2008 November | Mommy Points

November 29, 2008

Black Friday

Filed under: Uncategorized — Chris @ 1:24 am

Wow some people are taking their bargain shopping a little too serious.

An employee at WalMart is trampled to death when 2000 shoppers push in the front of the store, ripping the doors off of their hinges. Seriously? Is getting the latest Tickle Me Elmo, or whatever is hot this year, worth that? I am not really sure what the hot item of the year is. I am so out of the loop.

But what sort of bargain would be worth taking a human life? And what sort of bargain would be worth putting your own life in jeopardy as well. Because if the mass of people aren’t stopping for an employee, they aren’t stopping for you either.

I have never gone out bargain shopping on Black Friday. Mostly because I hate crowds people. Yes, I really do. I hate shopping with huge crowds. I hate people fighting over items. Every year there are fist fights that break out at these door buster sales too. And honestly there is never any item that I want that badly.

I realize that not all places are like this. Some stores do not have throngs of people pushing their way in. Do you go out shopping on Black Friday?

Personally, I prefer to wait for Cyber Monday. No crowds. No danger of being trampled. The worst thing that could happen is my scrolling finger might get tired.

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November 28, 2008

Gene Testing to Predict Athletic Prowess

Filed under: On The Web — Chris @ 9:56 pm

Just when you think that you have heard the craziest things, our comes something else in the news that tops it.

A company in Boulder, CO is offering genetic testing that will determine whether or not you have the next Micheal Jordan or Tiger Woods on your hands.

In health-conscious, sports-oriented Boulder, Atlas Sports Genetics is playing into the obsessions of parents by offering a $149 test that aims to predict a child’s natural athletic strengths. The process is simple. Swab inside the child’s cheek and along the gums to collect DNA and return it to a lab for analysis of ACTN3, one gene among more than 20,000 in the human genome.

The test’s goal is to determine whether a person would be best at speed and power sports like sprinting or football, or endurance sports like distance running, or a combination of the two. A 2003 study discovered the link between ACTN3 and those athletic abilities.

Hey, I have an idea. Why not wait until your child is older and, oh call me radical here, observe with your own eyes whether or not your child has any athletic ability. I have a couple kids who are freakishly good athletes. (Didn’t come from my gene pool, I have to say.) And their athletic ability was obvious. There was no need for testing. There was no trying to fit them into the “right” sport.

So if you decide you want to take my advice and just wait, you can send me a check for $149. M’kay? Thanks.

The one thing that I admitedly do find intersting about the study is how it applies to people who have already been identified as athletes. I do think that it is interesting that there are specific genetic markers that seem to link to athletic ability and it would be fascinating to see if the results hold true across the board.

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November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Chris @ 9:05 pm

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.

~Meister Eckhart

I hope everyone has a fabulous day filled with loved ones, happiness, peace, and of course turkey. And pie. Lots of pie.

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November 24, 2008

Break Out That Glue Gun

Filed under: Children, Just For Fun, On The Web — Chris @ 11:02 am

Many people are talking about making the holidays this year budget friendly. Making gifts instead of buying them. Having potluck suppers instead of throwing catered parties. Staying close to home instead of traveling.

With that in mind, Antique Mommy is hosting a blog carnival of Homemade Handmade Holiday Crafts. I love this idea. I also love crafty people, because I am not one of them. I mean, I can follow instructions and copy a craft that someone else has laid out for me, but I have no vision to think up my own. That is why this craft carnival is so perfect.

Antique Mommy has posted photos and instructions to make two simple holiday crafts. Ones that you can easily make with your children, or that older children could even make for themselves. Then under her post is an area where people can leave links to their own posts about holiday craft projects. Before long there will be a treaure trove of craft ideas.

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November 23, 2008

When Do You Start Decorating for the Holidays?

Filed under: Just For Fun — Chris @ 9:20 pm

This year the decorations seemed to come earlier. I am not sure if I am just noticing it because I am so far out from having any of the holiday spirit, but when I was still trying to get into the Halloween spirit there were Christmas decorations out in the stores. And then almost as soon as November 1st dawned, before the last remnants of shaving cream were even cleaned up, people were putting out their Christmas lights and wreaths. And what I can only assume are fake Christmas trees, because who can keep a tree alive for that long?

This season has been a crazy one for our family. Right now we are STILL in the midst of football season still, preparing for my son’s team to go to the National Championship in Florida next week. Planning a trip right before Christmas is strange. We will arrive back home on the 14th. Which will give us 10 days to refocus and prepare for Christmas.

I don’t want to put up the tree before we go this weekend because it will die while we are gone. Also, we like to keep our decorations up until the Epiphany.

