Bertie's War - This Might Become Tim's War Mood: irritated Topic: Homeschool Product Review
Recently, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was sent a free copy of Bertie's War published by Kregel Publications in order for me to read and write a review to put on this blog.
Ok, before I go into my review of this fine book, here's my beaf. I very rarely am upset with any of the rest of my TOS Homeschool Crew mates, but this one takes the cake. We have a forum to discuss different ways of reviewing an item, or how we work in review items with our regular curriculum etc. We don't usually discuss the fine details of anything, or what we think, because we don't want other peoples views to distort our own reviews. We might, however, make little comments about items. Recently a comment was made about Bertie's War that they were "so glad that finally a historical novel has been written about the 1960's".
I wanted to scream at the computer! "Historical! What do you mean historical? I was alive in the early 1960's and I'm not historical!" I was quite irate. It made me feel like an antique! Historical indeed ! Ah, well...enough about me and on with the review.
Bertie's War, a wonderful novel written by Barbara Tifft Blakey, is about a 12 year old girl growing up in 1962. Poor 12 year old Bertie's world is falling apart. As if she doesn't have enough to worry about with an annoying older sister, younger brother and stern father, now she's at that awkward age of being between childhood and adulthood, she's beginning seventh grade, and, to top it all off, the United States is in the midst of major crisis with Cuba.
Her life seems to be in a state of confusion and she doesn't know what to do. She worries about everything. Join Bertie as she has to deal with fires, hurricanes, family death, school bomb drills, her own emotions and her relationship with God during a very tumultuous year.
Bertie's War is an entertaining book written on a mature preteen to teenage level. It is...as upsetting as this word is to say ..."historically" accurate and the author does an excellent job of telling what life was really like for people (especially kids) during those very uneasy days of the early sixties. It is written in a very easy style with enough action to keep you turning the pages. More than once I found myself not wanting to put it down.
I usually preview books, especially by unknown authors, before allowing my children to read them. Because the subject was a 12 year old girl, and I have three sons, this was one that I wanted to especially read ahead of time. Now that I have reviewed it, I have no hesitation giving it to my 13 year old son to read. In fact, I see many similarities between Bertie and John Allen. So many, in fact, that I am hoping he learns something from the way Bertie's emotions are dealt with in the end. "How is that?" you may ask. You'll have to find out by reading the book.
Bertie's War is available in paperback for $7.99 from Kregel Publications. Kregel has many other books, Bible studies and academic products for all ages. Just click here or on any one of the hi-lighted links above to find out more about this company. You can also click here to read what the other TOS Homeschool Crew members had to say about this book. Again, this is one of those items that can be enjoyed by those who homeschool and those who don't. So, I won't say "Happy Homeschooling" on this one, but, as usual, I'll say "Happy Home Educating"!
This is one of those "Pull Your Hair Out" days! Mood: don't ask Topic: Family
Now, don't get me wrong, I love my boys. Sometimes, however, they drive me up the wall! Today has been one of those days.
We have been doing some homeschool these past few weeks, but we have basically taken about a month off because of all of the activities that go on here at the mission over the holidays, and because of our trip to New Jersey. That is the convenience and advantage of being homeschoolers. We can take a day off here and there if we need to and make it up at another time. We frequently will work over the schools fall and spring breaks. We usually start earlier than public school and almost always go a little later ~ including doing some homeschool over the summer. We can even have homeschool on snow days ~ The Tinkel Acedemy never closes.
The downfall of taking a month off, though, is the day that we have to get back into the whole routine. You can tell where I'm going here, can't you? Yep! Today was the first day back and it was a doozy! John Allen's sleep habits are a mess. He absolutely didn't want to get up in this morning. He struggled all morning and didn't end up getting a lot done. Part of the reason was that Tuesday's is also Bible Club days, so my time is divided between getting ready for Bible Club and homeschooling. Joshua was a little better and got done with three-fourths of his assignments.
I really should have pushed the issue more, but today was just too busy of a day. And, I had already done enough fussing, etc. It isn't working, and I know it. That's why we are getting a little extra advice - I think I mentioned that the other day, but, I'm not going to divulge what it is yet. In the meantime, tomorrow is another day.
Men's Monday Meme - Question 6 - Hot Topic Question! Mood: on fire Topic: Men's Monday Meme
I have gotten a few comments from some of my blogging friends that say that their husbands don't want to participate because they think that the questions that I have been asking are just the simple everyday questions that are always asked. They don't want to spend their time answering just any old questions. They want me to think out of the box.
I had thought about asking more controversial questions, but didn't want to scare some men away. However, I think I have come up with a solution. At least once a month, maybe twice, I am going to ask a "Hot Topic Question" for those men who want something a little more meaty to chew on. How often I post a Hot Topic, will depend on how much response I get to this one. If any of you have any Hot Topics that you would like discussed, please leave a comment below, or send an email to me with the meatier questions. I will give you full credit if I use one of them.
