR for school and thankfully the Martin Luther King Jr one is worth 2.0 points, I couldn’t find Harriet Tubman’s but I found several more in the series so my guess is that it is so new it is not on the list yet. These will be donated to the class room, once I get through them.

I Survived The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Laren Tarshis. This is one in a series of I survived, also featuring 9/11 and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. It is a level 4 reading book.Action packed the story tells of Thomas and his little sister running away from slavery and meeting up with Union troops to make it North.

The final book I want to review is Jackie Robinson: American Hero by Sharon Robinson. I love the fact that it was written by his daughter. This book is full of family photographs and goes in depth on Robinson’s story, while not getting to heavy for the age group it is focused at (2nd-4th graders). While the story of oppression and bigotry is in the book, the successes of Jackie Robinson is in the forefront of the story.

Here are links to some of my other Black History Month posts: Black History Month , Book Review For Black History Month. I also like to provide classrooms with multicultural markers/crayons. What are some fun things you do to celebrate diversity and other cultures?

(Disclosure: I received the above books from Scholastic to review them on my blog, no other compensation was received and opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate.)

Bonding With Baby Isn’t Always Immediate

A Mom's Job, Breastfeeding, Education, Family, Frustrated Mommy Moments, Health and Hygiene No Responses »

Jan 232013

I had an interesting conversation last week with a patient about how long it took her to really, really love her first child. When we spoke she had just had her third baby and was amazed with how in love she was already with her latest edition. She talked about how overwhelmed she had been with her first child. That it was too overwhelming to even keep track of the baby’s pees and poos. She admitted it took a while to fall in love with her first baby. She had not experienced Postpartum Depression, but she did have a delayed bonding. She was a healthy, everyday mom who admits she bonding didn’t happen instantly.

After having this conversation I returned home to read a touching piece on BlogHer written by my in-real-life friend @Firemom about post-partum depression. While not immediately bonding with your child doesn’t mean you will have PPD, we as nurses, do look at delayed bonding as a sign of possible PPD. I struggle with saying that last line as immediate bonding doesn’t happen for everyone, and that can be normal. This is a phenomenon that we don’t seem to talk about.

Most of us just assume that once your child is born from your body that you will look at him or her and fall, madly in love, enchanted even. While I don’t have actual numbers to share, I can tell you that as a nurse who has worked on the OB floor, that the delivery room is often not the place of falling in love. In fact, if I were a betting person, I don’t even think the hospital is the place where mama bear instincts and adoration kick in for most moms.

I do see it happen. Baby comes out, dad is crying, mom cries and holds her newborn with an amazed look in her eyes. I have to admit that with both my girls I was over the moon with them, immediately. I am not sharing that to show off or be condescending but because that when I noticed this did not happen for many moms, I realized that it was something that needed to be addressed, talked and written about to let moms know that it is okay, that it is normal.

I have had moms whisper to me things like, “I don’t think that child is mine.” ”She doesn’t seem like she came from me.” They are embarrassed, but reaching out to know if this is normal, wondering what is wrong with them. I’ve even had a few moms tell me that their first reaction of seeing their baby was something along the lines of “yuck”! Not everyone can get passed the body fluids and that is okay to.

There is nothing shameful about wondering how that child in the bassinet beside you is actually yours. There is nothing shameful about feeling like you are taking care of the neighbors kid. The key thing is to remember that by taking care of your child, you will bond and fall in love with him. Keep on holding, loving, nursing, feeding your baby. It may take hours, days or even months for some, but he will feel like yours someday.

If this sounds like your experience, you are normal, don’t be ashamed. Like most things in life, birth doesn’t happen like we think it will. We do want to watch for PPD though, so if you feel the following symptoms or see them in someone you know, it doesn’t hurt to seek medical attention. Mood swings, irritability, trouble sleeping, trouble caring for the baby, trouble completing everyday tasks, or thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby.

I have so much more to say, especially how I think the medical system impedes quicker bonding, but I think I might turn it into another post. This one, I want to keep simple.

(Disclaimer: This post is based on personal experience I have had working as a RN, IBCLC, not medical advice, please consult your doctor with questions or concerns.)

The Good Old Days Are Getting Old

Education, My Soap Box, Stuff 1 Response »

Dec 182012

Have you heard that the Good Old Days were perfect? Nothing bad ever happened back then. People respected others and all was peaceful.

Newsflash! The Good Old Days never happened. I’ve had this discussion with many people who claimed they did and while I have respect for them and their experience, I protest. It’s normal to only remember the pleasant things. We must, however, not make the mistake of making only our good memories historical fact.

The other night we attended a wonderful Christmas Concert for the middle school. We paused at the beginning with a moment of silence for the victims of Friday’s shooting at Sandy Hook. The principle, who is a nice guy and cares about the kids in his charge, said that this happened because we took God out of our schools. Most of the crowd clapped for him. I did not clap. I may have irreverently rolled my eyes actually. Not out of disrespect for him, but at the fallacy that kids saying a generic prayer everyday at school was going to make sure that a shooter would not make it in the school building. The Good Old Days of school prayer were not perfect and I wish people would remember that.

I must disclose that I am a Christian. I pray. I teach my kids to pray. I have a prayer I say every day when my kids go off to school that includes a plea to bring them home safely to me. I am also happy that my kids can pray at school. Yes, they can pray at school. They can pray silently, they can pray out loud. They can hold a Bible study before and after school. They can say a prayer at an event or graduation. Student-led prayer is allowed. Government-led prayer is not allowed.

