Homemade Toys!

One of my goals for work this year is to make more of my toys in lieu of buying them. I'm pretty picky about the toys that I use with my kiddos, and I'm beginning to feel like I HAVE all of the toys I could possibly want. At the same time, I find myself reaching for the same standby toys over and over- my abc puzzle, or really any puzzle, the Dog book, a shape sorter, my ball pounder, etc. I've been reading lots of creative kid blogs, and watching for ideas that would work with my kiddos. Finally today I had some time and started putting things together. Here's what I came up with:
A clothespin color wheel. Spring-type clothespins are great for helping to develop a pincer grasp. This color wheel is made out of corrugated cardboard. By the time I finished, I realized that the clothespins were pretty heavy and anything lighter-weight, like poster board, wouldn't have held up. The hardest part of this was probably cutting the circle out of cardboard- I traced the top of our biggest bowl, then used a pair of junk scissors so I wouldn't dull my good ones, and just cut off a little at a time until I got the shape right. Be sure to use unvarnished wooden clothespins so that you can color them- surprisingly enough they held the color pretty well, although it is a bit hard to tell pink and red apart. After taking this picture I went back and used a sharpie to write the color on the wedges. Here's a closeup: Yes, my cat insisted on being in the picture, no he hasn't developed his pincer grasp yet. The lack of opposable thumbs is making it difficult for him.
My other project for the day was a different way for my kiddos to work on matching pictures. I have scads of wooden puzzles, but I also have a few kids who are REALLY good at puzzles, and have figured out even my bigger ones. I wanted something a little bit different, and this is what I came up with:Its made from a set of Memory cards that I picked up at the store the other day. Speaking of which, does anyone miss the OLD Memory cards with normal-looking pictures? I had a tough time finding a set that wasn't Sponge Bob or Dora, or Disney something or other. As you can, or maybe can't, see, the cards on the left are stuck to the board (corrugated cardboard again), and the ones on the right have velcro on the back so they can be removed.
I'm looking forward to having my kiddos try these out next week!

Love Them Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them.
Help them anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

- Mother Teresa

For the Tough Times- Max Lucado

I've been doing lots of book reviews lately. Then again, I've been reading lots of books lately. Quite a few of them have come from Thomas Nelson. I'm registered as a book review blogger, which means I get to choose a book to have them send me, and then I get to keep, read, and review the book. I'm to post a review here, and on a consumer website. I usually do Amazon since I have an account there. The books have all been different, but so far there haven't been any that I've regretted reading. A few books have come through that I've wanted to review but missed out on, such as one by Ted Dekker, but it happens.
My most recent review was For the Tough Times by Max Lucado. I'll admit that this is the first Lucado book that I've read. Overall, I have to say I wasn't too impressed. This book is small- maybe 6"x8", and about 80 pages of large and widely spaced type. Content-wise, it felt pretty shallow. It can mostly be summed up by the back cover: When all the world is falling apart, what can "good" people do? Why does God allow this? How can good come from such sadness? These are huge questions that people have wrestled since the beginning of time; since Job asked why and his friends urged him to simply curse God and be done with it. Lucado's ultimate answer is the same as that of Job and the scholars: God is still in his temple. He's still on his throne. And he's still in control. Beyond that, this book lightly touches on a few other themes. Forgive those who hurt you, pray to a God who is in control and has our best interests at heart, be silent before a holy God. Any one of these themes could have filled 300 tightly spaced pages, so to have them all neatly folded into such a small package feels like merely skimming the surface of God's promises.
Then again, maybe the worth of this book is in its size and digestability. So many people nowdays don't have the time, knowledge, or patience to work through a 300 page treatise on God's holiness (a topic that will make your head explode if you think about it too much). If that's the case, then For the Tough Times might just be a bite-sized bit of comfort for Christians caught in a world that seems determined to make us lose our minds.

Off on another exciting adventure...

