Easily the funniest thing I've read in a LONG time

I love Danielle at 6yearmed. I hope I never meet her in real life, because it will mean that something awful has happened to one of my children while in a foreign city. But still, I like her. Why? Because despite being an MD, despite having a medical take on just about everything, despite being a professional, she has a sense of humor about who she is and what she does. Case in point is this post. Read it and laugh. Danielle is clearly the kind of doctor who would walk in on my family all crowded into examining room and ask, "Are these all your kids?" But then she'd laugh. I can respect that.

TOS Review: Family Mint

Financial education is a must for kids. I'm sorry--I know that for most people learning about how to handle money falls well below the three Rs. But it shouldn't. Why? Because stewardship is an important Biblical concept for a reason, folks. And hey, even if it wasn't ... do you really want your kids looking to you with their hands out when they're thirty? Sobering, isn't it?

How you go about teaching your kids to allocate money wisely can be as low-tech as labeling some Mason jars and letting them divvy things up as they will. Or, as it turns out, you can tap into a high-tech, FREE resource called Family Mint.

Family Mint, in essence, replicates the online banking experience. The catch? Mom and Dad are the bankers, setting everything from interest rates, to income. Kids manage their accounts, set goals, and even make virtual withdrawals--all with the bankers o.k.

The layout and ease of use is clean and easy. Even techno-phobe parents who still do pen and paper banking will find the site easy to navigate and use. Kids will have a leg-up on their peers, too, by already utilizing the online concept in financing, something that just isn't going to go away. :-)

The downside? No actual, real money is represented. Why is this a downside? Well, for our family, seeing the money has been an essential teaching tool. The concept of numbers and, therefore, cash amount, is an elusive thing to many children; Holding a wad of ones that they've slaved to save brings home a concrete lesson that can't be beat when you're contemplating whether that chemistry set is really worth it. For this reason and this reason alone, Family Mint wasn't a smashing success here--more of a fun learning tool with real-life application.

However, for most families, I can see this being a hit. And did I mention that it's FREE? Yes--nothing is easier on the pocketbook than financial education that doesn't cost a dime!

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.

Sisters

Mr. Blandings and Jo heading into the airport for the journey that would lead them to Bee.

I am trying not to be jealous, but still.

On the other side of the globe, my husband has had the honor of introducing his two daughters. In the middle of the Nepali night, just outside the airport at Kathmandu, Bee and Jo met.

Mr. Blandings had dreamed of the day from the moment that he first laid eyes on Bee. Falling in love with an older child is something different than meeting a newborn, you must understand. Rather than slowly peeling back the layers of need and uncovering a personality not yet able to firmly assert itself, you are presented with a person from day one. Bee likes ice cream, the color black, and peanut M&Ms. She has a slow laugh, a shy personality, but a bubbling undercurrent of spunk that Mr. Blandings longs to see set free. Put her in the same room with Jo, he prayed, and let them fall in love with one another.

But again, it is not so easy as all that. Just as Bee is not a malleable tot, Jo is not a blank slate. They each have their own passions and dislikes. They have their own way of communicating, of feeling, and of spending their time. They have histories that do not include one another, and cultures that come nowhere close to mirroring the same values or traditions. One is 13, dark-skinned, and carrying in her heart the rejection of a lifetime as an unwanted castoff. The other is 12, fair, and curious as to what it will mean to share the title "daughter" with someone for the very first time.

The first night, there was barely enough time for introductions before the exhausted travelers escaped to their beds. The next morning, I can only imagine my careful, conscientious Jo treading lightly around her new sister, wondering just who this person was. Mr. Blandings said that they seemed to like one another, even though there was no immediate ease, no instant kinship that bubbled between them.

Then, of course, as these things will happen, opportunity presented itself. After a day spent traversing the consulate, taking in some sights and generally being together, the children at the orphanage all gathered together for a game of UNO. The rules, it seems, are somewhat different in Nepal. Jo didn't mind, because even here in the States, we've encountered other styles of play. In Nepal, it's not the first person to lay down all their cards that wins. Rather, it's the last person to go out ... or at least, that's the way the children convinced them to play. At any rate, a whole passel of children ages 8 and up slowly made their way through the game. Finally, it was down to just two players. The final round, as it were.

Jo versus Bee, of course.

And this is when Mr. Blandings finally saw his daughters. Because even though both girls held Draw 4 cards that could have squashed their competitor ... they chose not to.

The children around them danced and shouted, "It's sister against sister!"

