Mommy Brain

McDuff and the Baby by Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers
McDuff Saves the Day by Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers
The Beginner’s Bible
Franklin and Harriet by Paulette Bourgeois & Brenda Clark

The Case for Faith for Kids by Lee Strobel & Rob Suggs
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church by Brandon and Mindy Withrow

Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Getting Burned (Nancy Drew All New Girl Detective #20) by “Carolyn Keene”
Murder on the Set (Nancy Drew: All New Girl Detective #24) by “Carolyn Keene”
Dressed to Steal (Nancy Drew: All New Girl Detective #22) by “Carolyn Keene”
Bright Shadow by Avi
Scooby-doo Mysteries #23: Scooby Doo And The Seashore Slimer by James Gelsey
Scooby-doo Mysteries #06: Scooby-Doo and the Vampire’s Revenge by James Gelsey
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
Troubled Waters (Nancy Drew: All New Girl Detective #23) by “Carolyn Keene”
Matilda by Roald Dahl

Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne
Spider Kane and the Mystery at Jumbo Nightcrawler’s by Mary Pope Osborne
Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne
Scooby-Doo and the Farmyard Fright (Scooby-Doo Mysteries) by James Gelsey

Everything I Know About Monsters by Tom Lichtenheld
The Invisible Man & Other Cases (Einstein Anderson, Science Detective) by Seymour Simon
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson

(Alvin & the Chipmunks Classic Holidays was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of this feature and giveaway.)

Alvin & the Chipmunks Classic Holidays came just as the autumn weather was setting in and the kids started asking how many days until Halloween. This DVD gift set includes three Alvin & the Chipmunks DVDs, one for Halloween, one for Thanksgiving, and one for Christmas.

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I finished Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski. You can read my review at Books and Movies.

Thanks, everyone, for playing along. The winner of the 3-2-1 Penguins! DVD is…

… Blakely!

Congratulations, Blakely. Watch your e-mail; I’ll be contacting you for your mailing address.

Stay tuned, folks, cause I have another great - and Thanksgiving-themed - giveaway tomorrow.

(Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of this feature.)

“What they did to my sister Patty and to the other children was horrifying. For me, Willowbrook is a perpetual mourning.” ~Kate Meskell

It was a nightmare that shocked not only New York, but all of America. The public outcry about the Willowbrook State School for people with developmental disabilities resulted from Geraldo Rivera’s expose after he had entered Willowbrook with a film crew in 1972, using a stolen key. Unforgotten takes us on a tour of the facilities and interviews residents and their families about the inhumane treatment that shocked our nation.

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(War Dance was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of this feature.)

The superb documentary War/Dance reveals the redemptive power of music, even in the most horrific places. Focusing on three children in their early teens in war-torn Uganda–stoic Nancy, driven Dominic, and soft-spoken Rose–War/Dance tracks the efforts of the school of a refugee camp called Patongo to compete in Uganda’s countrywide music competition. The contrasts are staggering; in interviews, the children describe their parents being killed by rebel soldiers, then footage of rehearsal shows them joyfully singing and dancing with their classmates. Some of the sequences are harrowing (a scene where Nancy grieves for her murdered father is painful to watch), but without them, we wouldn’t understand how hard-won are the feelings of pride and accomplishment as their school performs for the competition’s judges. The built-in structure of the competition gives this documentary a clear and engrossing storyline, much like Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom, but the heartbreaking circumstances and the emotional openness of the three teenagers makes War/Dance even more compelling. In one particularly striking scene, Dominic talks to a captured rebel officer, hoping to learn if his brother is still alive. As they talk, the soldier–who’s around the age Dominic’s brother might be–tries to be helpful, and explains almost offhandedly why the brother is most likely dead. The casualness of this conversation, devoid of Hollywood histrionics, speaks volumes about how violence has infiltrated these people’s daily lives.

