Lessons Learned

Psst... will you please take the poll in my sidebar?

I think we all learn best from our mistakes, so I should pretty much be a genius!  LOL Now, I've been a parent for over 20 years now, so I've had a chance to make quite a few mistakes.  Every day.  Looking back (and forward) I can think of one really huge mistake that I am still trying to recover from.  If you don't want to make that same mistake, read on...

Okay, enough suspense, what is this terrible mistake?  Well, it comes from teaching my older kids how to help our around here really well.  How can that be a mistake?  The problem is that because my two oldest boys were, in fact, the two oldest boys, I pretty much always called on them when I needed something.  So did Sane Man.  When my oldest was nine he could pretty much do everything around here I could do, and in some cases probably better!  He seriously once painted a room all by himself when he was only about six.  Now my son Baber, 8, complains when I ask him to clear the table! 

The mistake was not training the next two boys in the same way we trained the two oldest.  Why didn't we?  Why would we?  It was much easier to ask one of the two older boys to do something they could already do, than start from scratch with the third or fourth.  So zoom ahead to the present and my two oldest are in college and will pretty much do whatever I tell them.  The next two are 16 and 17 and it's more of a chore to get them to do something, than it is to do it myself.

So what about the next four kiddos?  Am I making the same mistake with them?  No way!  I have learned my lesson well.  My four youngest kids now do pretty much all of the daily chores around here.  Princess, 14, is in charge of cleaning the living room and dining room.  Dode Man, 12, makes my bed, sweeps the kitchen floor and back landing, takes out the trash, wipes down the appliances and one of the kitchen counters, and cleans up after the dog.  Bear, 11, does two loads of laundry, cleans the bathroom, and wipes down the oven top. Baber, 8, though he complains about it, gets the dog food and water, clears the table, makes sure my nightstand is clear, and shakes out the rug in my room. 

I know we have failed my third and fourth sons by not giving them nearly as much responsibility as the other kids.  They will have to learn it the hard way.  Right now they think they got off easy, but I know better.  I couldn't believe it when I complained to my own mother that she never made me cook or do laundry.  LOL  I can't go back into time to change the way things were, but at least I can pass on my advice to you!  Put that second, third, or fourth child to work!  It may take you a little while longer to get things done now, but it will pay off in the future!

Happy child training!

Instilling Self-Esteem is Important, but Can You Go Too Far?

Psst... would you please take the poll in my sidebar?  Pretty please?

I've been thinking a lot about kids and self-esteem lately.  Why?  Because it seems like every one of my kids has a wee bit more than is healthy!

It seems that there are two extremes when it comes to the way some parents treat their children's egos.  Some parents seem to go over the top, gushing at every little thing their children do.  This kind of parenting seems to be getting more and more popular, and it is reflected in the "everybody gets a trophy" attitude.  For example, if a little girl makes a cake for her mommy, and uses salt instead of sugar, and Mommy tells her what a great job she did, the little girl might beam with pride, but she misses an important lesson.  Following directions is important!  Perhaps at a later time she will be careless in how she follows directions when not following them could have serious consequences.

Other parents are so critical that that they would have berated the little girl for her careless mistake. Perhaps so much so, she would never want to make a cake, or even cook again.  Where is the balance?  I tend to be more of a gusher, and would be tempted to ignore the sugar and try to choke down a piece with a smile. However, that probably wouldn't even be possible!  LOL  I suppose the best way to go about it would be to build the child up for wanting to bake and bless the family, while still pointing out that directions have to be followed.  The hard part is that every kid is different and has his or her own balance.  That's where it gets a little tricky!

I think my husband, Sane Man, and I have a pretty good balance when it comes to these things.  I do tend to gush, and he tends to tell it like it is, but we both try to be balanced.  If our kids show an interest in something, we are always there to encourage and make it happen. We've encouraged music, computer programming, sports, and more. But....

Our kids seem to think they are the most amazing human beings on the planet! Seriously! LOL They are always telling me how good-looking they are, how talented, and how genius. Now, I'm glad that they aren't depressed and feeling like failures, but here's the problem:  They don't always see the need for things like, oh, practice or studying. They are happy with "average" results because they just figure that if they did it, it must be superior. What have I done?

