Children dancing, International Peace Day 2009...
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Cheers! If you are reading this post, odds are it is because you are a parent or about to become one. We at Extrahourdinary Parenting are taking a moment to toast your decision to do so!

Raising kids is exhausting, frustrating, and expensive, but as most people will tell you, it’s also a lot of fun. And most people won’t tell you that it is also the ultimate legacy. There are all sorts of ways you can leave a positive impact on this world, but perpetuating the species with a well-raised member of it… there’s not much greater legacy than that. In some parts of the world, birth rates are so low that entire populations will die out in the next 50 years or so (there is a great book on this called America in 2050: The Next Hundred Million). Raising kids is not always the cool thing to do, and much of American society had become a bit “unfriendly” to the logistics and tribulations of it as European and Japanese birth trends showed up here for a while in past decades.

Fortunately, that is changing, and having kids is much more the “in” thing to do these days. But in or out, kudos to you for being part of the greatest activity, and the greatest legacy, you will have the privilege of creating. It’s a tough choice, but a smart one. Cheers!!

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A lovely Internet/blogger friend of mine, Tina McFadden, is launching her new fun children’s book today! Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis is a fantasy-adventure novel for kids ages 7 to 10 with a positive, empowering message. A fast-paced, easy read, it tells the story of Enna and Nissa in the mysterious crystal caves of mystical Atlantis.
banner980jpg 300x81 Childrens Book Review: Ellfolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis
And this is its big premier. I got to read an advance e-copy of it and thought it was awesome!

Even cooler, if you order the book today you get all sorts of FREE gifts from parenting coaches, authors and more. http://www.elffolk.com

I’m including here a review from someone far more qualified to endorse Tina’s book. This is from a 9-year-old boy quite into the reading world:

“I’ve played a computer game called Wizard 101 and it formed a very similar town in my head. I think the author is trying to stretch kids’ imaginations so they don’t spoil their brains in front of a TV. I feel hope for all the characters because they were all risking their lives for another person, which is extremely nice. I think that the characters bonded in a relationship and need for each other.”

And here’s the “trailer”:
“Thousands of years ago, on the island of Atlantis, there were signs of a coming disaster. The very first omens were the earthquakes…. When an earthquake strikes the village of Elffolk, an elderly elf becomes trapped in the crystal caves. Two young elves, Enna and Nissa, must save her. But their rescue mission won’t be easy. A dark magic lurks within the caves, stirring up danger at every turn and leaving nothing as it seems.”

If it sounds like something your kid will like, today is the day to order! http://www.elffolk.com

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Book Review: “Quiet Hero” a Lesson on Parenting’s Impact

by ACMJ August 13, 2010 baby shower ideas: gifts for mom

This book is largely about one woman discovering her father’s significant role in the Polish resistance movement in Warsaw during WW2. At the factual level, it is a great lesson about the tremendous cost of war and the incredible acts of individual bravery that people exhibited. It reminds the reader that what we are experiencing [...]

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Parenting Tip of the Day: Surviving the Dreaded Conversation

by ACMJ August 2, 2010 Monday Morning Memo Top 10 Parenting Tips

Image via Wikipedia Yes, the conversation. Not the birds and the bees. Not the one about their friend you can’t stand. No, no…. I’m talking about the conversation about rhythm. In particular, I’m talking about when you say “So, son/daughter, are you interested in learning to play a musical instrument?” And they say, to your [...]

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Parenting Tip of the Day: Hulu Helper

by ACMJ July 26, 2010 Monday Morning Memo Top 10 Parenting Tips

Image via CrunchBase One of the fun things I discovered during my many hours feeding the new baby is Hulu. Hulu.com hosts all sorts of fun shows for free, and for $10 a month you can get access to the whole series with back episodes. I have caught up on Glee, How I Met Your [...]

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EHP – The Expanded Edition

by ACMJ July 26, 2010 Extra (Hour)dinary Parenting site news

We’re back! Finally! Adding a second baby and a full time job is no small thing! This was the first time in two years of running this site that I actually did not have time and/or mental energy to post. Sleep deprivation is no fun! But we’ve made it through the rough and we’re back, [...]

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Toddler and Baby Product Reviews: Cooshee Seat

by ACMJ May 19, 2010 baby shower ideas: baby gear

Finding the right seating for kids is always hard. This is one of those areas of baby and toddler gear with which I am never 100% satisfied. I have several high chairs, booster seats, chairs to strap on to other chairs, portable high chairs, and similar devices. So far, the only one I really like [...]

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Tired of Tylenol

by ACMJ May 6, 2010 Monday Morning Memo Top 10 Parenting Tips

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Johnson and Johnson issued yet another recall after outside inspection of their manufacturing facilities revealed major problems and errors in the production of infant and children’s tylenol, motrin, benadryl, and zyrtec. Can I tell you how tired I am of these kinds of errors? I already had a bottle [...]

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