http://natalierusk.com Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:58:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I listened to an intriguing broadcast of the value of play in animals, children, and throughout the lifespan. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/ http://natalierusk.com/?p=29 When children cry, what do we interpret it to mean? Crying often sounds like a demand: “I’m upset! And I want you to do something about it!” Or blame: “I’m upset–and it’s your fault!” The summer after I graduated from college I volunteered for the local Department of ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=26 To become a healthy kid you need to learn to question and go against the predominant culture in U.S. society today. To stay at a healthy weight you need to avoid most of the food offerings surrounding you, and seek out alternative healthy choices. To become a motivated learner you need ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=25 One of the most helpful things I’ve read about writing is by Peter Elbow in his book Writing with Power. He observed from his own struggles with writing that the problem he had was having too many ideas at once. “Blocked writers suffer from too many ideas more often ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=24 I’m remembering this writing advice from a book of quotes about writing by Ernest Hemingway: Ordinarily I never read anything before I write in the morning to try to bite on the old nail with no help and no influence and no one giving you a wonderful example or sitting looking ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=22 I heard today that one of my nephews, although an avid reader, did not pass the 3rd grade reading test. He has always had a unique view of the world. He failed the test because he thinks about the questions differently from the authors of the test. I hope he and ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=21 On Monday I heard Kristin and Chi Huang speak about their project helping Bolivian street children. I am haunted by the statistics that Chi presented–an estimated 170 million children living on the streets worldwide, suffering from all types of abuse (physical, sexual, prostitution, sniffing paint thinner, etc). Kristin and Chi ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=20 An excellent cake, called “birthday cake,” from L.A. Burkdicks. Perfect chocolate frosting. The frosting reminds me of the frosting on a Dobos Torte, my favorite cake, which my mother makes from a recipe from her great aunt who came from Austria. (Cafe Paradiso in Harvard Square actually sells Dobos ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=19 I have read in several places that young children do not really dream like adults do. For example, research psychologist G. William Domhoff states: “The dream reports of children between 3 and 5 consist primarily of static images portraying animals or physiological states like sleeping” (Domhoff, 2000). This reminds ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=18 Our sixth grade class went away for a week to a camp. When we arrived we were given a choice between a stone or a piece of wood. Then we were each given a piece of sandpaper. The staff explained that if we kept sanding whenever we had a chance, ... http://natalierusk.com/?p=17