"The Fight of Our Lives"

Book Review Time
I just finished "The Fight of Our Lives" by William J. Bennett and Seth Leisbsohn and am slightly shaken up. The catch line on the cover is "Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam. Admittedly, before reading this book I followed the media-fed, prevalent school of thought that the war going on in the Middle East needed to be ended. But as this book pointed out, since when has the war against terrorism become something we need to end instead of win? Why are we so afraid to call muslim terrorists by that name since that's what they call themselves? Why do we feel the need to protect "moderate" muslims if they don't stand up and rebuke these extremists? When a "christian" bombs an abortion clinic, the rest of the christian community immediately stands up and cries out against this travesty.
"The Fight of Our Lives" answered a lot of questions I didn't even know I should be asking. It isn't an easy read but definitely one worth reading.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

Math books and Jean Jumpers

A few days ago I took the hand of a friend of mine who has homeschooled for a couple of years now and braved my first homeschooling curriculum fair. Suddenly I wished I hadn't dyed half of my head bright red and why on earth did wearing tight, though comfy, yoga pants seem like a good idea? To be honest there were lots of woman who would describe their sense of fashion with the same adjectives as I would.(I used the word "adjective" cuz I homeschool.) In fact awhile back I took the kids to the library during the day and a woman there asked me if I homeschooled. When I replied, "Yes.", she said she did too. This woman was as goth punk as ever you've seen and with joy and delight I took this woman's hand and said,"Oh good! You don't look like you would own a jean jumper!" She laughed and I cried with relief. Could it be I was mistaken with my stereotyping? Is anyone every not mistaken with their stereotyping? I'm still not over my surgery from 3 weeks ago so the book fair wasn't as pleasant as it could have been. Holy Crowds Batman! I had no idea! There was more pushing and shoving at the bargain bins than at a blue light special! Okay I made that up but in truth you could see the look of hysteria behind many of those polite faces, mine included. I figure it cost me $1300 last year to homeschool and it'll cost me about $900 this year so if I can get a spelling book for 50% off, look out! I've got steel elbows and I ain't afraid to use them. (But I can't use the word ain't cuz I homeschool.)

Not all I Once Was

Today marks the one week anniversary of the death of my appendix. Somehow I thought the removal of a body part would be no big deal. I was feeling like a whimp and wondering why it was I am still in so much pain. I only wondered that until I watched an appendectomy on YouTube. Not for the faint at heart. Basically the make a 2 inch cut, stretch it back with special tong-like things, then reach in and grab whatever part of your large intestines is closest. They then pull pull pull until they come to the place where the appendix is located, thus leaving a nice little pile of your insides lying on your outsides. After tying the appendix off, it's cut off, sewn and cauterized. They then pull more intestine out for inspection. Now the really lovely part. With a pair of blunt tongs, they rather unceremoniously, stuff everything back. Nice.
Don't get me wrong. You'll hear no complaints from me. I prefer sore and lightheaded to having three motherless children living in my house.
This is my shout out to all of the incredible people in my life who have cooked and cleaned and called/emailed over the past week. Quite frankly YOU ROCK! I thank God for you every day. He has been so kind to me throughtout this and has put it on the hearts of so many to make sure that my family's needs are being met. Thank you all for following His promptings.

We Be BIG

If you're looking for the next great literary masterpiece, I suggest you look elsewhere. "We Be BIG" by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey with Don Keith read more like a grade 8's report on what they did for summer vacation then a published biography. However, any book that glorifies God in all of life's hills and valleys can't be all bad. The first few chapters took some perserverance but by halfway through the book, I found myself actually caring about these two men and the journey they took to becoming some of radio's "biggest" personalites. It would have been more enjoyable if they had gone into more detail regarding the crazy schemes and practical jokes they played on other radio stations instead of plotting through the moves they made from one small station to the next. If you are a fan of the "Rick and Bubba" show you would likely enjoy this quick read.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

World Record Breaker!

I can now scratch another item off my bucket list. I have been a part of a Guiness World Record Break. Yesterday was the 200th birthday of the Macintosh Apple. To celebrate, the apple growers of Ontario hosted a huge party at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. There they attempted to break the record for the most people bobbing for apples at one time. I took the three kids and became a part of history. What an incredible day! They had apple cupcakes, apple cider, candy apples, huge loot bags, bouncy castles, crafts, games, raffles, photo booths all for FREE! (have I mentioned that's my favorite word?) At 12:30 we all lined up in front of our individual bins, which each contained 10 apples). We were supplied with a poncho and scrunchie. The girls all started using the scrunchies to tie back their hair until we were informed they were to tie our hands behind our backs. I can proudly say I managed to get all 10 apples out! It's all about sacrificing your hairdo.

"The Power-Based Life"

Admittedly, when I chose to read "The Power-Based Life" by Mike Flynnt I didn't realize what kind of a book I had chosen. I didn't realize it was written by a football player who lives and breathes strength training. If I had, I wouldn't have chosen to read it. I have always considered myself a bit of a gym rat but this book was more then I could bear. Too many football/weights analogies. I actually almost didn't finish it. There are many good points made in the book such as checking your attitude, being merciful, and not succumbing to the lie that your body has to degrade with age. "The Power-Based Life" reaffirms my belief that you ought to take care of your body since it is so complexly intertwined with your mental and emotional state. I would only recommend this book to people who love, and I mean LOVE, football. If that isn't you, you'll find yourself skimming for highlights like I was.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

"Picture It" Picture Book review

I was sent a "Picture It" picture book created by Alicia Belvedere and Leanne Milech to review. This particular one is titled "Captain Zane". Picture It books have a story but your child illustrates it. I love the idea and when it arrived my three kids ages 11,9, and 8 were happy to do a couple of pages. The narrative given on each page was written in a way as to make it very easy for a young mind to come up with a picture. If the cover of the book was nicer I would have considered this a fun keepsake but it looks rather cheap and unappealing. The other problem was that it wasn't shipped in sturdy enough cardboard so by the time it landed on my doorstep, it was badly bent and crinkled. So badly bent in fact that it was hard for my kids to draw in.
I asked my two oldest kids if they would have been happy to receive a Picture It book as a gift. (They are both boys) They both said rather unenthusiastically " Ya." My 8 year old daughter who loves crafts enjoys it though and will likely be the one who fills it. It's a nice idea for long waiting rooms or other situations where you don't want to hear your child say,"Mom, what should I draw?"