Free Books

Maybe you wouldn't consider a book store much of a tourist attraction. But, when I visit a new city, scoping out the area's most unique book store is an absolute must. I just love browsing the shelves looking for gems. Books have always had that kind of pull for me. Reading a terrific tome is truly one of life's great pleasures.

Well, I've discovered a way to receive quality Christian books -- for free. Okay, there is one minor catch. I must write an honest review of the book I receive. But, I do that anyway here and on my web site. So, that's not asking very much.

How did I accomplish this? By becoming a reviewer for Mind and Media which is a fabulous organization headed by the hard-working Stacy L. Harp. Visit the web site at www.blogforbooks.com if you're interested in receiving free books (and increasing traffic to your blog at the same time).

I'll be reviewing The Thinking Toolbox: 35 Lessons That Will Build Your Reasoning Skills by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn soon. Other possibilities this week alone were Hedges by Jerry B. Jenkins, Sex and the Supremecy of Christ by John Piper and Justin Taylor, Credo: Believing in Something to Die For by Ray Pritchard, and God is the Gospel by John Piper. Not a bad little library to choose from, eh!

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.

Memorial Day Tribute

What's on the barbie/agenda at your house for the holiday weekend? Why not plan your own memorial service. Here are some ideas to get you started--some inspiration to get you motivated.

Memorial Day Quotes

1. The purpose of all war is peace.

-Saint Augustine


2. The widow of one of our Marines in Iraq made this point very simply. "There is good and evil in the world." she said, "That's what's going on. And he was the good."

-President George W. Bush, Arlington Cemetary, May 26 2003

3. For many, Memorial Day signals summer's arrival. Families will pull out the picnic baskets and charcoal grills and head for the beach or the park. But more importantly, Memorial Day is one of our Nation's most solemn observances.

On this sacred day, we honor those Americans who died fighting for freedom. We pause to remember, to think about the meaning of the loss of brave men and women who did not return from the battle. And in cemeteries all across this great land, people will place flags or lay bouquets on quiet graves "where valor proudly sleeps."

-President Regan, Memorial Day radio address May 25, 1992

Memorial Day sites/resources

The History Channel--Memorial Day (The History Channel has lots of information about Memorial Day)

US Memorial Day (This site has a Memorial Day prayer, kid's activities, and much more)

All Recipes (Great Holiday Entertaining Page)

Patriotic Recipes (More recipes--I'm going to make the Pretzel Sparklers)

Why the Poppy? (Good article explaining the connection between Memorial Day and the Poppy flower)


Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.

Finding Alice, Finding Me

I'm reading a terrific Christian fiction book. It's called Finding
Alice by Melody Carlson. Twenty-something college-senior, Alice, has metaphorically fallen into Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole. Alice's struggles with schizophrenia create a world that feels eerily like a never-ending Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Don't begin this book unless you're willing to relinguish sleep or work time. It's captivating to watch Alice come to the realization she has a problem, learn to cope with it, and eventually find healing.

Jane Kirkpatrick, a licensed clinical social worker and best-selling author of A Name of Her Own and Every Fixed Star wrote of Finding Alice: "We tumble down the dark hole with Alice and hope against hope that the voices she sorts through on her otherworld journey will take her at last to a peaceful place. All the while we wonder: How do we make sense of the sometimes competing voices that bombard us each day. . . I kept reading knowing that in finding Melody Carlson's Alice safe at last, I'd be finding a part of myself."

Perhaps you've known someone who is psychologically challenged (Ms. Carlson's term). Even if you haven't you will relate to Alice and her difficult life for the same reasons Ms. Kirkpatrick cited. Haven't we all heard competing voices? The ones from disbelieving friends and family who laugh at our God. The ones from Satan who slyly feed our self-doubt. Alice discovers there is a gentle and yet powerful voice. One that wishes to prosper her, not harm her. One that will never leave or forsake her. Learning to listen to God's voice is the only road to peace for Alice -- and for us all.

