LeapFrog: A Rant

In the news recently was a piece on how Baby Einstein videos are one of the greatest parenting scams of the current generation. In the article, the end piece asked "So now what? Lose the Leapfrog? Whisk away the Wii?"

I'm a bit miffed that the fully interactive line of educational LeapFrog products were somehow thought of in anywhere near a similar light as staring dumbly at a screen as to have been mentioned in this article.

LeapFrog products are great. Some are better than others, I'll admit, but each and every LeapFrog product is interactive, requiring the child to actually get involved in the learning and entertainment process, which aids in memorization AND true learning. There also is a marked (and positive) absence of negativity when you get an answer wrong! It only says things like "try again". Their line is expandable, and grows with your kids, allowing you to pick positive and effective teaching-assistance tools for your children.

Now, I don't work for LeapFrog, and I don't hold stock in the company, I just love the products. Please note that I did NOT say that these items were meant to be your child's sole teacher. They aren't. They ARE, however, a fabulous addition and enhancement to your child's regular studies, that adds another dimension to their education, and thus, helps to ensure their success.

From baby items like the LeapFrog Learn & Groove™ Musical Table, toddler toys like the phonics-self-teaching line that starts with the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set, complete educational systems to teach your child to read independently, on their own, expandable school aides such as the LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game System for lower grades, and the LeapFrog LeapPad Learning System for upper grade school, LeapFrog products are the best I've ever seen. Heck, they even have the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer for middle and high school! And they're constantly coming out with new neat little toys, for our increasingly tech-savvy children, like the new LeapFrog Text and Learn. We actually have, or have had, most of the products I mentioned above, and that's really saying something, coming from this picky homeschooling mom! You know the toy is great when you sneak off to play with it when the kids aren't looking! *sheepish grin* My family loves LeapFrog for all that they do, and how they bring our family together in learning and fun. Notice that I'm still talking about being together with the children...

One of the biggest problems with families today is lack of personal interaction. With one-on-one time comes intelligence, social skills, and so much more. Too many parents seem to think that a child is simply some sort of pet that requires more expensive pet-sitters, when in reality, children are developing adults in progress, and need to be nurtured, not ignored and passed from person to person or center to center like some sort of inconvenience. Love, time, patience, attention; These are what a child needs most. Not even a beneficial product can do much good without a parent's involvement and encouragement in their child's life. You want your time fixing dinner to be good for your child's developing brain? Sit them in a high-chair or baby safety seat and sing to them while you work. Talk to them about what you are doing. Honestly, your time is what works best, even if divided amongst other tasks at times.

Tried and true since birth for both my 15 year old and my 8yr old, LeapFrog products have helped to teach my youngest how to read (she did it by herself!), and aided my eldest a lot in her geography, mathematics and foreign language studies. The products are so fun, that I enjoy playing with them and learning from them too!

Definitely NOT what I would expect to see mentioned, even in passing, in an article focusing on deceptive marketing, false advertising, and high hopes, dashed to the stones below. LeapFrog products are great. We don't watch television, so I have no clue if they advertise, or what their advertisements look like if they do. I DO know that when I went to the store to find a good toy that was a bit more than simply fun, I tested LeapFrog against everything else there, then purchased it for my kids. We sometimes play with the toys together, as a family.

I have yet to be disappointed.

Delightfully Decadent Eco-Decor: Fall & Winter Series; Leaf Rubbings & Prints

The third in our inexpensive recycled autumn & winter crafts series for 2008 is leaf rubbings & prints.

Ages 2+

For this you will need paper, leaves, tempura paint, and a box of crayons.

Make your own greeting cards, place mats, pretty art presents, photo frame matting, and/or gift wrap with freshly fallen leaves and a little creativity.

This one is quick easy fun that can last a good long time. Simply place your leaf on the table, put the paper on top, then rub the side of a crayon across the leaf to make a rubbing.

For a print, brush a small amount of paint onto the bottom (veigny part) of the leaf, then place the leaf where you want the design printed. Gently roll a rolling pin (or soda bottle, or can of food) over the top to make the print. You may use a paper towel or piece of scrap paper to prevent paint mess getting on the rolling device.