Even the Bible seems to send two "self-esteem" messages. One, we are sinners and fall short of the Glory of God. Two, we are God's beloved children, fearfully and wonderfully made, who are so loved that He died for us.  How do these two messages mesh? Well, we are sinners, no doubt about it, but He loves us anyway. As the cliché goes, He loves the sinner, and hates the sin. Somehow, as parents we need to figure out how to still build our children's self-esteem while still pointing out the flaws in their endeavors. Obviously not all of their flaws will stem from sin, but the more I think about it, they often do!

The little girl in the example above probably just made an honest mistake when she put in salt instead of sugar. Small children are just inexperienced and need a lot of guidance. However, I'm finding that a lot of what my older kids do wrong, or just poorly, really does stem from sin. Perhaps, in my desire to build my children up, I haven't stressed enough that they are to do all things for the glory of God. Often I see them seeking glory for themselves.  Perhaps instead of always saying things like, "You're so smart!" or "You're so pretty!" I should have said things like, "God has truly given you intelligence," or "God made you beautiful," or "God must be blessed that you wrote Him that worship song."  Maybe if they really grasp the fact that they are serving God in all they do, they will learn to strive to really do their best.

Am I on to something here?  I admit, I've been doing this over 20 years, and I'm still a bit clueless!  What do you do? Do your kids have a healthy self-esteem?   Do you have any lessons learned that you'd like to share?  I'd sure love to hear about it!

Happy Child Raising!

Pushing 50 Update: 03/22/2012

Psst... before you read, would you please take the poll in my sidebar?  Thanks!


If you read my last post "Pushing 50 is the Only Exercise I Get," then you know I am on a one year mission to get into shape before that dreaded birthday arrives.  I don't wanna be Fat and Frumpy 50, but rather Fit and Fabulous 50.  It's been a week, and I'm not there yet, can you believe it?  LOL  Nope, I have a long road ahead of me.  I've found myself wondering if a year is even enough time.  I need a LOT of work.



It didn't start out too well.  Actually I didn't start out to well.  Literally.  The very next day after I posted my ambitions to get it together, I came down with a nasty bug.  So much for exercising, organizing, and eating right. The bug had me down pretty much all weekend.  I really didn't even think about my new goals until yesterday.  I did get a hold of my hairstylist niece, and I'm hoping to get my hair cut Monday.  If I do, I'll probably get around to coloring it some time next week. 



I don't think I've taken any of my supplements all week.  Maybe once.  Not yet today.  I am going to have to add that to my "things to do" before I allow myself on facebook list.  


My laptop is broken, so I haven't researched any natural cures for asthma.  I'll get to it...


I did get an under the bed shoe organizer for like $3.75, and organized all my shoes!  Woohoo!  I have a tiny room and nowhere to put them but under my bed.  It's always been a challenge to crawl under it and find two to match.  Now I can!  I also cleaned out a box of papers that had taken on a life of its own.  It is now my "stationary" box, which is what it was supposed to be all along.  


I can't say I've done anything really fun with the kids.  Too much sickness around here.  (I wasn't the only one with a bug.)  Perhaps today I'll get outside with them for a bit. 


Yesterday I really did try to keep my food portions small.  I promise.  :)


I still haven't missed a day of Bible reading.  


Now for the big news.  I WENT TO THE GYM TODAY!!!  Yes, my dear friend Barb came and picked me up at 9:00 a.m., and off we went.  I only did 15 minutes on the treadmill, which was enough to make me feel light-headed and my legs feel wobbly.  But I did it.  I did it. I did it. I did it!!!

Pushing 50 is the only Exercise I Get!

Ugh! I will be 50 in less than a year, and the truth is, I'm falling apart.  I mean, personality wise I still pretty much act like a goofy teenager.  I mean, a rather mature goofy teenager, but on the inside I don't feel like I've aged hardly at all.  But on the outside....

I mean my hair is thinning and graying, my chin is starting to sag, I'm getting those little puppet lines at the corners of my mouth, and, well, you get the idea.  I'm just a tad overweight (ha!) and totally out of shape.  I can't walk up the stairs without getting out of breath.  I can't walk down the stairs without my knees hurting. Other various joints and muscles seem to take turns aching. I get indigestion all the time, and half the time I can't even swallow my food because it gets stuck in my throat!  My asthma isn't getting any better, and I sometimes get chest pains.  My blood pressure, which has always been very low, is suddenly getting high.  In other words, like I said, I'm falling apart.

