Book Report/Review – The GoTo Mom’s Parent’s Guide…”

I was privileged to attend a special book-signing event for Kimberley Clayton Blaine’s just released book, “The GoTo Mom’s Parent’s Guide to Emotion Coaching Young Children!”  I did suggest a longer title to her, but she rejected my brilliant idea.

Buy the book from (the link/box just to the right), from Amazon, ANY book store, but buy it now especially if you have young children.

Kimberley is a renowned expert on child-rearing, actually has kids of her own (don’t you love experts on things they know nothing about first-hand), and has created a brilliant new idea called “Emotion Coaching,” which is described in her new book (her 4th, btw).

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A Story of Giving – THE UPDATE – Please Join In Our Effort!

As you may know, I’ve developed a relationship with the Pastor, his kids, his community, and their school in Ghana, Africa.  I’ve written about it in my A Story of Giving column, my “Africa Zebras” blog (with the great photos), and spoken of it on my Radio Show (August 12, 2010). They are wonderful young girls that we’ve sent books and more to. Soon, we’ll be sending some laptops (from The Wright Centre for Orthodontics).  Pastor Frank Bennin is father to some (biologically), and “Father” to all, spiritually.

I wanted to share with you a chat I had with Pastor Frank, via Facebook, about what we hope to accomplish together and create our own story of giving.  Please note their address if you want to send your own box of books, magazines, toys, stuffed animals, and more.
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Clueless Wives: The Interview

My wife says she’s about to leave to go to work.  She waits by the kitchen entrance, while I’m in my office.  I say, “Okay have a great day.”  She waits some more until I finally get it and lift myself up from my comfortable chair, where I was working on my computer (she doesn’t consider that “work”) and I give her a kiss goodbye.

While I’m already up and totally disturbed, I go around and turn off ALL the lights she left on in our bedroom and bathroom.  When I ask why she leaves them on, I get back, “I’m not done yet.”  Hmmm, is the idea that they’re on 10 hours later when she gets back home?  I know, I’m just a guy, so obviously I’m just lame.
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The Africa Zebras (young girls) Laptop Fund – Please Help!

You all know my story about meeting toys, and more.  The 3rd box just arrived and they were overjoyed.  In the photos they just sent me, they included one of the Internet Cafe they go to when they want to communicate with the outside world.  While I doubt they can get broadband in their small town, there’s NO doubt they could use a laptop or two!

So, I’m launching a fund-raiser, today on my radio show, to raise money for this cause.  Details about who to make out the checks to and the charity will be forthcoming as I need to set this up “officially.” If, in the meantime, you’d like to send them some books, toys, games, and more, please do so to:

Frank Bennin
P.O. Box 719
Agona, Swedru
Ghana
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The Day I Went Crazy At the Bank!

I went nuts at the bank. Yup, it’s true. I was overwhelmed and I just over-reacted.

I go to the same branch of Wells Fargo. There’s ALWAYS a line. ALWAYS. Every person at the teller takes FOREVER to do their business. Sometimes, a very nice bank person comes out and asks, “If you have a straight deposit, no cash back, I can help you.” I want to kill that person! We ALL want cash back or something beyond a simple deposit! Why doesn’t she come out and say, “We’ve got ten tellers on break right now, but I’ll ask one of them to come out early and maybe help get this line moving”? How about that instead?

So, I headed into the bank with my expectations sure that the line would be long, slow, and I’d be looking at my watch every few seconds as if THAT WOULD MAKE IT MOVE ANY FASTER!

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The State of Gender Affairs

There’s no question that technology changes faster than most of us yuppies and boomers can handle.  I don’t know what the current number of years for technology “generations” is, but I do know that if you have children five or more years apart in age, they will each use technology differently.  I’ve observed my own two boys, just three years apart, using social media/smart phones each in his own distinct way. My younger son relies almost exclusively on texting, while my older son actually occasionally talks on his cell-phone. Things may not move quite this fast with our state of gender affairs but I assert that we are now experiencing changes in our gender roles much faster than at any other time in human history.  While I’m part of the sixties generation where we believed we re-invented everything, from sex to politics, established that anyone over 30 didn’t know anything, changed college life forever, was the first generation to have the pill, and the first to topple a presidency and end a war by withdrawal, we still have our own adjustments to these gender changes.

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Just A Guy Asking, “Are YOU Having Sex?”

I just read a provocative New York Times column by Camille Paglia called, “No Sex Please, We’re Middle Class,” which struck this man as very true and very sad.  Have we sunk to androgynous roles as men and women?  Are you having sex? Are we (you?) having less sex?  Are we men falling down on our jobs in making “it” happen?

Without going into my bedroom, as my wife would NOT appreciate it, I can only speculate about others.  And, my speculation is there’s much truth in the fact that our lives are so equal, so focused on work and family, that the time for sex and the energy required often get put on the back-burner, behind the kids’ needs, our social networking, work we take home, and more.

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