It seemed to me in years past that the weekend of Thanksgiving was the the beginning of the Christmas season. That was when people pulled out their lights and strung them on their houses.

I may go and buy the wreaths and hang them up on the doors before we go to Florida and maybe bring some of the decorations down from the attic. But I honestly am not in the mood. I am too busy thinking of the warm weather.

So tell me, when do you decorate for the holidays? Do you think that people are decorating earlier now than they used to?

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November 22, 2008

A Project For All Those Scratched CDs

Filed under: Children, Just For Fun — Chris @ 9:14 pm

Everything needed for this project you should have in your home already.

What? You don’t have a ton of useless CDs in your house? My younger children are brutal with them.

But you can also buy a pack of cheap CDs to do this project. It would be great for a large group, or a rainy day playdate. We did it with our homeschool group.

Older kids could do it completely on their own, the younger ages needed varying degrees of help, but what is great about a project like this is that children of all ages can play with it when it is completed.

Materials Needed:

CDs
toilet paper, paper towel, or similar tube (tin foil is nice and sturdy) –you will want to cut it to about 2/3 toilet paper roll length
thick elastic band longer than the tube
duct tape
paper clip
washer
pencil

Step 1:

Securely tape the tube to your CDs. Make sure the tape doesn’t hang over the edge of the CDs.

Step 2:

And that the tube is centered on both CDs.

Step 3:

Thread the rubberband through the paperclip.

Step 4:

Pull rubberband through the CD and tube and out the other side.

Step 5:

Tape the paperclip securely in place.

Step 6:

Thread the rubberband through the washer.

Step 7:

So that you have a little loop.

Step 8:

Put the pencil inside the loop. Turn the pencil to tighten the rubberband.

Step 9:

Place CD car on the floor and watch it go.

Now you are ready for CD car races

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November 20, 2008

Instill the Love of Reading in Your Child

Filed under: Children, Ideas, Making It Work, parenting — Chris @ 9:07 pm

Chris,You frequently write about books and reading with your children. I am the mother of two children, a baby and a 2 yr old. While I do read occasionally to my 2 year old, I wonder how I can instill a lifetime love of reading in them. How do I find good books? Any wise words of advice?

I know people who tell me that they don’t read. Ever. Not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to. They don’t enjoy reading. I can’t even understand this. It would be like someone saying they don’t like rainbows or candy or shoes on sale.

I have to think that somewhere along the way they were “taught” that reading isn’t fun. That it is a chore. Something that isn’t done once you leave the academic world behind.

I think the fact that you are already reading to your two year old is a great place to start. See if your local library has an informal story time that you can attend. Barnes and Noble also has weekly story times for preschool aged children. They are free to attend, though you will probably end up leaving with a few new books under your arm. Click on the link to locate the participating store near you.

I think we all know the classics: Pat the Bunny, Good Night Moon, and Guess How Much I Love You. Of course all the books by Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. I still have my Little Bear books from when I was a child, before it was bastardized into a Nikelodeon cartoon. Classic books stand the test of time.

But what about newer books? Ones that we might not be familiar with. Your local librarian can be a good resource as can asking some of your peers who have children. They will probably have read their children’s favorite books so many times that they can recite them word for word as well as give you the title and author.

However, over the past few years I have a few resources that I love and refer to often. Is your child very interested in a particular topic– trains, dinosaurs, knights– you can find books on these topics appropriate for their ages. A few years ago my son was fascinated by the Titanic. I think we have successfully read every single children’s book on the subject out there, including books about icebergs, ship building, and even penguins. Why? Because penguins live where there are icebergs of course!

This is a great resource. It lists books for various ages and give a brief summary. It’s like a annotated book list.

This book follows the Core Knowledge curriculum and offers books to read based on what your child is probably doing subject wise for each grade. If you have ever read the What Your ____ Grader Needs to Know, you will likely appreciate this book. It is an add-on of sorts to that series, answering the question, “What other good books are there on these topics?” I imagine that it would be a good supplemental resource for children who are attending public schools, as many public schools are now following the Core Curriculum.

I just found this book at my local library last week and it is one I immediately added to my wishlist. It is more than just a list of books. At 500 hefty pages, it has hundreds of ideas for activities, anecdotes, ideas for encouraging reluctant readers, and on and on. The description of the book on amazon calls it an “exuberant treasure trove” and I am hard pressed to find any better words to describe this massive volume.

The Classical Christian Education Support Group has a web page listing 1000 Good Books. Good books being defined as those which have a timeless appeal. They are divided up by age/grade level. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but a wonderful resource nonetheless.

But what is it that these books all have in common? How do you encourage your children to become readers?

