Spaceship Parenting --> beyond the Helicopter

As a twenty-two year veteran homeschool mom turned elementary school counselor, one of the things that I see everyday is a lack of parenting skills and how those impact our children, and our society, in a negative manner.  There are plenty of parents out there doing an amazing job (and kudos to them!!), but there is an increasing number of parents who are winging it, without any guidance or seemingly motivation. The book Spaceship Parenting, by Ricky Arenson, does a great job of filling that void.

Spaceship Parenting is a humorous, values based parenting guide framed as a conversation between Ricky and Nova, an alien visitor who thinks modern parenting is holding humanity back. It provides ten practical, evidence-based rules on leadership, boundaries, emotional intelligence, resilience, and family connection, all with a comedic tone.

The book itself is a quick and fun read. It's just silly enough to keep you engaged without being a dry, non-fiction, self-help book. It's full of terrible dad-jokes, but also some crazy real-life examples of when the rules are and are not applied, and what happens. The rules go from infanthood to the teen years, and there are many rules in this book, such as the stop rule, a simple but effective circuit breaker, which are applicable not only in the home but in the workplace and society at large as well. Peek inside the book to see how humor keeps the reader engaged while also learning practical and applicable parenting tips!

As a school counselor who sees a need for applicable parenting advice in our community, I found the book helpful enough to begin recommending it to some of our families. I also pulled ten passages from within the pages (giving credit appropriately) that align with our ten character principles taught throughout the year. This month we are teaching creativity, and I was able to find a passage in the book that aligned with that principle but also utilized some practical parenting skills. These are posted on our school parent-app so that everyone can get a bite-sized moment of inspiration.  Overall, I highly recommend this book to parents!

About the Author
Dr. Ricky Arenson is an endocrinologist, geriatrician, award-winning author, educator, and speaker based in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on decades of clinical experience together with psychology, neuroscience, and biology, he translates complex science into practical strategies for happier relationships, better parenting, and more meaningful lives. His books combine evidence, humor, and compassion to explain why people behave the way they do and how understanding those differences can transform families and relationships. His engaging style has made him a sought-after speaker on relationships, parenting, leadership, and the intersection of science and everyday life.

Why Couples Drive Each Other Crazy (and How to Fix It)

Just in time for a long weekend of love and arguing... Why Couples Drive Each Other Crazy, by Rick Arenson, is the perfect survival guide! It's relatable, helpful, and LOL-worthy - a refreshing change from all the sappy love books out there. The author dishes out relationship advice with a side of humor and personal anecdotes. If you're tired of feeling like you're the only one driving your partner crazy, read this and LOL your way to a happier marriage. It's like a therapy session, but way more fun!

While I've been more into fiction lately (after all, we all need a bit of escapism!), I found this book to be quite different from your typical non-fiction / self help book. The book combines psychology, neuroscience, biology to explain why men and women often think, communicate, and respond differently. Wisely, he begins with the ways that women are superior to men, then the ways men are superior to women, and finally he gives practical ways to actually communicate better, understand differences, rebuild connection, and work through conflict. Additionally, the author keeps you reading and fully engaged with a consistent injection of humor and light-heartedness.

  

About the Book

Why Couples Drive Each Other Crazy: a funny, science grounded relationship book on how men and women are wired differently and how couples can stop fighting and keep love alive. Playful and intentionally provocative, built for married couples. This is the retitled, reworked version of his earlier Women Are Superior to Men.

Why is it that the person you love the most can also drive you the craziest? It's one of life's greatest mysteries—and one that science can help explain. Why do some men walk past a pile of dirty laundry without noticing it? Why do they suddenly become experts at changing the subject when serious emotions enter the conversation? And why can't they find the ketchup that's sitting right in front of them?

Meanwhile…

Why do some women remember conversations from years ago with astonishing detail? Why do they want to discuss important relationship issues at the worst possible moment? And why do couples keep having the same arguments over and over again?

Snag your copy!

About the Author
Dr. Ricky Arenson is an endocrinologist, geriatrician, award-winning author, educator, and speaker based in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on decades of clinical experience together with psychology, neuroscience, and biology, he translates complex science into practical strategies for happier relationships, better parenting, and more meaningful lives. His books combine evidence, humor, and compassion to explain why people behave the way they do and how understanding those differences can transform families and relationships. His engaging style has made him a sought-after speaker on relationships, parenting, leadership, and the intersection of science and everyday life.

Babe's Bucket List Challenge #8 - My Own House & Garden

 

Welcome to Babe's Bucket List Challenge, where I'm tackling twelve of the thirty things on my bucket list and writing about the experiences...won't you join me?

Remember my dad (from the Word of the Year post)?  Dad's joie de vivre was unmatched -- he loved life!  Music, surfing, engineering, strong coffee, and family were part of his core.  He loved tinkering with ideas and often worked with his grandsons on projects such as building a siege tower, designing and building a chicken coop, and designing and shooting off rockets...plus going fishing.  He lived life with an engineer's precision, a surfer's spirit, and a drummer's soul.  Even as his health declined, his spirit, sense of humor, and love for ice cream never wavered.