TMI?  Or can you relate?  If you said the latter, would you like to join me and help motivate me to change my wicked ways so that I gain at least regain whatever health I've had in the past?  (I've never been a really healthy person.  Allergies and asthma have always kept me from feeling great, but I sure haven't always felt this bad.)  I've looked up all my ailments and found the same old thing just about every time.  I need to eat less and exercise more.  Now there are a few other things I can do to help the outside.  I can cut and color my hair; I can wear more flattering clothes.  I plan to do anything and everything (okay, not surgery) to help me look and feel my best. 

I do have to say that I have a handle on the most important things.  I do manage to pray and read my Bible every day.  I made a rule for myself that I am not allowed on facebook until I've done my Bible reading.  I'm using a Bible in a Year program and I haven't missed a day!  I am also making a conscious effort to spend more fun time with the kids.  A couple weeks ago we played Apples to Apples,  and a few days ago we all danced like crazy people in the living room.  I noticed that all we ever seem to do is clean and do school.  When we do something together, we usually just watch a movie, but that seems so lame.  I don't want to sit around and watch other people pretend to live life, I want to live life with my family for real!

So here are my immediate goals:

- Get a hair cut and color it

- Take my supplements regularly.  (Co-Q 10, D3, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc)

- Actually exercise.  I am going to start with a whopping 10 minutes 2x a week.  Lame, but it   doesn't scare me!

-Stop eating "second dinners"

-Really, really try to cut back on sugar and white flour

-Keep track of my blood pressure

-Research natural treatment for asthma (I hate it that I am constantly using my inhaler.)

-Do something fun with the kids at least once a week

-Organize one area of my house at least once a week (While this is not directly about me, I am totally affected by a messy house. I feel so much stress about it. When I walk into a clean room, I actually feel a physical sensation of relief.)


-Continue to pray and read my Bible daily

-Keep up with this series!  I always start things and don't finish.  I even won a Perfect Procrastinators Award, but never mentioned it or put the button on my blog because I kept putting it off!  LOL

Anyway, if I actually DO this, I plan to be a fit and healthy 50 year old in less than a year!!!  :)

Review of a The Woodcarver and a Chance to Score a Complimentary Copy!

Ever watch Cheers? Cliff Clavin is always spouting out random, useless trivia.  Wouldn't it be cool to have seen him share about the most important thing ever?  By that I'm talking about following Jesus.  Well, John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin, does just that in this great new movie, The Woodcarver.  


My family and I recently watched this movie as I got a complimentary copy from propeller so I could write up this review.  Keep reading to find out how you, too, can win a complimentary copy of this movie.  

About the Movie:

Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.

My Thoughts:

We all loved this movie.  I especially loved John Ratzenberger's portrayal of Ernest, the woodcarver.  I think he had the most well-developed character in the whole film.  I wish he lived in my neighborhood.  I could think of a few of my own kids who'd I'd like him to befriend!  LOL  What I loved about the movie is that it is a good story, with a great message, but it doesn't come across as preachy.  Some Christian movies just seem so contrived.  (Though I have to say, they are getting better.)  I think having a well known face, and voice, makes it more marketable to a wider audience.  (So here's some Cliff Clavin-like trivia for you:  John Ratzenberger voices a character in every Pixar film ever made!)

I didn't find myself as endeared to the rest of the characters as I did to Earnest, but I could understand where they were coming from.  Today's society has really messed up family life!  We could make life a lot simpler if we all just learned to ask ourselves this simple question, What would Jesus do? As three people, all pretty much absorbed in their won selfish desires learn to ask this question, life takes a turn for the better.  Even Earnest learns a few things.  I highly recommend this movie!

Now for the giveaway rules.   Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me your favorite Christian movie to get one entry.  

Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect or Linky Followers, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, April 1, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, April 2, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Happy movie watching!!!

Check out Miami Vineyard Live and Maybe Even Get a Complimentary Copy!

