Online Resources

Remember life before the Internet? We had to go to the library to look up magazine articles in periodical guides, then wade through stacks of magazines in a back room if we needed information for a school report. Martin Luther King Jr's famous "I Had a Dream" speech was something we learned about in school, from a textbook.

Now, millions of articles about millions of topics are available all the time. My children, decades younger than I, can watch Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and see his oratorical skills in action. I can sit in my basement and collaborate with editors on both coasts. My son can learn about real-time fishing conditions . We watch snowstorms roll in and anticipate snowdays before the first flake falls.

The Internet -- as any homeschooling parent will tell you -- is a fantastic learning tool. That's why I'm so pleased to announce Blogging 'Bout Boys' inclusion on a 100 Excellent Online Resources list!

Whether you homeschool or not, 100 Excellent Online Resources for Christian Homeschoolers is a fabulous resource. Everything is there, from math to art to writing resources. There are even links to educational podcasts about astronomy, history and more.

What are some of your favorite online resources?

Turning Lemons to Lemonade

Talk about a nice start to the weekend. Blogging 'Bout Boys has been named a Lemonade Stand Award winner! According to Michelle and Karen at Layers of Learning, the Lemonade Stand Awards recognize blogs that demonstrate great attitudes or gratitude.


Now it's time for me to pass on the honor. Here are 10 blogs that I think deserve the Lemonade Stand Award:

1. Parenting by Trial and Error. Sarah Ludwig is a single mom of four kids, just like me. She's also a witty and personable writer who understands parenting from the trenches.
2. Living in Splitsville. Christina and her husband separated a little over a year ago. Her tagline -- Notes on a Midlife Makevoer -- says it all.
3. Journey to a Wondraful Baby. Disclaimer: My SIL runs this blog and the main topic is my adorable little niece. Underneath is all, though, is a story of gratitude as Heather blogs about finding their daughter through adoption.
4. Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. My first, favorite homeschool blog. Here, you'll find real-life stories of homeschooling and thousands of fun tips.
5. Eclipsed. Yup, it's a two-for-one deal. Eclipsed is by the same woman who writes Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, but it focuses on weight loss instead of homeschooling.
6. Boy Crazy. How could I not like this blog? The writing is divine.
7. Saying YES 2 Boys. Andrea is a mom after my own heart. Her boys run, jump and swing swords while she reflects, supports and joins in on the fun.
8. Alasandra's Homeschool Blog. If you're a homeschooler, Alasandra's blog is a must. She keeps you up-to-date on news and happenings in the world of homeschooling.
9. The Happiest Mom. Another parenting blog by another writer and mom of many. (Meagan has five children.) But her take on parenting -- Happy. Mother. You really can use both words in the same sentence. -- isn't one we hear often.
10. BIKE with Jackie. This blog is all about positive attitudes and gratitude. Jackie uses her BIKE technique to teach you how to overcome adversity.

What other blogs inspire you? I'd love to hear about your favorites!

Thank You!

Thanks to your votes and support, Blogging 'Bout Boys has been named a...


Thank you, Alasandra, for hosting the contest. Please head to Alasandra's Homeschool Blog to check out the other winners!

I've Been Nominated for an Award!

Kim, of Kim's Play Place, recently nominated me for my first-ever homeschool blog award.

The awards are given by Alasandra's Homeschool Blog, an intriguing site if ever I saw one. Recently, she's been running a series of posts covering the controversy the erupted when school kids sang a song about President Barack Obama.

She's also accepting nominations for Best Homeschool Blog thru November 27th. Hurry over and nominate your favorite homeschool blog!

I'm a Ripe Tomato

Meet my latest (OK, my 2nd) blogging award: Blog Salad's Ripe Tomato Award, presented by the generous, talented man otherwise known as Ron Doyle.

If you've been around awhile, you probably remember Ron's hilarious guest post during the May blogathon. (Does a hairy Tom Selleck ring a bell?) If not, you need to go check out his stuff. Immediately. Ron's an incredible writer.

Apparently, he thinks I'm not so bad either. Blogging 'Bout Boys was one of 15 blogs to win the Ripe Tomato award, which recognizes "fifteen of the greatest blogs ever written on bicycling, parenting, technology, frugal living and freelance writing." I know that's only Ron's opinion, but hey -- I already told you the man's a genius!

According to Ron, "there’s a social poignancy beneath Fink's blog—it chronicles the developmental stages of the dominant world of men—and her attempts to raise them differently than generations past."

I'm honored. But I'd like to say that this blog is bigger than just me. This blog is a community of concerned parents, helping each other raise boys to become responsible, fulfilled men. This blog is a community of citizens who know that our country can do better for its boys. This blog is a place where we share information and experiences, in hopes of changing the world for the better a little bit each day.

This is a place where we're silly and serious -- but beneath it all lies a deep undercurrent of love for our boys.

Honest Scrap Blog Award

My 1st blog award -- courtesy of my sister-in-law and fellow blogger, Heather. (If you're at all interested in infertility or PCOS, I encourage you to check out her blog, Journey to a "Wondraful" Baby.)

Honest Scrap is a chance for bloggers to recognize each others' work, and an excellent opportunity for blog readers to find some gems they might be missing. Here's how it works:

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

So first, my 10 Honest Things (and since this is a blog about boys, I'm going to try to keep it raising boys):

1) I'm not-so-secretly glad that I have all boys. No testy mother-daughter relationship to worry about!

2) But happy as I am to have boys to raise, I fear I'll miss having a daughter when I'm older. It would be amazing to see my own child go through pregnancy and childbirth.

3) One of the reasons I'm glad I have boys? My genetic history, which is positive for breast and ovarian cancer. My boys are still at an increased risk of cancer, but at least they don't have breasts or ovaries to worry about.

4) Changing a girl diaper now just seems weird to me.

5) I know the whole Bob the Builder theme song.

6) My boys have shown me the wonder of so many things I'd missed before: throwing rocks into the river, crafting dams out of mud, catching insects, etc. The list is ongoing.

7) I really got into learning about dinosaurs too.

8) Another reason I love having boys: I don't have to do anything to their hair. I rarely, rarely, RARELY comb their hair.

9) I fully appreciate the convenience of boys. If we're out-and-about, say at a park, and there's no bathroom nearby, I let them pee on trees.

10) Hubby and I have been taking a series of classes to help us improve our marriage. As crazy as my boys think that is (actual quote: "Why do you have to learn that stuff? You've already been married for 16 years!"), I believe that marriage is the base of the family. Anything we do to strengthen our marriage also strengthens our family.

Now, onto the nominations!

1) Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers : I'm a new visitor to this blog, but I love it already.

2) Pack of Hungry Snails : Firefly Mom simply has the best music on her blog. Plus, her homeschool group does some pretty cool things.

3) Sandra Dodd : One of my homeschool inspirations.

4) Free Boys : This blog is by a father who lives an unschooling life with his family. Thought-provoking!

5) Something Good Happened : Let's face it: we all need to remember to look on the bright side. This is a new blog, but I think it can grow into something great.

6) Making Meaning from the Mundane : One of the first blogs I followed. Lynn is a fellow writer, and the writing here is just fabulous.