A Net in Time

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The Button Pusher

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Button Pusher) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

I honestly wasn’t expecting much when I initially leafed through Button Pusher.  I figured it was yet another light fiction piece done in graphic novel style for the middle school crowd.  Instead, what I found as an informative, based-on-life graphic novel, delineating the effects of ADD/ADHD on a child and their family.  Not a fun, or easy path in life. This would be an excellent book for upper elementary and middle school children and their families. 

Button Pusher by Tyler page

General Details

I received a full-colour, paperback edition with a built-in fly.  Written by Tyler Page in an autobiographical format, within the graphic novel style. Within the story you will find breakouts teaching about different aspects of ADHD. Published by First Second out of New York.   Running at 256 pages and written with youth 10-14 years.  I’m reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Seeing ADHD through the eyes of Button Pusher

Learn about how people with ADHD deal with doctors, executive function, the genetic component, environmental factors, how Ritalin works on the brain and so much more.  These blue pages are packed full of information helping youth understand how ADHD affects each person.   I find them to be really well done with language easily understood by middle school youth.

The bulk of the story is told in full colour, with an easy-to-read font.  A full-colour spectrum is used which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Don’t you enjoy it when a book uses a wide range of colour? 

With that colour, you’ll also find a wide range of emotions.  From anger, happiness, confusion and more.  Tyler’s parents struggled in their relationship so you’ll see anger, and the result of objects thrown.  

You will see firsthand some of the issues Tyler struggled with growing up. I found that often times his friends didn’t help him make wise decisions.  

Should you pick up Button Pusher?

One of my son’s friends has a fairly debilitating form of ADHD.  We’ve included him in some of our outings, and find even as a teenager he needs a fair amount of redirecting to help him stay on task.   Even to just keep him from wandering off when we’re out together.   

Just as Tyler learned needed skills as he matured (and meds did play a part in that), my son’s friend has needed to learn a variety of skills.  Maintaining friendships is part of that.  ERGO I think this book would be immensely helpful to not only ADHD youth, but also the friends they may or may not have.  It’s hard to manage emotions, feel confident about yourself, and be a good part of society while managing difficult conditions. 

Button Pusher helps ADHD youth realize that they can do this.  They can learn to cope and channel all that additional energy into good.  Their friends can learn to help their ADHD friends make better decisions. 

Showing Up

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So guess what happened today? A friend came over with the thought of helping us with the shed.  Jim was having a hard morning so instead, he helped me with trimming back our maple tree.   In some ways, it was kinda funny.  He’d trim something, notice a dead branch and cut it off.  He’d think he was all done and then would look around and go “Oh, I didn’t see that dead one there, let me see how I can get to it”.    This happened so often I started to inwardly chuckle about it, but outwardly I’d help him, holding the ladder, and carrying away branches for him.  We had a thoroughly productive morning and he taught me a lot about caring for trees. Then the lad helped load up the truck for a trip to the dump so all those branches are gone!  Utterly fantastic!  Anyways, it made me think about the word prompt this week and how nicely this friend was about showing up.

Showing Up

Showing Up

Showing up is not
just a fling.
It’s a gift a time,
a meaningful thing.

A helpful moment,
often God-made,
to meet a need
it should be obeyed.

In my email often found
ways to show others
your faith in God
reaching out to brothers.

Sometimes it’s fancy
ways of evangelism, or
programs to put on, or
methods of catechism.

But what I’m learning
works is simply
and plainly showing up
even if you’re pimply!

Just showing up matters.
Teaching, praying,
studying, helping,
working and playing

Be that Sunday School helper,
and lender of tools.
Be the mover, the idea-giver,
and the setter of stools.

Mow a lawn, walk a dog,
read a book, write a letter,
pay it forward, and create a smile
Do what you can to make it better.

And when people ask
why you are showing up?
Tell them the truth,
God makes you look up!

God is the reason for
the things that you do
I’m finding my way to
make him relevant to you!