The good folks at propeller have sent me a complimentary Miami Vineyard Live CD so I could check it out and let you know my thoughts.  Before I do, check out the info below to see what the company has to say.  Then keep on reading because propeller has an extra complimentary copy that they will send one of my lucky readers.  Or should I say blessed readers.  :)

About Miami Vineyard LIVE:

What happens when a group of 20+ musicians and 10+ songwriters steeped deep in their own musical traditions of Black Gospel, Latin, Caribbean, and Anglo come together to create a new tradition and sound? What happens when the fusion of Black, Anglo, Latino, Caribbean, and Cuban voices unite together to worship in one voice? Among the 2000 people that attend the Miami Vineyard Community Church, there are over a hundred singers, instrumentalists and songwriters that make up its eclectic worship ministry. For one night, these musicians joined together in worship and invited the church to document the sound that is uniquely MIAMI VINEYARD LIVE.

This distinctive bi-lingual liturgy is filled with many flavors, from Latino claves to gospel two-step to funk and soul to delay-laden rock guitars of modern worship, yet they all work together seamlessly to create a new sound and voice that is authentic and refreshing. From anthems of praise and proclamation to songs of intimacy and adoration, there is a common thread running deep throughout this recording and that is true worship of the Living God as an expression of His Kingdom breaking in on the streets and beaches of Miami, FL.

My thoughts:

Okay, time to play "True Confessions."  I didn't really think much of this CD the first time I played it.  While I love all kinds of music, there is pretty much one style of worship music I tend to listen too.  Call me old and stuck in my ways, but that's the truth.  I did enjoy "How Great is Our God," because it is a song I'm familiar with. and the Vineyard version isn't all that different than the versions I am used to.  However, my kids are not at all old and stuck in their ways, and they started playing the CD over and over.

A funny thing happened!  Suddenly, as I heard the songs played repeatedly, I got to know them.  I found myself singing along.  (My apologies to my family.)  Then, the other day, when the kids put in on to make cleaning a bit more fun, they started to dance around the living room.  I found myself dancing too!  Now the CD has totally grown on me, and I find it a wonderful way to worship God and even have some fun at the same time!  I recommend that you check it out!

Website: http://www.vineyardmusic.com/vm/miami-live

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/miamivineyardLIVE

Purchase: http://www.vineyardresources.com/equip/content/miami-vineyard-live-cd

Video: http://vimeo.com/28995392

Now for the giveaway rules.   Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me who your favorite worship artist is to get one entry.  

Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect or Linky Followers, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, April 1, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, April 2, 2012 or sometime soon after.

Good luck!

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Happy worshipping!!!  

A New Opportunity! VocabularySpellingCity.com!

Pssst!  Would you please take my poll in the sidebar? ;)

Hello everyone!  :)

I've been given a premium membership to VocabularySpellingCity.com for a candid, personal, online review.

VocabularySpellingCity.com helps students study word lists using 25 different learning activities such as MatchIt Sentences, HangMan, and Word-O-Rama. Parents can create their own spelling lists, find published lists already available on the site, or use any of dozens of free teaching resources on topics such as analogies and compound words.

To be honest, we've been so completely busy around here that I haven't had a ton of time to really learn the site.  It has loads of activities and things to click around and do.  In my old age, I find that it's even harder for me to take the time to figure things out.  My very simple, ADD brain can only take so much!  These days I am often heard telling my kids to figure things out for me.  :)  So, that's what I did here.  I'd sign the kids in and let them do whatever they wanted to, which they were perfectly happy to do.  Of course, they gravitated to the games.  They especially liked playing the HangCat game which is a not-so morbid version of hangman.  Actually, it's not morbid at all!  LOL

Like I said, I didn't have a ton of time to figure it all out.  (Eight of use share one laptop.)  I didn't end up creating any of my own spelling lists, but I did use some of the ones already there.  The neat thing is that you can plug any list into any of the games.  My youngest two, Bear, 10, and Baber, 8, found it great fun.  I'm sure if I really took the time to figure it all out I could create an organized curriculum using the site.  As it is now, I find it just a great supplement.  My youngest, at 8, is really just "clicking" when it comes to reading, and I don't want to push any official spelling work on him right now, so this is a great way to weave a little spelling in painlessly.   I really hope that maybe by next year, when he has regular spelling lists, I will have had the time to really figure out how to maneuver the site so I can use it more intelligently.  Until then, I am content to have kids begging me to do schoolwork, even if it's only because they think they're just playing games.  :)

Happy Spelling!  :)

Awesome Deals at Kroger! Plus win a $25 Gift Card!