2 points for the movie that quote is from- its not a difficult one.
After seeing Joe's Farm Grill on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives a few weeks ago, Chris and I decided that we needed to pay them a visit. Regardless of the distance. A tiny thing like its being 45 miles away never stopped us before- why should it now? After all, who could resist a hamburger place where the claim to fame is that everything possible is either grown on site or gotten locally? We did a few errands this morning, then headed out. Armed with mapquest, we made it there in decent time, and proceeded to gorge ourselves silly on hamburgers (an ahi tuna burger for Chris), the best garlic fries I've ever eaten, and a chocolate milkshake. I went in thinking it would have to be pretty good to justify the 45 minute drive, and it was. The burger itself was actually slightly dry (keep in mind I like my meat RARE), but everything else was more than good enough to make up for that. After eating, we walked (waddled?), around the area. Its in a neighborhood called Agritopia, where the idea is to have houses and everything else work around the agricultural area where they grow what's served in the restaurant.
Of course, it was such a beautiful day that I had to take pictures. Yes, everyone who is freezing right now can be jealous. Talk to me again in July when its 110* outside- we have to enjoy the weather NOW. Anyways, I'm trying to improve my photography...well I hate to even call them skills. I just want to take more interesting pictures, although I don't have a lot of subjects to practice on. Yes, I know I need another hobby like I need another hole in my head. Right now a new camera is out of the question (which is why I keep entering raffles trying to win one) but I'm trying to see what I can do with what I have. I'm not sure I even know what makes a good picture versus an eyesore, but I do know quite a few people who at least have an idea (Evan, Crystal, Chelsea, Jessica...your name here). So tell me what you think of these pictures. What am I doing right? What could I do differently?
I really like this one- I'm not sure why. Maybe the angle of it appeals to me? Is it interesting, or just a good way of making someone dizzy? How about this?
Just when I think all of the open land in Phoenix is being turned into Targets and Wal-Marts, we come here. A great reminder that real food actually GROWS, and doesn't just arrive at the grocery store already half digested.
How about these two? I happen to like black and white photography, and had fun with colorizing different parts of this picture.















What the houses in Agritopia look like. See the front porches? Most houses here don't have those. If we win the lottery I could be persuaded to live here.
So photography-wise, what do you think? Give me some pointers, please. Keep in mind that these were all done with a 4-ish megapixel point and shoot camera.

Another Chance...

For the people who didn't win McKMama's camera giveaway, here's another one for a worthy cause! This family is working on adopting and bringing home a child from Korea. Obviously, its an expensive proposition, so they're having a raffle to raise some of the funds. The prize is a Canon Rebel DSLR camera, a camera bag, and a strap. The suggested donation is $5, which gets you one entry in the raffle. Go here to check it out!



Even better- I just rechecked the website and they're giving away TWO Canon DSLR camera packages!!

Wii Fit!!!

Yay! We got one! Since we let our gym membership lapse near the end of last year, I haven't really had a good way to burn off all of my restless energy. For a while I was doing the P90X dvd's, but they were loaners from a friend and she needed them back. We'd been talking about getting a Fit for a while, since we don't have the money or space for a good sturdy treadmill, and a gym membership would be a bit of a stretch for us right now. Then, Chris entered a contest and won a gift card to Gamestop. We've been using it to get some Wii games we'd been eyeing, but I'd been keeping an eye out for a Wii Fit. Today we happened to be at Best Buy looking for something else, and saw that they had a big stack of Fits. On a chance of getting lucky, we drove to the nearest Gamestop and found that they were in stock! Even better, we found out that the Gamestop nearest us has a copy of Wii Sports that will be for sale soon. We didn't originally get one with our Wii because Chris bought the system used.
I played with the Fit a bit when we got home, and so far so good. I can assure you, though, that I don't look like the above picture when trying to do that position! My balance is ok on two feet, but on one foot I last approximately .00007 seconds. I'm sure its quite entertaining to watch, so long as you aren't me.

Looking

Any time I misplace something, I'm single-minded in my quest to find it. Just ask Chris. Although the state of my desk would seem to imply otherwise, I'm usually meticulously organized and take pride in being able to quickly locate whatever it is that I need. Any time I find that I've mislaid my wallet, a pen, or a particular piece of paper that I need, I treat it almost as a personal insult, and can be obsessive about locating the missing item. Granted, I'm not the most efficient of finders, and tend to get stuck in a rut of searching the same place over and over. After all, just because whatever I've lost wasn't in my desk drawer the first time I opened it, doesn't mean it won't be there the second or third time. Typically, I either find whatever I want quickly, or get so exasperated that Chris makes me take a break because I'm driving HIM crazy with my relentless opening of drawers and scattering of piles.
Or maybe I should say that I'm single-minded in my quest to find MOST things that are lost. Papers, keys, a particular scrap of fabric that I know is around here somewhere and will fit perfectly into my current project. The things that seem important at the time, but really count for nothing in light of eternity.
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for him with all your heart and all your soul." -Deuteronomy 4:29
By the way, the context of the "there" that int his verse is of the Israelites being scattered to decidedly unfriendly foreign lands and worshiping idols. Even in places and times full of all sorts of idolatry and evil, God will be found by those who seek him wholeheartedly.

