Family Briefs

MOVE OVER KINDLE

Sylvan Dell’s innovative eBook format promises
to improve reading speeds, comprehension, and language learning skills

MT PLEASANT, SC - Sylvan Dell Publishing goes LIVE this week with its next generation eBook, proving the company represents “so much more than a picture book;” it represents a full-fledged campaign for literacy in America.

From Sylvan Dell publisher and co-founder Lee German: “These are the most technologically advanced eBooks in the world today, featuring Auto-Flip, Auto-Read, and Selectable Language. There is nothing even close to this on the market. Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble eBooks are not even in the same category. I encourage parents and teachers to take a test-drive and see for themselves. Let the children play with these for a few weeks, and you’ll be amazed at their excitement and improved reading performance. For children wanting to learn a foreign language or ESOL families learning English, these are phenomenal tools.”

Below is a link to a trial of all 45 Sylvan Dell eBooks:

http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J

Code expiration date: 10/31/2009

For guided directions: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/documents/eBookOperatingInstructions.pdf

“Whether in Auto-Flip or Manual Mode, switch back and forth between English and Spanish text and audio (more language choices on the way) and remain on the same page,” said German. “With the addition of Auto-Flip and Auto-Read features, our Sylvan Dell eBooks are powerful literacy and language learning tools to complement our mission of teaching ‘Science and Math Through Literature.’”

Sylvan Dell is no newcomer to literacy education and no stranger to technological advances. Since the company’s founding in 2004, co-founders Lee and Donna German have been ahead of the picture book publishing curve. Last year, Sylvan Dell awarded free eBook site licenses to over 2600 elementary and Title I/III schools nationwide through their School Resource Grant Program.

What’s next? According to German, “We want moms, dads, and grandparents to be able to record a reading of our books and add that audio to the language selection list. This is especially important for military families with a parent overseas. We are also developing an iPhone, iPod, and iPod touch application so that our eBooks will be available on handhelds and an online data capture system to allow teachers to track student reading and quiz performance.”

Sylvan Dell eBooks are available on the company website, http://SylvanDellPublishing.com, as are an array of free educational resources, which include Teaching Activities and Interactive Math and Reading Comprehension Quizzes. For more information about the eBooks, visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooks.php. For more about the eBook Resource Grants: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ResourceGrant.htm.

Well, I never did get around to posting the “follow-up” final review after finishing the first Daniel X book. We DID finish it and loved the story - from beginning to end (minus the mild profanity, mind you :).

So when MotherTalk sent out information about a second Daniel X book, I was quite ecstatic. I signed up, all giggly that I could surprise my 9 year-old with the next book. (He was quite disappointed upon finishing the first book that the second book wasn’t available yet.) He was so excited when the book arrived, but he refused to wait for me to read it to him aloud. He wanted to devour it for himself.

Of course, the stipulation was that he would have to help me blog my review. You know, 9 year-olds really can’t be trusted. He’s sitting right here pouting about having to help me blog about the book. He’d much rather be out raking leaves (which normally I wouldn’t complain about, but I’ve got this deadline hanging over my head). I don’t know what the real issue is, except it’s something I’ve asked him to do. He thinks I should have read the book myself. Heck! It took me three months to read the 6th Harry Potter to myself; the window to read Daniel X: Watch the Skies was about three weeks. I didn’t stand a chance. Besides, I’d rather have the perspective of the 9 year-old to share with you.

He’s tired of pouting and now seems a bit more willing to cooperate . . . . offering to pay him for his time in screen-time dollars didn’t hurt . . . so, here’s the 9 year-old perspective on Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust:

Daniel X is basically the same character as he was in the first book,
except he learns from his dad how to tele-port. So I ask a stupid question, “Isn’t his dad dead?” I am reminded (rather sarcastically) that in the first book, Daniel X figured out how to “be” with his parents by thinking about them real hard. How did I forget that? Anyway, this tele-porting talent comes in handy when he finds himself in the midst of a fight with an alien and needs to “run” home to get something important (he just can’t remember what right now and I’m distracted just thinking about how much good use I could make of this tele-porting ability . . .).