And they were right. In that moment, it was clear. Twenty-four hours before, they had been strangers in an airport, wondering how one felt about the other. But now, neither was willing to stomp on the other's heart--not that delicate place where a seed was blooming. Because in time, most likely, there will be love. First acceptance, then respect, and at long last, love. Not immediately. Not without growing pains. But it will happen. Mr. Blandings is sure of it now.

Sisters. What a beautiful word.

TOS Review: Presidential Penmanship

Surely I've spoken here before about Logan's almost obsessive fascination with the presidents? I had to have let you in on that little tidbit, I know. Because the truth is, it's such a part of who Logan is that to separate him from Woodrow Wilson or James K. Polk would be to only tell half the story of my fine American boy.

I can't pinpoint exactly when this love affair began, but I can tell you for certain that the fire was fueled in the 2007-2008 school year, when we studied American History with Sonlight. Being the supplementing kind of Momma that I am, I gathered together a whole pool of picture books, movies, and other resources designed to make the Core more inclusive to my tagalongs. Turns out, I needn't have worried. Logan was perhaps the most enthused, the most interested, and the most able to retain even the most minuscule facts that we uncovered that year. And he loved it.

Sometime around the middle of the year, however, I noticed something slightly disturbing. A large, laminated wheel that I had purchased was missing. The wheel had been on the pricey side, and it listed every U.S. president to have served, the years e served, his length of time in office, his VP, his party, and a few personal facts. I searched high and low in our schoolroom and yet could not locate it. Being the kind of scatterbrain who loses things with fair frequency, only to have them turn up the next day, I moved on.

And the wheel did turn up. In Logan's bed--right alongside his teddy bear, his blanket, a flashlight, and his AWANA book. Turns out he had been pouring over it every day at rest time, memorizing things that my brain has no room for.

I realized that he was in deep. At the time, I had no idea how far it would go. Today, Logan's most keen desire is to tour the White House. Well, that and to sleep on the couch in the Oval Office. I think he'd take either, no matter who was in office at the time.

The nice thing about Loan's particular interest is that it makes school on the large quite easy. As a mom, if I can link something to the presidents (or even just ONE president), I've got an active audience. Which is probably why I find the concept of Presidential Penmanship so fascinating.

Zeezok Publishing is an established house that specializes in the homeschool market. Their products are high quality, well-produced, and targeted. With the Presidential Penmanship series, they've opened the door to a whole array of options for homeschooling parents. This program could easily be incorporated into a unit study on American history, a study on a particular president, as a stand-alone program, or as a complement to break up the monotony of simple letter practice.

The cd I received for review is a complete curriculum for first grade through senior high. Retailing for $39.99, that's an incredible value, especially when you take into account that you can use this with as many children as you'd like by simply printing the appropriate pages as needed.

I received the italics option, which is not my favorite form of handwriting simply because I find its cursive form somewhat awkward in form. Several other options are available, however, from Zaner-Bloser to Handwriting Without Tears. If you're interested in the program, they most likely have a style that will suit your needs.

The contents of the pages are simple yet effective: a selected quote capitalizes on a lesson, and the child simple uses this as copywork. The quotes are enlightening as well as entertaining. For example, Calvin Coolidge's lesson 4 quote in the 6th grade book is: "Collecting more taxes than absolutely necessary is legalized robbery." Later, Ronald Reagan proclaims, "When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat."

Logan has truly enjoyed simply reading the quotes as well as copying them. I don't think this program requires a fascination with the presidents to be a hit, though. It's a simple, focused handwriting program that doesn't require excessive practice, and keeps things light. Any child--regardless of their interests-can appreciate that.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.

TOS Review: The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

Even though I've been at this whole homeschooling thing for nigh on a decade, I still read nuts ad bolts primers. Do you do this? Is it just me?

Call me strange, but I like to keep my hand in the game. Yes, I definitely make the time to dig deeper and read more in-depth and even subject-specific books. But I like to also know what's new out there in the basics boot camp. Because I don't know about you, but not a week passes by when someone doesn't ask me about homeschooling ... and I like to steer them towards good resources.

In that vein, Apologia has revised and update Debra Bell's The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling. This $20 book is an in-a-nutshell look at getting started, planning, keeping going, and finishing well. There really is a good bit of content aimed well beyond the beginning homeschooler--which may just make this book slightly overwhelming for a mom just wanting to know what she should do with her 5 year-old. But more likely, this is a reference book that you'll come back to time and again as you struggle to incorporate yet another toddler into your school time, ponder the logistics of putting together a high school transcript, or even consider curriculum choices.

