WW & SEW: C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

For more Wordless Wednesday, head to 5 Minutes for Mom,
and Special Exposure Wednesday, head to 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Book Review: This is Your Brain On Joy

This is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Henslin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Very rarely can I find a book that approaches a topic with medical expertise, sensitivity to a person's hurts, and acknowledgment that what our deepest need is God (and to know him intimately). This book does all three! With an extremely fresh and educated perspective, Dr. Henslin explains that the constant struggles we have (be it addiction, anger, depression, etc) can be modified. We don't have to live with them, but we must deal with them from many angles. Based on his experience, a brain scan (SPECT scan) shows us which part of the brain is most effected, which allows for a more accurate diagnosis.

He does believe that medicine is often needed, but he also gives many other tools in this book based on which part of the brain is most effected. A checklist is included. For each part of the brain (and correlating issue) he addresses nutrition, supplements, preferred exercises, Scripture, types of music, books on the topic, and a variety of other helpful tools. I think the nicest surprise of the book is that it isn’t boring at all. Besides being informative, it’s witty at times and the personal stories are inspiring!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with emotional pain or who has a loved one struggling. For more information...

Dr. Henslin's website includes his speaking schedule and the the ability to sign up for the Brain-Heart Matters Newsletter.

He blogs!

Henslin and Associates offers counseling.

Amen Clinics provides the SPECT scans mentioned in the book.

Kids' Picks: Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy

Last week Children's Classics had a "dog" theme. During the brainstorming process, I kept thinking about the following books. They were written in 2005 & 2007, so they can't be considered classics. However, they definitely fall under the Kids' Picks category in our home!

Author and illustrator: Nick Bruel
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan)

Bad Kitty is the story of a cat who flips out when his owner runs out of the usual cat food and Kitty must eat healthy food. Upon receiving this news and seeing the assortment of vegetables, Kitty goes on a rampage. Once his owner is able to properly restock the pantry, Kitty is in heaven again, and becomes "Good Kitty" long enough to fix all the things he did wrong. The story line is hysterical, the illustrations are colorful and descriptive, and Bruel finds a way to get through the alphabet 4 times!

1. Healthy Food: Asparagus, Beets, Cauliflower, Dill...and 22 other equally unappealing vegetables.
   
2. So she: Ate my homework, Bit grandma, Clawed the curtains, Damaged the dishes, and so on.
   
3. Tastier things arrive: An Assortment of Anchovies, Buffalo Burritos, Chicken Cheesecake...
4. Restoration: Apologize to Grandma, Bought me new Toys, Cleaned her Cat box....down to Z.

Kitty is so good that at the end of the book she is rewarded with a "new friend", Puppy. Needless to say, Puppy enjoys Kitty's company much more than the reverse! "Kitty doesn't want to play with him. Poor Puppy."

So puppy has to...

• Play by himself: 1 Airplane, 2 Balls, 3 Cars...all the way to 26 Zoo Animals
• Dream about playing with Kitty: Apple Bobbing in Antarctica, Baseball in Brazil, Checkers in Canada (Timothy loves all the different countries)
  

In Poor Puppy, there is a sub-plot with a toy mouse that your child can find in every illustration starting with "15 Old Cat Toys He Found Under the Sofa". So clever! We have the paperback versions, but there are also hardback, and even this cute "Cat Nipped Edition".

This sequel to Bad Kitty came out last year...

Bad Kitty Gets a Bath came out in 2008, and we haven't read that one yet. Bruel decided to make it a low-level chapter book so that this series is growing along with its readers. We bought these when Timothy was 3, and he has gone from enjoying the silliness to reading them himself. He will love this new book that puts him in the reading "driver's seat".

Click here for a detailed description of it, along with some excerpts.
Click here for an interview with the author about this book.

For more Kids' Picks, head over to 5 Minutes for Books.

Magic Marker Monday: Autographs

Timothy was very excited at Disneyland to get autographs from each of the Disney characters we met. However, when it was time to meet our favorite Cars characters, Timothy pointed out the obvious problem, "Mom, they don't have hands. They can't sign my book." As I was trying to come up with an answer, Timothy said, "I know, mom, we can sign FOR them." So here you have the signature of Lightning McQueen, forged by Timothy:

For more Magic Marker Monday, please go to 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Disneyland #5: Misc Photos and Tips

My very first Disneyland photo:


The kids got pictures made with Chip 'n Dale on Main Street, but the Treehouse is in Mickey's Toon Town. They climbed it several times!