But I digress . . . still loved the short chapter format of the book and loved the science fiction story line with good guys vs. bad guys. Daniel X’s friends (also conjured up by thinking about them) fought about 3000 aliens while Daniel X went after Alien #3 in a really intense part of the book. Daniel X was going after Alien #6 in the first book, which you really have to read to “get” the second book. My son (the smart aleck) won’t tell me who won the battle - he says I’ve got to read the book for myself (and so do you if you want to know).

One of his favorite parts of the book was when Alien #3 appeared on a TV screen and could see Daniel X and his friends about to attack some of the alien’s henchmen. He thought that was a pretty cool power for a bad alien to have. I’m thinking that’d be a pretty handy ability for a mom to have . . . kinda like having eyes in the back of your head :).

All in all, we give both Daniel X books a big thumbs up! Can’t wait for Demons & Druids - the next in the Daniel X series (this book had a sneak preview which makes it doubly hard to wait for it!). Also coming in December 2009 is another book by James Patterson called Witch and Wizard. The preview included makes this sound like an awesome read too! You can find out more about James Patterson by visiting his website at www.jamespatterson.com. Happy reading!

When I was pregnant with our 4th and lounging the summer away at the water park trying to stay cool, another mom of four welcomed me to the “freaky four club.” We discussed how people think you’re weird for having four kids, you know, ‘cuz two is normal.

Yes, we get weird looks and see people counting and wondering if they are all ours. Lots of comments about “how do you do it?” and “I can barely manage the two we have” and “do you know how this keeps happening?” Yes. We’re freaks, but we’re happy freaks.

Fortunately, I haven’t had anyone tease us about our choices in extracurricular activities - for example, not signing our kids up for soccer or t-ball. We pretty much stick to TaeKwonDo, ballet, scouts, and church. Many days, I think that’s too much. Poor Jane (not her real name) apparently gets mocked more than we do because she can’t even use her real name in a blog about their family’s choice to limit their activities!

We’ve opted out of sports because they require practice during the week and a game on Saturday (and God forbid, you sign up for traveling soccer and have to drive two hours just to get to a game!). We love TaeKwonDo for the self control and discipline emphasis, ballet because . . . . well because we have girly girls, scouts for all the God and country emphasis along with all the neat stuff you learn, and church to keep us a little grounded. I mean, really, that’s enough - isn’t it?

So for all of you families out there that are running around from one activity to the next and wondering why you can’t finish your homework, and think we’re weird? I think you’re crazy! And Jane probably does too :).

When I was a little girl, I drove my mother nuts by rearranging my room every week or so. I wasn’t trying to bug her; instead I was seeking some sense of “newness” in my life.

‘Course I didn’t figure that out until MUCH later! Later, as in after you’ve run up all your credit cards buying “new” stuff ’cause you’re out on your own and have the freedom to go do stupid things like buy everything you want . . . on credit.

So thanks to credit card debt, I’m now frugal (that’s my silver lining and I’m stickin’ to it!). So my frugal tip for this week is to stay home and rearrange your stuff, re-purpose something you already have, or use paint to freshen up a space.

Maybe you remember from this post where I mentioned re-sizing and painting an unused drapery rod to hang the odd-sized valance in my daughters’ room? That same weekend, I was on a high rearranging items and finding things around the house to use in spaces where I thought I needed to buy something new. It’s really that “high” feeling I get from seeing things look different - making it look new - that I crave. It’s really not the purchasing (well, I like buying new stuff, but this is supposed to be a post about frugality, for heaven’s sake).

To get some good ideas about rearranging and re-purposing items, check out the Decorating Cents show on the HGTV network. They have a whole segment on the show dedicated to a free room makeover - just rearranging and using stuff you already have! Very inspirational!

So that’s my Frugal Friday . . . what’s yours? Check out LifeasMom for more frugal ideas!

I love it when I come across a great idea, don’t you?  You just can’t pat yourself on the back enough!  I’ve been struggling to find an inexpensive ball rod set for the double window in the girls’ room (I’m still converting it from the nursery now that the caboose is turning three).

As I was sitting at the dining room table this evening, the rod over the bay window in the living room caught my eye.  I stopped talking mid-sentence as my wheels starting turning . . . yes, I could saw off a couple of feet, paint it white, and VOILA!  I have a ball rod set that will be PERFECT!