Back to the Good Old Days. In 1962 schools stopped school-sanctioned prayer. Let’s look at a few things that were going on during the years we had school prayer:

Up until 1954 it was legal schools to racially segregate schools. Two of my children would have had to go to different schools than my other two children, not because of age, but because of skin color. Those same two children wouldn’t have been allowed to be adopted by us at that time because of race. Those same two children would have had to use the back door and a different bathroom and water fountain in parts of this country. This did not please God, I am sure of that.

What happened when high school girls became pregnant? They were socially stigmatized (unlike the boys who fathered the babes in most circumstances), sent away to be coerced in surrendering their babies to closed adoption, urged to never think about their babies, or forced to marry the father even if it wasn’t the best situation for them. This did not please God. I am sure of that.

Were there drug abusers in our schools back then? Yes. Did kids participate in underage drinking back then? Yes. Was there inequality between the sexes back then? Yes. Until the 60′s my girls would not have school sports to join. Where there bullies back then? Yes. Where there ineffective teachers back then? Yes. Did all kids have the same opportunity to go to college back then? No. Hmmmm. All of these things were happening with prayer in schools. We just didn’t acknowledge it as a society or we had the old boys will be boys attitude that wasn’t so helpful if you were a girl.

There has always been psychologically imbalanced people who harm others. There has always been that evil in the world. What has changed is not that prayer was taken out of schools but technology. We now know of all the bad things that happen as soon as they happen, it is in our faces constantly on the TV, in our phones and on our computers. We have a larger population which leads to more people who do horrific acts. We glorify violence in our entertainment as humans always have, but now have hand held machines with amazing graphics to play out our pretend violence. We have newer modes of acting out. We have guns that we didn’t have 50 years ago because of advances in technology. Technology, like all things, can be used in good and bad ways. The gun that protects our country also can also kill our country’s children. The TV that tells us to prepare for a bad storm, can also spew propaganda and trashy tabloid news.

I will not go into the discussion of how we can prevent another Sandy Hook in this post. I will not talk about mental health care or first and second amendment issues. I feel one brewing, but right now I just want to provoke people to think passed the rhetoric of school prayer’s removal being the cause of all bad things that now happen in the United States. Our nation is not perfect now, just as it wasn’t then. We must push through this wave of whimsy of the Good Old Days and Prayer in Schools and come up with real solutions.

*Update: Blogher.com has featured this post!

#endchildmarriage

A Mom's Job, Education, Ethiopia, Family, My Soap Box No Responses »

Oct 112012

“If we succeed in empowering girls, we will succeed in everything else.”
–Desmond Tutu

Today is October 11th. In our family this means the day after Meg’s birthday, but it also means International Day of The Girl. This day was started by the United Nations and they picked this year’s theme of ending child marriages. To most of us the thought of child marriage is an abstract thought that causes us concern when it comes up, but one we mostly don’t dwell on. Let us use this day to gain knowledge on the subject, spread awareness and do our part to stop this insanity!

What can you do?

Watch this short video.

Check out GirlsNotBrides.org for more information and see the dozens of organizations that make up this campaign and learn about what is happening and how you can help. Money is always helpful for changing the world, but awareness and advocating within your own circle are powerful as well.
Share your new knowledge on Facebook and Twitter.
Talk about the issue with your kids. They are the future leaders after all.

I always find it helpful to personalize issues to help me see clearly how I feel about things. Mita, 12 years old, is in the sixth grade and is learning the violin and playing soccer. Enu, age 10, is an active Girl Scout who loves her media. Girls, much like Mita and Enu, are right now are in or awaiting a child marriages. In Ethiopia Twenty-four percent of girls under 15 are married off and forty-nine percent of girls ages 15-18 are married. It is feasible to say that the girls have friends and former classmates who right now might be married.

Something to think about. Pray about. Talk about. Tweet about. Post about. Let’s do something.

Trick Or Treat For UNICEF And Believe In Zero

A Mom's Job, Contests, Education, Family, holidays, Parenting No Responses »

Oct 012012

It’s October 1st. You know what that means - Pumpkins, candy, costumes, candy and UNICEF Trick or Treat time! Why not help children all over the world while building your memories with your kids by doing a few UNICEF activities? It is easy, fun and teaches your kids how to turn values into action.

I’m not having a party this year, with Meg’s 13th party extravaganza so close to Halloween, I’m not up for a party this year. Instead I ordered my Trick or Treat for UNICEF packet that comes with boxes, stickers and information easy for kids to digest and I will share these with friends and family. My kids will save change this month and I’ll give out the fun decorated boxes out to friends for their kids. This year they have color your own box contest as well as Frankenstein, princesses, witches and black cat boxes to collect coins in.

Where you can get your own packet: Trickortreatforunicef.org

Here is where you can donate if you have no time for parties and boxes or Text the word “TOT” to UNICEF (864233) to make a $10.00 donation to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF .

Here are some fun facts that you may be interested in:

*$0.90 of every Dollar donated goes to programs to help children. A great number for a charity!

* In its 62nd year the original Kids Helping Kids Campaign has raised over $167 million!

*$1 buys 24 protein bars for a starving child.

* 7 Cents buys a hydration packet for a dehydrated child.

Remember to tag your Halloween pics with #ToT4UNICEF and show off your boxes and awesome costumes.

I believe in Zero hungry kids, how about you?