In his honor, this year I have created a bucket list - a compliation of dreams and aspirations - to work from.  My husband (who grew up in our town and interned with him as a teen) has also written down a bucket list, and we're going for it!  You can download your own Bucket List template at the Word of the Year post.

Challenge number eigh on the list?  There's no place like home.

Having uprooted life in a major way over the past couple of years, getting settled and rebuilding a small homestead area has been top of mind for a bit. If you've been paying attention to economics, you're probably aware of the fact that the housing market has been very volatile, alongside the prices of everything else rising. However, we found this cute little gem in the best little town...

While it was too late in the year to really get a good garden going, and honestly the soil here is going to need a ton of amending, we were able to get an herb garden started and make progress toward building some raised beds out of food-grade agricultural totes.

And in the meantime, we got some vegetables going along the back wall. Is it what I'd have typically done in the past? Nope. But one lesson here is to acknowledge when circumstances have changed and adapt to them. As you've probably noticed from a few of the other bucket list posts, I've had a bad habit in the past of comparing now-me to past-me, and my body doesn't work like it used to, which makes that an unfair comparison. In this case, comparing a brand new garden on a small parcel to an acre-plus established garden on a large parcel is apples to oranges...

There are plenty of things to like about the property, including the beautiful wildflowers popping up everywhere and the huge blackberry thicket I undercovered while clearing brush!

Before the end of summer, we'll have the rain barrels set up to help water gardens, the clothesline up, and beehives established in this little nook.

Naturally, there are still PLENTY of projects to be done around the house and property, and we look forward to tackling each and every one of them together. 

One of my favorite books, which is a must-have for anyone building up their homestead, is Back to Basics. I highly recommend this as a housewarming gift for anyone as it also focuses on home ownership and repair.

How are your bucket list challenges coming along?

Roadschool Trip to New Orleans - Exploring Food & Culture!

 

Nicknamed "The Big Easy," New Orleans (or NOLA) is known for being a cultural gumbo of music, food, history, and architecture. There's so much more to this city than Mardi Gras...and it's a great place for a roadschool trip!

Step Back in Time

New Orleans was founded in 1718 and named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. During the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port for smuggling aid to the American revolutionaries, and transporting military equipment and supplies up the Mississippi River.

Napoleon sold the city to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles and Africans. Between 1791 and 1810, thousands of St. Dominican refugees from the Haitian Revolution, both whites and free people of color, arrived in New Orleans; a number brought their slaves with them, many of whom were native Africans or of full-blood descent. Louisiana slave culture had its own distinct Afro-Creole society, which included religious beliefs (most notably, Voodoo) and the Louisiana Creole language.

During the final campaign of the War of 1812, the British sent a force of 11,000 in an attempt to capture New Orleans. Despite great challenges, General Andrew Jackson, with support from the U.S. Navy and the pirate Jean Lafitte, decisively defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815.

Pictured above, the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France in the French Quarter is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the US, alongside the Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey, California.

Fast forward to the 21st century, when New Orleans was catastrophically affected when the federal levee system failed during Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. By the time the hurricane approached the city on August 29, 2005, most residents had evacuated. Floodwalls and levees constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers failed below design specifications, and 80% of the city flooded.

That NOLA Sound

Through an intertwining of African, Latin, and European cultures, as well as their musical stylings, New Orleans has a unique musical style.  Beginning in the early American days, there was a blending of Latin and African rhythms with European instruments, and the style evolved up to the start of the 20th century, when local musicians such as Louis Armstrong helped to develop something new - jazz!  It continues to evolve today, as we have seen through Zydeco, Delta Blues, and Bounce.  

 

The transformation of nineteen century benevolent associations into more modern social aid and pleasure clubs provided communities with a rich cycle of social events. Their tradition of parading and marching bands continues to embody the spirit of Delta culture. In fact, when a jazz musician dies, fellow players gather to follow a hearse. The procession to the cemetery begins with slow-paced dirges and ends with jubilant music, celebrating the soul's entry into heaven. Mourners and bystanders fall in behind the band, forming a "second line."

Distinctive folk music traditions survive in rural areas of the Delta today. Cajun ballads, some brought from France through Acadia (see The Lookout Tree unit study), are set to an instrumentation of triangle, fiddle, and accordian. Zydeco blends blues and R&B components with traditional Cajun dance music. Saxophones, piano accordians, electric guitars, and corrugated rub-boards (frottoirs) that are worn as vests and scraped as percussion instruments, create the dance music.

Learn more about the evolution of music in The History of Rock and Roll.

Classic NOLA Cuisine

If music is the soul, then food is the heart of the Delta.  Like its music, its cuisine reflects a compled blend of cultural influences.  Trying to label Delta cuisine as French, Spanish, or African is as pointless as trying to label its culture.  A local chef, when asked to describe his cooking style, once said," Perhaps I would classify it as Delta cooking because it is a culinary blend of ingredients that reflects our cultural diversity."