Now, you may be asking what I’ll do about the window treatment for the bay window.  Well, I’m embarrassed to say that the rod is empty and has been for the two four six years that we’ve been living here!  I knew I didn’t want to hang a curtain there, but I didn’t know what I’d do with the rod and accessories if I took it down.  Plus, it’s been great to tape party streamers to, hang kids artwork from,  etc..   Besides, I figured I’d deal with it when I painted the room.  Here we are  six years later . . . . that’s another story.

So that’s when I had another great idea.  I decided to blog about a frugal idea (not the curtain rod, something else entirely) and thought about starting a “Frugal Friday” meme!  Google led me straight to HER site which popped my balloon completely!  She has some great posts and quite a following for Frugal Friday. . . so if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

So what is my other frugal idea (in case you don’t have an empty drapery rod mocking you each time you pass by)?   You’ll have to come back Friday to find out :)  I’m such a tease!

When I have the time, I keep the house pretty clean, rotating those big tasks (like cleaning the oven, scrubbing baseboards, washing windows, and dusting ceiling fans) periodically throughout the year. As such, my spring cleaning is more of a de-cluttering. I’d like to say that I have an organized way to attack all the accumulation from the previous year, but I don’t. Whatever mood strikes me is where I choose to attack.

Today it was the garage. Our garage, like most, lacks air conditioning. When the sun is out and it’s 90^o, the mood is not likely to strike to go clean it. Today, however, it rained most of the day - thereby keeping out the mosquitoes and lowering the heat (the humidity, however, is another issue).

Working through some of the kids stuff, I found myself sorting the Play-Doh (tossing the old stuff while they weren’t looking), putting the right color Play-Doh back in the “can” with the coordinating lid - thanks to my OCD. I gathered all the cap gun stuff back in it’s box, put all the propellers back with their respective shooters, and put all the paint supplies back in the paint drawer. It’s a very cleansing feeling - getting everything sorted and back in it’s proper place . . . of course it’ll all be undone by this time tomorrow.

See, when things are cleaned and in their proper places, the kids can find them - it’s like having Christmas all over again! Including the fallout afterwards. Now, I do have my kids clean up after themselves like any self-respecting parent would, but they aren’t as good at putting everything in it’s proper place - their method is more a cram it somewhere and run off to get something else out.

I’m hoping Packy the pack rat can help us a bit with our sorting. Sort it Out! is a wonderful tale about a pack rat who collects things. When his mother has enough and instructs him to sort it out and put it all away, that’s just what he does. This rhyming story by Sylvan Dell Publishing is such a fun read, but I think I love the pictures by Sherry Rogers the most. The fun, bright animations remind me of “I Spy” books - there are so many fun things to find on each and every page. On the first page, for example, the fence is made of paper clips; the wagon wheels are tinker toys; the doormat is made of dominoes - LOTS of fun things to find.

As the pages go by, Packy, discovers lots of different ways to sort out his treasures. I love the way the sorted items are put into one succinct rhyming word that is to be found on the adjoining page . . .

“The turtle, the clover, the skinny string bean,
he placed in a pile made of things that are . . . green.”

This has been great for my almost five-year-old who is learning to read.  She has just enough clues to find the word on the adjoining page and shout out, “Green!”  Now, if I could just get her to carry that enthusiasm over into sorting out her stuffed animals into a pile that we could find a new home for, I’d be excited too!

As with all the Sylvan Dell Publishing books, there are activities at the end of the book to keep you talking with your kids about the story.  There are hidden picture challenges, a scientist’s sorting chart, Packy’s sorting cards (which we’ll copy and cut out to “practice” our sorting), and a writing project to stimulate kids’ creativity.

I think I’m gonna head over to their store and buy me a cuddly packrat . . . just to remind me to sort out my own stuff and keep it in it’s place (and toss anything that doesn’t have a place as I’m sure Packy’s mom will do when he’s not looking :-)       ).

One day in the midst of feeling overwhelmed about all the things around the house I needed to do, I stumbled across a great blog post that really spoke to me (because catching up on blog reading is the thing to do when no one has clean underwear). Her feelings about Christmas - honey, I’m all there. Ahem . . . ‘course we still have an Easter basket and a bag full of empty Easter eggs cluttering the countertop.

