LeapFrog Tag Reading System?

In 3 different stores recently, Lydia (3), has gravitated towards the LeapFrog Tag Reading Systems that are displayed.  Recently, she snuck away at Best Buy as we were trying to find a multi-CD player for the boys (which, may I say, are now IMPOSSIBLE to find? Without spending upwards of $200? For kids who love to  borrow audiobooks from the library, this is causing serious upset in our house since the current one we have is broken.)

BUT, back to the LeapFrog Tag Reading System! When my boys were young, they had LeapPads that they loved.  I remember they were a big investment (like this system) but they had years of enjoyment from them.

From the description of the Tag, it sounds like I have to be more involved than with the LeapPads. Each Tag holds 10 books, and if you happen to have more than 10 Tag books, then you need to swap them out via computer.  I do like they have books that would interest her -- like Olivia, Fancy Nancy, and Disney Princess books.

I know it's not a replacement for reading to her, but I'll be honest and say that we read quite a bit in this family!  I think she would love the independence this system would give her.

So -- readers -- do you have a LeapFrog Tag reading system?  Tell me your pros & cons! After having to physically remove her last night from the display at Target, I'm leaning towards buying her one, but would love to hear your thoughts!

Stuttering Awareness Week - May 10-16, Some Facts

This week is National Stuttering Awareness Week.  Earlier this week, I posted a video of Nate presenting some information about stuttering. He has come so far during the last few months and we are very proud of him!

His speech therapist has helped him be more aware of his bumpy speech, and has provided him with tools for smoother speech. He knows that he needs to relax, breathe deeply, stretch out the first sounds for some words, and remember to pause during long phrases or sentences.

More importantly, he also knows that even if he tries to do all those things, he will still have episodes of bumpy speech. It's a long process, and he will probably have to be aware of it for the rest of his life.

One thing that has encouraged him is learning about famous people that have also struggled with stuttering.  Did you know James Earl Jones, Julia Robers, Darryl Sproles, Joe Biden and even Lewis Carroll stuttered? The Stuttering Foundation has a great list on their site of famous people who stutter.  They also have a number of free brochures that can be downloaded with information about stuttering.

The National Stuttering Association has local group meetings that we will look into this fall (they don't meet during the summer.)  They have a video on their site right now of a recent interview with Joe Biden on The View, where he talks about growing up with a stutter.  I found it interesting, especially that he was still embarrassed about it as an adult.

I am so very proud of our son and the effort he has put forth in working on his stuttering.  It has never stopped him from speaking to others, and he is a very happy, friendly child. I have definitely noticed that he does talk with his peers more often now that he has been learning how to control it more.

It still breaks my heart, though, when I hear kids make fun of him, or talk behind his back. Everyone has their quirks and differences -- and I would hope that parents would help their children learn to accept others as they are.  I'm happy that Nate is learning to stand up for himself more often, and is excited to help others learn about stuttering.

If you know someone who stutters, Nate says the best thing you can do is to let them talk.  Don't interrupt or finish their sentences for them!  It also doesn't help if you tell a child to slow down.  It's not that they have to slow down; it's that their brain and their speech machine has had a disconnect somewhere along the line and needs a moment to reconnect.  He says the best thing you can do is be a friend.

Tell Me Thursday - Drive

I took this picture Wednesday afternoon as I was driving home.

I was about 4.5 hours from home, so I was looking at a long drive to get there.

This represents some of the changes on the horizon for our family.  I alluded a few weeks ago to some changes, and me traveling for work is one of them. At the time, I was thinking of one potential client -- but this trip was for another client.  At the time, I didn't know travel was a possibility with them, but sometimes when you decide to open yourself up to more possibilities they begin dropping into your life.

This trip was the first business trip I'd taken in about 12 years. It took me to a remote part of our beautiful state, and allowed me to take in the gorgeous scenery that fills our state.  I still don't  understand people who insist the desert is brown and boring.  This time of year, it's a beautiful, lush green that is punctuated by interesting mountains. I truly love Arizona.

Before agreeing to this trip, I talked with Bo, and he was fine with it.  Until a few days prior when he admitted he was  bit nervous about me going alone. And then the day before he told me he was going to follow me to make sure all went well.  His concern was sweet, and understandable -- I've never taken a solo road trip since we've been together and I spent the first 5 or 6 years of our time together with a fear of freeways (it came on, hung in for a few years, and I'm mostly over it now.  Odd)  In the end, though, I drove myself and he stayed home with the kids.

It was a good trip.  I stayed at La Posada, which is one the last Harvey Girls hotels and was designed by Mary Colter. It was charming and quaint, with a good (albeit pricey) restaurant. I had the pleasure of changing rooms each night.  At first, I thought that would be a hassle, but it turned out to be quite fun.  I was able to experience their Standard room (rather small, with just a shower), their Standard Plus room (a bit larger, with a tub and shower) and finally their Howard Hughes room.  That was a treat since it was very large, with ample seating and a jacuzzi tub. 