Photo copyright Just Another Family

Cash as Cash Cans

Some of the nice party-crazy college kids next door have come to supply us with their empty cans after most of their parties so that we can recycle them for extra monies for the girls' educational supplies. We're managing to get about $7 a month or so out of aluminum, and every little bit helps in these troubled financial times.

Soon we plan to set out fliers in the nearby neighborhood advertising recycling pick up twice a week. Hopefully that will increase our income a little more, as more people in the area learn of our project. *smile*

Celebrate Freedom, Read A Banned Book

Saturday marked the start of Banned Books Week for 2008.

"Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read" is observed during the last week of September each year. This year's celebration (September 27 through October 4) marks the 27th anniversary of the event, and I want you to celebrate it with me.

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. People challenge books that they say are too anything. Objections to profanity, slang, offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups, and even positive (or simply not negative) portrayals of homosexuals are the most common reason for a book to be challenged. Targets range from books that explore the latest problems, to books on natural animal behavior, simple fictional novels, and even the most classic and beloved works of American literature.

See, a challenge occurs when a formal, written complaint is filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. Challenges can be filed by individuals or groups, and it is estimated that for every challenge issued, about four others go unreported. A challenge is an attempt to ban or restrict materials, based upon someone's personal opinions. Successful challenges result in books being restricted, or even banned.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose and express one’s opinion even if it may be unorthodox or unpopular in the prevailing culture. Stressing the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to explore them ensures intellectual freedom for all. In times like these, freedom of thought is a sacred right, to be celebrated and embraced, not taken lightly.

“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” ~ Noam Chomsky

There are many events scheduled throughout the country to celebrate Banned Books Week. To see if your area has an event or display scheduled, visit the event listing.

As there are no book stores in Southwest Missouri listed on the event calendar as celebrating Banned Books Week, I invite everyone to come to the square for the First Friday art walk, this October the 3rd, from 5-7pm, and read banned books. Pick a book to read quietly, or simply gather to discuss censorship. Just come, and let's all support one another in standing up for the First Amendment right to free speech for ourselves, and all other peoples! Don't have a banned or challenged book to bring, no problem, there's a library right off the square. Pop online right now at the Springfield Green County Library's web site and reserve a book, or have one sent to the downtown branch, to check out there, and let's exercise our rights, and deny censorship, while expressing and encouraging community solidarity!

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” ~ Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr.

Below is the list of the most challenged individual titles and authors last year, as well as a link to the some of the best books in history that people have challenged, or actually succeeded in banning.

For a list of the banned or challenged books from the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century visit here. Stop by your local library and check one out today in celebration of your freedom to read what you want!

You can also find Banned Books Week on Facebook & MySpace!

The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007” reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes
4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker
7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle
8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou
9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris
10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

The most frequently challenged authors of 2007

1) Robert Cormier
2) Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
3) Mark Twain
4) Toni Morrison
5) Philip Pullman
6) Kevin Henkes
7) Lois Lowry
8) Chris Crutcher
9) Lauren Myracle
10) Joann Sfar

Other links: The American Library Association

Banned Books Week ~ Because freedom of speech isn't just for those who share your opinions, it's for everyone!

* Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. Banned Books Week is also endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.

Making Abortion A Non-Issue

How's that for starting things off hot for today's message?

Today is World Contraception Day! Time to take the kids that know about how babies are made aside, and talk about how to prevent babies, as well as the spread of disease.

Despite what many in politics and religion might say, the way to stop abortion isn't to stop mating, but rather to teach, to educate, and to make sure that all peoples not only are very choosy of their partners, and wait until there is a firm relationship with a deep and abiding love before engaging in physical intimacy, but ALSO to use a form of contraception, every time, unless they want a baby.

If we do it right, and teach thoroughly enough, our youth will, no matter their marital status, or our own parental dislike of their actions, at least protect themselves from pregnancy and disease if they do what we'd much rather they not.

And they'll use protection on instinct, as if there were no other choice but to do so when intimate.

If we teach them that it is the only way to be intimate, the only way to be safe, the only way to live their lives, and that nearly everyone uses contraception, but that it is those who don't that make us have to worry about diseases as well as pregnancy, then it will make a difference.

Studies have shown that abstinence-only education doesn't work at all to quell the spread of disease, and the ever-rising teen pregnancy rate. Sarah Palin's daughter is only a more high-profile example of this fact, and I'm sure Mrs. Palin is quite the devoted mother who taught her children all about abstinence, repeatedly.

