Crazy Blessed Adventures - Life with a butt load of kids

Wendy’s homeschool day with an 8, 7, 5, 4, 2 year old, and 8 month old:

I am not a get-up-before-the-children kind of mama. My husband and I are both night people, and since I don’t believe in being out of bed before 7:00, it’s been a goal of mine to train all my children to sleep in as late as possible. It’s still a work in progress.

5:00 – The 4-year-old climbs in my bed....http://www.crazyblessedadventures.com/day-in-our-life/

Less talking + more action = happier parent-child relationships

It’s that moment when you realize that you’ve given the same kid the same instruction five times and he’s still immersed in his Lego construction. You’re trying to decide, “Is this spanking worthy? Or is it a time out? Maybe I’ll just confiscate his Legos for a week.” More at http://www.crazyblessedadventures.com/free-printable-behavior-charts-behavior-plan/

FROM WENDY We're pretty cliche in our love for family Christmas traditions around here Sorry, Thanksgiving. Basically the minute the kids take off their Halloween costumes, Jamin starts pulling out random Christmas decorations and strewing them around the house. I spend the next week or so rearranging until they're all where they actually belong, and begin haunting all the area garden centers for signs of who will have live trees first. And Christmas music has already been playing in our house since August. Since our kids are still pretty young, we don't yet have a ton of long-term family Christmas traditions, but there are a few things that we've really enjoyed doing the last several years. The weekend before Thanksgiving is pretty much always devoted to setting up any decorations that haven't already made their way out of the closet, and to getting our tree. It has to be live. We get one as early as they sell them, usually early enough that the poor seasonal Lowe's employee in the garden center hasn't yet figured out how to work that handy machine that puts the netting on. We bring it home and try to cram in tree decorating, cooking making, light viewing, and a favorite Christmas movie all into one weekend. Each year on Thanksgiving, the kids get special ornaments from their grandparents that are representative of things they have done in that year. That is a really fun tradition that provides for lots of entertainment on tree decorating day. The kids all have their special ornaments in their own bin, so as I'm getting lights and ribbon on the tree, they pull out each one and reminisce. I generally give a designated space on the tree for each kid to put their own ornaments, so they decorate...and when they're in bed, I re-decorate so that the ornaments aren't all on the bottom half of the tree ;-) A couple of years ago, we were gifted a precious electric train set by some friends whose kids are grown now. It had been part of their family Christmas tradition for years, and now it's become part of ours. The big kids help Jamin set the track around the base of the tree, and all Christmas season long kids look forward to opportunities to drive the train and turn on the whistle. Near that goes our nativity set, just the plastic Fisher Price Little People version that the kids can play with. The Christmas story gets told and retold, sometimes creatively, for weeks. The month of December, we do a Christmas countdown. We open a numbered box each day that holds Hershey kisses and a task for the day. While the countdown is a tradition for us, the tasks in it tend to change from year to year. Sometimes they're just fun and simple, other years they've been more service-oriented or focused on completing certain projects. My favorite things that typically get included from year to year involve introducing the kids to new classics like a new Christmas movie, carol or book. And baking...we do a lot of baking around here! Because we don't a lot of Christmas shopping for the kids, we don't do things like making Christmas lists. Instead we do a Secret Santa exchange among the siblings, and between the planning and the creation of their homemade gifts, the air of secrecy and anticipation in the house definitely makes it feel like Christmas to me :) JAMIN RESPONDS: I don't put the decorations in the wrong place on purpose.  I know where some of them go.  And I just put the rest of them anywhere because I think the job will get done sooner, in little baby steps, if they are in an annoying place. If I just ask you to decorate, then I have to wait for you to find a large chunk of time to do it all at once. FROM JAMIN: tldr: Gifts and traditions are stupid. Spend time with family and don't have expectations I hate ceremony. Weddings, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries. Celebration of actual achievement is great, but mandatory congratulations is one of my least favorite parts of our species. And I feel the same about family Christmas traditions as I feel about birthdays. We've covered this in other places, but express your love when your heart says, not when your calendar says. On top of that, traditions are what is wrong with holidays: Doing things that no one wants to do, perhaps with unlikable people just because that same terrible decision was made multiple times in the past. If it's a bad choice that you just can't bring yourself to change, that's addiction. This is as good a place to say this as any other: family Christmas traditions are for ideas that aren't good enough to stand on their own. Recipes: you know why that casserole is a tradition? Everyone is too afraid of hurting grandma's feelings to tell her it tastes like cardboard, so everyone agrees to choke it down as long as it's only once a year. You know why we only eat turkey at Thanksgiving? No one likes it. Chicken and steak are way better. Christmas ham? You guessed it. You know what does NOT need a tradition? Ice cream. Sushi. French Fries. They don't need traditions because everyone already likes them. The same goes for board games, parades and communion. Do you think people were, on their own, going to nibble a dry cracker and sip grape juice, contemplating a horrific homicide while an old lady in bad costume jewelry played all 5 verses of a 100-year-old song on an out-of-tune piano? No way! But you know why we do it? Because in his last hours, a dying man said, "This do in remembrance of me" (But since he wasn't a 16th century Englishman, it probably came out more like "לעשות את זה לזכר אותי," which I can only assume has a lot more hard 'k' sounds.) So maybe some family Christmas traditions are good, but the fact that it's a tradition tells me it's probably not popular on its own. A "tradition" is a warning flag. Additionally, purposely creating family Christmas traditions with my family feels a little coercive. Who am I to say that in 20 years they won't have their own ways they want to celebrate? Calling my version of celebration a 'tradition' means that eventually they will have to 'break' our tradition. Maybe it's just my experience, but promoting a family tradition seems to have some emotional ill-will implied for whoever decides to break it. Even for Christians, Christmas isn't really about the great gift of baby Jesus. It's not about God becoming man and entering the world as a gift to humanity to save us from ourselves. If you wanted to celebrate that with gift-giving, you missed it by half a year. Give real gifts instead of candy for Easter. Make it a time of amazing gifts instead of just a less-fun Halloween. Because for those wanting to follow the Bible's plot, Easter is the holiday where an innocent God takes one for humanity. Christmas is the holiday where an innocent virgin takes one for God. Things I do NOT hate: Traditions. If they are organic. Nostalgia is real and anticipation is the best part of most major events. If I remember having a good time doing something last time, I might really enjoy looking forward to doing the same thing, the same way, again. But once it's not as fun as it used to be, I want to be able to change it up without making someone feel like they lost some token of the holiday they were grasping too tightly. No family Christmas traditions! We might end up doing the same things by chance, but let's not do it, just once, on purpose, just to make sure we're acting out of real desire and not laziness. Family time. This is the real point. If a tradition will bring the family together, that's worth it. Even if it's a bad tradition, it's better than not being and acting together. This is one of the reasons all those stupid religious traditions are so valuable: they bring people together and set expectations. They give people reasons and common language for interacting with each other. Holiday anything. Christmas music starts in August for me but I'm allowed to decorate for Christmas after the trick-or-treat traffic dies down, so even though I don't have much excitement about Halloween, October 31st is still a special day for me. Apple cinnamon scent should be used all year. Nothing would be more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cold piece of pumpkin pie with cool whip. We usually need a second Christmas tree because we buy them the day the lots open and they die before Christmas. The only thing I really think we need to limit is Christmas lights. I'm a small government guy and even I think it's reasonable to jail anyone displaying Christmas lights after Valentine's. WENDY RESPONDS: Oh boy...you have said a lot of things here. Hopefully we didn't lose anyone along the way! Also, I think the nostalgia and anticipation and family togetherness are why we do any of the family Christmas traditions we currently do...not because the calendar says we have to. At least for now, I'm pretty sure everyone in our house genuinely enjoys our family Christmas traditions, but I guess we will see how things change as the kids get older. I'm not into dragging people into activities they hate and trying to force them to have fun...at least not very often ;-) [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH5NKGS4sz0[/embed]