These chains were almost the death of me. They were the one ongoing PAIN of the whole time there. My kids wouldn't get their hands off of them. First of all, I wanted them to move up in line whenever it was time. But more importantly, all I could think about was all the germs they were touching!!!

TIP: I just thought that I should have pulled out my Baby Wipes (anti-bacterial wipes even better), and had the kids clean the chains while we stood in line.

Disneyland Railroad TIPS

From my friend Sheila...if you want to ride the train w/o going all the way around the park, just go from Tomorrowland to Main Street, U.S.A. That's where the dinosaurs are, and they're cool!

I only saw 1 of 3 trains with this, but the 1st train we rode (our train got "held" so we had to get off) had an enclosed caboose. It felt more like a train, and the kids loved it!

Ride to skip TIP: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage-first half is completely boring, second half was terrifying for Samantha (yet still boring).

Love this photogenic boy!





CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:

Pixar Parade at California Adventure-this was a must see for us, especially since my kids really know Pixar characters better than they know traditional Disney characters. This was our last event, and it was the perfect way to cap off our trip!

TIP: We had great seats, right across the street from the WD Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar (thank you, Sheila). We only had to get there about 20 minutes before it started, and it was a great location to see the floats coming from far away. And then they stopped right in front of us, so I got good shots!

TIP: Go to Engine Ears Toys (on the right as soon as you enter California Adventure) and buy a box of Mr. Potato Head pieces! You pay $19, and then you fill your box with whichever accessories you like. We got Darth Vader, Donald, Minnie, Mad Hatter, Buzz, and Tinkerbell!

Playhouse Disney Show-this is so cute. You'll want to get in line 20-30 minutes before the show starts, but there are TVs set up in the line which really help.

TIP from Sheila that is a must...unless you're going to be on the 1st 2 rows (on the floor, by the way) just go straight to the back. The kids can stand up back there, and there are benches for the adults to sit on. It's win-win!

In case you haven't heard, Disneyland is super expensive! We got a really fantastic deal that expires in June, which is why we went now. However, if that hadn't been the overriding factor, I definitely would have...

1. Waited to take the kids with Dan (sniff sniff)
2. Waited until both kids were 40" tall

That being said, we had a wonderful experience. It exceeded my expectations!

This will be the last write up about our trip, but there will be one more Wordless Wed next week about California Adventure! Needless to say, this was just the tip of the iceberg of everything we did, and if you have questions about other rides or activities, I would be more than happy to answer them!

Disneyland #4: Fantasyland and Bug's Land

So let's talk about rides for the little kids. Fantasyland is the section for this at Disneyland and Bug's Land is the section for this at California Adventure. I have a friend with kids just a little older than mine who found Fantasyland completely boring. If all of your children are 40" or taller, I think you could bypass Fantasyland altogether as many of the rides mimic adult rides. However, if you have a child 40" or shorter, this is the place to go! Our time in these 2 sections ended up being the most fun because both kids could go on every ride. I didn't have to disappoint Samantha, and we maximized our time by riding rides and not skipping rides. And if a vehicle didn't fit all 3 of us, I stayed with Samantha while Timothy rode (or drove) on his own. That helped him feel "bigger".

TIP: We got in line for the Alice in Wonderland ride around 3:20, not realizing that the beginning of the 3:30 parade would be close to us. We got to listen (see some of it) while we stood in line because there is "still" show for several minutes before the actual parade begins. The ride is elevated, so while we were on the ride I got this shot...

This picture so represents how far we've come in Timothy's SPD. When he was Samantha's age, he wouldn't get near a Merry-Go-Round. Thank you God!

TIP: Scattered throughout Fantasyland are these vehicles from the rides that give you a chance to get a decent picture.

TIP: If your kids will let you, skip the Ladybug ride in Bug's Land. It's the same ride as the teacups, but much jerkier.

TIP: Be aware that Bug's Land has THREE water areas. If you allow your child to get wet, it may be pretty hard to get just a little wet. Make sure you have a change of clothes and underwear the day you go to Bug's Land. Disneyland cast members came by every 10 minutes or so telling everyone they must wear shoes, so I would also recommend water shoes. I didn't have shoes, but I did have dry socks, which helped Timothy's feet not feel the soaked through tennies (Samantha was more cautious).

TIP: Bug's Land has easily accessible family bathrooms that were perfect for changing into dry clothes after all the water fun was over.