Yup, me, still talking

I don’t often do rhyming couplets in a very “poetry-ish” style, and boy, it can be a challenge!  🙂   Anyways, God is good and walks me through eh?  But seriously, show up with your faith.  Be out and about in your community making an impact and try not to be shy about your reasons for doing so.  Otherwise, how will people know? 

James 2:18-26 (ESV)

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Inspiration Post 4*4*4 #3

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Welcome to my Inspiration post: 4*4*4 #3 

[Prompt: Look around and choose 4 things within 4 ft. of you and 4 minutes to write about them.]

One sentence each (more or less). 

Inspiration came from the collective. 

Well, actually it was from some other site (I can’t remember which one) that pointed me BACK to that site as the original originator.  I don’t know if I’ll stick with this format or if I’ll change it to suit my needs/desires a bit more.  Hoping every week, but might be every other week that I do this. 

Inspiration Post: 4*4*4 #3

Inspiration Post 4*4*4 #3

FlySwatter.  Lying on the end table that sits twixt hubby’s chair and mine.  In easy grasp in order to remove annoying flies from our presence. 

Striped chair that my son almost always sits in.  This hand-me-down chair originally came from my mom’s house.  Sat in hubby’s church office for several years, and then finally came over as the lad wanted something more comfortable to sit in than what he had. 

Contigo water bottle.  I have a love of flavoured water and cold tea.  This water bottle allows me to enjoy both drinks as often as I want to. 

Easy off masking tape roll.   I’m thinking of repainting my room this coming autumn, I picked up a number of paint swabs at our local Rona the other day that I’m testing out to see what I like.  I’m not very colour-coordinated so I have to see what glares out at me as obviously a bad choice as I’m thinking of doing an accent wall. 

Something I am pleased about

My boy went away to Army Camp for a couple of weeks.  He came back with a couple of medals.  One for being an exemplary cadet, and the other from the foresters for being a good cadet on the excursion/camping/hiking thing they do.   

Both are not common awards so we are immensely proud of him! 

An add-on

This week I made some very hard decisions and reduced the number of rabbits in my herd.  Since recently someone decided to blame my rabbitry for an issue that popped up, I decided against trying to sell off my adult breeders.   Doing hard culls on rabbits I’ve grown to appreciate is difficult.   

I have to remember though, as something my mom often repeated throughout my formative years.  Remember, that God did something a great deal harder than  _______ (whatever it is I was dealing with).  So put it into perspective eh? 

My perspective is this: I made the hard decisions I did to long-term benefit me and my rabbitry. To benefit my neighbours and family.  This will help me focus AND change things up if I need to.  Now I have space and won’t feel like I’m struggling to find time and room.   It’s already better though I do admittedly miss this handsome fellow

Want to join in?  Come on, do so, would be lovely to see what you have sitting around you and how it’s important (or perhaps not important) in your life.   What kind of things give you introspection?  Or what have you decided to focus on that’s good, or even spiritual this week?  YES… I am that nosey sort!  (at times eh?) 🙂  If you would write an Inspiration Post 4*4*4 #3  what type of things would you focus on? 

It’s a View

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Again, I’m coming to the Five Minute Friday a little bit late.  BUT I have an excuse!!!  I’ve been building a shed!  It’s taking up a bit of our time indeed.  We’re not done yet, and have another couple of days of rain to contend with, but … we are making progress!   I came up with this poem It’s a View. 

It's a view

It’s a view

So, View
it’s the word
that sticks in my brain
A word provided
by Miss Kate.

As I build,
helping hubby our
new shed to raise
I ponder this word
View

As the shed comes
together I see
REALLY see
how much bigger it
is than the old.

This personal
hands-on touch-see
gives me a different
perspective on just
what we will accomplish.

It makes me think
of God’s mercy,
his delight and a natural
expression of who
he is and acts.

It’s a mercy
far broader than
what I can extend
a mercy that humbles
and surprises.