 Freezer Meals Click here to download the Freezer Meals Planning Worksheet Freezer meals have been saving us for years Until recently, Jamin's music studio and business were located in our living room. This meant we had clients coming in and out of our front door all day every day, and the kitchen was more or less off limits during business hours...which included dinner hour. It was during this season that I discovered freezer cooking, mostly because I was tired of eating frozen pizzas for dinner every night at 10:00 pm. We are so grateful these days to have a different studio setup. But I still love freezer meals! I'm totally sold on how batch cooking makes meal prep faster and cheaper; I'd much rather make a whole lot of something one time than make that same thing over and over again every time we eat it. And the best part is, having a stash of freezer meals means that I have a planned menu for each day, which eliminates the daily "what's for dinner?" decision. Resources are everywhere; find what works for you. For the first few years that I did freezer cooking, I had a Once a Month Meals membership. This was hugely helpful for introducing me to the concept of freezer cooking, and for finding recipes that worked well with bulk cooking and freezing! Their website did all the planning work for me, and provided helpful printables like shopping lists and labels for meals. The downside I found, though, was that almost all of the recipes were new for our family. This meant I was bulk cooking things my kids had never tasted before, and if your kids are anything like mine, you can probably imagine how that went down. We'd eat the first meal of the batch, several small noses would turn up, and I'd groan internally thinking about how many more of that same meal were in the freezer waiting to also be refused. Another drawback I found to the pre-made menu approach was that a lot of the menus involved fairly complex recipes. The menus came with step-by-step meal-prep day instructions, and I'd get to the end of my meal-prep day and still be on step 2 of 12. I think in the ideal scenario, their website suggested having a full day set aside for freezer cooking, minus kids and other interruptions. However, my scenario typically looked more like a few highly interrupted afternoon hours, which was just not enough. Over the years I found myself altering pre-made menus substantially, deleting meals I knew we'd hate, and substituting complicated recipes with more simple versions, which led me to just creating my own menus. I no longer do my cooking once a month either...a month is just too short! For awhile I did batch cooking once every twelve weeks, creating three menus and making each meal times four. That was a lot of meals and generally took me a few evenings to complete, but I loved how long it lasted. My current system has become much more streamlined. Since we started homeschooling, we follow a "six week on, one week off" school schedule, and I do my freezer meals on one of our break week days. I make one single menu that we will eat for the following six weeks; something like this:

• Mac'n'cheese Monday
• Taco Tuesday
• Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders Wednesday
• Leftovers Thursday
• Pad Thai Friday
• Turkey and Potatoes Saturday
• Soup Sunday

The kids like to get involved with the menu planning, which sometimes leads to strictly alliterative or rhyming meals, but also helps insure that I'm planning meals they like. Since we'll be eating each meal on the menu six times, I want to be confident that I'm not going to have to battle small kiddos to eat said meal every single week. How to plan a simple freezer meal menu With freezer cooking, menu is really key.  Here are some significant things to watch for when you're planning which meals to include:

1. I've found the batch cooking process to be much simpler and more inexpensive when I look for meals that have similar ingredients and/or processes. For example, if I'm planning to make tacos with ground beef, I'll try to include another recipe that also includes ground beef so I can buy bulk and complete the similar steps of those recipes at the same time.
2. Since I know I'll be making each recipe times six, I typically will not do recipes that have long lists of ingredients or complicated steps. There are many easy prep recipes like marinades or slow cooker meals that only require adding all the ingredients to a ziploc bag before freezing. When I'm deciding on meals, I may choose one or two soups that involve cooking before freezing, but stick with minimal prep meals for the others. Having too many menu items that I'm going to have to fully cook or spend significant prep time on means that my bulk cooking day is going to take way too long.
3. I try to keep my menus limited to recipes that I've made before so that I know we will like all the meals, and that they're all meals that freeze well. I've found that things like rice and pasta aren't quite the same after having been frozen, and veggies can be tricky to freeze well, so I prefer to add those items the day we eat them.
4. If you're new to freezer cooking, a pre-made menu may be really helpful! It takes time to build up a good selection of recipes that work and that your family will enjoy. Look for recipes that are similar to things you already make. Experiment by trying the recipe just once before making it in bulk so you know whether it will be a win.
5. If you have family favorites that you've not frozen before but want to try, I suggest playing with the recipe and trying it frozen one time before attempting it in bulk, until you're familiar with what does and doesn't freeze well.

Here are some things that I've had good success with (find some actual recipes here on my Pinterest board!):

• Soups - chili, lentil soup, chicken noodle, curry, thai soup, etc.
  • These recipes are usually the most work to prep but the easiest to serve since they're already cooked and only need to be heated
  • For soups with noodles or rice, prep and freeze all but the pasta or rice and add  these just before serving
  • If a soup calls for a large amount of broth, save space in the freezer by adding half of the broth on prep day and the other half just before serving
• Slow cooker meals – roasts, pulled pork, etc.
  • Frozen meat can go straight from the freezer to the slow cooker! That makes these some of the easiest meals to prep. Just throw all the ingredients into a ziploc, freeze, and then dump into your slow cooker. There are loads of great freezer-to-slow cooker meals on Pinterest.
  • Having a good slow cooker makes a really big difference! For years, I had one that ran really hot and it was difficult to keep food from being overcooked and dry. If you don't already have a slow cooker, do some research before buying to be sure you get a good one.
• Casseroles or pasta sauce
  • Like soup, prepare without the pasta or rice, and add after thawing
  • Unless the casserole is layered, I prefer freezing casserole ingredients in ziploc bags and then thawing and pouring the contents into a casserole dish before baking. Ziploc bags stack and store much smaller than gladware or similar containers, which helps when freezer space is at a premium.
• Already seasoned meat for tacos, salad,  burgers, etc.
• Marinades – stir fry, teriyaki, grilled chicken, etc.
  • These are some of the easiest meals to prep because the ingredients are all dumped into a ziploc without cooking. However, they can be on the more time-consuming end to serve since they involve cooking the meat and typically any veggies that go with the meal.
  • Marinating and thawing are all one step; it's helpful to put these meals in the fridge the night before you plan to serve them so they thaw slowly and marinate for awhile.

Other helpful thoughts Label your ziploc bags before adding ingredients to them. Especially if a recipe is new to you, it helps to write the name and serving directions on the outside of the bag. That way you're not on Pinterest every Tuesday searching for that recipe to remember the oven temperature. Filling six open ziploc bags with multiple ingredients without spilling can be tricky to maneuver. These freezer bag holders are really handy for holding your ziplocs upright and open while you fill them. [caption id="attachment_676" align="alignnone" width="225"] Once meals are frozen, storing upright rather than stacked makes finding meals simpler.[/caption] Lay your filled bags flat in the freezer, trying to make each bag as flat as possible. Once your meals are frozen, the flat ziploc bags can be stacked on their side, which makes organizing and finding the meals you want a lot simpler. What about sides? In our current season, I add all veggies and sides just before serving. I do our shopping at Costco, and they have a super selection of bagged salads that we eat routinely, and pre-washed and cut veggies that are easy to throw in a steamer or in the oven to roast. I plan sides to go with each meal so I know what I'm shopping for each time, e.g., salads for Burger Wednesday or steamed green beans for Pad Thai Friday. My highest consideration in planning is whether I will be able to get the entire meal on the table in under fifteen minutes, but also of significance is whether I can prep all the pieces in my one prep day. Finding the balance to these two factors has taken some practice, but the pay-off has been well worth the investment. JAMIN RESPONDS: Okay - so I knew freezer cooking was a thing and I knew you cooked in batches, but I had no idea how involved and deliberate it was. I just thought you did a whole lot of cooking at once to save time and hassle...which would have made it a great idea on its own, but the thought and planning that you put into this is really impressive! Just another reason I think you're so awesome. I assume there are a ton more of these that I don't even know about that I'll get to discover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RChMm-QNJHg

