Barbara's Picks

	Backyard Birdsong Gift Ideas My grandson loves this book. It has beautiful illustrations and information about each bird - plus a recording of their music. Childhood is a great time to learn these - much harder as an adult :)

	Hippos Go Berserk Kids' Books By Sandra Boynton - recommended by Jane Duquette. One of the silliest, most fun counting books around features "One hippo, all alone, calls two hippos on the phone," until a gang of 45 hippos assembles for a party.

	Harp Concertos Kids' Music Spiritual Help Create a more serene and pleasing atmosphere in your home - and calm down kids - by using soft classical music as a background. I've been relying on this favorite for years.

	Christmas tree ornament Holiday Ideas

	The Nativity Story Family-Friendly Films Holiday Ideas When we hear a story many times we think we know it. But the truth is, there are layers and layers of understanding. The Nativity Story will not only help your kids grasp the full significance of the miracle of our Savior's birth, but it will give you a renewed appreciation for the human struggles and sacrifice surrounding it.

	Digital photo key chain Gift Ideas What a perfect gift for under $20! This photo keychain is so much easier than dragging out the dirty plastic wallet photo holder. Holds 60 photos and has a USB port which makes loading/reloading easy.

	Passion Tree Puzzle Holiday Ideas One of our Christmas season traditions is jigsaw puzzles. We have a collection we've accumulated over the years and we always have one out on a table in the living room. Usually there is Christmas music playing in the background and although the living room is not a hands-off kind of place it does have a slightly more serene atmosphere than the rest of the house. The wonderful thing about having the jigsaw puzzle out is that it attracts different groupings of people - makes them slow down for a while to working on the puzzle and talk together. We have a collection which includes Santas and Norman Rockwell, but I love it when I can find one which recognizes what Christmas is really about. This one is called "The Story" and it tells the whole story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelations in 24 images around the border which are also the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

	Christian Parenting and Child Care Parenting Books Dr. Sears and his wife Martha are the real deal - a pediatrician/nurse husband/wife team with eight children of their own, including one with Down syndrome. The father and mother of Attachment Parenting - what more can I say?

	Theology and Down Syndrome: Reimagining Disability in Late Modernity Down Syndrome Awareness I have ordered this book and will be reviewing it. In the meantime, here''s a little from Amazon: Sometimes a book comes along which not only moves a field on but also changes its direction. Yong's work is just such a book. His careful and systematic theological analysis of disability offers insights and perspectives that allow his readers to grasp the meaning of disability and humanness in ways that are fresh, sometimes startling and disturbing, but always poignant and transformative.

	The Absorbent Mind Early Education Parenting Books This book - almost 100 years old - changed my life. After reading it, I went back to college and then on to a year of advanced Montessori teacher training. Never did I dream I'd someday have 12 children of my own. But all that experience has only shown me the truth of Maria Montessori's amazing insights into the development of children. This is not the most reader-friendly book, which is why I've written books specifically for moms today to carry the message. But if you're interested in the source - you'll find it here.

All written content is © Barbara Curtis www.mommylife.net

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Montessori megamom serves up smorgasbord of parenting, cultural, political, and spiritual wisdom. Because she can.

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