My First Week Of School

Education, Mom's Free Time, Stuff 1 Response »

Sep 202012

I started my on-line classes this week! I am working towards my BSN, which is the four year nursing degree. I currently an RN with a two-year degree. For years, decades even, the powers that be have warned us that someday we had to get our four year degree. The time has come and here I go!

This semester I am taking Human Genetics and Transitions in Professional Nursing. So far I am pretty excited and I am right on track..of course it is day four!

I wasn’t sure how I would learn from an on-line class, but I have noticed that my self-discipline has improved in the last 14 years and I can focus more and just get things done. I even started next week’s assignment. I’m such an overachiever!

My Favorite New App

A Mom's Job, Education, Moments with Elle, Moments with Enu, Moments With Meg, Moments with Mita, Parenting, School Issues No Responses »

Aug 282012

I’ve shared my art photo books before here. I take pictures of the girls’ art and then make a book at the end of the school year. I have four school art books now and love them. I do have issues with remembering who did what sometimes, and there are times when things get mixed up or I am not certain on the year. Little details like that sometimes go amiss when you have four girls carrying home full folders everyday!

Today I found this app ARTkive, and I am in love! I have uploaded the girls’ names and current grades. I can easily add notes, like deciphering the picture or jotting down the story that accompanies the photo. You can add contacts to share artwork with loved ones if you wish or just store the pictures for yourself. I’m excited about being a bit more organized without a lot of work and wanted to share. Did I mention it was free? Yippee :)

Have you found any new apps that are helpful for life with the kiddos? Please share!

(Disclosure: I have not been asked to share about this app, I just wanted to tell you all about it!)

Scholastic Teen Book Giveaway!

Books I Have Read, Education, Entertainment, Giveaways, Reading Challenge, Reviews, Summer Fun, Teendom 9 Responses »

Aug 212012

Now that school bags are filled with new paper, folders and pens the homework and reading assignments will begin again. The Scholastic Summer Challenge is still going strong through August so keep your kids registering their reading minutes to help Scholastic get an amazing number of read minutes. The record was broke earlier this summer for over 76 million minutes logged!

To celebrate the new school year and the amazing summer of 2012, Scholastic Books sent me three great teen reads that I get to give away. YEAH!

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

Border Town #1: Crossing the Line by Malín Alegría

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

I gave Meg The Eleventh Plague to read and she is just about done with it and tells me she really likes it. It’s set in a post-flu-ravaged America where Steven and Jenny are teenagers trying to survive. The setting is a popular one for the time for sure, and the book has been giving the following review from Suzanne Collins: The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…an excellent, taut debut novel. This review tells me I might want to read it when Meg is done!

Mita was given Bordertown #1 Crossing The Line. At first look it reminded me of the teen scene books I read as a middle-schooler but after reading the first chapter I laughed, hard at the comical writing. I haven’t finished the book, but Mita really likes it. It does have subjects to do with growth and development, so not a read for a typical 9 or 10 year old for sure. I like how real issues of the day are in this book: minorities, immigration, bigotry.

The third book I am giving away is The False Prince. The first book of a trilogy, it lays the foundation for an exciting story that I’m sure Meg is going to want to read. I have just started it and have been swept up in the life of Sage, an orphan who is being trained to possibly portray the king’s long lost son. Good stuff here!

Want to win books for a lucky kid in your life? Don’t have any tween kids to give the books to, but can donate them to a worthy cause? Maybe you are not a tween, but want to win and read the books yourself? Here’s how it will work:

*Leave a comment telling me the name of the best book you read all summer or the name of the book you wanted to read all summer and didn’t have time to (then find the time when the kids go back to school!). One entry.

*You can earn a second entry by Liking my page on FaceBook. I have 32 Likes and would love to hit 50 by the end of the year! Just tell me you like me and part of your Facebook name so I can double-check the entry.

Giveaway starts August 21st, my kids’ first day of school and ends next Tuesday, August 27th at noon EST.

(Disclaimer: I was asked to give an honest review of and hot a giveaway for these three books by Scholastic, and received a copy of each book for my time.)

Back To School

A Mom's Job, Education, Family 1 Response »

Jun 252012

Maybe I’ll get a Hunger Games backpack!

I’ve been a bit listless lately. Busy with the kids as usual. Happy that I am working a bit. Still listless though. Feeling like I’m spinning my wheels a bit.

I am seriously contemplating going back to school and getting my four-year degree in Community Health. I currently am an RN with an associate degree and there is a big push for us to get our bachelor’s degree at work. I really don’t want a BS in nursing, but community health is really what I am interested in. Working with young families has shown me how important it is to have a community who cares about kids and parents.

So now my only obstacle is math. I need one more math class to get started on my journey. Does anyone want to take it for me? I dread math. On the other hand, how nice it will be to have a refresher course so I can actually help the kids with their homework!

I’ll go back part-time for sure, but I am very excited about this possible near future of mine. Any tips for returning back to class?

Heart Racing Backyard Experiences

A Mom's Job, Adoption, Education, Entertainment, Family, NaBloPoMo, Parenting No Responses »

Jun 082012

What a big ship you have!

Years ago …decades really, my brother and I lived on a small island. It was surrounded by sharks and was a very dangerous place to live. We were very brave though and survived. Once I got older I would race cheetahs and beat them to my front door, but only barely. I remember feeling the heart palpitations as I ran.

