Choosing a Charity

Dozens, if not hundreds, of organizations are collecting donations of money and helpful items for the people of Haiti. Most of us would like to help even if we can't afford to give much, but how do we decide which organization to use?

Of course some of the groups are well known, but does that mean they're the best places to give? Not necessarily. I'm not implying that the charitable organizations are dishonest, though some, especially new ones, might be. But some of the big groups spend so much on overhead expenses like paying a large staff, a lot of office space, extensive advertising, etc. that only a small portion of donations actually reaches the people who need help. Someone I know from Haiti suggests giving to the Lambi Fund www.lambifund.org because nearly all the money they take in goes directly to the people of Haiti. However they aren't involved in emergency assistance and any donations to them will be spent to help the country recover when the emergency situation is over.

It takes time to research an organization to be sure they're legitimate and that the donations will be used in the most practical way. If you don't have time to do that please don't let it discourage you from giving. If the charity is legitimate at least some of your gift will be spent as needed and every little bit helps. If everyone in America gave just one dollar the total amount of donations would be in the millions.

And this is a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to help children learn the importance of helping others.

MOPS

After being a guest speaker for a local MOPS group a couple of times I'm honored to have been asked to join them as a Mentor Mom.

For those who don't know, MOPS is an acronym for Mothers of Preschoolers and exists to help people fitting that description. The mothers gather a couple of times a month and give each other moral support, share what they've learned about parenting, and socialize.

Being a mother isn't an easy job and, in our modern times, it has become more difficult because many young women don't have a nearby extended family to give help and advice. Even those who do can benefit from spending time with other moms.

In my opinion MOPS is an organization that is greatly needed and members and former members seem to value it a lot.

MOPS is an international organization so local groups can be found in many communities. For more information please go to http://www.mops.org/

If I Could be Anything

Kevin McNamee has done it again!

After enjoying the book I reviewed in my last post I read another by the same talented author. If I Could be Anything takes us into a boy's vivid imagination while he's picturing multiple possibilities, all of which sound like fun. What kid wouldn't want to bounce like a kangaroo or soar like an eagle? McNamee's catchy rhymes will carry children along, especially if the book is read aloud to them.

But at last the boy appreciates being himself, surrounded by those who love him. With such a comforting ending the book would make a wonderful bedtime story.

Marina Movshina did a good job of capturing the imaginary feel of the book in her illustrations, too.

The Sister Exchange

Maybe it's because I experienced a bit of sibling rivalry myself, but I often seem to say books I review might be helpful for families dealing with that problem.

Kevin McNamee has written a book specifically for kids dealing with sibling rivalry. It's interesting that the characters' names are the same as those in the dedication, so probably the author is writing from personal experience.

The Sister Exchange is a delightful picture book about Brianna, who wants to trade in her annoying little sister, Julianne, for a better one.

Julianne drives Brianna crazy by following her around and trying to do everything her big sister does. But when the older girl asks her mother if she can exchange her sister, Mom comes up with an amazingly creative way to solve the problem.

The delightful illustrations by Kit Grady do a perfect job of showing what the characters and settings look like.

I think every family with more than one young child would be wise to get this book and read it to their kids often.

Relatives

Whew! The holidays are over. That season is my favorite part of the year, but I'm a bit worn out after all the concerts, plays, visitors, parties, and family gatherings.

We have an extended family; make that extremely extended.

Relatives include people like my uncle's sister-in-law and her great granddaughter, my second cousin's cousin, his nieces and nephews, and many others.

Unfortunately there don't seem to be words for all those relationships. As kids we simply called distant relatives our uncles, aunts, and cousins, but as adults we sometimes need to be more specific.

And why doesn't the English language have terminology for our children's in-laws? Someone once suggested I refer to my daughter's mother-in-law as my "me-in-law," but somehow that term doesn't seem to work for me.

I guess I'd better stick to my husband's suggestion. He refers to all of those distant relatives as "step-neighbors-in-law." Maybe you have some of those in your family, too.

Poodle and Doodle

A couple of weeks ago we had a house guest who brought along her 90 pound Malamute mix dog. I had expected Suds, our meek, 11 pound poodle/Bischon mix to be scared of the playful big one, but instead she intimidated him, establishing right away that the house was her territory.

That reminds me of something I recently read.

Poodle and Doodle by Donna J Shepherd is an adorable picture book about a tiny poodle who is upset when her humans bring home a gigantic labradoodle named Scruffy. At first the dainty little dog is upset by the new dog's clumsiness and lack of manners, but eventually she realizes living with Scruffy has advantages.

The book is told in rhyme that's comfortable and not artificially forced, unlike some rhyming picture books I've seen. The colorful illustrations by Jack Foster are perfect portrayals of the cute and amusing story.

Poodle and Doodle would appeal to most young kids but it would be especially appropriate for those who love dogs and children coping with sibling rivalry.

Medieval Rap?

Last summer I mentioned that nursery rhymes were often originally disguised political statements from an era when freedom of speech didn't exist. I understand people at fairs and street markets would chant or sing them in public to gather support without endangering themselves. Of course lots of non-political rhymes were probably also shared that way.

Ordinary people in those days didn't know how to read and write spoken language, much less music notation. Although the words of many rhymes and both words and melodies of many folk songs were passed on by oral tradition we have no record of tunes to go with most nursery rhymes. Even those we now sing were usually set to music in the last century or two.

It seems likely to me that the ones we now call nursery rhymes were probably not sung at all, but called out in rhythmic speech, possibly accompanied by instruments like hand drums and tambourines. If so, they must have sounded a lot like what we now call Rap music. Even the meter is often similar. Can't you imagine "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall" done as rap?

It's not likely ever to happen, but I'd love to hear a modern Rap group perform nursery rhymes.