Favorite Books of 2013 ~Tori

This week we will be sharing our favorite books of 2013. To be honest I don't always read books as they come out (unless I'm waiting on a particular book, or following a series). However I have read quite a few books released this year and earlier. So I'll attempt to keep it short and just list some of the more memorable ones.
Also let me just admit this, honesty is the best policy: I have not had the chance to read as many books this year as I usually do. *gasps* I know it's shameful really, I usually always make the time to read, and will make the time again effective immediately. I hadn't really realized until this post how much I've slacked in the reading department this year. Yikes...anyway, on to the post.


Here's some books released this year I have greatly enjoyed:

What Your Dreams are Telling You by: Cindy McGill

::Description::
Why Waste One-Third of Your Life Only Sleeping?Have you ever wanted to receive wise advice about a business proposal, a relationship or a direction in life? Tonight you will have several dreams. Did you know they could contain the very advice you need?It's true.
Join dream interpreter Cindy McGill as she shows you that sleep is so much more than just a time to rest your body. If you pay attention, you can uncover a secret weapon for success--and the keys to unlocking your full potential.

Not only is it possible to remember your dreams, but when properly interpreted, they bring guidance, hope and strength to achieve what may seem impossible. Here Cindy gives you the tools for discovering and decoding these hidden messages, including

-- how to get the most out of your dreams
-- historical and present-day examples of life-changing dreams
-- common dream themes and what they mean
-- 3 steps to discover the genuine message from your dreams
-- a quick-reference guide to common dream symbols
-- how to reawaken your dream life

Solutions to your problems can come on any given night. It's time to listen to what your dreams are telling you.

I am one of those type of people that (depending upon my dream) will put a lot of thought into any meanings. This book is great at explaining some things which worked well for me. I learned a lot of things I didn't previously know about sleep, dream symbols, dream meanings, etc.
While I do not always pay attention to all my dreams I do pay attention to some because I have had some instances where I've had dreams and then something has happened whether it be good or bad. I always just figured it was my subconscious trying to warn me.

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Raising Boys by Design by Gregory L Jantz PHD and Michael Gurian

::Description::
A book about how to help your son become the man God created him to be. Find out what is really going on inside your son's brain and build a HERO who values Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, and Originality. In this book you will learn how to strengthen your sons character, and overall well being. Find out what your son needs from you and develop healthy thoughts and emotions that fit with his brain chemistry. Questions at the end of each chapter will give you personal insights into your son, and the book overall a deeper understanding of raising and understanding your son.

I have two young boys so I'm always soaking up information on parenting, especially when it comes to boys. No matter what it's always good to know too much rather than nothing at all. I do know that as we are all essentially the same, boys process things differently than girls. They think differently and are just all around wired differently. This was an interesting book to read as a mother to two boys as it explains in depth how to talk to your son about self-discipline, technology, sexuality, education, emotions, etc.

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Invisible by Ginny L Yttrup

::Description::
Ellyn DeMoss -- chef, café owner, and lover of butter -- is hiding behind her extra weight. But what is she hiding? While Ellyn sees the good in others, she has only condemnation for herself. So when a handsome widower claims he’s attracted to Ellyn, she’s certain there’s something wrong with him.

Sabina Jackson -- tall, slender, and exotic -- left her husband, young adult daughters, and a thriving counseling practice to spend a year in Northern California where she says she’s come to heal. But it seems to Ellyn that Sabina’s doing more hiding than healing. What’s she hiding from? Is it God?

Twila Boaz has come out of hiding and is working to gain back the pounds she lost when her only goal was to disappear. When her eating disorder is triggered again, though she longs to hide, she instead follows God and fights for her own survival. But will she succeed?

As these women’s lives intertwine, their eyes open to the glory within each of them as they begin to recognize themselves as being created in God’s image.