The island was our sectional couch of course and the cheetahs were in my head, but they were so very real. Just like Laura Ingalls joining me for walks while I explained what cars and airplanes were to her or the submarines that we sunk in the cow troughs in the fields. Very real at the time.

When was the last time I pretended with such intensity that my heart raced? I cannot remember and that makes me sad. While I still get into great books and my imagination can run wild, it doesn’t have that same intensity of pretending as a child.

I adore watching my kids play make-believe and pretend. While the fuddy-duddy in me hates the mess that making a huge, room sized tent out of sheets and blankets can be, I love watching them build it, and then play for hours.

Elle and one of my nephews are the best at pretending together. They are so much a like that their thoughts flow very naturally. They hike, swim, make guns and forts. They have code names like Sharks Blood and are government spies. They are seven. How long will it last?

Meg still has some pretending in her, especially when playing with the little ones. She is almost thirteen and I know her and a friend play Harry Potter still at times. Those days are numbered though. I feel it in my bones.

Mita and Enu have a hard time pretending. I have noticed that children from developing countries are not encouraged to pretend. Everything is very black and white. Instead of writing prompts to encourage a young author, they are assigned already written pieces to be copied by hand. There are no blocks and building toys for the most part. The building of a big tower and watching it crash down did not happen for them, so cause and effect wasn’t learned at an early age either.

I understand all of this, but I do yearn that they do get some more play in before the adult world creeps in on them. They have blossomed a lot. When they first got home they wouldn’t color unless they had someone tell them what colors to use or they saw an example. They would then try so hard to duplicate the example perfectly and end up getting mad and throwing it away. Free drawing was out of the question back then for sure. I try to stimulate stories like “What would it be like if Bella (our dog) rode the school bus today?” or other activities like making up songs to stimulate some imagination. They say that our brains are hardwired in the first three years of life and then have a pruning and re-wiring around 10-12. I hope some of the re-wiring includes imagination and pretend play with my two girls who missed out the first time around.

I think I’ll ask my mom to tell me about some pretend games I used to play with my brother. I ‘m sure I’ve forgotten some of them and it would be fun to reminisce. Like the time I pushed him to the sharks…a timeless memory that he needs to be reminded of!

Culture Torture

A Mom's Job, Education, Entertainment, NaBloPoMo, Parenting No Responses »

Jun 062012

Love Summer Feet!

We live in a small, small town. Not even a town, it is technically a village. I’ve struggled with living her at times, especially after we adopted two daughters from Ethiopia. Diversity isn’t everyday around here, and cultural activities have to be sought out.

That said, our little village has grown a lot in culture and activities from when I grew up here. We have a recreation association that has fun, inexpensive local activities for kids, adults and families. We also have an association that puts on outdoor concerts in the summer for free. We did not have these growing up, or I was not aware of them if we did.

Last night the first summer concert was the Kent State Steel Drum Band. I so wanted to go and Hubby was working late. I love the drums. Meg plays the sax and Mita is starting on the violin next school year. Hubby and I are musically challenged, but we do enjoy it and hope the kids play instruments at least in the middle school to gain some music knowledge and appreciation.

The kids complained, the older ones trying to get to stay home alone (a new developement in our house) and the younger ones were just pouty. I not only dragged my four girls, I brought a neighbor girl with me. I didn’t push my luck by suggesting a walk, so I loaded them all up in my car and drove the three minutes to our Village Hall.

You would have thought I was making them wash the kitchen floor with a toothbrush the complaining I heard! As the music started playing the kids’ faces were stoic, like I was poking them with needles for information they weren’t going to give. Then they laid on the blankets, one started reading her book, two quietly wrestled while the other two laid on their fists.

Slowly but surely they loosened up a bit. When the calypso music started I saw some shoulder movement. After feeding them brownies I was also allowed to dance a bit on the blanket. Then we started doing the swim dance, while throwing some peace signs. It was lovely.

At intermission, we left as I wasn’t going to push my luck. We had fun, though they may never admit it.

Next month…woodwinds :)

Putting Away The Baby Books

A Mom's Job, Books I Have Read, Education, NaBloPoMo, Parenting 1 Response »

Jun 042012

Not to long ago I sorted the kids’ library for summer reading. It was not easy. I have a thing for books and while we utilize our public library quite a bit, we still had a lot of books at home. We were out of space and the books were in two different locations making it hard for the kids to look and choose a book.

I sorted into several piles: Keep forever but put-away, keep out on the shelves, give away to Good Will, give away to friends and family. This was a hard process I must tell you, but I finally did it. Several of my keep forever books never made it to the basement. I felt like I could use them in some of my classes that I teach to help encourage reading to babies and toddlers.

As they are still on my desk awaiting to be taken to work I thought I would share them on my blog. (This makes it look like leaving them on the desk for a month had a purpose;)

On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott Illistrated by Glo Coalson. There are several different illistrated versions of this book , but I like Coalson’s version as it features a family that looks Native Alaskan. The book features young Michael and how he loves to sit on his mom’s lap with all his toys, but doesn’t think that there is enough room for his little brother to sit on her lap as well. A great book if you are preparing for a new baby or teaching a sibling preperation class.

If You Were My Bunny by Kate McCMullan Illistrated by David McPhail. This one was given to my my my sister in law, Robin, at my shower for Meg. It is a sweet animal book showing little ones how mama is always there to protect you. Each different animal’s verse can be sung to a lullaby like Hush Little Baby or Twinkle-Twinkle-Little Star.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider told and illistrated by Iza Trapani. If you have never read an Iza Trapani book I highly encourage it. She takes time-old ryhmes and songs and makes gives them a bit of a twist. Very fun for parents tired of the same old stories and great for the kids’ imagination.