So how would my life be different if I searched for God and things that matter the way I obsessively look for my lost keys or papers?

Staring at an empty blog screen, trying to figure out what to say. I guess I'll resort to the default- I can tell funny stories from work! I have a few work-related frustrations at the moment, so telling a couple of good stories might be a way to counteract the temptation to fly off the handle at someone.

In the "I'm sure other parents have had to stop themselves from laughing at this" category- I babysit for a family with a 3 year old and a 5 year old. We were outside playing the other day, and I had turned my back to say something to the 5 year old. When I turned around, the 3 year old was stumbling toward me with his pants around his ankles asking for help getting his drawers pulled up. When I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom he said no, he'd gone over by the tree. Of course I told him that it was better to go inside when he needed to go, to which he replied that Mommy had told him to pee by the tree. Since I figured this had as much of a chance of being true as not, and it was basically harmless, I opted to let it go.

Hmm...I'm sure there are other funny stories from the week, but that's the only one that's coming to mind right now. I'll have to post again when I remember the others.

I'm old enough to GET this joke!

It did take me a second, but I actually scared Chris with how loudly I laughed.
The title is "Blonde goes back to work after many years."

I might...

I might be feeling old because...
I say "I remember when..." and the person I'm talking to says, "I'm too young to remember that."
I begin a story with, "when I was growing up..." and as soon as its out of my mouth I remember that phrase was on the list of things I swore I'd never say.
In talking with the mom of one of my kids I realize she was born the same year as my younger sister!
I talk to people who say, "you look so young," and find out I'm older than they are!
The shows I used to watch are now reruns on Nick at Nite- Home Improvement was apparently on 10 years ago.
The cousins I remember playing with dolls are now doing driver's training.
When filling out forms online I have to scroll down to find the year I was born.

Book Meme

Swiped from The Common Room

I love to read, so I figured this would be fun. Her caveat is that you can not use the Bible for any of your answers.

1. One book that changed your life: How sad is it that I'm having a hard time putting my finger on one in particular? How about the dictionary? Its probably how I acquired my affinity for books and words. When I was growing up (gosh, that sounds old), we had a dictionary on the bookshelf in the living room. Any time we heard or read a word we couldn't define we were supposed to go look it up. My dad also frequently came home saying, "I heard this word today...what do you think it means?"
2. One book that you've read more than once: Second Son by Charles Sailor. This book is out of print so you'd have to pick it up used if you wanted to read it. We've bought and loaned out several copies, and they have a tendency to disappear whenever we give them to someone.
3. One book you'd want on a deserted island: Hmm...and I can't use the Bible. Then it would have to be Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), which seems appropriate since the book begins with a plane crash.
4. One book that made you laugh: The end of Animal Farm by George Orwell. I don't know if that makes me a certifiable nut or if I just have a really dry sense of humor, but its true. Could possibly be attributed to reading it in the car during the home stretch of a long road trip.
5. One book that made you cry: Most recently, the end of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I actually listened to this book on tape in the car, and yes, I was bawling at the end. Not a good situation when I was on my way to an appointment.
6. One book that you wish had been written: I have to say I wish Tolkein had lived long enough to write more books.
7. One book you wish had never been written: I'm not into book burning or censorship, but I have to say Habits of the Heart by Robert Bellah. I only wish it had never been written because it was required reading my first semester of college, and is one of the most ridiculously and incomprehensibly pointless books I've ever read.
8. One book that you are currently reading: The Only Boy in the World by Michael Blastland.
9. One book that you've been meaning to read: Something by Jane Austen, mainly because I've never read one of her books.
10. One book you've been meaning to finish: Helping Children with Autism Become More Social by Ann E Densmore. This one is more of a skim than a thorough read through.

1. One book on your desk right now? The user's manual for a Ford Escort. Its under some fabric and a pile of papers, but it is here.
2. One book with a bookmark in it that you haven't picked up for a few days? A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I'm enjoying the book very much, but am trying not to read it too quickly while I wait for the sequel(s) to get here.
3. One book marked with a pencil (or other irregular marker) stuffed between the pages instead of a proper bookmark? None, surprisingly enough. I usually either use bookmarks or torn scraps of paper.
4. One book with the cover falling off, or other grevious injuries? I'm in search of a non-ratty copy of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka, but until I find one I'll keep my worn out copy.
5. One book you "ought" to be reading but don't feel like it? Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda. I've had this book out from the library since last April (I keep renewing it), but just can't get around to reading it.
6. One book sitting on the shelf and enticing you to read it more than anything else? The most enticing book I have right now is A Voice in the Wind, which I'm currently reading.
7. Your most recently acquired book? The sequel(s) to A Voice in the Wind are on their way to me as we speak.
8. One book on your "wish list"? Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway.
9. One book you literally threw in the trash? I'm pretty sure my entire class threw Habits of the Heart in the trash when that first semester was finished.