1) Read out loud to them daily from the time they are babies until they will no longer listen to you. My 12.5 yr old will still listen to me read stories out loud. Pick an exciting novel and read a chapter every night before bedtime. Or in my house, we read our chapter books after lunch when my youngest takes a nap. Pick a time of day that works for you and doesn’t make reading become a chore.

2) Make reading fun. Chose books to read that your children enjoy. Talk about the stories you are reading during other points of the day. “What do you think is going to happen in the story?” or “I can’t wait to see what that character is going to do about …”

3) Model good behavior. If your children see you reading for pleasure, they will think that reading is something people do for fun.

4) Set up a reading corner in your house. Buy or build some bookcases. Throw down a little area rug and a bunch of large pillows for laying on. Make it a place where your child feels comfortable and wants to spend time. Kids love little nooks that belong to just them.

5) Never, EVER punish your child by forcing them to read. For the love of all things holy do not do this. Or I will have to come over and beat you with a book or two.

And just one more book before I end this post. One for you.

This is a fabulous book for teens and grown-ups. I refer to it when I feel like reading a one of those books I “should” have read a long time ago but have somehow escaped me. It gives tips on reading some of the world’s greatest books in all the major genres. If you feel like your education was somehow lacking, then this is the book for you.

Happy Reading!

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November 19, 2008

Operation Christmas Child

Filed under: Children, Ideas, Just For Fun, Kindness Of Spirit, parenting — Chris @ 9:20 am

I love this program. We have been involved with it for a lot of years, but somehow this year has gotten away from me and I can not believe that November is almost over!

Operation Christmas Child is run by Samaritan’s Purse and is a Christian organization, but you do not need to subscribe to any particular religious beliefs to participate, though if you are very anti-religion I suppose you would not want to participate. personally I think of it as children helping children.

The mission statement:

Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.

How does it work?

You need to get an empty shoe box, or similarly sized container, and fill it with a variety of gifts. They offer suggestions on how to mix the practical and the fun. We always include tooth brushes, toothpaste, those little shrink wrapped washclothes from the dollar store.

I love this program because it really does help the chidlren think of those less fortunate, especially children their own age. I always have them make a shoebox for a child that is the same age and sex.

This is National Collection week, so you had better get on it. You can find a list of donation centers where you can drop off your shoeboxes simply by putting in your zip code.

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November 16, 2008

Have studies gone too far?

Filed under: On The Web, parenting — Chris @ 8:59 am

Just when you think that the “experts” (yes those are ironic quotes) have tapped into every last facet of mommy guilt, along comes a study like this one. Apparently having your child face away from you in the stroller is very VERY bad for their long term development.

My reaction… are you KIDDING me?

According to researchers:

“Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful,” Zeedyk said. “Stressed babies grow into anxious adults.”

The strollers that I always used had the option of facing in either direction. My children always preferred to face out, to take in the world and look at something other than me. And frankly I welcomed the time that I was not the sole entertainer of my child.

So what do you think? Are researchers over analyzing everything? Have these so-called scientific studies gone too far? Are my children going to grow up to be maladjusted psychopaths because I “pushed them away from me” in a stroller?

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November 15, 2008

Thanksgiving Reading

Filed under: Children, Ideas, Just For Fun — Chris @ 8:11 am

I came across this list of Thanksgiving books at Kaboose today. I had never been to this website, but it has fun Thanksgiving crafts, coloring pages, and a brief history of Thanksgiving which is perfect for refreshing your memory of all those pesky details that have been sucked out of your brain through parenthood.

The only book I thought of off of the top of my head is that Magic Tree House book about Thanksgiving. I realize it isn’t exactly great reading, but my kids love those books. And if it encourages them to read on their own, then I am all for it.

BABY & PRESCHOOL

The Story of Thanksgiving
by Nancy J. Skarmeas, illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett
This book tells the story of the first Thanksgiving–how Pilgrims came to America on the Mayflower in search of religious freedom, how they landed at Plymouth Rock, and how the Native Americans taught them to plant and then joined them in a Thanksgiving feast.

My First Thanksgiving (Board Book)
by Tomie dePaola
A bit of history, a craft activity, and a modern family celebration for the youngest to enjoy.

AGES 4-8

1, 2, 3, Thanksgiving!
by W. Nikola-Lisa, illustrated by Robin Kramer
This counting book leads children through Papa’s one fat turkey, Mama’s two pumpkin pies, and so on as the family sits down to a Thanksgiving feast.

Albert’s Thanksgiving
by Leslie Tryon
After helping the children of Pleasant Valley plant a garden, Albert, the hardworking school handy-duck, has great difficulty in harvesting the vegetables before the Thanksgiving feast, because everyone has something else for him to do.(buy)

Arthur’s Thanksgiving
by Marc Brown
Arthur finds his role as director of the Thanksgiving play a difficult one, especially since no one will agree to play the turkey.

