Feeding Eden Giveaway

Have you heard about Feeding Eden?  It's a new memoir about how a child's food allergies affect the lives of a family.  I'm in the process of reading it, but it's slow going for me--not because it isn't compelling but because it makes me start to tense up and hyperventilate.  Which means this book is an excellent portrayal of what it means to be a food allergy family.  Here is the author, Susan Weissman, talking about the book on YouTube.

I think it's a good read for everyone.  Food allergy parents will relate to it, of course, but more importantly,  I think it is a great chance for others to get into the head of a food allergy parent.

"We parents can't make magic.  We can't transform our children.  But we can heal with our touches, our words, and our love.  We can show them how to take their medicine.  When we do this, our children can save themselves."--Susan Weissman, Feeding Eden


The publisher has agreed to send one copy of Feeding Eden to one commenter from my blog.  Leave a comment by midnight on Sunday, March 11, saying why you'd like to read this book.  I'll announce a winner on Monday, March 12.

Prize Redraw:  Janeen!  You won!  Send me your info!

Can of worms, not opening a

When school was about to begin in the fall, a homeschooling friend of mine looked wistfully at the group of friends that includes her youngest daughter and my eldest.  She remarked on starting her twentieth year of homeschooling and how the idea of sending her daughter to school with such a good group of friends seemed like a nice idea.  I said that sometimes homeschooling seemed appealing.  Then we both laughed at ourselves for thinking the grass is greener and went our own ways.

Do you ever daydream about doing something different with how you educate your children?  Why or why not?

I hope it goes without saying that this is a chance to tell your nosy Internet friend (Me!) about what you do/think about doing, not comment on others' choices.  I'll go first.  I really admire another friend of mine who looks at each of her seven children on a yearly basis and decides what is best for them: public school, cyberschool, homeschool.  They've been in and out of the school district and are flourishing academically and socially.  I like how she views education from a consumer's point of view, although I'm sure what she does is easier said than done.*  Your turn!

*Edit: Uh, I guess I just commented on someone else's choice.  Whoops.

Toddler, diplomas

So.  There is an 18-month old in our house today.  This does not fill me with as much sadness as I would expect, probably partly because this is one of my favorite ages and he is just so much fun right now.  Such a cheerful, helpful little guy.

I continue to try to beat back the clutter in our house and either use things or get rid of them.  I want to hang my diplomas (BA and MA, not high school) up somewhere in the house.  Even when I was still working full time, I had a cubicle, not an office.  I've never hung up my diplomas, and I'm tired of them living under my bed.  My mom used to have hers up in the kitchen; my neighbor's diplomas are in her playroom.  I'm thinking over my dresser in the bedroom.  Where is/are your diplomas?

P.S. I totally stayed up late and finished Catching Fire last night.  So worth it.