This book really blew me away. It gave me a whole new perspective and my new favorite words which is the latin words Imago Dei (in English it means Image of God). We all have our own personal struggles regardless of life circumstance, wealth, body type, past history, etc. However we are also equally created in the Image of God. We are who he wants us to be. While we can better ourselves and take care of ourselves we should never feel down about who we are because He holds our hand every step of the way and we are never alone.
In addition to the things this book gave me to ponder about I loved the plot. This is a fiction book, very romantic, and lots of characters to keep you busy. I was actually sad to see this book end.

And I am currently reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. This is his sequel to The Shining so I'm sure I'm going to be on the edge of my seat loving every bit of it. When you want a thrill Stephen King never fails. I did re-read a couple of my favs of his book this year:
Misery & Needful Things both by Stephen King


What have you been reading this year? Any particular favorites you would like to share with the rest of us?

TABOO! TV and Video Games!~priddymomma

When I was a kid, my mom booted me outside daily.  If my brother and I annoyed her, she would say, “Go play outside!”  Sometimes she even locked the door.  We had a television (I’m not that old!), but it was for evenings and mornings.  Afternoons were reserved for climbing monkey bars, playing tag, or jumping on a trampoline, all of which I was lucky enough to be able to do in my own yard.  The cell phone was years away, video games were either Sega or Nintendo (unless your dad was awesome like mine and had an old Atari or ColecoVision), and your computer definitely couldn’t fit in your backpack. 

Fast forward to the present.  Six year olds have cell phones that are capable of accessing the internet, schools have removed recess, and electronic doohickeys are practically attached to us.  It’s no wonder that some parents have begun to put limits on screen time.  There is now a taboo on video games and television.  If another parent asks you how much screen time you allow your child to have daily, it feels invasive.  There is no right answer to this question.

Every limit you set for your child is going to depend on the age and personality of the child.  If your child is usually running through the house, jumping on the furniture, and tumbling through your hallways, you probably don’t have to worry too much about enforcing specific exercise time.  If, however, you have a little couch potato that would rather play video games, watch tv, or read, you might need to be insistent with limits and active play.  Realize also that thirty minutes of screen time might seem reasonable for your four year old, but it isn’t realistic for your teenager trying to watch an episode of “The Walking Dead”.  Screen time also needs to include ALL screens.  We’re talking specifically about tv and video games because they have a bad reputation, but consider computers, cell phones, and iPads as well.

 

For the record, this kid looks way too old for a bottle.  But I digress.

Also important to note is that not all screen time is bad screen time.  There are so many amazing programs, websites, video games, and apps out there!  There are tons of things to learn, and it's okay to use devices to do that!  The problem is that electronics can cause issues themselves.  They can be addictive, keeping kids from reading a book or exercising.  Screen time within one hour of bed can disrupt sleep hormones and keep the user from settling in and feeling tired, usually leading to yet more screen time.  Kids that watch a lot of television develop speech more slowly.  And most importantly, screen time can harm real life connections.

Reasonable limits (such as no devices at the dinner table, within one hour of bed, or while on a camping trip) should be enforced consistently.  Decide as a family where the rest of the limits lie and be respectful of one another during the discussion.  Decide what to do if someone ignores the limit as well.

As for me, my daughter is 19 months old, and my son is 5 years old.  They don’t own cell phones or iPads.  My son gets to play a video game with the help of his dad once a month.  We don’t have cable, but we do let the kids watch DVDs (usually educational).  My kids are also home schooled, so four days a week they hardly get any screen time.  We also try to have a video-free day each week.  During the other two days, screen time might be as high as three hours, depending on what we have going on that day.  But also note again my kids’ ages.  Princess Cheerio almost never sits still for a movie, and Cheerio Champ makes it his life’s mission to run around the dining room as frequently and as noisily as possible.  My kids would much rather go to the park than watch a movie, and I hope that's the case forever.  With less active kids, I would probably suggest different limits.  For us, this is what works.  Your family has to find what works for it and adapt as needed.  

If you have any requests for topics, comment below or email at thecaseofthemissingcheerios@gmail.com  Fan us on facebook!  