The training went well, and it's always fun to have students for more than a single day.  Most of the time, I teach one-day classes, so it's nice to get to know them over a few days instead. 

And then I drove home.  To my waiting family, all of whom survived without me for the duration. Changes require stretching, and I'm glad we're all willing to stretch with life!

Wordless Wednesday - Drive

Stuttering Awareness Week -- May 10 - 16

Today kicks off Stuttering Awareness Week! As many of you know, my 7yo has a stutter and started speech therapy this year to help him learn the tools he needs to control his stutter. As part of the sessions, his speech therapist helped him put together this presentation.



It's tough to see the page of links included, so here they are:


www.stutteringhomepage.com
www.friendswhostutter.org
www.nsastutter.org
www.stutteringhelp.com

If you have any questions for Nate about his stuttering, or stuttering in general, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I'll have him respond in a future post!

The Circus Is Coming to Phoenix!!

Last June, we had the opportunity to take our children to the circus for the first time.  Bo has fond memories of going as a child, so we were excited to make those memories for our little ones.

The circus is coming back, and we're excited to be going again this summer!  Last year, my kids were amazed at how long the show was -- at intermission they couldn't believe it was only intermission because they had already seen so many amazing things.

The show will be at the Phoenix USAirways center from June 23 through the 27th. It's an all new show from last year - Barnam's Funundrum - celebrating the 200th birthday of P.T. Barnum.  The show is "Featuring 130 performers from six continents, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, cowboys, pirates, and mermaids, Barnum’s FUNundrum! is a super-sized spectacle so massive you just can’t miss it!"


Tickets go on sale today at 10AM.  I am thrilled to have an awesome discount code to share with you! If you buy tickets for the Phoenix show, use the code "MOM" and purchase 4 tickets for $44!  Additional tickets can be purchased for only $11 each.  This code is good for all performances (Excludes Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats)

You can purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the USAirways box office. You'll need a flyer with the code to purchase at the box office, so email me and I'll send it right back.

Want a sneak peek of what to expect? Check out this fun video!

I hope to see you & your family there in June!

Tell Me Thursday - Whole Foods Allergy Tour

When my sister discovered her new food allergies, I thought immediately of Whole Foods Market. I know they sell food that is healthy -- free of chemicals, fake stuff, antibiotics, etc. Whole Foods was definitely on the short list for grocery stores full of things she could potentially eat.

We were lucky enough to have a personalized tour a couple Saturdays ago with Dusty, who works in the Whole Body section.  Dusty is a wonderfully warm, energetic, informative woman who also happens to cope with her own set of food allergies.  Dusty danced us through the store and showed us item after item that Jane could successfully add to her diet.  She did it with enthusiasm, humor and a big dose of information.

Our mom was in town that week, so she and Lydia joined us on the tour. She was amazed at how many things were available that fit into Jane's limitations and was glad that she was able to go with us.  She also commented on Dusty's positive attitude and how refreshing it was.

Some of the surprises -- there's a sour cream that meets the allergy requirements! There are 2 dairy-free cheeses that don't have yeast as an ingredient! Rice milk chocolate tastes REALLY good!

I had sent over a list of Jane's food allergies prior to our tour, and Dusty did her best to accommodate them all.  Because Jane is allergic to citrus, as well as yeast, that means that vinegar is out, as well as the common vinegar substitute -- lemon juice.  She showed us some wonderful flavored olive oils that could be used as a salad dressing without vinegar.

We all appreciated the honest evaluation of products that Dusty showed us. If something may require an acquired taste, she let Jane know.  She also encouraged her to add coconut to her diet to help build up her potassium levels, since she is allergic to bananas. She showed us her favorite coconut milk (in the refrigerated section) and also shared that there are other options that are shelf-stable.

While the prices of specialty foods are higher, they are available at Whole Foods and many can't be found elsewhere.  I know people often lament that the store is expensive, but if you purchase items from their 365 brand, they are comparable to other stores.  They have a wonderful produce section, and the prices for in-season fruits and vegetables are comparable and sometimes even less. 

Once again, I was blown away by the friendliness of staff. The store is such an inviting place to visit, and everyone is eager to help.

In the car later, we both said that we could have wandered around the store for 2 hours and never found 1/2 the products that Dusty pointed out.  Jane left feeling more encouraged and a little less overwhelmed than when we walked in.  So, I count the visit as a success!!  I offer many, many thanks to Dusty and all those at Whole Foods that helped make it possible.

I will share reviews of different products in the coming weeks, as I'm sure you're all eager to find out what she's tried!

