This month's Blogging Basics from HSB E-Newsletter is about mailing lists. (Once it's sent out, I'll link you to the archive.) If you choose to self mail blog updates to your subscribers, it doesn't have to be boring! You can get creative, just like people do with their answering machine messages.   

Blog Tip Challenge of the Month

A couple of years ago we thought it would be fun to have all homeschool blogger businesses in one spot to make it easier to find them for the holiday shopping season. It was such a big hit, it's been decided to do it again! If you listed your business in the previous Shop with the Bloggers promo, please note that you will need to do so again. We're starting with a clean slate. Also, if you have the Shop with the Bloggers button on your blog sidebar, please replace with the new button below as the source page is now here on HomeschoolBlogger.com.

Instead of fighting the crowds at the malls and shopping centers this year, wouldn't you rather support your fellow bloggers home businesses?  Many folks want to shop with home businesses rather than the big superstores, but sometimes it's just harder to find them. Never fear though, we decided to make a list of these businesses to make your online shopping easier.

If you have a business and would like to share it with the blogosphere, please do the following:

• Add the name of your business in the Mr. Linky box below.

• Link it to your business website. If that's your blog, GREAT!

• Leave a comment telling us about what you have to offer or any specials you might have.

• Copy the shopping button code below to add to your sidebar or website. Even if you don't have a business, you can use the button to support our bloggers with home businesses.

• ~Note, this is a family-friendly website. Any links deemed inappropriate will be deleted.~

Whether you are a shopper or home business owner, feel free to add our Shop with the Bloggers button to your sidebar to support our fellow bloggers!

It's not easy to find others who have only one child in our communities; same goes for those three-member families who homeschool. I'd like ot ask everyone here on Homeschool Blogger, if they have an only child/singleton, or if they homeschool "only one" to do something. It's simple, but it's a way to find others who are on the same journey and that can be helpful to all.

Go to your blog, sign in, and click on Profile. Scroll down to the bottom of that page and find My Interests. Add to your current list "only child."

You can then go to your profile page (what everyone can see), and click on only child in the My Interests list. At the time I wrote this, there are only two listed and I'm one of the two.

Find others who are homeschooling one--I know that right here on Homeschool Blogger there are quite a few, representing states all over the U.S. and in other countries, including China.

I have quite a few HOO'ers in my Friends list here on homeschoolblogger.com on my own blog, but not all of My Friends have only one child, so making this a way to find others who only have one can be a viable way of finding others on the same journey.

Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at  http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC

copyright © 2008 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.

Welcome again to Special words for special needs. This week we are going to be talking about the all important Thanksgiving family meal. Yes, I do mean the large group of happy, noisy loved ones that cram into grandma's house once or twice a year.   Does this bring a gentle smile to your face or more like tears as you consider the rages, stemming and other unacceptable behaviors.  Or do the words of Uncle Bob ring in your ears still, "In my day we would have just given him a good spanking and all this nonsense would be done with!"  Instead of a time you must get through, use this as a wonderful social learning time. Not often can we get together a group of loving, truly concerned people together to help teach your child some group social skills.  

First step is to scope out  the location. Is this get together at a home near by? Is it a home your child is use to?  Yes, great you don't have to worry about the location, just remind you child of a previous good trip there so that you are relating it to a good memory. If not is there a way to arrive early and get use to the home first?  

Also consider how far you can successfully travel.  Can your daughter really stay in the car for a three hour ride and then be in a strange place for a family meal?  Is it possible to travel a day early?  This can be more time involved and expensive. Consider the alternative; you drive  three hours to see family, your little girl rages in mid-introductions and then proceeds to head bang on a wall until you take her out to the car. Where you wait while hubby has a meal and brings you a cold plate. Then you drive three hours back home again. 

Next the parade of relatives. If you have a little time try copying off a family tree and putting pictures next to the names. This helps children connect the abstract idea of family relations with a real concrete  picture. Now the hugs and kisses are doled out but your little one can't take it. One trick I have found that works well is to give your child objects to hand out. Hand made turkeys or stars. If their hands are occupied and they have a job to do it can be just enough distraction to take away the initial panic of too many people. Also have a parent handy during the introductions to gently discourage a lot of hugging, kissing or teasing.  

On to the dinner!!  Are you expected to sit through a formal meal?  If so practice ahead of time. Not only to teach your child manners to use, but also to see where the problems lie. Does your child get lost in the reflection of water? If so the glass of water right at his eye level may be too much temptation.  Also have an escape plan. Choose which parent will take your child out and when or if they should try to return.  Talk to your host ahead of time so they are not upset at people suddenly leaving the table. 