OK, here goes the very first Hot Topic question on the Men's Monday Meme:
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18 New International Bible
What do you think that the above Bible verse means, and how do you apply it (if you do) in your household?
Hmmmm. Please ladies don't stone me! Let's move right along to the rules:
This is a man's meme, so the answers must be the answers from a man. Either the man can answer on his blog, or a wife can interview her husband for her blog. However, if the wife puts it on her blog, she must stay true to what her husband said.
You are encouraged to put one of the Men's Monday Meme buttons found to the left on your blog. Just copy the code below the button of your choice. The more folks who link, the more readers you may have to visit your blog.
You may answer the question any time during the week up through next Monday. After you answer the question, add the address to your post to the Mr.Linky below. If you could, please only add the direct link to the post to make it easier for readers to find the entry.
My answer along with a new question will be posted next Monday. The new Mr. Linky will be added at midnight Monday night.
What is your favorite discipline tip? Who handles most of the discipline in your home, you or your wife? Why?
This is another trick question for us. We actually both handle the discipline and we try, but aren't always, to be on the same page. I probably need to step up and be more of a leader in this. It's not that I make my wife do all of the discipline or anything like that. We really do share the responsibility, but I need to take that responsibility off of my wife's shoulders and step up to the plate as the father of the family.
With Joshua and Jacob's problems, we do have a unique situation. Discipline that should work with normal kids, doesn't always work with kids that have asperger's or sensory issues. Sometimes they act out because there is no other way for them to communicate their frustrations. They don't understand the proper way to handle their emotions. We need to train them in the proper way but that is a long hard road. In the meantime, we can't actually punish them for something they don't understand they are doing wrong.
On the other hand, John Allen sees them getting away with stuff that he would never have gotten away with and it upsets him. He doesn't understand that he knows that those particular things are not appropriate, but his brothers don't.
As you can see, it is a very difficult situation and a situation where we would covet your prayers. We have come to realize also that perhaps we need to be retrained and not our children. We are presently getting some help in this area. Help that I will explain in a later post (my lips are sealed). Don't get excited. Super Nanny is not making a visit to the Tinkel household.
One discipline suggestion that I will keep, but one that I often find hard to follow, is to never discipline when angry. I tend to do that far too often, and then I catch myself, unfortunately sometimes too late.
Ah, well! As I said before, we would really covet your prayers in this area.
Thanks for stopping by this week! For our next Men's Monday Meme, I am going to begin a new once or twice (I haven't decided) a month special question called a "Hot Topic" question. Tune in later tonight to see what it's all about!
Blog Hop for Haiti Mood: energetic Topic: Ministry
No I'm not playing leap frog with the boys...AND...don't ask me what a Blog Hop is because I'm just new to this and I'm still not sure what I'm doing ! You'll just have to trust me on this one and maybe we'll both figure it out with time.
Anyway here's the deal. Larger Family Life is doing this really neat thing to raise money for Haiti. They have started a blog hop. A blog hop is kind of like one of those old chain letter thingies that you used to get, only you're not sending money to anyone, and this is legal . If you are a blogger, you put a post on your blog inviting folks to donate money to Compassion International's Haiti fund. Kind of like this note. After you do that, you put your link on the MckLinky that is listed on their website or the one below (they are one and the same). You are to visit the 5 websites that are listed above your website. They explain it kind of like "dropping in for a cup of coffee". They encourage you to leave a comment on the websites if you feel led to. There is only one stipulation. In order to join the blog hop, you have to donate at least $1.00 to Compassion International's Haiti fund. Easy enough, and a fun way to donate money.
Here's my quandary! I'm a BCM International Missionary and love BCM but we also have (as you well know ) a Compassion International child and really like Compassion International's ministry. So, I came up with a plan. We were planning on donating $10 to the Compassion International fund and $10 to the BCM fund anyway. So, since the original blog hop is for Compassion International, if you will make a donation to Compassion and email me with the receipt that you get and, then, leave a comment below, then I will donate $1 extra to the BCM fund (up to $50). This will be on top of the $10 that we are already donating. So, both Compassion and BCM will benefit. Of course, you can also donate to BCM if you would like as well. Both links will be included below.
Now, Larger Family Life is also keeping track of how much money is donated to Compassion, so you have to email them as well. I know that what I just said may be complicated, so let me go over it again in hopefully simple steps.
Make a donation to Compassion International using the link below.
Forward the receipt that you get from them to me so that I know that a donation was given.
Forward the receipt to Larger Family Life so that they know that it was given.
Leave a comment below.
If you are a blogger, and you want to join in with the blog hop, leave your link below after you have written a post about it (see Larger Family Life for more info on this).
Check back and I will let you know how much I donate to BCM ~ it's almost like you are donating to two great organizations!
Don't forget to tell all of your friends about this on Facebook, Twitter, etc.!
If this post wasn't clear, and I'm sure it may not have been, Larger Family Life has explained it much clearer, so go on over there and read their directions as well.