Do you...

journal? I mean on paper. I used to journal. A lot. I did it a bit in high school, and peaked when I was in college. I generally used spiral bound journals, and I think during the 4 years I was in college I filled somewhere around 12 journals. By comparison, in the 4 years I've been married I've barely managed to fill 2 journals. I keep vowing to get back into the habit, and I keep buying new journals hoping the sight of another pretty book will motivate me back into writing, but it doesn't seem to be working. Instead, I blog. At least sometimes I do. It isn't the same though. When life was confusing, there was something soothing about putting pen to paper that helped it become clearer. When things don't make sense, writing helps me to sort it all out. Blogging just doesn't seem the same, at least for me. The potential for an audience makes edit my writing, or at least my choice of topic. Instead of writing just for me and God, I write with an awareness that at least a few other people will be reading, and it makes me self-conscious. Which, truth be told, probably makes for less interesting reading. I'm not squeaky clean, and there are lots of half-finished thoughts floating around my head that might make interesting posts, if I could just grow them into something coherent and acquire the guts to put them out there for the two or three people :p who read this.
How about you?
Do you journal?
How do you blog without being forever conscious of the potential for an audience?

Book Review: The American Patriot's Almanac

The American Patriot's Almanac, by William Bennett is 365 days worth of short readings about Amercan history, covering both the distant and more recent past. The topics range from an account of a soldier's heroics in Iraq, to little known facts about the American flag. All of the entries are about a page, and there are several longer "did you know?" type sections throughout the book. The bottom of each reading also lists other important events that happened on that day.
For me, one of the most interesting entries was about the proper care of the American flag. I knew about the guidelines for folding it, or not letting it touch the ground. What was new to me, though, were the intricacies of properly disposing of a flag that was too worn to be displayed respectively. I never knew that military bases conduct special ceremonies to properly dispose of flags.
This book would be very good for family readings or to help kids learn a more in depth view of American history. These are mostly events and descriptions not found in the average textbook. The readings are all a manageable length, and with some explanation even younger kids would understand the important ideas. For older kids, it would be a great jumping off point for a more in depth study of particular points in history.

Dave Barry's Year in Review

Hilarious, no matter which side of the fence you sit on.
A few excerpts
"How weird a year was it? Here's how weird:

O.J. actually got convicted of something.

There were a few days there in October when you could not completely rule out the possibility that the next Treasury secretary would be Joe the Plumber.

Abroad, Fidel Castro steps down after 49 years as president of Cuba, explaining that he wants to spend more time decomposing. In selecting his successor, the Cuban national assembly, after conducting an exhaustive nationwide search, selects Fidel's brother, Raul, who narrowly edges out Dennis Kucinich.

In sports, the undefeated New England Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants in a stunning upset that confounds the experts, not to mention Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which had $38 billion on the Pats to win.

In economic news, the price of gasoline tops $4 a gallon, meaning the cost of filling up an average car is now $50, or, for Hummer owners, $17,500. Congress, responding to the financial pain of the American people, goes into partisan gridlock faster than ever before, with Republicans demanding that the oil companies immediately start drilling everywhere, including cemeteries, and Democrats calling for a massive effort to develop alternative energy sources such as wind, the sun, tides, comets, Al Gore and dragon breath, using technology expected to be perfected sometime this millennium. It soon becomes clear that Congress will not actually do anything, so Americans start buying less gasoline.

The economy dominates the presidential campaign, with the focal point being "Joe the Plumber," an Ohio resident who asks Barack Obama a mildly confrontational question about tax policy and within hours is more famous than the Dalai Lama. He draws intense scrutiny from the news media, which, using investigative reporters borrowed from the Palin-yeti beat, determine that "Joe the Plumber" is in fact (1) not named Joe, (2) not a plumber, (3) a citizen of Belgium and, biologically, (4) a woman."

And so on and so forth. Go read the entire thing- its well worth it.

Dave Barry for President anyone?