But studies have also shown that abstinence education, along with a strong sense of self-respect, and knowledge of contraception if something does occur, is the best weapon against unwanted pregnancy and STIs.

When fighting a battle, is it not best to use all safe weapons at our disposal and ensure an even better chance of success?

There is no substitute for knowledge, for being prepared, just in case, no matter what or who you think your children are. One little moral mishap, no matter what your beliefs, or how strong they are, and your child too could be a parent before graduation. Don't you owe it to them to teach them the truth, so they may protect themselves if they stray from the straight and narrow path?

Is it not a parent's most sacred duty to raise their children to be strong in their morals and faith, while keeping them safe from harm? If you did not believe in driving a car, would you refuse to tell your child not to run out into the street?

And that is how you make abortion a non-issue, by merely teaching those you love about protection, contraception, self respect, personal honor, and abstinence. Only with all of the tools available without fear, without shame, and without judgment, can we have a chance of dropping the abortion rates.

For more information on World Contraception Day, including a quiz to help you find your ideal form of contraception, straight facts about the different forms of contraception available in these times, videos, and information and tips for the media, teachers, teens, and parents, please visit the official World Contraception Day 2008 website.

What you don't know can hurt you.

J.K. Rowling's New Potterverse Book Coming Soon!

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling is set for release on December 4th this year, and it's now available for pre-order!

A book of fairy tales, which was written to supplement the Harry Potter series comes in two distinct versions for your reading pleasure. Buy the standard version for the kids, and for daily reading, and get the special collector's edition for your own personal collection.

The Standard Edition features all five fairy tales from the original The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a new introduction by J.K. Rowling, illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book, and commentary on each of the tales by Professor Albus Dumbledore.

The exclusive Collector's Edition includes a reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, as well as 10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition.

Remember, collector's editions are an investment in the future.

I'm so excited to see her publishing another book in the Harry Potter universe, aren't you?

Delightfuly Decadent Eco-Decor On the Cheap

Fall is rushing upon us, and if you're anything like me, you don't have a lot of cash lying around to outlay on cutesy decorations, but you still want to add a festive air to the house.

Here's how we decorate for fall, a little at a time, as the season rolls on.

Notice I said, a little at a time? That's your first clue.

With everyone's busy schedules, nobody really has the time anymore to sit down and craft their little hearts out for an entire day at a time, and with apartments constantly getting smaller and smaller, a lot of us simply photograph their decorations from year to year, and dispose of the decor after the holiday to cut down on clutter.

Most of my family's decorations are made from recyclable materials so that really helps to cut down on things going into the landfill, as we can take it to our local recycling center for re-use after we're finished with it, or simply toss it in with the compostables.

The only things that aren't recyclable in some way are the things that we are keeping from year to year, or that we can give as gifts later. For example, our Halloween box is a mere 4"x2" in size, and goes into our overall decor box for all the yearly holidays, which is small enough to be easily stuffed into the top of our closet.

We have no autumn decorations this year, so we're gong to be building things as the season progresses and posting them here for you to enjoy and create for your own home. Every craft will contain at least one re-used item, and most of them will be fully recyclable when the season is over.

Stay tuned for detailed instructions for beautiful, fun, and elegant crafts in this ongoing series.

Texting My Way To A Richer Life

I have a great new job I can do from anywhere, that's fun, exciting, and pays really well, and I just can't keep it to myself anymore.

I work from my computer, searching the web for great answers to interesting and varied questions with the help of specialized search tools, and have no set schedule or hours, which is great with kids, homeschooling, and running a busy house. Heck, with the laptop, I can do it from anywhere!

Just last week, I was making money while watching the kids play in the park.

I'm a ChaCha guide, and I make 10-20 cents for every question I answer from people who text one in by dialing 242242 from their mobile phones. Have unlimited texting on your phone and want to give it a try? Go for it, ask your guide anything, it's free! Answers usually come back within 4 minutes. Want a joke, or just to chat, text to ChaCha, and get a different guide every time, but still have a decent conversation! Your answers will even have a link to the site where the answer was found, if you want to read more about it!

