Homeschool Crew
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Homeschool Product Review

Things are really gearing up with the TOS Homeschool Crew Reviews. We are presently reviewing two items in the Tinkel household and impatiently awaiting a third item to arrive in the mail. John Allen and Joshua are reviewing two really neat Bible studies from Grapevine Studies. John Allen chose the New Testament Overview, while Joshua is working through the Old Testament Overview. The author, Dianna Wiebe, calls it "Stick Figuring through the Bible"! So far John Allen and Joshua are both enjoying their studies, but you'll have to wait until my full review is written before you find out what the "Stick Figuring" is all about.

Another item that just arrived in the mail is "Web Design for Kids", a DVD that teaches kids (yes, I said Kids) how to use HTML (yes, I said HTML)! The subtitle adds "...and Curious Grownups". It sounds like something that I need as well. We haven't done much with this yet, but stay tuned for a full review in the near future!

The item that we are waiting for in the mail is from Maverick Books. Maverick Books is the company that puts out the "Hank the Cowdog" series. If you've ever read this series, then you know that the books are hilariously funny. Since we haven't received this item yet, I can't tell you exactly what we are reviewing, but I'll let you know as soon as we get it.

To make it easier for you to follow the items that I will be reviewing, I have created a special section over the the left. Under the section "Homeschool Crew Review Companies". If you press on one of the logos, it will take you directly to the companies website. Later, when my review is done, it will take you to my review. There you will find a link to the company.

I have also added a special button called the "TOS Homeschool Crew" button. It's that little black strip right under the Homeschool Crew logo to the left. If you press on the little + sign, the whole thing will expand with the blog addresses of everyone on the TOS Homeschool Crew. Please take some time to get to know some of them. I have had the privilege of getting to know many of them through reading their blogs and through the Crew forum. Many of their stories are fascinating. Have fun reading! 

Subscribe to Families Again

Sarah's Put Out A New Prayer Letter!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Ministry
Do you want to know everything that's been happening at our ministry -  "Good News Mission"? Do you want to know how to pray specifically for the Tinkel's? Just click here, or press on the Prayer Letter link to the left to read Sarah's latest prayer letter. Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Subscribe to Families Again

3 Boys & a Dog is Having a Great Giveaway
Mood:  happy
Topic: FamiliesAgain Freebies
 A fellow blogger friend of mine (and fellow Crew member!) is having a great giveaway on her site. The giveaways are for some "eebees" vidoes and some "Out of the Box" games. She has 13 (Thirteen) ways that you can get your name entered into the drawing. Just click on her blog logo above and find out how you can win. (But I got their first...I wonder if she puts an extra chance in if you're an early bird...mmm)
 

Subscribe to Families Again

Meltdown
Mood:  sharp
Topic: The Kids

While thinking of a title for this post, I was reminded of one of my favorite Christian singers from the 80's - Steve Taylor. Taylor used to sing a song called "Meltdown at Madame Tussauds" about a janitor at the famous wax museum leaving the heat on overnight. The song talked about all of the wax figures melting. Whether they were good or bad people, they all went down the same drain. It was a representation of all of our lives. Whether we have led good lives or bad ones, we will all someday die and have to face the Lord. If we have believed that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and ask him to be our Saviour, then we have nothing to worry about. Taylor often used representations from real life to push a point. Often like Jesus using an earthly story with a heavenly meaning - a Parable.

Often, however, the Tinkel family experiences a meltdown of a different kind when Joshua becomes frustrated. Joshua is our Asperger's Syndrome child. Asperger's is on the autism spectrum. Aspy's often have a hard time in social situations. They don't understand body language or voice inflections. They become very frustrated if something happens that they weren't expecting or that throw what they were expecting "off kilter". They really need to be on a schedule and need to know what's going to happen next. They often have sensory issues as well. Joshua for one, has very strong tastes. He doesn't take his medication with something like jelly or syrup, he takes it with mustard or barbecue sauce. Frequently we have to tell him to turn the TV down when he is watching a video. It's not that he can't hear, it's because he has such acute hearing, that he needs to turn his TV up to drown out the noises around him. He is definitely a child that marches to his own beat. Unfortunately, if anything disrupts that beat he can be thrown into a fit that looks like a spoiled child's temper tantrum. It's not a tantrum, though. It is caused because of sensory overload. He really can't control it. We call them meltdowns.

He had such a meltdown the other night. We had been invited to a birthday party at the city pool. The people had rented the pool for two hours to celebrate their son and daughter's July birthdays. Unfortunately, we had an unforeseen emergency, and arrived an hour late. Joshua had fun for about 45 min. until they called everyone out for cake. In all of the excitement, I forgot to give him a time warning. Usually when he is involved doing something fun, I will give him a 15 min. warning, then a 10 min. and 5 min. warning. But this time I forgot. When he went to get back into the pool, he was told that another party had rented the pool and we had to leave. That's when the meltdown started. And it was a major one! First he jumped into the kiddie, 2 foot deep pool, and I had to jump in to get him out. Then, he grabbed onto everything he could to keep from having to leave. I had to pull his arms from around a post, pry his fingers from the fence, all with him kicking and screaming the entire way through the crowded parking lot and to the car. And of course, everyone had to turn and look at the bratty child that was making all of the commotion. Only it wasn't a bratty fit. I knew that, but they didn't, and many snide comments were heard.

We wouldn't trade our children for anything, but sometimes life is so frustrating. Especially when people don't understand what you are going through. They think it's just bad parenting or that the child "just needs a good spanking". If they only knew all of the many discipline techniques that we had tried pre-diagnosis.

Since his diagnosis, Joshua has had many more good days than bad. We are learning how to handle him, and what to do to prevent these meltdowns. He is learning how to control his meltdowns and read social cues. But, there are still the bad days. The days when you feel alone. The days that you feel like no one understands. Those are the days when we have to look to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He understands. He knows our pain. He will sustain us! He knew all about Joshua and has special plans for him. We are just here to be His instruments. 

Thank you, Lord, for giving us Joshua. Please help us to continue learning how to help him and to teach him to be more like you. Please continue using us as your instruments to prepare him for the great works you have for him to do.

 

Subscribe to Families Again

Bend of the River Places 9th (Ninth)!!!
Mood:  special
Topic: The Kids

That's right! We placed 9th out of 42 teams! The team's goal was to make the top 10 and they did it. It was nip and tuck until the very end. They always post the shooting scores soon after that position ends, but they save the test scores until about two hours before the closing ceremonies. After the test on Saturday, the kids were pretty disappointed because they didn't think that they had done a good job. It ends up that they did an excellent job and they placed one position better than they did two years ago. Congratulations Team!

John Allen had his best meet ever. His coach, Megan, had set a high end goal for him to score a 440 out of a possible 500 points. Well, believe it or not, he made a 440! He was a little dejected that he hadn't scored his goal of 450 (a very lofty goal for him) but then I pointed out that he beat every person's score that was on last years team but one (one boy scored a 446 last year), he was encouraged.  That's how much better this year's team was compared to last year's team. Of course last years team was very young compared to this years experienced group. Daisy, who sponsors the event, has made a rule that if you are on a regular team at internationals, then you can't go back the next year. An alternate can, but not someone who was one of the top five shooters who's points counted for the total. John Allen has gone as an alternate the past two years, and is expecting to be on the regular team next year. We will post pictures soon!

For those of you who were praying for Joshua, he did great. No meltdowns at all! Your prayers were definitely felt. Jacob had a great trip as well. Still afraid of the water a little, but is taking more chances! Thanks for all of your prayers!

Subscribe to Families Again