The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving
by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain
Papa Bear thinks that Thanksgiving is the best holiday of all, but his overreaction to the cubs’ report of seeing Bigpaw in the woods teaches him an important lesson about the meaning of the day.

Cranberry Thanksgiving
by Wende Devlin, Harry Devlin
Maggie and her grandmother each invite a guest to their Thanksgiving feast, featuring Grandmother’s own cranberry bread, made from a secret recipe. (We own this book and it is one of my favorites. The recipe for the Cranberry bread in the book is also delicious!)

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh’s Thanksgiving
by Bruce Talkington, illustrated by John Kurtz, A. A. (Winnie-The-Pooh) Milne
The beloved characters from the Winnie-the-Pooh tales gather on the grassy knoll to celebrate Thanksgiving, with each of Pooh’s friends explaining what it is that he or she is thankful for.

Don’t Know Much About The Pilgrims
by Kenneth C. Davis, Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Kids can have fun learning about those famous men and women who inspired the Thanksgiving holiday with this easy-to-understand book. Interesting and quirky facts abound between the covers–in fact, you will probably learn a thing or two yourself!

Franklin’s Thanksgiving
by Sharon Jennings, Paulette Bourgeois, Illustrated by Brenda Clark
Franklin’s grandparents can’t come for Thanksgiving. Franklin is very sad until he begins asking other friends and their families to come to his house. What will happen when all the people they invite can’t fit into the house?

Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey
by Joy Cowley , illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Miguel’s father gets him a turkey to fatten up for Thanksgiving, and soon the boy and bird are firmly attached. But what will become of his friend on the day of reckoning?

How Many Days to America? : A Thanksgiving Story
by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Beth Peck
After the police come, the family is forced to flee their Caribbean island and set sail for America in a small fishing boat. Other refugees crowd the boat and the voyage is a long one, but when the family finally arrives they discover it’s a special day in more ways than one.

Molly’s Pilgrim
by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Daniel M. Duffy
Russian emigre Molly is embarrassed by her mother’s attempts to help with her Thanksgiving project. She makes a pilgrim doll–but dresses it in Russian clothing. Soon, however, Molly learns that it takes all kinds of “pilgrims” to make a Thanksgiving.

Pilgrims of Plymouth
by Susan E. Goodman
Using photographs of people reinacting the daily lives of the Pilgrims, this book provides children with insight into how people and children lived. It makes the point that these were real people, not just characters from a book.

Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving
by Ann McGovern
Somewhat longer picture book that explains voyage of the Pilgrims, their becoming friends with Squanto, and the first feast. (We own this book, too)
The Pilgrims of Plimoth
by Marcia Sewall
When the Pilgrims landed on the east coast of America in 1620, they faced hardship, sickness, and fierce winter weather. This book presents the first-person-plural account of their struggles to achieve their dream of freedom in a new world. (We own this classic book. Chock full of information.)
Silly Tilly’s Thanksgiving Dinner
by Lillian Hoban
It’s Thanksgiving, and Silly Tilly Mole is planning to make dinner for her friends. But where are the invitations? What happened to the recipes? Why is the house so full of fog? Poor Tilly keeps getting confused – luckily there’s a good surprise for her when the guests arrive. This is an easy reader book.

The Story of the Pilgrims
by Carolyn Croll (Illustrator), Katharine K. Ross
Short picture book that explains voyage of the Pilgrims, their becoming friends with Squanto, and the first feast.

Thanksgiving at Obaachan’s
by Janet Mitsui Brown
A Japanese American girl describes the Thanksgiving celebration at her grandmother’s house and things that make it her favorite holiday.

Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’
by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Runaway turkey, disappearing pies, salad, and potatoes! What will the Tappletons do? Read this story for a very entertaining twist to what Thanksgiving is all about!

A Turkey for Thanksgiving
by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Diane de Groat
Mrs. Moose wants a turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose finds a turkey…what happens next is a surprise ending!

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving
by Dav Pilkey
A tall tale of how 8 school children on a field trip bring home some unexpected Thanksgiving guests.

AGES 9-12

1621 A New Look at Thanksgiving
by Catherine O’Neill Grace, Margaret M. Bruchac with Plimoth Plantation
This book uses maps, recipes and photographs of historical reinactments to debunk the myths of Thanksgiving. It presents new, factual information in a clear, well-written manner.

The First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Thomas Locker
The story of the Pilgrims is vividly retold in simple language for beginning readers.

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