Mercy drives the
very heart of God.
Broader, deeper,
and much quicker
than we would imagine.

Yet within
balanced with justice,
and correction,
discipline. A
parenting parent.

Seeing God
as the ultimate
in how a parent
does their job in
parenting.

It’s a view,
that comforts,
guides, fills with
so much hope and promise
and brings peace.

It's a view

Luke 6:36
“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.

The Science of Babies

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Science of Babies) through Birdhouse Kids. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Children often want to know how they came to be, or even where babies come from. The Science of Babies gives parents a way to talk with their children about where babies come from and what they need. A board book so it gives little hands something they can touch, and play with, without damaging the book for others to use.  This book takes a scientific approach and used proper terms when talking about how babies come into being.   Shall we learn more?

The Science of Babies

A Brief Overview

The Science of Babies: A little book for big questions about bodies, birth and families has been published by Birdhouse Kids.  32 pages in board book style. Written by Deborah Roffman and Illustrated by Frank Cable.  It is written for children 3 1/2 and up. Correct scientific terminology is used throughout. 

Birdhouse Kids is located in Vancouver, Canada.  Their goal is to create resources for parents and educators that help them introduce children “to the things in life that will make them accomplished, healthy, and happy.”  Their focus is on early childhood education. 

Looking deeper into The Science of Babies

The board book starts with talking about people are different on the outside, with body parts there, and also body parts on the inside.  Children learn about how some body parts are private and some body parts are used by grown-ups to make new people. 

Over the course of the book, children learn the facts about how the creation of a baby is accomplished.  Including the pleasure it brings adults to do the work of creating a baby.

It’s not all pictures with a bit text, but sometimes mostly text with just a few images. 

All types of families are included without labelling.  So the reader is left to decide how those families can be described.   This later part also includes what babies need: food, sleep, attention, and love. 

What do I think?

I love how they specified that it is grown-ups who make children.   And although  I know the focus was on using scientific language I disliked how they talked about the baby being a fetus. 

I was delighted that they focused on how it is a pleasure to create a baby, rather than focusing on just the duty, or how some babies are created in less than good circumstances.   The authors avoid that hardness.

 When it comes right down to it I’m not sure what I think of The Science of Babies.  I love that they use proper terminology, and their focus on pleasure, and what babies need to grow.  I think part of my hesitation is that I come from a faith-based perspective when discussing where babies come from.   It’s not just the action and the pleasure in creating, but the love and desire of the parents in carrying that child through gestation and into growing as a person.   I feel the lack.

It’s just “here are the facts” and oh, remember to love the fetus once it becomes a baby.  Will it be helpful?  Yes!  Is it a good place to start?  For sure.  You can present this book within the context of whatever faith system (or lack thereof) that you hold to.  You are given the language and the steps, so half the job is done for you.  Then use your social context to make it fuller, fitting your family values. 

Remembers not our sin

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Today has been a bit busier than I planned.   The dentist was planned.  The running around getting a health card, waiting for a prescription, getting the lad onto our plan??  WHY wasn’t he on our plan???   Glitches in systems sometimes frustrate in this day and age of instant computer/online access.   Anyways, I’m taking a bit of time to squeeze in this poem for the word prompt forget.   Remembers not our sin was predicated by my lad’s “BUT MOM.. why can’t you remember?”

Remembers not our sin

Remembers not our sin

the lad is chipmunked
today.
swollen cheeks
difficulty speaking
this happens when
four wise teeth are
extracted.

I vaguely remember
getting mine done
and what I most remember
is not the pain
but the anger
or perhaps frustration
of the dentist.
A rough man with
no patience for
his patients.

My fear of him
took a long time
to abate, and my
current dentist is
kind and not
in any way rough.

But lad has questions
how long must I do
soft.
How long til I can
work.
and so the questions fly…
“MOM! Why don’t you remember?”
That touch of exasperation.

