5/31/2013

A moment to linger; a call to service

Last week we talked about service opportunities for kids. (I have a really fantastic list on this post if you’re new to this conversation). Anyway. The suggestion for this week’s service project was about recognizing those in the military.


Which was a very fine service idea. But we didn’t do it.

Not because we didn’t care about those who serve our country, heavens no. But because a different service opportunity presented itself.

Making encouraging cards for those affected by recent tornados.
As we prepared for our project I struggled (as we all do) to come up with words to reach out to my fellow sisters and brothers who are struggling to get back on their feet. To cope with their losses. To process the hand they’ve just been dealt.



Finally we just decided to let God speak on our behalf. He says it all better than we do anyway.

If you were affected by recent storms, just know that you’re still in our hearts and prayers. God hasn’t forgotten your pain and neither have we. When the media moves on to the next horrible tragedy we won’t. We’ll linger here, ready to listen. So will Jesus. He’s a linger-er too.

 

5/30/2013

5 Ridiculously cute ways to use up fabric scraps

We know them, we hate them. We love to hate them. What are we talking about? Those tiny bits of fabric left over from sewing projects. We hold on to them because they might be perfect for something, we feel bad because we’re throwing out perfectly good fabric. Plus some of those patterns are just too darned cute (or special, because I used them to make baby clothes for my kids who are not so much babies any longer) to purge.

And we’re too busy to start on another quilt.

So what else can we do with them, besides let them take up space in our cupboards?

Personally I just throw the not so special ones in a bucket for my kids to play with. They make great blankies for the Barbie dolls, and opportunities for my girls to practice hand stitching.


(psst! there's more waiting for you on the original article... You can find that here)





5/29/2013

Guest post - A special offering...

There are moments in time where you just feel like God is laughing at you. Not a cruel heartless laugh, but the lighthearted chuckle that parents often share over the silly little things their children say and do.

I have one of those moments to share with you today...

The other day our family chose to attend a special church service being held on a local college campus. It was in a weird building, without childcare, and a whole lot of people. And. My. Son. Hated. It.


We knew the service would be pushing the limits of what he was capable of, so we had all of our “keep him calm” tricks ready. We selected seats near the front where he wouldn’t have to be aware of the rows and rows of people sitting behind him. He had a handful of things to keep him busy, and his Mama and siblings were nearby for company, but the poor guy didn’t even make it to the opening song.

As the service got underway we tried a delicate dance of in for a bit and out for a bit. But it didn’t take long for him to decided he really just couldn’t participate and needed to be taken outside. Away from the noise. Away from the crowds, and away from the panic that was welling up in his little heart.

And I was so bummed.

So why did these moments make God chuckle? Get the rest of the story here...

5/27/2013

3 Creativity boosters for clever kids

As summer stretches out in front of us, I can already hear the whines of boredom coming from my children. Moan, groan and despair. I love those sounds. I view them as opportunities to engage my youngsters creatively, to invite them to see the world a bit differently for a few moments.

Here are some of my favorite creativity booster games for bored kids.
Play “what can you do with a…” this is a fun exercise I do with my own kids when they get the bored zombie look in their eye.  Challenge them to take a paper plate (or toothpicks, or fabric scraps etc) and make something. Anything. As a variation, give them three items, they can be related or random. This game can be played with art supplies, food, recycled items, items from nature etc.
Ready for more ideas to stimulate your kids creative neurons? Check out the rest of the article here...


5/23/2013

Guest post- a journey through homeschooling

My dear friend Abby is doing a series on her blog this month about the choices parents face when considering their child's education. Fun topic, right? She asked me to share a few words about our journey through homeschooling and the hard choices we've had to make considering our schooling options for our youngest.

Many of you are familiar with our story, but I'll bet there are a few of you who haven't heard the tale in it's entirety. This is my homeschooling story.

I made the decision to home school my children before I gave birth. Before I was married, even before I had even finished my college degree in education I knew that my days as a mother would be spent pouring over lessons and other educational activities and other equally nerdy pursuits.

Homeschooling as a concept entered my periphery way back in the 90’s, I was in my last days as a college student when a very special family at my church invited me into their lives first as a babysitter, and eventually sort of adopted me like a stray pet.

They were the type that curled up around a wood stove to do their lessons, all quaint and cozy. The first time I participated in one of their school days I was completely and utterly hooked.

My very ideological 20 year old self had to wonder Why on earth would I use my education degree to wrangle two dozen ornery students in shoes that pinched my feet all day when I could curl up with a few sweet children who I could actually discipline when they became uncooperative? And I could do it in my jammies? That’s a no brainer.

Fast forward 14+ years I am now the mother of 4 children, three biological and one adopted as an older child from Russia. I’ve homeschooled three of my children since day one. From the day their little babbles became intelligible words to the day a few weeks ago when my ten year old learned to count in binary, erasing all doubt in my mind that one day he’ll turn out to be as nerdy as his father.   Sounds like a dream right?

