Exploramania's Exploracise® GyMathtics®, a TOS Crew Review

Math. Healthy Lifestyle Choices. Low impact aerobic exercise.

We need all three of them. And Exploromania gives us all three in a 25 minute DVD for elementary school-aged children called Exploracise® GyMathtics®. Exploromania sent me, at no charge, this DVD so that I can review the product for you here on my blog.

I'm a huge fan of movement and learning. I was privileged to attend a workshop with Smart Moves author and brain physiology expert Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. not too long after the realization that one of my children was developmentally delayed related to a regression into an autism diagnosis.

Movement and learning are intimately connected -- we all need them both, and we learn better when there's a component of movement involved.

Exploracise® GyMathtics® gives you both in an exercise DVD priced at $24.99. According to the clock/counter on my DVD player, the routine is 25 minutes long. The routine is divided into four parts, "Shape Stretches^TM Warm Up", "Counting Calistehenics^TM", Pattern Power^TM" and "Well-Being Wind Down^TM" Exploramania provides a three-minute sample of the video on their home page.

The actors on the tape range in age from a first grader to a college student, but the tape is a bit to "little-kid-ish" for my "big kids". For a child with autism, where processing multiple "channels" of information simultaneously can be quite challenging, this DVD can be overwhelming. Following the movements (using a non-verbal "channel"), skip counting (a verbal "channel") and listening to the math facts or health tips all at the same time is a lot -- sometimes too much, too overwhelming, for a child who is learning to navigate several "channels" simultaneously. Playing the video with the sound low may be an option for children who are overwhelmed with too much at once. For my homeschooler, some of the facts are a bit too much at this time (developmentally inappropriate, but we're getting there!) and the healthy lifestyle choices and facts in the voice over during the "wind down" are annoying to this mom.

GyMathtics is cute, it's low impact, and the workout is do-able for young children or children with motor planning challenges. There are no moves that I'd consider tricky or difficult. You get to sneak in some math through a "back door" -- you're not sitting at a table and it does not look like "school", which is a huge bonus for a lot of families. If you're looking for a low-impact exercise routine that you and your child can do together, check out the samples on the web site and consider this DVD.

To read what my Crewmates have to say about this product, please click HERE.

Skating Update

I have been lazy about getting skating video up on the blog. We missed three sessions due to illness, and still I have still photos and video from several sessions that are in the camera but not up on the blog.

I continue to be amazed at the hard work that goes into learning to skate.

My skating princess has been working on CROSSOVERS lately -- involving a whole lotta motor planning and crossing the midline with her feet while maintaining her balance on blades that lift her off the ice.

Her face, her affect is so full of glowing smiles when she is on the ice! Yesterday's lesson had her coming to me with a few "TA-DA!" moments. Here's one:

A CROSSOVER:

25 DAYS, 26 WAYS by Ace Collins, a Zondervan Review

One look at the title of this book had me convinced this is another book about how to "do" Christmas bigger and better, leaving me feeling more overwhelmed and guilty that I am not doing enough to create warm memories of beloved traditions. I figured it is filled with impractical crafts that require professional talent and tools and recipes that I can't make or convert because they're all wheat or milk based.

I was wrong.

Ace Collins has written 25 Days, 26 Ways To Make This Your Best Christmas Ever ($15.99, hardcover) as lessons on how to focus on the things that matter with an emphasis on simplification. Day 1 is available HERE -- check out the history and reasons of Advent and look at the simple but powerful idea that Collins suggests at the end of the chapter.

Collins intends for readers to read one chapter a day, starting December 1st. The book is filled with interesting history about all things Christmas, from Advent to the meaning behind the symbols in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," to mistletoe and everything in between.

Yes, there's at least one gluten filled suggestion (it has to do w/ animal crackers). I'm torn between finishing the book for this review and saving it for the month of December the way the author intended. I've read quite a bit of it, and am relieved that it doesn't require me to be a professional "Suzy Homemaker" or push me to be bigger, brighter, better in terms of crafts, food, gifts, and decorating.

It would be a great nightly read-aloud with the family, one chapter a night.

Simplify. I like practical, meaningful suggestions that point us to the meaning of Christmas. That's what "25 Days, 26 Ways" does.

ISBN: 0310293146, ISBN-13: 9780310293149, UPC: 025986293147

Zondervan sent me an advanced reader copy of this book at no charge in order that I may review it on this blog.

Maple-Plum Glazed Turkey Breast (it's GFCF)

I've been going through cookbooks looking for something new to try. Can you tell? *grin*

This one is from page 285 of the 2000 edition of Southern Living Annual Recipes from Oxmoor House. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
The Chilled Vegetable Salad is also GFCF, so I included it for readers looking for new recipes. I'm not likely to make the salad, but I am going to try the turkey recipe.

I met Santa

My washer and dryer died. Together. At the same time. I had to go pick out new ones tonight, and guess who was working the kitchen design center next to the appliance center of the do-it-yourself store?

Santa Claus, himself. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I felt like a little girl when I was talking to him tonight.

I asked the gentleman waiting on me how long Santa Claus had worked there, and he called Santa over to meet me. He doesn't get to work as much at the store in December, because he's busy meeting children and hearing what they want for Christmas. He gave me one of the cards that he gives the kids:

Edible Ornament Recipe that happens to be GFCF

I'm going to have to try this one. Click on the recipe to enlarge the photo.

From 1994 Southern Living Annual Recipes (from Oxmoor House), page 316.

Update: My homeschooled, skating princess and I made one recipe of the ornaments. We omitted food coloring and left the ornaments white. The dough is extremely thick and my hand mixer overheated. I'll use the stand mixer for the next round. The dough is thick and sticky, offering tactile and proprioceptive input as we rolled it out with a Tupperware glass for a rolling pin. The size of the cookie cutter matters and bigger is NOT better. I bought some Wilton brand holiday candy molds at a discount department store-- I want to see how this recipe works in the molds. I also want to try mint flavoring instead of vanilla or try a teaspoon or two of coconut flour in the dough. I wonder if we could paint the ornaments instead of coloring the dough?

uʍop ǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ oʇ ʍoɥ

uʍop ǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ oʇ ʍoɥ

ǝɹǝɥ ob

Learning (not memorizing) will make reading FUN

I have blogged about my daughter's trying-to-learn-to-read experience in public school, about how memorization of the words of a story is not the same as reading comprehension.

Thanks, Jeannine Herron, for the support and encouragement you give me here:

http://www.talkingfingers.com/educational-reading-software/teaching-reading-phonics/learning-reading-phonics/

The Old Schoolhouse Free Digital Holiday Supplement

I'm craving country ham after browsing the supplement this morning.

http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Digital-Supplement/Thanksgiving&Christmas.html

GFCF Pear Bread

The internet and other Momblogs are a great resource for recipes when you have a family member on a special diet. I bought pears yesterday just so I could try this recipe:

http://myaspergersgirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/gfcf-pear-bread.html

Here's what mine looks like:

I made mine in a square cake pan and I used GF Trader Joe's pancake and waffle mix as the flour mix. It's super delish! Would be great warm with ice cream on the side.

I got my GFCF girl to eat a few bites of it this morning. That's a good start.