Sometimes, I'll use ChaCha to teach my kids something an infoseeker has asked about, so it even helps with our homeschooling! I can take breaks whenever I want, for however long I want, so this is easy too. I can go for days without working a lick, but I wouldn't want to, it's too much fun!

I'm making better money being a guide than I have at any of the other things I've done online, and at a quicker pace also. I can get paid whenever I want to my own use-it-anywhere debit card, or just monthly as a direct deposit to my bank account, whichever I prefer. Most questions take me under two minutes to answer, and that adds up really quickly. ChaCha is a great way to prove true the old saying "If you take care of the nickles and dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves", that's for sure. *chuckle*

To become a guide, you simply sign up online, learn a little from their online resources, pass their easy simulator test, and then you're ready to go. Work as much or as little as you want. Complete 200 or more answers in a week with 95% accuracy (SO easy!), and your pay raises to 20 cents a question from 10 or 15 cents!

There's a lot of fun in being a guide, and it's not all in just answering the questions. There are positions for voice transcribers (type what you hear), and expediters (categorize the question and sent it to the guide). There's also a great forum for the members to chat and share information and tips, an area where you can have your own ChaCha blog, and more! I know some moms (with toddlers even!) who have quit their jobs because ChaCha pays them more than their other employment did!

ChaCha guides are specially trained to be able to find the answers to any and all questions. What other search engine has real people, with real feelings, who take real bathroom breaks?

Are you curious, professional, and Internet-savvy? Do you enjoy learning new things, sharing your knowledge with others, and being part of a fun, diverse community?

ChaCha could be your ideal job too!

On behalf of ChaCha HQ & all 15,000+ guides, you are hereby formally invited to earn extra cash having fun!

To sign up, visit http://www.chacha.com, and when it asks for who sent you, type (cut and paste somehow doesn't count the referral) my email address into the box. That's
.

Heck, I love ya so much, join up now and get approved as a guide on my team, and I'll send you all my best hints and tips to get you started on the right track, with the best possible speed and accuracy rating!

Do the ChaCha!

Catching Caches

Geocaching is fun!

So much fun, that we've been so busy,(and trying to catch up on my neglected emails), that not only have I not taken Keeb to his little weekly get together, but also I haven't been blogging again.

Of course you already probably noticed this, but still. *chuckle*

Tonight's caches were especially fun and educational, with an Osage Orange tree nearby for a short botany lesson, and short healthy walks, punctuated, of course, with sticking our heads in bushes, walking into spiderwebs, and looking lost. *laugh*

The house is coming along nicely, thanks to hard work from Keebler, and we have an appointment for more caching on Tuesday, just us adults, while Z-man is away at camp! This is going to be fun!

She Likes To Ride Her Bicycle

Littlebit learned to ride a bicycle today!

It was just a couple rounds on a borrowed bike in a parking lot near The Radish while we were visiting to help build a raised gardening bed and drop off some used coffee grounds, but like reading, she's got it now, and isn't letting go any time soon. *grin* We didn't manage to get any pictures, but I'll try for some later.

I'm sure she'll be riding her bike all over the driveway now that she has the hang of it.

Looks like it's time to teach her the rules of the road, as she'll be wanting to ride in the street with the rest of us in no time at all.

Our littlest munchkin is growing up!

Crowded? Nah

When Faith and her family dropped off my kids after a great day of fun at Silver Dollar City in celebration of Z-man's birthday (Happy Unbirthday Z!!!) the other day, we did what we usually do and stood around for a few minutes to share a quick rundown of the day and say our goodnights.

As they were getting ready to head home, however, the sirens went off.

Tornado sirens, that is.

In my family, we usually check the Doppler radar on the computer when we hear a siren, to check and see if the storm is anywhere near us when we take shelter, or slightly before (if there is no active t-storm activity outside, we'll check before huddling in our safe room.).

In Faith's family, they hear the sirens , grab the kitties and emergency kits, and head for their safe-room with their trusty weather radios to ride out the warning.

So out of respect for their family, we grabbed some folding chairs, a sheet for holding in front of the toilet in case someone had to potty with us all in there, a blanket, some pillows for the kids to sit on in the bathtub, our wind-up weather radio, and a couple of oil lanterns, before we all crammed into our bathroom.

