Wanda Luthman's Blog, page 52

#Happynewyear

This picture was taken at Busch Gardens this year. I had a great 2015 and I’m looking forward to 2016. Thank you to my friends and family for making it one of the best. I love you all!

#amediting

I just finished writing my third book! It’s about a unicorn and he helps a disabled girl learn to read and by reading, she enjoys adventures. Plus, there’s more but I won’t spoil the surprise!

# bookboost #IART #pdf1

Here’s a new sign I had made for book events. I was going to cut out the faces so kids could put their face in and have their picture taken. What do you think?

#Star Wars Author Interview

Check out GW Pomichter’s YouTube show Hangin’ With’s interview

 

#Parenting Tips 3 Best Ways to Love our Children

The holiday season is a time of love. Love is what I’d like to talk about on this blog post. I think love for our children is a natural response. The experts say that our body releases a hormone at the time of birth that is known as the “love” hormone thereby ensuring the love of the parent for their offspring. But, Dad’s love their children fiercely too even without that extra burst of hormone.

But, love is tricky, isn’t it? We love our children but we don’t always interact with them lovingly. We love them but we don’t always know the child’s language of love. So, the child doesn’t always feel loved.

It’s one thing to make mistakes and then ask forgiveness from your child and do better next time. Our child still feels loved. It’s another thing to make the same mistake over and over and over and especially if that mistake is abusive. Our child doesn’t feel loved and in most people’s vocabulary we would not say the parent loves the child. But, we know that hurt people, hurt people. Parents are people too. The parent has some unresolved pain and that’s why they are behaving that way. They love but they don’t act lovingly.

How can we get in touch with what is actually love? What actions actually show and express our love to our children? How can we know what our child’s language of love is so we express it in a way that feels like love to them?

First, Psychologists talk about stages of development. Meeting the needs of each stage is an act of love because each time a parent meets the healthy need of a child at the stage they are in they are helping the child to become healthy and whole. So meeting your child’s social, emotional, behavior, physical need is an important aspect of love.

Secondly, physical touch is often associated with love. In fact, studies have shown that babies who are not held do not thrive. Yes, babies who are not touched actually die. Soft touches, hugs, and kisses all express a feeling of love. Touch is an important need. Similarly, words of love and encouragement are acts of love. We know ourselves how important it is to actually hear someone we care about say, “I love you” and not just expect us to know that from their actions. Tell your child you love them often. Encouragement is important as a child’s self-esteem and sense of themselves is based on what a parent says about them. If we as their parent encourage them with positive words such as, “you are bright,” “you are kind,” “you have this,” etc we are sowing seeds of a positive self-image.

And third, spending time with your child shows you value and love them. There’s the Cats In The Cradle song that shows us how important spending time with your child is to the relationship. Children need and want your attention. We are tired and we think we just can’t give of ourselves anymore at the end of a long day, but if we push ourselves to play a sport with our child outside or a board game or an electronic game with our child, we will find ourselves energized. It’s often during these times that children will share something with you that they may have never shared with you if you were sitting down talking to them or if you never asked about it.

As we interact with our child in loving ways, we will get to know them and what they respond to best. In this way, we will learn their language of love. Start now, in this wonderful season of love, to show your child how much you really do love them!

Happy Holidays!

# Christmas Poem #Soldiers

Christmas Poem”

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?

CURLED UP IN A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

“SANTA DON’T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I WEPT FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, “CARRY ON SANTA,

IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.”

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND!

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.”

This poem was written by a Marine.

The following is his request.  I think it is reasonable…..

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can?

Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women

for our being able to celebrate these festivities.  Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit

of what we owe.  Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed

themselves for us.  Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

#Anti-Bullying

At the Arts and Crafts Holiday Bazaar in Cocoa Village last weekend, I met a couple of wonderful retired Elementary School teachers. One of them, Rita, told me about another retired teacher who had written a poem on anti-bullying adapted from the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If so, please share it!

If You Give Kids Books (Anti-Bullying Poem)

#Thanks

A big thanks to Theresa from Annie’s Toy Chest for giving me a table this weekend for the Cocoa Village Holiday Bazaar and to Christine for working at the tables with me! I met some awesome people and had a great time!

#Author #Reader #Kindle Tip

I came across this great tip in Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s informational email.

Did you know that you can buy your e-books from Kindle, even if you don’t have a Kindle? Patricia Fry, founder of SPAWN says, “If you need an e-book but don’t have a Kindle, just go to any Kindle book page look for the buy options. [You may find a widget there offering a free app to make your download easier.] Choose Kindle. After you’ve done that, the site gives you several options or platformsfor that book so you can buy the e-book for yourself or to send one as a gift to someone else whether or not you (or they!) have a Kindle. I believe this shows up on any Amazon page where they are selling Kindle. ~ Submitted by Patricia Fry, author of the Klepto Cat Mystery series. First in the series is Catnapped, http://amzn.to/14OCk0W. ======================

Visit and follow Carolyn Howard-Johnson through any of her many resources

Join me For more writers’ resources on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FrugalBookPromo For resources and more personal fun on Facebook: http://facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson For writers’ resources of all kinds: http://HowToDoItFrugally.com To subscribe to SharingwithWriters blog: http://SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com To subscribe to SharingwithWriters newsletter: http://HowToDoItFrugally.com/newsletter_&_blog.htm Get your cover images on Pinterest; you pin one of my book cover images and I’ll pin yours: http://Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson

#Author #Interview #BookBoost

YouTube Author Interview of Wanda Luthman, Author of The Lilac Princess

Thank you to G.W. Pomichter of Hangin’ With for this awesome author interview. Please check it out and learn all about why your child needs to read this book. You might just enjoy it too!

Purchase now at http://www.amazon.com/author/wandaluthman