Don't get me wrong: there's plenty here for the newbies. Tips on identifying your child's learning style, managing the day-to-day of homeschooling, and even specific read-aloud suggestions are all included. Along the way, there's refreshing, encouraging advice that takes you by the hand and assures you that no, you are not screwing them up ... no matter what the clerk at the grocery store thinks.

This book is going on my go-to shelf, where I keep those things that encourage and remind me most of exactly why I'm doing what I do. It'll probably end up being loaned out, too, because it really is a great quick start guide for the uninitiated. I just hope that it doesn't stray too far ... because I really do want it back!

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.

TOS Review: Young Minds Math and Numbers

Truth? I loathe the idea of television for very young kids. I wasn't always like this; Jo watched more than her fair share of kiddie pap as I struggled to learn how to balance household chores and keeping a toddler safe. Right up until Logan was about two, I still shoveled out an embarrassing number of videos each week. Why? "I just need half an hour to make dinner." "I need twenty minutes for Jo's school work." "I just had a baby, I can't do it all." "It's the only way to ease him out of a bad mood/nap/you name it."

So my little ones watched videos. Probably about one a day, if I'm to be honest. I felt vaguely guilty about all of it, but I justified it by reminding myself that it was commercial-free, carefully-selected, and of an educational value. After all, if you learn the word "jump" in Spanish, it's a good thing, right?

Fast forward five years, and my current littles have near to zero screen time. Why? Because frankly, I just don't need it anymore. I've finally learned to cook in a way that the babies can be present and involved, employ my older kids when need be, have enough distractions on hand to keep little hands busy, and otherwise train certain little people to occupy themselves for the short stints that I am really, truly unavailable.

I am not supermom. I am just a mom who came to the conclusion that if I am deeply uncomfortable with something, I should quit making excuses for it--and acted on this conviction. I don't feel that everyone who routinely allows their toddlers and preschoolers to watch television is a blight on society. I do, however, feel like a lot of people get stuck in the rut that I was so firmly entrenched in. After all, it's just so easy. Put on a movie, and the kids miraculously go away for twenty minutes, half an hour, or more. When I confronted that truth in myself, I didn't like what it said about me as a mother. So I chose to make a painful change and learn to parent without the benefit of the electronic babysitter I'd so joyfully employed.

Aside from a rare, rare "treat," Oli and Mani are simply clueless when it comes to movies. Oh, yes, they still ask for them. They are well aware that the big black box sits vacant in the garage, ready to blast them with colorful edu-tainment. When they catch sight of it, they moon, "moooooo-ie!" But, like chocolate, they just don't get it that often--even though we have a whole bag of Mr. Blandings' M&Ms in the cabinet at all times.

I have not yet seen a downside to this, except for the fact that some doctors seems mystified by it all.

"Can he identify his favorite cartoon character?"
"He doesn't have one."
"He doesn't know any?"
"Well, no. But that's only because he doesn't get to watch them."
"Oh. O.k. Huh."

As I said, there are occasional treats. Moments when I decide that yes, this warrants a little passive and pacifying entertainment. For those moments, I do have on hand a select library of stuff that I actually want my little boys to be able to watch. Funny ... most of what once qualified as heavy rotation favorites are now long gone. In their place are just a handful of titles designed to fill a need while also being completely in line with our values.

So what has stayed? The good stuff. Things worthy of the precious minds of my babies. Things like Young Minds Math and Numbers from MathTutor.com.

I received a review copy of this dvd, and was very impressed. First, eliminate all thoughts of blink-inducing high-speed images from your mind. This is a gently paced video, beautiful shot and majestically presented. There are no cheesy cartoon character. No objectionable content. The sound effects (cows mooing, fighter jets speeding past) are authentic and not shocking. The images are artistic and truly worth looking at--not the usual Ball On A White Background that one expects in vids for tots. On top of all of this, there is a delicate soundtrack of classical music that doesn't overpower the senses. Add it all up, and this is a counting video that you won't mind seating your little ones in front of.

Yes, this video series is a bit more pricey than your average studio-produced song and dance extravaganza for the diaper set. At $19.99, it's an investment. But honestly, the quality is evident. You are getting what you've paid for.

Young Minds Math and Numbers is the kind of "mooooo-ie" I can endorse ... even for my toddlers.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this product for review purposes. Refer to my general disclaimer for more information on my policies regarding reviews.

