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how to keep your sanity at BlogHer

July 30, 2012

I’m gearing up to head to BlogHer this weekend.  This will be my 3rd time going, and it’s in New York again so I am looking forward to the conference as well as a couple days of geeking out to Broadway shows. Mark will be joining me on Saturday for what we’ve dubbed our Epic NYC  Date Night Weekend.  Our last time together in New York was two years ago when we were on The View.  That time, we had about 24 hours in the city and stayed out all night visiting places we . . .

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babbabox: the solution for the non-crafty mom (a giveaway!)

July 30, 2012

I have a really fun giveaway today for a box from BabbaCo.. BabbaCo.is the creator of the BabbaBox, a monthly subscription box for kids ages 3-6.  It is filled with projects, activities, books, and digital downloads surrounding a new theme every month.  I got to try one of their boxes this month, and I’m a fan. I’ve written before about the fact that I’m a decidedly non-crafty mom. Doing craft projects with kids . . . especially THEMED craft projects . . .  is an undertaking I . . .

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that’s what SHE said: reflections on Aurora

July 30, 2012

  Gun Control is a Religious Issue | Rev. James Martin, S.J Pro-life religious people need to consider how it might be made more difficult for people to procure weapons that are not designed for sport or hunting or self-defense. Why would anyone be opposed to firmer gun control, or, to put it more plainly, laws that would make it more difficult for mass murders to occur? If one protests against abortions clinics because they facilitate the taking of human life, why not protest against . . .

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parents, please educate your kids about adoption so mine don’t have to

July 27, 2012

I took the kids to the park the other day, and I was seated just close enough to the play structure that I could faintly overhear a conversation that occurred between Kembe and several older kids.  At first, I had a hard time understanding what was being said, but something about Kembe’s posture caught my attention.  Typically, he’s a relatively cocky over-confident kid with a lot of swagger., even around older kids.  But in this setting he looked . . . almost cornered.  He . . .

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kids raising kids: the reality of child-headed households in africa

July 26, 2012

On my trip to Ethiopia with Food for the Hungry, I knew that a portion of our time would be spent visiting the homes of sponsored children, so that we could see the way child sponsorship was transforming their lives. When I saw the schedule for our time in the village of Zeway, there was one description that gave me a catch in my throat upon reading: Child-Headed Household.  I've heard this term before, and understood that it refers to a house in which there are no parents. As an adoptive . . .

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how to teach empathy to our kids (bully prevention begins at home)

July 25, 2012

Between news stories on bullying and the recent Bully documentary exploring the epidemic, there has been a much-needed national conversation about the problem of childhood bullying. Most of the conversation revolves around how to make sure our kids are not the victims of bullying, and while I think this is a really important conversation, I also think all parents need to consider how to make sure their kid isn’t the one doing the bullying as well. Any child has the potential to engage in . . .

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what I want you to know: the life of a domestic missionary

July 24, 2012

What I Want You to Know is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories, in the hopes of bringing greater compassion to the unique issues each of us face. If you would like to submit a story to this series, click here. This guest post is by Heather K. Travelers are dreamers who live in a reality... but sometimes reality can mean 200 miles away from home. As a missionary in the US, much less Ft. Worth, Texas, I dreamed of a far away land in . . .

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poverty, perspective, and a surprising sense of peace as I re-acculturate

July 23, 2012

It’s been interesting processing my trip to Ethiopia over the past few days.  Oftentimes people who have visited or served in developing areas will describe a process of re-acculturation, in which they resume their lives with a new lens.  This phenomenon is usually accompanied by a series of revelations involving a renewed sense of gratitude, a changed perspective of the world, frustration with the excesses of American materialism, and a vow to make sweeping changes.  I’ve done a . . .

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ethiopia photo dump

July 21, 2012

I’ve still got some stories to share, and some unpacking to do (both literally and metaphorically).  I’m working on a post to try to articulate the bizarre sense of peace I’ve experienced since coming home (in stark contrast to the agitation I’ve previously felt during the re-acculturation process).  I’m also working on a post to address a comment (and valid) question I’ve received in regards to Food for the Hungry: “I’m not a Christian, so why would I sponsor a child through a . . .

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two links: why I decided not to discuss the Colorado shooting with my kids, and analyzing the ugly human impulse to victim-blame during tragedy

July 20, 2012

Today I woke up to the tragic news of a gunman who opened fire on a movie theater in Colorado, killing at least 12 people and injuring up to 50 more. Such a senseless act is difficult to comprehend, and like many parents I’ve pondered about whether or not to talk to my children about this tragedy.  My children are 7, 5, 5 and 3, and at this time I’ve concluded that they are not mature enough to process the idea of a mass shooting. Read more about why I decided not to talk to my kids about . . .

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Hi, I’m Kristen. I’m a mom of four kids via birth and adoption and a writer living in Southern California. Read More.

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Rage Against the Minivan sometimes earns revenue through sponsored posts, which are clearly labeled, and occasional affiliate links to recommended products. I only feature products that I truly like, and my opinions are always my own.

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