What could possibly make me consider challenging status quo? Read the rest of the article here...

5/22/2013

Adventures in Odyssey blog hop!

So this week we're taking part in a blog hop with our friends from Adventures in Odyssey. Wee! Over the last few posts we've been talking about this month's theme Discover.

Discover how much fun service can be with Adventures in Odyssey’s A.C.T.S. challenge and contest!

We've already talked about why this project makes so much sense to me as a mother attempting to raise socially aware children. And the rewards the kids can get when they sign up for such a project on this post.

Yesterday we talked about why it is so crucial for our children to practice serving others as a way to help develop appropriate self esteem.

We also chatted a bit about service project ideas and I shared an exclusive link to a free AIO radio production titled The Business of Busyness (which my kids loved).

We just wanted you to know that we are just gearing up for a summer of fun and service! Check back to learn more about June's theme of Imagination which comes with it's own fun freebies, and in July our theme will be Grow (oh yeah, did I mention more free stuff?)

5/21/2013

Promoting Self Esteem through Social Awareness

As mamas we all want our kids to grow up to feel good about themselves and have good self esteem. At school and their little sporting events they have praise lavished upon every little effort, as we grownups attempt to make their little lives more meaningful. Sadly our efforts aren’t really encouraging our little ones to do anything meaningful, as much as we are simply just telling them how meaningful they are.


A while back a team of researchers predicted that the children of the next generation would respond positively to parents’ misguided efforts of using obscene amounts of praise to help raise children’s self esteem. That their newfound self worth would help them be filled with civic responsibility and optimism. Sadly, according to recent research, our efforts have created tiny little beings that are significantly more self-centered, depressed and disrespectful towards authority.

Oops. 

 This article was shared with my readers at Today's Mama. If you'd like to read the rest of the article, you can check it out here...

5/20/2013

Family service project ideas

Hi friends!
There was so much to tell you about this summer project that Adventures in Odyssey has planned that I thought I'd break it up a bit and give you time to process each fantastic little nugget of possibility.
So last week we talked a bit about the scope of the project, today I'm going to share some more resources that they have available to help you as you serve your community. I particularly enjoyed this list of service ideas:

May 20: Serve Your Community- Go to a local park and pick up the trash or volunteer to plant flowers.

May 27:  Serve Your World- Take a field trip to a place that recognizes fallen soldiers.  Learn about the importance of the place and time of history.  Pray for our current military and their families serving around the world.

June 2- Serve As A Family- Host a garage sale at your house and then donate the money to a good cause.

June 9- Serve Your Family-- Wash your dad's car as part of his Father's Day present!

June 16- Serve Your Community-- Make some simple cards and deliver them to a local nursing home. Most folks would love a visit!

June 23- Serve Your World--Send a care package to a missionary serving in the world.

June 30-- Serve As a Family- Host an ice cream party or BBQ for your neighborhood.

View the complete list here!
They also have a free audio presentation of the AIO Service episode called the Business of Busyness that you can only find here.

So who's in!

5/15/2013

A call to serve - a summer project that counts

I don’t know about you, but as I look forward to my summer vacation with my kids I’m seeing an awful lot of white space. A glaring, in your face, void of whitespace that is screaming to be filled with activity. While my natural inclination is to compulsively sign my kids up for every single summer camp the YMCA offers, the smart part of my brain wants me to look at the big picture for our summer.

Do I want busy children or am I striving for engaged children? Children not busily carted from one place to another in the interest of keeping my house in order, but children engaged in projects and activities that make a difference in the lives of others.

My lovely friends over at Adventures in Odyssey, with Focus on the Family, recently contacted me to share a free summer program that they have arranged titled A.C.T.S. (A Call to Service) challenge and contest. Here’s how it works:

This summer, Adventures in Odyssey is joining with Christian bookstores across the country, inviting kids to participate in a Summer of Service. They’re promoting the biblical message, “When you serve, everybody wins,” encouraging kids to serve their families, their communities, and their world. Whether it’s baking cookies for an elderly neighbor or putting together a care package for missionaries overseas, kids will discover that serving can be a blast!

Kids who join A.C.T.S. can pick up a service log and collect fun character stickers for hours served at participating bookstores throughout the summer, or download a serving log online at whitsend.org. At the end of the summer, kids can record and upload a short video telling how they serve and why they’d like to become an Adventures in Odyssey Ambassador.

A hundred winners will get the brand new AIO Album, and after online voting, two grand prize winners (one boy and one girl) will get to travel on an exciting Good-Goers Mission Based Adventure trip to another country with a parent! The out-of-country destination will be announced on a live podcast May 22—hosted by AIO actors Katie Leigh (Connie) and Chris Anthony (Chris)—which you can watch at whitsend.org/acts.

