Kids Books...10 of our Favorites

Ok, let's be honest...there are a lot of WEIRD kids books out there.

You know the kind. The ones you stumble through because the writing is cumbersome, or the kind where you close the back cover and think "what was that about?" or "what was the message there?" or "I need to screen these suckers before we bring them home from the library." Is it just me who has had this experience?

I recently heard a speaker at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group who spoke about the power and importance of stories. He emphasized that kids learn through stories, not lectures or speeches. We have all had the experience of learning something important through a story, and kids books are no exception.

In the spirit of giving gift suggestions, you can't go wrong with books, and here are 10 of our family favorites. These are books that have wonderful lessons to share, reinforce certain values, are fun to read, and many of them are beautifully illustrated as well.

Here we go...

#1 This is a great book for exposing kids to travel, adventure, and other countries, while also reinforcing that it is A-O-K to be a homebody and enjoy your humble abode and familiar surroundings.

#2  I seriously get choked up almost every time I read this (although, for me, that isn't saying much). This gorgeous book speaks to the fact that every child is unique, amazing, and one-of-a-kind. It makes a great baby gift too.

#3  LOVE this book! My girls enjoy seeing the faces of kids from all over the world and it helps introduce the the idea that even when we look different we have so much in common with each other. I've never seen this book in a store, but you can get it through Amazon or Compassion.

#4 The feminist in me loves this book. The thriftiness in me loves it too, because it is two books in one. The message here is that Mommies and Daddies can do the same things. Dads can sew and Moms can throw baseballs. Yes, indeed.

#5 A great book for introducing adoption. This book highlights China adoption, and is about a single mom.

#6 A touching story about giving and sharing and the reward of friendship that can come from doing so.

#7 This is the best kids book I have read that portrays life in another country, that country being Kenya. It is beautifully illustrated, has a different sort of African cadence, and teaches a few Swahili words too.

#8 This series is so great for keeping kids connected and familiar with special places for your family.

#9  Best kids Bible. Honestly, I think every adult also needs to read this book from cover to cover. It is a like a CliffNotes version of the Bible and can teach old and young alike that the Bible truly is one continuous love story, from start to finish. Think of it as The Message for kiddos.

#10  And in the spirit of the season, I don't think a more magical or beautiful Christmas tale will ever be written. I still get chills when I read it.

Never underestimate the power of stories.

Whether for your own family, or another, books are always a great gift. 

But not the weird ones.

Happy Christmas shopping. 

What is your favorite kids book?

The gift of a date...or Venice meets Coronado

Here is a Christmas gift-giving idea for you this year...give a date.

A few years ago the four couples that make up my side of the family drew another couple's name for Christmas, the mission being to give that couple a date. We had a budget, and the thinking was that instead of spending a little money on a lot of people we could give one couple a really nice night out. It also supported the desire to receive less "stuff."

The first year we did this version of gift-giving Chris and I were given an AWESOME date to a Cajun style cooking class at a cooking school in the Denver area. It was fun, yummy, educational, and inspired us to buy a really nice chopping knife (which makes us feel like better cooks).

We tried out the date idea last year with Chris' family and we were given another WONDERFUL date, which we finally redeemed this past weekend (thanks to grandparents willing to babysit).

Here is what we did...

A sunset gondola ride through the Coronado Cays! 

It was scenic, peaceful, romantic, different, private, included a complimentary appetizer plate and a bottle of wine (provided by us)...and our gondolier even sang (quite well, thankfully). It was lovely.

If you have a special couple in your life and don't know what to give them, put a date together for them. 

If you live in the San Diego area, consider The Gondola Company as a gift for someone else...or for yourself.  If you want to add dinner, there is a fabulous French restaurant at the nearby Loews Coronado Bay Resort called Mistral, which was one of the best dining experiences we have ever had and includes great views of the bridge and the city.

We are giving dates again this year between my sisters and I need to start doing my research on great dates in Nashville. Any suggestions?

'O Sole Mio

Beach babies

When my in-laws are in town we can usually be found at the beach. 