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Fall is officially here, and I am loving the cooler weather. Autumn is my favorite season; I’m not quite so crazy about what comes after. If I had my way, it would snow the first week in December, stay through Christmas, and go away on January 2nd. I live in the wrong part of the country for a person who doesn’t like cold, snowy, long winters, and hot, dry, long summers.

The archery tournament was fun, and Josiah won first place! He was pretty excited - this was the first extra-curricular activity he’s gotten involved in, so it was cool that he excelled. Of course, the fact that he beat his sister and brothers - all older than him - made him pretty proud, too.

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(3-2-1 Penguins! Save the Planets! was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of this feature and giveaway.)

From the creators of VeggieTales comes 3-2-1 Penguins! - a hilarious new world filled with faith, fun and flightless birds. 3 Adventures - 2 Many Aliens - 1 Wacky Bunch of Penguins!

“The Green-Eyed Monster:” Jealousy between two groups of sheep - separated by only a picket fence - causes green-eyed monsters to appear and eat everything in sight! Can the Penguins restore peace before the planet completely disappears?

“More is More:” The Gutt citizens are addicted to sugar frosted cereal and their insatiable appetites are threatening to throw the planet off course! Will the Penguins convince these over-indulgers that moderation is the key in time to set the planet straight?

“Give and Let Give:” A planet full of garden gnomes and pink flamingos argue over water rights on their draught-stricken world. How will the Penguins teach these feuding lawn ornaments to share so that everyone has enough?

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(iCarly: Season 1, Volume 1 was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of this feature.)

Hey there, people of Earth! It’s Carly, Sam and Freddie coming to you with some of the best episodes from Season 1 of iCarly! Revisit favorite iCarly moments and web features like iCrush It, iSpit Takes, random dancing, and more!

Episode list:

1. iPilot
2. iWant More Viewers
3. iHatch Chicks
4. iDream of Dance
5. iLike Jake
6. iWanna Stay with Spencer
7. iNevel
8. iScream on Halloween
9. iSpy a Mean Teacher
10. iWant to Date Freddie
11. iWant a World Record
12. iRue the Day
13. iPromise Not to Tell

Here’s what Natalie thought:

iCarly is a TV show by Nickelodeon about a web show that is really famous called iCarly. Her neighbor, Freddie, and her best friend Samantha, otherwise known as Sam, do the show with her. They do a show once every week and they have a lot of viewers. My favorite episodes are: “iDream of Dance,” “iScream on Halloween,” “iWant a World Record,” and “iPromise Not To Tell.” I really like this show!

iCarly: Season 1, Volume 1 is available now on DVD. DVD special features include “Leave It All To Me” music video, extended & exclusive making of the music video, and behind-the-scenes extras.

(Dinosaur King: The Adventure Begins was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

Step into the action of Dinosaur King! From SEGA and the masterminds behind Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! comes the new hit series that combines the ultimate in exciting 2D and 3D dino-animation.

Join the D-Team - Max, the son of a world-famous paleontologist, and his friends Rex and Zoe - in this prehistoric adventure that begins when they uncover a set of mysterious dinosaur cards and three palm-sized stone tablets that have the power to bring extinct dinosaurs to life! Whoever controls the cards is master of the dinosaurs… With their new power, the three friends are thrust into a quest to collect the lost cards that have been scattered around the world - before they fall into the hands of the evil Alpha Gang! Dinosaur King is your destiny - make your move!

Episodes include:

~ Prehistory in the Making
~ Battle at the Pyramids
~ Tanks a Lot!
~ Bungle in the Jungle
~ Rubble Trouble

First, let me just say that the people who make Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and now, Dinosaur King are geniuses when it comes to creating programs that appeal to boys. Take fantastic creatures - either Pokemon, creatures, or dinosaurs - add in a liberal dose of silly comedy, some exciting battles, and a lot of talk about “destiny,” and you have a show that will appeal to any young boy. While I see Dinosaur King as yet another Pokemon clone, my boys see it s a funny, thrilling show about two of their favorite things: collectible cards and dinosaurs.