In the days to come I’ll share more information about the projects that we have set up, so check back for more details.

5/13/2013

When your mom isn't really your mom...

As I sit down to think about my Mother’s day celebration I think about all the things I love about being a mom. Meeting my sweet babies for the first time, holding them as they cry (no matter how big they are), watching them become the children of God they were created to be. I love this job. I heartily embrace the task of transforming these unformed minds and guiding them with love and instruction.


But as I sit and write I can hear my youngest son playing happily (for once!) with his older siblings. I think about the woman who gave birth to him who loved him enough to let him go. The dreams she must have had for him, and the pain she must still feel when she thinks about how she let her only son slip away from her.

Max doesn’t particularly want to talk about his former life before he joined us. So I don’t know much about the woman he once called Mama. He was probably three the last time he saw his Russian mother so I can only imagine the vague memories he has floating below the surface. Her face. Her voice. The way she smelled after a shower.

He asks about her from time to time, and I always share the tiny bit of information we have about her. Mostly legal information, how old she was, where she called home. When I finish retelling the details I know about his first mother I always remind him how much she loved him, and how proud she would be if she could see him now.

So on this Mother’s day, my second as a mother of four; I try to balance my joy and sorrow. While I am beyond grateful for the son that I share with another mama, and the unique relationship I have to her. My heart also aches because can’t kiss her baby, my baby, goodnight. How I would love to give her one more chance to kiss her baby.

And as I think about her pain, my heart also aches for the countless other Mamas across our planet who have no babies to hold. And for the babies that have no Mama to hold them.

And my heart is swift to find anger for the governments who would prefer to keep those babies away from new Mamas who want nothing more than to hold them and grow them into the children of God they were created to be.

5/10/2013

Books your kids will fight over...

Looking for something new and exciting for your youngster to read? I have a few new books to share with you that my kids and I went a little bonkers for.

Disclaimer – I really did read each of these books (mostly while waiting in the pickup line at school). They were not written by Christian writers, but none of them were overly violent or had unacceptable language or plot lines. My children really did fight over some of them. And just so you know, we didn’t receive any bribes or free stuff for this post, we just really liked these books and wanted to share them with you.

That said, lets dive in.

 The House of Secrets- Chris Columbus

Released Aprils 2013, Ages 8+

Cordelia, Brendan and Eleanor Walker were your typical American kids with two happy parents and all the portable technology their little hearts desired. That was before the incident. The incident that led them to their father’s unemployment and his decision to relocate the family to a mysterious new house with a creepy old woman living next door.

It’s not until after the creepy neighbor destroys their new house, causes their parents to disappear, and banishes them to a mythical land, that they realize how much trouble they are now in. Together, the siblings must learn to depend on each other, and face their own fears as they encounter all the trials this new land holds. From epic beasts to medieval warriors to a power hungry queen; the trio, and their new found companions must work together to save not only themselves but ultimately the whole world.

Mom adds: The fact that my kids literally fought over this book should tell you something. Did I mention it was written by an award winning director? Yup. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.

The Paladin Prophecy book 1- Mark Frost

Released Sept 2012, Ages (according to Amazon – 12+, but I think my 10 year old would love it)

Will West just wants to be normal. Ever since he was a small child his parents have preached normalcy. Don’t stand out. Don’t get noticed. Blend in as best you can. He has never been able to truly show his academic and athletic abilities. When he accidently scores in the highest percentile on a standardized test, men in black sedans pull up and begin to ask all the wrong questions. In order to escape their unwanted probing he takes refuge in a center for other exceptional students.

Will and his new friends must learn to embrace their extraordinary gifts to embrace a battle between epic forces that have been around for thousands of years.

Mom says: There’s probably a really good reason why there’s already a waiting list for this one at the library. Kids haven’t read it yet, because I can’t get my hands on a paper copy. I had to read it on my phone. Again, written by an award winning director, I couldn’t put it down.

Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises- Peter Lerangis

Released Feb 2013, Ages 8+

After collapsing on the street, Jack McKinley is whisked away from his friends and family to a private institute full of weird professors, strange kids, and an island full of dangerous creatures that lurk in the woods.

Jack and his new friends must overcome their differences and work together to solve the mysteries of the island, figure out how to use their super powers, and locate the seven loculi before they fall into the hands of the enemy.

Mom says: Is it bad when your kids tell you to put down the book and pay attention to them? Yeah. If you aren’t on vacation, don’t pick it up. It’ll cause you to neglect responsibility for a few days. You’re better off just giving it to your kids and letting them duke it out.

5/08/2013

Please, don't please me

How many of us are people pleasers? I know I’m guilty. I get a little kick out of imagining someone’s kind reaction to something I’ve created. And when I get that kind reaction I tend to replay it in my head time and again until I need a fresh hit of acceptance. I imagine everyone can relate to some extent. At least I hope you can. Please say I’m not crazy.