To say I married into a beach-loving-family would be a MAJOR understatement.

Like saying that San Diego has nice weather.

It will always be a bit of marital irony that this Midwest/lake/forrest/mountain/winter loving woman 

fell in love with a man who I honestly believe is part dolphin.

Well, whether thanks to blood, example, or proximity to the ocean, my girls are beach babies all the way.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are approximately 8,000 from our holiday weekend.

Turkey Day in review

It is Black Friday, which means I am absolutely NOWHERE near a store.

Instead, I am hanging out with my girls (while Dad surfs), putting away the remnants of Thanksgiving dinner, and reflecting on the WONDERFUL day we had yesterday.

One of our Thanksgiving activities was to answer a question found on a piece of paper stealthily placed beneath our plates at the dinner table. And here is me taking the opportunity to show you that lovely table.

My question read: 

Share something you are thankful for that, at one time, was a challenge/hardship in your life.

I shared about moving to San Diego. Really, that was my challenge/hardship at one time. I know there are MUCH MUCH worse things to deal with in life than moving to San Diego, but that was my challenge.  I won't bore you with the details or drama of why I was so resistant to moving to CA, but I will tell you that our move (2 years ago) has definitely produced MANY new blessings in my life. Yesterday was a day where the reasons I am thankful for our life in San Diego (and thankful in general) were reflected back to me in a big, bright way. Reasons such as...

Friends and Fitness. We started our day with a homemade, yet very professionally done, Turkey trot with a few other families from church/MOPS/playgroup. It was so fun! I felt so thankful for wonderful friends and families to live life and have fun with here. I also felt thankful that all four of us are healthy and able-bodied and can participate in something like a 1-mile run.

Family.  I am overwhelmed with thanks just about every day for these two.

In addition to the family that lives under our roof, we are incredibly blessed to have an amazing extended family (near and far). Now that we live in CA it is special to have family who can drive a few hours to come visit and play. We had a fabulous afternoon and evening with (most of, but not all) our CA family. Cooking, eating, talking, playing, watching football, cleaning, playing games, laughing. Just being family.

Faith. In keeping with tradition, Grandpa Bob read Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving. If you haven't ever heard it, click here, it is most definitely worth a read. This speech is a great reminder of why this holiday was established and who we are thankful to.  I will leave you with an excerpt from the speech and a few photos from our day (in black and white just for fun).

"...It has seemed to me fit and proper that they [the gracious gifts of God] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863

I hope you have a great day shopping...or not shopping, like me.

Thanksgiving Eve

We get to host Thanksgiving this year, and I am really excited for tomorrow.

The groceries have been bought.

The table decor is ready for action.

The big turkey is thawing...
and the little turkeys are prepared.

We are ready for family to arrive...er, well...we will be ready by noonish tomorrow.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

And as an added bonus, here is the recipe for one of my favorite parts of our Thanksgiving dinner.
Aunt Martha's Cranberry Sauce
1 lb cranberries, finely chopped
1 unpealed orange, finely chopped
1 red apple, pealed, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup triple sec
Best when made the night before.
Mmm, mmm, good.

Flashback

Same sisters, same room, same shenanigans.
Two pictures, 12 months apart. 

It's so cliche, but really, you blink and a year has gone by.

November 2010

November 2011

These pictures are a great reminder to me, on this feeling exhausted (and a little grumpy) Saturday morning,

to push through the fatigue of this stage of motherhood and JUST ENJOY

...because they really do grow up fast.

When the dog runs away...

...you learn that you really do love her. Or at least that was my experience last Thursday.

We returned home after a lovely morning at the local botanical gardens, and as I pulled in the driveway I saw that the side gate was wide open. I knew that gate was closed when we left. I also knew I had left Bailey in the backyard (as usual), and I knew she wasn't wearing her collar (as usual - I won't get into THAT right now). I knew she was gone...and I was right.

We drove around the neighborhood for a while and I talked to Animal Control (on my earpiece, of course) as we drove. They told me to post something on Craigslist (hello 2011) and call back at 4:45pm.  4:45pm...she could be in Mexico by then!

