Star Jars: Cure for Complaining!

Okay, so "cure" might be overstepping it a bit, but this has been a great method at controlling the amount of complaining that goes on around our house.

The Rewards of Hard Work

Meet E's new friend Eleanor! Eleanor arrived yesterday and is the culmination of months of hard work.

New Shoes

I hate shoe shopping. Let me clarify... I hate shoe shopping for the kids. One child is bad enough, but somehow two children in a shoe store multiplies the trouble exponentially. One is pulling the boxes down from the shelves as fast as she can to empty them of their contents while the other is begging me to buy her the hideously ugly and impractical shoes she's clutching dramatically to her chest. I turn my back for a minute and they've both taken off - in opposite directions - and by the time I've rounded them back up someone has put away the boxes of shoes I had set aside to buy. I eventually escape from the store with my sanity barely intact... and my wallet $100 lighter.

My kids, however, love shoe shopping. In fact, they love shoes. A in particular. She will pull out all the shoes in her closet and my closet and parade around the house in an assortment of heels, slippers, and flip flops. When I came across this book, it reminded me of her:


The Red Shoes by Eleri Glass

"They call me from the corner, ruby whispers, shiny silver giggles." Thus do the red shoes summon the little girl as she shops with her mother. She hates the parade of dull lace-ups that the clerk brings before her, and she begs her mother for the beautiful and impractical red shoes. But mothers are not easily persuaded...

The story is illustrated in colors as dull and boring as the shoes the mother wants to buy. Only the red shoes burst from the page in brilliant color. I loved the language of the book ("My feet huff, puff, like two tired trains"), but I loved more the playing out of the relationship between the mother and daughter. I know first-hand how strained a mother and daughter can get when there's a battle of wills, but I appreciate how the book ends with a special moment between the two as the little girl is tucked into bed... with her red shoes peeking out from beneath the blankets!

So what about you? Do your kids like shoe shopping? And do you have any suggestions for crafts involving empty kid-size shoe boxes?!? I now have four.

Compassion...

The point of our "week in Thailand" was to get the girls more excited and familiar with the homeland of Aom, the child we sponsor through Compassion. Today's activity was a simple one: draw a picture for Aom. According to the letters we receive from Aom's family, she loves art and is a pretty exceptional artist herself. I thought this was rather impressive for a 5 year old:

For comparison, here is the picture E drew for Aom:

In case you were wondering (and I certainly was) the big thing is a tree and the little thing is a flower. We'll be sending this picture, along with a letter and updated picture of ourselves to Aom and her family via Compassion.

If you've ever been to a Christian concert, event, or even just surfed the Internet, you have probably heard of Compassion International. According to their website, "Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults."

There are many reasons why we chose to sponsor a child, but here are a few:

• Encourage Generosity. We chose our sponsored child during the Christmas season to help refocus E from getting to giving.
• Teach Multiculturalism. We want our children to respect and value diversity.
• Promote Prayer. We pray for Aom and her family almost every night, allowing E the opportunity to consistently pray for a child she has never met.
• Practice Our Faith. The Bible calls for us to care for "widows and orphans" (in other words, those who struggle to care for themselves). We like that Compassion works with local churches and faith-based organizations. Sponsoring a child is a simple but very practical way we can put scripture into practice.

If you're interested in sponsoring a child, visit Compassion's website or just click on the widget below. You can view available children directly online and even choose gender, age, and country if you'd like.





Sponsor a Child

Bear

As new parents, we worked so diligently to get our difficult, fussy firstborn attached to a transition object: a plush elephant blankie, fondly named Ellie.

Once the bond was formed, it became unbreakable. Bedtime... naptime... any separation from Mommy required Ellie's soothing presence.

When she was two, the unthinkable happened and Ellie was lost. For two hours we endured our daughter's hysterics until, with flashlights and desperation, we located Ellie in a corner of the playground. The next day we spent $65 on eBay for a backup Ellie... it was worth every cent.

Now, nearly five years after she entered our lives, we are ready to say goodbye to the little elephant. Yet that bond we worked so hard at forging is proving just as difficult to break. Our daughter cannot dream of giving up her faithful friend and constant companion.

And perhaps it's too soon to push her into making that sacrifice. After all, she's bound to outgrow her blankie eventually. It's not like when she's thirty, with kids of her own, she'll still have a beloved and raggedy transition object lying on her bed...

So obviously, I am not the best role model, but the dilemma remains. Share with me... how did you get your kids to say goodbye to their favorite blankie?

Owen by Kevin Henkes

From the author of Julius, Baby of the World, this little mouse-tale follows Owen as his parents do their best to break him of his blanket-addiction. Owen's neighbor Mrs. Tweezers suggests "helpful" solutions such as dipping the blanket in vinegar or having the Blanket Fairy take "Fuzzy" away. Owen finds ingenious ways around these endeavors until it's time for him to start school. Unable to take Fuzzy to class, his mother comes up with the perfect solution: turning Fuzzy into a handkerchief.

Thankfully, E has never tried to bring Ellie to school, but I also don't think she would ever let me cut her up! I love Henkes' ability to capture the simple cares and joys of young children in his approachable characters. This is a good one to at least introduce the concept of letting go of that ubiquitous transition object.

Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

When he was a baby, Joseph received a blue blanket from his grandfather. A few years later it is tattered and torn and his mother declares it must be thrown away. "Grandpa can fix it!" declares Joseph, and Grandpa turns the blanket into a coat. When the coat becomes too small, Grandpa turns it into a vest. This cycle repeats, following Joseph's growth as the blanket transforms into a tie, handkerchief and button. When Joseph loses the button, he turns it all into a wonderful story!

Gilman retells this Jewish Folktale with gentle narration and beautiful illustrations. It's a sweet tale of growth, transformation, and the love of family.