I sat on the closed toilet, using the sink as a desk to check the weather, Keeb, Faith and her DH sat in folding chairs against the wall across from the bathtub, and the kids hung out in the tub, tickling, giggling, and generally making a happy nuisance of themselves. It was cozy, but not too tight, and we all would have been rather comfortable, but for Keeb's tendency to smoke in the bathroom. See, Faith's allergic to smoke, and the lingering chemicals in the air, as well as the smell, got to her, and she started to have an allergic reaction. I hope that convinced Keebler to not smoke in the bathroom anymore, as that room really holds in the scents, and old, stale smoke isn't an odor I want permeating any of the rooms in our home.

The kids had a blast, which is to be expected, and embraced during a tornado warning. Hiding from the storm should be something fun, with special storm-only games, songs, and the like, in order to make the hiding experience less frightening. We didn't get to do any of our regular silliness because most of our things are still packed away, but we did get to do a fun little meteorology lesson, and it was still a pretty good time.

Homeschool Day at Incredible Pizza

We went to the Incredible Pizza homeschool day and wore ourselves out completely. Faith and I had fun taking photos and chatting, while Ladybug & Littlebit joined Z in playing the games, as well as starred in his special video he took with his new birthday camera.

There was a fun presentation about animals, where we got to see a fully grown American Toad and Bullfrog, and a few more interesting animals to boot. *smile*



We even got to pet the alligator and opossum. Don't worry, everyone got washed up after we pet the adorable scaled salmonella factory. *chuckle* It was a lot of fun, and time well spent, learning, visiting, and playing with friends.

Campaigns, Learning, & Coding, oh my.

I think I've finally figured out how to make the template work for my campaign site, after much angst over such questions as "what is this", "how does it work", "why do I have to learn PHP and CSS to build a website", and more. Due to not having the time to wait for anyone to have free time to do it for me, I've been forced to do it myself. Spring is an exceedingly busy time for most people, and this spring has brought graduations, moving, marriages and more to those around me. Like I've always said, if something needs done immediately, the only person you can really rely on to get it done is yourself, and you'd better make the time to do it in. Needless to say, I'm learning new computer languages again. *chuckle* The only problem is that my server is having some sort of trouble translating the template I've modified, and the customer service for my exceedingly inexpensive hosting company is nigh-on nonexistent, so I can't really rely on them to help me fix things.

Kind of on my own, and without the basic knowledges needed to to the job, but as long as I have the internet and my beloved Google, I can learn anything. I've done what was declared impossible before, and I'm on my way to doing it again. Three days to a website, with three new programming languages I know very little about, and major editing in store. Let's see how it goes, shall we? Of course, getting the content in there properly so I can go live with the site and show it off to you will be another matter entirely, but hopefully that will only add another two days or so to the projected time line. *chuckle*

Wish me luck!

The Radish Sprouts Anew

The Radish Infoshop has found a new location!

Where:

818 College Street

A Couple of blocks west of Grant Street on College

(Look for the familiar Radish sandwich board open sign)

When:

The Radish Infoshop will officially re-open at their new location on April 1st, 2008.

Yes, it's true! A cute little pale-green house on College street is soon to free the best radical lending library in this area from storage, and our big 'ole activist hearts from their slumber.

Everything we loved about the old radish, and nothing we didn't, with lots of new ideas and projects. A place to not only organize, but also to activate, and be active. Improving the community, one yard and one heart at a time, to make a better world, the new Radish currently has the following things in the works;

Provide free food, at least once week, along the lines of Food Not Bombs or the Burrito Project, hopefully in alliance with Project Brown Bag.

Produce organically grown heirloom food, that we have grown ourselves with the most effective methods of limited space urban gardening, and share it with the community.

Provide free clothing and fabric, 24/7, a more efficient Radish Free Store and sewing station for fashion altering and re-creation.

Create a “safe space” for children, so rad families can network, create, learn, and grow as a community with the help of structured (and de-structured) children's activities and family fun time.

Stop by and bring your creativity and willingness to pitch in. There are a lot of opportunities to help, and ideas are always welcome. The plans are evolving as the word is being passed about the reopening, and the art gallery and kids' areas already look fabulous.