Why not pick up a copy today?! Post your comments and reviews.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.

Graduation News

There was a wonderful article in our newspaper about homeschooling yesterday. An area CHEC group allowed the press to come to their graduation ceremony. The article was extremely uplifting. Check it out. It's entitled Home-schoolers Share Graduation. I know you'll be encouraged.

I've never seen homeschooler hyphenated like this, have you? I write home school as two words except when I use the word to indicate a student (i.e. homeschooler). Then I use one word. I've had people tell me either is correct (one word or two). However, this Enquirer's version is new to me. You'd think they would research the correct usage (being journalists and all). Which form do you use?

I also sent HSLDA this link because they like to keep track of articles about homeschooling--especially positive ones.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Kitchen Science Article Answers

I recently wrote an article entitled, “Kitchen Science Delivers Food for Thought—Five Ways to Transform Breakfast into a Science Experiment.” Why not fix the hubbie breakfast tomorrow, with your children’s help, and turn the whole adventure into a science experiment. Read my article at www.super-science-fair-projects.com/kitchen-science.html to learn how. Get your children to guess the science involved in the experiments. Then double-check their answers with the ones I’ve posted below. Have fun and let me know about your experience.

1. How is the flimsy straw able to spear a tough potato?

As the straw strikes the potato, the air inside the straw is forced upwards in an effort to escape. However, it is held prisoner by the cruel finger. Not to be undone, the air then tries to flee by pushing against the sides of the straw making it rigid and therefore strong enough to push through the potato.

2. Do you know how to make eggs disappear?

Once you’ve blown the contents from an egg as described in the article, all you have left is the shell. Vinegar is an acidic solution able to break down the egg shell (calcium carbonate). After a few days the shell will be completely gone. Links explaining this experiment further:
Naked Egg Activity
Disappearing Egg Shell

3. Does toast always land butter side up?

Actually more people probably believe that toast always lands butter side down. It’s a sort of Murphy’s Law philosophy that drives this opinion. Believe it or not there are people who have actually considered this question very seriously.

I’ve seen two differing explanations for toast landing butter side down/up. One is that the fall of the toast is random and doesn’t necessarily happen more often one way (butter side up) or the other (butter side down). However, we remember when the toast lands butter side down because we then have a mess to clean up.

The other explanation takes into account the height of the person holding the toast or the table the toast is on. Let’s assume the toast starts off butter side up. As the toast falls, gravity forces it to spin a certain number of revolutions (depending on the height again) landing it butter side down. This actually seems the more valid of the two explanations to me. You’ll have to make your own determination based on your observations. If you'd like to read more about this, here are a couple of helpful links:
The Maths of Murphy's Law
Buttered Toast and Other Patterns

4. Can you create a blended juice taste sensation?

There is a science to finding a winning recipe. Chefs who create award winning taste treats experiment through trial and error until they find the perfect blend of flavors. Cooks understand how various foods/drinks react with each other as well. The fun here is in the mixology and the tasting. Think of drinks you enjoy and then try to create them. Why not try to concoct a vanilla coke, raspberry ice tea, cherry 7-up, or an orange Julius?!


5. Can you peel a banana without using your hands?

At the beginning of this experiment the air pressure inside and outside of the bottle are equal. Heat (from the lit match) causes the air to expand and push against the sides of the bottle and the banana. Some of the heated air even escapes around the banana. Once the fire goes out, the air begins to cool and therefore contract. This creates an imbalance in air pressure. There is now greater air pressure outside the bottle which forces the banana into the bottle.

I hope you enjoyed these Kitchen experiments. Check out my Science Fair page for more resources.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Stress Test

Top 5 ways to tell if you're stressed:

5. You've lost your keys and or locked them in your car more than once this week.

4. You've gotten your children's names mixed up repeatedly -- i.e. calling Susan, "John" and John, "Alice" etc.(or you've just given up totally and hollered, "Hey, you!" to fetch any one of them).