After calling the micro-chip company and alerting Bailey lovers out there via Facebook, I got a really good idea (if I do say so myself). Samantha and I hauled in the enormous art easel from the garage and made a "LOST DOG" sign.  Then we placed the easel in the driveway hoping that all the school pick-up foot traffic would see the sign and maybe someone would know something about the whereabouts of our dog. Oh, and Sam added a pile of dog food under the sign to entice Bailey home.

Well, the sign had been out there for less than 10 minutes when I got a knock on the door.  A kind mama from down the street said that someone else up the street had a sign in their yard that said, "FOUND DOG." Lost dog sign + Found dog sign = happy-happy-joy-joy-reunion

Here is what this experience reinforced for me:

1. Despite the fact that my relationship with our sweet Bailey has suffered greatly since the birth of my children, I do in fact love my dog. I felt like I was missing a child (well, almost) for those hours she was unaccounted for.

2. We live in a GREAT neighborhood.

3. We have great friends. In addition to the Facebook sentiments and support, I had 3 people call or stop by out of concern for our pup. This fact both touched me, and gave me confidence that in a time of need loved ones, near and far, would be there for us. Thanks guys!

4. While advances like micro-chipping pets and Craigslist are all great, our dog was located thanks to 2 handmade signs. Score one for the old-fashioned way of doing things.

5. It is time for a new collar that doesn't jingle so loudly that we take it off the dog every night (and then forget to put it back on every morning). It's been ordered.

Welcome home Bailey.

Unthinkable

Over the last week I have been thinking of the unthinkable. Losing a child. And I've been a bit rocked.

I just finished Choosing To SEE, the book by Mary Beth Champan (wife to Steven Curtis Chapman), where she shares about the loss of their 5 year old daughter. Then, last week, I learned of a 4 year old little girl in our community who's life ended very suddenly.

A 5 year old girl struck and killed in the family's driveway by her brother. Unthinkable.
A 4 year old girl, trick-or-treating one night and gone 3 days later. Unthinkable.
The loss of a child...in any way...at any age. Totally unthinkable.

Both of these tragedies speak to the pain and brokenness of this world in which we live. These stories are the greatest fear of any parent. When the unthinkable happens what are we to think?

My husband didn't understand why I would want to read this book (especially when he would see me crying my way through it). I was drawn to read Mary Beth's story out of connection to her husband's music and their family's experiences with China adoption. But more than that, I was drawn to read this story out of humanity, and the chance to stare my greatest fear in the face by reading how this family faced their darkest days imaginable. I wanted to see how a mother survives a loss like the Chapman family suffered. I share the same faith as this family and I wanted to see how their faith was impacted, and how their faith impacted them.

Mary Beth Chapman wrote this book to show people that, despite the unthinkable, God is still God, and God is still good. But this was not a conclusion she came to easily.  In addition to gaining insight on the grief process and learning how to better support those in my life who have suffered unthinkable losses, I closed the book on Tuesday and concluded the same thing as Mary Beth...God is still God, and God is still good...even in the face of unthinkable darkness.

Two things (among many) Mary Beth Chapman wrote really stuck out to me.

"...I would have lived much differently. I would have purposely hugged and kissed more. I would have tried to memorize and lock away in my heart certain smells and smiles. I would have colored more and worked less. I would have laughed more and fussed less." (p. 211)

"I've now read so many books on grief that I should have a degree, but you know what? There isn't any one way to do it. My story isn't yours, and your story isn't mine. I've come to the conclusion that the only thing people who are suffering and grieving have in common, at least if you believe as I do (as a Christian), is the One who suffered for us. And the Father, who grieved for Him going to the cross, understands." (p. 255)

What would you do, how would you do, if the unthinkable happened? To whom would you cling and trust and depend if the unthinkable happened?  What do you know to be true even in the face of the unthinkable?

Think about it.

Retreat

A definition of "retreat" is... an act of moving back or withdrawing.

