Carnival of Family Life #51

Welcome to the 51st edition of the Carnival of Family Life. My second shot at hosting- and I want to try something different in how this weeks posts are presented. Different often results in more time than planned. Proved that right again.

Enjoy! You might want to try reading to the tune of Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star... (you have noticed that TTLS and Now I Know My A-B-Cs are the same tune right? For lots of fun, sing one or the other with your kids, and then without warning them, in the middle of the song switch to the other lyrics. A bowl full of confusing fun).

A is for asinine.
And those that support the concept of removing competition and the concept of winning or losing from our kids world are just that. Erica Douglas says it all with a bit more tact than I. Check out Competition - Is it really such a bad thing? posted at Littlemummy.Com

…and also for adventures. The ‘about me’ section of this blog makes my head spin. Every time I start to think my life is packed and hectic, I run across someone that makes me realize we are all in this together. Laura presents truth and consequences posted at Adventures in Juggling.

B is for bad news.
It is the dreaded phone call in the middle of the night. The unexpected knock on the door. One day everyone will get that call. Whether it is a very close loved one, a dear friend, or a neighbor- life throws us bad news, and it’s a matter of time for each of us. Life is what happens while we’re busy doing other things, and peace is what sustains us through all of it- good and bad. alfaking presents Upset posted at Alfa King Memories.

…and also for baby. Dana presents Welcome to the world, little Peanut! posted at Principled Discovery.

C is for chill-out.
Are there a million items on your to-do list? More? We all wear different hats and are have different roles in our lives. And each generates its own set of responsibilities and items to get done. To me, the mystery of the Holy Trinity is not that mysterious at all. As for me- I am a Husband, a Father, and a Son in one person. With each comes responsibilities. On top of those- there are another 30 or so hats. How about you? Hueina Su presents Life Balance Lessons: 7 Keys to Avoid Burnout posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer's Soul.

…and also for coincidence. Lill Hawkins presents The Lattice of Coincidence posted at News from Hawkhill Acres.

D is for dog.
A nice little photo-journal. Laurie Bluedorn presents Schutzhund Training posted at Trivium Pursuit.

…and also for dugout. I haven’t been to a baseball game in many years. I sort of miss it, but with my 4 young girls playing softball, and being an assistant coach on all four, I don’t think I can go near a baseball or softball field beyond the 8 games a week we are enduring right now. Matthew Paulson presents Budget Baseball: Enjoy Watching America’s Past-Time with Less Money posted at Getting Green.

E is for entertaining.
Not the kind where you have people over and let them have at your food and drink while spilling food on the carpet or breaking a wine glass or three. This is the kind where you get to sit-back and have your little one put on a show. Always worth the price of admission, and more often than not priceless. Whymommy presents The Evolution of Storytelling posted at Toddler Planet.

…and also embarrassment. And that’s what the little boy in this post will feel in a few years when he is older and his friends find this post. And they will. The internet and all the content on it will last to the end of days. Sara presents If He Were a Dog, and She Were a Hydrant, I Would Totally Get It posted at Suburban Oblivion.

F is for freak.
Hey- I’m not name calling- she describes herself as one. Who am I to disagree? Summer presents Ten Ways We Misunderstand Children posted at Wired For Noise.

…and also for fish. Another nice lady named Summer presents Other than blogging, what do you do all day? posted at Mom Is Teaching.

G is for girl’s night out.
So…I don’t mind when my wife heads out with a friend or her sister, but when the announcement is followed immediately by “you need to make dinner” or “dinner is on your own” I immediately turn into a 1950’s suburban husband. Yikes. therapydoc presents I can hear you breathe posted at Everyone Needs Therapy.

H is for hooray!
Ah…the day the pacifiers go away for real. That day is usually preceded by a few false starts and sleepless nights, but some get luck and score a touchdown right away. This is usually done by the parents that work at a great game plan before the big day. Csara presents Weaning from the pacifier posted at Baby Talkers. For a related story, check out my friends related story ‘no more papi’ at My Life.

…and also for huh? Watch out for all those ear buds, headphones, and other connections to your kids music and gaming devices. They can mean big trouble. Kevin presents iPods and Hearing Loss posted at More4kids Childrens Health.

I is for intuition.
Karen has it. My wife Michelle has it. Pretty much every woman has it. As for men, if we take the time to stop doing the urgent we can probably dredge it up too. Karen presents Breathing Easier posted at Write From Karen, and describes that feeling- that inkling that makes mom know without a doubt that something is not quite right.

…and also for inspiring.Holly Schwendiman presents My Favorite Mommy Moments posted at Holly's Corner Blog.

J is for junk-drawer.
That's where all of our unmatched socks and gloves end up. This author has taken a dramatically different route to solving the problem. DeputyHeadmistrss presents Cutting Our Losses posted at The Common Room.

K is for Kailani.
Our Carnival of Family Life Matriarch has posted a lovely all-girls photo. I have four girls, and these types of photos are all too common in our home. Michelle and the girls pose, daddy takes the picture, and seems to never get in any pics. Kailani presents A Special Mom Moment posted at An Island Life.