3. You've entered a room and couldn't remember why you came.

2. You've worn two different shoes -- anywhere.

1. You've started having whole conversations with yourself (asking questions and answering them).

If you responded, "yes," to any of these questions -- you need a break today! Okay, these are silly exaggerations. But, you can probably think of plenty of real stress signals the moms you know have sent flaring like rockets.

There are times when life seems completely overwhelming. Maybe you're feeling that way now. If so, I've just posted a fantastic article that will prove very helpful. Read this wonderful resource entitled Stress Reduction through Balanced Self-care by Dr. Robin Chaddock.

Be sure to read the author bio at the end of the article. It includes info on buying the fabulous parenting book "Mom Overboard: 12 Lifesavers for mom's who'd rather swim than sink" for the much reduced price of $5. (For a review of this book see my Parenting Book Reviews. Also, check my Articles Library page often for additons.



Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.

Article Library

I've added a new wing to my web site. It's the Article Library. Housed there will be articles helpful to parents written by parents. Is your child attempting to ace the SAT exam? Do you need a speedy science or party activity? Perhaps you're not sure what your role should be in your child's Science Fair Project. Need practical tips for taking great baby pictures? Are you teaching a home school unit and some quick information about the Roman Army would add to your study? Trying to figure out what your child's IQ score means or to identify his/her special gifts? Are you incredibly stressed? (If you're a mom, the answer is, "yes!") Then, read how to achieve balanced self-care.

Tips and ideas on all these topics are available at the Article Library. Visit often as new articles will be added regularly.


Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com.

Graphing Calculators

We're in the midst of preparing for the SAT exam. My tenth grader is going to take 6 credits at the local Bible College next year. They require the SAT for college entrance. We signed up at the College Board site for daily SAT questions last fall. We thought we'd get an early start preparing and would have plenty of time to get geared up for this. Now, we have 3 1/2 weeks. Wow!

The most startling discovery was that he really needed to be familiar with a graphing calculator and be proficient in using one. We use Abeka curriculum on DVD and Sean has taken Algebra I and is now taking Algebra II. They have not even mentioned a graphing calculator. Now, I'm finding out almost every high school math program is requiring work with these calculators (which are really like mini computers).

Luckily we have a home school mom in our area who tutors students to prepare them for the SAT and she understands this newer-than-my-high-school-math-technology. I'll let you know how my son fares. The test is June 4th.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Mommy Chuckles

Do you need a reason to laugh today? If so, I've just added a new page on my web site entitiled "Family Funnies." Check it out at Family Funnies or through my Home Page.

There is a good collection of family-friendly humor here. You've got to take the Dolphin Stress Test. It's very funny.

Also, Jeff Larsen is a terrific Christian cartoonist. He is featured on my site through his cartoon "The Back Pew." You've got to visit his site. He has a wonderful assortment of his best Mommy cartoons just in time for Mother's Day.

Hey, do you know a terrific site for Christian humor? Let us know about it by adding your post.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com

Mother's Day

If you haven't thought about what to get your mom for Mother's Day yet, it's not too late. Most moms are incredibly easy to please. Breakfast in bed (even if it's cold cereal and juice) will put a smile on her face. A home made picture drawn in crayon will be held close to the heart. A collection of your favorite Bible verses is also a terrific idea. How about renting a couple romantic comedies (or mushy tear jerkers) and watching them with mom? Make sure the Kleenex is handy. Maybe you could offer to do mom's chores for the day so she can sit in bed and read the latest Christian fiction book. You could send her an e-card or scripturelet that has all the visual impact of a motion picture, but with your personal heartfelt message attached. (There is a terrific collection of these here No need to go to a crowded store to select the perfect Mother's Day card.) No matter how you choose to express it, don't forget to find your own unique and special way to show your mom you love her.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com