Noah’s review: It was very, very fun. It doesn’t have the complete season, but it’s a good show. I think every DVD that you get comes with a Dinosaur King card. 4 and a half stars.

Jonathan’s review: Dinosaur King is a very great show because these dinosaurs come to life from cards. If you deal with this dino-holder, then they slide the card, and the dinosaur comes to life. 5 stars.

Josiah’s review: 5 stars.

Dinosaur King: The Adventure Begins is available now on DVD. The DVD special features include Behind the Roar Triceratops, a Sneak Peak at Dinosaur King from SEGA, and an exclusive Dinosaur King trading card.

Callapidder Days is hosting Fall Into Reading 2008. Click over if you want to join. It’s not complicated, just write a post of the books you want to read between now and December 20th. Then add your post’s permalink to the Mr. Linky.

I posted my Fall Into Reading 2008 list over at Books and Movies, if you’d like to see what I’ll be reading the next few months.

In my never-ending (well, it has to end by November 4th, right?) quest to determine my vote for president, I’ve been doing some research on the candidate’s position on school choice and homeschooling. I’m disturbed by the fact that Obama’s official web site doesn’t even mention homeschooling in his education plan. I’m also concerned by the fact that he has opposed school choice and seems to be falling in line with the teacher’s union when it comes to his plan for education.

I know I have some homeschooling readers who support Obama, so I thought I’d ask for your thoughts/opinions on this. Are you at all concerned that homeschoolers may lose some freedoms under an Obama administration, or do you think that unlikely to happen? If you have any links on Obama and school choice and/or homeschooling, I’d love the tip. And thanks in advance for your honesty.

Please remember to keep comments civil. I know I have just as many homeschooling readers who support McCain, and I don’t really want this to turn into a huge debate. I’m more curious as to how Obama’s supporters have reconciled his views on education in their own minds, or whether other issues have outweighed this particular issue when making their decision.

(Schoolhouse Rock: The Election Collection was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of this feature.)

It’s election time and your vote counts! So get into the spirit of 1776 with 15 fun and classic songs that celebrate everything that makes our country great in Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection on Disney DVD! Plus, keep track of the actual voting results in all 50 states with the exclusive Election Tracking Kit with stickers and experience the new to DVD song “Presidential Minute” - with two surprise endings!

A generation of young Americans learned that American history and government could be fun with the award-winning animated series Schoolhouse Rock. Now a whole new generation of patriots can be inspired by memorable songs that explain how our government is set up in “I’m Just a Bill” and “Three-Ring Government,” how the electoral college process works in “I’m Going to Take Your Vote to College,” and more! Your house - and the White House - are gonna rock this year!

Songs include:

~ No More Kings
~ Fireworks
~ Shot Heard ‘Round the World
~ The Preamble
~ The Great American Melting Pot
~ Mother Necessity
~ Sufferin’ Till Suffrage
~ I’m Just a Bill
~ Three-Ring Government
~ I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College
~ Tyrannosaurus Debt
~ Tax Man Max
~ Walkin’ On Wall Street
~ Energy Blues
~ and more!

What could be better during this election season than a collection of Schoolhouse Rock songs? I remember many of these songs from Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid, and I love that I can share them with my kids - and they can learn some important basics about our country and government.

The kids and I have had a few conversations about the election process in the past few weeks, and they know that Kevin and I have been wrestling with our vote for president. I’m excited that the kids are old enough to understand what’s going on as we elect our president - and this DVD has given me some great tools for a little mini-unit leading up to November 4th.

The DVD includes a fold-out map of the US, with each state showing how many electors they send to the Electoral College. There is also a sheet of blue and red stickers so that you can keep track on election day of which way the states are voting. I’m not sure if the kids will be able to stay up all night as the results come in, but we’ll watch some of them and keep track. After all, not every country has the privilege of electing their leader, and I want the kids to understand that Election Day is pretty special.