You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusiman illistrated by Satomi Ichikawa. A book that brings tears to my eyes and means so much to parents reading it. The following line says it all really:

I am your way home; you are my new path.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star illistrated by Jeanetter Winter The simple song put to a great illistrations showing a little girl climbing a ladder to the sky to get her star. I read this so many times to Meg when she was little. This was our song if you will and I think of her everytime I see the ryme or hear the song.

If you are needing some new board books, are going to a baby shower or like me help new moms by teaching Baby Basics or Sibling classes, these books are great and I encourage you to check them out!

(Disclosure: The links above are not affilate links :)

Keep Your Children Reading This Summer!

A Mom's Job, Education, Parenting, Reading Challenge, Summer Fun 1 Response »

May 022012

If you ever look at my blog, you know that I am a reader. I love to read. I could read all day. I have to stop myself from reading to actively participate in the real world. My mom used to make me put down my books and play outside. I’m addicted, it’s just a legal drug and is generally a good thing to be addicted to!

Seeing a parent read is the best way to raise readers. I truly believe that. I also accept that not everyone is going to be as crazy about books as I am. But I will try to convert you I promise.

Summer time at our house is a great time. We are either crazy-busy or crazy-lazy. For the crazy-lazy times it can be challenging to keep the media to a low-roar. In our house media is TV, computer or non-active Wii games. For the last two years I have used media-bucks to keep the kids on limited screen time and to keep them reading. Last year I had yard sales at the end of the month where the girls could buy fun stuff with media bucks if they saved them. This is great because they are earning the media bucks, but not using them on TV! I also had a read-so-many-minutes over the summer you get a book series. All the girls earned great book series. Meg got the entire 39 Clues series, Mita got The Hunger Games Trilogy, Enu got a huge Junie B. Jones series and Elle got… I cannot remember, I thinks she just chose a few books instead of a series.

While I was happy with last year’s success, I am ramping it up a bit. This year I am doing a stamp card. This way they hopefully don’t loose it the way they could the media bucks. Here is how it goes:

1 Media Stamp = 30 minutes of media time

Level 1 books = 1 media stamp for 30 minutes of reading

(age level books the kids like to read)

Level 2 books = 2 media stamps for 30 minutes of reading

(Book that push them to read at a higher level)

Level 3 books= 3 media stamps for 30 minutes of reading

(any non-fiction reading, classic or a book that Mom would like you to read)

Learning Lab = 3 media stamps

( A workbook or experiment.)

Active outdoor play for 30 minutes= 1 media stamp

You can see where I am going with Level 3. Meg doesn’t want to read the classics right now, but I am bound and determined to get some Little Women in her this summer! This should all equal to plenty of TV time as well as great reading time and some fun prizes. This year I am doing gift cards to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes instead of a yard sale. The kids are stoked!

This may seem like a lot of work, but for my family it is how we function. We have to have clear, set guidelines or it is chaos around here.

We also do the Summer Reading at our local library. This is a family favorite, but as the kids get older I really push content over how many books are read. I try to get the girls to set a content goal over a number goal, like “I will read 20 books this summer, 10 of them chapter books, 2 of them classics and 8 off them non-fiction.”

Scholastic has a great summer reading site that you should check out. We did this last summer and the kids had a lot of fun on it. It is a fun way for them to keep track of how much they read. It also lead to a great discussion on honestly and integrity when one of my girls cooked the numbers a bit! Click here for a video tutorial on how it works. They also have great book lists for all ages.

If you want to keep your kids reading this summer the first thing you should do is pick up a book and read it yourself, let the kids see you read and talk about what a great book it is. Then take them to the library!

Countdown To Earth Day: A Billion Acts Of Green

Earth Friendly Ideas, Education, Family, girl scouts, Stuff No Responses »

Apr 182012

While it can sometimes be annoying to have certain days, weeks and months named for something (National Ice Cream Day is great and all, but what about National Taco Day?), it really does serve a purpose to have time set aside to think more deeply on a subject. Black History Month gives our schools the perfect chance add some colorful history to the normal curriculum (yeah, I know the curriculum should already have it…) and World Breastfeeding Week is great at bringing the amazing thing that is breast milk to the forefront of people’s thoughts. Earth Day is a great time to step back and evaluate our daily practices in helping sustain our Earth for the future generations.

This week I want to write about simple and more in-depth ways that I, as a mom, wife, nurse and Girl Scout leader am trying to put a dent in my wasteful ways. This is my Earth Day Pledge, or act, at least a part of it. We are also cleaning up our local reservoir with Girl Scouts on Saturday.