And in some backwards sort of way, I figure someone, somewhere has probably tried to please me. Which I find extremely odd. Almost disturbing in a way. Mostly because I was probably so way out in la-la land that I never even made that connection. In much the same way the people I attempt to please probably have no idea that I’ve made an effort to please them with my day to day activities.
So what do we do with this bit of information. The fact that we spin our wheels to impress slackers who don’t even notice our efforts half the time anyway. I’d like to propose two suggestions:
1. If you are the pleaser – stop. Recognize what you are doing. Remember that you belong to a race of slackers who generally don’t care about your efforts nearly as much as you think they do. Shift the brunt of your energy towards impressing your creator.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
(1 Cor 15:58)

I need to tattoo that one to the backs of my hands so I can read it while I’m working. Right. There’s more.
2. If you are the one others are attempting to please, be more intentional about recognize their efforts. Whether it’s your kids, your co-workers, or the man at the gas station. Recognize that the simple exchanges you have with these people could very well be their best efforts to please you. If appropriate, help them recognize their misguided efforts and redirect their energies towards their Creator, who is a much more appropriate audience. He’ll never miss their efforts because He’s off in la-la land.
I love that.

5/06/2013

Book review: Hunt for the Devil's Dragon

Today we're talking about the latest addition to the AIO Imagination Station series. We have book 11 to share with you, titled Hunt for the Devil's Dragon.
In this story Beth and Patrick traveled to 13th century Libiya. During this time period Beth and Patrick make friends with two local children named Sabra and Hazi, as well as a Roman knight named Georgius. As the plot unfolds it quickly becomes apparent that a human sacrifice is required to appease a dragon who has been eating the villager's sheep.
Or so they believe.
Perhaps the villagers would be better off lowering their weapons to learn the lesson in loyalty the dragon has to share with them.

Mom says: I've read all 11 books in this series. I have loved each and every one. Not only do I love the fun, engaging plot lines, but I also love that each book comes with its own little lesson. Good stuff.

Annie says:I liked the baby dragon because he was kind of cute. I didn't like the bad guys, they were mean to Patrick's friends. It's not fair that they were so mean to the dragon. I also thought the part where they were playing hide and seek was fun.

Louisa says: I liked the part where the horse pulled out the window in the jail. The bad guys tried to sacrifice two little girls, why would they do that? I guess they were mean. Patrick's friend was courageous.

5/03/2013

Stuck, the movie: because every child deserves a family.


I avoided this movie for a long time. I knew it would cause me to tiptoe through some raw emotional terrain that was easier to ignore. Much easier to stay in my own little world of hostas and spelling tests than it is to think about flawed international legistlation.
But I knew for the sake of my fellow adoptive Mamas I couldn’t turn a blind eye forever. It was my duty to link arms with them and say this is not ok with me, and it shouldn’t be ok with you either.
If you are unfamiliar with the film Stuck it documents the real stories of families bogged down by the bureaucratic crap associated with international adoption. Families who are waiting years while children slide further and further into despair and hopelessness.
Our own process with Max took about 18 months and cost over $45,000. As far as our story is concerned, the waiting was cut short considerably by the fact that we came into the process requesting a specific child, so we didn’t have to go through the selection period. But as far as the finances… Eek. No, there was not a discount for an older child with a traumatic social history. The kind of child that no one else will ever want. He was just as expensive as an adorable, gurgling infant. Nice, right?
Anyway, back to the movie. It’s not so much on the “hey let’s throw out all the safety measures and hand these children away to whoever wants them,” as much as it is “why did it take 18 months for this piece of paper to move from this office down the hall to that office”

Why do 90% of families who pursue international adoption walk away empty handed? Why are these adoptions down 60% in less than 10 years? Why does this need to be so darned complicated?
Good stinking question.
If politicians want to bicker about who is more official than whom, fine. Go ahead. But don’t use homeless children as your pawns. They are lives worth fighting for, not political playing cards.
Are you mad yet? I am. Does it show?
Max’s best friend Igor is still in Russia. After a year and a half, Max still wrestles with grief over the loss of his buddy. Sadly Igor’s new mommy lives about an hour and a half from me. She has his room all decked out with Sponge Bob accessories. Sadly these boys will never have a sleepover in that room because according to Russian legislation it is now ILLEGAL.
What?
This is what I’m saying.
So if you’re still with me, you’re probably just as pissed off as I am. Good. I hope you are. Let me just say on behalf of adopting families across the world, thank you for caring. If you would like to invest a little more time into this calamity you can go sign this petition. If this topic really gets under your skin like it does mine, you can invest a bit more energy here.
 Igor and all the other stuck children on this planet want me to say thank you on their behalf.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...