L is for limerick.
Madeleine Begun Kane gives us a lovely limerick Sleepless In Geekdom posted at MAD KANE'S HUMOR BLOG, and manages to avoid even a double-entendre. A clean limerick is hard to find.

…and also for loss. Dr. Hal presents Seung-Hui Cho and the Power of Perception posted at North Star Mental Fitness Blog.

M is for Montana.
One of my favorite states in the union. When the big pay-off happens, we will immediately buy a few hundred acres and move the crew to a nice spot on the range, near the mountains, with a nice river running through it. Someday. GP presents Innkeeping Innspirations posted at Fish Creek House - INNside Innkeeping.

N is for New England.
And new men. Learn about a group dedicated to helping men learn to be men of value, of purpose, and integrity. Erek Ostrowski presents The New England Legacy Discovery, May 18-20, 2007 posted at Verve Coaching.

…and also for neurosis. Which is exactly what this lady has gifted her cat with. Poor Max will never be the same. GrannyJ presents The Balloons Look Down posted at Walking Prescott.

O is for oh my gosh!
Hey Expat Chef- will you please invite us to your place for dinner? Please? Check out The Expatriate's Kitchen: Taute Cuisine 8: Vegetable Feast posted at The Expatriate's Kitchen.

P is for poop.
Need I say more? Mike presents Post Potty Training posted at Be A Good Dad.

…and also for protecting. Check out these great tips for protecting your child from misused guns. Christine presents Protect Your Child From A Shooting - Read posted at Everyday Disasters. By the way, I touched on this subject as well in an article I wrote for GNM Parents titled ‘Five Simple Ways To Keep Your Child Safe.’

Q is for Queen.
The Wise Queen and The Princess discuss potential future princes in this tale of mom and daughter navigating love and technology. Anna presents LOVE, LIES & CELL PHONES « On The Ponderosa posted at On The Ponderosa.

R is for ripped.
Here’s a mom that is losing weight, adding muscle mass, and loving her baby. Jordan presents Yeah, I’ve been working out… posted at MamaBlogga.

…and also for relationships. Kate Baggott presents Dealing With a “Tempermental Baby”? Strong Relationship Helps posted at Babylune.

S is for synonym.
These are important- the right word conveys the right message, and one of my favorite choices is fatigued versus tired. Michelle chooses frugal over cheap in Used Hockey Skates? Priceless. posted at scribbit.

…and also for Superchick! How cool is this? Kerri presents The Safe Side: Stranger Safety posted at Play Library. Coincidentally enough I had the distinct pleasure and honor of helping to launch this company, and this wonderful video. I am so glad Kerri has found it useful. You can learn more about this video and what it teaches by reading these two posts: 1) ‘The Postman Always Passes Twice’ and 2) ‘Five Simple Ways To Keep Your Child Safe.’

T is for toddler.
My wife and I are now 3+ years passed the toddler years. Our fourth is now 5 years old. We just had friends over for dinner along with their 2 year old and it brought back such wonderful memories. So did Lorri’s post A Toddler in the House posted at The Mac and Cheese Chronicles.

…and also for tragedy. Dr. Mike presents TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT TRAGEDY posted at PediaScribe Blog.

U is for uncle.
Anthony’s uncle recently passed away, and it prompted a dig through old family photos. Check out his post Photographs And Memories at The Lives and Times... of Anthony McCune.

V is for vacation.
Like Michelle’s use of frugal versus cheap, Stephanie shouts out a few tips on how to save money on your next vacation. 6 people on vacation for a week with a $1000 budget? I like it. She presents Vacation on a Budget posted at Stop the Ride!.

W is for walking.
This sort of sounds interesting, but I’m not sure. I’m such a goal-oriented person that when I read about this activity the first thing that pops in my mind is “why?” Mother Road presents Take a Hike -- Volksmarch! posted at Kid Trippin'.

…and also for words. Megan Bayliss struggles for words, and so do so many other people. Perhaps when we need them most…or perhaps not. She presents Words to Explain Feelings Following Virginia Tech Shootings. posted at Child protection: serious business..

X is for xyst.
Yes, I did have to think long and hard, search far and wide, to find a tie-in for the letter X. This works, but man is it obscure. Xyst is defined as a covered portico, promenade or a a garden walk planted with trees. Karen Lynch presents Daffodil posted at LivethePower, commenting on a magnificent garden of Daffodil covering 5 acres.

Y is for yes.
I love the first line of her post- if no makes us human, yes makes us like God. As someone who believes thoroughly we are made in His image, this really rings true. Rachel Starr Thomson presents Yes and Amen: The Magnificent Power of "Yes" posted at Inklings.

Z is for Zircon.
Ha! Bet you thought I couldn’t do a Z, huh? Well, I found a certain gem called a Zircon, that according to some wacky website about the healing powers of gems attributes the following to this certain rare stone: Strengthens the mind. Aids bowel problems. Balances pituitary and pineal glands. Aligns subtle bodies. Emotional balance, self-esteem. Aids sleep. Similar properties as diamond and quartz crystal. All around healer. And, with the segue-way complete, off we go to the post…Megan Bayliss presents Gem Sifting posted at Home Schooling Aspergers..






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