Using a Countdown for Family Christmas Projects Click here to download the free Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar FROM WENDY: Our Christmas Countdown Tradition We have been doing a Christmas countdown in some form since the oldest kiddos were barely big enough to count all the way to 25. This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions with the kids because of the anticipation it creates, but also because of the ability to incorporate new ideas in with old favorites. There are endless genius, adorable advent calendar creations on Pinterest. Years ago I bought a set of small white favor boxes that I labeled with numbers 1 to 25. I fill each box with Hershey Kisses for each member of the family, and use clothespins to clip to a heavy duty clothesline or strong strand of garland. We used to hang the garland across the mantel of the fireplace, but since we don't have a mantel these days, we currently stack the boxes on a counter in the playroom. Before the 1st of December each year, I plot out the activities that I want to incorporate into our Christmas celebration that year. While early years were more about just having fun together, this year I wanted to shift the focus to activities that focus on kindness, gratitude and reflection. Also, since this is our first year homeschooling, I wanted to use the activities during our morning circle time, so a number of them involve more learning opportunities than activities we've use in prior years. Our Christmas countdown is attached below so you can use it for your family. The cards are all undated so you can tailor it to your family's schedule, and there are a few more than 25 so you can choose the ones that fit you best. When planning, I always look ahead on the calendar to feel out what days will work best for each activity. I also don't make up days if we start late or happen to miss one. Sometimes this means we miss out on something fun. But I would so much rather miss out than turn what was supposed to be fun into a pressure-filled to do list! My hope is that we can inspire an atmosphere of celebration and gratitude, and enjoy one another and the season. Here's what we are doing this year: Sharing with others 

• Take freshly baked cookies to neighbors
• Make a Thank You basket - put a basket with thank you cards in a central location. Think of ways to express gratitude to friends and family, and spend time writing messages of thanks.
• Make cards for hospitalized children or seniors in a local nursing home.
• Make a "gifts we have" list - in a prominent place in the house, brainstorm a list of gifts we already have an are grateful for, such as family, friends, food, home, etc.
• Make a cookie or cocoa mix-in-a-jar or other homemade gift to give to teachers at church, friends, etc.

Go outdoors

• Go on a winter hunt looking for signs of winter
• String a garland with popcorn and cranberries and hang it on the tree outside for the birds
• Make ornaments from twigs, berries, or other items you find on your winter hunt
• Build a snowman - if you don't have snow where you live, build one out of playdough!
• Go ice skating
• Play with ice treasures  - fill each hole of an ice cube tray with a small button, bead, or prize item. Fill with water and freeze, then use spray bottles or other tools to "excavate" the treasures from the ice

Learn the history behind Christmas traditions

• Why we put up trees
• Why we put up wreaths
• Why we put up stockings and exchange gifts
• Why we eat candy canes
• Why we eat gingerbread
• Why we sing Christmas carols
• The history of Santa
• Why we exchange Christmas cards

Other seasonal favorites 

• Cut paper snowflakes to decorate the windows
• Make gingerbread men or houses
• Make homemade cocoa and cider
• Make a new puzzle together
• Play a new board game together
• Watch a new Christmas movie
• Learn a new Christmas song
• Read a new Christmas book
• Attend a Christmas program or event

Here are my favorites sources for new ideas when making a new years' countdown:

• NourishingJoy.com has a completely service-oriented advent calendar
• KCEdventures.com and AdrielBooker.com both have superb exhaustive lists of several different types of activities that I refer to when I'm needing new inspiration
• I've found a number of nature or play-inspired ideas in the preschool curriculum we use, A Year of Playing Skillfully

I pray you enjoy a blessed season with your kiddos! JAMIN RESPONDS: So many great ideas! I can't wait to watch this happen, knowing it's happening! FROM JAMIN: tldr: I Didn't Even Know This Happened Each Year! I knew we had a countdown, but I just thought it was a fun way to keep the kids from pestering us about how many days until Christmas.  I figured the boxes had candy or a little prizes in them. But, as usual, Wendy's been doing this amazing, awesome thing with the kids without needing any input from me.   I'm going to be paying attention this year and hopefully have more input next time around. This is a really cool set of ideas! WENDY RESPONDS: So funny, I didn't realize you didn't know. We will have fun including you this year ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M77YpZkZNbM

Christmas Shopping for a Large Family FROM WENDY: This post should actually probably be called NOT shopping for a large family... We are pretty minimalist when it comes to Christmas, or even when it comes to toys in general. We have several bodies in our not-super-large home, and there is not a lot of room for stuff! At some point pretty early on, I made the "we will only have as many toys as will fit in these cubbies" rule, and established regular toy-purging times in our year to ensure that things stay pared down to non-crazy levels. A few years ago, we came home from Christmas with an overwhelming van-full of gifts from generous friends and family. A friend gave us this great idea to only let the kids unpackage one new item a day so that they would actually spend time playing with and getting to appreciate each one. This was an awesome solution to  the kids having so many toys that they didn't actually have any idea what all they got. The kids each opened one new thing each day...for nearly a full month! That's a lot of stuff! And while it was fun and exciting for that month, after the newness faded, it was just that...stuff. Filling up every corner of our house. And eventually making it's way to a donation bag. Since then, we've made an express effort to approach Christmas with a much more minimalist mindset, and have sought to make Christmas in our home more about the experiences we can share and the memories we can make. We don't buy our kids gifts One of our very favorite traditions is our homemade gift exchange. We don't purchase toys for our kids, but instead the kids make gifts for each other. We do it Secret Santa style, drawing names usually a day or two after Thanksgiving. I sit down with each of the kiddos and brainstorm some ideas of gifts that 1) they think their sibling would enjoy, and 2) they would be able to make or help make. At this point, our kids are still pretty young, so we keep the projects relatively simple, such as adding stickers to decorate a bin for special Legos, or painting modpodge over cutout paper to turn a pie plate into a Captain America shield. They get an immense amount of joy out of the process of choosing and creating a gift, and keeping it a surprise until Christmas. And as parent, I love so much that the anticipation of the season is revolving around what they are giving rather than what they are hoping to get. Here are some more of the homemade gifts we've done in the past: 1.  Paint Your Own Ceramic Tea Set - brother painted the teapot for sister and gave her paints so she could decorate the cups and plates 2. Baby Doll Moby Wrap - big sister sewed a straight line attaching two pieces of fabric  to make a long wrap for little sister to carry her baby dolls 3. Homemade Playdough with Toys - big sister helped me make batches of different colored playdough to give with a new set of playdough toys 4. Earring Holder - brother helped me remove the glass from a 5x7 picture frame and replace it with burlap, then decorate with gems and ribbon to make an earring holder for big sister Focus on Experiences With our friends and family, we endeavor to focus on experiences together for the holidays rather than gifts. We would so much rather fill our lives with great memories of times that we've spent with people we love than fill our house! Wherever possible, we look for ways to invite others along with us on an adventure as a substitution for a gift exchange. We've done big adventures, like Disneyland and snow trips. We've also done small adventures, like planning games and projects for the kids to do together during the time they would otherwise have been opening presents. These have been some of our favorite Christmases, and at the end of the day, not one of the kids seemed to notice that there wasn't a huge pile of toys coming home with us. We recognize that our approach to gift-giving with our kids is unique, and not everyone feels the need to treat Christmas the same way we do. Some people really enjoy choosing the perfect gift, and seeing the kids light up when they open a favorite item. We are not trying to steal that joy from anyone, or force other families into our crazy-minimalist-large-family (is that a thing?) way of doing things. When everyone else in the family/play-group/etc. is really wanting to do gifts, it helps to meet in the middle. Suggest a more minimal gift-giving strategy, such as Secret Santa or White Elephant exchange, so that each person is only buying and receiving one thing. Set low dollar amounts and establish themes for gifts (homemade items, books, games, etc.) so that the experience, not the gift, becomes the focus. Remember that the goal is not abolishing gifts, or even cutting costs, but rather creating memories and cultivating in our kids a different mentality about Christmas. When you need a list As I said before, sometimes you do need a list for that grandparentperson who really enjoys shopping for the kids. (In all fairness, I most certainly will be that grandparent some day!) When that is the case, there are definitely some toys that will make the list, and others that I know would not be a good fit in the minimal storage space we have. While I know my son would love one of those glorious three-foot-tall Paw Patrol lookout playsets with all the vehicles and characters, I also know that finding a place for that in our playroom would cause me a ridiculous amount of grief. So here are some things that make the cut when the kids ask to put them on their Christmas list: 