Kroger is getting ready to have some really great deals, so I decided to pass the info along to you.  And what's better than getting something at a really good price?  Getting something free!  Would you like to win a $25 Kroger card?  Find out how at the bottom of this post. 

Here's the info I was sent from Kroger:

Get ready for the Cart Buster Savings Event exclusively at Kroger and the Kroger Co. Family of Stores. You´ll see Big Savings Storewide on some of your favorite brands! And look out for some special offers and coupons only available at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores, and only available for this event!

Beginning the week of February 26th, 2012, shop the Kroger Co. Family of Stores biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P & G, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you´ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes:   Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillon´s, Smith´s Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets, and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

Check your local store to confirm the exact dates for your Cart Buster Savings Event.

Here are just a handful of the great brands participating in the event:

Cheerios

Lucky Charms

Pillsbury

Betty Crocker

Hamburger Helper

Yoplait

Progresso

Totino´s

Green Giant

Cascadian Farm Tide

Charmin

Bounty

Pampers

Pantene

Crest

Iams

Febreze

Old Spice

Bounce Pepsi

Ruffles

Quaker

Tostito´s

Rice A Roni

Tropicana

Stacy´s

Sobe

Mountain Dew

Gatorade

Looking for even more ways to save time and money? Visit CartBuster.com beginning 2/26/12 to find money-savings digital coupons, shopping lists and more. And starting 2/29/12 you can participate in the "Deal of the Day"! How does the Deal of the Day work?

•During seven days of the Cart Buster Savings Event, 2/29/12 - 3/6/12, there will be a super hot, exclusive offer good on one participating Cart Buster item. Each offer will be exclusive and available for one-day only - but the offer will be good for the duration of the entire event.


•You´ll see savings of up to and over 50% with the Deal of the Day offers - maybe even some freebies - and that´s on top of the already-low, low prices that Cart Buster has to offer!

•Look for seven days of "Deal of the Day offers" beginning 2/29/12. The Last Deal of the Day offer will be up on 3/6/12. But don´t fret - the Cart Buster event will continue even after the Deal of the Day ends. Check your local store for the exact end date for the Cart Buster Savings Event.

Check out the widget in my sidebar!!! 

Now for the $25 Kroger giveaway rules.   Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me what you'd buy at Kroger with the $25 gift card.  

Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect,and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, March 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 5, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information, and giveaway were all provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills/Nestle/Proctor & Gamble/Pepsi/Kraft through MyBlogSpark.

New Review and Contest!!! Cooper and Me and the Military

I recently received the latest Cooper and Me book, Cooper and Me and the Military.  This is the third book I have read in the series.  You can read my original review of Cooper and Me here, or my review of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure here.   

So far I have enjoyed these books, and so have my children.  They have been thrilled to read them and keep asking which one they are getting next!  I love that the books are actually written and illustrated by a child, Alexa Peters, who was only 11 years old when the first book was written in 2010.  My only concern about this book is that it is about two children whose mother and father both serve in the military.  I just found it sad that the children had to live with their grandparents while both parents were deployed.  It does allow children to see what a sacrifice must be made to keep our country safe. 

The story is all about a dog named Trooper who is friends with Cooper.  Trooper is adopted by Gracie and Joe and their parents, who are serving in the military.  According to the publisher, each Cooper and Me story teaches an important Life Lesson and features interactive materials at the back of the book to drive the message home.  Included are activities that help children name and process their own feelings about what they've read.  In this book, the children learn that their parents love them, even though they are far from home.  

You can learn more about this book and the Cooper and Me series by clicking on these links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

Now for the contest rules!  Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me who you'd like to honor for serving in the military.  Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect,and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, March 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 5, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hi Tech Kids!

Psst... Please take my poll in the sidebar!  Thanks!!!  :)

The other day my youngest son, Baber, who is eight, was on the laptop when he still had school and chores to do, so I took it away from him.  The next thing I knew I found him sitting on the stairs with his portable DVD player!  I confiscated that, and told him to get going on his list.  He reluctantly gave it to me, and I took it and hid it.

I started going about my business when I saw him walking around, calculator in hand.  Really?  Is the kid that desperate to manipulate images on a screen?  So then I had to take away the calculator!  I finally realized that if I wasn't working along side him every step of the way he wasn't going to do anything he was supposed to be doing.  It was either that or hide all the digital watches!