tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:12:55 +0000Faithfully Trekking during Life's Uncertaintyhttp://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)Blogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-726083506901482497Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:37:00 +00002008-02-14T20:03:27.089-06:00Here's a great conversation starter to talk about real beauty with your impressionable girl. My daughter and I talked about how real people look real, not like advertisements.It's also a great idea to talk about how lots of things are how they seem, and comparing ourselves to what we think someone else is like is not an accurate comparison because we never know what's under the beautiful facade.http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/02/talking-about-beauty-with-your-daughter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-418729951804261952Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:24:00 +00002008-02-01T18:29:04.936-06:00If you're having trouble convincing your child to throw away his gum instead of swallowing it, you may want to let him know that the government has released a new report on the dangerous side effects of ingesting gum.Included in the brief were pictures such as the one below. I feel like this is a pretty compelling image that shows what can happen when we swallow gum:http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/02/warning-from-fda-bubble-gum.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-105244215905665145Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:30:00 +00002008-01-22T11:38:31.576-06:00Around the HouseAll my adult life, I've been stuck on being simple. Part of that is minimizing what I buy and the other aspect is getting rid of what I already have. Billy and I have done some major decluttering since we're trying to sell the house, and today, I came across a great resource for taking decluttering step-by-step.Here's a link where you can sign up for a free decluttering calendar. This breaks http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/tackle-it-tuesday-free-decluttering.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-7851460488676871378Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:42:00 +00002008-01-20T21:57:46.489-06:00Lighten the Mood http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/pacifier-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-1774059751300108360Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:16:00 +00002008-01-17T14:23:05.814-06:00Why It's All WorthwhileOne year ago, this precious girl came into the world, after just 13 hours of labor, during which I watched Mother and played Uno. She's grown a bunch. Here's a more recent picture:http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/happy-birthday-ashlyn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-1534953187448010708Sun, 13 Jan 2008 14:00:00 +00002008-01-13T08:02:08.324-06:00Lighten the MoodI found this great idea for saving money on child care. It only makes sense with the way American prices are going.Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseashttp://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/save-money-on-childcare.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-849671006255837833Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:40:00 +00002008-01-12T08:47:46.206-06:00Why It's All WorthwhileWe have a night-time ritual at our house that goes like this:Go to the bathroomBrush your teethRead a chapter in a bookTell our favorite parts of the dayPrayListen to Norah Jones' song "Don't Know Why"We've done this for years, but recently that last part that has become such a fun thing for me.Lately, Eve has adapted the song to be her own expression of love and gratitude to me, and her words gohttp://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/singing-songs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-2091737171941253044Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:00:00 +00002008-01-09T13:23:13.656-06:00ReviewsFor Christmas, my mom bought my oldest a board game called Herd Your Horses. This was sparked by Eve's new-found fascination in all things equine.When Eve first asked me to play, I agreed in the interest of fostering a strong relationship with my daughter. Board games are often the last thing on my list of things I'd like to do, but it's important to sacrifice our desires to bond with our kids,http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2008/01/herd-your-horses-great-game-for-horse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-3192172745266450389Sat, 15 Dec 2007 13:00:00 +00002007-12-15T10:12:24.009-06:00The Tough StuffReviewsA couple of months ago, I wrote about my desire to start sharing some information about my daughter's biological father.I also knew that she was getting to an age where I needed to tell her about reproduction, so I thought reading a book about this would be a good way to broach the subject of her absent parent.The book I chose was The Wonderful Way That Babies Are Made by Larry Christensen.I was http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/12/review-wonderful-way-that-babies-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-29456974990495325Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:02:00 +00002007-12-11T17:02:08.832-06:00My youngest daughter was born in January, so for 11 months now, I've been successfully breastfeeding her. The plan is to go for a year. But after that, I don't really want to continue for various reasons. So, I've begun the weaning process. One of the first and biggest surprises I came across was that I hadn't emotionally prepared for the process. I thought I was quite ready to wean when I http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/12/weaning-breastfed-baby-emotional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-8818750542365615277Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:31:00 +00002007-12-05T15:08:44.312-06:00ReviewsBeing sick when you have little children is a mother's worst nightmare. The baby doesn't stop needing you, and while the 7-year-old can entertain herself the noise level never seems to get soft enough.This week I lived my worst nightmare for 4 days straight - from Saturday until Tuesday. In that time, I had swollen glands in my throat, 2 ear aches, chills, stiff muscles throughout my body, and ahttp://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/12/being-sick-when-you-have-little.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-4046410218581607445Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:51:00 +00002007-11-28T06:02:22.640-06:00Lighten the MoodCheck out more Wordless Wednesday entries at 5 Minutes for Mom.http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/11/wordless-wednesday-two-toothless-grins.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-4121877094378309031Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:01:00 +00002007-11-15T08:10:30.851-06:00TacticsSomehow, everything seems like more fun online...even motivating children. My latest find for encouraging my kiddo through technology is JoesGoals.com. This is a simple website you can use to track goals (in our case, this includes chores). We set one up today for Eve. Here's what hers looks like so far:The set-up is easy:1. Open an account by giving your password, first name and a password.2http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/11/virtual-chorechart.