1. Building sets such as Legos, duplo, foam blocks, magnatiles, etc. These kinds of toys get played with more than anything else in our house. And not just by the boys. The reason is  that they are multi-functional...a set of foam blocks just as easily can become a castle for some princess figures as it can become a garage for the matchbox cars. Toys that provide for open-ended, creative play are always a win.
2. Pretend play items such as play food, dishes, and a cash register. Along the same lines as the building sets...these toys stick around because of the type of elaborate creative play they inspire. Maybe it's because we have a lot of girls, but our kids will spend hours playing bake shop, restaurant, grocery store...the cash register has even become a library kiosk. Throw in some play dough, and my kiddos are happily baking and selling cakes all day.
3. Dolls or action figures (Paw Patrols and princesses are our current favorites). More creative or dramatic play. But be careful with this one...getting the figures is not the same as getting the gigantic playsets.
4. Hobby-related items, such as sports equipment or musical instruments, or educational items like books, puzzles, and board games.

JAMIN RESPONDS: You cheated by writing this after we recorded the podcast and YouTube episodes.  Still, those homemade gifts the kids give each other are so fantastic, and to watch them get excited about what they're going to give is the most wholesome sight in the world! FROM JAMIN: tldr: Shop for events, not stuff. One toy comes in, one toy goes out. I've already expressed my views on gifts and traditions, so I won't belabor that here. This is a different rant. We don't have a lot of money, so by having six kids we made a conscious choice with real-world consequences. Each additional child we have takes something away from the older siblings, and from the two of us, not just in time and effort, but in money: even with good money management, We're not going to Hawaii any time soon. We aren't taking the family out to eat at a real restaurant. We aren't able to save or donate as much as we would like, and we won't be paying for our kids' college tuition (hopefully that idiotic institution will have finally died by then anyway!). I could have a lot more great stuff in my life if I didn't have so many kids! But there is nothing that I could buy with my money that would bring me greater fulfillment and joy than the measly little 1/4 million dollars each of them will drain from my accounts before they move out. And there is no institution I can start or cause I can support that will be more likely to bring good into the world than shepherding six new healthy families. These are real people that I can really affect; 100% of my donation goes directly to the families with no overhead or administrative costs. So we've definitely chosen more family over more stuff. "Minimalist" might be an overstatement (understatement? ...we have lots of stuff by any world standard), but I would gladly trade more stuff for more time or more family, when given the clear choice. Christmas brings that into sharp focus: I don't want more stuff. Additionally, I'm starved for time. Today is the youngest my kids will ever be. And I'm dying any day now. I need time. If I've got $50 to spend on fun for the kids, I'd rather use it to hire someone to clean the house or mow the lawn so I can spend that time playing checkers with the kids. Or jumping on the trampoline. Or baking cookies. Experiences are valuable. Stuff is crap, and we have too much of it already. We need to send one toy out of the house for each one that comes in - if the new toy isn't better than the worst toy we already have, why is it coming into the house? That's the reason I hate toys for the kids. Unless the gift is an experience, it's going to take away from the humanity of the family instead of adding to it. If it will create a memory or bond us together, great! If it will help us mentally rank ourselves higher than someone else, giving us a new echelon of peers to try to compete with, it's making us worse people. And it's likely going to end up at Goodwill anyway, but only after it's brought us some joy, followed by enough frustration that we're willing to give it away for free to get the nuisance out of our lives. So what should we invest in for the kids? Memberships, shows, gas money/trips, time off work, outsourcing work, games, experiences. Or the same for others: If we pay for a babysitter for some of the kids, could we do something special with the others? If we buy a ticket for a friend, could they join us at a place we already have memberships? How can we increase the amount or degree of relationship and human connectivity in our lives? That's where I want to spend my money. Don't get me wrong...I still hate strangers and I don't want to be in any social situation that has prescribed rituals or ceremony for the sake of tradition, but being real with other humans is all we have for this wisp of a breath on the planet. Everything else is just costumes and make-believe. WENDY RESPONDS: I thought the reason we didn't go to restaurants was that toddlers in restaurants are terrifying and stressful. Your opinions are pretty clear here, and I agree with them...but I don't feel like you're offering much practical help. Wasn't this supposed to be a shopping guide? However, I do really love the idea of hiring someone else to clean the house while I go jump on the trampoline with the kids...I'll be using that one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2eKz6iXUGA

The Puppy Search Is On! We screwed up! Have you ever heard of the fog of war? Any good counselor will tell you that sometimes crazy decisions make more sense in the heat of the moment. In the pressure of trying to sell the idea of the last baby to our kids, we did what no good parents should ever do: we promised our kids a puppy. It's long overdue now and the pressure is only mounting. So the puppy search has begun. Sadly, we used to have a dog we loved. A dog like we used to have would be perfect in our home. His name was Bentley and he was the most gentle, fun-loving puppy ever! I know you think yours is, but you're wrong. Bentley was...is! He's still alive. We gave him away when we realized he was going to live out a happier life where he got more attention.  He now has a puppy friend he lives with and we are probably just a sad, neglectful, boring memory to him. Wendy's not looking forward to the potty training. I'm not looking forward to the poop on the floor. We're both hoping for a Morkie, but the price range seems way to steep for our pocket book. So we're scouring the shelters and hoping for the best: only dogs that are good with kids. There will be ear tugging. There will be tail pulling. We need a dog that is either nice enough to not mind or smart enough to avoid the smallest humans in our house. It will probably all work out just fine, but to all you dog owners who think that your puppy is kind of like having kids: this is finally your vindication. This family of 6 kids, 8 years old and younger is terrified of this new bundle of joy entering our lives. But also - you're crazy. Your dumb mutt is nothing like my priceless kids. We're now in the hopefully-merciful hands of the pet gods. Please look kindly upon our estate and grace us with your blessings and not your doodoo. Probably a lot more to come...stay tuned to this section of the site... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ9PPvlSN7Q

