The Crazies!

While typically my blog posts focus on book reviews, I'm interrupting our usual programming to offer a brief glimpse into other aspects of life. We have hit that time of the year known as "The Crazies!" This time of the year is brought about by the schedules of a variety of activities all coming to a frenzy at once. This event doesn't happen often but when it does we are in full tilt running mode. My blog break this evening comes during my only evening at home in two weeks. So why this sudden hit of the crazies? Here are the pieces as they have occurred and are continuing to occur.

Chicago day trip: Friday, April 8 was our anniversary. We decided to take a whirlwind trip to Chicago with our children to see the Van Gogh exhibit. We really wanted to see this special exhibit and discovered this was the only day that would fit into our schedules before the exhibit closes on May 10. So, while celebrating our anniversary with children in tow wasn't ideal, they enjoyed getting a day off school. It was great fun and we enjoy going to Chicago but also enjoy coming home.

Public Presentations Contest: On Saturday, April 9 both children participated in the public presentations contest at our local 4-H office. When we sign up for projects in the fall, they are excited about doing them. However, in reality, the presentations were being pulled together while enroute to Chicago on Friday but went fairly well.

Talent Show: On Sunday, April 10 both children participated in a talent show sponsored by our 3 county 4-H unit. One recapped her vocal solo from her contest in March and the other recapped his public presentation, a comedy routine, from the day before.

Music Festival: Thursday, April 14 was the county music festival where one child participated in the county chorus. The concert was a lovely presentation by junior high students from around our county. A lovely side benefit was being home before 8 p.m.

Hippology/Horse Bowl: Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16 was the state 4-H hippology and horse bowl competition. For the past two years I have "coached" or more accurately organized our county team for this competition. It includes a one day regional competition in March followed by a two day competition in April. All three days involve getting up at the crack of dawn to travel and then long days of competition. We were pleased with our results, particularly that our junior team placed 4th in the state, and we had a good time.

Robotics: This year I am working with our new county 4-H robotics spin club. We have been preparing for our first state competition which is scheduled for Saturday, April 23. Every spare evening for the last two weeks when the building has been available has been spent working on our LEGO Mindstorm robots and getting the fine tuning completed for that event. It will be great fun for all but involves another long day of travel and competition.

Choir Tour: Our children also participate in church choir. The 5th and 6th grade choir take a short overnight choir tour to another church before presenting their home choir concert. This helps them get used to traveling on tour in a low key way. Choir tour however is scheduled for April 23 and 24 which is also robotics competition! So, my son and I are joining the choir members at the hotel Saturday evening before Sunday's morning choir performance in another town followed by a home concert at 4 p.m.

Recital: Sunday, April 24 is also my daughter's voice recital back in our hometown at 2 p.m. But I'm in another town almost two hours away for choir performance that morning. Thankfully, since I'll be in my own vehicle due to robotics on Saturday, I've arranged to leave as soon as the choir is finished that morning so that I can make it to the 2 p.m. voice recital which will finish just in time for the 4 p.m. choir performance.

I predict at 6 p.m. Sunday, I will collapse in bed!

How Are You Smart?

Dr. Kathy Koch explores the variety of ways someone can be smart in the new edition of her book How Am I Smart?: A Parent's Guide to Multiple Intelligences. This book does a great job of bringing Dr. Howard Gardner's concepts of Multiple Intelligence to a level understandable and applicable to all. Dr. Koch spends several chapters introducing the concept of various smarts and then delves into each of the 8 smarts individually. Throughout the book she gives many examples of how student lives have been changed by realizing they are smart in various areas as well as how this information has changed adults as well.

This an an updated edition of the previous 2007 publication. The major differences seem to be new examples that incorporate more social media and other technology that has become even more common place. A new companion website exists which contains a free smarts assessment available via the passcode contained in the book. This book was an easy read but gives good ideas of how to find the different ways in which children are smart and suggestions on how to encourage them. I recommend this book for parents of young children who are in pre-school through early elementary. While there is some worthwhile information for parents of older children, it is definitely aimed for parents of youngers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and Moody Publishers. 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.”

Where Is Your Hope?

During the current election year, I'm reminded of the hymn "My Hope is Built."

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus and his righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

I'm reminded that as believers our hope must be firmly placed on Christ and built on what He has done for us. Humankind has accomplished many things, but none of them measure up to the ultimate sacrifice made by Christ. Too often, we place our hope on the right political leader, right educational qualifications, or whatever "right" set of circumstances come we feel are needed to accomplish the task at hand. While I long and pray for peace in the world and in our country, I know that peace can only be found through Christ. No matter who wins the presidential nominations, the election in November or anything else that may seem important, build your hope on Christ.

Playing the Part

Jen Turano's newest book Playing the Part is a light, enjoyable read in the Christian historical genre. Actress, Lucetta Plum, must leave New York quickly and takes on a new identity in a hidden location, hence the name of the book. Under her new identity, she and her companions have all sorts of crazy mishaps and the identity of several characters is revealed. In addition to hidden and mistaken identities, a dash of romance and mystery is added along with several other plot twists. Readers must stay on their toes to keep up with the crazy antics.