Today I will congratulate myself on what I have accomplished:

As a household we have been recycling (by carting to a local center or curbside pick up) our trash for five years.
I have been reusing my favorite two water bottles for over two years now. I rarely drink from a disposable water bottle and when I do it is normally because it is at someone elses place.
I don’t forget my reusable bags anymore when I grocery shop! I forgot them for a very long time and it has finally become habit now. I also carry bags in my purse and use them for everyday purchases or clothes shopping. It is amazing what you can get in a little bag!
I recently bought the cutest re-usable containers for my girls’ lunch drinks to replace the chocolate milk/apple juice cartoons. This saves me money (buying a gallon is more cost-effective than buying six individual boxes) and waste. You have to get good ones or the leaking frustrates you!
I have been using re-usable sandwich and snack bags for about four years now. I still do use some plastic baggies when I am not caught up on laundry but give myself a B+ in ditching the plastic baggies.
I keep the heat down lower in the winter months. I admit that I used to crank it up a bit high at times, but now I am better at just putting socks or a sweatshirt on to stay warm. I also did this when I heard that families stay healthier when the heat isn’t used as much. I think this is true as it keeps the dust down and the rotation of germs!
We talk about recycling and being Earth Friendly a lot in Girl Scouts. It is so much easier for this generation as they are growing up knowing that it is important to not be wasteful. As an eighties child, it seemed all about more and what was convenient than anything else.
I love to shop consignment or second-hand stores. You never know what a good deal you may get. I scored a beautiful, like new dress for Enu the other day for $1.09! She looks great in it, it saved me money and it didn’t end up in a landfill. Win, Win, Win I say.
I also congratulate myself on nursing my two bio babies and am pleased that my other girls were most likely breastfed as well. Great for the Earth not to have formula containers or plastic liners :)

So now that I am full of myself I will focus on my goals to improve my efforts and become more natural with using less, re-using more and in general being a better steward of my Earth.

That, my friend, is for tomorrow! Check out this site and make your own pledge.

How To Save Your Dr. Seuss

A Mom's Job, Books I Have Read, Education, Moments with Elle, Parenting, Stuff 1 Response »

Apr 102012

If you have young children in elementary or pre-school most likely you know that the celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday was a couple of weeks ago.

Which means right about now your child’s backpack is full of the cutest art projects you have ever seen! Projects that you don’t want to toss but cannot realistically keep on your fridge or in a scrapbook either. Unless this is your first child. Then you will keep everything for years until your basement or garage is full and realize that something has to hit the recycling bin or you have to buy a bigger home.

After having Meg fill 5+ bins I started to realize that with four kids, the bin thing wasn’t happening. So three years ago I started making school project photo books on Shutterfly (tons of other sites, but Shutterfly is my fav). I take the pictures of the projects and save them for the next book. This makes it so much easier to toss the projects. I don’t enjoy junking them, but it is a necessary evil of motherhood. I have also made thank you cards and notecards out of some of the projects.

So back to Dr. Seuss. Elle came home with a few really cute things that I cannot throw away. Maybe it is because she is my baby and I’m realizing that this may be my last Dr. Seuss birthday bonanza, maybe it’s because I’m tired of taking out the recycling. Who knows? What I do know is that an idea popped into my head that I am happy with and thought I would share.

As a reading family there are some books that will never be donated or passed on. Dr. Seuss books are those sorts of books. Elle has fallen hard for the rhyme master and has even read me Green Eggs and Ham backwards before (a realllllly loooonnnggg story btw!). So I merged the two and have not lost any space.

I simply added her art work to the insides of the books and now the books mean even more to me than before. I can imagine Elle’s kids opening the book and seeing mommy’s artwork from when she was a girl….ahhhh. Tears. Sniff. Sniff.

Awesome.

They better appreciate this stuff!

DVD Review: Little Angels

Education, movies, Reviews No Responses »

Feb 102012

I was recently given the opportunity to watch the new line of DVDs that Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel) is the executive producer of. Little Angels is a fun cartoon line that teaches pre-schoolers about numbers, letters and animals with a God centered theme. Songs such as “Goliath Didn’t Like Rock Music” and “Joshua, Get Those Trumpets Blowin” are catchy, fun and also teach Bible stories to your little ones. The DVDs are headed to a store near you on Tuesday, February 14th.

I was happy to see some diversity among the main characters, but disappointed that the activity sheets and valentines all were centered around the white kids. Dear movie makers, please remember that not all main characters have to be white!

My girls are passed the pre-school age, but I know a lot of moms with young ones and there are many families with special needs older kids who could learn from this easy, calm cartoon. I plan on passing these along, but I am keeping the PB&J popcorn they sent us to chomp on while watching the movies ;) Please see my Facebook page for print out activities and Valentines! There is also an Little Angels app for the kids to play.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the above DVDs to preview as well as some gourmet popcorn from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. No further compensation was received.)

In One Ear And Out The Other: An Idiom And My Children’s Listening Skills!

A Mom's Job, Adoption, Books I Have Read, Education No Responses »

Jan 112012

One of my goals in homeschooling Enu this past semester was to help her with her English. That may surprise some who have heard her speak, as she is very much fluent in her conversation and has no accent. When we first brought the girls home I read that it took 7 years for a child to become fluent in English. I scoffed at this (as I did many, many other things I read about!) and thought they were fluent after just two years. They needed no extra school help and understood everything.

Or did they? I have slowing gleaned that while they seem conversationally fluent, if they don’t know something they fake it, or guess the meaning by the context of the conversation. I have learned we need to work on vocabulary, tone, sarcasm and idioms. They are still very literal in many ways.

Enu and I have worked a lot with word ladders. This has improved her spelling and vocabulary and they are fun to do. I found two other books that helped with her language skills:

In A Pickle And Other Funny Idioms by Marvin Terban

Ever wonder where the expression “To let the cat out of the bag” came from? This book will tell you along with other idioms like “He got up on the wrong side of the bed” or “Keep your shirt on.” I learned some things reading this and I know Enu did as well.