How We Answered "Should I Have Another Baby?" FROM WENDY: I have actually asked Google this question more than once. I know, I know, we have a lot of kids. Why am I asking, right? But it never fails, baby fever hits one of the two of us when the smallest person in our house is somewhere between three and six months old. The "should we have another baby?" conversations start again, and the decision feels monumental. At this point, we don't agonize nearly as much as we used to. I fully acknowledge that this could be because we've lost our minds. However, I like to think it's because we've realized some really awesome effects of having a lot of kids...or even just one more. So if you're asking the question, "Should I have another baby?", here's why I think the answer should (almost always) be yes. Multiple kids entertain and teach each other If you currently have one kiddo and are wondering how you'll keep up with another, go ahead and put that fear to rest. Siblings are by far the best form of entertainment in town. The amount of time you have to spend entertaining children decreases with every child you have. This is even more true if the children are close in age. There is always a buddy (or two, or three...) to play with. The more people there are in the house, the greater the likelihood you are going to find someone who wants to play the same game as you do.  Also, siblings are way more fun to play with than parents, and get tired of the game much less quickly. Plus, multiple kids learn so much from each other. The older kids have an influence and authority with the younger kids that is tremendously different from parental authority. The littles enjoy learning from the bigs as if it's part of a game, and our kiddos have taught each other awesome things like how to write their names or how to put away their laundry. Having multiple children often means there are some things you only have to teach once. 1+1 doesn't always equal 2 Along those same lines, there will also be many things you'll only have to purchase once. Unless you're having multiple children at the same time, the cost of a second baby is not going to be nearly as much as the first was, because you're able to reuse baby furniture, equipment, clothes, etc.  While it is true that there are things that have to be paid per child (like soccer team fees or college tuition), there are tons of things that don't! As a family of 8, we get lots more mileage out of things like family memberships and hand-me-down shoes. When considering the cost of having another baby, just recognize that the cost of the baby #2 is not going to be equal to that of baby #1. You are capable of more One question I get asked constantly as a mom of six is, "How do you do it? I'm sure I couldn't handle six kids." Here's the thing, though: I didn't have six kids. I just had one more, and then one more, and then...you guessed it. Like the frog in the boiling water, when you continue to add to your family, you slowly adjust your perspective and increase your capacities. I remember being terrified of two kids. Our first two babies were born a year apart, and the thought of having a baby when I already had a baby was so intimidating. Taking one baby grocery shopping felt overwhelming, so I had no idea how I would ever leave my house again when I had two. But Baby #2 arrived, and I figured it out. My response to the above question is almost always, "You do what you have to do," and it's true! There have been seasons that have been difficult for sure. But looking back, I recognize that it was in the difficult seasons that growth really happened, and that I was able to conquer things that initially seemed insurmountable. As moms, we need to know that we are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for! Life lessons are built in The life lessons that kids learn as a byproduct of having siblings are invaluable. There is nothing that will teach a toddler how to share like having the 24/7 exercise of sharing toys with the brother who's a year older. Not to mention the practice in patience they will gain as they daily learn to wait their turn for mom while she cares for the newborn baby. Siblings are guaranteed to have regular disagreements in which they'll have the opportunity to try out conflict resolution and problem solving strategies. One thing we've been consistently impressed by is how much growth is produced in each of our children when they become an older sibling. Sibling relationships are the best! I adore my children individually. But there is a whole other level of precious-ness you discover when you watch your children love and bond with each other. And each new baby adds another depth of dimension to the sibling dynamics and relationships. The older ones care for and dote on the little ones. The little ones admire and look up to the big ones. The boys look adoringly at the girls and tell them they're beautiful, or the girls are genuinely impressed by how strong the boys are, and your heart completely melts. They read books together, spend hours engrossed in an imaginary game, and spontaneously give each other kisses, and you can't fathom the tapestry of your family without the richness of the relationships of each with the other. JAMIN RESPONDS: All agreed, but you just left a bunch of reasons out.  But really, people - the charade of this whole post is ridiculous! Anyone coming to us to hear what we think about having another kid already desperately wants another kid and is just in denial about it. No one is going to the Toyota dealership asking if it's time to buy a new car or asking a timeshare salesman the best way to vacation.  If your wife is reading this post, it's time to buy another car seat, man.  You're having a baby. Don't worry.  You'll love it.  It will be great. FROM JAMIN: tldr: yes That's the wrong question. It's crazy to me that this is the way this question gets asked. It shouldn't be "Should I have another baby?" it should be "Should I stop having babies?" So I'm going to answer that one because it's a better question. But first, a few reasons kids are the best: 1 - Perspective changing. This is really all of them. Everything that follows is some variation on this theme. 2 - Marriage. We used to fight about stuff. Dumb stuff. We looked out for ourselves. Now we look out for the kids. And then...OH!!...this is what it feels like to serve another human being. Suddenly the marriage is better too, now that we're better at not looking out just for ourselves. 3 - Fulfillment. Either because Darwin says I'm only here to pass on my genes or because God says we're supposed to 'be fruitful and multiply', everyone agrees: babies are the most important game in town. 4 - More kids is way better. True, this is prejudicial. Not everyone feels this way, but having several younger siblings does so much for the maturity of older kids! They learn so many important skills. And they learn everything better. The best way to learn something is to teach it, and with a bunch of younger siblings, there is an ever-present classroom of little people eager to learn. Plus, when there are a bunch of babies around, the older kids learn earlier that they're not the most important things in the universe and that they can, indeed, wait for what they need. I'm not just ignoring them - there are actual higher priorities and they can see that to be true. This also pushes them to be more resourceful sooner. I CAN get you a sippy cup in a few minutes after I put the baby to sleep...OR...you can try to get your own sippy cup right now. It's a little messier, but they learn to take care of the things they really don't want to wait for. 5 - More kids is way better. Still prejudicial. Having several older siblings does so much for the development of the younger kids. We have a culture and the older kids help perpetuate it. When I tell the kids to do something, it feels way different from when another kid tells them to do it. The little people might obey my instructions, but they absorb sibling instructions. When I say "Let's put on your shoes so we can go," it's seen as a request for obedience. When an older sibling says, "Let's put on your shoes so we can go," it's seen as an opportunity for an adventure. Plus, the older kid gets double experience tying shoes! The herd is easier to move than the individuals, so when it's time to move, we grab a couple big kids and the rest naturally move with the group. It's subconscious obedience. When there's just a couple kids and we say, "It's time to go," there's more of an opportunity to fight the instruction. 6 - More kids is way better. This one is just a fact. Especially for controlling parents like me, having more kids than I can micro-manage is really good for them. They have so much more freedom to explore and succeed and fail on their own than if I were there to help them make all the best, most efficient decisions all the time. They get to screw up and get away with it. Of course, there are degrees of appropriate intervention here.  For some parents, this might be a really negative thing, but I'm sure if I had fewer kids I would have to fight the urge to sterilize their lives to an unhealthy degree. But we'll see...check back in with me when they're experimenting with drugs and have a their first baby at 15 and see if I've changed my mind on this one. Now the Cons List: This is a combination of reasons I think we should stop having babies, bad excuses for not having kids, and some terrible reasons I've heard for having kids. Do NOT: 1 - Have kids to save the marriage. The whole point is that kids are the focus once they're around. To bring someone into your life to make your life better without compensating them I believe is either called 'torture' or 'slavery' or both. Kids for the sake of the marriage will almost surely destroy both. 2 - Wait to have kids until you're 'ready'. Not even really sure what this means. Like don't diet until you're skinny enough? Don't bathe until you're clean enough? They make you ready. There's no way to practice. Jump in. And let the change wash over you. Like a refreshing waterfall and a kick in the face. Just depends on the day. 3 - Wait until you can afford them. No one can afford them. They're a huge waste of money. The finances will never make sense. Also, you'll always find the money. You can make more money. You know what you can't make? More youth. More time. God and nature wanted babies to start happening young and keep happening frequently for a reason. Time is not fungible, money is. Don't waste what you can't get back saving up what you could. 4 - Afraid to adopt. It seems reasonable to fear that the connection won't be the same with adopted kids as it would with 'your own.' Out of the...dozens?...of friends I've talked to who adopted, every single one has debunked that fear.  Hopefully we will adopt a couple of our own soon. Our foster care system sucks! No matter how terrible a family I provide, it will likely be heaven compared to what they'll get in the system. 5 - Have kids if you feel like you shouldn't. Like marriage, kids are a terrible, terrible idea unless you just can't help yourself. No pros and cons list is going to outweigh your gut. 6 - Be over-run by fear. I'm afraid...I'll be as bad as my parents...I won't be a good parent...I don't know how to do it right...I might ruin them...I won't be able to [current activity...[infinite list of fears. Every good parent has all these fears. You'll be fine. Or not. You might be terrible, but so were your parents, and you found a way to manage, right? You'll do better than that because you have those fears, and it doesn't seem they did. It's only been since 1960 that you had a choice in the matter (thanks to Katherine McCormick for her work in contraceptives!)  Before that, the universe thought everyone should be a parent. As it turns out, the universe was wrong. But not that wrong. Good parenting is available to everyone who is selfless enough to pursue it. You got this. 7 - Have more kids just because you like all the rest of them so far. I'm really not sure where the flaw in this logic is. We like all our kids and I'm sure we'd like the next one too. Seems like one more would be great! But I can't find the brakes on this thing. With this line of reasoning, I don't know what keeps us from having a circus-worthy number of kids. (I hear ya - you already think we're circus-worthy.) So maybe this is a great reason to keep having kids!? 8 - Have kids for what they're going to do for you. Had 4 girls but really hoping for a boy this time? Had 2 kids and favorite number is 3? Have 3 kids but want to have more than your sister who also has 3? Have 1 and your mother-in-law said you couldn't handle 2?  Whatever role is assigned to that kid before they enter the world will be the Sisyphean weight that will destroy so much joy, not to mention, the chances that they will actually fill the role to your satisfaction is basically zero.  If there are any conditions for what having this kid is going to have to do for you, just walk away. WENDY RESPONDS: Sounds like we agree, we should keep on having more kids! Oh wait, there is one more con...pregnancy. Never mind, six is good ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLHHRmebKOA

Christmas Gifts and A Gift Guide for Him Click here to download the free Gift Guide for Him worksheet FROM WENDY: Full Disclosure: I Don't Buy My Husband Christmas Gifts Jamin is a super non-traditionalist (is that a word?) and does not like doing things that people do just because it's what we do. That includes gift-giving on particular days. This is why the kids and I are banned from making or buying any gifts for Papa for Christmas, Father's Day, his birthday...you get the idea. The kids are still figuring this out, and are more than a little confused as to why he wouldn't want something special for Christmas. They'll get there. Maybe. What is allowed are random "just because I love you and was thinking about you" surprises. (Don't tell Jamin, but I have had a kid get a present for Papa around his birthday because they really really wanted to, and then just save it for a different day. Some kids are just really into giving birthday gifts.) So I guess you could call this a Random I Love You Day Gift Guide. Either way, having limited experience in this field, I'm not going to be super helpful, but I do have a couple rules I stick to when deciding if a certain surprise will make a good gift. Rule One: Anything the kids make or think up themselves is a win. A painted coffee mug that says, "I love Papa" will get used way more often than the Mickey Mouse mug we got in Disneyland. Rule Two: Note things he typically spends extra time or money on. We often pick up Cherry Nibs when we're at the one store that sells them because it's Papa's favorite. I also will watch for deals on tickets for events that Jamin could take one or more of the kids to, since he likes to spend his free time on adventures with the family. Rule Three: I don't have a rule three. Seriously, two rules is all I got. Jamin's gonna be way more help in this department ;-) JAMIN RESPONDS: Beware the mug idea!  I like mugs.  I don't want to have to use a lame one.  December 10th, 2008 you gave me NBA 2k09. Total surprise.  Still remember it.  That was the best.  Actually, I probably have the year and the game wrong, but it was the first time I remember you having the guts to not give me a gift on a holiday.  I knew we would be together forever.  Seriously, though - it does a lot for our relationship that you're willing to love me in the way I best receive it instead of the way you think would be safest or most convenient. FROM JAMIN: tldr: Gift Guide for Him? c'mon...you already know...amirite? For me? Nothing. I don't ever want a present on a holiday. Never give me something when the calendar says it's time to give me something. Not Father's Day or my birthday or Christmas or anything. Or at least put in the card, "I wouldn't have gotten you something, but I knew I'd feel guilty if I didn't, so this gift is really a gift to myself. Thanks for helping with my conscience." Then I'll take whatever you want to buy me, but we agree on what's happening here. The only exception is earned events like graduation or unexpected events, like the passing of a loved one. But even then, don't bring it to the funeral/wake or the graduation party. Give it to me before or after...LONG before or after. But I do love gifts any other time of year! And, as you might imagine, I have strong feelings about what kinds of gifts are good. Too many gifts cost me more than they benefit me. Here are my guidelines for giving gifts to a heartless scrooge like me: *Don't spend my money without my input We've been poor. We're still not out of the woods, and some months are downright scary. I imagine if we made a whole lot more money, I wouldn't mind it if my wife bought me a car or a computer or a phone. But not now. As long as we need regular conversations about which bills we're paying when, don't burden me with a thoughtful spending spree that is going to stress me out later. Unless it's money that you saved up secretly, and even then, I might end up being upset that you let us limp along when you had a secret stash this whole time. *Don't try to get me something I'd really like by getting me something from my hobbies/profession that you don't know anything about. And don't get advice from your friends. The fact that your friend's husband also has the same hobby, and he really liked this version of this thing doesn't mean you have insider information about my hobby. If you're not sure it's a winner on your own authority, it's a real gamble whether I'm going to love it or hate it. It doesn't make me feel closer to you that you tried and failed to get me something from a domain you don't know anything about, and now I have to try not to resent you every time I have to use your gift even though I really don't want one in my life. If you really liked my hobbies, you would do them. So it doesn't make me feel like you're more 'involved' with my life that you recognized I have a hobby and you found something related to it, any more than if I bought a tall guy a basketball or a black guy a rap album or a woman some tampons. See? I noticed something obvious about you and bought you an unusable related gift! Now use it and love me. *Don't 'personalize' something for me that I'm supposed to use. They are almost always crappy versions of the thing, so now I am obligated to use an inferior [coffee mug, hammer, guitar pick, whatever because you personalized it. Hopefully it will break soon so I'll have a good excuse to use a quality version of that thing. *Don't make me pay for it in other ways If you're going to fold my laundry for a month, don't neglect cleaning the kitchen (or whatever responsibilities were in your domain). Don't cook me a meal and leave the dishes out. Don't stay up so late working on a gift for me that you're too tired to fool around. Okay, now to the actual list. If I've already hinted at something I like, forget the following list. Get me that. If I said that I wanted something and you're the kind of person who paid attention and got if for me, forget the following list. You already won. Just don't pin your hopes on me. If it was an off-handed remark about something that I don't even remember wanting, don't put that on me. Otherwise, pick one of the following things or give me the choice of one of a few things you'd like to give me... Budgeted Hobbies ...and tell me where we're making room in the budget. With this gift, I can do the stuff I want to without feeling guilty about taking the money out of the budget: *Golf - golf is stupid. I hate golf. But for my friends who like it, some kind of membership or passes would be great. *Indoor soccer membership or passes. Now here's an actual sport. That's probably why it's fun and not stupid like golf. *Shooting range. Ammo and range certificates. Except I am really set on ammo at the moment... *Flying lessons so I can finish my pilot's license. Better versions or more of what I already use ...or new ones if mine are worn out. If I already use it and don't have a better one, it's because I was saving that money for the family. Upgrade something I use all the time and I'll think of you every time I use it. This is the safest gift, and maybe the best: *Phone. I'm still on 5th gen iPhone. Hopefully not by the time you read this. *Upgraded Audible account. I'd love to get an extra audiobook or two each month. *48-pack of zero calorie Rock Stars. I usually only drink them occasionally, but now I can have one whenever I want, guilt-free. Plus, I'll probably have more energy to wash the dishes faster. *Check my Amazon wish list and "saved for later" in my cart. *In-app purchases. I could use more keys in Rocket League to open the crates we earn when we play. *Collector's boxed set of Newsradio, the best show ever made, would also be an upgrade of what I have. I just don't know where I would play a DVD. But for a lot of guys, the upgraded version of their favorite media would be super cool. *Hobby-related apparel.  Usually shoes would be too utilitarian to be an exciting gift, but when my indoor soccer shoes are worn down, new ones would be really cool. Just be careful in case I was planning to get a different kind when these finally really died. Tools I don't want these since I already have them, but they were the best tools for the money: *Impact driver. No! This is definitely not the same as a powered screwdriver or a drill. The "impact" part makes it so a noodle-armed guy like me can drive a 5-inch screw through a board in seconds. I feel very strong with this tool. I only recently broke down and bought this with the studio remodel and realized that all the years I spent with a regular, cheaper drill were wasted years of my life. *Pokey tools. I don't know what they are supposed to be used for, but these are the most used tools in the tool box. They get used almost daily for all kinds of jobs! (I just learned their official name is "picks" and "hooks", but "pokey tools" seems just as good a name to me.) *Magnetic stud finder. The yellow one with the earth magnets. Long story short: regular stud finders try to find dense parts of the wall that probably have studs. This finds the screws or nails that were used to hang the drywall on the studs, so you know there is definitely a stud right there. Artsy. If you wanna go homemade: *Planned 'relations'. Just please don't make me turn in cute cards or ask for stuff. Just tell me that you've got stuff planned then go for it. *Anything the kids made, as long as you didn't tell them to make it or what to write. One of my favorite cards is from my daughter that says, "I love you! You are the best Papa ever and every day your learning to be better and better."  I loved it so much I didn't even fix the misuse of 'your'. *Anything related to family day. This is where the other rules don't apply. A sucky home-made bag is more than a sucky homemade bag when it's the family day picnic bag. A terrible personalized mug is use-able if it's just the one I use when I take the kids on Papa Days. WENDY RESPONDS: Well, I know what I'm doing on January 23rd. Seriously, this is a great guide, and not just for husbands! I think these are probably pretty solid gift-giving guidelines for any of the difficult-to-shop-for people on the list. So, thanks for helping me with my Christmas gift planning :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztTZFSRFHjg

All Our Favorite Books, Podcasts and Audiobooks FROM WENDY: Much of my recent reading has been on the topic of homeschooling... ...as that has been my most recent endeavor. My top reads came highly recommended by multiple homeschooling friends and podcasts: Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakeable Peace This is an absolute must-read if you have been or are starting homeschooling. Sarah Mackenzie has six children and understands the stresses associated with raising and educating kids! She offers so much wisdom and practical insight into bringing peace into your homeschool. Mere Motherhood This one’s by Cindy Rollins, another mom of many. Cindy has nine grown children whom she homeschooled. Her book is more of a memoir than a how-to, but it so encouraging to hear the ups and downs they experienced together and the wisdom she gained along the way. Educating the Whole-Hearted Child I must say that I have had really mixed feelings about this book. The authors, Clay and Sally Clarkson, are far more dogmatic about homeschooling than I am comfortable with. I skipped over a lot of the philosophy section of their book because I couldn't keep my eyes from rolling. However, I do really like and use many of their practices. Their approach to educating out of real-life and real-language experiences makes homeschooling simple and engaging. Books Not About Homeschooling You and Me Forever Francis and Lisa Chan talk about marriage and family in light of eternity. They offer great perspective on the impact that having a eternal outlook can have on your relationships family culture. Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge John Eldridge is the author of Wild at Heart, and Captivating is the female counterpart. They address the lies that we tell ourselves as women, and the things we believe about ourselves, challenging women to see themselves through Jesus' eyes. I am grateful that I read this during a pivotal time in my young adulthood. Books I Can’t Wait to Read to My Kids Little Women I sometimes feel as if I live in this book. The way my children play and imagine together, the on-going elaborate productions they put on in my living room, and the sweet, relationships they've formed with one another is so reminiscent of this story of four sisters and their friends. Anne of Green Gables We named one of our daughters after this book, sooo.... This book and the seven others in the series were hands-down my childhood favorite. I read the series several times through, and can't wait to read it with any of my children that are willing to listen. Pride and Prejudice I just really love this book. Anything by Jane Austen, really. I’ve read this one so many times my copy is in pieces, and have written a ridiculous number of college essays on it. However, I think we’re probably more than a few years away from being ready for this as a read aloud. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a hard time selling it to the boys. ;) Podcasts Like my reading, my podcasting is pretty much all homeschool stuff right now. In fact, homeschooling was what got me in to podcasting. This isn't the complete list, just the ones that have stuck in my list for a good long time. Homeschool Snapshots This was the first podcast I listened to when we made the decision to homeschool. Pam Barnhill does a superb job of introducing homeschoolers to all the best homeschool blogs and resources on the internet. Read Aloud Revival This is Sarah Mackenzie's podcast, and is just as awesome as her book. Sarah and her many guests discuss the values of reading aloud, share amazing book lists, and address many of the practicalities of reading aloud with children of all ages. Homeschooling in Real Life Kendra and Andy Fletcher talk about topics that other homeschoolers may not cover. I appreciate their super honest approach to real life concerns and topics. What I really love about the Fletchers is their consistent reminders not to put your hope for your children in homeschooling or specific methodologies or parenting approaches, but instead to put your hope in Jesus! JAMIN RESPONDS: Have I mentioned how much I love Pam Barnhill? :) I'm glad you're into the things you are and I hope we help some others as much as they have helped us through you. FROM JAMIN: tldr: Neurology. Religion. Libertarianism. Read the show notes for podcasts, bibliographies for books. Finally! My wheelhouse! It's not uncommon for me to listen to 10 hours or more of podcasts (I listen on double speed) and audiobooks (2.5 speed) in a day. My list of favorites is long and ever-changing, so I'll try to not include any recent reads and just include my favorites that have endured from the past (in no particular order): Authors Who I Read Everything They Write: - Oliver Sacks: Dead now. He's an amazing story-teller whose profession happened to be in medicine, especially neurology. But I have a feeling whatever line of work he ended up in I would have read it. He's the doctor played by Robin Williams in Awakenings (no, that's not the same as Patch Adams). Entertaining, and perspective-changing as a bonus, since a lot of it is about how the brain works. Specific recommendations: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, Musicophilia, An Anthropologist On Mars - Sam Harris: Just because I know a lot of our audience is Christian, I want to point out that this guy is one of the leading evangelistic (preachy) atheists of the past decade or so. Not a set of books you'll be happy you read with your kids or shared with your fellow congregants.  Not vulgar, just very anti-religious. That said, he is one of the most practical and reasonable thinkers I consume, and his insights have made this religious person a better man.  As a quick example: he has an entire book about how free will is an illusion. I read it and couldn't disagree more, but considering his perspective has made me a more compassionate person and shifted my views away from certain types of punishments. By education, he's a neuroscientist, but then he had some success as an author, and then real success as a podcaster. I wouldn't want to hang out with him, and I'll never be as smart as him. He's a leading force against Islamism from a practical standpoint, and has been in the middle of those controversies for years now, so that comes up a lot, but Sam Harris on nearly any topic is going to expand your mind.  His single fault may be his obsession with hating the current occupant of the Oval Office. Specific recommendations: End of Faith, Free Will - Penn Jillette: Also super atheist and super Libertarian, but less evangelistic, more vulgar, and way more entertaining. In fact, only entertaining. But I feel like I'd really get along with him. I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but I love how he says it! Specific recommendations:  Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday, God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales - Christopher Hitchens: Also dead; also another evangelistic atheist. And every one of his books has significantly altered the way I thought about the topic. His views on Libertarian-ism are extremely thorough, as are his thoughts on nearly any topic. His essay on how bad a person Mother Theresa was will expand the mind of even a non-religious person. Specific recommendations: Letters to a Young Contrarian,  Hitch-22: A Memoir - Timothy Keller: Perfect Presbyterian apologist (God defender) for the kind of person who likes to listen to mostly atheists. I've re-read most of his stuff. A little dry sometimes, but he doesn't overstate his position very often, so I appreciate his straight-forward positions. I get the feeling he'd like a lot of the same people I like. Specific recommendations: The Reason For God, The Prodigal God, The Meaning Of Marriage - Malcolm Gladwell: Great books, stupid podcast. I don't get into the podcast later, so let me do that here: Dear Mr. Gladwell, First, thank you so much for reading my blog. Second, there's no way you can outrun LeBron James in any race. You're delusional. Third, great books! Lots of great perspectives! Even if not all the facts totally check out, it's valuable to consider a different take on familiar topics. Fourth, not everything has to do with the current president. I understand you can't blow your nose without it somehow reinforcing your disdain for the sitting POTUS, but the rest of us just want to hear your interesting stories. Do your podcast like your books and just wait a couple years until the next act of this stupid American play where we pretend the R's