Thanks for reading!

Early Intervention

           Wondering if your child needs early intervention can be scary. Parents want their children to grow, learn, and have typical development. Since every child develops at their own pace, it is hard sometimes to realize what is typical, and what is not. If you notice something is different, you may ask, “What kind of help would my child need?” Many different types of early intervention services exist, but it may be difficult to know what is right for your child.

            Early Intervention is a system of services that help children from birth to age three with developmental delays or disabilities. Early intervention is a program to help babies and toddlers learn basic and new skill that are developmentally age appropriate. Areas such as physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and self-help skills are what the therapist focuses on. “The goal of this program is to promote development of infants and toddlers with delays and disabilities, reduce the need for special education services, enhance families' capacity to meet the special needs of their child, and increase identification.” (Cibaby.org).

In Indiana, the name of the early intervention program is First Steps. To receive First Steps services you must have a referral. Doctors normally give the referral, especially if the parent mentions the concern at an appointment. After First Steps receives the referral, they call the family to set up a meeting. At the meeting, the coordinator sets up a date and time for the evaluation. During the evaluation the therapists play with the child. The evaluation is based on the age. The therapist checks to see what your child knows compared to what is expected of the child’s age group. The therapist may have your child roll, jump, sort, or talk. They evaluate for all areas of development to see what services the child may qualify for.

 First Steps services include three main therapies: speech/language, physical, and occupational. There are different services for different needs. Some children qualify for more than one therapy, but each therapy has a focus.

            Speech-language therapy is for children who have a delay in their speech or language.  Parents may notice an occasional error in their child’s speech, or may think their child does not speak as clearly as his peers. The best thing to do is to get a referral for an evaluation. Some speech disorders include: articulation disorder, fluency disorder, receptive disorder, expressive disorder, and Dysphagia. Speech/language pathologists work with children through song, games, flash cards, and much more.

Physical therapy is for children who have a physical delay. It can be something simple, as in the child is not crawling at an age appropriate time, or more intense, like a child born with Cerebral Palsy. A doctor may refer a child for physical therapy if the child has an injury, is born with a disability that may limit the child’s movement, or does not develop typically. A physical therapist works with the child by using strength building exercises, water therapy, building flexibility, and practicing balance and coordination activities. 

                 

Occupational therapy focuses on developing independence. Wendy Harron says, “Some people may think that occupational therapy is only for adults; kids, after all, do not have occupations. But a child's main job is playing and learning, and occupational therapists can evaluate kids' skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.” (kidshealth.org) This is a great explanation of an Occupational therapist’s job. Some children may need occupational therapy if they have birth defects, sensory processing disorder, autism, learning/behavior problems, and developmental delays .

            Early Intervention is an amazing program of services for children. The program focuses on getting the best of each child. Did you know that if a child needs services and is enrolled in a therapy before the age of five they have a better outcome? Since there are so many services an early intervention program offers, they will help you find what will work for your child. Their goals are what your goals, as a parent, should be. Help your child achieve all their dreams, and start early!

 

 

Favorite Thanksgiving day recipe!

Thanksgiving! I love the holiday season, and I LOVE being around my family. I have some favorites for the meal, but I must admit....I rarely cook. I bring the veggie tray to snack on while we are getting the rest of the food ready, and/or the rolls.

One of my newer favorite and very simple recipe is:
Pumpkin pie dip
all it is-

• Cool whip (I used fat free)

• Instant vanilla pudding (again fat free)

• Can of pumpkin

We use graham crackers to dip in it, some use vanilla wafers, apple slices,  or animal crackers.
You can use whatever you think would taste good!

Really the rest of the food is a traditional thanksgiving day dinner. We have a bunch of family, we always have lots of food! Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, turkey and noodles, and all the other carb-loaded foods you can think of. Usually the typical pies and desserts as well. Pumpkin dip is my favorite! Its light and taste!





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