Wordless Wednesday - Whole Foods Allergy Tour

Mother's Day Gift Ideas from Whole Foods

When I had the chance to highlight some gift ideas for Sonoran Living last week, I wasn't able to talk very long about each gift and some I wasn't able to mention at all.  One of the gift bags that I wanted to talk about was the one put together for me from Whole Foods Markets.

I love their reusable bags. They are extremely sturdy and come in a variety of sizes. I actually have 2 of these bags and use them often for small purchases.  I have also used them as gift bags, since they are such a convenient size!

This bag was full of extremely useful things for a mom.  A tub of Hugo Naturals Dead Sea Salt Scrub was the first thing I had to open up and sniff.  I love the smell of lavender and this has a wonderful scent. The scrub isn't harsh at all, but left my skin silky smooth with a lingering scent of lavender.

A tin of "Get Relaxed" tea from The Republic of Tea has a touch of lavender in it as well.  This was a lovely tea to end my day with after a long day in front of a packed class of students learning about the advanced features of Excel.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the Kate's Magick Aura Mist. The scent I received was "Heart & Spirit"  It was labeled as helping "to open the heart to love, compassion and healing."  I find myself spraying it in the office as I work, and even spraying it on myself as I head out the door. I like the scent, which isn't at all flowery or perfumery -- but it is relaxing and calming.  I like the fact it is made locally here in Arizona.

I love handmade soaps, but don't often indulge.  I didn't know that Whole Foods Markets in Tempe offered the chance to slice off chunks of some deliciously aromatic soaps.  I liked the scents of the ones they gave me, but when shopping there today I noticed that the soaps are completely free of glycerin.  Glycerin is one of the things my sister is allergic to, so I'm always on the lookout for beauty products that are glycerin-free.  They are made with oils, goat milk and essential oils.  As long as she avoids the essential oils she is allergic to, these are great soaps for her, too!

And, finally, in the bag was a bottle of Whole Foods Women's Food Based Multi-Vitamins.  While pregnant and nursing, I was good about watching my food and supplementing with vitamins, but I have not been as careful in the last year.  This was a great reminder to me to take better care of myself and I have begun taking the vitamins.

I think they put together an absolutely wonderful gift bag for Mother's Day and am grateful for the chance to indulge in these great products.  If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, I highly recommend checking out the local Whole Foods Markets and seeing what they offer!

Later this week, I will write about the tour of Whole Foods and their many allergy-free products! We've  had company in town, but I'm hoping to get it on the blog soon.

Disclosure: I received products for review, but no additional compensation for this post.

Wrapping Up Another School Year

This was a different homeschooling year, as we depended on the district's online curriculum for the first time for the bulk of the boys' learning.  We knew I would work more this year, and thought it would be a good tool for us so I would have less planning and the boys could be more independent in their schooling.

They both did very well, and we are getting ready to put a wrap on this school year as they have completed all the necessary work to advance a grade level. It has been challenging some weeks as my hours have been steadily increasing, but they have put forth strong effort and have stayed well ahead of the requirements. They have finished up their work with a month left in the school year!

They both have recently expressed an interest in learning Latin, so I have purchased a Latin reader and workbook that they can do over the summer.  It's wonderful to see their enthusiasm for learning, and this desire for learning Latin came from them alone -- as I had only briefly considered it a year ago.

This ends our current homeschooling journey. I feel sad in many ways about this decision, but we have always said that we would take it one year at a time. We have made the decision to enroll them next year at our local public school.

Contrary to what people assume -- it is NOT because I think they are getting too old for me to teach. It is NOT because I am tired of teaching them at home and think it's time they get out of the house and my hair. It is NOT because they don't have enough opportunities to socialize.

I am perfectly capable to continue teaching them all they need to learn, and helping them find the knowledge they seek about pretty much any subject. I love helping them learn, and consider it one of my greatest triumphs that I helped both of them learn to read. I enjoy spending time with my children, and will miss the hours we've spent together.  My boys have some very good friends, and are perfectly capable of carrying on conversations with a variety of people.

The simple truth is that our family dynamic has changed, and my increasing workload has brought us to the decision that they should enter school in the fall.   We're hoping that this allows us more free family time, without lessons squeezed in after work and on the weekends.  The scheduling of Nate's speech therapy will be woven into his school day, and we won't have to juggle appointments to get him there.

Homeschooling worked best for us the last 4 years, but it's time for a change. I will miss it, but I'm excited to be with my boys as they have new experiences and opportunities. We will continue to provide multiple opportunities for them to learn, and will continue supporting their quest for knowledge in every way we can.  In no way will I ever abdicate my responsibility for their education.

For now?  We're going to celebrate the completion of another great year.  I haven't quite figured out what that celebration will be, but it will be a big one as this is a major milestone for us all.