and D's aren't on the same team, and we once again elect the other side to be in charge of increasing the waste of my hard-earned tax dollars. Also, I would love an autographed copy of Tipping Point. Specific recommendations: Outliers, Blink, Tipping Point - Scott Adams: Yes, that Scott Adams. Unexpectedly insightful! And not just 'insightful for a cartoonist', but more like 'I'm glad this cartoonist got successful enough to be able to pursue writing, because he's really insightful.' Like Sam Harris, he's pretty dry. I don't think I'd want to hang out on a regular basis, but I'll definitely buy anything he creates, although I've never read more than a frame or two of Dilbert, even though it was the focus of an episode of the best show ever created. Specific recommendations: How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, The Dilbert Principle - Jon Ronson: Purely entertaining. I don't think I've learned much of anything practical from any of his books, really. He's just really entertaining and puts himself in crazy awesome situations. Plus, if you get the audiobook, he's got a cool accent that will grow on you. Specific recommendations: Lost At Sea, So You've Been Publicly Shamed - C. S. Lewis: Dead. (Why do I feel the need to include that? Koran: Muhammad - dead. That's funny! I hope I remember to include that in the audio portion.) Lewis is one of the most significant Christian apologists. Also, he wrote the Chronicles of Narnia. Several times I'm not sure that I agree with him, but this is really what endeared me to him: in one of his books he pretty much states (paraphrased) "This may not be true, but you don't know what's true on this topic either, so as long as my ideas challenge you and knock you off your high horse, I've gotten you closer to the truth." Anyone who put s*** like that in one of their books has a fan for life right here! It's a similar take as Penn Jillette, which is also why I find him so endearing. Specific recommendations: Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity - Milton Freidman: I mostly like him because I'm supposed to. He is the intellectual hero of so many of my intellectual heroes. Most of it is extremely dry, and also life changing if you can get your head around what he's trying to say.  His videos on YouTube easier to take than his books, although they miss a lot of the nuance of his positions.  If you like him, you'll also want to check out Thomas Sowell's stuff. Great minds! Specific recommendations: Capitalism and Freedom, Free To Choose - Anything about Scientology: I know, all the kids are doing it now, but I was here before it was cool! Scientology is fascinating as a modern phenomenon! The more recent documentaries are cool too as far as exposing the more tantalizing details about abuse and tax evasion, but what is most interesting to me is the history. It didn't get where it was without a crazy, crazy past. Plus, as a Christian I love looking at the aspects of other religions I think are insane and realizing that people think the same about me, and then examining to what degree my beliefs are similar or different from the what seems crazy at first glance to me. Specific recommendations: Beyond Belief, Going Clear, Ruthless Podcasts I've stuck with over time: I listen to all these on double speed because the iTunes app doesn't offer 2.5x or 3x speed yet. Thankfully, Audible does. It's weird at first, but once you get used to focusing, normal speed just sounds like a bunch of drunken rambling. - Armstrong and Getty: I've listened to every minute that these guys have aired (about 20,000 hours), and some of it twice. That's crazy. You won't like them that much. But they are definitely unique and just irreverent enough to keep my attention. These are the guys who started me down the path of Libertarianism (although I don't call myself one because our candidates have been insane and so are a lot of our biggest proponents. It's a crazy family with some great ideas. So I call myself a 'classical liberal' because no one knows what that means, so I get to explain what I actually believe.) - Common Sense: Check out the old episodes. Great middle-of-the-road politics from 30,000 feet without the normal current-events-24hr-news-cycle mania. - Startup: It's from Gimlet Media, about the Gimlet Media, as Gimlet Media was starting up. The founder decided, "I want to start a podcast company. My first podcast should be about me starting up my podcast company." That was GREAT, especially for self-employed people. Then it fizzled after the first season. - Waking Up: Sam Harris. You already know I have a man crush on him, so it's not surprising I'm taken in by every episode of his podcast. - Reply All: Another show from Gimlet Media about all things internet. This show is a tech show for non-tech-y people. It's not very informative, but very entertaining. - Criminal: Again, first season and a few scattered awesome episodes, and the host takes herself WAY too seriously, but she's a great story-teller. - EconTalk: The Sahara is practically a tropical rain forest compared to the dryness you'll find here. Hard core capitalists and Libertarians only. On a positive note, this guy is MUCH more likable as a human being than the other economists or libertarians out there. He's probably a fantastic grandpa and just an all-around great guy. - Serial: Great story-telling. No information, just entertainment - RadioLab: I can't be friends with anyone who wouldn't find at least one of these episodes absolutely fascinating. Crazy awesome stories told crazy awesome well. - Hardcore History: From the same guy as Common Sense, Dan Carlin. The most recent story was 23 hours. So he's...thorough. But he's so passionate about history. He's great. And he's so overly dramatic, he's fun to listen to as a caricature. - Timothy Keller: Random, periodic sermons from the dude I already fawned over in the author section above. The important part: Book and podcast hacks I didn't include any business podcasts here (even though I've spent hundreds of hours on them) because listening is for entertainment and story telling. I didn't list any of the business/entrepreneur audiobooks and podcasts here because they're all stupid! If you find a good business book, buy the hard copy so you can mark it up and bookmark the important sections. In school I learned: If you have to write a paper for school, just summarize Wikipedia and then cite the books and articles in the 'References' section at the bottom. It will look like you've really done your research. Likewise, all the really important parts of the business podcasts are in the show notes. The rest of the podcast is just filler. Unless that filler is particularly entertaining (like I find Tim Ferris's podcast to be), just subscribe to the podcast, don't listen to it, click on "view full description", visit the links that seem relevant and then delete the episode. Similarly for books, if you end up liking a book, go check out the bibliography and the bibliography of those books for book recommendations.  Just be aware you might lose yourself in a tiny subsection of a tiny world if you just read the books referenced in other books you love.  They will all reference each other and you'll feel confident you're reading all the best materials since they all talk about how much they love and respect each other, and you'll feel like your ideas must be right since it seems like everyone is reinforcing the same things.  I used to take it as an indication that I was on the right path when a favorite content creator would reference another of my favorite content creators, but now I see it as a warning.  That referenced person might be fun to listen to, but these two people are probably not giving me a diverse perspective.   When too many of them know each other or line up, I'm probably perspective-deprived. That's why I started reading fiction.  I have hated fiction for 34 years. It's stupid.  Why waste your time on stuff that isn't real!?  Because the best answers often come from the least likely contributor.  When someone from an unrelated field looks at a problem, their attempt to solve it is not inhibited by the 'rules' of that field.  Reading fiction temporarily breaks my brain.  Anything is possible in fiction.  No rules apply.  Fiction is brain practice for not ruling out possibilities and for considering more solutions in life. WENDY RESPONDS: And you say you hate to read. That is a really long, really diverse list! And pretty much the opposite of my list, lol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6NUFfq1xpQ