Future-proof Your Child: Parenting the Wired Generation by Nikki Bush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Future-proof Your Child" is essential reading for today's parents.

Did you know that our children will be still working in the year 2070! Did you know that many of today's professions won't exist then? It's a daunting thought!

As parents there is a lot we can do to equip our children for the journey ahead. "Future-proof Your Child" discusses the skills and talents required for success and gives practical, forward-thinking advice to parents of the wired generation.

Thought-provoking stuff!

Publisher's summary:

'Stop the world, I want to get off!' is the regular refrain of many of today's time-pressured parents. 'Give me an experience and I'll promise you a relationship,' is the mantra of their children. The world has changed. The future has changed. Childhood is changing. Raising children has never been more challenging – or potentially rewarding. It is increasingly obvious that the world into which our young children will enter as adults, somewhere between 2020 and 2030, will be nothing like the world their parents grew up in, or even the world we currently inhabit. We need a better understanding of the world of the future in order to prepare our children and to 'future-proof' them. Future-proof your Child is a very different kind of parenting book. While it contains many useful practical hints and tips, it also focuses on the context for parenting and child development today. It convinces 21st-century parents of the need to change their approach to parenting future generations. This title will help you to create a framework for your parenting experience as you embark on the highly personal adventure of raising children who will thrive in the future. It is relevant, accessible, practical and inspirational. It will take you back in time and forward into the future to help you make the best choices for your children now! Future-proof your Child highlights the critical importance of making choices, having conversations, and consciously connecting with tomorrow’s children today.

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Merry Christmas

A Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

I can't believe another year has flown past so fast! It feels just like yesterday that I was posting the children's 2010 Christmas portraits.

The end-of-year-rush was as chaotic as usual. I.must.plan.better.next.year. The family and I are taking it easy today. We did the big feast yesterday so today we're picking on leftovers and staying in our pjs.

Enjoy the love and the tinsel!

Love Di



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Book Review: The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I  L.O.V.E.D this book and so has every one in my book club. Not only is it a book about one of my favourite animals (the ellie) but it is set in a part of the world closest to my heart, the South African bush.

The book is beautiful and heartwarming and leaves you filled with wonder for our natural world. I learned so much about elephants and their intricate communication systems and sixth sense. Add a lesson in conservation and life in the bush and it left me wanting more.

I certainly hope Lawrence Anthony puts pen to paper again, and very very soon.

Summary:

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in South Africa, his commonsense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn't take them. He agreed, but before arrangements for the move could be completed the animals broke out again and the matriarch and her baby were shot. The remaining elephants were traumatised, dangerous, and very angry. As soon as they arrived at Thula Thula they started planning their escape...As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had a lot to teach him about life, loyalty and freedom. Set against the background of life on the reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers everywhere.

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Book Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?"

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is as wonderful as it is frustrating. The book has a really interesting and brain-tickling premise, which is so s.l.o.w.l.y. revealed that it impacts the overall story, leaving you with an odd sensation of not connecting with key characters.

Seventeen year old Jenna Fox seems to possess a maturity and world-view beyond her years, which takes the shine of the book for me.

That aside, I really enjoyed it. The book asks some intriguing questions about Self and I enjoyed the debate!



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This Weekend...

This weekend we did a few things out of the ordinary:




We woke up to Mother Nature on our doorstep.

We had no other choice but explore our hearts out.




We spent hours splashing and bombing into the pools. The 34-36C weather helped.

We climbed out the pool shivering and jumped into the car in our wet swimwear to look for horses in pjs.




We made new friends.

We scooted around with our new friends on their motorized walkers.

We fed the horses, who tickled our hands with their whiskery muzzles.

We re-introduced our skin to sand and sun.

We ate loads of ice-cream as it melted and dripped down to our elbows.

We slept in a tent under the stars.

We took midnight, torch-lit walks to the WC.

We woke up to birds singing in the trees and morning visitors.




And we made more friends.




We disturbed the peace and tranquility (though not on purpose).







We pushed on and met more locals.




We explored some of the local homes. None were for sale.




We tried something new (new for some of us).







Others are frequent flyers (or it riders?)








The cuteness nearly killed us (No under 16's allowed to ride on their own - just posing for posterity).













This weekend... we had a blast!!!!





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Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"In January 1988, aged twelve, Martin Pistorius fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating; then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told that an unknown degenerative disease had left him with the mind of a baby and he probably had less than two years to live. Martin went on to be cared for at centres for severely disabled children, a shell of the bright, vivacious boy he had once been. What no-one knew is that while Martin's body remained unresponsive his mind slowly woke up, yet he could tell no-one; he was a prisoner inside a broken body.

Then, in 1998, when Martin was twenty-three years old, an aromatherapy masseuse began treating him and sensed some part of him was alert. Experts were dismissive, but his parents persevered and soon realised their son was as intelligent as he'd always been. With no memory of the time before his illness, Martin was a man-child reborn in a world he didn't know. He was still in a wheelchair and unable to speak, but he was brilliantly adept at computer technology. Since then, and against all odds, he has fallen in love, married and set up a design business which he runs from his home in Essex."

What a wonderful read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Martin's searingly honest recount of his life trapped within his body. Martin's enthusiasm is infectious and you cannot help but be inspired by his story and attitude.

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Book Review: I Can See You by Karen Rose

I Can See You by Karen Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn't know where to turn.
Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think."

I Can See You is a highly entertaining read. It has a well thought out and intriguing plot that will keep you riveted from the start.

I really enjoyed the technological aspects of the book - the hacking and online RPG (role-play gaming). It was a fascinating glimpse into a world quite foreign to me.

The book had a few irritating habits, which is why I only gave it three stars:

- the main character, Eve, although broken and fragile is just too perfect.

- the characters are so transparent that others can read their thoughts through the smallest of body gestures.

- sometimes it feels like there are just too many characters to keep up with. I understand this book is part of a bigger series but a fair bit of time was spent putting characters in context.

Quibbles aside, a very enjoyable read and I look forward to more by Karen Rose.

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