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-5340288552718990283Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:56:00 +00002007-11-09T18:56:41.524-06:00MarriageAround the HousePlanning and organization seem to immediately draw the romance out of dreams, and it can be deflating to have to sit down to write out just how our dreams will be fulfilled. But there is some truth to that overused adage: "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."And frankly, we're tired of failing at our dreams.So, we got out the paper and pencil and got to work.First, we did what's called a mind http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/11/marriage-dreams-gtd-style-make-plan-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-1323783167580780122Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:13:00 +00002007-11-06T21:53:47.151-06:00MarriageAround the HouseDreaming in the marriage is an important part of unity. Eharmony told us so. The Weekend to Remember told us so. And the Intimacy in Marriage class we took at church told us so.But there comes a point when dreams become a means of frustration. Sometimes my husband and I dream so big that it's almost depressing to think about how far we are away from them.So, this last week, we sat down with http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/marriage-dreams-gtd-style-living-dreams.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-8444813404871518988Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:46:00 +00002007-10-31T17:47:50.429-05:00In the KitchenIngredients:Deli Smoked Turkey Breast Hoagie BunsSliced Mozzarella CheeseApplesCut Hoagie Buns in half.Layer Turkey, Apple Slices and CheeseBake at 300 for 20 minutes.YUM!http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/simple-sandwiches-open-faced-elmos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-9177664341176099178Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:26:00 +00002007-10-29T14:57:12.916-05:00We took a walk this afternoon around the block, and I got a strange feeling. I had the overwhelming sense of happiness at being in the suburbs.There was a time when I thought that I wanted to live in the city. I wanted to forego the car and walk everywhere. I wanted to live in Greenwich Village, NYC.I'm a far way away from New York, that's for sure. But today, I pushed the stroller up a hill http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-suburban-existence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-7858996843748848298Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:37:00 +00002007-10-27T19:12:24.322-05:00The Tough StuffWhen I started this series last week, I took an approach based on some findings by David Kolb that addresses learning styles and investigates a topic from multiple directions.Four questions -- why? what? how? and what if? -- relate to 4 different learning styles. I am a "2." This means I like to reflect on information. It means I don't often invent or try to push the boundaries. I don't oftenhttp://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-if-i-didnt-homeschool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-5838453177003708804Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:51:00 +00002007-10-23T13:45:19.529-05:00MarriageI stood in Walmart today analyzing which maple syrup had the best price for the amount of thick sugary goodness it consisted of. Last time I bought syrup it was too runny. I decided on Mrs. Buttersworth Original variety, and headed to the check-out.Two years ago, I would have never done such a thing, and I can barely believe that I've done it now. But this is what it means to be married.Sure, http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/syrup-in-cupboard-merging-two-into-one.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-6103956693811479074Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:37:00 +00002007-10-27T19:09:39.364-05:00Around the HouseThere are some various aspects to this area of homeschooling, but I thought I would highlight 2 of them:Year-round SchoolingI really feel like the 3-month break for summer is just asking for trouble. I'm a much bigger fan of the idea of spreading your days out and essentially going year-round.We still school for 180 days, but we do this in smaller chunks with more short breaks.For example, we http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-i-homeschool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-3680423899330413492Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:36:00 +00002007-10-27T19:10:24.617-05:00ReviewsAround the HouseWhen I googled "Homeschool Curriculum" a year ago, the first site that came up was Sonlight. After just reading the tag line in the search results, I knew I had my stuff."Sonlight Curriculum's literature-rich approach to homeschooling provides a dynamic and unique educational program."Sonlight doesn't use text books. Rather, it uses smaller reference books and narrative history lessons. This http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-i-homeschool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-564293090462147030Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:33:00 +00002007-10-27T19:11:24.805-05:00Around the HouseThere's a myriad of reason why I home school, but here are a few of the clinchers.Schools teach to the middle. Early last school year, I talked to my daughter's kindergarten teacher at a local private school with a concern about her reading. She happened to be quite a bit ahead of where the classroom instruction was. When I asked her teacher how this would be handled the reply was, "Don't worry. http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-i-homeschool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-1246575903235810180Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:08:00 +00002007-10-16T07:54:53.073-05:00The Tough StuffTacticsLately, my husband and I have been looking at the issue of lying and the punishment that might be appropriate there.Honesty is of highest value in this home, so not only do we want our children to not lie, but we want them to see the benefit of telling the truth, too.So, here's the dilemma:If a child feels guilty about a transgression and fesses up, can a parent really punish the kid? I mean, http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/teaching-honesty-or-encouraging-lies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-5795771934113958953Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:51:00 +00002007-10-15T19:59:26.032-05:00For blog action day, I thought I'd list some environmental awareness websites that are targeted to kids. I haven't looked at these thoroughly, and I am not recommending them. I'm simply putting them out there as sites that looked decent enough.Environmental Kids Club -- from the US EPARanger Rick -- order some great magazines or check out their site for information on animals and environmental http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/environmental-website-for-kids.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8345202062398114638.post-1253074680437009827Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:26:00 +00002007-10-15T19:41:25.603-05:00TacticsRecently, I've found myself unsure about how to correct poor behavior in my child. Most of the time, I like for the punishment to fit the crime--both in severity and relevance.For example, one time our daughter wouldn't answer a question that her father asked her, so her discipline was that she was not allowed to talk for double however much time it took her to answer. (That is, if it took 5 http://parentingthroughthegreatunknown.blogspot.com/2007/10/correction-can.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sarah chia)0