Jo, the barbarian

"It took me a little while, but suddenly I saw it clearly. I was experiencing a barbarian invasion. Mariah's heart was beating to the rhythm of the heart of God. And her dreams were way too raw for me. I didn't see it initially, but I was trying to civilize her instead of unleashing the untamed faith within her. After all, I'm her dad. It's okay if I live a life of irrational faith and breathtaking adventure. I want something different for her. I want her to have security and safety--you know, a predictable, boring, mundane life where I never have to worry about her again. In that moment I realized Mariah would have none of that. For her there is only one path. Even at twelve she has already committed to it. Be still my heart, but my daughter has chosen the barbarian way out of civilization." Erwin Raphael McManus, The Barbarian Way

In just a handful of days, my Jo is heading on her biggest-yet God-led adventure: Nepal. Yes, yes ... she's already logged a few mission-miles under her belt. But this trip, this one ...

Jo will be thousands of miles away from me. For the first time ever.

And yes, Mr. Blandings will be at her side the whole time. And yes, we have friends who will surround her, and guide her, and remind her that while some things are acceptable in the U.S., while in Hindu-oriented countries, nice girls just don't.

She is excited. I imagine that the flush of her cheeks is close to what we'll see on the cusp of other important events. Going off to college. Trying on her wedding dress. Sharing the news of a baby on the way. That kind of rosy-cheeked joy brings me the sweetest pain in my heart when I see it.

This is what it means to give your children wings, and hand them back to God.

Because while she's gone, things will happen. Little things, but things I will not see. Jo will be overwhelmed by the chatter of a language that her ears can't interpret. She will delight in new sights and sounds. She will sleep lightly, unable to release the tensions of the day in a sleeping bag on a foreign floor. She will eat foods that she likes and foods that she wishes she could politely pass on, but will not for propriety's sake.

I will not be there.

I will be here, minding boys large (ish) and small. I will wash clothes and mend socks and cook meals. I will write, and read, and knit. I will live the life that I call my own.

The most awfully beautiful part of homeschooling is that I miss nothing. Day in and day out, I miss nothing. Perhaps that makes it all the more bittersweet to send a beloved child off on an adventure of their own? I don't know. But for me, the closeness begets a sense of comfort and joy that I hold on to, knowing that it's season is all too soon coming to an end.

I have made no mention of any of this to Jo. I think that sometimes the worst sin we can commit as mothers is to clip the wings of joy as they sprout in our children by saddling them with a bit of our own longing. Instead of holding her closer and whispering, "Come back to me safely. Don't be gone long," I smile at her as we stand side by side at the kitchen sink and say, "What an amazing adventure God has planned for you! I can feel it!" Instead of biting my lip and telling her how very empty my days will feel without her smile in the sea of faces around me, I kiss her forehead and let her know how delighted her father is to have her as a traveling companion.

On Monday, I will drive my traveler to the airport, drop them at the curb, and drive away. I will catch sight of Mr. Blandings in my rear view mirror, and as always, my heart will swell with pride and love and longing even as a prayer escapes my soul. To have him far from me is a thing that the Lord has asked of me as his wife, and while it pulls at the edges of my most vulnerable places every time I see him off on another calling, I have learned that God is trustworthy and true. My husband comes back to me when his work is done--no matter how dangerous a place he ventures in Christ's name.

But this time, I will see Jo's tall, thin form beside him. She'll have her oversized pack on her back, her beloved stuffed dog under her arm and her iPod headphones strung around her neck. Her posture will be bursting with the tightness and expectation of one about to embark on something beautiful.

I will cry.

Because this is what I have longed for. This is what I have begged of the Lord since, literally, the day I took Him into my heart and asked Him to rule my life. Make these children yours. Call them. Give them no fear. Use them.

Lives worth living, Lord. That's all I ask.

Jo is answering the call. She is only 12, but she is on fire. She sees no reason that her age should stop her from being a tool in the hands of Yahweh. If she has anything to say about it, it won't. Jo has no use for neat, sweet girls who sit under their mother's skirts and wait for Prince Charming. Jo wants to tell people about Jesus. As she reminds me almost daily, the people we walk past in the library may just be going to hell. It's worth the awkwardness or the discomfort or the danger to introduce people to God.

And I--her mother, the one who held her as her first breath filled the lungs the Lord created in her--will rejoice in that passion, no matter how much I want to hide her away under my skirts and keep her to myself. Because God is going to use this girl. She will make people stop, think, and ponder anew who this man Jesus is. She's already doing it.