I don’t remember
because
time happens and
wounds heal
so it doesn’t seem important.

I was considering as
I thought about my son’s
disapproval of my
lack of memory.

God remembers not our sin
It doesn’t say
that God forgets
out sin. But
that he
will remember [our] sins no more.

You’ll find the verse
in Hebrews 8.
Written for our hearts
to know that God
chooses to not
recall that pain
we caused him.

It’s like when
someone hurts you
and asks you to forgive
them. Do you hold
onto that hurt?
OR
Do you choose to
no longer recall it to mind?

Sometimes our
“forgetting” is an
active choice.
Sometimes, our
forgetting is
a factor of age,
healing, or just
other things being
more important.

It’s rather cool
don’t you think that
God chooses to not remember
the sins of his children?
That he considers
relationship through
his son to be more important
than the pain we have caused him?

what do you choose
to no longer remember?
Why?

Remembers not our sin

Still talking! 🙂

For more thoughts on the passage Remembers not our sin, you might want to check out the desiring god post I found intriguing. 

Hebrews 8: 12 (ESV) For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,     and I will remember their sins no more.”

God’s mercy continues to blow me away.  Considering more deeply what it means that God doesn’t bring our sin to his attention anymore.  Just… I don’t know, reminds me more deeply of his goodness.   Be reminded always of God’s goodness eh?  

Don’t Worry, Be Ha-PEA

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Don’t Worry, Be Ha-PEA) through Ascot Media Group. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Don’t Worry, Be Ha-PEA is a book filled with funny food puns. You’ll need to check it out with the cookie dough letters and the various foodstuffs in pictures.  Some of them are very easy to figure out, others, well, not so much eh?  It’s a fun book to gift or leave out for guests to enjoy.  A family-friendly book for you to enjoy.  Want to know more… read on! 

Don't Worry, Be Ha-PEA: 101 Deliciously Clever Food Puns

Brief Description of Don’t Worry be Ha-Pea

Curious about how this punny, food-filled 128-page hardcover came into being?   Check out this video! 

Discovering food-oriented puns with full-colour images, divided into seven sections, by Marie Saba.  Published by Familius Books.   You’ll discover 101 Deliciously Clever Food Puns in Don’t Worry, Be Ha-PEA.  Some are very easy, others, well, let’s just say we haven’t quite figured them out yet in this household.  Still fun trying though eh? 

I mentioned seven categories:

  • Deliciously Romantic
  • Movie Title Munchies
  • Nom-Nom Celebrity Names
  • Spicy Slang
  • Sweet Inspiration
  • Tasty Tourist Attractions
  • Yummy Cartoon Characters

Diving in for a Closer Look

Other than the title pages for each section, every page has a pun on it.  The backgrounds are always a solid background, either in singular colour, or as wood panel background. 

I can just see the fun Marie Saba had in creating these.  Wouldn’t it be fun to just come up with puns?  Finding the right produce, and then figuring how to put it together.  She must have used a thesaurus a lot since some of the puns are CLOSE plays on words.  🙂

It’s not a very big book, maybe 7 x 7, which makes it easy to slip into a bag so you can bring it along to gathering and have fun with friends solving the puns (whether you do so correctly or not).  Try, fail, try, succeed, laugh and enjoy yourself. 

Should you get it?

Don’t Worry, Be Ha-PEA: 101 Deliciously Clever Food Puns by Marie Saba is a fun little book.  It’s one that I would happily gift a foodie!  Or have it sitting out on a table for guests to browse when over for a visit.  There is nothing in them to worry about with your children as all the puns are family-friendly. 

OH, I was just thinking.. this would be a good book to use with kids learning a second language.  Can they figure out what the picture is and then hunt for a near word or a rhyming word to solve the pun? Wouldn’t it be a handy way to help cement learning?  Or even to use with a cooking unit for homeschooling (or in the public school system)?  Might be a fun way to encourage your children to practice their thinking skills eh?