How Much Can A Bare Bear Bear? by Brian P. Cleary is a book on homonyms and homophones. “A bee can be.” ” A horse can get hoarse from talking of course.” An easy read that shows kids how to learn our complicated English in a fun, silly way.

I would love for Mita to read these books as well, as I know she too struggles with some of these things as Enu does. Of course a fifth grader is not always open to such suggestions from mother ;)

I wanted to share these books to help out the fellow homeschooler and the parents of newly adopted older kids who are learning English. They are helpful and fun and free if you get them from the library as I did. I did get the word ladder of Amazon, but it was totally worth the few bucks it cost.

(Disclosure: I was not asked to review these materials, nor do I make money on the links. I should do something about that shouldn’t I!)

Book Suggestions For Kids (And You!)

A Mom's Job, Books I Have Read, Education, Entertainment, Reading Challenge 1 Response »

Sep 292011

I am always up for book suggestions. Last year I met a retired reading teacher and she wrote the names of some authors she thought my then ten-year-old would like. She was so passionate about reading she wrote the suggestions on the back of the event’s program and we talked for a long while. She was not a fan of Harry Potter, but I liked her anyway and quickly requested the suggestions from our library. She was right, they were great books and I will pass them along to you as well as a few others I adore. I cannot mention all the books, but I will try and touch on ones I haven’t written about before.

Preschool/Young Readers

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel- You cannot beat these simple stories that stress friendship, kindness as well as having an ease about them that makes reading fun.

Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson- Given to Meg when she turned two from her beloved great-grandpa Pap Pap. These verses bring out the adventure of being in a child’s imagination as well as build vocabulary skills with the old time language the book has. Elle is very fond of this book right now.

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel - I started reading this book to Meg when she was about three years old. She quickly had it memorized and years later can still say his whole name! This is a favorite to read out loud in the class room as well. The illustrations are classic and introduce kids to the Asian culture a bit.

Early Elementary Students

The American Girl books are great (for girls!) as they have adventure, good morals and history in them. I like reading these books with my girls as I can add some historical tidbits and the books promote great discussions. Reading Addy was hard for me as I cried a few times, but those tears lead to great conversations with Meg. Kit made me mad when she hopped the train, but I was able to talk with Meg about listening to parents, making good choices and the like. Mita liked reading about Josephina and Enu enjoyed the Kit books best.

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown is a fun and easy to read series that has started a phenomenon with the post office! We created our own Flat Stanley that Grandma and Grandpa took with them across the country and took pictures. Talk about inter-active! A great way to mix geography and reading.

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park is Enu’s favorite. I do enjoy reading about Junie B. and hearing her language miss-haps are great learning tools for Enu. The way her mind works reminds me of another great series Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. I’ve always adored Ameilia Bedelia being read out loud. Funny.

The Little House On The Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of my all-time beloved books. I read them and feel at home. That said, they are wordy and Laura does love to get into her descriptions so if your child gets distracted easy I would pick the easy reader Little House books as the chapters are shortened a bit. Meg never really got into these books as I had hoped, but I think she does appreciate that they mean a lot to me. Meg is my dragon lover when it comes to books and the Prairie doesn’t have enough fire-breathers for her liking!

The Magic TreeHouse by Mary Pope Osborne books are Elle’s favorites. She loves to read about going back into time. I really like the non-fiction reference books the series has as well. This is a fun series to listen to on CD in the car as it takes the kids’ minds of the drive and into history.

Middle School

This is my favorite reading level thus far with my kiddos. Of course you have Harry Potter (a given) but The Hunger Games Trilogy is my new suggestion as well! With a series plot that could turn people off if they don’t read the book and just hear about the story line (a reality TV show that has kids killing each-other, just doesn’t sit well with most of us) I urge parents to read these books so they can help the kids process what they are reading.

Another set of books with a futuristic 1984ish plot is Shadow Children by Margerate Peterson Haddox. Wow. Heavy stuff, but great ways to get us all thinking, discussing and preventing problems in the future. If your child has anxiety issues I would stay away from these books for a while. Enu will not be reading them anytime soon!

I just recently finished The 39 Clues Series. Meg made me read them. I really enjoyed this book set and number 11 made me want more books as the plot is thickening. The story line hold the older kids interest but the books are at an easier reading level for fourth and fifth graders. Fun.

A few more for middle schoolers:

Shakespeare’s Secret and Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Mandy and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (yes, the Julie Andrews!)

Obviously I could go on and on…and I will with books I hope my kids will read as they get older but in another post! The selections above may be heavy on the girl side, but I am partial and lacking the experience of raising boys!

I hope you will add some suggestions to my comments so I can get cracking at those books as well.

Getting Your Kids To Love Reading

A Mom's Job, Education, School Issues 4 Responses »

Sep 222011

Okay....she is posing for this picture I admit it!

I have talked to several mothers lately who express that they want their kids to be readers, but confess that they themselves are not readers. Though I don’t consider myself an expert on getting your kids to read, I do have a few ideas and am very proud of the fact that all of my kids are often found with a book in their face.

As with all the values we want our kids to learn we must demonstrate those same values. Your kids have to see you reading. It can be fiction or non-fiction books, newspapers or magazines but they must see you reading for enjoyment on a regular basis. If they see you reading a book for a collage class you cannot complain about having to read it. If you read a book you don’t like, explain why you don’t like it. It is okay not to like a book or a particular subject and expressing this is a great way for your kids to learn.