We'll be glad to see you on or after the first of April. Share the vision, some ideas, and find out how you can help, if you're anything like me, you'll love what's being done so much, that you’ll feel compelled to leave a dollar (or two) in the donation box. *wink*

Map: Here [where: 818 W College, Springfield MO 65806-1804]

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Year Of The Earth Rat

Kung Hei Fat Choi
Congratulations, and be prosperous.

Welcome to the year of the rat, intrepid adventurers! The coming year brings with it many opportunities for those who are cautious, dream big, work hard, and network actively. Quite a bit of instability is on it's way, but research and other involved contemplation could bring about amazing discoveries both in personal matters, and worldwide.

I'd say things could be seriously looking up for our family.

The rat year begins a new 12-year cycle, so remember that decisions made during this year will carry long term consequences. Careful planning is essential, especially in the beginning of the year.

Festive links for your 15-day celebration;

A Quality Forecast for you in the year of the rat, based on your Chinese astrology sign.

Basic information on the holiday and festivals.

Special kids activities, games, worksheets, and coloring pages can be found here.

May you be showered with happiness and opportunity in the year of the rat!

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False Advertising

We had planned on repetitious monotony today, sorting and cleaning more things from my mother's garage to get rid of. Worked for about four hours on that, but had a great bit of fun when the new neighbors came over to help the old neighbor finish moving out. Those folks are an absolute blast, joking and goofing off the whole time they were working, which made our work go more smoothly as well. When it finally started to cool off and we were ready to finish for the day, there was a very large dent in the garage's motley collection of junk.

As we were cleaning up the cleaning mess (you know how that is, yes?), we decided we needed to go on a little friend-visiting as a reward for a hard day's work. We had dinner, and my mother got angry at us for finally saying something about being constantly interrupted (after a solid hour of it), and since the local friend we had phoned was busy, we decided to go visit Keeb's mom and do her taxes for her like we promised.

While that was slower than expected (e-filing takes more time than doing the papers for some odd reason, but is worth it in the extra cash you get back and the direct deposit of the refunds), I learned a lot about taxes that I hadn't previously known, and next year, barring extreme changes in the tax law, everyone I know will be getting a much larger refund. Learning is always entertaining, so even filing taxes for someone other than myself was amusing! *grin*

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Homeschool Hazard

The girls are working in their workbooks again for "school" and that is going well, all except for the sideways method of learning that Littlebit seems to have. Her incessant need to play dumb, blended with her honest inability to grasp and hold onto basic information and make simple mental connections makes it really difficult to help her learn what she wants to know. We worked for two hours today on a single basic phonics worksheet, and it gets frustrating.

Part of me wants to blame her lead poisoning as an infant for her current learning difficulties, and sometimes I feel like if she were diagnosed with a learning disability by a paid professional, I'd feel a bit less like a failure, and a bit more relaxed about her speed of absorbing information. Then again, I know that no matter what anyone says, even me, I am the one who has to discover her learning style and adapt her educational opportunities to fit her.

I have always said the she's recovered from her earlier learning problems, and I will never say anything about her being slow to her, unlike my mother, who is constantly mentioning how much repetition she needs to be able to remember anything. That's a stigma I refuse to allow into her mind if I can in any way help it, but I know.

I know she's not capable of learning the same way other kids are. I know she's behind for where she wants herself to be, and I know that reading three letter words should be easier for her than basic multiplication. It just isn't for some reason, and she struggles so hard. She will know a word one second, repeat it ten times, read a few words she knows on sight, then not be able to read the first word, mere seconds later. I've never taught a child to read before, but I don't think that's normal. Maybe if she had a couple of hours to forget the word, or got distracted for a few minutes even, it would make more sense to me, but this is a completely alien land I have stumbled into.

Is this normal?

Am I panicking?

Are there free resources out there that can help us to better help her reach her goals more easily?

I felt so lost when I started this post last week, and even now, I am only just beginning to get the slightest clue as to how she learns. I have a lot of studying to do to figure out how to make this process easier for her.

I am pleased however, to announce that unlike other children, when she has grasp of something, she never lets go. After learning the _at words the other day, she shocked and amazed me by not only remembering them all the next day, but also writing them down for me, spelling them out loud, saying them when they were spelled to her, and writing them on her own, just for fun. She still has a solid grasp of the words a week later. It is a relief to know that the repetition required to teach the first part of a thing will not have to be repeated ad nauseum for each aspect of understanding.