New Orleans is world-famous for its cuisine. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and influential. New Orleans food combined local Creole, haute Creole and New Orleans French cuisines. Local ingredients, French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, Chinese, and a hint of Cuban traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable New Orleans flavor.

Local specialities include beignets with cafe au lait, po'boys, muffulettas, etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, and pralines. Food is so important to the local culture, that there is a saying -- "There are two times of day in Louisiana: meal time and in-between."

  

Christmas in NOLA

With unique traditions and dazzling decorations, Christmas is a wonderful time to visit New Orleans with the family.  Even the streetcars and steamboats are decked out!  

Some of the holiday highlights include: Candlelight Caroling in Jackson Square (by the cathedral pictured above), building bonfires on the levee to guide Papa Noel, and celebrating with Reveillon dinners.  City restaurants recreate a centuries-old tradition of a Creole four-course holiday feast.

  

If you've ever wanted to peek behind the iron railings and see history upfront, Christmas is also your change to ride the train through the city to experience holiday displays.  You'll see the oldest homes of the French Quarter and Garden District exhibiting the Christmas spirit, with 600-year old trees covered in Spanish moss and dripping in lights.  Many also throw open their doors and invite you inside to experience the holiday beauty.

  

  

New Orleans unit study resources

Younger Kids

• Le Petite Rouge - In this Cajun Little Red Riding hood, when her grand-mère comes down wit' de flu, this Cajun Little Red knows what she has to do.  With her witty cat, TeJean, she sets off in a pirogue to bring Grand-mère some gumbo.
• All that Jazz! - When kids are finished exploring this book, they can see even more of New Orleans by watching, singing and dancing to the music video that goes with this book on the Bellissimavideo YouTube channel.
• Boudreaux the Louisiana Mosquiteaux - Swept away by a hurricane shortly after his birth, Boudreaux the mosquito has one biting question that needs to be answered: what are mosquitos supposed to eat? Across the swamps of Louisiana he goes, determined to find a breakfast fit for a pest.

Chapter Books

• Recipe for Adventure: New Orleans - Zia's secret ingredient takes Alfie and Emilia to New Orleans. There they meet the members of a kids’ jazz band and are soon helping save the band’s performance venue, as well as tracking down a long-lost cookbook, which just might hold some very special secrets. From beignets and gumbo, to jazz and zydeco, Alfie and Emilia experience everything New Orleans has to offer, all while trying to find their way home.
• I Survived Hurricane Katrina - The horror of Hurricane Katrina is brought vividly to life in this fictional account of a boy, a dog, and the storm of the century.

Older Chaper Readers

• They Called Us River Rats - The previously untold story of perhaps the oldest outsider settlement in America, an invisible community on the annually flooded shores of the Mississippi River.
• Ruined - A gripping supernatural mystery and romance set in post-Katrina New Orleans.Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans. She's staying in a creepy house with her aunt, who reads tarot cards. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to show Rebecca the nooks and crannies of New Orleans. There's just one catch, Lisette is a ghost.

Non-Fiction

• Little Local New Orleans Cookbook - The Little Local New Orleans Cookbook brings the essential flavors of New Orleans to your table.
• Musical Gumbo - A guide to the music and musicians of New Orleans profiles such legends as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Buckwheat Zydeco, as well as modern performers including Harry Connick, Jr. and the Marsalis family.
• Little Snippets of New Orleans - Snippets of New Orleans is a whimsical 248 pages of witty text and wonderful illustrations all about New Orleans: its music, food, architecture, people, eccentricities, and traditions.

Resources for Upper Grades Students

• Soldiers rounding up terrified civilians, expelling them from their land, burning their homes and crops...  Do you know the history of how the Acadians are similar to Jews?
• Although they were never actually shipped by the British to Louisiana, many Acadians found their way there due to the attraction of the language and culture – we know it as ‘Cajun.’  In the 1770s, they were allowed to return to Canada, settling in places such as Prince Edward Island,, New Brunswick, and Cape Breton.  The Great Upheaval continued into the 1820s.  They still maintain a strong cultural history and set of traditions today.
• Pick up the full unit study for The Lookout Tree & the Acadian Exile.
• How did a French pirate help to defeat the British in the War of 1812?
• In the early 1800s, Jean and Pierre Lafitte operated a smuggling operation out of Barataria, near New Orleans.  For several years, they made a lot of money through both smuggling and piracy.  In September of 1814, the US Navy invaded their base of operations and captured their fleet.
• Pick up the full unit study for We Were There with Jean Lafitte at New Orleans.

Resources for Elementary Students

Our first trip to Louisiana was several years ago, when the boys were younger.  You can take the virtual field trip and see many lesser-known locations in this Roadschool Trip to Louisiana.

Following that trip, we put together a guide for studying the cultures of Louisiana, and the history behind them. Includes math, cooking, reading, and worksheets.  This unit also covers the history of Mardi Gras, arts and crafts activities, cooking projects, language arts, and more! It includes several worksheets and a printable book.  Pick up a copy here!