That is exactly what we did this past weekend.

This was our second year attending our All Church Retreat up in the San Bernardino mountains.  Last year it felt more like summer, but this year it was an unexpected winter wonderland. Can I get an AMEN!?! I was thrilled.  I actually cried tears of joy as we pulled into camp on Friday night. The families who got stuck in the snow, or had to run to the not-so-close Walmart for boots and coats, may not have been crying tears of joy at first, but I think in the end everyone enjoyed the chilly white surprise.

This weekend was a withdrawing from normal life. For me that meant no cooking, no dishes, no getting in and out of cars, no computer, no cell phone reception, no responsibilities.  It was fabulous. It was a special time for our family to just be together (in a very small cabin at times). The childcare and preschool program were a gift that meant Chris and I got a lot of time together without our kids during the Community Gathering sessions, and our kids enjoyed parties and lessons and buddies of their own. Everybody wins. On Saturday I "took one for the team" and stayed in our room with napping Abby, which meant this mama got to nap for an hour and read for an hour (thanks to that trusty, and dusty, camping head-lamp). Napping and reading...now that is NOT normal life...and it may honestly have been one of the highlights of the weekend for me.

The retreat was also a wonderful time to be with our church family. What a treat to hang out and see each other in a totally different setting than our regular coastal lives. It was a time of community. We ate and played together. We went on wintry walks and huddled by warm fires together. We took communion together and took in the scenery together.  We shared bathrooms and winter clothes. We did crafts and were challenged in our faith. As individuals, families, and members of a church community we retreated from our regular lives, and despite the driving, the packing, and the cold, at least this family returned renewed and encouraged and filled up and thankful. I'm sure we weren't the only ones.

And just for the record, it turns out that WE, the California family, got to experience the first snow of the season...before all my Midwest family. Not that they were jealous or anything. 

Do you need to "retreat" as an individual, or a family, to renew or regain perspective?

How can you make time and space to move back and withdraw from your regular life for a bit?  

When fake becomes normal and real becomes NEW!

I recently discovered this NEW! product, and I think it's worth sharing with you.

First of all...CHEESY name.  Natural Bliss.  Really? I mean my morning cup is blissful and all, but that is some advertising puffery if I have ever heard it.

So why is this product worthy of my enthusiasm? Here it is. I have my one cup of coffee and 1 tbsp of Coffee-mate vanilla creamer EVERY MORNING...without fail....or I get a raging headache. I generally live by an "everything in moderation" philosophy when it comes to food and don't stress too much about the things I consume infrequently. But when it comes to something I drink every single day of my life...without fail...or I get a raging headache...I should probably pay attention to the labels.

Here are the ingredients of the regular Coffee-mate vanilla liquid creamer that I was totally addicted to: Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, and/or Cottonseed Oil, Natural Flavors and Artificial Flavors, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Caseinate, (Milk Derivative), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Polysorbate 60,Carrageenan, Betacarotene. Color.  
That would be SIXTEEN ingredients, most of which sound like words from a chemistry course.

Here are the ingredients of Natural Bliss:  Nonfat milk, heavy cream, sugar, natural flavor.
That's it. I recognize all those words. All FOUR of them. And none of those things were recently invented. So I've switched to Natural Bliss. 

And one more thing. I find it very entertaining and ironic that the "natural" product is NEW!  I'm pretty sure milk, cream, sugar, and natural flavor aren't new discoveries. So why didn't they just come up with the 4-ingredient version first? Was it easier to invent the product with the 16 ingredients? How did the fake product become normal, causing the real thing to seem new and exciting?

And all this got me thinking...what else in our lives is actually a substitute that we accept and treat as the real thing? Other food and drink?  Sure, lots. What about communication?  Is Facebook/texting/twitter truly decreasing our need and desire for face to face communication? Or it's like when my child sees a dolphin jump in the ocean and screams, "It's like Seaworld!" NOOOOOOO sweetie, other way around. 

I want to be more careful not to let fake become normal so that real becomes novel.