So what is my problem? If it feels so good to get rid of the clutter, why do I have so much of it!????? The problem lies in that few Read the rest of this entry »

You know all those little pre-packaged fruit snacks? They come in all shapes - princess, Dora, smiley faces, and on and on - the manufacturers make these VERY appealing to little people! I don’t buy them, however, citing to my kids that “it’s not on the list so we’re not buying it.”

These little packages simply don’t provide any snack-worthy benefits, and the dentist says they are awful because these little sugary “snacks” stick to kids’ teeth. So, we only enjoy these “fruit snacks” when they are included in a birthday goody bag or the kids go to grandma’s house. I wish there were a REAL fruit snack that the kids enjoyed as much . . .

Ta da! Here enters Doug with Jerky.com. Doug contacted me about trying some of his products and reviewing them, and you know how I’m all about FREEBIES! He sent me some pineapple jerky for us to sample. The kids quickly devoured it, and my husband almost didn’t get to try it. I salvaged a package for him so he could share his thoughts on it too.

With four children, we’re on a pretty tight budget these days and I was disappointed to find that the pineapple jerky wasn’t $1/box like at the grocery store. Of course, it’s much better for you - why is it that it costs so much to eat healthy?? Well, that’s my soap box for another time. Anyhoo, where was I . . . oh yes, my budget. We buy pineapple every week, have a food dehydrator and decided we could duplicate Doug’s creation - I mean, the label says the only two ingredients are pineapple and honey. How hard could it be?

Apparently they have a magical brew there at Jerky.com. Our jerky just didn’t measure up . . . it fell flat. So, guess we’ll splurge every now and then . . . ‘course with Father’s Day coming up, I should have already ordered one of their Beef Jerky Gift Baskets. You have to splurge a little on fabulous fathers, right? I’m really eyeballing this one. Reckon’ they could get it here in time? I’m off to order!

Can you guess what this is a picture of?

A) A turtle that died eating Easter basket grass
B) A collection of rocks and trash found in my yard
C) Evidence to clear my name

The correct answer is C - this is really gross. Just looking at this picture, I doubt your first guess would have been dried dog poop. Great Dane dog poop. Great Dane-that-finished-my-youngest-child’s-chocolate-Easter- bunny-out-of-her-Easter-basket poop.

The kids thought I ate the last bit of it (which I was tempted because she just wasn’t eating it fast enough!), but I didn’t - I really didn’t. Here in the yard, amongst the weeds and pine needles, I found the evidence. Aren’t you glad I shared it with you?

Summer boredom busters . . . well . . . . our favorite is the waterpark. The best part is, I have my mom give us all season passes as a Christmas present - mind you it’s not very exciting to open (unless you’re the one who has to find a home for all the new goodies delivered on Christmas Day), but an awesome gift come the 90^o mark!

So plan ahead and ask for waterpark passes so you can splash down all summer when everyone is bored. Read my original waterpark post for tips on how we manage the waterpark with 4 kids, and read on for more summer boredom busters:

1) You just gotta have a Wii - wii love the Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Wii Fit! Great during a sudden afternoon thunderstorm or when it’s just too stinkin’ hot. But THIS is the game going on my Christmas list this year!

2) We plant things in the garden - it provides ongoing entertainment (weeding, watering, harvesting, and finding creative ways to keep the critters away from your crops). We’re currently anticipating blueberries . . .

3) I take the badminton set and put it up in the backyard. A little extra physical activity usually ensures good naps!

4) This year we’re heading to the bowling alley more often - they have a great deal during the summer you’ll definitely want to check out!

5) Wash the car - a little extra water play that makes the car look good is a definite win-win in my book! You can even wash the dog (which are known to turn in to automatic sprinklers :-)).

6) We participate in the library summer reading programs - every day during quiet time, I have the two oldest read while the two youngest nap. They record the books they’ve read and turn it in to the library to choose a prize.

Typically, my kids don’t complain to me too much about being bored. I think they know I’ll come up with something for them to do - like organize a bookshelf, scrub the baseboards, file paperwork, de-clutter a closet, or take a nap!