At my in-laws there is a casual atmosphere but the kids are seated at the children's table. We found that if my son could see us he did MUCH better. You can see about recruiting a  family member to be a buddy, pick a child that knows your child quirks.

Talk with your host ahead of time and choose a time out place. This is a place where, when things are too intense, your child can retreat to and calm down. This can be an upstairs bathroom that is not being used for the group. A guest room, or other extra room that is not as intense, hot and overwhelming. 

Finally be ready to leave when your child cannot calm down. This may mean that you only stay two hours. That is a shame and I feel vaguely guilty when I leave family get together's early. But every time we have tried to stay longer behavior dissolves into raging and self destructive behaviors. Leaving early rather than forcing a longer stay will leave everyone with a better feeling about the get together. 

While Thanksgiving and the holidays can be a great way to enlarge your child's abilities, think also of your family. When you are asked questions about autism and in general the problems your child displays be ready with a gentle answer. My husband and I have two levels of answers. One level is for the people that ask you out of social form not a true desire to know or so that they can tell you what you are doing wrong. These people get bland general answers so that I am not encouraging the conversation to get private. The second is for people who honestly want to know or help. I will sit and answer whatever asked for how ever long needed. 

For children with autism there are general everyday dangers that are magnified in the holiday hustle and bustle. Take the time to stake out areas of concern. The house you are going to will most likely have decorations up. Decorations can catch an autistic's attention such as twinkling lights or shiny crystal vases.  Alert those in the kitchen about your child's lack of danger sense so that no one puts down hot foods next to them. Be aware that a lot of people are going in and out so watch the doors carefully if you have a runner on your hands. If you child is prone to walking or running off and is not responsive to returning to you or unable to talk you may want to consider a child locator.  

Okay I know that is a lot to consider and work through. Take it in small chunks. I know that when my husband and I prepare for a big outing with the kids we talk about one or two items then stop. Talk again later letting everything settle in. Be prepare to relax the rules a little. Some stemming in the time out room to help with calming could be considered. Work together as a team with your husband and family. Pray on the way in; pray while you are there; and pray when you leave!

Happy Thanksgiving! God Bless!

Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 7 years.  Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal!  Visit Heather's page at  www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/

I don't believe we have too many bloggers here at HSB that live in Peru. MissionaryMama does and you can find her Deep in the Mountains. Isn't the internet an amazing thing? You can visit someone living in Peru and you don't even have to worry about snakes, bugs, and proper hiking attire.

As you can probably imagine, house buidling in Peru is not quite the same as here in the U.S. You can follow along the building of this new  house in the category, house building. U.S. building officials would have a heart attack if they saw the support poles in this post!

A category for family will make it much easier for you to find out more about this missionary family.

Homeschooling in Peru isn't much different then anywhere else. Would we really expect it to be? Learning is learning no matter where you go!

I hope you enjoyed this fast, yet exciting trip to an exotic blog! Be sure to say hello to missinarymama, in whatever language you are comfortable with.

Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB

"Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit." -Psalm 34:13

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer.  Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula.  You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com.  For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

6 Favorite Music Artists:

 1. Victorious Valley Girls

 2. Jolene Barkley

 3. Jamie and Caitlyn Gaddy

 4.  I cannot think of anymore that I like!

 5.

 6.

Hello, everybody.

So, an update on what’s been happening-

For the last several months the older homeschool kids (7 11-15 year-old kids) have been getting together every couple of weeks for Speak Up! Which is a public speaking program.

What we had to do was write up and practise a speech to deliver in front of the whole group. Each speak up meeting we had a different kind of speech to give- whether an impromptu speech (which we weren’t allowed to practice for, as you are supposed to make it up nearly on the spur of the moment), or an apologetics speech, or an interpretative speech, etc. After we gave our speeches, and talked about what we did well and what to work on, my Mum (who led the group) would teach us how to give the next sort of speech we were to deliver next Speak Up. It was really quite fun, and since we were only giving our speeches in front of a small group of close friends, it wasn’t too nerve-wracking.

So, as a kind of grand finale, Mum organized for us to have a final speech night, where we would give one or two of our favourite speeches from over the year, in front of a larger group of friends and family. So all the older homeschool kids are in a frenzy of practising their speeches. I am giving that “Why God is not a God of hate” speech that I wrote up for last Speak Up and posted on here several days ago. So that event should be really good.

Oh yeah, and the speech night is tomorrow. :)