I firmly believe that Meg would have been a reader without this, but Hubby reading aloud to her made a huge impact on how she enjoys books. He started reading the Harry Potter series to her in the first grade and five years later she is obsessed with creative, imaginative books that have dragons in them! Read out-loud to your older kids. I think we tend to stop reading to them when they start reading themselves. Reading out-loud helps them learn more vocabulary, gives them time to imagine about what you are reading and is great for bonding and cuddling with your kiddos.

Mita was a reluctant reader when she first came home with us and is now reading up a storm. We have to find out what they like to read. I worked hard at finding what she liked and then made sure she always had access to them. She is fond of biographies and non-fiction and also graphic novels. It was a bit difficult to find graphic novels that were girl-oriented and age appropriate, but I did find several. I think that the fact she was able to finish the entire book, and yet still be entertained by the pictures built her confidence that she could read well, and taught her that finishing a book is fun.

Enu is the child I am working at hardest right now finding her something to read. She has attention issues. Meaning she cannot pay attention. She will read one chapter of a book, deem it dumb and not finish it. The only books that she seems to enjoy are the Junie B. Jones books. She will finish these books with encouragement, but if I am not paying attention to her she will read several of them all at once, meaning she will read a chapter of one and put it down then pick up another one and read it. While I’m happy she is reading, I don’t think this does much for her comprehension or her enjoyment level. I have found that Books on CD are an easy way to get her into a story. It helps her vocabulary and takes some stress away.

Then there is Elle. My baby. My girl who tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to one on one time now. She loves to read big books with hard words. She insists she is reading them. I struggle with this as I want her to read books at her reading level, but I want her to be happy and proud of herself as well. So as she reads these books I try and fit in a few fun first grader ones that will interest her. Foster confidence in your kids. She has such an imagination I know that once she starts reading independently she will be a lot like Meg and read a lot. I still need to spend more time with her and books those.

Reading is so important for our kids. It teaches language and communication skills, but more importantly it fosters imagination and possibility in our kids.I would love to hear your advice and suggestions for getting our kids to read more and enjoy what they are reading. I will soon write a post with some book suggestions for kids.

Not Ready For School

Education, School Issues, Stuff, Summer Fun 2 Responses »

Aug 212011

Keep Wearing the Flip-Flops! It's Still Summer!

I’m not sure why, but I am not ready for school to start yet. The girls are at each-other a lot lately, a sure sign that they are ready for the distraction of school. Elle just beams when you mention the first grade. Meg is so ready for middle school. Mita is happy to have her entire school to herself for a while and Enu is ready for a semester of home schooling.

I will miss the girls as usual, but that is not the reservation I am feeling. I cannot place this feeling, but my chest feels heavy. Maybe it is the prospect of having three different schools to juggle or the two different time schedules? I’m not sure.

Are you ready for school to start? Will you be doing the hula dance and drinking margaritas or crying your eyes out?

photo credit

Mandy’s Game Corner Give Away

Contests, Education, Games, Reviews 1 Response »

Jul 102011

The folks at Pressman Toys have sent me a new game to review and to give away!

Way back in February, during Black History Month I posted on some books I gave to my girls’ classrooms. I also mentioned that like to make sure the class rooms have the Mancala game in them. This new game Path to the White House is a new one for the classrooms I am excited to give out. When searching for ways to put Black History in my kid’s class rooms I find books, but not a lot of interactive things that actually teach facts. I think this game will help me fill that gap in the older classrooms.

Path to the Presidency: From 1619 to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is for ages ten and up and 2-5 players can play at one time. There are four historic eras in this game: Slavery, Building Democracy, Civil Rights and the Modern Era. There are also Adversity and Overcoming cards that effect the game as you try to move your pawn to the White House.

The games cards are filled with history and trivia that is easy for kids to learn and remember. The Modern Era cards feature figures such as Serena Williams and Colin Powell while the Adversity cards tell of facts about things like Plessy V. Ferguson (1896 “Seperate but equal” is legal.”) From Jamestown to Motown the trivia and facts cover a lot of territory. The game board is covered with illistrations and pictures of Black History that are sure to get kids asking questions as well as identify with history they allready are familiar with. I think it is important that we teach our kids history, both black and white together. Unfortunately the black education is rather lacking in our school books and a game such as this could help with that gap.

I like that this game is easy to play and makes learning about history enjoyable for kids. My three older girls really enjoy playing. The age range is 10 and up, but I have found that if they team up the eight year old is holding her own as well. Playing with an adult helps to add some experience to the game as well. You can also use the cards as trivia cards and forget the board game if you kids just want to learn some fun and easy facts.

The one drawback to the game is that from the packaging it looks like a game about President Obama. While I am more than fine with learning about our current President, I fear that many will overlook the game simply because of the emphasis of Obama. Whatever your feelings are for our President, Black History is important for us to learn.

Path to the Presidency can be bought here.

Pressman Toys is letting me give four games away two games for two readers, one to keep at home and one to giveaway to a school or community center. You have two ways to enter: 1) Simply leave a comment on where you would donate your second game to. 2) Like Pressman Toys on Facebook and tell them FourAgainstTwo sent you and come back here to tell me you did this. Winners will be chosen by Random.com. Easy as pie! Make sure I have your correct email address. Giveaway is from July 10th through July 15th 5pm.

(Disclosure: Pressman Toys sent me two copies of the above game (one to play, one to donate to my daughters’ school) for an honest review of the game. They also are offering four copies to two winners on my blog, again one to keep at home and one to giveaway. I recieved no other compensation.)

Four Against Two