Schoolhouse Rock: The Election Collection will be available on DVD on September 23rd, and you can pre-order it now.

Jonathan turned 9 yesterday (long birth story post here), so we will have Mom and Dad and Don and Michelle and their boys over for a party tonight, including Jonathan’s dessert of choice: brownies with vanilla ice cream and chocolate magic shell topping. Which sounds wonderful, and wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t given up sugar the day after Labor Day. Sigh. Thank God for Dreyer’s Slow Churned No Sugar Added Fudge Tracks.

Saturday, we have an archery tournament and a potluck at the park. Sunday, church and another Seahawks game. I’m trying hard to hold on to my optimism.

We have gotten into a good school schedule and things seem to be rolling along quite smoothly. The kids are really enjoying Living Learning Books Science: Chemistry. We made atoms out of playdough this week. Our read-alouds have been especially wonderful, including Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, and Peril and Peace: Tales from the Ancient Church by Brandon and Mindy Withrow.

We finished Prima Latina this week. Jonathan and Josiah will be taking a break from Latin for a year or two, while Natalie, Noah, and I begin Latina Christiana I and Ludere Latin. I even got my own copy of the workbooks. Am I a geek to be really excited about that fact?

~ Speaking of things to get totally excited about, Alexander McCall Smith, author of 44 Scotland Street is writing a new serialized novel called Corduroy Mansions, and you can read it for free at The Telegraph.

~ Stephanie Kallos, who wrote Broken for You, one of my favorite books this year, has a new novel coming out in January, called Sing Them Home.

~ In Defense of the Best Show on Television: bet you can’t guess what it is!

~ Books. Lists. Life. posted a video on the election by Craig Ferguson. And, in case you’re wondering, I have decided that I will be voting on November 4th. I’ve also decided who I’ll be voting for, but I haven’t decided whether I want to share and open up that whole can of worms. Still pondering that one.

~ The Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards) will be opening up nominations for the 2008 awards on October 1st.

~ Remember Free Rice, the vocabulary game? They have different categories now: languages, chemistry, art, geography.

~ J. Kaye at J. Kaye’s Book Blog is giving away a copy of Inside Out Girl by Tish Cohen.

~ Redlady’s Reading Room is giving away a copy of The Professors’ Wives’ Club by Joanne Rendell.

~ To Know the Season - a beautiful post from Tonia at Study in Brown.

I got another one of those e-mails again today. You know the ones.

~ From a personal friend of Sarah Palin, assuring us how sincere and wonderful she is.

~ Telling me how I can pray the Psalms for Sarah Palin, or John McCain, and get lots of blessings for myself.

~ Telling me how wonderful Cindy McCain is and how if I vote for John McCain, it will be like getting two-for-one.

I know that sounds a little one-sided, but most of the people whose e-mail lists I am on happen to be Republicans.

What got me ticked was the last one, about Cindy McCain. Now, for all I know, all the things the e-mail said about Mrs. McCain could be true. That’s not what bothered me. This was the last statement:

“This is for all you Barack voters.

From Barack’s book, Audacity of Hope: ‘I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.’

HE DID NOT SAY STAND WITH AMERICANS!!!!!”

Notice the ALL CAPS and tons of exclamation points? Well, it must be true, right?

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong - not even close to a correct quote.

Here is the quote that people have twisted beyond recognition:

“In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific assurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction. ” from p. 261 of The Audacity of Hope

Please, check your facts before hitting that e-mail forward button, regardless of your opinions on the candidate in question. (Check FactCheck.org or Snopes.com) It’s one thing to disagree with a candidate’s political views; it’s another thing to take part in the spreading of lies and half-truths in order to help your candidate of choice.

Okay, I’m stepping off my soapbox. For now.

Kevin turns 43 today. It would be so cool if you could click over to his site and wish him a Happy Birthday!