We are all so proud of her, but the best part is that she is proud of herself.

More Important Than Math

I explained my educational methods to someone the other day...

-I don't care if she memorizes her multiplication tables, but she simply must know all about Jim Henson.-

I think that summarized it all pretty well. Basic skills come through simply living. Knowing about the real people who changed our world and our hearts is so much more important than some silly numbers on a page. It teaches so much more than any textbook lesson could.

Our lesson on Henson came when we heard the filk song "a boy and his frog" on one of my burned CDs. It was created to be a tribute to Jim Henson, as sung by Kermit. That started it all, and the girls learned where their favorite characters came from. It took us two hours, but we learned about his life, his creations, his business, and his death, including the funeral. We watched videos and listened to songs on Youtube, including some of their favorite muppet acts.

They never lost interest. In two hours, they felt the voice of a generation speak out with love, acceptance, and compassion for all mankind, and watched as the man passed on, leaving his legacy to survive and flourish in his wake.

Definitely more important than math.

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Threats of Candy

A little backstory: Yesterday, we went to the Asian food & gifts store in town and bought some goodies with our food stamps as a thanksgiving treat to ourselves. Keeb bought some white gourd juice and shrimp chips, Littlebit got a lemon soda with a marble in it and some eastern version of poppycock without the caramel, Ladybug picked out a read bean cake and some banana flavored soy milk, and I grabbed some Thai tea and Thai tamarind candy. We bought real groceries too, but I loves me some tamarind candy!

I called my eldest into the room tonight.

When I do this, usually Littlebit follows along behind, despite the fact that she was not called and we do not want her where we are at that moment. (Else wise we would have called her too.)

To prevent tagging along, I hollered to Littlebit in a semi-threatening tone; "You better not come in here, 'cause then I'll give you some candy, and you might not like it!".

With a view into the hallway, Keebler saw Littlebit try to figure this one out. She stopped, then stepped forward, then stopped, looked quizzically at him and her sister, stepped back again, then followed along behind, sure that all candy would be nice to her.

After all, it's never betrayed her before, right? Except for that one time, when mom made her try that Mexican dulce de tamarindo... It has been years since that incident, the memory gracefully faded to something far less traumatic than it was at the time.

Even if she did remember it, her safety net was seeing the package that that dreaded candy came in, a little red and white tub, with a dipping stick.

Yes, the candy would be safe, and she would be rewarded for her disobedience. Her confident stride and wide smile were proof of her surety.

So I opened up my little box of Thai candies and handed her one. "pop the whole thing in your mouth and chew" I instructed.

Then I waited. She chewed happily and did a little dance of glee, tasting first the salt, then the tangy-sweet tamarind, victorious.

Then it hit her. The red pepper. I saw her think "But mom, this is Thai candy, not Mexican!" The change on her face was priceless, like an infant's first taste of a real lemon wedge. Squnched eyes, then bugged wide in horror, her mouth open in an oval of shock, she spun on her heels and ran for the bathroom.

Oh sweet bathroom, rescuer of people everywhere who have tasted something revolting. Her sister chased her and ordered her to finish the candy instead of spitting it out.

Not sure why, really, she's bossy, that one.

A few seconds later though, out came Littlebit, showing off that she had indeed finished it, mouth wide, tongue waggling side to side, like they do on TV reality shows.

Yep, we train them for Fear Factor early 'round these parts. *snicker*

But ya can't say I didn't warn her!


*Image drawn with a touchpad mouse and my finger in Paint Shop Pro 6.

I am a participant in NaBloPoMo.

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PATEOTU

The Poi turned out fabulous!

Lots of people showed up for the event.

1984 brought a video game, and Metagames brought the burgers, brauts, veggieburgers, and hot dogs.

Even grandma got involved.

PATEOTU rocked pretty hardcore this time, and there was a great turnout for this being only it's second event. About eighty or so people attended this time, there's always a lot of fun and great folks to talk and play with, and the food was great. Ladybug did a great job with her demo speech and had a good many attendees.

I can't wait to see what next year will bring! *grin*

Advert: Practice poi for sale, only $15 a set. Made by homeschoolers, all profit goes to funding educational pursuits.