Playing the Part is the third in a series of books titled A Class of Their Own. Readers familiar with the other books in this series will already be familiar with some of the characters. However, Turano does a good job of introducing the characters to new readers sufficiently enough to move the plot along and to encourage readers to pick up the earlier novels. The two main characters are developed just enough to pull you into the plot and to be satisfied with the conclusion but not so much that you clamor for a sequel. Likewise, the plot demands the reader pay attention but is light-hearted. The characters' faith is incorporated into the story as part of their daily life but doesn't move the plot along significantly.

Overall, this book is a quick, fun read for individuals who like Christian inspirational literature. Appropriate for teens and older.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. 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.”

Untangled: Reads Like a Chat with an Experienced Mom-Friend

The description of Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Dr. Lisa Damour caught my attention immediately since I do have a teenage daughter. I was not disappointed!

In Untangled, Dr. Damour emphasizes that separation is a normal and vital part of adolescent development and the road to adulthood. However, how parents choose to deal with these issues is important to long-term relational health. Dr. Damour outlines what parents can expect as their daughters transverse their journey in seven chapters, or transitions, entitled Parting with Childhood, Joining a New Tribe, Harnessing Emotions, Contending with Adult Authority, Planning for the Future, Entering the Romantic World, and Caring for Herself. The content of each chapter deals with topics that are pertinent to teens as they age with the later chapters dealing with weightier issues. Although not quite yet to some of the later chapters, I frequently found myself nodding in agreement concerning situations we've experienced or thinking that's why this or that happens.

While Dr. Damour is a highly qualified psychotherapist and brings with her research and insight from her practice at the Laurel School for Girls, reading Untangled feels like sitting down to talk with a good friend who journeyed farther down the path than you. As she is a parent herself as well as a practitioner, her writing and the ideas shared are intensely practical and have passed the "real life" test in addition to the ivory tower. I would caution that Untangled is from a secular viewpoint and thus shares about topics such as sex and substance abuse. I found Damour's approach fair and appropriate and found much that is applicable.

This book is highly recommended for parents of pre-teen or tween girls as well as teenagers. Reading the book when your daughter is 10 or 11 is ideal so that you are prepared when those first transitions begin. If your daughter is past those first transitions, you still need to read Untangled to help accompany you along the remainder of your journey.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley. 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.”

The Heart of the Fight

Good relationships require good fights according to Judith Wright and Bob Wright in their book The Heart of the Fight. To many people fighting seems like it has no place in a happy, healthy marriage. However in this book, the author's emphasize that fighting, when done properly, can help couples get to know each other better and result in a stronger marriage relationship.

In The Heart of the Fight, Wright and Wright outline 15 different types of fights common in marriages. Rather than encouraging readers to find ways to not fight about these issues or persuading the wife to submit to her husband as the leader of the home,the authors encourage readers to look for the "why" behind the issues causing their disagreements in order to focus on making the relationship better. In doing so they encourage readers to develop "six skills for battling to bliss." These skills are then used to discover what you really "yearn" to have and how to "engage" in a fair and living fight. As licensed marriage and family therapists, the authors back up their ideas not only with leading research in the field but also provide real life examples from couples in their practice. This combination of research AND practical examples results in ideas that can actually be implemented.

The Heart of the Fight is highly recommended for numerous audiences. It is written directly to couples and will work best when a couple chooses to read the book together and utilize the suggested techniques. However, marriage and family therapists and other counselors will find this a useful resource for their own shelves as well to utilize with couples and to use as an idea source book. My one disappointment with the book was the seemingly gratuitous use of some foul language. This seemed to be included to illustrate "real life" examples between couples but seemed unnecessary in a professional book. Overlooking the poor choice of words, this book is an excellent choice to add to your bookshelf. For this title a printed copy is recommended as readers will find themselves wishing to flip back to an earlier page or to consult a list of questions or suggestions. The e-copy did not lend itself easily to that usage.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications. 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.”

A Refuge at Highland Hall

After reading and reviewing The Governess and The Daughter of Highland Hall, I was very excited to have the opportunity to read A Refuge at Highland Hall. You will notice there is a slight change to the title of this third book. The titles of the first two books focus on a person or main character where the title of this book places the emphasis on Highland Hall as a place.

For those who have read the previous titles, A Refuge at Highland Hall picks up with the younger daughter, Penny. While definitely desirous of a proper society husband, Penny's outlook on life differs from her older sister primarily due to her older sister's marriage and subsequent choices. Another important change is that England and London are in the midst of World War I. This important factor causes the entire London household which now includes numerous orphans to pack up to find A Refuge at Highland Hall. As the story unfolds, the family and the orphans are not the only ones who find a refuge at their home. Love, forgiveness, and personal growth all occur in this place.

While the story mostly revolves around Penny, there are several sub-plots that emerge as well. The distinction between the upper-class and the serving class begins to diminish in many ways, but the stark contrast and disdain the two classes have for each other is also portrayed. Germans who were living in England at the time and are now at a prison camp and the feelings toward Germans and Germany at the time are also highlighted. These sub-plots add to the excitement and drama of the story but also make it even more important that readers be familiar with the previous volumes in this series although Turansky continues to provide enough backstory to inform the reader.

At the end of A Refuge at Highland Hall, most of story is tied up in a bow as one would expect. However, there are just enough loose ends and maturing characters to make the reader hope that there will be more adventures at Highland Hall.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and Blogging for Books. 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.”