Rowell Kids

Allie kicking Dad out of the room video

This is a video from yesterday of Allie (20 months) running interference for her brother Jacob (4) who is playing with six-year-old Ryan's LEGO train while he is at school.

This video is also on Facebook if you want to comment there.

Christmas Photo 2011

Christmas Photo 2011. Andy, Amy, Ryan (6), Jacob (4), and Allie (18 months).  Here is the Picasa link where you can download it.

Setting up the Pins by Sara Groves music video about drudgery and meaning in parenting

Ever feel like you are just "setting up the pins and knocking them down" in parenting? 

We like this song and video by Sara Groves.  (I have recommended it before but found the video tonight).  Groves keeps us sane.  We highly recommend all her stuff.  The video is of her and her family.  Most of her stuff is serious and reflective.  This is one is cute and fun.  Double-click to get the full screen view.  It is also at YouTube. 

 

6-year-old Ryan cheering makes 2 minute Duke soccer highlight video

In this 2 minute highlight video from last night's Duke Men's Soccer game posted on Duke's athletics website, they show our 6-year-old son Ryan cheering at the 43 second mark!

Rookies Send Seniors Out in Style - Duke University Blue Devils | Official Athletics Site - GoDuke.com.

Cardus Education Survey

There is an interesting new study out: the Cardus Education Survey.  It compares the effect of private (Protestant, Catholic, and Non-Religious), public schools and home-schooling. 

Christianity Today's summary is in the Sept 2011 issue on page 11.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/special/pdf/110829spot_lastingschool.pdf

The full 56 page CES Phase I report is at:

http://www.cardus.ca/research/education/

I haven't read the full report.

Magic Tree House books especially on audio are good for 5-6 year olds

Our 6.5 year old son Ryan has listened to the first 35 Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne.  There are 46 so far.  I just ordered from the library the next 10.  Besides the first one which I read to him, he has listened to them on audio.  I recommend them for introducing general knowledge about history and different countries in a tame way suitable for 5-6 year olds.  The CD's are available from the library or you can download a number of them from the library or buy them.

My only caveat is that there is some glorification of mysticism, gnosticism, and native religions in some of the books that if you are a Christian, you are going to want to quash.  That is to say Jack and Annie sometimes get out of jams by quasi-religions figures (medicine man, ninja master, etc) advising them to meditate, focus, concentrate, become one with nature, etc.  As a Christian, I would say that these tales need to be supplemented or overwhelmed by immersion in the biblical narratives (see my recommendations of Bible story books or NIrV, What's in the Bible) so that our children can grow in their sense of how the God of Jesus Christ acts in history and develop the ability to detect dubious imitations. 

Still, the Magic Tree House books provide a basic working knowledge of people and places from dinosaurs to George Washington to India to Thomas Edison.  The kids like it when they can look at the pictures in the books while listening to the audio CD's--though ours don't follow along in the books carefully--instead mostly just listening.  Our four year old can sort of follow them but I would recommend age 5.  The author, Mary Pope Osborne, reads the books and does a good job giving voices to the different characters. 

When you have the chance to read out loud to your kids, I would recommend working through some of the kindergarten books recommended by Jim Trelease and buying his guide (see How to choose which books to get at the library or see my categories Books and Library Books).  Trelease recommends the first book of the Magic Tree House series but they are not superbly written in the way that Charlotte's Web is so I would say use the audio for Magic Tree House as almost-educational-TV-entertainment and read to them more quality books with your read aloud time.

My sister-in-law who has older kids said they enjoyed the non-fiction books that can be read as background for the books--the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers but we haven't gotten into those. 

The first 28 titles are short while 35-46 are almost twice as long but you won't really notice.  The latter have the subtitle: "A Merlin Mission." (Source: Magic Tree House website).  

Our local University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium and Science Center has a Magic Tree House Space Mission Planetarium show.

 

Hello Day by Anita Lobel--good book for 13-17 months

Allie's favorite book was Hello Day by Anita Lobel from 13-17 months.  But she seems tired of it today.  A milestone!  This is a good choice for a first book.  Recommended.

 

Halloween 2011 Family Photos

Halloween 2011

Horn Book Awards

You can do worse than choosing books highlighted by the Horn Book people.  

Award Winners

Fanfare Books

 

See other kinds of award winners if the Horn book picks are not your taste. 

 

 

 

 

Allie walking video

Here is an 8-minute video with a bunch of clips of Allie right around 12 months. In the last part, you see her walking for the first time last night at 12 months and 6 days. In the video, she dances (my favorite part), plays on her bike (sorry this is a little long), rocks on rocking chair, giggles, has birthday cake, wrestles, and shows off her walking at the end.

The Facebook link is here.